On this day

22 May in history.

5 moments from 1762 to 1987: discovery, creativity and courage, each with a source to read more.

5 moments

Orville Wright, age 34, head and shoulders, with mustache

1906

The Wright brothers' patent. Orville and Wilbur Wright received a US patent for their "flying machine" and its system for steering in the air.

Wikipedia: Wright brothers

Photo: Orville Wright and Wilbur Wright (credited as photographers) [1] , [2] / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain)

More from 22 May

  1. Trevi Fountain, Rome

    1762

    The Trevi Fountain is finished

    Rome's grand Baroque fountain was completed after about 30 years of work. Visitors still toss coins into it.

    Wikipedia: Trevi Fountain

    Photo: NikonZ7II / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)

  2. A painting of SS Savannah , 1819, by Hunter Wood

    1819

    A steamship sets off across the Atlantic

    The SS Savannah left Savannah, Georgia, on the first Atlantic crossing by a ship with a steam engine, though she used sails for most of it.

    Wikipedia: SS Savannah

    Photo: Hunter Wood / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain)

  3. Toru Iwatani, creator of Pac-Man, at GDC 2011

    1980

    Pac-Man is tested

    The arcade game Pac-Man was first tried out in Tokyo. The hungry yellow circle became a worldwide icon.

    Wikipedia: Pac-Man

    Photo: Official GDC / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)

  4. FIFA Women's World Cup 2023 - Spain vs Sweden

    1987

    The first Rugby World Cup

    New Zealand played Italy at Eden Park in Auckland to open the first Rugby World Cup. New Zealand went on to win it.

    Wikipedia: 1987 Rugby World Cup

    Photo: Wendy Harman from Washington DC, USA / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)

Moments chosen for discovery, creativity and courage. Each one links to a source where you can read more; photos are credited to their owners.