On This Day for May 25 - U.S. Constitutional Convention opened in Philadelphia, Ian McKellen is featured, and more

Created: 2020-05-25 10:03 Updated: 2020-05-25 10:03 Notebook: On this Day in History

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May 25

FEATURED BIOGRAPHY

Ian McKellen

FEATURED EVENT

1787

U.S. Constitutional Convention opened in Philadelphia

MORE EVENTS ON THIS DAY

2011: The last episode of The Oprah Winfrey Show aired; the long-running TV program had helped make Winfrey one of the richest and most influential women in the United States.

scene from Star Wars: Episode IV—A New Hope

1977: George Lucas's space opera film Star Wars (later known as Star Wars: Episode IV—New Hope) was released, launching one of the most successful and influential franchises in motion picture history. [How much do you know about the original Star Wars trilogy?]

1961: In a speech before Congress, U.S. President John F. Kennedy committed the United States to land a man on the Moon by the end of the decade; the goal was achieved with Apollo 11 in 1969. [Take our space exploration quiz.]

1935: American baseball player Babe Ruth hit the 714th and last home run of his career; he retired later that year. [ Find out where Babe Ruth ranks on our list of the 10 greatest baseball players of all time.]