On this day: May 19

/on/may-19

1932 • neutral • 8 views

First recorded toxic toy recall linked to lead-painted dolls in 1932

Shop interior or schoolroom in early 1930s United States showing shelves with boxed and composition dolls; plain period clothing visible, no identifiable faces.

On May 19, 1932, U.S. authorities documented what is widely cited as the earliest known recall of toys after tests found toxic lead-based paint on children’s dolls, prompting limited local removals and early public concern about hazardous consumer goods.

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1869 • neutral • 10 views

The First Documented Case of Dangerous Cosmetic Poisoning, May 19, 1869

A 19th-century apothecary-style scene: a wooden table with glass bottles, metal tins, and a small porcelain jar of face cream beside a folded linen handkerchief and a medical journal open to a dated entry.

On May 19, 1869, physicians reported a severe case of poisoning traced to cosmetic use, marking one of the earliest documented medical links between facial cosmetics and toxic injury in the 19th century.

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1954 • neutral • 8 views

Medical Records Tie First Documented Fallout Injuries to 1954 Nuclear Test

Aerial view of Bikini Atoll lagoon and atoll islands after the 1950s nuclear tests, showing reef, shallow waters, and small islets; no identifiable faces.

Medical and archival records link documented radiation injuries among Marshall Islands residents and U.S. servicemen to the May 19, 1954 Castle Bravo thermonuclear test, revealing early, contested accounts of fallout exposure and its immediate health effects.

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