May 22 Birthday
On May 22, 1960, the largest earthquake ever recorded struck southern Chile. It measured 9.5 on the moment magnitude scale. The ground shook for eleven minutes. Tsunamis radiated across the Pacific — 61 people died in Hilo, Hawaii, 138 died in Japan, and waves reached the Philippines. The earthquake caused volcanic eruptions, landslides, and a permanent shift in the coastline. Approximately 1,655 people were killed and 2 million were left homeless. The earthquake confirmed the theory of plate tectonics, which was still controversial in 1960. The Nazca Plate was subducting under the South American Plate, and the energy released was equivalent to 25,000 nuclear bombs. The Wright brothers received US Patent 821,393 on May 22, 1906, for their "flying machine." The patent described a system of wing-warping for lateral control — the same technique they had used at Kitty Hawk in 1903. The patent became the basis for the Wrights' legal battles against Glenn Curtiss and other early aviators, which consumed years and delayed American aviation development. The Wrights spent more time in court than in the air. Wilbur died of typhoid in 1912 at forty-five. Orville sold the company in 1915. Neither brother married. The original Flyer is in the Smithsonian, where Orville sent it after a decades-long feud with the institution. Richard Wagner, born this day in 1813, wrote operas that lasted five hours and required a purpose-built theater. The Ring Cycle — sixteen hours of music over four operas — took him twenty-six years to complete. He was an anti-Semite whose music was adopted by the Nazis. Hitler considered Wagner his favorite composer. Wagner's family became close to Hitler. Wagner's music is still unofficially banned in Israel. People born on May 22 fall under the zodiac sign of Gemini. The birthstone is Emerald and the birth flower is Lily of the Valley. Historical events on May 22 include 1906: Wright brothers receive US patent for their flying machine, 1960: Great Chilean Earthquake (magnitude 9.5, largest ever recorded), 2017: Manchester Arena bombing kills 22 at Ariana Grande concert. Famous people born on May 22 include Richard Wagner (1813), Laurence Olivier (1907), Novak Djokovic (1987).