Deaths on May 20

Joseph Blanco White, Spanish poet and theologian (b. 1775)

Joseph Blanco White, born José María Blanco y Crespo (11 July 1775 – 20 May 1841), was an Anglo-Spanish political thinker, theologian, and poet.

9 Mar

United States v. The Amistad
The U.S. Supreme Court rules in the United States v. The Amistad case that captive Africans who had seized control of the ship carrying them had been taken into slavery illegally.
16 Aug

Second Bank of the United States
U.S. President John Tyler vetoes a bill which called for the re-establishment of the Second Bank of the United States. Enraged Whig Party members riot outside the White House in the most violent demonstration on White House grounds in U.S. history.
24 Sep

Kingdom of Sarawak
The Sultanate of Brunei cedes Sarawak to the United Kingdom.
13 Nov

Hypnotism
James Braid first sees a demonstration of animal magnetism, which leads to his study of the subject he eventually calls hypnotism.