May 20 - What happened on the day I was born?

Home What happened today in history? Blamepro's Almanac for May 20
In the headlines today:

2002	East Timor, formerly a province of Indonesia, becomes a country.
1990	The Hubble Space Telescope sends its first photographs back to Earth.
1989		Comedienne Gilda Radner dies of ovarian cancer at age 42. (photo credit: Warner/WEA)
1986		Paul Reed Smith is assigned a US patent for the cam-operated tuning system used on his PRS Custom and PRS CE-24 electric guitars. Smith's guitars are used by music superstars like Carlos Santana , Alex Lifeson (Rush), Dicky Betts (Allman Brothers), Mark Tremonti (Creed), Dave Navarro, Joe Walsh (Eagles), and many others. (photo credit: Musician's Friend)
1982	The final episode of the TV show Barney Miller, starring Hal Linden in the title role, appears on the ABC network.
1980	Peter Criss quits as drummer for the rock band KISS.
1972	Cameroon becomes a republic as their constitution is ratified.
1941	German soldiers invade Crete, during WWII.
1939	The first regular transatlantic airmail service begins (New York to Marseille, France).
1932	Amelia Earhart takes off from Newfoundland to begin her historic solo flight to Ireland.
1927	Charles Lindbergh takes off from Roosevelt Field in Long Island, New York, to begin his historic solo flight to Paris.
1926	Thomas Edison says Americans prefer silent movies over talkies.
1902	Cuba gains its independence from Spain.
1861	North Carolina votes to secede from the Union, during the US Civil War.
1639	Dorchester, Massachusetts funds the first school in the US from local taxes.
1506	Christopher Columbus dies in poverty in Spain.