What Happened on May 20?

May 20 is National Be a Millionaire Day — and the date Charles Lindbergh took off for Paris in 1927, the first radar speed trap caught a driver in 1956, and the Homestead Act took effect in 1862.

• 1506 — Explorer Christopher Columbus dies in Valladolid, Spain

  Christopher Columbus — whose 1492 voyage linked Europe and the Americas — died in Spain on May 20, 1506, still believing he had reached Asia. Read the full story →

• 1862 — The Homestead Act takes effect, offering free western land to settlers

  Signed by President Lincoln, the Homestead Act opened May 20, 1862, allowing adults to claim 160 acres of public land if they lived on and improved it for five years. Read the full story →

• 1873 — Levi Strauss and Jacob Davis receive a patent for riveted blue jeans

  On May 20, 1873, U.S. Patent No. 139,121 protected copper rivets on work pants — the design that became Levi's jeans. Read the full story →

• 1927 — Charles Lindbergh departs New York on the first solo nonstop transatlantic flight

  At 7:52 a.m. on May 20, 1927, Charles Lindbergh lifted off from Long Island in the Spirit of St. Louis — beginning a 33.5-hour flight to Paris that made him world famous. Read the full story →

• 1932 — Amelia Earhart begins her solo transatlantic flight from Newfoundland

  Amelia Earhart departed Harbour Grace, Newfoundland, on May 20, 1932 — five years to the day after Lindbergh — aiming to become the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic. Read the full story →

Famous birthdays

Cher (1946) · James Stewart (1908–1997) · Dolley Madison (1768–1849) · Tony Stewart (1971)

Days & observances

National Be a Millionaire Day · World Bee Day · National Rescue Dog Day · National Pizza Party Day