Today in History — May 26
1940
26 May 1940: Operation Dynamo Begins the Dunkirk Evacuation
In the early hours of April 26, 1986, a catastrophic explosion and fire at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in northern Ukraine released massive amounts of radioactive material into the atmosphere, creating the worst nuclear…
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1961
25 May 1961: President Kennedy Announces Moon Mission Goal
On May 25, 1961, President John F. Kennedy stood before a joint session of Congress and issued one of the most ambitious challenges in human history. With the Cold War intensifying and the Soviet Union…
Read more →1844
24 May 1844: Samuel Morse Sends First Telegraph Message
On May 24, 1844, Samuel Morse tapped out a simple yet profound message that would revolutionize human communication forever. Seated in the Supreme Court chamber of the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C., Morse transmitted…
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- 25 May 1961: President Kennedy Announces Moon Mission GoalMay 25
- 24 May 1844: Samuel Morse Sends First Telegraph MessageMay 24
- 23 May 1618: The Defenestration of Prague Sparks the Thirty Years WarMay 23
- 22 May 1960: The Great Chilean Earthquake StrikesMay 22
- 21 May 1927: Charles Lindbergh Completes First Solo Transatlantic FlightMay 21
- 20 May 1927: Charles Lindbergh Begins First Solo Nonstop Transatlantic FlightMay 20
- 19 May 1536: Anne Boleyn Executed at the Tower of LondonMay 19
- 18 May 1980: Mount St. Helens Erupts in Catastrophic Volcanic ExplosionMay 18
- 17 May 1954: Supreme Court Rules Segregation Unconstitutional in Brown v. Board of EducationMay 17
- 16 May 1929: First Academy Awards Ceremony Held at Hollywood Roosevelt HotelMay 16
- 15 May 1940: First McDonald\x27s Restaurant Opens in San Bernardino, CaliforniaMay 15
- 14 May 1948: David Ben-Gurion Proclaims the Establishment of the State of IsraelMay 14
- 13 May 1607: English Colonists Establish Jamestown, First Permanent Settlement in AmericaMay 13
- 12 May 1949: Soviet Union Ends the Berlin Blockade After Historic AirliftMay 12
- 11 May 1997: Deep Blue Defeats Garry Kasparov in Historic Chess MatchMay 11