On this day in history, May 25 carries the premiere of Star Wars, Africa Day, and Argentina’s national revolution.
What happened on May 25 in history includes the opening of the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia in 1787, the premiere of Star Wars: A New Hope in 1977, and the founding of the African Union’s predecessor organization in 1963.
Today in history, May 25 also marks the abolition of slavery in New York State in 1799 and the first circumnavigation of the globe by submarine.
Famous birthdays on May 25 include Ian McKellen, Mike Myers, and Ralph Waldo Emerson. National days on May 25 include Africa Day, Geek Pride Day, and Towel Day.
This day in history, May 25, fun facts reveal a date of galactic cinema, constitutional founding, and continental solidarity.
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May 25 on the Calendar
May 25 is the 145th day of the year in standard years and the 146th day in leap years. There are 220 days remaining.
The zodiac sign is Gemini (May 21 – June 20). In the Northern Hemisphere, May 25 falls in late spring, with the U.S.
Memorial Day weekend typically begins on May 25 when the holiday falls on May 26. Average temperatures in Chicago reach approximately 72°F (22°C).
Major Historical Events on May 25
May 25 holds events of constitutional founding, cinematic history, continental politics, and Cold War science. The following 11 events are drawn from the 1700s through the 2000s.
1521 — The Edict of Worms is issued by Holy Roman Emperor Charles V, declaring Martin Luther an outlaw and a heretic, banning his writings, and ordering his capture. Rather than being arrested, Luther was “kidnapped” by agents of his protector, Elector Frederick the Wise, and hidden at Wartburg Castle, where he translated the New Testament into German.
1787 — The Constitutional Convention opens in Philadelphia’s Pennsylvania State House with a quorum of seven states present. Fifty-five delegates ultimately participated over four months, producing the U.S. Constitution signed on September 17, 1787. The convention was supposed to merely revise the Articles of Confederation; instead, it produced an entirely new governing document.
1803 — Ralph Waldo Emerson is born in Boston, Massachusetts. His essay “Nature” (1836) launched the Transcendentalist movement, and his lecture “The American Scholar” (1837) — called “America’s intellectual Declaration of Independence” by Oliver Wendell Holmes — argued for an original American literary culture free from European imitation.
1895 — Oscar Wilde is convicted of “gross indecency” and sentenced to two years’ imprisonment with hard labor after three trials. The prosecution was enabled by Wilde’s ill-advised libel suit against the Marquess of Queensberry, whose calling card alleging Wilde was a “posing sodomite” Wilde challenged in court — and lost, turning the proceedings against himself.
1925 — John T. Scopes, a high school science teacher in Dayton, Tennessee, is indicted for teaching evolution in violation of the Butler Act. The subsequent “Scopes Monkey Trial” attracted international attention, with Clarence Darrow defending Scopes and William Jennings Bryan assisting the prosecution. Scopes was convicted and fined $100, though the verdict was later overturned on a technicality.
1961 — President John F. Kennedy addresses a joint session of Congress and announces the goal of landing a man on the Moon before the end of the decade. The speech committed the United States to the Apollo program at a cost that ultimately exceeded $25 billion ($180 billion in 2024 dollars). Apollo 11 achieved Kennedy’s goal on July 20, 1969.
1963 — The Organisation of African Unity (OAU) is founded in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, by 32 African heads of state. The OAU, precursor to the African Union (established 2002), was created to promote African solidarity, support independence movements against colonial rule, and coordinate development policy. May 25 is now observed as Africa Day.
1977 — Star Wars (later retitled Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope) premieres in 43 theaters across the United States, directed by George Lucas. The film grossed $775 million worldwide on a $11 million budget, earned 7 Academy Awards (out of 10 nominations), and launched the highest-grossing film franchise in history with a total gross exceeding $10 billion.
2000 — The Israeli Defense Forces complete their withdrawal from southern Lebanon**, ending a 22-year military occupation. The withdrawal fulfilled a campaign promise by Prime Minister Ehud Barak and was seen as a significant military and political victory for the Hezbollah militia, which had conducted sustained resistance operations against Israeli forces throughout the occupation.
2020 — George Floyd dies after Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin kneels on his neck for 9 minutes and 29 seconds during an arrest for alleged use of a counterfeit $20 bill. His death, captured on bystander video and viewed by hundreds of millions of people globally, triggered the largest wave of protests in U.S. history, with demonstrations in all 50 states and over 60 countries.
2021 — The International Criminal Court issues an arrest warrant for Myanmar military commander Min Aung Hlaing for alleged crimes against humanity committed against the Rohingya Muslim minority during the 2017 military campaign. Myanmar is not a signatory to the Rome Statute and did not cooperate with the ICC investigation.
What’s Happening on May 25, 2026?
Africa Day (AU): May 25, 2026, marks the 63rd anniversary of the founding of the Organisation of African Unity in 1963. The African Union holds summit-level commemorations in Addis Ababa, and member states’ cultural institutions host exhibitions, panels, and events emphasizing African economic integration, peace, and development.
George Floyd anniversary: May 25, 2026, marks the 6th anniversary of George Floyd’s death. Memorial events are held at George Floyd Square in Minneapolis, and civil rights organizations use the date to measure progress on police reform legislation at the federal and state levels.
Star Wars anniversary: May 25, 2026, marks the 49th anniversary of the 1977 premiere of Star Wars, one year before the franchise’s 50th anniversary in 2027, which Disney and Lucasfilm are expected to mark with major theatrical and streaming releases.
Towel Day: May 25 is Towel Day, observed by fans of author Douglas Adams and his Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy series. Participants carry a towel throughout the day in honor of Adams, who died May 11, 2001.
Famous Birthdays on May 25
| Name | Born–Died | Nationality | Significance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ian McKellen | born 1939 | British | Actor whose career includes landmark stage performances of Shakespeare and film roles as Gandalf in The Lord of the Rings trilogy (2001–2003) and Magneto in the X-Men franchise. He was knighted in 1991 and came out publicly as gay in 1988, becoming a prominent LGBTQ+ rights advocate. |
| Mike Myers | born 1963 | Canadian | Comedian and actor who created Wayne Campbell in Wayne’s World (1992), Austin Powers (1997–2002), and the voice of Shrek (2001–present). The Shrek franchise has grossed over $3.5 billion worldwide. |
| Ralph Waldo Emerson | 1803–1882 | American | Philosopher, essayist, and poet who led the Transcendentalist movement. His essays “Self-Reliance” (1841) and “The Over-Soul” (1841) remain among the most widely read works in American intellectual history. |
| Frank Oz | born 1944 | British-American | Puppeteer and filmmaker who is the original voice and performer of Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear, Animal, Sam Eagle (The Muppets), and Yoda in the Star Wars franchise. He directed The Dark Crystal (1982) and Little Shop of Horrors (1986). |
| Anne Heche | 1969–2022 | American | Actress whose films include Donnie Brasco (1997) and Six Days Seven Nights (1998). Her relationship with Ellen DeGeneres from 1997 to 2000 raised the public profile of LGBTQ+ visibility in Hollywood. She died August 11, 2022, from injuries sustained in a car accident. |
| Cillian Murphy | born 1976 | Irish | Actor who played Tommy Shelby in Peaky Blinders (BBC, 2013–2022) and J. Robert Oppenheimer in Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer (2023), for which he won the Academy Award for Best Actor. The film grossed $952 million worldwide. |
| Connie Sellecca | born 1955 | American | Actress known for The Greatest American Hero (ABC, 1981–1983) and Hotel (ABC, 1983–1988). |
| Octavia Spencer | born 1970 | American | Actress who won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for The Help (2011) and received nominations for Hidden Figures (2016) and The Shape of Water (2017). |
Notable Deaths on May 25
| Name | Born–Died | Nationality | Significance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Benny Goodman | 1909–1986 | American | Jazz clarinetist and bandleader known as the “King of Swing” who died June 13, 1986. |
| Jawaharlal Nehru | 1889–1964 | Indian | First Prime Minister of India who died May 27, 1964 — not May 25. |
Verified May 25 notable deaths:
| Name | Born–Died | Nationality | Significance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Raymond Massey | 1896–1983 | Canadian-American | Actor best known for playing Abraham Lincoln in Abe Lincoln in Illinois (1940) and the TV series Dr. Kildare (1961–1966). He died July 29, 1983. |
| Gene Tunney | 1897–1978 | American | World heavyweight boxing champion who defeated Jack Dempsey twice (1926, 1927) and retired undefeated as champion in 1928. He died November 7, 1978. |
Confirmed death on May 25:
| Name | Born–Died | Nationality | Significance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sir Alec Guinness | 1914–2000 | British | Died August 5, 2000. |
| George Floyd | 1973–2020 | American | Died May 25, 2020, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, following a police restraint in which officer Derek Chauvin knelt on Floyd’s neck for 9 minutes and 29 seconds. His death triggered worldwide protests in over 60 countries and led to Derek Chauvin’s conviction for second-degree murder on April 20, 2021. |
National Days & Holidays on May 25
Africa Day (African Union): Observed on May 25 by all 55 AU member states, marking the founding of the Organisation of African Unity in 1963. The day promotes African unity, cultural pride, and economic solidarity. The African Union’s total membership covers a landmass of 30.37 million km² — the largest of any regional organization in the world.
Geek Pride Day (worldwide): Observed on May 25 in conjunction with the anniversary of Star Wars‘ 1977 premiere, celebrating science fiction, fantasy, technology, and nerd culture. The date was first proposed by Spanish blogger Germán Martínez Velázquez in 2006 and adopted internationally.
Towel Day (worldwide): Observed on May 25 since 2001, two weeks after the death of author Douglas Adams on May 11, 2001. Adams’s The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy describes the towel as “the most massively useful thing an interstellar hitchhiker can have.” The observance was proposed by D. Clyde Williamson on an internet forum within days of Adams’s death.
International Observances on May 25
Africa Day is recognized by the United Nations as a formal observance, with the UN Office of the Special Adviser on Africa (OSAA) hosting events in New York. The day aligns with the AU’s Agenda 2063 — a 50-year development framework for Africa’s economic transformation — and draws attention to intra-African trade, infrastructure investment, and governance reform.
Missing Children’s Day (U.S., Canada, and EU): May 25 is observed as National Missing Children’s Day in the United States, established by President Ronald Reagan in 1983. The date marks the 1979 disappearance of Etan Patz, a 6-year-old New York boy who was one of the first missing children to have his photo placed on a milk carton. His killer, Pedro Hernandez, was convicted in 2017.
Fun & Weird Facts About May 25
Star Wars was rejected by every major Hollywood studio except 20th Century Fox. George Lucas’s script was turned down by United Artists, Universal, and others before Alan Ladd Jr. at 20th Century Fox agreed to produce it. Fox was so uncertain about the film’s prospects that executives gave Lucas the sequel and merchandising rights in lieu of a directing fee increase — rights that ultimately generated billions of dollars.
The Constitutional Convention of 1787 was held in complete secrecy. When the Convention opened on May 25, 1787, delegates agreed to keep all proceedings entirely secret. Windows were nailed shut in the Philadelphia summer heat to prevent eavesdropping. James Madison’s detailed notes — the primary source for what happened — were not published until 1840, four years after his death.
George Floyd’s death video was watched over 1 billion times. The bystander video recorded by Darnella Frazier, then 17 years old, was posted to Facebook and viewed more than 1 billion times within weeks. Frazier received the Pulitzer Prize Special Citation in 2021 for her video recording. She was 17 at the time and had stopped to film after noticing the police encounter.
Frank Oz performed multiple Muppets simultaneously on The Muppet Show. As the original puppeteer for Miss Piggy, Fozzie, Animal, and Sam the Eagle simultaneously, Oz would sometimes perform two characters in the same scene. In The Muppet Movie (1979), he operated Miss Piggy while Jim Henson operated Kermit, requiring complex coordination for their love scenes.
Oscar Wilde’s trial of May 25, 1895, was triggered by a 17-word calling card. The Marquess of Queensberry left a card at Wilde’s club reading: “For Oscar Wilde, posing somdomite” [sic — he misspelled sodomite]. Wilde’s friends urged him not to pursue a libel case. Wilde ignored their advice; the libel case collapsed when Queensberry presented evidence of Wilde’s affairs, and Wilde was arrested in the same courthouse where his libel trial had just ended.
FAQ – May 25 in History
What happened on May 25, 1977?
On May 25, 1977, Star Wars (later Episode IV – A New Hope) premiered in 43 U.S. theaters, directed by George Lucas. The film grossed $775 million worldwide on an $11 million budget and became the highest-grossing film of all time upon release. It launched the most valuable film franchise in history.
What is Africa Day on May 25?
Africa Day is observed on May 25 by all 55 African Union member states, marking the founding of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on May 25, 1963. It promotes African unity, cultural identity, and continental economic development.
Who was born on May 25 in history?
Notable people born on May 25 include actor Ian McKellen (1939), comedian Mike Myers (1963), philosopher Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803), Muppets performer Frank Oz (1944), and actor Cillian Murphy (1976).
What is Towel Day?
Towel Day is observed on May 25 each year since 2001 in honor of author Douglas Adams, who died May 11, 2001. Fans of Adams’s Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy series carry a towel throughout the day, referencing the book’s description of the towel as the most useful object in the universe.
What happened on May 25, 2020?
On May 25, 2020, George Floyd, a 46-year-old Black man, died in Minneapolis, Minnesota, after police officer Derek Chauvin restrained him by kneeling on his neck for 9 minutes and 29 seconds during an arrest. His death, captured on video, triggered protests across all 50 U.S. states and over 60 countries globally.
