May 20th
Today in 1310,shoes were made for both right and left feet, well how convenient!
Today in 1873,Levi Strauss began marketing their patented blue jeans with copper rivets.
Today in 1899,Jacob German of New York City became the first driver to be arrested for speeding. The posted speed limit was 12-miles per hour.
Today in 1927,Charles Lindbergh began his historic solo flight across the Atlantic at 7:40a ET. He began in Long Island and without the benefit of heat, radio or light, traveled 3600 miles and arrived in Paris 33-1/2 hours later. He was 25 years old at the time.
Today in 1932,Amelia Earhart took off from Newfoundland to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean– and became the first woman to achieve the feat. She landed 15 hours later…on the 21st.
Today in 1952,the first hydrogen bomb dropped from an aircraft from America, over Bikini Atoll in the South Pacific. It was the first test of the “improved” H-Bomb. The successful test by Americans meant that the ante in the nuclear arms race had been seriously upped – and it was. The Soviets began testing their version of the H-Bomb in 1953.
Today in 1972,the Black Lung Benefits bill was signed into law by President Nixon before flying to Russia for further plans on promoting world peace. The bill extends the benefits to whoever were incapacitated due to poor health from working in coal mines and allowed an additional 100,00 coal miners, widows, dependents and orphans to get monthly benefits.
Today in 1978,53-year-old Mavis Hutchinson became the first woman to run across America. The 3,000-mile trek took her 69 days. She ran an average of 45 miles each day.
Today in 1989,Gilda Radner died in her sleep after a long battle with ovarian cancer. She was 43. Radner was one of the great comic geniuses of the 20th century, ranked up at the top with Lucille Ball and other comedy legends of the highest caliber.
Today in 1993, the final broadcast “Cheers” aired– an estimated 93 million people tuned in. Later that night? Jay Leno celebrated the final episode of “Cheers” with a live broadcast of the “Tonight Show” at the Bull and Finch, the bar that “Cheers” was based on. Most of the cast was drunk during the show.
Today in 1995,CBS News fired nightly news co-anchor Connie Chung. Chung had landed in hot water in 1995 after she prompted Kathleen Gingrich, the 68-year-old mother of then-Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich,to admit that her son had called U.S. first lady Hillary Clinton "a bitch."The elder Gingrich made the comment after Chung said, "Why don't you just whisper it to me, just between you and me?" Though Chung said it was clear she was being playful, many viewers felt she had entrapped Gingrich.
Today in 1995,President Clinton announced that the two-block stretch of Pennsylvania Avenue in front of the White Housewould be permanently closed to motor vehicles as a security measure.
Today in 1996,the Supreme Courtstruck down a Colorado measure banning laws that would protect homosexuals from discrimination. InRomer v. Evans, the Court ruled that 6–3 that Colorado's Amendment 2, which would have voided existing gay rights laws in Colorado and prevented any new gay rights laws from taking effect, was unconstitutional.
Today in 1999,an armed 15-year-old boyopened fire at Heritage High Schoolin Conyers, Georgia wounding six students.
Today in 2005,former teacher and convicted pedophile, 43-year-old Mary Kay Letourneaumarried her victim and father of her two children, 22-year-old Vili Fualaau. She served a seven and a half year sentence for raping him when he was her sixth grade student at 12-years-old. At the time, she was married and had four children of her own. In the tumultuous years since – Fualaau’s life has been marred by alcoholism and much strife. The pairconfirmed their plans to divorce in March 2019.
Today in2013,Yahoo purchased Tumblr for $1.1-billion…and promised “not to screw it up.”
Today in 2013,an EF5 tornado struck Moore, Oklahoma,killing at least 24 people, ininjuring more than 200 - and flattening 1,100 homes.
Today in 2015,David Letterman hosted the "Late Show with David Letterman" for the last time…after 33 years at the helm.
Today in 2017,President Donald Trump began his first foreign trip arriving in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Today in 2018,Justice Department says it was expanding its internal investigation into whether FBI infiltratedDonald Trump's 2016 campaign.