A closer look at key historic events that took place on May 25:
In 2020, George Floyd is murdered
Floyd, an unarmed African American man, was murdered by police officer Derek Chauvin in Minneapolis, Minnesota when the officer kneeled on Floyd’s neck for over nine minutes during an arrest, despite Floyd’s repeated pleas that he could not breathe. This event, captured on video, sparked widespread protests against police brutality, generating greater support for the Black Lives Matter movement. Chauvin was later convicted of his murder.
A woman raises her fist as she pays her respects during the public viewing for George Floyd, whose death in Minneapolis police custody has sparked nationwide protests against racial inequality, at The Fountain of Praise church in Houston, Texas, U.S., June 8, 2020. REUTERS/Carlos Barria
In 1979, Etan Patz disappears
Etan Patz was a six year old boy disappeared while walking to his school bus stop in New York City. His case became one of the most high-profile missing child cases in the United States and he was one of the first children to be showcased on a milk carton. Etan’s disappearance helped raise national awareness about child abductions and led to significant changes in how such cases were handled, including the establishment of National Missing Children’s Day on the anniversary of his disappearance. Decades later, in 2017, Pedro Hernandez was convicted of Etan’s kidnapping and murder.
Undated file photo of Etan Patz. REUTERS/NYPD/Handout/Files
In 1977, the first Star Wars film is released
Directed by George Lucas, Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope became a monumental success, revolutionizing the film industry with its groundbreaking special effects, iconic characters, and epic storytelling.
The cast of Stars Wars 1977 Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher and Mark Hamill. Flickr
In 1946, ʿAbdullāh I proclaims himself ruler of Transjordan
Abdullāh I proclaimed himself king of the newly independent Hashemite Kingdom of Transjordan on May 25, marking the end of British mandate rule and the establishment of Transjordan (later Jordan) as a sovereign state. King Abdullāh I played a significant role in the formation of the kingdom and its early development.
King Abdullah on Jordan Independence day, 25 May 1946. Picryl
In 1935, Jesse Owens breaks three world records
He also tied a fourth in a span of 45 minutes during the Big Ten track meet in Ann Arbor, Michigan. This extraordinary feat, often called “the greatest 45 minutes ever in sports,” included records in the long jump, the 220-yard dash, and the 220-yard hurdles, along with tying the world record for the 100-yard dash.
FILE — In this Aug. 14, 1936, file photo, Jesse Owens competes in one of the heats of the 200-meter run at the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin. It is “difficult” for IOC President Thomas Bach to accept that a gold medal won by Jesse Owens at the 1936 Olympics will go on auction and possibly be bought by a private collector. The medal, one of four golds that Owens won at the Berlin Games in front of Adolf Hitler, is “a part of world heritage,” Bach said Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2013. (AP Photo/File)
In 1895, Oscar Wilde is sentenced to prison
The renowned Irish playwright, poet, and author, was convicted of “committing acts of gross indecency with certain male persons”, which were illegal in Victorian England. He served two years of hard labor before his release in 1897, and his health and reputation were severely damaged by the experience.
A copy of a signed photograph of Oscar Wilde at the Sotheby’s auction house in London, October 25, 2004. The portrait, inscribed to his friend Robert Ross by the Anglo-Irish poet and playwright Wilde, is estimated to fetch around £15,000 ($27,423) when it is auctioned as part of the finest collection of Oscar Wilde material remaining in private hands. REUTERS/Toby Melville
– Don’t miss out on To Vima’s daily “On this Day in History” posts.
