May 28 in Pop Culture History
585 BC – A solar eclipse occurred, as predicted by the Greek philosopher and scientist Thales. Knowing this exact date helped historians find other exact and near exact historical dates.
1830 – US President Andrew Jackson signed the Indian Removal Act which relocated Native Americans.
1892 – In San Francisco, California, John Muir organized the Sierra Club.
1897 – Jell-o was introduced.
1902 – Owen Wister’s The Virginian was published by Macmillan Press. The book made the American Cowboy an icon.
1928 – The Dodge Brothers, Inc. and the Chrysler Corporation merged.
1935 – John Steinbeck’s first successful novel, Tortilla Flat, was published.
1937 – Gesellschaft zur Vorbereitung des Deutschen Volkswagens mbH, later renamed Volkswagenwerk, or Volkswagon was founded.
1937 – The Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco was officially opened to vehicles
1964 – The Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) was formed.
1966 # 1 Hit May 28, 1966 – June 10, 1966: Percy Sledge – When A Man Loves A Woman
1974 – The Magic Show (Broadway Musical) Opened on May 28, 1974 and Closed: December 31, 1978
1983 # 1 Hit May 28, 1983 – July 8, 1983: Irene Cara – Flashdance… What a Feeling
1987 – Matthias Rust, a 19-year-old amateur pilot from West Germany, took off from Helsinki, Finland, in his Cessna, and landed in Red Square, the heart of the Soviet Union.
1988 # 1 Hit May 28, 1988 – June 17, 1988: George Michael – One More Try
1998 – Former Saturday Night Live actor and comedian Phil Hartman was shot and killed by his wife Brynn, in a murder/suicide.
1999 – In Milan, Italy, after 22 years of restoration work, Leonardo da Vinci’s masterpiece The Last Supper was put back on display. It is bigger than most people think – it is life size, almost 29 feet wide.
