Death of Noah Webster
On May 28, 1843, author and lexicographer Noah Webster died in New Haven, Connecticut. Webster developed several important textbooks as well as the dictionary that standardized the American spelling of many words.
This Day in History
Birth of Hubert Humphrey
Hubert Horatio Humphrey Jr. was born on May 27, 1911, in Wallace, South Dakota. He was a leading political figure in the mid-1900s, promoting the Civil Rights Act, Voting Rights Act, and more.
First Publication of Dracula
On May 26, 1897, Bram Stoker’s Dracula was first published in London, England. It went on to become one of the most famous pieces of English literature and has been adapted for film more than 30 times.
Happy Birthday Ralph Waldo Emerson
Author Ralph Waldo Emerson was born on May 25, 1803, in Boston, Massachusetts. A leader of the Transcendentalist movement, he promoted individualism and was a major influence on generations of thinkers, writers, and poets.
“Remember Ellsworth”
On May 24, 1861, Colonel Elmer Ellsworth, a close friend of President Abraham Lincoln, became the first Union officer to die in the Civil War. “Remember Ellsworth” soon became a popular rallying cry for the Union.
Birth of John Bardeen
Physicist John Bardeen was born on May 23, 1908, in Madison, Wisconsin. Bardeen helped develop the transistor, which made possible the invention of almost every modern electronic device.
Opening of AMERIPEX ‘86
America’s eighth International Philatelic Exhibition opened to the public on May 22, 1986, in Chicago, Illinois. It was also the first to be held in the Mid-West.
Birth of American Red Cross
On May 21, 1881, Clara Barton established the American Red Cross. With locations in every US state and territory, it’s grown to become one of the most recognizable crisis response organizations in the country.
Happy World Bee Day
On May 20, 2018, the United Nations declared the first World Bee Day, to bring attention to the importance of bees and the plights they face. This date was chosen because it is considered the birthday of Slovenian beekeeping pioneer Anton Janša.