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59th National Spelling Bee: Jon Pennington wins spelling odontalgia

The 59th Scripps National Spelling Bee was held in Washington, D.C. at the Capital Hilton on May 28–29, 1986, sponsored by the E.W.

The 59th Scripps National Spelling Bee was held in Washington, D.C. at the Capital Hilton on May 28–29, 1986, sponsored by the E.W. Scripps Company.

The winner was 14-year-old Jon Pennington of Shiremanstown, Pennsylvania, correctly spelling "odontalgia". Second place went to 13-year-old Kenneth Larson of Tequesta, Florida, who missed "kaolinic". Larson was competing for the third time, having finished 111th in 1985 and 65th in 1984.

There were 174 participants this year (100 girls and 74 boys, ages 9–14), and a total of 725 words used. Nine spellers missed in the first round, 36 in the second, and 14 in the third. 115 spellers made it to day two of the competition, and the final round between the last two spellers began at about 4:40pm.

Historical Significance

The 59th Scripps National Spelling Bee was held in Washington, D.

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

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Events After

  1. 60 bodies are recovered from the Dupont Plaza Hotel fire in Puerto Rico

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  2. Aretha Franklin becomes the first woman inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

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  3. Astronomers at the University of California witness the first observation of the birth of a galaxy

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  4. Opera impresario Sir Rudolf Bing (85) weds Carroll Douglass (45); annulled in September, 1989

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  5. Pennsylvania politician R. Budd Dwyer shoots and kills himself at a press conference on live national television, sparki

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Frequently Asked Questions

What happened on May 29, 1986?
The 59th Scripps National Spelling Bee was held in Washington, D.C. at the Capital Hilton on May 28–29, 1986, sponsored by the E.W. Scripps Company.
Why is 59th National Spelling Bee: Jon Pennington wins spelling odontalgia significant?
The 59th Scripps National Spelling Bee was held in Washington, D.

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May 29 in HistoryYear 1986