Benedict Arnold Swears Allegiance
In 1778, Major General Benedict Arnold swore allegiance to the fledgling United States. Two years later General Arnold would betray his oath by conspiring to surrender West Point to the British.
Benedict Arnold’s Oath of Allegiance, 05/30/1778
May 29, 1917: John Fitzgerald Kennedy Born
On this day in 1917, John F. Kennedy was born in Brookline, Massachusetts.
Cape Cod served as the backdrop for Kennedy family gatherings over many years. Browse this gallery of Kennedy family photographs taken at the Hyannis Port compound.
Photos from the John F. Kennedy Library, Boston.
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May 25th 1977: Star Wars released
On this day in 1977, the iconic film ‘Star Wars’ (later retitled ‘Star Wars: Episode IV: A New Hope’) was released. It was the first in a six film saga, and was written and directed by George Lucas. It was not expected to be a huge success, but when it was released it earned $460 million in the United States and $337 million overseas, thus defeating ‘Jaws’ as the highest-grossing film (surpassed by ‘E.T. the Extra Terrestrial’ in 1983). Star Wars was a groundbreaking piece of cinema and its popularity endures.
May 24, 1883: Brooklyn Bridge Opens to Traffic
On this day in 1883, the Brooklyn Bridge opened to traffic. The first person to cross the bridge was Emily Roebling, wife of project engineer Washington Roebling. Washington Roebling had become sick after taking over for his father, John Roebling, who had died as a result of a freak accident at the construction site.
Having studied mathematics and the concepts of bridge building, Emily assisted her husband throughout the entire construction of the Brooklyn Bridge.
The period after the Civil War was a time of great transition – and innovation – in the United States. From the Ken Burns’s Brooklyn Bridge site, this timeline shows the progression of the New York-Brooklyn Bridge, which was the premier engineering feat of its time, and puts its construction in greater historical context.
Queen Victoria of United Kingdom was born
Today in History: May 24, 1819
Queen Victoria was born in Kensington Palace in London on May 24th, 1819. She was the daughter of Edward, the Duke of Kent and Princess Victoria of Saxe-Coburg.
Queen Victoria is associated with Britain’s great age of industrial expansion, economic progress and, especially, empire. At her death, it was said, Britain had a worldwide empire on which the sun never set.
In Louisiana, a small gray sedan swayed over a red dirt road from Arcadia. Six men armed with guns jumped from the roadside.
“Halt!” they shouted. The car roared, gathered speed. Six guns sent 167 steel bullets crashing through the steel machine. It lurched, crashed into an embankment, and stopped, covered with blood. Inside sprawled two battered figures clutching guns. Clyde Barrow and Bonnie Parker were dead.
Newsweek June 2, 1934
May 22, 1992: Johnny Carson Hosts Final “Tonight Show”
On this day in 1992, after almost 30 years as host of the “Tonight Show,” Johnny Carson hosted his last program.
Johnny Carson was seen by more people on more occasions than anyone else in American history. Over the course of 4,531 episodes and 23,000 guests, he became a fixture of national life.
Watch American Masters’ “Johnny Carson: King of Late Night,” an exploration of his life, career, and complexities.
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May 21, 1927
Charles Lindbergh Completes First Solo Transatlantic Flight
Fighting fog, icing, and sleep deprivation, Charles A. Lindbergh becomes the first aviator to make a solo, non-stop, transatlantic flight.
Lindbergh and his “Spirit of St. Louis” took off from Roosevelt Field on Long Island, New York on May 20 and landed at Le Bourget Field in Paris 33 hours and 30 minutes later.
He covered a distance of 3,610 miles. By making the flight, Lindbergh collected a $25,000 purse that had been offered by New York hotel owner Raymond Orteig.
Read the entire timeline of Lindbergh’s flight here.
