In 1933, Congress designated May 22 as National Maritime Day. On this day in 1819, the “first successful transoceanic voyage under steam propulsion” began when the steamship S.S. Savannah set sail from Savannah, Georgia. It arrived in Liverpool, England, on June 20. National Maritime Day is an occasion to honor the past and present contributions of the U.S. merchant marine during both peace and war.
Daily Calendar for Thursday, May 22, 2025
Born
- William Sturgeon (inventor) –
- Richard Wagner (composer) –
- Mary Cassatt (painter) –
- Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (author most noted for his stories about the detective Sherlock Holmes) –
- Laurence Olivier (actor) –
- Peter Nero (pianist) –
- Paul Winfield (actor) –
- Morrissey (singer) –
- Naomi Campbell (model) –
- Alastair Ralphs (wrestler) –
- Ginnifer Goodwin (actress) –
- Apolo Ohno (Olympic speed skater) –
Died
- Martha Washington (U.S. First Lady) –
- Victor Hugo (writer) –
- Langston Hughes (writer) –
- Thurl Ravenscroft (character voice, most well known for Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes’ pitchman Tony the Tiger) –
- Tiffany Two (oldest known cat at the time) –
Events
- Train of 100-plus wagons left Independence, Missouri, for Oregon –
- Representative Preston Brooks caned Senator Charles Sumner in Senate –
- Patent granted for Wright brothers’ “Flying-Machine” –
- The American Cancer Society was founded –
- The Space Needle foundation was poured, Seattle, Washington –
- Barry Bishop and the other members of a National Geographic expedition team were the first Americans to reach the summit of Mount Everest. Barry Bishop placed the U.S. flag on top of Mount Everest –
- First permanent IMAX theater opened in Toronto –
- Athlete Rick Hansen completed Man in Motion World Tour –
- Hubble telescope detected at least two more Saturn moons –
Weather
- Northeast Maine had 6 inches of snow –
- Lewiston, Maine, reached 101 degrees F –
- Rains caused flooding, New Mexico –
- Heavy rain brought the Pearl River ten feet above flood stage at Carthage, Mississippi –
- A 2.5 mile-wide tornado touched down near Hallam, Nebraska. –
- An EF-5 tornado devastated Joplin, Missouri, causing at least 155 deaths. An evaluation by the National Weather Service estimated the tornado’s wind speeds reached 198 miles per hour. –
