MAY 24 | Birthdays and Events
Famous Birthdays
People born on May 24
Oliver Cromwell
African-American soldier who served with distinction under George Washington during the U.S War of Independence.
Charlie E. Taylor
Died: January 30, 1956
Engineer and mechanic who built the first aircraft engine for the Wright brothers.
H. B. Reese
Died: May 16, 1956
Candy maker who created Reese's Peanut Butter Cups.
Sid Couchey
Died: March 11, 2012
Comic book artist who created Richie Rich.
Bob Dylan
Considered one of the greatest singer/songwriters of all time.
Priscilla Presley
Actress, businesswoman and ex-wife of Elvis Presley.
R. B. Bernstein
Died: June 26, 2023
Expert constitutional historian who is well-known for his candid biographical books about former U.S. Presidents.
Historical Events on May 24
Events that occurred on May 24 throughout history
Samuel Adams writes instructions for Boston Town Meeting opposing the Sugar Act.
Samuel Adams writes instructions for Boston Town Meeting opposing the Sugar Act, laying groundwork for colonial resistance to taxation without representation. He argued that the Sugar Act violated the colonists' rights under their royal charter and asserted that Parliament had no right to tax them without their consent.
John Hancock is unanimously elected President of the Continental Congress
John Hancock is unanimously elected President of the Second Continental Congress. As President, Hancock presided over the adoption of the Declaration of Independence in 1776.
Mary Had A Little Lamb is first published.
Mary Had A Little Lamb (Sarah Josepha Hale) is first published by Boston firm Marsh, Capen & Lyon
Samuel Morse taps out the world's first telegraph message.
Samuel Morse taps out "What hath God wrought" in the world's first telegraph message using Morse code. The message traveled along a newly constructed experimental line from the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., to a railroad depot in Baltimore,
The Brooklyn Bridge is opened to traffic.
The Brooklyn Bridge is opened to traffic after 14 years of construction. The iconic Brooklyn Bridge officially opened, spanning the East River to connect the then-separate cities of Manhattan and Brooklyn. It was considered an an engineering marvel and the longest suspension bridge in the world at the time
Lowell Observatory (Arizona) begins observing Mars.
Lowell Observatory (Arizona) begins observing Mars. with an eighteen-inch telescope and concludes there are canals on Mars. Exploration of mars laid the groundwork for future planetary discoveries, including Clyde Tombaugh’s 1930 discovery of Pluto.
The first auto repair shop opens in Boston, Massachusetts.
The first auto repair shop opens in Boston, Massachusetts. Back Bay Cycle & Motor Co. was originally a bicycle service and rental company, the shop expanded to an automobile maintenance shop.
The first train car to uses air-conditioning.
The (B&O) Railroad becomes the first train car to use air-conditioning.
The first African American heads an American Medical Association unit.
Dr Peter Murray Marshall becomes the first African American to head an American Medical Association unit in New York County.
The first house in the U.S. with a built-in bomb shelter is exhibited.
The first house in the U.S. with a built-in bomb shelter is exhibited in Pleasant Hills, Pennsylvania. The shelter a 22 x 8 foot room with 10-inch concrete blocks and a lead-covered door.
Scott Carpenter becomes the second Astronaut to orbit the Earth.
Scott Carpenter becomes the second Astronaut to orbit the Earth three times, conducting scientific experiments and observing weather patterns.
The cartoon band The Archies releases the song "Sugar, Sugar".
The cartoon band The Archies releases the song "Sugar, Sugar". The song becomes Billboard Song of the Year for 1969.
The term "glass ceiling" to describe invisible career barriers for women is coined.
American management consultant Marilyn Loden first coins the term "glass ceiling" to describe invisible career barriers for women.