1. In 1953, a massive tornado struck the small town of Nashville, Tennessee, killing 39 people and injuring over 400 others. This devastating natural disaster remains one of the deadliest tornadoes in Tennessee history.

2. May 25, 1865 marks the day when the last Confederate general to surrender during the Civil War, Confederate General Edmund Kirby Smith, officially gave up his command in Galveston, Texas. This event effectively marked the end of the Confederacy and the beginning of the post-war era in the United States.

3. On May 25, 1902, the iconic American writer and literary critic, Ralph Ellison, was born in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Ellison is best known for his novel "Invisible Man," which won the National Book Award in 1953, and is considered a classic of American literature.

4. In 1979, the first African American mayor of Nashville, Richard Fulton, was re-elected to a third term. Fulton's tenure as mayor was marked by his commitment to improving public transportation, reducing crime, and increasing opportunities for minority-owned businesses in the city.

5. May 25th, 1954 marks the day when the U.S. Supreme Court issued its landmark decision in the case of Brown v. Board of Education, which declared segregation in public schools to be unconstitutional. This decision paved the way for the civil rights movement and helped to dismantle racial segregation throughout the United States.