May 24 is the 144th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar; 221 days remain until the end of the year.
We have some interesting facts & historic events all about May 24th, including areas in religion, crime, health and more.
Keep reading for more interesting facts about May 24th in history!
Table of Contents
Global Celebrations
- World Schizophrenia Day
- National Escargot Day
- National Brothers Day
- International Tiara Day
Historic Events
What Happened On This Day – May 24
2001: 23 die in the Jerusalem wedding hall disaster
Hundreds of wedding guests fell two stories deep when a portion of the third floor collapsed. The tragedy was Israel’s worst civil disaster.
1970: Engineers begin drilling the world’s deepest hole
The Kola Superdeep Borehole had reached the unsurpassed depth of 12,262 meters (40,230 feet) before the project was abandoned due to a lack of funding.
1956: The first Eurovision Song Contest is held
Lys Assia won the first edition for Switzerland. The ESC is a major song contest in Europe and one of the world’s longest-running TV programs. It is held in a different country each year.
1930: Amy Johnson flies solo from England to Australia
The English aviatrix was the first woman to achieve this feat. Her 18,000 km (11,000 mi) flight aboard a de Havilland Gypsy Moth aircraft took her from Croydon, U.K. to Darwin, Australia in 19 days.
1830: Mary had a little lamb is published
Sarah Josepha Hale’s poem is one of the best-known English language nursery rhymes.
1986: A Soviet army crew clears off the highly radioactive debris from the roof of reactor 3 at Chernobyl Nuclear Facility within a time limit of 90 seconds. The extreme levels of radiation, nearly 40 times the lethal dose, restricted each crew to only one use. 1986

1978: Michael Jackson as Charlie Chaplin, 1978

1931: Albert Einstein holding his own puppet, 1931

Famous Birthdays
Births On This Day, May 24
1963: Michael Chabon, American author
1945: Priscilla Presley, American actress, businesswoman
1941: Bob Dylan, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, producer
1819: Queen Victoria, of the United Kingdom
1671: Gian Gastone de’ Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany
Heartbreaking Deaths
Deaths On This Day, May 24
2007: Bill Johnston, Australian cricketer
1974: Duke Ellington, American pianist, composer, bandleader
1632: Robert Hues, English mathematician, geographer
1543: Nicolaus Copernicus, Polish mathematician, astronomer
1153: David I of Scotland