On this day in history - May 24

What Happened On This Day – May 24

• 2001 23 die in the Jerusalem wedding hall disaster

  Hundreds of wedding guests fell two stories deep when a portion of the third floor collapsed. The tragedy was Israel's worst civil disaster.

• 1970 Engineers begin drilling the world's deepest hole

  The Kola Superdeep Borehole had reached the unsurpassed depth of 12,262 meters (40,230 feet) before the project was abandoned due to a lack of funding.

• 1956 The first Eurovision Song Contest is held

  Lys Assia won the first edition for Switzerland. The ESC is a major song contest in Europe and one of the world's longest-running TV programs. It is held in a different country each year.

• 1930 Amy Johnson flies solo from England to Australia

  The English aviatrix was the first woman to achieve this feat. Her 18,000 km (11,000 mi) flight aboard a de Havilland Gypsy Moth aircraft took her from Croydon, U.K. to Darwin, Australia in 19 days.

• 1830 Mary had a little lamb is published

  Sarah Josepha Hale's poem is one of the best-known English language nursery rhymes.