On This Day
·

53rd National Spelling Bee: Jacques Bailly wins spelling elucubrate

The 53rd Scripps National Spelling Bee was held in Washington, D.C. at the Capital Hilton on May 28–29, 1980, sponsored by the E.W.

The 53rd Scripps National Spelling Bee was held in Washington, D.C. at the Capital Hilton on May 28–29, 1980, sponsored by the E.W. Scripps Company.

The winner was 14-year-old Jacques Bailly of Denver, Colorado, an eighth-grader at St. Vincent de Paul School, winning on the word "elucubrate" (which is a learned discourse in writing). In 1979, Bailly had missed out on a spot in the National Bee when he lost a regional competition to Katie Kerwin, who went on to win that year. Second place went to Paige Pipkin, age 12, from El Paso, Texas, who misspelled "glitch". She went on to win the Bee the next year. Rosalind Dambaugh of Harmony, Pennsylvania placed third.

112 spellers competed this year, 66 girls and 46 boys.

Historical Significance

The 53rd Scripps National Spelling Bee was held in Washington, D.

Events Before

  1. International Year of the Child begins (declared by UNESCO)

    International Year of the Child begins (declared by UNESCO)

  2. Village People's "Y.M.C.A." becomes their only UK #1 single; at its peak, it sells over 150,000 copies per day

    Village People's "Y.M.C.A." becomes their only UK #1 single; at its peak, it sells over 150,000 copies per day

  3. BBC landmark nature series "Life on Earth" presented by David Attenborough first shown on BBC One

    Life on Earth: A Natural History by David Attenborough is a British television natural history series made by the BBC in association with Warner Bros. Television and Reiner Moritz Productions.

  4. Ayatollah Khomeini returns to Iran after 15 years in exile

    Ruhollah Khomeini's return to Iran on 1 February 1979, after 14 years in exile, was an important event in the Iranian Revolution.

  5. Actor Max Von Sydow (49) divorces actress Christina Olin after 28 years of marriage

    Actor Max Von Sydow (49) divorces actress Christina Olin after 28 years of marriage

Events After

  1. Greece becomes the 10th country to join the European Economic Community

    Greece, officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. Located on the southern tip of the Balkan peninsula, it shares land borders with Albania to the northwest, North Macedonia...

  2. Police drama "Hill Street Blues" premieres on NBC

    "Hill Street Station" is the first episode of the first season of the American serial police drama Hill Street Blues.

  3. Ronald Reagan is inaugurated as the 40th President of the United States

    The first inauguration of Ronald Reagan as the 40th president of the United States was held on Tuesday, January 20, 1981, at the West Front of the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C.

  4. Twenty-year-old Edmonton center Wayne Gretzky becomes the first player in NHL history to score five career hat tricks be

    Twenty-year-old Edmonton center Wayne Gretzky becomes the first player in NHL history to score five career hat tricks before age 21, scoring five goals and two assists in a 9-2 Oilers home win against St. Louis

  5. George Harrison is ordered to pay ABKCO Music $587,000 for "subconscious plagiarism" of his song "My Sweet Lord" from Ro

    George Harrison is ordered to pay ABKCO Music $587,000 for "subconscious plagiarism" of his song "My Sweet Lord" from Ronnie Mack's song "He's So Fine"

More from the 1980s

Fall of the Berlin Wall

The Berlin Wall falls as East Germany opens its borders, symbolizing the end of the Cold War and the beginning of German reunification.

politics governmentwars conflicts

Space Shuttle Challenger Disaster

The Space Shuttle Challenger breaks apart 73 seconds after launch, killing all seven crew members in one of the most devastating disasters in space exploration history.

space explorationscience technology

The "Epic in Miami," played in 85°F heat, sees the San Diego Chargers defeat the Miami Dolphins 41-38 in overtime in the

The "Epic in Miami," played in 85°F heat, sees the San Diego Chargers defeat the Miami Dolphins 41-38 in overtime in the AFC Divisional Playoff, setting numerous playoff scoring records

death

Bill Veeck dies

Bill Veeck baseball executive, known for american baseball executive, died on 1986-01-02. William Louis Veeck Jr.

Frequently Asked Questions

What happened on May 29, 1980?
The 53rd Scripps National Spelling Bee was held in Washington, D.C. at the Capital Hilton on May 28–29, 1980, sponsored by the E.W. Scripps Company.
Why is 53rd National Spelling Bee: Jacques Bailly wins spelling elucubrate significant?
The 53rd Scripps National Spelling Bee was held in Washington, D.

Explore More

May 29 in HistoryYear 1980