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May 20

Published in On this Day listing

1932 Amelia Earhart completed the first transatlantic solo flight by a woman from Harbour Grace, Newfoundland, landing in Culmore, Derry—2,206 miles in thirteen hours.
1836 The Constabulary (Ireland) Act established the first national police force in Ireland, incorporating the county constabularies that had been established in 1822.

On this Day

1920 Recruitment began, mainly from among demobilised British Army officers, into a new force—the ‘Auxiliary Division’—to augment the RIC.
1939 Michael Longley, poet, notable for ‘Gorse Fires’ (1991), ‘The Weather in Japan’ (2000) and ‘The Stairwell’ (2014), born in Belfast of English parents.
2004 Bob Tisdall (96), Olympic gold medal-winner in the 400m hurdles (Los Angeles, 1932) in a world record time of 51.7 seconds—which was not recognised under the rules at the time because he had hit a hurdle—died.
1866 The SS Great Eastern completed the laying of a transatlantic telegraph cable between Valentia Island, Co. Kerry, and Heart’s Content, Newfoundland.