Mount St. Helens Erupts May 18, 1980 Mount St. Helens in Washington State erupts, killing 57 people. The magnitude 5.1 earthquake triggered a massive collapse of the north face of the mountain, creating the largest-known debris avalanche in recorded history. The pyroclastic flow flattened vegetation and buildings over 230 square miles.

May 17, 1954: In a major civil rights victory, the U.S. Supreme Court hands down an unanimous decision in Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, ruling that racial segregation in public educational facilities is unconstitutional. The historic decision, which brought an end to federal tolerance of racial segregation, specifically dealt with Linda Brown, a young African American girl…

Michael Jackson’s Moonwalk May 16, 1983 First TV broadcast of Michael Jackson‘s signature move, the Moonwalk. Michael Jackson performed the dance move during the song Billie Jean for the TV show Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever, which had been taped before a live audience March 25, 1983.

Pope John Paul II Shot May 13, 1981 Escaped Turkish terrorist Mehmet Ali Ağca shoots Pope John Paul II in St. Peter’s Square at Vatican City. The Pope was struck four times. Ağca was apprehended and later sentenced to life in prison. But the Pope forgave Ağca and he was pardoned by Italian president Carlo Azeglio Ciampi…

Lindbergh Kidnapping May 12, 1932 Charles Lindbergh‘s 20-month-old son is found dead after having been kidnapped two months earlier. A 50,000 ransom had been paid the previous month with the promise that the child was safe.Bruno Hauptmann was arrested for the crime in September 1934 after using one of the ransom money bills at a gas…