May 30, 2020
Day 151 of 366

 

May 30th is the 151st day of the year. It is the Day of the Canary Islands, celebrating the anniversary of the first session of the Parliament of the Canary Islands, which was held on May 30, 1983.

It is also World Multiple Sclerosis Day, which is used to bring awareness to Multiple Sclerosis and those who suffer from the disease.

In the United States, today is “celebrated” as National Creativity Day, National Water a Flower Day, National Hole In My Bucket Day, National Mint Julep Day, and Loomis Day.

 

Historical items of note:

• In 1431, the 19-year-old Joan of Arc was burned at the stake by an English-dominated tribunal in Rouen, France. The Roman Catholic Church remembers this day as the celebration of Saint Joan of Arc.
• In 1842, John Francis attempted to murder Queen Victoria as she drove down Constitution Hill in London with Prince Albert.
• In 1868, Decoration Day was observed in the United States for the first time. The predecessor of the modern Memorial Day, it was ordered by “Commander-in-chief of the Grand Army of the Republic” John A. Logan’s proclamation on May 5th.
• In 1883, a stampede on the recently opened Brooklyn Bridge in New York City killed twelve people.
• In 1908, voice actor Mel Blanc was born.
• In 1922, the Lincoln Memorial was dedicated in Washington, D.C.
• In 1936, actor Keir Dullea was born.
• In 1953, actor Colm Meaney was born.
• In 1958, the remains of two unidentified American servicemen, killed in action during World War II and the Korean War respectively, were buried at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington National Cemetery on Memorial Day.
• In 1962, author, illustrator, and co-creator of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Kevin Eastman was born.
• In 1971, Mariner 9 was launched. It mapped 70% of the surface of Mars and studied temporal changes in the atmosphere and on the surface of the planet.
• Also in 1971, singer-songwriter and actress Idina Menzel was born.
• In 1975, the European Space Agency was established.

 

May 30th is Indian Arrival Day in Trinidad and Tobago. 

Indian Arrival Day is a holiday celebrated on various days in the nations of the Caribbean, Fiji, and Mauritius. It commemorates the arrival of people from the Indian subcontinent to their respective nations as indentured labor brought by European authorities and colonizers.

Trinidad and Tobago was the first country to start this holiday. It was first celebrated in Skinner Park as the East Indian Centenary on May 30, 1945, the one hundredth anniversary of the coming of Indians to Trinidad. The Acting Governor representing the Government of the United Kingdom attended, which indicated the significance of the observance, and other local dignitaries addressed the large crowd. Greetings were also read from Mahatma Gandhi, Lord Wavell, and Colonel Stanley, the Secretary of State for the Colonies.

By the 1970s, the observance began to dwindle, but the Indian Revival and Reform Association (IRRA) revived the memory of the event through their concern about racism directed toward the Indian people.

 

The Thing About Today is an effort to look at each day of 2020 with respect to its historical context.

For more creativity with a critical eye, visit Creative Criticality.