On this day in history, May 24 carries the opening of the Brooklyn Bridge, Queen Victoria’s birthday, and a pivotal moment in telegraph history.
What happened on May 24 in history includes Samuel Morse sending the first telegraph message in 1844, the opening of the Brooklyn Bridge in 1883, and the Cold War-era U2 spy plane program entering active operations.
Today in history, May 24 also connects to the birth of Queen Victoria in 1819, the founding of the Methodist Church by John Wesley, and Bob Dylan receiving the Nobel Prize lecture award in 2017.
Famous birthdays on May 24 include Bob Dylan, Queen Victoria, and Patti LaBelle. National days on May 24 include National Scavenger Hunt Day and Victoria Day in Canada.
This day in history, May 24, fun facts reveal a date of engineering triumph, revolutionary communication, and royal legacy.
Table of Contents
May 24 on the Calendar
May 24 is the 144th day of the year in standard years and the 145th day in leap years.
There are 221 days remaining. The zodiac sign is Gemini (May 21 – June 20).
In the Northern Hemisphere, May 24 falls in late spring, with average temperatures in New York City reaching approximately 73°F (23°C) — the same city whose Brooklyn Bridge opened on this date in 1883.
Major Historical Events on May 24
May 24 holds events of infrastructure, communication, imperial history, and Cold War technology. The following 11 events span four centuries.
1543 — Nicolaus Copernicus dies in Frombork, Poland, at age 70. On the same day — possibly hours before his death — he reportedly received the first printed copy of his revolutionary work De revolutionibus orbium coelestium (On the Revolutions of the Celestial Spheres), which placed the Sun at the center of the solar system. The heliocentric model overturned 1,400 years of Ptolemaic cosmology.
1738 — John Wesley, Anglican clergyman, experiences a spiritual conversion at a prayer meeting on Aldersgate Street in London, which he describes as his heart being “strangely warmed.” This event is traditionally regarded as the founding moment of the Methodist movement, which now encompasses approximately 80 million adherents worldwide.
1819 — Queen Victoria is born at Kensington Palace, London. She reigned from 1837 to 1901 — a 63-year reign that remains the second-longest in British history, after Elizabeth II. Her reign encompassed the British Empire’s maximum territorial extent — approximately 24% of the world’s land area at its peak in 1921, well after her death.
1844 — Samuel Morse transmits the first official telegraph message — “What hath God wrought” — from the U.S. Supreme Court chamber in Washington, D.C., to his assistant Alfred Vail in Baltimore, Maryland. The phrase was suggested by Annie Ellsworth, daughter of the U.S. Patent Commissioner. The demonstration covered 44 miles of wire.
1883 — The Brooklyn Bridge opens to the public after 14 years of construction at a cost of approximately $15.1 million (approximately $455 million in 2024 dollars). Designed by John Roebling — who died from a construction accident before completion — and completed by his son, Washington Roebling, and daughter-in-law Emily Roebling, it was the longest suspension bridge in the world at opening, with a main span of 1,595 feet.
1941 — HMS Hood is sunk by the German battleship Bismarck — this event occurred on May 24, 1941 (not May 21 as noted in the earlier post). The Hood, launched in 1920, was the largest warship in the world for many years and is considered the most beloved British capital ship lost in World War II.
1956 — Eurovision Song Contest is held for the first time, in Lugano, Switzerland. Lys Assia of Switzerland wins with the song “Refrain.” Seven countries participated in the inaugural contest. The event has grown to include 44 countries in 2024 and draws approximately 160 million viewers annually.
1976 — Concorde begins scheduled supersonic transatlantic commercial service, with simultaneous flights from Paris to Washington by Air France and London to Bahrain by British Airways. The aircraft flew at Mach 2 (1,350 mph) and reduced the New York–London flight time from approximately 7 hours to 3.5 hours.
2011 — Former Liberian President Charles Taylor becomes the first head of state convicted by an international tribunal since the Nuremberg trials, when the Special Court for Sierra Leone finds him guilty of aiding and abetting war crimes and crimes against humanity in Sierra Leone. He was sentenced to 50 years in prison.
2017 — Bob Dylan delivers his Nobel Prize in Literature lecture via audio recording, the deadline for which was required within 6 months of the December 2016 award ceremony. He had not attended the ceremony, citing “other commitments.” The lecture, delivered in a calm, measured speaking style, discussed Moby-Dick, All Quiet on the Western Front, and Buddy Holly as influences.
2019 — The U.S.-China trade war escalates as the Trump administration adds Huawei Technologies to the Commerce Department’s Entity List, restricting U.S. companies from selling technology to the Chinese telecommunications firm without government approval. The move affected Huawei’s access to Google’s Android operating system licenses and semiconductor supply chains.
What’s Happening on May 24, 2026?
Victoria Day (Canada): May 24, 2026, falls on a Sunday, but Victoria Day is observed on the last Monday before or on May 25. In 2026, Victoria Day is observed on May 25. However, May 24 — the actual birthday of Queen Victoria — is the historical origin of the holiday, and events and programming begin the weekend of May 23–24.
Brooklyn Bridge anniversary: May 24, 2026, marks the 143rd anniversary of the opening of the Brooklyn Bridge. The New York City Department of Transportation and Brooklyn Bridge Park typically hold commemorative events, and the bridge draws approximately 10,000 pedestrians and cyclists daily.
Eurovision Song Contest (70th anniversary year programming): The 2026 Eurovision marks the 70th anniversary of the contest (first held in 1956). Retrospective broadcasts, anniversary documentaries, and alumni reunions are expected as part of the celebration year programming.
National Scavenger Hunt Day (U.S.): May 24 is observed informally as National Scavenger Hunt Day, celebrating the popular game format used in team-building exercises, educational programs, and social events.
Famous Birthdays on May 24
| Name | Born–Died | Nationality | Significance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bob Dylan | born 1941 | American | Singer-songwriter who received the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2016 — the first musician awarded the prize. His albums The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan (1963), Highway 61 Revisited (1965), and Blonde on Blonde (1966) are consistently ranked among the greatest albums ever recorded. He has sold over 125 million records. |
| Queen Victoria | 1819–1901 | British | Queen of the United Kingdom from 1837 to 1901 and Empress of India from 1876. Her 63-year, 216-day reign was the longest in British history until surpassed by Elizabeth II in 2015. She had 9 children, 42 grandchildren, and 87 great-grandchildren, earning the title “grandmother of Europe.” |
| Patti LaBelle | born 1944 | American | Singer who led Labelle, recording “Lady Marmalade” (1975), which reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. She later launched a successful solo career and became a prominent figure in soul and gospel music. Her sweet potato pies sold at Walmart became a viral sensation in 2015, selling more than 2 million pies within weeks. |
| Roseanne Barr | born 1952 | American | Comedian and actress who starred in Roseanne (ABC, 1988–1997, 2018), which at its peak drew over 20 million viewers per episode and became one of the most influential working-class family sitcoms in television history. |
| Tommy Chong | born 1938 | Canadian-American | Comedian and actor who, with Cheech Marin, formed the comedy duo Cheech & Chong, whose debut album (1972) and film Up in Smoke (1978) grossed $28 million against a $2 million budget. |
| Mick Ronson | 1946–1993 | British | Guitarist who served as David Bowie‘s lead guitarist and arranger during the Ziggy Stardust era (1972–1973). His guitar work on albums including The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars (1972) is considered among the most influential in glam rock. |
| Alfred Molina | born 1953 | British-American | Actor whose roles span Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), Frida (2002), and Doctor Octopus in Spider-Man 2 (2004). He reprised Doctor Octopus in Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021), which grossed $1.9 billion worldwide. |
| John C. Reilly | born 1965 | American | Actor and comedian who appeared in Boogie Nights (1997), Magnolia (1999), Chicago (2002), and Talladega Nights (2006). He received an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor for Chicago. |
🕊️ Notable Deaths on May 24
| Name | Born–Died | Nationality | Significance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nicolaus Copernicus | 1473–1543 | Polish | Died May 24, 1543, in Frombork, Poland. His heliocentric model, published the day of his death in De revolutionibus orbium coelestium, was placed on the Catholic Church’s Index of Forbidden Books in 1616 but was formally rehabilitated in 1758. His tomb in Frombork Cathedral was confirmed by DNA analysis in 2010. |
| Duchess of Windsor (Wallis Simpson) | 1896–1986 | American | Died April 24, 1986 — not May 24. |
| Jane Seymour (queen) | c.1508–1537 | English | [Died October 24, 1537 — not May 24.] |
| Duke of Marlborough (John Churchill) | 1650–1722 | British | Military commander who won major victories at Blenheim (1704), Ramillies (1706), and Oudenarde (1708) during the War of the Spanish Succession. He died June 16, 1722. |
Confirmed May 24 deaths:
| Name | Born–Died | Nationality | Significance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nicolaus Copernicus | 1473–1543 | Polish | Died May 24, 1543. His tomb was lost for centuries and rediscovered under the floor of Frombork Cathedral in 2005. DNA recovered from teeth and hair confirmed the identification in 2010, and he was reinterred with full ceremonial honors in a second burial at the cathedral. |
| Duke Ellington | 1899–1974 | American | Jazz composer, pianist, and bandleader who died May 24, 1974, in New York City. He composed over 3,000 songs, led his orchestra for nearly 50 years, and received 13 Grammy Awards. His orchestra was resident at Harlem’s Cotton Club from 1927 to 1931, broadcasting nationally and establishing jazz as a mainstream American art form. |
National Days & Holidays on May 24
Victoria Day (Canada) — preparation and historical observance: The Monday before or on May 25 is Canada’s Victoria Day public holiday. May 24 is the historical birthdate of Queen Victoria and the origin of the holiday. It is observed across Canada with fireworks, outdoor events, and the informal start of the summer camping season.
National Scavenger Hunt Day (U.S.): An informal observance celebrating the scavenger hunt format, which traces its recorded history in the United States to parties organized by Elsa Maxwell in the 1930s. The format is now used in educational, corporate, and municipal programming across the country.
Brothers and Sisters Day (U.S.): Observed on May 2 by some organizations and May 24 by others, this informal day encourages acknowledgment and appreciation of sibling relationships. It has no official governmental recognition.
International Observances on May 24
Commonwealth Day (observed second Monday in March): While not observed in May, the Commonwealth of Nations — founded in part from the British imperial structures of Victoria’s era — holds its main observance in March. However, Victoria’s birthday on May 24 is recognized by Commonwealth historical societies as a foundational date for the Commonwealth’s cultural identity.
World Schizophrenia Awareness Day: Observed on May 24 by mental health organizations in North America and Europe, coordinated by the World Fellowship for Schizophrenia and Allied Disorders. Schizophrenia affects approximately 24 million people globally, according to WHO estimates, with onset typically occurring between ages 16 and 30.
Fun & Weird Facts About May 24
Emily Roebling crossed the Brooklyn Bridge first. When the Brooklyn Bridge opened on May 24, 1883, the first person to cross it in a carriage was not a government official or engineer — it was Emily Warren Roebling, who had effectively supervised the project’s final decade after her husband, Washington Roebling, became paralyzed by decompression sickness during construction. She carried a rooster in the carriage, symbolizing victory. Her role was not formally recognized for decades.
Samuel Morse didn’t choose “What hath God wrought.” When Morse demonstrated the telegraph on May 24, 1844, the famous phrase was suggested by Annie Ellsworth, the young daughter of the U.S. Patent Commissioner Henry Leavitt Ellsworth, who had informed Morse that Congress had approved telegraph funding. The phrase comes from the Book of Numbers (23:23) in the Bible. Morse gave Annie the original paper tape as a gift.
Queen Victoria was the first person to send a telegram to a U.S. president. On August 16, 1858, she sent the first transatlantic telegraph message to President James Buchanan, a greeting of 98 words. The message took over 16 hours to transmit. The cable failed shortly afterward and was not replaced until 1866.
Bob Dylan’s Nobel Prize lecture contained passages about Buddy Holly, Moby-Dick, and Odysseus. Delivered on May 24, 2017, six months after the prize ceremony he did not attend, Dylan’s lecture ranged widely across literary and musical influences. He had earlier sent Patti Smith to accept the prize on his behalf at the December 2016 ceremony in Stockholm.
The Brooklyn Bridge has 5,434 miles of wire in its cables. Each of the bridge’s four main cables contains 5,434 individual galvanized steel wire strands — a total of approximately 14,000 miles of wire in the entire bridge. The original wire was supplied by J. Lloyd Haigh, who was later found to have supplied fraudulent and substandard wire; Washington Roebling quietly doubled the cable design’s safety factor when he discovered the fraud.
FAQ – May 24 in History
What happened on May 24, 1883?
On May 24, 1883, the Brooklyn Bridge opened to the public after 14 years of construction. Designed by John Roebling and completed by his son, Washington Roebling, and daughter-in-law Emily Roebling, it was the world’s longest suspension bridge at opening with a main span of 1,595 feet.
What happened on May 24, 1844?
On May 24, 1844, Samuel Morse transmitted the first official telegraph message — “What hath God wrought” — from Washington, D.C. to Baltimore, Maryland, demonstrating the commercial viability of long-distance electrical telegraph communication.
Who was born on May 24 in history?
Notable people born on May 24 include singer Bob Dylan (1941), Queen Victoria (1819), singer Patti LaBelle (1944), and astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus (1473).
What is Victoria Day in Canada?
Victoria Day is a Canadian public holiday observed on the last Monday before or on May 25, commemorating the birthday of Queen Victoria, born May 24, 1819. It is also informally regarded as the start of Canada’s summer season, with widespread fireworks and outdoor events.
When did Duke Ellington die?
Jazz composer and bandleader Duke Ellington died on May 24, 1974, in New York City. He composed over 3,000 songs, led his orchestra for nearly 50 years, and remains one of the most significant figures in American music history.
