On This Day In History
25 May 2018. Ireland voted in a National Referendum to repeal the 8th Amendment of the Constitution of Ireland, prohibiting abortion in all but a few cases, choosing instead to replace it with the 36th Amendment of the Constitution of Ireland, which allowed abortion. pic.twitter.com/e2wgKbPexf
— Prof Frank McDonough (@FXMC1957) May 25, 2022
25 May 2020. George Floyd (aged 46), was murdered during an arrest, after a store cashier phoned police alleging he had passed a counterfeit $20 bill in Minneapolis. Derek Chauvin, one of 4 police officers on the scene, knelt on Floyd’s neck and back for 9 minutes and 29 seconds. pic.twitter.com/LcvN6U8W4l
— Prof Frank McDonough (@FXMC1957) May 25, 2022
PHOTO OF THE DAY. Shoes On The Danube, Holocaust Memorial, Budapest, Hungary. It honours Jews massacred by the Fascist Hungarian militia during WW2. The victims were ordered to take off their shoes, and were then shot at the edge of the river so that their bodies fell in. (2012). pic.twitter.com/k95JohmVeY
— Prof Frank McDonough (@FXMC1957) May 25, 2022
May 26th
1896 Dow Jones index begins with an average of 12 industrial stocks (closing is 40.94)
1908 At Masjed Soleyman (مسجد سليمان) in southwest Persia, the first major commercial oil strike in the Middle East is made, rights acquired by the United Kingdom
1927 Henry Ford and the Ford Motor Company produce the last (and 15th million) Model T Ford / Tin Lizzie
1948 South Africa elects a nationalist government under D. F. Malan with an apartheid policy
2004 The United States Army veteran Terry Nichols is found guilty of 161 state murder charges for helping carry out the Oklahoma City bombing.
Did You Know?
"Dracula" by Irish author Bram Stoker is published by Archibald Constable and Company in London
Today in History in 1897
Would You Believe?
George Willig climbs the South Tower of NYC's World Trade Center, famously fined 1 cent for each of 110 stories he climbed
Today in History in 1977
This day 706 years ago – 26 May 1315 – Edward Bruce landed at Larne in Ulster.
Donall Ó Néill, King of Tír Eógain, had asked Edward’s brother, Robert, for assistance in combating Normans in Ireland.
Robert agreed, on condition that Edward be recognised as King of Ireland.
— This Day in Irish History (@ThisDayIrish) May 26, 2021
In May 1852, Charlotte Cushman made her last appearance on stage. Wildly famous as a singer and actor, often playing men, she was a global superstar. Cushman had love affairs with many celebrated women, including sculptors Harriet Hosmer and Emma Stebbins. https://t.co/5dhpK0AszI pic.twitter.com/X5ZhBnMDhP
— On This Day She (@OnThisDayShe) May 26, 2022
On this day in 1924, Congress passed an act completely prohibiting immigration from Asia. While signing the act, President Coolidge remarked, “America must remain American.” To overcome racial inequality, we must confront our history. https://t.co/y4fUvk5RFz
— Equal Justice Initiative (@eji_org) May 26, 2022
26 May 1647. Achsah (or Alice) Young was executed in Hartford, Connecticut. It’s the first recorded American execution in the Thirteen Colonies of a woman defined as a “Witch”. She was hanged in the Meeting House Square. pic.twitter.com/XR1pGOYQHC
— Prof Frank McDonough (@FXMC1957) May 26, 2022
26 May 1940. The evacuation of Allied forces from Dunkirk (Operation Dynamo), began. Over the next 9 days, 385,000 Allied soldiers were rescued after a catastrophic defeat by German forces during the Battle of France. They left all their equipment behind. pic.twitter.com/YdrO2Mgutc
— Prof Frank McDonough (@FXMC1957) May 26, 2022
26 May 1969. John Lennon and his wife, Yoko Ono, began their 2nd “Bed- In for Peace” at the Queen Elizabeth Hotel, Montreal, Canada. During their 7-day stay, they recorded the peace anthem, Give Peace a Chance. The publicity stunt was generally ridiculed in the press. pic.twitter.com/X52teDRkqh
— Prof Frank McDonough (@FXMC1957) May 26, 2022
26-27 May 1923. The first 24 Hours of Le Mans race was run through public roads around Le Mans, France. It’s the world's oldest active endurance motor racing event. The race winner is determined by the car that covers the greatest distance in 24 hours. pic.twitter.com/aE7w0lpo6s
— Prof Frank McDonough (@FXMC1957) May 26, 2022
May 27th
1679 Habeas Corpus Act passes in England, strengthening a person’s right to challenge unlawful arrest and imprisonment
1703 Saint Petersburg (Leningrad) founded by Russian Tsar Peter the Great
1873 Heinrich Schliemann discovers “Priam’s Treasure” a cache of gold and other objects in Hisarlik (Troy) in Anatolia
1905 Japanese fleet destroys the Russian East Sea fleet in the Battle of Tsushima, the only decisive clash between modern steel battleships in history
1940 British and Allied forces begin the evacuation of Dunkirk (Operation Dynamo) during WWII
1963 Jomo Kenyatta elected 1st Prime Minister of Kenya
1999 The International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia indicts Slobodan Milošević and four others for war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in Kosovo
2006 Earthquake strikes Java, Indonesia at 5:53:58 AM local time (22:53:58 UTC May 26) devastating Bantul and the city of Yogyakarta, killing over 6,600 people
Did You Know?
The 1,046-foot (319-meter) Chrysler Building in New York City, the tallest man-made structure at the time, opens to the public
Today in History in 1930
Would You Believe?
Not Listed.
This day 85 years ago – 27 May 1936 – the first ever Aer Lingus flight took place.
A five-seater D.H. Dragon named 'Iolar' – or 'Eagle' in Irish – flew from Baldonnel Aerodrome to Bristol, England.
The departure was witnessed by Seán Lemass, Minister for Industry and Commerce. pic.twitter.com/n5Q3qwCr0z
— This Day in Irish History (@ThisDayIrish) May 27, 2021
In May 1709, Delarivier Manley published 'The New Atalantis', a scandalous satirical novel. A renowned satirist, she succeeded Swift as editor of The Examiner and was imprisoned for her writings. She was a committed Tory and supporter of Queen Anne. https://t.co/tVPefuRlND pic.twitter.com/cmRm9faGBW
— On This Day She (@OnThisDayShe) May 27, 2022
On this day in 1892, a white mob destroyed Ida B. Wells's newspaper office while she was away and threatened bodily harm if she returned, because she challenged the myth of Black criminality. To overcome racial inequality, we must confront our history. https://t.co/6eRXgJrdo0
— Equal Justice Initiative (@eji_org) May 27, 2022
27 May 1971. 46 people were killed in the “Dahlerau train disaster”. It happened when two trains collided head-on. 41 of the fatalities were secondary school students. It was then the deadliest accident in West German history, only surpassed by the Eschede train disaster in 1998. pic.twitter.com/hOStoN4Os7
— Prof Frank McDonough (@FXMC1957) May 27, 2022
27 May 1975. 33 people were killed in the Dibbles Bridge Coach Crash which occurred near Grassington, in North Yorkshire. The coach was carrying pensioners on a day trip to the Yorkshire Dales. It’s the highest ever death toll in a road accident in the UK. pic.twitter.com/FS59K4af0r
— Prof Frank McDonough (@FXMC1957) May 27, 2022
PHOTO OF THE DAY. Christopher Lee (born 27 May 1922), Vincent Price (born 27 May 1911) and Peter Cushing (born 26 May 1913). Photo was taken in 1983. pic.twitter.com/yZCCRSRAFb
— Prof Frank McDonough (@FXMC1957) May 27, 2022