May 20
May 20 is the 141st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar; 225 days remain until the year's end. It falls in spring (northern hemisphere) and under the astrological sign of Taurus.
External references
Curated jump-off points to the major almanacs, encyclopaedias and primary sources for this date.
Astronomy
On May 20 the Sun's declination is approximately +20.1°. 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 20.
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.
- 325 — The First Council of Nicaea was convened by Roman Emperor Constantine I. ↗(1701 years ago)
- 1498 — Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama arrived at Calicut, India. ↗(528 years ago)
- 1873 — Levi Strauss and tailor Jacob Davis received a U.S. patent for blue jeans with copper rivets. ↗(153 years ago)
- 1927 — Charles Lindbergh took off from New York's Roosevelt Field on the first solo non-stop transatlantic flight. ↗(99 years ago)
- 1990 — The Hubble Space Telescope sent back its first photographs. ↗(36 years ago)
Notable births
Notable deaths
- 1506 — Christopher Columbus, Italian explorer. ↗(520 years ago)
Numerical & calendrical curiosities
| Day-of-year (141) | 3 × 47 · composite (no) |
|---|---|
| Days remaining (225) | 3^2 × 5^2 |
| Date code DDMMYYYY | 20052026 · no palindrome in next 200 years |
| Sun declination | +20.13° (Cooper approximation) |
| Distance from solstice | 31 days |