Oprah Winfrey taped the final episode of The Oprah Winfrey Show after 25 years
The most-watched daytime talk show in American television history concluded after 4,561 episodes. Oprah built a media empire and became one of the wor...
May 25 in History
Significant events that happened on this day.
Historical Events
2011
2008
NASA's Phoenix spacecraft successfully landed on Mars to search for water
The lander touched down in the Martian arctic plains to study the history of water and search for habitable conditions. Phoenix confirmed the presence...
1986
Over 6.5 million Americans joined hands in a human chain across the country for Hands Across America
People stood hand-in-hand for 15 minutes attempting to form a continuous line from New York to California to raise awareness about hunger and homeless...
1979
Six-year-old Etan Patz disappeared in New York City, revolutionizing how America handles missing children cases
Etan vanished while walking to his school bus stop alone for the first time. His case led to the missing children's milk carton campaign and National...
1977
Star Wars premiered in theaters and changed cinema forever
MajorGeorge Lucas's space opera opened in just 32 theaters but became a cultural phenomenon. The film revolutionized special effects, merchandising, and th...
1965
Muhammad Ali knocked out Sonny Liston in the first round with the 'phantom punch' that almost nobody saw
In their controversial rematch, Ali knocked Liston down with a punch so fast that many spectators, including the referee, didn't see it land. Liston s...
1961
President John F. Kennedy announced the goal of landing a man on the moon before the decade's end
MajorIn a special address to Congress, JFK committed the United States to the ambitious lunar landing program. This speech launched the Apollo program and...
1946
Jordan gained independence from Britain and became the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan
The Emirate of Transjordan ended its British mandate and became a fully sovereign nation. Abdullah I became the first king of the newly independent co...
1935
Jesse Owens broke three world records and tied a fourth in 45 minutes at a college track meet
MajorAt the Big Ten Championships in Ann Arbor, Michigan, Owens achieved what many call the greatest athletic performance ever. Despite a sore back, he set...
1925
The Scopes 'Monkey Trial' began in Tennessee over teaching evolution
MajorJohn T. Scopes was charged with violating Tennessee's Butler Act by teaching evolution in a public school. The trial became a media sensation pitting...
1895
Oscar Wilde was convicted of gross indecency and sentenced to two years of hard labor
The famous playwright's trial and conviction for homosexual acts destroyed his career and health. He served his full sentence in Reading Gaol, where h...
1810
Argentina began its revolution for independence from Spain
The May Revolution started when citizens of Buenos Aires ousted the Spanish viceroy and formed their own government. This marked the beginning of the...
1803
Ralph Waldo Emerson was born in Boston, Massachusetts
The future philosopher, essayist, and poet who would lead the transcendentalist movement entered the world. His essays like 'Self-Reliance' and 'Natur...
1787
The Constitutional Convention officially began in Philadelphia with George Washington elected as president of the convention
MajorDelegates gathered to address weaknesses in the Articles of Confederation, though most didn't initially expect to write an entirely new Constitution....
1521
Martin Luther was declared an outlaw and heretic at the Diet of Worms
MajorHoly Roman Emperor Charles V issued the Edict of Worms, making it a crime to give Luther food or shelter and permitting anyone to kill him without leg...
