May 25 is the 145th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar; 220 days remain until the end of the year.
We have some interesting facts & historic events all about May 25th, including areas in religion, crime, health and more.
Keep reading for more interesting facts about May 25th in history!
Table of Contents
Global Celebrations
- National Towel Day
- National Tap Dance Day
- Geek Pride Day
- National Wine Day
- National Senior Health & Fitness Day
Historic Events
What Happened On This Day – May 25
2002: A China Airlines jumbo jet breaks apart in mid-air
The Boeing 747 aircraft crashed into the Taiwan Strait, leaving no survivors among the 225 people on board. The accident was caused by improper repairs 22 years earlier, and the airplane was far beyond the serviceable life recommended by Boeing in terms of the number of flights, total hours in the air, and the number of years in service.
1979: American Airlines flight 191 crashes shortly after takeoff
The photo showing the lopsided DC-10 hurtling towards the ground at O’Hare International Airport in Chicago is one of the most horrifying images in aviation history. All 258 people on board died.
1979: Etan Patz disappears
The disappearance and murder of the 6-year-old boy from New York City and the extensive publicity it received helped spark the missing children’s movement.
1977: The first Star Wars film is released
George Lucas’ epic space opera is one of the most popular works in movie history.
1963: 32 African countries form a coalition against white rule
The Organisation of African Unity was founded to promote decolonization and end white minority governments in Africa. The OAU was replaced by the African Union in 2002.
1937: XV International Brigade in Spain, 1937

1916: September, 1916. WW I. “Kron Prinz Wilhelm”, German ship interned and in tow in U.S. waters.

1912: 1912, one of the first colored photos. Sergej Prokudin-Gorskij took a photo of himself with 3 different (black and white) cameras, each one having a different colored lens: one red, one green, one blue. By then projecting each photo on top of another, the result was a colored photo.

In the XVII century, when Alexander Peden was declared a criminal, he had to go into hiding. Then he came up with the idea of wearing a mask and a wig so as not to attract attention.

“Federal picket post near Atlanta, Georgia.”

Famous Birthdays
Births On This Day, May 25
1979: Jonny Wilkinson, English rugby player
1976: Cillian Murphy, Irish/English actor
1974: Frank Klepacki, American drummer, composer
1899: Kazi Nazrul Islam, Indian flute player, poet
1803: Ralph Waldo Emerson, American poet, philosopher
Heartbreaking Deaths
Deaths On This Day, May 25
2006: Desmond Dekker, Jamaican singer-songwriter
2005: Graham Kennedy, Australian actor
1934: Gustav Holst, English composer
1848: Annette von Droste-Hülshoff, German author, composer
992: Mieszko I of Poland