Mark The Day

On May 24, 1844, American inventor Samuel F. B. Morse publicly demonstrated the power of the telegraph in front of members of Congress. From the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., Morse sent a message to his assistant, Alfred Vail, who was waiting at a railroad station in Baltimore, Maryland. The famous message, “What Hath God Wrought?”, was quickly transmitted back to Washington. The phrase, taken from the Bible’s Book of Numbers, had been suggested by Annie Ellsworth, whose father served as the commissioner of patents.

Before becoming known for the telegraph, Morse had earned recognition as a talented painter. After hearing about early experiments with electrical communication in the 1830s, he devoted years to developing a practical telegraph system. During that time, he also helped create Morse code, the signal system that allowed words to be transmitted electronically. With financial support from Congress, a telegraph line linking Washington and Baltimore was finally completed, marking the beginning of a new era in communication.

The telegraph rapidly transformed life in the United States. Within ten years, tens of thousands of miles of telegraph wire stretched across the nation. Messages that once took days or weeks to deliver could suddenly arrive in moments, helping businesses grow, improving railroad safety, and connecting distant parts of an expanding country in ways that had never before been possible.

On May 24, 1935, Major League Baseball held its first official night game when the Cincinnati Reds defeated the Philadelphia Phillies 2-1 at Crosley Field. Newly installed stadium lights made the historic matchup possible, while thousands of fans packed the ballpark to witness something many baseball traditionalists once believed would never happen. President Franklin D. Roosevelt even participated from Washington, D.C., symbolically turning on the lights before the game began.

Night baseball had already proven successful in the minor leagues. The first professional night game had taken place in Iowa in 1930, attracting a crowd far larger than teams normally saw during the difficult years of the Great Depression. Minor league owners quickly realized evening games allowed working people to attend after work, helping struggling teams survive financially. Major League Baseball, however, was slower to embrace the idea, largely because many owners preferred to stick with tradition.

Once the Reds demonstrated how popular night baseball could be, the rest of the major leagues quickly took notice. Attendance in Cincinnati jumped dramatically, even though the team itself struggled on the field. Over the next several decades, stadiums across the country added lighting systems and night games became a regular part of the baseball schedule. Wrigley Field famously resisted the change longer than any other major league park, finally hosting its first official night game in 1988 when the Chicago Cubs defeated the New York Mets after an earlier rain-shortened attempt against the Phillies the night before.

On May 24, 1941, the German battleship Bismarck destroyed the British battlecruiser HMS Hood during a fierce naval battle in the North Atlantic near Iceland. The Bismarck, considered one of the most powerful warships of its time, was commanded by Admiral Günther Lütjens. The Hood, long regarded as the pride of the Royal Navy, had been one of Britain’s most famous warships since its launch after World War I. During the short but devastating encounter, the Hood suffered a catastrophic explosion and sank rapidly, taking more than 1,400 crew members with it. Only three sailors survived.

Although the battle was a major victory for Germany, the Bismarck did not escape unharmed. Damage to one of its fuel tanks limited its ability to continue operations, forcing Admiral Lütjens to head toward occupied France for repairs. British naval forces immediately launched an enormous pursuit across the Atlantic, determined to destroy the battleship before it could reach safety. The sinking of the Hood shocked Britain and fueled public demand for revenge.

Three days later, British aircraft and warships finally caught up with the Bismarck. After repeated torpedo attacks disabled the battleship’s steering, British naval forces surrounded and heavily bombarded the vessel until it sank on May 27, 1941. More than 2,000 German sailors, including Admiral Lütjens, lost their lives. The dramatic chase and destruction of the Bismarck became one of the most famous naval episodes of World War II.

On May 24, 2022, a mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde became one of the deadliest school shootings in American history. An 18-year-old gunman entered the school armed with an AR-15-style rifle and opened fire inside two fourth-grade classrooms. Nineteen children and two teachers were killed, while many others were seriously injured during the attack.

Before arriving at the school, the shooter had reportedly shot and wounded his grandmother, who survived. He then drove to the elementary school, crashed his vehicle nearby, and entered the building through an unlocked door. Inside the classrooms, terrified students and teachers called 911 while law enforcement officers gathered outside the school. The response quickly became the focus of national outrage as heavily armed officers waited more than an hour before a tactical team finally entered the classrooms and killed the gunman.

The tragedy sparked widespread debate across the United States over school safety, police response procedures, and access to semi-automatic rifles. Investigations later criticized major failures in communication and decision-making during the emergency response. Families of the victims demanded accountability and called for stronger gun laws, while the shooting renewed painful comparisons to earlier tragedies such as the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting. The events in Uvalde left a lasting impact on the community and intensified the national conversation surrounding mass shootings in America.

On May 25, 1935, baseball legend Babe Ruth launched the 714th and final home run of his remarkable career at Forbes Field in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Playing for the Boston Braves late in his career, Ruth delivered an unforgettable performance by going four-for-four at the plate, blasting three home runs and driving in six runs. His career home run record would remain untouched for nearly four decades.

Born George Herman Ruth in Baltimore, Maryland, on February 6, 1895, Ruth overcame a difficult childhood that included years at St. Mary’s Industrial School for Boys. Originally signed as a pitcher by the Baltimore Orioles, he was quickly sold to the Boston Red Sox, where his immense talent became impossible to ignore. Ruth excelled both as a dominant pitcher and as a powerful hitter before eventually transforming the game with his offensive ability after joining the New York Yankees in 1920.

Nicknamed “The Bambino” and “The Sultan of Swat,” Ruth became baseball’s biggest attraction during the 1920s and helped lead the Yankees to multiple championships. His sale from Boston to New York also sparked the famous “Curse of the Bambino,” as the Red Sox went decades without winning another World Series. Ruth passed away from throat cancer in 1948, and his long-standing home run record was finally broken in 1974 when Hank Aaron hit career home run number 715.

On May 25, 1961, President John F. Kennedy addressed Congress with an ambitious challenge: send an American to the moon before the decade was over. Kennedy asked lawmakers to support a rapidly expanded space program, presenting the mission as more than a scientific project. He described it as a national effort that would represent the determination and abilities of the entire United States.

The announcement came during the height of the Cold War and shortly after the Soviet Union achieved a major milestone by sending cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin into space aboard Vostok 1 on April 12, 1961. Although American astronaut Alan Shepard successfully traveled into space less than a month later, his flight did not orbit Earth. Concerned about falling behind the Soviet Union in technology and global influence, Kennedy pushed for a space program that could surpass Soviet achievements and demonstrate American innovation.

Kennedy tied the space race directly to the broader struggle between democracy and communism, urging Congress to provide the resources needed to move quickly. His vision ultimately became reality on July 20, 1969, when the Apollo 11 Moon Landing placed humans on the moon. Astronaut Neil Armstrong became the first person to walk on the lunar surface while President Richard Nixon watched from Earth and personally congratulated the astronauts during a historic phone call.

On May 25, 1977, movie audiences were introduced to a new kind of science-fiction adventure when Star Wars premiered in American theaters over Memorial Day weekend. Directed by George Lucas, the film quickly became a cultural sensation, combining groundbreaking special effects, memorable characters, and fast-paced storytelling. The movie earned seven Academy Awards and went on to achieve enormous box-office success both in the United States and around the world.

Months before release, studio 20th Century Fox and Lucas launched a major marketing campaign that created intense anticipation among fans. Long lines formed outside theaters as audiences waited to experience the space epic everyone was talking about. Actress Carrie Fisher later compared the excitement surrounding the release to an earthquake, as devoted moviegoers camped outside cinemas eager to be among the first to see it.

The film followed young hero Luke Skywalker, played by Mark Hamill, as he joined forces with Princess Leia, Han Solo, and the droids C-3PO and R2-D2 in a battle against the sinister Darth Vader and the Galactic Empire. The movie transformed its cast into international stars, especially Harrison Ford, whose role as Han Solo helped launch one of Hollywood’s most successful careers. The franchise expanded rapidly with sequels, television series, books, toys, and video games, remaining a major part of popular culture well into the 2020s.

On May 25, 1994, the unusual final wishes of 71-year-old George Swanson were carried out in Irwin, Pennsylvania, when his ashes were buried inside the driver’s seat of his beloved 1984 white Chevrolet Corvette. Swanson, a former World War II Army sergeant and beer distributor, had carefully arranged the burial before his death, even purchasing multiple cemetery plots to ensure there would be enough room for both himself and the car.

The request initially caused concern at Brush Creek Cemetery, where officials worried about possible vandalism and reactions from other families. After several weeks of negotiations, the cemetery approved the burial on the condition that it remain private and that the Corvette be drained of fluids for environmental safety. Swanson’s widow, Caroline, brought his ashes to the cemetery in her own white Corvette, and mourners placed several personal items inside the vehicle, including a handmade quilt, a note from his wife, and a cassette tape by Engelbert Humperdinck with the song “Release Me” ready to play.

As approximately 50 mourners watched, a crane lowered the Corvette into a specially prepared grave. The car’s license plate, reading “HI-PAL,” reflected Swanson’s favorite greeting. Caroline Swanson later remarked that her husband had always said he lived a fabulous life and wanted a memorable farewell. In the end, unlike most people who only joke about taking it with them, George Swanson actually did.