May 24
May 24 is the 145th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar; 221 days remain until the year's end. It falls in spring (northern hemisphere) and under the astrological sign of Gemini.
External references
Curated jump-off points to the major almanacs, encyclopaedias and primary sources for this date.
Astronomy
On May 24 the Sun's declination is approximately +20.9°. At this latitude the Sun is north of the celestial equator, giving the Northern Hemisphere longer days than nights.
For specific rise/set times at your location, see the U.S. Naval Observatory, or the NASA APOD archive for any imagery published on a May 24.
Position in the year
Holidays & observances
No widely-observed holidays catalogued for this day in our base set. See the external almanacs above for region-specific observances.
Events
A selection of widely-documented historical events that took place on this date. Years marked BCE follow standard astronomical convention.
1626 — Dutch colonist Peter Minuit purchased Manhattan from Lenape Native Americans for goods worth 60 guilders. ↗(400 years ago)more
Peter Minuit was a Walloon merchant and politician who was the 3rd director of the Dutch North American colony of New Netherland from 1626 until 1631, and 3rd Governor of New Netherland. He founded the Swedish colony of New Sweden on the Delaware Peninsula in 1638.
1830 — "Mary Had a Little Lamb" by Sarah Josepha Hale was first published. ↗(196 years ago)more
"Mary Had a Little Lamb" is an English-language nursery rhyme of nineteenth-century American origin, first published by American writer Sarah Josepha Hale in 1830. Its Roud Folk Song Index number is 7622.
1844 — Samuel Morse sent the message "What hath God wrought?" — the first long-distance telegraph message — from Washington to Baltimore. ↗(182 years ago)more
Samuel Finley Breese Morse was an American inventor and painter. After establishing his reputation as a portrait painter, Morse, in his middle age, contributed to the invention of a single-wire telegraph system based on European telegraphs. He was a co-developer and the namesake of Morse code in 1837 and helped to develop the commercial use of telegraphy.
1883 — The Brooklyn Bridge in New York City was opened to traffic. ↗(143 years ago)more
The Brooklyn Bridge is a cable-stayed suspension bridge in New York City, spanning the East River between the boroughs of Manhattan and Brooklyn. Opened on May 24, 1883, the Brooklyn Bridge was the first fixed crossing of the East River.
Notable births
1819 — Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom. ↗(207 years ago)more
Victoria was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death in 1901. Her reign of 63 years and 216 days, which was longer than those of any of her predecessors, constituted the Victorian era, a period of industrial, political, scientific, and military change within the United Kingdom marked by a great expansion ...
1941 — Bob Dylan, American singer-songwriter and Nobel laureate. ↗(85 years ago)more
Bob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter. Described as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture over his 69-year career. With an estimated 125 million records sold worldwide, he is one of the best-selling musicians.
Notable deaths
1543 — Nicolaus Copernicus, Polish astronomer. ↗(483 years ago)more
Nicolaus Copernicus was a Renaissance polymath who formulated a model of the universe that placed the Sun rather than Earth at its center. The publication of Copernicus's model in his book De revolutionibus orbium coelestium, just before his death in 1543, was a major event in the history of science, triggering the Copernican Revolution and making a pione...
Numerical & calendrical curiosities
| Day-of-year (145) | 5 × 29 · composite (no) |
|---|---|
| Days remaining (221) | 13 × 17 |
| Date code DDMMYYYY | 24052026 · no palindrome in next 200 years |
| Sun declination | +20.91° (Cooper approximation) |
| Distance from solstice | 27 days |