May 25
May 25 is the 146th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar; 220 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 25 the Sun's declination is approximately +21.1°. 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 25.
Position in the year
Holidays & observances
- Africa Day (African Union)
- Towel Day (Hitchhiker's Guide tribute to Douglas Adams)
- Independence Day — Argentina (1810), Jordan (1946)
Events
A selection of widely-documented historical events that took place on this date. Years marked BCE follow standard astronomical convention.
1787 — The U.S. Constitutional Convention opened in Philadelphia, with George Washington presiding. ↗(239 years ago)more
The Constitutional Convention took place in Philadelphia from May 25 to September 17, 1787. While the convention was initially intended to revise the league of states and the first system of federal government under the Articles of Confederation, leading proponents of the Constitutional Convention, including James Madison of Virginia and Alexander Hamilto...
1925 — Tennessee teacher John T. Scopes was indicted for teaching evolution. ↗(101 years ago)more
The State of Tennessee v. John Thomas Scopes, commonly known as the Scopes trial or Scopes Monkey Trial, was an American legal case from July 10 to July 21, 1925, in which a high school teacher, John T. Scopes, was accused of violating the Butler Act, a Tennessee state law which outlawed the teaching of human evolution in public schools.
1961 — U.S. President John F. Kennedy announced his goal of putting a man on the Moon by the end of the decade. ↗(65 years ago)more
The Apollo program, also known as Project Apollo, was the United States human spaceflight program led by NASA, which landed the first humans on the Moon in 1969. Apollo was conceived in 1960 in the Dwight D. Eisenhower presidency during Project Mercury and executed after Project Gemini. Apollo was later dedicated to President John F.
1977 — Star Wars (later subtitled A New Hope) was released in theatres. ↗(49 years ago)more
Star Wars is a 1977 American epic space opera film written and directed by George Lucas, produced by Lucasfilm Ltd. and released by Twentieth Century-Fox. It is the first film in the Star Wars franchise and the fourth chronological chapter of the "Skywalker Saga".
2020 — George Floyd was killed during an arrest in Minneapolis, sparking global protests. ↗(6 years ago)more
On May 25, 2020, George Floyd, a 46-year-old Black American man, was murdered by Derek Chauvin, a 44-year-old White police officer, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States. Floyd had been arrested after a store clerk reported that he made a purchase using a counterfeit $20 bill.
Notable births
1803 — Ralph Waldo Emerson, American essayist. ↗(223 years ago)more
Ralph Waldo Emerson, who went by his middle name Waldo, was an American essayist, lecturer, philosopher, minister, abolitionist, and poet who led the Transcendentalist movement of the mid-19th century. He was seen as a champion of individualism and critical thinking, as well as a prescient critic of the countervailing pressures of society and conformity.
1939 — Ian McKellen, English actor. ↗(87 years ago)more
Sir Ian Murray McKellen is an English actor. He has played roles on the screen and stage in genres ranging from Shakespearean dramas and modern theatre to popular fantasy and science fiction. He is regarded as a British cultural icon and was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 1991.
Notable deaths
1681 — Pedro Calderón de la Barca, Spanish dramatist. ↗(345 years ago)more
Pedro Calderón de la Barca y Barreda González de Henao Ruiz de Blasco y Riaño was a Spanish dramatist, poet, and writer. He is known as one of the most distinguished poets and writers of the Spanish Golden Age, especially for the many verse dramas he wrote for the theatre.
Numerical & calendrical curiosities
| Day-of-year (146) | 2 × 73 · composite (no) |
|---|---|
| Days remaining (220) | 2^2 × 5 × 11 |
| Date code DDMMYYYY | 25052026 · no palindrome in next 200 years |
| Sun declination | +21.09° (Cooper approximation) |
| Distance from solstice | 26 days |