Historical Events from May 1924

The month of May has been home to many historical events over the years. Here’s a look at some that helped to shape the world in May 1924.

• Iodized salt is introduced in the United States on May 1. Iodized salt is now used in table salt across the globe, and its introduction to the U.S. is credited to Canadian-born pediatrician David Murray Cowie, who ultimately persuaded various salt retailers to utilize iodized salt to combat health problems, including goiters, that were linked to existing salts.
• Sophie Lyons is murdered in Detroit on May 8 at age 75. Lyons was a notorious criminal in the post-American Civil War era, but abandoned her criminal life and spent her later years supporting causes related to the rehabilitation of juvenile delinquents. On the day of her death, Lyons allowed three men into her home, likely hoping to rehabilitate them. However, the men refused her help, ransacked her home and killed her.
• George Buchanan introduces a home rule bill for Scotland in the British House of Commons on May 9. The ensuing debate becomes a shouting match, and the session is ultimately adjourned.
• On May 10, 29-year-old lawyer J. Edgar Hoover becomes Acting Director of the Bureau of Investigation, which would eventually become the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Hoover would remain in the post until his death from a heart attack in 1972.
• The wooden roller coaster The Giant Dipper opens at Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk on May 17. In July 2012, the park celebrated the 60 millionth rider to ride The Giant Dipper, which is now a National Historic Landmark.
• On May 19, the American Telephone and Telegraph Company uses telephone lines to transmit images for the first time. Over a two-hour period, the firm transmits 15 photographs from its office in Cleveland to company headquarters in New York City.
• Beulah Annan is acquitted of murder in Chicago on May 25. Annan shot and killed her lover Harry Kalstedt, and her ultimately sensationalized trial ended in acquittal when it was determined she acted in self-defense. The story eventually inspired the play “Chicago,” which has since been adapted into films as well.
• The Battle of Turubah is fought on May 26 between the Kingdom of Hejaz and the Sultanate of Nejd. The battle would ultimately determine the fate of the region that would become Saudi Arabia.
• The United States Border Patrol is created on May 28 to prevent illegal entry into the United States from Mexico and Canada.