MAY 31 | Birthdays and Events
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Notable Birthdays for May 31
Walt Whitman (1819-1892) - Poet who wrote O Captain! My Captain!
Stephen Ramseur (1837-1864) - The youngest West Point graduate to become a Major General (at the time).
Emily Bissell (1861-1948) - Founder of Christmas Seals.
John Ringling (1866-1936) - Co-founder of the Ringling Brothers Circus.
Clint Eastwood (1930-Still Living) - Multi-award winning actor in films such as the Dirty Harry films, The Outlaw Josey Wales (1976), The Bridges of Madison County (1995), Million Dollar Baby (2004), to name a few.
Jay Miner (1932-1994) - Computer scientist often called the "Father of Amiga" who created graphics and audio chips for Atari.
Peter Yarrow (1938-2025) - Musician and founder of the 1960s musical group Peter, Paul and Mary.
Joe Namath (1943-Still Living) - Considered one of the greatest NFL quarterbacks of all time.
Darryl "D.M.C." McDaniels (1964-Still Living) - Rapper and founder of the Run DMC.
Brooke Shields (1965-Still Living) - Model and actress.
Memorable Events for May 31
1790 - The Copyright Act of 1790 is enacted, making it the first copyright law.
1870 - Congress passed the first Enforcement Act outlining the rights of Blacks.
1879- Gilmore's Garden (NY City) is renamed Madison Square Garden after President Madison
1880 - The first bicycle association forms as the League of American Wheelmen.
1885 - John Harvey Kellogg excluded his brother Will Kellogg when he filed an application for the patent for "flaked cereal, and process of making same."
1893 - The remains of Jefferson Davis are moved from New Orleans to Richmond, VA, at the request of his widow.
1893 - Whitcomb Judson patents a hookless fastener, which later becomes known as the zipper.
1907 - The first taxis service begins in NY City.
1909 - The National Negro Committee (later the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) meets for the first time.
1937 - The first set of quadruplets graduate from college (Baylor University).
1948 - MLB pitcher Tommy Lasorda strikes out 25 Amsterdam Rugmakers in 15 innings.
1955 - The Supreme Court orders district courts and school districts to enforce educational desegregation "at all deliberate speed."
1958 - Dick Dale invents "surf music."
1971 - In accordance with the Uniform Monday Holiday Act (1968) passed by Congress, observation of Memorial Day occurs on the last Monday in May.