Today In History - Sunday, May 20th
2002
The independence of East Timor is recognized by Portugal, formally ending 23 years of Indonesian rule and 3 years of provisional UN administration (Portugal itself was the former colonizer of East Timor until 1976).
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1996
Gay rights: The Supreme Court of the United States rules in ''Romer v. Evans'' against a law that would have prevented any city, town or county in the state of Colorado from taking any legislative, executive, or judicial action to protect the rights of gays and lesbians.
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1995
In a second referendum in Quebec, the population rejects by a slight majority the proposal from its government to move towards independence from Canada.
1990
The first post-Communist presidential and parliamentary elections are held in Romania.
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1989
The Chinese authorities declare martial law in the face of pro-democracy demonstrations, setting the scene for the Tiananmen Square massacre.
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1985
Radio Martí, part of the Voice of America service, begins broadcasting to Cuba.
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1983
First publications of the discovery of the HIV virus that causes AIDS in the journal ''Science'' by Luc Montagnier and Robert Gallo individually.
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Car-bomb explosion kills 17 and injures 197 in the centre of Pretoria, South Africa.
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1980
In a referendum in Quebec, the population rejects by a 60% vote the proposal from its government to move towards independence from Canada.
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1969
The Battle of Hamburger Hill in Vietnam ends.
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1965
PIA Flight 705, a Pakistan International Airlines Boeing 720 - 040 B crashes while descending to land at Cairo International Airport, killing 119 of the 125 passengers and crew.
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1956
In Operation Redwing, (shot ''Cherokee''), the first United States airborne hydrogen bomb is dropped over Bikini Atoll in the Pacific Ocean.
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1954
Chiang Kai-shek is selected for another term as President of the Republic of China by the National Assembly.
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1949
In the United States, the Armed Forces Security Agency, the predecessor to the National Security Agency, is established.
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The Kuomintang regime declares Taiwan is under martial law.
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1941
World War II: Battle of Crete - German paratroops invade Crete.
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1940
Holocaust: The first prisoners arrive at a new concentration camp at Auschwitz.
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1932
Amelia Earhart takes off from Newfoundland to begin the world's first solo nonstop flight across the Atlantic Ocean by a female pilot, landing in Ireland the next day.
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1927
By the Treaty of Jedda, the United Kingdom recognizes the sovereignty of King Ibn Saud in the Kingdoms of Hejaz and Nejd, which later merged to become the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
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At 07:52 Charles Lindbergh takes off from Roosevelt Field in Long Island, New York, on the world's first solo non-stop flight across the Atlantic Ocean, touching down at Le Bourget Field in Paris at 22:22 the next day.
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1920
Montreal, Quebec radio station XWA broadcasts the first regularly scheduled radio programming in North America.
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1916
The ''Saturday Evening Post'' publishes its first cover with a Norman Rockwell painting ("Boy with Baby Carriage").
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The small town of Codell, Kansas is struck by a tornado. Incredibly, the same town was also hit in 1917 and 1918 on the exact same date.
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1902
Cuba gains independence from the United States. Tomás Estrada Palma becomes the first President of Cuba.
1896
The six ton chandelier of the Palais Garnier falls on the crowd resulting in the death of one and the injury of many others.
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1891
History of cinema: The first public display of Thomas Edison's prototype kinetoscope.
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1883
Krakatoa begins to erupt. The volcano's final and most notable explosion occurs on August 26.
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1882
The Triple Alliance between Germany, Austria-Hungary and Italy is formed.
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1873
Levi Strauss and Jacob Davis receive a U.S. patent for blue jeans with copper rivets.
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1864
American Civil War: Battle of Ware Bottom Church - in the Virginia Bermuda Hundred Campaign, 10,000 troops fight in this Confederate victory.
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1862
U.S. President Abraham Lincoln signs the Homestead Act into law.
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1861
American Civil War: The state of Kentucky proclaims its neutrality, which will last until September 3 when Confederate forces enter the state.
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1845
HMS ''Erebus'' and HMS ''Terror'' with 134 men under John Franklin sail from the River Thames in England, beginning a disastrous expedition to find the Northwest Passage. All hands are lost.
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1840
York Minster was badly damaged by fire
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1835
Otto is named the first modern king of Greece.
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1813
Napoleon Bonaparte leads his French troops into the Battle of Bautzen in Saxony, Germany, against the combined armies of Russia and Prussia. The battle ends the next day with a French victory.
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1802
By the Law of 20 May 1802, Napoleon reinstates slavery in the French colonies, revoking its abolition in the French Revolution
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1631
The city of Magdeburg in Germany is seized by forces of the Holy Roman Empire and most of its inhabitants massacred, in one of the bloodiest incidents of the Thirty Years' War.
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1609
Shakespeare's Sonnets are first published in London, perhaps illicitly, by the publisher Thomas Thorpe.
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1570
Cartographer Abraham Ortelius issues the first modern atlas.
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1521
Battle of Pampeluna: Ignatius Loyola is seriously wounded.
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1498
Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama arrives at Kozhikode (previously known as Calicut), India.
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1497
John Cabot sets sail from Bristol, England, on his ship ''Matthew'' looking for a route to the west (other documents give a May 2 date).
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1293
King Sancho IV of Castile creates the Study of General Schools of Alcalá.
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1217
The Second Battle of Lincoln is fought near Lincoln, England, resulting in the defeat of Prince Louis of France by William Marshal, 2nd Earl of Pembroke.
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685
The Battle of Dunnichen or Nechtansmere is fought between a Pictish army under King Bridei III and the invading Northumbrians under King Ecgfrith, who are decisively defeated.
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526
An earthquake kills about 300,000 people in Syria and Antiochia.
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325
The First Council of Nicaea - the first Ecumenical Council of the Christian Church is held.
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