On this day

May 20, 2009

Revisit the music, news, notable people, and historical moments connected to this date.

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Headlines from May 20, 2009

A Chili Sauce to Crow About

By JOHN T. EDGE

Some American consumers believe sriracha to be a Thai sauce. Others think it is Vietnamese. The truth is that sriracha may be best understood as an American sauce, a polyglot purée.

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Music on My Birthday

Billboard 200

The Top 50 albums for the chart week of May 20, 2009, covering May 20, 2009.

  1. 1
    Album cover for Epiphany by Chrisette Michele

    Epiphany

    Chrisette Michele

    Last week
    —
    Peak
    1
    Weeks
    1
  2. 2
    Album cover for Hannah Montana: The Movie by Soundtrack

    Hannah Montana: The Movie

    Soundtrack

    Last week
    2
    Peak
    1
    Weeks
    7
  3. 3
    Album cover for Fantasy Ride by Ciara

    Fantasy Ride

    Ciara

    Last week
    —
    Peak
    3
    Weeks
    1
  4. 4
    Album cover for Unstoppable by Rascal Flatts

    Unstoppable

    Rascal Flatts

    Last week
    3
    Peak
    1
    Weeks
    5
  5. 5
    Album cover for Together Through Life by Bob Dylan

    Together Through Life

    Bob Dylan

    Last week
    1
    Peak
    1
    Weeks
    2

Notable Deaths

Arthur Erickson

2009Arthur Erickson, Canadian architect and urban planner, designed Roy Thomson Hall (born 1924)[†]

Arthur Charles Erickson was a Canadian architect and urban planner. He studied at the University of British Columbia and, in 1950, received his B.Arch. (Honours) from McGill University. He is known as Canada's most influential architect and was the only Canadian architect to win the American Institute of Architects AIA Gold Medal. When told of Erickson's award, Philip Johnson said, "Arthur Erickson is by far the greatest architect in Canada, and he may be the greatest on this continent."

Lucy Gordon (actress)

2009Lucy Gordon, American actress and model (born 1980)[†]

Lucy Imogen Gordon was an English actress and model. She became a face of CoverGirl in 1997 before starting an acting career. Her first film was Perfume in 2001 before going on to have small roles in Spider-Man 3, Serendipity, and The Four Feathers. Gordon had played the actress and singer Jane Birkin in the film Gainsbourg, a biopic of singer-songwriter Serge Gainsbourg. Before the film was released, she hanged herself in her flat in Paris on 20 May 2009.

Pierre Gamarra

2009Pierre Gamarra, French author, poet, and critic (born 1919)[†]

Pierre Gamarra was a French poet, novelist and literary critic, a long-time chief editor and director of the literary magazine Europe.Gamarra is best known for his poems and novels for the youth and for narrative and poetical works deeply rooted in his native region of Midi-Pyrénées.

Historical Events

Indonesian Air Force

2009An Indonesian Air Force Lockheed L-100 Hercules crashes in Magetan Regency, killing 99.[†]

The Indonesian Air Force is the aerial branch of the Indonesian National Armed Forces. The Indonesian Air Force is headquartered in Jakarta, Indonesia, and is headed by the Chief of Staff of the Air Force. Its order of battle is split into three Air Operations Commands. Most of its airbases are located on the island of Java. The Indonesian Air Force also has its ground force unit, called Air Force Quick Reaction Force Command (Kopasgat). The corps is also known as the "Orange Berets" due to the distinctive color of their service headgear.

Historical Context for May 20, 2009

In 2009, the world population was approximately 6,932,766,416 people[†]