Dolley Madison
The 4th First Lady of the U.S. (President James Madison).
International observance days, weeks, and months for May 20, 2027. Plus historical events and birthdays.

May 20, 2027 celebrates World Bee Day, plus 2 more. World Bee Day is celebrated on May 20 each year. The purpose of the international day is to acknowledge the role of bees and other pollinators for the ecosystem.
Read the full story →Each year on May 20th, International Red Sneakers Day marks a growing movement with a mission to save the lives of those with food allergies while also sharing the story and memory of a boy who loved red sneakers.
Read the full story →Thinking back to grade school science class, there was always that one moment where someone in class asked the teacher what everyone was wondering. Why are we measuring our liquids in milliliters instead of ounces?
Read the full story →People born on May 20
The 4th First Lady of the U.S. (President James Madison).
Co-founder of Wells Fargo and American Express.
Daughter of Nathaniel Hawthorne who became a nun and founded the Dominican Sisters of Hawthorne.
Inventor of the Gramophone record.
Actor who earned great distinction in film, including The Murder Man (1935), Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939), It's a Wonderful Life (1946).
Events that occurred on May 20 throughout history
Dorchester, Massachusetts, forms the first school to be funded by local tax dollars. Known as the Mather School, the school was funded by a tax on property owners on Thompson Island and was free to all children in the town.
The South Carolina Jockey Club, often cited as the first in the U.S., was established in Charleston around 1734. The club was composed of elite horse owners and breeders, notes the Steeplechase of Charleston.
The state of Kentucky proclaims its neutrality, which will last until September 3 when Confederate forces enter the state. Following September 3, the state legislature passed a resolution demanding the withdrawal of Confederate forces and pledged loyalty to the Union.
President Lincoln signs the Homestead Act, opening 84 million acres of public land to settlers. This legislation was meant to encourage any U.S. citizen to live on, cultivate, and improve the land for five years, paying only a small registration fee.
Straus and Davis were granted U.S. Patent No. 139,121 for "Improvement in Fastening Pocket-Openings", marking the birth of blue jeans with copper rivets. Originally designed for workwear, this invention grew into the iconic 501 brand.
The first public display of Thomas Edison's prototype kinetoscope. Approximately 150 members of the National Federation of Women's Clubs viewed a 3-second film through a peephole in a pine box.
The U.S. Armed Forces Security Agency is established to eliminate duplication of effort between military branches after WWII. In 1952, the agency reorganized and became known as the National Security Agency (NSA).
U.S. troops capture Hill 937, also known as Hamburger Hill in Vietnam.