What are the important events that happened on May 22? Here are historical events, facts, and some myths about this day.
May 22: Facts & Myths About This Day
May 22 is the 143rd day of the year 2024 in the Gregorian calendar. There are 223 days remaining until the end of this year. The day of the week is Wednesday.
Under the Julian calendar, this day is May 9, 2024 – a Wednesday. Both day of the week are the same but did you notice the difference with the Gregorian calendar?
When this day started, 476,760 hours has elapsed since midnight of January 1, 1970 – the Unix epoch.
Strange as it may, if we name this day after a polygon then it will be called ‘hectatetracontatrigon’ day.
Gemini is the zodiac sign of a person born on this day. Emerald is the modern birthstone for this month. Sapphire is the mystical birthstone from Tibetan origin that dates back over a thousand years.
According to the lunisolar Chinese calendar, there are 252 days remaining before the start of the next Chinese New Year.
The ancient Maya civilization believes that the end of the world will happen on December 21, 2012. There are now 4,170 days since this fabled cataclysmic event.
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May 22 Historical Events
- 853 –A Byzantine fleet sacks and destroys undefended Damietta in Egypt
- 1377 –Pope Gregory XI issues five papal bulls to denounce the doctrines of English theologian John Wycliffe.
- 1455 –Wars of the Roses: at the First Battle of St Albans, Richard, Duke of York, defeats and captures King Henry VI of England.
- 1819 –The SS Savannah leaves port at Savannah, Georgia, United States, on a voyage to become the first steamship to cross the Atlantic Ocean. The ship arrived at Liverpool, England on June 20.
- 1863 –American Civil War: Siege of Port Hudson – Union forces begin to lay siege to the Confederate-controlled Port Hudson, Louisiana.
- 1897 –The Blackwall Tunnel under the River Thames is officially opened
- 1939 –World War II: Germany and Italy sign the Pact of Steel.
- 1958 –Sri Lankan riots of 1958: This riot is a watershed event in the race relationship of the various ethnic communities of Sri Lanka. The total number of deaths is estimated to be 300, mostly Sri Lankan Tamils.
- 1972 –Ceylon adopts a new constitution, thus becoming a Republic, changes its name to Sri Lanka, and joins the Commonwealth of Nations.
- 2002 –American civil rights movement: a jury in Birmingham, Alabama, convicts former Ku Klux Klan member Bobby Frank Cherry of the 1963 murders of four girls in the bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church.
Who were born on May 22?
- 1925 –James King, American tenor (d. 2005)
- 1950 –Bernie Taupin, English songwriter
- 1952 –Bernhard Brinkmann, German politician
- 1955 –Iva Davies, Australian rock star (Icehouse)
- 1955 –Jerry Dammers, English musician (The Specials)
- 1955 –Jimmy Lyon, American guitarist (Eddie Money)
- 1956 –Al Corley, American actor and producer
- 1957 –Gary Sweet, Australian actor
- 1973 –Danny Tiatto, Australian footballer
- 1975 –Janne Niinimaa, Finnish ice-hockey player
Who died on May 22?
- 1068 –Emperor Go-Reizei of Japan (b. 1025)
- 1540 –Francesco Guicciardini, Italian historian (b. 1483)
- 1667 –Pope Alexander VII (b. 1599)
- 1760 –Israel ben Eliezer, Polish-born mystical rabbi (b. 1700)
- 1939 –Jiri Mahen, Czech author (b. 1882)
- 1991 –Stan Mortensen, English professional footballer (b. 1921)
- 1998 –José Enrique Moyal, mathematical physicist (b. 1910)
- 2004 –Richard Biggs, American actor (b. 1960)
- 2005 –Charilaos Florakis, Greek politician, long-time General Secretary of the Communist Party of Greece (b. 1914)
- 2006 –Lee Jong-wook, Korean Director-General of the World Health Organisation (b. 1945)
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