What Happened in May?

President Calvin Coolidge signs the Immigration Act of 1924 into law. The act, also known as the Johnson-Reed Act. limited the number of immigrants allowed entry into the United States through a national origins quota. The annual quota provided immigration visas to two percent of the total number of people of each nationality in the United States as of the 1890 national census with a minimum quota of 100 for each nationality. It completely excluded immigrants from Asia including Japan. The act also introduced visa requirements for immigrants and established the U.S. Border Patrol, which had previously been part of the Labor Department. More

The Ford Motor Company becomes one of the first companies to adopt a five-day, 40-hour workweek for workers in their factories. A move that help change the way companies in America operated. Before this change, factory workers at Ford and other companies typically worked six days a week for up to 60 hours. This left workers with little time for rest or leisure, and they often struggled to balance work with family and personal commitments. It wasn't until 1940 that the 40 hour work week became law. More

Charles Lindbergh becomes the first man to complete a solo flight across the Atlantic Ocean, flying 3,610 miles from New York to Paris in his plane, the Spirit of St. Louis,in 33 1/2 hours. More

The last of the Model T Ford comes off the line and Henry Ford and his son Edsel drive the 15 millionth Model T Ford out of their factory and closing the Model T production line. In 19 years, the company made 15,007,033 of the model T cars. More

Walt Disney's Mickey Mouse made its debut with the test screen premiere of the cartoon Plane Crazy to a theater audience and potential distributors as a silent film and it failed to pick up a distributor. Later that year, Disney released Mickey's first sound cartoon, Steamboat Willie, which was an enormous success; Plane Crazy was officially released as a sound cartoon on March 17, 1929. It ended up being the fourth Mickey film to be given a wide release after Steamboat Willie, The Gallopin' Gaucho and The Barn Dance (1929).

The first Academy Awards ceremony was held in Hollywood.

The New York City’s Empire State Building was dedicated and officially open, 45 five days ahead of its original projected opening date, becoming the tallest building in the world at the time. President Herbert Hoover , pressed a button in the White House that turned on the building’s lights for the first time, Construction costs were about $41M ($550M in 2023 money) and $20M under budget. The Site was previously occupied by the Waldorf -Astoria Hotel which opened in 1890. Official records indicate that 5 workers died during construction, although 14 deaths were reported by local News. More

The body of Charles Lindbergh Jr. son of aviator Charles Lindbergh and Anne Morrow Lindbergh, was found in Hopewell Township, New Jersey. More

Amelia Earhart became the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic. More

The first article attracting a great deal of attention about the Loch Ness “Monster” is published in the Inverness Courier. The article by Alex Campbell, water bailiff for Loch Ness and a part-time journalist, describes a large "beast" or "whale-like fish" sighted by Aldie Mackay; an enormous creature with the body of a whale rolling in the water in the loch while she and her husband John were driving on the A82 on April 15, 1933.
Today, evidence of its existence is considered anecdotal, with a number of disputed photographs and sonar readings. The scientific community explains alleged sightings of the Loch Ness Monster as hoaxes, wishful thinking, and the misidentification of mundane objects. More

As part of President Roosevelt's New Deal to improve the Tennessee River Valley, the U.S. government establishes the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) to address issues like flood control, navigation, and to produce electrical power along the Tennessee River and its tributaries. The TVA is a federally owned corporation in the United States that operates as a public utility and regional economic development agency. More

Walt Disney releases the Three Little Pigs animated short film based on the classic fairy tale about a three pig brothers, who build their houses out of straw, sticks, and bricks to protect themselves from the Big Bad Wolf. The short won the 1934 Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film. The story emphasizes the importance of hard work and planning ahead. The names of the pigs were Fiddler Pig, Fifer Pig, and Practical Pig. The cartoon is considered by many to be the most successful animated short ever made.

An enormous dust storm, 1,500 miles long and 600 miles wide, that originated on the west coast, moved eastward across the Great Plains. A total of 300 million tons of topsoil, parched to dust by drought were blown out of the Great Plains. More

Legendary American athlete Jesse Owens sets five world records and tied a sixth in just 45 minutes while competing at the Big Ten Championships in Ann Arbor, Michigan. This achievement is often called "the greatest 45 minutes in sport," included breaking the world record in the long jump, the 220-yard dash, and the 220-yard low hurdles, and tying the world record in the 100-yard dash. More

A 7.7 earthquake takes place at Quetta, Balochistan, British India (now part of Pakistan), close to the border with southern Afghanistan. Between 30,000 and 60,000 people died from the impact. More

Italy annexes Ethiopia as part of Italian East Africa, seven months after invading Ethiopia and driving Emperor Haile Selassie I into exile. 

The Hindenburg disaster occurs in Manchester Township, New Jersey, United States. The German passenger airship catches fire during its landing approach resulting in the death of 35 people on board and one ground crew member. The incident played a significant role in the decline of airship passenger travel. More

The coronation of George VI and his wife, Elizabeth takes place at Westminster Abbey, London;  following the abdication of his older brother Edward who abdicated so he could marry American socialite Wallis Simpson. More

The San Francisco Golden Gate Bridge is opened to the public for the first time for “Pedestrian Day". 200,000 people strolled across the bridge to celebrate the grand opening. The next day the bridge was opened to car traffic. More

The House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) is formed under Martin Dies as chairman. Initially, to investigate alleged disloyalty and subversive activities on the part of private citizens, public employees, and organizations suspected of having Communist ties. HUAC became particularly prominent during the Cold War and the Red Scare, focusing on alleged communist infiltration of various sectors, including Hollywood, government, and education. More