Important Arkansas historical events and significant anniversaries for May 20, with notable births and deaths of people with Arkansas connections for this date. Information is drawn from state archives, historical societies, contemporary newspapers and other media archives, and legal records. Much of this information comes from the Encyclopedia of Arkansas, an online publication. ChatGPH has collected this data.
On May 20, 1864, Union forces abandoned Batesville as Confederate general Joseph O. Shelby advanced, part of the larger military turmoil in Arkansas that spring.
On May 20, 1976, Ronald Reagan campaigned in Little Rock and Fort Smith on May 20, 1976, four days before Arkansas’s presidential primary, helping lock down a strong primary win in the state. However, he lost the Republican nomination to Gerald Ford, who lost to Jimmy Carter in the 1976 presidential election…