May 22 is the 142nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar; 223 days remain until the end of the year.
We have some interesting facts & historic events all about May 22nd, including areas in religion, crime, health and more.
Keep reading for more interesting facts about May 22nd in history!
Table of Contents
Global Celebrations
- Harvey Milk Day
- International Day for Biological Diversity
Historic Events
What Happened On This Day – May 22
2012: The world’s tallest tower is opened to the public
At 643 meters (2080 feet), the Tokyo Skytree in Japan’s capital city is also the second tallest structure in the world after Burj Khalifa in Dubai. Its prime purpose is relaying TV and radio signals.
2010: The worst air crash involving a Boeing 737 kills 158
Air India Express Flight 812 overshot the runway on landing at Mangalore International Airport. It fell over a cliff and burst into flames. The 737 is the world’s most widely flown aircraft.
1980: The arcade game Pac-Man is released
The game featuring a dot-munching round yellow figure moving through a maze has become one of the best-known video games in history. It was produced by Namco.
1960: The most violent earthquake in recorded history hits Chile
The Great Chilean Earthquake rated 9.5 on the moment magnitude scale. According to estimates, between 2230 and 6000 people were killed.
1906: The Wright brothers’ flying machine is patented
The American aviation pioneers are credited with having performed “the first sustained and controlled heavier-than-air powered flight.” (Fédération Aéronautique Internationale)
1984: Drivers prepare for the 1984 Cannonball One Lap of America, an illegal high-speed road rally, by purchasing provisions at a local grocery store.
1949: Mass swim in honour of Soviet Navy Day. Sevastopol, 1949. The inscription under the portrait: Glory to the Great Stalin! Photo of the Soviet photojournalist Alexander Vasilievich Ustinov.
1915: Trial of the Russian killer Ivan Volkoff in a rural courthouse at Färjestaden, Sweden in 1915.
Famous Birthdays
Births On This Day, May 22
1959: Morrissey, English singer-songwriter, pianist
1930: Harvey Milk, American lieutenant, politician, activist
1907: Hergé, Belgian illustrator
1859: Arthur Conan Doyle, Scottish physician, author
1813: Richard Wagner, German composer, director
Heartbreaking Deaths
Deaths On This Day, May 22
2013: Henri Dutilleux, French composer
1992: Zellig Harris, American linguist
1967: Langston Hughes, American poet, author
1885: Victor Hugo, French author, poet, playwright
337: Constantine the Great, Roman Emperor
