Welcome to another bright day in May. There’s always something or the other happening around the world. The world, being so large, has witnessed infinite inventions, innovations, achievements, and other milestones in the past. You can do something amazing today, and maybe it is something that we write about in the Today column in the coming years. We, at Brag Social, try to keep you updated with all the happenings of the past and present. Let’s read about the historical milestones of May 20.
1498 Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama arrives in India
Explorer Vasco da Gama arrives at Calicut, India becoming the first European to reach India by sea. He is famous as the first to sail from Europe to India by rounding Africa’s Cape of Good Hope. Over the course of two voyages, beginning in 1497 and 1502, da Gama landed and traded in locales along the coast of southern Africa before reaching India on May 20, 1498.
1609 Shakespeare’s Sonnets are first published in London by publisher Thomas Thorpe
Illicitly, the first edition of Shakespeare’s sonnets was published in 1609. It was by the English publisher Thomas Thorpe. Shakespeare’s sonnets are poems that he wrote on a variety of themes. Moreover, It published 154 sonnets, all together.
1864 Spotsylvania campaign in US Civil War ends
After killing or injuring 10,920, the Spotsylvania campaign in the US Civil War ends on May 20. In May 1864, Confederate forces clashed with the advancing Union Army in the Battle of Spotsylvania Court House, which lasted for the better part of two weeks and included some of the bloodiest fightings of the Civil War. This was a 12-day battle.
1927 Treaty of Jeddah
Saudi Arabia becomes independent of Great Britain in the Treaty of Jeddah. The two regions were unified into the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in 1932. In return, Ibn Saud agreed to stop his forces from attacking and harassing neighboring British protectorates. This Treaty superseded the Treaty of Darin (1915).
1930 The First Airplane is Catapulted
This is an important milestone in aviation history. It was an attempt to transport using seaplanes and steamships with a catapult-lunching facility. The airplane was catapulted from Los Angeles. It landed on Saratoga, a town in the New York State.
1942 Japan completes the conquest of Burma
Started in December 1941, the Japanese conquest of Burma ended in May 1942. This period lay between World War II when Burma was occupied by the Empire of Japan. The Burmese hoped to gain support from the Japanese in expelling the British so that Burma could become independent.
1990 Hubble Space Telescope sends its 1st photographs from space
The “First Light” image from Hubble Space Telescope released in May 1990. Moreover, this illustrated the telescope’s improved resolution in comparison to ground-based observatories. The pictures from the Hubble frame were sharper than the ground-based image. However, the first image taken with Hubble was to assist in focusing the telescope.
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