Wikipedia:Selected anniversaries/May 24
This is a list of selected May 24 anniversaries that appear in the "On this day" section of the Main Page. To suggest a new item, in most cases, you can be bold and edit this page. Please read the selected anniversaries guidelines before making your edit. However, if your addition might be controversial or on a day that is or will soon be on the Main Page, please post your suggestion on the talk page instead.
Please note that the events listed on the Main Page are chosen based more on relative article quality and to maintain a mix of topics, not based solely on how important or significant their subjects are. Only four to five events are posted at a time and thus not everything that is "most important and significant" can be listed. In addition, an event is generally not posted this year if it is also the subject of the scheduled featured article or picture of the day.
To report an error when this appears on the Main Page, see Main Page errors. Please remember that this list defers to the supporting articles, so it is best to achieve consensus and make any necessary changes there first.
May 24: Ascension Day (Roman Catholic Church in England, Wales, and the United States; 2009); Independence Day in Eritrea; Aldersgate Day (Methodism); Saints Cyril and Methodius Day in Bulgaria and the Republic of Macedonia
- 1626 – Director-General of New Netherland Peter Minuit bought Manhattan from Native Americans in exchange for trade goods valued at 60 guilders.
- 1738 – At a Moravian Church meeting in Aldersgate Street, London, John Wesley (pictured) experienced a spiritual rebirth, leading him to launch the Methodist movement.
- 1822 – Ecuadorian War of Independence: Troops led by Antonio José de Sucre secured the independence of Quito from Spain at the Battle of Pichincha.
- 1883 – New York City's Brooklyn Bridge, at the time the longest suspension bridge in the world, was opened.
- 1956 – The first ever competition of the Eurovision Song Contest was held in Lugano, Switzerland.
- 1988 – Section 28 of the United Kingdom Local Government Act of 1988, a controversial amendment stating that a local authority cannot intentionally promote homosexuality, was enacted.