May 28
May 28 is the 149th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar; 217 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 28 the Sun's declination is approximately +21.6°. 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 28.
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.
- 585 — BCE — A solar eclipse, predicted by Thales of Miletus, ended the Battle of the Eclipse between Lydia and Media. ↗(1441 years ago)
more
The eclipse of Thales was a solar eclipse, which was, according to the ancient Greek historian Herodotus, accurately predicted by the Greek philosopher Thales of Miletus. If Herodotus' account is accurate, this eclipse is the earliest recorded as being known in advance of its occurrence.
1830 — U.S. President Andrew Jackson signed the Indian Removal Act. ↗(196 years ago)more
The Indian Removal Act of 1830 was signed into law on May 28, 1830, by United States president Andrew Jackson. The law, as described by Congress, provided "for an exchange of lands with the Indians residing in any of the states or territories, and for their removal west of the river Mississippi".
1934 — The Dionne quintuplets, the world's first surviving quintuplets, were born in Ontario. ↗(92 years ago)more
The Dionne quintuplets were the first quintuplets known to have survived their infancy. The identical girls were born just outside Callander, Ontario, near the village of Corbeil. All five survived to adulthood.
1961 — Amnesty International was founded in London. ↗(65 years ago)more
Amnesty International is an international non-governmental organization focused on human rights, with its headquarters in the United Kingdom. The organization says that it has more than ten million members and supporters around the world.
Notable births
1738 — Joseph-Ignace Guillotin, French physician for whom the guillotine was named. ↗(288 years ago)more
Joseph-Ignace Guillotin was a French physician, politician, and freemason who proposed on 10 October 1789 the use of a device to carry out executions in France, as a less painful method of execution than existing methods. Although he did not invent the guillotine and opposed the death penalty, his name became an eponym for it.
1888 — Jim Thorpe, American Olympic athlete. ↗(138 years ago)more
James Francis Thorpe was an American athlete who won Olympic gold medals and played professional football, baseball, and basketball. A citizen of the Sac and Fox Nation, he was the first Native American to win a gold medal for the United States in the Olympics.
1931 — Carroll Baker, American actress. ↗(95 years ago)more
Carroll Baker is a retired American actress. After studying under Lee Strasberg at the Actors Studio, Baker began performing on Broadway in 1954. From there, she was recruited by director Elia Kazan to play the lead in the adaptation of two Tennessee Williams plays into the film Baby Doll in 1956.
Notable deaths
1972 — Edward, Duke of Windsor (formerly King Edward VIII). ↗(54 years ago)more
Edward VIII, later known as the Duke of Windsor, was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 20 January 1936 until his abdication in December of the same year.
Numerical & calendrical curiosities
| Day-of-year (149) | 149 · prime |
|---|---|
| Days remaining (217) | 7 × 31 |
| Date code DDMMYYYY | 28052026 · no palindrome in next 200 years |
| Sun declination | +21.59° (Cooper approximation) |
| Distance from solstice | 23 days |