Looking back at history: events from May 1924
The month of May has been home to many historic events over the years. Here’s a look at some of the things that helped shape the world in May 1924.
Iodized salt was introduced in the United States on May 1. Iodized salt is now used in table salt around the world, and its introduction to the United States is credited to Canadian-born pediatrician David Murray Coy, who eventually convinced many salt retailers to use iodized salt. Salt to combat health problems, including goiter, associated with the salts contained.
Russian pilot and teacher Zinaida Kokorina made her first solo flight on May 3. Kokorina is the first female pilot in military history.
Erich Ludendorff was elected to the Reichstag in Germany on May 4. Ludendorff ran under the banner of the National Socialist Freedom Movement, which represented the outlawed Nazi Party.
Sophie Lyons was murdered in Detroit on May 8 at the age of 75. Lyons was a notorious criminal in the post-Civil War era, but she abandoned her life of crime and spent her final years supporting causes related to the rehabilitation of juvenile offenders. On the day of her death, Lyons allowed three men into her home, likely in the hopes of rehabilitating them. But the men refused to help her, ransacked her house, and killed her.
George Buchanan introduced the Home Rule for Scotland Bill in the British House of Commons on 9 May. The ensuing discussion turned into a shouting match, and the session was eventually adjourned.
On May 10, 29-year-old lawyer J. Edgar Hoover became acting director of the Bureau of Investigation, which would eventually become the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Hoover remained in office until his death of a heart attack in 1972.
Prohibition in Alberta, Canada, ends on May 12 when two government-owned liquor stores open in the province.
Former Ontario Treasurer Peter Smith and financier Emilius Jarvis were arrested on May 13. Each man was charged with theft and conspiracy to defraud the provincial government in what became known as the Ontario Bond Scandal. Smith and Jarvis were eventually acquitted of theft and fraud, but both were convicted of conspiracy.
On May 14, a committee of the Methodist Church recommended that the church should no longer participate in any kind of war. The committee, meeting in Massachusetts, voted 76 to 37 for the church never to engage in war under any kind of circumstance, including self-defense.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wellington Kuo survived an assassination attempt on May 15. A package containing a bomb and addressed to Ko was delivered to his home, but the servant opened the package and was killed.
The Giant Dipper wooden roller coaster opens at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk on May 17. In July 2012, the park celebrated the 60 millionth rider to ride The Giant Dipper, which is now a National Historic Landmark.
On May 19, the American Telephone and Telegraph Company used telephone lines to transmit pictures for the first time. Over the course of two hours, the company sends 15 images from its office in Cleveland to the company’s headquarters in New York City.
Fourteen-year-old Bobby Franks was kidnapped on May 21 in Chicago. Franks’ parents receive a ransom note demanding $10,000 on May 22, but the boy’s body is discovered near Wolf Lake before any money is paid. Nathan Leopold Jr. and Richard Loeb confessed to the murder on May 31.
A nine-day conference that turned into a power struggle between Soviet Communist Party leaders Joseph Stalin and Leon Trotsky opened in Moscow on May 23. The Thirteenth Congress of the Communist Party is the first conference since the death of First Secretary Vladimir Lenin approximately five months ago. .
Beulah Annan was acquitted of murder in Chicago on May 25. Annan shot and killed her lover, Harry Callstedt, and her sensational trial ultimately ended in acquittal when it was decided that she had acted in self-defense. The story eventually inspired the play “Chicago,” which has since been made into films as well.
The Battle of Turbah took place on May 26 between the Kingdom of Hijaz and the Sultanate of Najd. The battle would ultimately determine the fate of the region that would become Saudi Arabia.
The United States Border Patrol was established on May 28 to prevent illegal entry into the United States from Mexico and Canada.
An ammunition depot exploded in Bucharest on May 29. The explosion shook the city, damaged the royal palace, and claimed many lives.
Italian politician Giacomo Matteotti was shouted at while protesting the previous month’s election results during a speech in the House of Representatives on May 30. Matteotti claims that the Fascist Party used intimidation tactics to win the elections. The 39-year-old socialist leader was kidnapped and murdered by fascist secret police 11 days after giving his speech.
