Week 1
1. U-2 Incident
In May 1960, American pilot Gary Powers was shot down over the Soviet Union while flying a U-2 spy plane creating the U-2 Incident.
2. Brooklyn Dodgers
In May of 1957, both the New York Giants and the Brooklyn Dodgers received permission from baseball owners to move out of New York…
3. Sitting Bull
Sitting Bull, a Hunkpapa Lakota leader, helped to lead resistance against westward infringement during the late 1800s in the American Midwest…
4. Battle of the Coral Sea
In 1942, the Imperial Japanese Navy and ships from the navies of the Allies met at the Battle of the Coral Sea…
5. The Mexican-American War Begins
Under President James K. Polk, the United States invaded Mexico in 1846 causing the Mexican American War…
Week 2
6. Robert Gray
In May of 1792, Robert Gray captained an expedition that provided the name Columbia for the great river of the Pacific Northwest…
7. Robert Smalls
In May of 1862, Robert Smalls led a group of slaves who commandeered the “CSS Planter” and escaped to freedom. during the US Civil War…
8. Mercury-Atlas 9
In May of 1963, American astronaut Gordon Cooper orbited the earth over 20 times in 33 hours and traveled over one million miles…
9. The Wizard of Oz
In May of 1900, the novel The Wizard of Oz was published.. Thirty-nine years later, the book would be transformed into a blockbuster movie…
10. Task Force 16
Task Force 16 was the name of the group of ships that were grouped together to fight in the Pacific Theater during World War 2…
Week 3
11. Ringling Bros. and Barnham & Bailey Circus
In May of 2017, the Ringling Bros. and Barnham & Bailey Circus performed their last show…
12. William Harvey Carney
In 1900, William Harvey Carney was awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions at the Battle of Fort Wagner during the US Civil War…
13. Project Apollo
In May of 1969, Apollo 10 flew very close to the moon and acted as a “dress rehearsal” for the eventual moon-landing by Apollo 11…
14. Indianapolis 500
The very first Indianapolis 500 took place in May of 1911. Since that time, the average speed has changed but other things have stayed the same…
15. Negro National League Baseball
In 1920, the Negro Baseball League played its first game when the Indianapolis ABCs took the diamond against the Chicago Giants…
Week 4
16. Ernest Hemingway
In the 1950s, Ernest Hemingway’s novel “The Old Man and the Sea” won literary acclaim and he affirmed his identity as a notable American author…
17. Babe Ruth
In May of 1935, Babe Ruth played in his last baseball game and would retire shortly thereafter…
18. Hernando de Soto
In 1539, Spanish conquistador Hernando de Soto landed in modern-day Florida and proceeded to explore some of the Southwest US…
19. Freedom Riders
In 1961, a diverse group of individuals known as the “Freedom Riders” protested segregation in the US Southwest by riding busses…
20. Memorial Day
Every year the United States has a national holiday called Memorial Day to recognize soldiers who have made the ultimate sacrifice…