This Day in History: May 30

Here’s a brief look back in time for this day, May 30.

In 1431, Joan of Arc is burned at the stake on charges of heresy. She was captured by Burgundian soldiers a few days prior, where she was questioned about her faith and loyalty to the church; the fact that she wore men’s clothes contributed to her death sentence. She has since become a French national symbol of freedom.

In 1911, the first rendition of the Indianapolis 500 is held at the recently-opened Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Originally organized as a competition of speed between local car manufacturers, it has since grown into an international sensation that’s celebrated every May. The first winner of the 500 was Pennsylvania’s Ray Harroun.

In 1922, 29th U.S. President Warren G. Harding becomes the first sitting president to broadcast his voice over the radio. At this time, commercial radio was an experimental concept that wasn’t widely accessible to the American listener. That changes later during the holidays during “Radio Christmas”, where radios began to sell like hotcakes. Radio would later become a key medium for U.S. presidents to utilize, more particularly during President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s fireside chats.