Today is Sunday, May 25, the 145th day of 2025. There are 220 days left in the year.
Today in history:
On this day in 2020, the world was shaken by the tragic death of George Floyd, a Black man who was killed by a white Minneapolis police officer. The officer pressed his knee on Floyd’s neck for 9 1/2 minutes while Floyd was handcuffed and pleading for his life. This event, captured on video by a bystander, sparked worldwide protests and ignited a critical conversation about racism and policing in the United States.
Other notable events on this day include:
- In 1787, the Constitutional Convention commenced at the Pennsylvania State House in Philadelphia.
- In 1946, Transjordan, now known as Jordan, declared itself a kingdom with Abdullah I as its new monarch.
- In 1961, President John F. Kennedy set the ambitious goal of landing a man on the moon and safely returning him to Earth before the end of the decade.
- In 1964, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Griffin v. County School Board of Prince Edward County, ordering the reopening of public schools in Virginia that had been closed to evade desegregation.
- In 1977, the iconic film “Star Wars” was released by 20th Century Fox, becoming the highest-grossing film of its time.
- In 1979, a tragic plane crash involving an American Airlines DC-10 claimed the lives of 273 people just after takeoff from Chicago’s O’Hare Airport.
- In 2008, NASA’s Phoenix Mars Lander successfully landed on the Red Planet to search for evidence of water, confirming the presence of water ice at its landing site.
- In 2012, SpaceX made history by docking its Dragon capsule with the International Space Station, marking the first commercial spacecraft to do so.
- In 2018, Harvey Weinstein was arrested and charged in New York with rape and other sex crimes, marking the first legal action taken against him amidst a wave of allegations. (Weinstein’s conviction in 2020 was later overturned in 2024, leading to a retrial in April 2025.)
Birthdays on this day:
- Actor Ian McKellen turns 86 today.
- Country singer Jessi Colter celebrates her 82nd birthday.
- Actor-singer Leslie Uggams is 82 years old.
- Filmmaker and puppeteer Frank Oz turns 81 today.
- Actor Karen Valentine celebrates her 78th birthday.
- Actor Jacki Weaver is also 78 years old.
- Rock singer Klaus Meine of Scorpions is 77 today.
- Actor Patti D’Arbanville turns 74.
- Playwright Eve Ensler celebrates her 72nd birthday.
- Actor Connie Sellecca is 70 years old.
- Musician Paul Weller turns 67 today.
- Senator Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota celebrates her 65th birthday.
- Actor-comedian Mike Myers is 62 years old.
- Actor Octavia Spencer turns 55 today.
- Actor Cillian Murphy celebrates his 49th birthday.
- Football Hall of Famer Brian Urlacher turns 47.
- Olympic gymnastics gold medalist Aly Raisman celebrates her 31st birthday.
This day in history is marked by both triumphs and tragedies, reminding us of the importance of reflection and progress as we move forward.
