TODAY IN HISTORY

TODAY’S HIGHLIGHT

May 20, 1927

Charles Lindbergh took off from Roosevelt Field in Long Island, New York, aboard the Spirit of St. Louis on his historic solo flight to France. ALSO ON THIS DATE

1506

Explorer Christopher Columbus died in Spain.

1862

President Abraham Lincoln signed the Homestead Act, which was intended to encourage settlements west of the Mississippi River by making federal land available for farming.

1902

The United States ended a three-year military presence in Cuba as the Republic of Cuba was established under its first elected president, Tomas Estrada Palma.

1932

Amelia Earhart took off from Newfoundland to become the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic.

1941

During World War II, the Office of Civilian Defense was established.

1942

Glenn Miller and His Orchestra recorded “(I’ve Got a Gal in) Kalamazoo” at Victor Studios in Hollywood.

1956

The United States exploded the first airborne hydrogen bomb over Bikini Atoll in the Pacific.

1957

Frank Sinatra recorded the song “Witchcraft” by Cy Coleman and Carolyn Leigh at Capitol Records in Hollywood.