Birthdays & Historical Events – May 24

1764

1764

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.

May 24, 1764

1775

1775

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.

May 24, 1775

1830

1830

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

May 24, 1830

1844

1844

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,

May 24, 1844

1883

1883

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

May 24, 1883

1894

1894

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.

May 24, 1894

1899

1899

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.

May 24, 1899

1931

1931

The first train car to uses air-conditioning.

The (B&O) Railroad becomes the first train car to use air-conditioning.

May 24, 1931

1954

1954

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.

May 24, 1954

1954

1954

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.

May 24, 1954

1962

1962

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.

May 24, 1962

1969

1969

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.

May 24, 1969

1978

1978

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.

May 24, 1978