This Day in History: May 26

American director, producer, and actor Sydney Pollack—who helmed a number of popular films, including The Way We Were (1973), Tootsie (1982), and Out of Africa (1985)—died at age 73. Sort fact from fiction in our film school quiz

Formerly a colony of the Dutch and later the British, Guyana gained its independence. Test your knowledge of South America

During World War II the British began to evacuate their troops from Dunkirk, France. Sort fact from fiction in our World War II quiz

The House Un-American Activities Committee was created, with Martin Dies, Jr., as its chairman; it investigated alleged communist activities, and perhaps its most celebrated case was that of Alger Hiss. Take our quiz about American history and politics

The Ford Motor Company ended production of its famed Model T, which had helped “democratize the automobile.” Test your knowledge of American industry and innovation

Jazz musician Miles Davis, a trumpeter who was one of the major influences on jazz from the late 1940s, was born in Alton, Illinois. Take our music quiz

Actors' Equity Association, the trade union for American performing artists, was founded.

Motion-picture actor John Wayne, who embodied the image of the strong, taciturn cowboy or soldier, was born in Winterset, Iowa. Test your knowledge of actors and acting

Irish writer Bram Stoker published the Gothic horror classic Dracula, which became the basis for an entire genre of literature and films about vampires. Was Dracula a real person?

American photographer Dorothea Lange, whose portraits of displaced farmers during the Great Depression greatly influenced later documentary and journalistic photography, was born. How many famous photographers can you name?

The Challenger Expedition, a groundbreaking oceanographic exploration cruise carried out by the British Admiralty and the Royal Society, concluded successfully. Test your knowledge of exploration and discovery

The impeachment trial of U.S. President Andrew Johnson—who had been accused of, among other things, bringing “into disgrace, ridicule, hatred, contempt, and reproach the Congress of the United States”—ended with his acquittal in the Senate. Read about nine American political scandals

English diarist and naval administrator Samuel Pepys, celebrated for his Diary, died at age 70. Take our quiz about the lives and works of English authors