On This Day for May 20 - U.S. Homestead Act signed, James Stewart is featured, and more

Created: 2020-05-20 10:04 Updated: 2020-05-20 10:04 Notebook: On this Day in History

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May 20

FEATURED BIOGRAPHY

James Stewart

FEATURED EVENT

1862

U.S. Homestead Act signed

MORE EVENTS ON THIS DAY

2015: David Letterman —who redefined American talk shows with his unconventional humour and innovative segments—stepped down as host of the Late Show with David Letterman.

2002: East Timor officially became independent. [Take our countries of the world quiz.]

1946: American singer and actress Cher, who was known for her flamboyant style, was born. [Test your knowledge of actors and acting.]

1882: Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Italy secretly formed the Triple Alliance, a treaty organization that provided for mutual protection against attacks by other European powers until Italy entered World War I. [ Sort fact from fiction in our World War I quiz.]

1873: Levi Strauss and Jacob Davis were granted a patent for using copper rivets to strengthen certain areas of trousers, notably pocket corners; the patent was credited with giving rise to blue jeans.