Every state has as contributed something to United States history and the Midwestern states are no exception. Here is a list of some noteworthy dates and events that occurred in May, either in the Midwest region, or by people with ties to the Midwest. This is by no means a comprehensive list.

Martha Jane Canary, better known as frontierswoman Calamity Jane, was born in Princeton, Missouri on May 1, 1852.

The King of Rock ‘n Roll, Elvis Presley, married his Queen, Priscilla Beaulieu, on May 1, 1967 in Las Vegas.

John Scopes was arrested in Tennessee on May 5, 1925 for teaching Darwin’s theory of evolution.

Tennessee seceded from the Union on May 6, 1861.

Actor George Clooney was born in Lexington, Kentucky on May 6, 1961.

The 33rd President, Harry Truman, was born in Lamar, Missouri on May 8, 1884.

Baseball great Yogi Berra was born in St. Louis Missouri on May 12, 1925.

Composer Burt Bacharach was born May 12, 1928 in Kansas City, Missouri.

On May 14, 1804, Meriwether Lewis and William Clark began their expedition to explore the Northwest territory. They started their travels in St. Louis, Missouri.

100 years later, on May 14, 1904, the first Olympic games to be held in the United States were held in St. Louis.

Easy Rider actor Dennis Hopper was born in Dodge City, Kansas on May 17, 1936.

The first Kentucky Derby was run at Churchill Downs in Louisville, KY on May 17, 1875. The first Derby was won by Aristides.

On May 17, 1954, in Brown v the Board of Education of Topeka (Kansas), the US Supreme Court ruled that segregation in public schools was unlawful.

The Tennessee Valley Authority was created on May 18, 1993 as part of President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal.

Malcolm Little was born in Omaha, Nebraska on May 19, 1925. Little was better known as Black Nationalist & Civil Rights Activist Malcolm X.

On May 20, 1932, Amelia Earhart of Atchison, KS became the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean.

On May 23, 1846, the first female American attorney, Arabella Mansfield, was born near Burlington, Iowa. Although she was a certified attorney and was admitted to the Iowa bar, she never practiced law.

Country singer Tom T. Hall was born on May 25, 1936 in Olive Hill, Kentucky.

St. Louis’ Gateway Arch was dedicated on May 25, 1968.

Actor John Wayne was born as Marion Morrison in Winterset, Iowa on May 26, 1907.

Actor Vincent Price was born on May 27, 1911 in St. Louis, Missouri.

Mrs. Warren Beatty, actress Annette Bening, was born in Topeka, Kansas on May 29, 1958.

On May 29 in 1961, singer Melissa Ethridge was born in Leavenworth, KS.

On May 30, 1964, country star Wynonna Judd was born in Ashland, Kentucky.


This is not a complete listing of events from the Midwest USA that have occurred in May. If you know of something that should be on the list, please send me an email.