On This Day for May 20 - U.S. Homestead Act signed, James Stewart is featured, and more

This message contains graphics. If you do not see the graphics, click here to view. May 20 FEATURED BIOGRAPHY James Stewart READ MORE   FEATURED EVENT 1862 U.S. Homestead Act signed READ MORE   Advertisement Advertisement   MORE EVENTS ON THIS DAY 2015: David Letterman—who redefined American talk shows with his unconventional humour and innovative segments—stepped down as host of the Late Show with David Letterman. [ Test your knowledge of pop culture.] 2002: East Timor officially became independent. [Take our countries of the world quiz.] 1946: American singer and actress Cher, who was known for her flamboyant style, was born. [Test your knowledge of actors and acting.] 1902: Cuba gained its independence from the United States, which had taken control of the island in 1899 after defeating Spain in the Spanish-American War. [Take our quiz about the United States and Cuba.] 1882: Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Italy secretly formed the Triple Alliance, a treaty organization that provided for mutual protection against attacks by other European powers until Italy entered World War I. [ Sort fact from fiction in our World War I quiz.] 1873: Levi Strauss and Jacob Davis were granted a patent for using copper rivets to strengthen certain areas of trousers, notably pocket corners; the patent was credited with giving rise to blue jeans. [ Test your knowledge of fashion.] SEE ALL EVENTS ON THIS DAY ALSO BORN ON THIS DAY 1946 Cher American actress and singer 1908 James Stewart American actor 1806 John Stuart Mill British philosopher and economist 1935 José Mujica president of Uruguay 1799 Honoré de Balzac French author 1915 Moshe Dayan Israeli statesman SEE ALL BIOS ON THIS DAY   Advertisement   FOLLOW: To unsubscribe from Britannica e-mails, click here. Encyclopædia Britannica 325 N. LaSalle Street, Suite 200 Chicago, Illinois 60654 United States © 2021 Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc. Privacy Policy • Help