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57th National Spelling Bee: Daniel Greenblatt wins spelling luge

The 57th Scripps National Spelling Bee was held in Washington, D.C. at the Capital Hilton on May 30–31, 1984, sponsored by the E.W.

The 57th Scripps National Spelling Bee was held in Washington, D.C. at the Capital Hilton on May 30–31, 1984, sponsored by the E.W. Scripps Company.

The winner was 13-year-old Daniel Greenblatt of Sterling, Virginia, who correctly spelled "luge" for the win. Greenblatt was the first winner ever sponsored by a weekly newspaper, the Loudon Times-Mirror of Leesburg, Virginia. Second place went to 13-year-old Amy McWhirter of St. Joseph, Michigan, who missed "towhee".

There were 151 contestants this year (up from 137 the prior year), 78 girls and 73 boys. Fourth- to eighth-place spellers made it to the second day of competition. A total of 606 words were used.

The first-place winner received $1000. Alex Cameron was the pronouncer, in his fourth year in that role.

Historical Significance

The 57th Scripps National Spelling Bee was held in Washington, D.

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  2. IOC restores Jim Thorpe's Olympic medals for his pentathlon and decathlon victories, 70 years after they were stripped f

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  3. Film genius Jerry Lewis (56) marries 2nd wife dancer SanDee Pitnick

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  4. Final TV episode of "M*A*S*H" airs on CBS, a two-hour special directed by series star Alan Alda titled "Goodbye, Farewel

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  5. Actor Harrison Ford marries screenwriter Melissa Mathison (divorced 2004)

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Events After

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  2. Israel's government confirms the resettlement of 10,000 Ethiopian Jews

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  3. Baseball player Darryl Strawberry (22) weds Lisa Andrews

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  4. Charity single "We Are the World" recorded by supergroup USA for Africa (Michael Jackson, Lionel Richie, Quincy Jones, B

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  5. South African President P. W. Botha offers to free Nelson Mandela if he denounces violence

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Frequently Asked Questions

What happened on May 31, 1984?
The 57th Scripps National Spelling Bee was held in Washington, D.C. at the Capital Hilton on May 30–31, 1984, sponsored by the E.W. Scripps Company.
Why is 57th National Spelling Bee: Daniel Greenblatt wins spelling luge significant?
The 57th Scripps National Spelling Bee was held in Washington, D.

Explore More

May 31 in HistoryYear 1984