2020 a first for Indy 500

Pagenaud beats Rossi in 2019
Pagenaud beats Rossi in 2019

Since the first race until last year, the Indy 500 was always run on either May 30th or on Memorial Day Sunday. This is the first year the race has ever been run other than in May.

From 1911 to 1970, the race was always run on May 30th, or May 31st if a rain out.

Starting in 1971 Memorial Day was celebrated on the last Monday in May and the Indy 500 moved to that weekend.

So, after 103 year of running, this year's race in August is a first.

Indy 500 Dates

Year Date Winning Driver
1911 May 30 Ray Harroun
1912 May 30 Joe Dawson
1913 May 30 Jules Goux
1914 May 30 René Thomas
1915 May 31 Ralph DePalma
1916 May 30 Dario Resta
1917 World War 1 No Race
1918 World War 1 No Race
1919 May 31 Howdy Wilcox
1920 May 31 Gaston Chevrolet
1921 May 30 Tommy Milton
1922 May 30 Jimmy Murphy
1923 May 30 Tommy Milton
1924 May 30 Lora L. Corum
1925 May 30 Peter DePaolo
1926 May 31 Frank Lockhart
1927 May 30 George Souders
1928 May 30 Louis Meyer
1929 May 30 Ray Keech
1930 May 30 Billy Arnold
1931 May 30 Louis Schneider
1932 May 30 Fred Frame
1933 May 30 Louis Meyer
1934 May 30 Bill Cummings
1935 May 30 Kelly Petillo
1936 May 30 Louis Meyer
1937 May 31 Wilbur Shaw
1938 May 30 Floyd Roberts
1939 May 30 Wilbur Shaw
1940 May 30 Wilbur Shaw
1941 May 30 Floyd Davis Mauri Rose
1942 World War 2 No Race
1943 World War 2 No Race
1944 World War 2 No Race
1945 World War 2 No Race
1946 May 30 George Robson
1947 May 30 Mauri Rose
1948 May 31 Mauri Rose
1949 May 30 Bill Holland
1950 May 30 Johnnie Parsons
1951 May 30 Lee Wallard
1952 May 30 Troy Ruttman
1953 May 30 Bill Vukovich
1954 May 31 Bill Vukovich
1955 May 30 Bob Sweikert
1956 May 30 Pat Flaherty
1957 May 30 Sam Hanks
1958 May 30 Jimmy Bryan
1959 May 30 Rodger Ward
1960 May 30 Jim Rathmann
1961 May 30 A. J. Foyt
1962 May 30 Rodger Ward
1963 May 30 Parnelli Jones
1964 May 30 A. J. Foyt
1965 May 31 Jim Clark
1966 May 30 Graham Hill (R)
1967 May 30–31 A. J. Foyt
1968 May 30 Bobby Unser
1969 May 30 Mario Andretti
1970 May 30 Al Unser
1971 May 29 Al Unser
1972 May 27 Mark Donohue
1973 May 28–30 Gordon Johncock
1974 May 26 Johnny Rutherford
1975 May 25 Bobby Unser
1976 May 30 Johnny Rutherford
1977 May 29 A. J. Foyt
1978 May 28 Al Unser
1979 May 27 Rick Mears
1980 May 25 Johnny Rutherford
1981 May 24 Bobby Unser
1982 May 30 Gordon Johncock
1983 May 29 Tom Sneva
1984 May 27 Rick Mears
1985 May 26 Danny Sullivan
1986 May 31 Bobby Rahal
1987 May 24 Al Unser
1988 May 29 Rick Mears
1989 May 28 Emerson Fittipaldi
1990 May 27 Arie Luyendyk
1991 May 26 Rick Mears
1992 May 24 Al Unser Jr.
1993 May 30 Emerson Fittipaldi
1994 May 29 Al Unser Jr.
1995 May 28 Jacques Villeneuve
1996 May 26 Buddy Lazier
1997 May 26–27 Arie Luyendyk
1998 May 24 Eddie Cheever
1999 May 30 Kenny Bräck
2000 May 28 Juan Pablo Montoya (R)
2001 May 27 Hélio Castroneves (R)
2002 May 26 Hélio Castroneves
2003 May 25 Gil de Ferran
2004 May 30 Buddy Rice
2005 May 29 Dan Wheldon
2006 May 28 Sam Hornish Jr.
2007 May 27 Dario Franchitti
2008 May 25 Scott Dixon
2009 May 24 Hélio Castroneves
2010 May 30 Dario Franchitti
2011 May 29 Dan Wheldon
2012 May 27 Dario Franchitti
2013 May 26 Tony Kanaan
2014 May 25 Ryan Hunter-Reay
2015 May 24 Juan Pablo Montoya
2016 May 29 Alexander Rossi (R)
2017 May 28 Takuma Sato
2018 May 27 Will Power
2019 May 26 Simon Pagenaud
2020 August 23 To be determined

* Race rain-shortened
(R) Indicates driver was a rookie