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25 fun facts for May, 19

Discover dozens of fun facts for this special day. Read the summary for a quick recap on what happened.
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Summary
May 19th is a day marked by events such as National Devil's Food Cake Day and Ataturk, Youth, and Sports Day in Turkey. It is also a day filled with historical events, such as Halley's Comet's closest approach to Earth in 1910, T.E. Lawrence's death, and the release of Star Wars Episode III in 2005.
25 Fun facts
  1. May 19th is National Devil's Food Cake Day in the United States, a day to indulge in the tasty chocolate cake that is rich, moist, and layered with delicious chocolate-flavored frosting.
  2. On May 19th, 1910, Halley's Comet made its closest approach to Earth, providing a spectacular view for astronomers and triggering comet fever, with many businesses selling comet-themed products.
  3. On May 19, 1935, T.E. Lawrence, better known as Lawrence of Arabia, died in Britain from injuries sustained in a motorcycle accident. He was a British archaeologist, writer, and military officer, playing a significant role in the Arab Revolt during World War I.
  4. On May 19, 1897, writer Oscar Wilde was released from Reading Gaol Prison after serving two years of hard labor for committing acts of gross indecency, a term used for homosexual acts during that time.
  5. On May 19th, 1845, Sir John Franklin led an ill-fated British expedition to find the Northwest Passage, disappearing with his crew aboard the HMS Erebus and HMS Terror, sparking a series of rescue missions in the Arctic.
  6. May 19th is celebrated as National Asian and Pacific Islander HIV/AIDS Awareness Day in the United States. It encourages testing, treatment, and prevention while fighting the stigma surrounding the disease in Asian and Pacific Islander communities.
  7. On May 19, 1962, movie star Marilyn Monroe famously sang "Happy Birthday" to President John F. Kennedy at a fundraiser and birthday celebration held at Madison Square Garden in New York City.
  8. May 19th is observed annually as World IBD Day, uniting patient groups worldwide in the fight against inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), raising awareness and promoting patient support and advocacy efforts.
  9. On May 19, 1961, the first American, Alan Shepard Jr., was launched into space aboard the Freedom 7 spacecraft, just a few weeks after Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin became the first human in space.
  10. On May 19, 1536, Anne Boleyn, the second wife of King Henry VIII of England, was executed on unproven charges of adultery, incest, and treason following a swift and controversial trial.
  11. May 19th marks Turkic world's celebration of Ataturk, Youth, and Sports Day in Turkey. It commemorates Mustafa Kemal Ataturk's landing at Samsun on May 19th, 1919, initiating the Turkish War of Independence.
  12. On May 19, 1780, a series of mysterious dark skies across New England resulted in a phenomenon called "New England's Dark Day." The event is now attributed to smoke and fog from wildfires in Ontario, Canada.
  13. On May 19, 2016, EgyptAir flight MS804 crashed into the Mediterranean Sea en route from Paris to Cairo, killing all 66 people on board. The cause of the crash remains inconclusive.
  14. On May 19, 2000, Fiji experienced its first-ever military coup, led by George Speight, which overthrew the elected government of Prime Minister Mahendra Chaudhry, sparking a year-long political crisis.
  15. On May 19, 1977, the Star Wars Celebration, an official fan gathering and convention, began as part of the marketing and promotion of the iconic film series, which has gone on to become an annual event for Star Wars fans.
  16. On May 19, 1921, the United States Congress passed the Emergency Quota Act, which established national immigration quotas for the first time, restricting immigration based on the number of immigrants from a particular nationality already living in the US.
  17. May 19th is celebrated as Greek Genocide Remembrance Day, commemorating the systematic persecution and extermination of Christian Greeks during and after World War I in territories controlled by the Ottoman Empire.
  18. On May 19, 2003, British mountaineer, Sir Edmund Hillary, and Nepali Sherpa, Tenzing Norgay, celebrated the 50th anniversary of becoming the first climbers to successfully reach the summit of Mount Everest.
  19. On May 19, 1967, the Soviet Union ratified the Outer Space Treaty, which was later signed by the United States and the United Kingdom. The treaty sets legal principles for the peaceful use and exploration of outer space.
  20. On May 19, 1898, U.S. Postmaster General issued the first postage-due stamps, allowing recipients to pay for postage due on mail they received, helping to streamline the postal system.
  21. On May 19, 1964, Mario Andretti made his debut in the Indy 500, entering one of the most prestigious races in the world. He went on to become a renowned racing driver, winning numerous championships.
  22. On May 19, 2005, Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, the final installment of the prequel trilogy, was released in theaters, bringing the story of Anakin Skywalker's transformation into Darth Vader on screen.
  23. On May 19, 1868, British chemist Sir Joseph Wilson Swan was awarded a patent for a process that revolutionized photographic printing, enabling photographs to be printed right onto paper and making photography easily accessible to the public.
  24. On May 19, 1954, the Pajama Game, a musical based on the novel "7½ Cents" by Richard Bissell, opened on Broadway, running for over a thousand performances and winning several awards, including the 1955 Tony Award for Best New Musical.
  25. On May 19, 1986, five-time World Heavyweight Boxing Champion, Sugar Ray Leonard, made a comeback to professional boxing after a three-year retirement, defeating Kevin Howard in a knockout victory.

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