Updated May 19, 2012, 2:28 pm
On May 20, 1961, a white mob attacked a busload of “Freedom Riders” in Montgomery, Ala., prompting the federal government to send in United States marshals to restore order.
On May 20, 1908, James Stewart, the American movie actor, was born. Following his death on July 2, 1997, his obituary appeared in The Times.
Go to obituary » | Other birthdays »
On This Date
By The Associated Press
1861 North Carolina voted to secede from the Union. 1861 The capital of the Confederacy was moved from Montgomery, Ala., to Richmond, Va. 1902 The United States ended a three-year military presence in Cuba as the Republic of Cuba was established. 1927 Charles Lindbergh took off for Paris from Roosevelt Field in Long Island, N.Y., aboard the Spirit of St. Louis on the first nonstop solo flight across the Atlantic Ocean. 1932 Amelia Earhart took off from Newfoundland for Ireland to become the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean. 1939 Regular trans-Atlantic air service began as a Pan American Airways plane took off from Port Washington, N.Y., bound for Europe. 1969 U.S. and South Vietnamese forces captured Apbia Mountain, referred to as Hamburger Hill by the Americans, following one of the bloodiest battles of the Vietnam War. 1971 The album “What’s Going On” by Marvin Gaye was released. 1989 Comedian Gilda Radner died of cancer at age 42. 1993 The final first-run episode of “Cheers” aired on NBC. 1995 President Bill Clinton announced that the two-block stretch of Pennsylvania Avenue in front of the White House would be permanently closed to traffic as a security measure. 1996 The Supreme Court struck down a Colorado measure banning laws that protect homosexuals from discrimination. 2002 East Timor became an independent nation. 2006 San Francisco Giants slugger Barry Bonds tied Babe Ruth for second place on the career list with his 714th home run. 2009 Suspended NFL star Michael Vick was released after 19 months in prison for running a dogfighting ring. Current Birthdays
By The Associated Press
Singer-actress Cher turns 66 years old years old today.
AP Photo/Peter Kramer
Actor Matt Czuchry (“The Good Wife”) turns 35 years old today.
AP Photo/Evan Agostini
1927 Bud Grant, Hall of Fame football coach, turns 85 1944 Joe Cocker, Rock singer, turns 68 1949 Dave Thomas, Actor, comedian (SCTV), turns 63 1951 Michael Crapo, U.S. senator, R-Idaho, turns 61 1954 David Paterson, Former governor of New York, turns 58 1958 Ron Reagan, Son of former President Ronald Reagan, turns 54 1959 Bronson Pinchot, Actor, turns 53 1961 Nick Heyward, Rock singer (Haircut 100), turns 51 1963 David Wells, Baseball player, turns 49 1966 Mindy Cohn, Actress (“The Facts of Life”), turns 46 1968 Timothy Olyphant, Actor (“Deadwood”), turns 44 1972 Busta Rhymes, Rapper, turns 40
Historic Birthdays
James Stewart 5/20/1908 – 7/2/1997 American motion-picture actor.Go to obituary »
81 Dolley Madison 5/20/1768 – 7/12/1849
American wife of President James Madison51 Honore de Balzac 5/20/1799 – 8/18/1850
French novelist and short-story writer66 John Stuart Mill 5/20/1806 – 5/8/1873
English philosopher63 William George Fargo 5/20/1818 – 8/3/1881
American businessman; co-founded Wells, Fargo & Company48 Madeline Breckinridge 5/20/1872 – 11/25/1920
American social reformer85 John Jacob Astor 5/20/1886 – 7/19/1971
English journalist and chief proprietor of The London Times (1922-66)82 Earl Browder 5/20/1891 – 6/27/1973
American Communist Party leader (1930-44)94 Adela Rogers Saint Johns 5/20/1894 – 8/10/1988
American journalist, novelist and screenwriter42 R. J. Mitchell 5/20/1895 – 6/11/1937
English aircraft designer; developed the Spitfire fighter plane72 John Marshall Harlan 5/20/1899 – 12/29/1971
American Supreme Court justice (1955-71)66 Moshe Dayan 5/20/1915 – 10/16/1981
Israeli soldier and statesman
