May 2026

On this day in 1884, President Harry S. Truman was born. Truman served as the 33rd President of the United States. Image: Harry S. Truman / Library of Congress Truman was born on May 8, 1884 in Lamar, Missouri to John Anderson Truman and Martha Ellen Young. His parents named him after his maternal uncle, Harrison “Harry” Young,  but had difficulty settling on a middle name. Ultimately, they simply chose to use the letter “S” in tribute… Read the full story

On this day in 1812, English poet and playwright Robert Browning was born in London, England. A prolific poet, Browning was known as one of the leading Victorian writers of his era. Image: Robert Browning / Library of Congress Browning was the only son born to Sarah Ann Widermann and Robert Browning, who worked as a clerk for the Bank of England. His paternal grandfather was a slave owner in the West Indies, but Browning’s father opposed slavery,… Read the full story

Legendary filmmaker Orson Welles was born on May 6, 1915. Welles was known as one of the greatest radio and cinema artists of the era.  Image: Orson Welles / Wikimedia Commons, Library of Congress Early in his career, Welles juggled work in the theater with his extensive work as a radio actor, writer, director and producer. His famous live broadcast of H.G. Wells’ The War of the Worlds caused widespread panic after many listeners mistakenly believed the show to… Read the full story

Today marks the birth of American journalist, inventor, and record-breaker Nellie Bly! Image: Nellie Bly / Library of Congress She was born Elizabeth Jane Cochrane on May 5, 1864 in Cochran’s Mills, Pennsylvania. Writing under the the pen name “Nellie Bly,” Bly was a pioneer of her field and launched a new kind of investigative journalism. As a reporter for Joseph Pulitzer’s New York World, Bly wrote one of her earliest and most provocative pieces, a startling exposé on… Read the full story

Today we remember actress Audrey Hepburn on what would have been her 97th birthday. Image: Audrey Hepburn / Wikimedia Commons Hepburn was born on May 4, 1929 in Brussels, Belgium. She was the daughter of Joseph Victor Anthony Ruston and Ella van Heemstra, a Dutch baroness. After her father left the family, her mother raised Hepburn on her own as a single mother. Her maternal grandfather, Aarnoud Van Heemstra, was the mayor of Arnhem and… Read the full story

Frontierswoman and sharp-shooter Calamity Jane was born on this day in 1852. Image: Calamity Jane / Library of Congress The legend of Calamity Jane was known throughout the Wild West. However, little hard facts are known about her life and much of what was said was likely embellished or fabricated by writers and storytellers of the day. She was born Martha Jane Canary in Princeton, Missouri and by the age of 12, both of her parents had… Read the full story