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What happened in history on this day: May 1?
On May 1 in ...
- 305 - Emperor Gaius Aurelius Valerius Diocletianus Jovius of Rome resigns.
- 1006 - Supernova observed by Chinese and Egyptians in constellation Lupus.
- 1048 - Bishop Bernold flees Saint Pieterskerk for Utrecht Netherlands.
- 1171 - Dermot MacMurrough last Irish king of Leinster, dies.
- 1218 - Birth of Rudolf I in Limburg-im-Breisgau (Germany); first King of the Germans from the Habsburg dynasty.
- 1238 - Birth of Magnus VI Lagabuter King of Norway (1263-80).
- 1245 - Birth of Philippe III in Poissy Yvelines, France; King of France (1270-85) (dies 1285).
- 1277 - Stefanus IV Uros I de Great King of Serbia (1243-76), dies.
- 1308 - Albrecht I van Habsburg German King (1298-1308), murdered.
- 1394 - Ekiho, exorcised the Zen temple and its surroundings from an old badger.
- 1447 - Louis VII Duke of Baveria (1413-43), dies.
- 1456 - Hugues de Lannoy Flemish viceroy of Holland/Zealand, dies.
- 1471 - Thomas a Kempis spiritual writer (Navolging of Christ), dies at age 91.
- 1523 - Danish king Christian III arrives in Veere.
- 1528 - Pánfilo the Narvaéz begins exploration to with 350 men to Florida.
- 1544 - Turkish troops occupy Hungary.
- 1545 - Birth of Franciscus Junius [François du Jon], French/Netherlands calvinist theologist.
- 1551 - Council of Trente resumes.
- 1555 - Marcellus II [Marcello Cervini] Italian Pope (1555), dies at age 53.
- 1572 - Pius V [Antonio Ghislieri] great-inquisiteur/Pope (1566-72), dies.
- 1577 - Birth of François van Kinschot Dutch treasurer.
- 1582 - Birth of Marco da Gagliano Italian opera composer.
- 1591 - Birth of Adam Schall von Bell in Cologne; Jesuit missionary, advisor to the Chinese emperor.
- 1598 - Jacob van Necks merchant fleet departs for Java.
- 1625 - Portuguese and Spanish expedition recaptures Salvador (Bahia).
- 1625 - Prince Frederik Henry appointed viceroy of Holland.
- 1633 - Birth of Sébastien le Prestre de Vauban French fortress architect.
- 1672 - Birth of Joseph Addison England, essayist (Spectator).
- 1682 - Louis XIV and his court inaugurate Paris Observatory.
- 1700 - John Dryden English poet/playwright (Rival Ladies), dies.
- 1703 - Battle at Rultusk: Swedish army beats Russians.
- 1703 - Kiva Yoshinaka Japanese monarch, murdered.
- 1704 - Boston Newsletter publishes first newspaper ad.
- 1707 - Act of Union between England and Scotland takes effect.
- 1711 - Arch duke Karel of Austria/Hungarian rebellion sign Peace of Szatmar.
- 1715 - Prussia declares war on Sweden.
- 1725 - Spain and Austria sign trade treaty.
- 1733 - Nicolas Coustou French sculptor (Saôn), dies at age 75.
- 1735 - Birth of John H van Kinsbergen Dutch Lieutenant-Admiral/founder of Dutch Marines Corps.
- 1751 - The first cricket match is played in America.
- 1756 - French-Austria Treaty signed, to stand by one another.
- 1757 - Austria and France divide Prussia.
- 1759 - France surrenders Guadeloupe to Great Britain.
- 1764 - Birth of Benjamin Henry Latrobe engineer/architect (built Capitol).
- 1769 - Birth of Arthur Wellesley Duke of Wellington, British Prime Minister (Conservative) (1828-30).
- 1776 - Doctor Adam Weishaupt, professor of canon law at Ingelstadt University of Bavaria, forms the Order of the Illuminati secret society.
- 1776 - Scottish economist Adam Smith releases book The Wealth of Nations.
- 1781 - Emperor Jozef II decrees protection of population.
- 1785 - Kamehameha, the king of Hawai'i defeats Kalanikupule and establishes the Kingdom of Hawai'i.
- 1786 - Mozart's opera "Marriage of Figaro" premieres in Wien (Vienna).
- 1800 - Birth of Ret Thomas Aloysius Dornin; US Commander (Union Navy) (dies 1874).
- 1807 - Birth of John Bankhead "Prince John" Magruder; Major General (Confederate Army).
- 1819 - Birth of William Steele; Brigadier General (Confederate Army) (dies 1885).
- 1822 - John Phillips becomes first mayor of Boston, Massachusetts.
- 1825 - Birth of George Inness; US landscape painter ("Delaware Water Gap").
- 1829 - Birth of José M de Alencar; Brazilian writer/minister of Justice.
- 1831 - Antonius van Alphen, apostle vicar of De Bosch, dies at age 82.
- 1834 - British colonies abolish slavery.
- 1834 - Belgian parliament accepts railway laws.
- 1835 - Birth of Alfred Napoleon Alexander "Natti" Duffie; US Brigadier General (Union volunteers).
- 1839 - Birth of Chardonnet; inventor (rayon).
- 1840 - The Post Office of the United Kingdom puts 1-penny adhesive stamps on sale, valid for pre-payment of mailing letters within the country up to 1/2 ounce as of May 6.
- 1841 - First emigrant wagon train leaves Independence, Missouri, for California.
- 1847 - The cornerstone is laid for the first building of the Smithsonian Institution.
- 1851 - Birth of Eberhard Nestle; German oriëntalist/biblical scholar.
- 1851 - The Great Exhibition opens in London's Hyde Park, at Crystal Palace, as a showcase for industrial accomplishments of Great Britain and other countries.
- 1852 - Birth of Calamity [Martha] Jane [Burke]; US frontier adventurer/Indian fighter (dies 1903).
- 1853 - Argentina adopts its constitution.
- 1854 - Amsterdam begins transferring drinking water out of the dunes.
- 1857 - A coalition of Central American states ousts William Walker, president of Nicaragua.
- 1860 - In New Concord, Ohio, a colt is struck and killed by a meteorite.
- 1862 - Birth of Marcel Prévost; French publisher/writer (Les demis-vierges).
- 1862 - USA Army captain David Farragut recaptures New Orleans, Louisiana.
- 1863 - Edward Dorr Tracy, Confederate Brigadier-General, dies in battle at age 29.
- 1863 - Battle of Chancellorsville, Virginia (29,000 injured or died).
- 1863 - Confederate States of America "National Flag" replaces "Stars and Bars".
- 1864 - Birth of Anna Jarvis in Webster, West Virginia, USA; founder of Mother's Day in the USA.
- 1866 - American Equal Rights Association forms.
- 1867 - Reconstruction of South begins, black voter registration.
- 1869 - A colt is reported killed by a meteorite near New Concord, Ohio.
- 1871 - The US Supreme Court rules 5-4 in favor of the legal tender status of paper money, overruling a decision made in 1870 which considered it unconstitutional.
- 1872 - Amalia, princess of Weimar/wife of prince Hendrik the Navigator, dies.
- 1872 - Birth of Hugo Alfvén in Stockholm, Sweden; composer (Midsommarvaka).
- 1873 - First US postal card is issued.
- 1873 - David Livingstone, British physician/explorer (Africa), dies at age 60.
- 1873 - Emperor Franz Jozef opens 5th World's Fair in Wien (Vienna), Austria-Hungary.
- 1875 - 238 members of "Whiskey Ring" accused of anti-US activities.
- 1880 - Birth of Conrad Weiss; German writer/poet (Tantum dic verbo).
- 1883 - Amsterdam World's Fair opens.
- 1883 - National League Baseball returns to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; first National League game since 1876. The Providence Grays beat the Philadelphia Quakers 4-3.
- 1883 - New York Athletic Club hires Bob Rogers as first American pro sports trainer.
- 1884 - Construction begins on Chicago's first skyscraper (10 stories).
- 1885 - Maria "Goeie Mie" Swanenburg is sentenced to life in prison for killing 27 in Netherlands.
- 1886 - Birth of Conrad Busken Huet; writer (Country of Rubens).
- 1886 - US general strike for 8-hour day begins.
- 1887 - Birth of Alan Gordon Cunningham; Irish/British general/director of Palestine (1945-48).
- 1889 - First International Workers Day, according to the second International.
- 1889 - Bayer introduces aspirin in powder form (Germany).
- 1891 - Cy Young pitches first game played in Cleveland's League Park: Cleveland Spiders 12, Cincinnati Redlegs 3.
- 1892 - Birth of Howard Barlow in Plain City, Ohio, USA; conductor (Columbia Symphony Orchestra, Voice of Firestone radio and TV show).
- 1892 - Willem A Scholten, manufacturer (potatoes), dies at age 89.
- 1893 - US President Grover Cleveland officially opens the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago, Illinois, USA. Constructed at a cost of $19 million, the fair is spread over 686 acres along Lake Michigan, with displays from 46 countries and 34 American states. The fair features the first Ferris wheel, first commercial movie theatre, first moving sidewalk, the debut of the automatic dishwasher, and the debut of the zipper.
- 1895 - Birth of Leo Sowerby in Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA; composer (Pulitzer 1946).
- 1896 - Naser ed-Din, shah of Persia (1848-96), is murdered at age 65.
- 1898 - Birth of Eugene R Black; President of the World Bank (1953-62).
- 1898 - US Navy Commodore George Dewey aboard Olympia with four cruisers and two gunboats engage Spanish fleet in Manila Harbor, Philippines, annihilating the Spanish fleet of ten ships; 167 men killed, 214 wounded.
- 1900 - Birth of Ignazio Silone in Italy; novelist/politician (Bread and Wine).
- 1900 - Premature blast collapses mine tunnel killing 200 at Scofield, Utah.
- 1901 - Pan-American Exposition opens in Buffalo, New York.
- 1902 - John Glover, English chemist (production sulfuric acid), dies at age 85.
- 1903 - Arthur Haygarth, cricket player (compiler of Scores and Biographies), dies.
- 1904 - Antonín Dvorak of Czechoslovakia, composer (Slavic Dancing), dies at age 62.
- 1905 - Birth of Leila Hyams in New York City, New York, USA; actress (Big House, Ruggles of Red Gap).
- 1905 - Birth of Nikolai Tikhonov; Soviet Prime Minister (1980-85).
- 1907 - Birth of Jan Pauw; CEO (Aruban Theater Group).
- 1907 - Birth of Kate Smith in Greenville, Alabama, USA; singer (Irving Berlin's "God Bless America"), radio host in 1930s-40s.
- 1907 - Indian Mine Laws passes (concessions from Netherlands-Indies).
- 1908 - Birth of Giovanni Guareschi; Italian writer (Don Camillo, Peppone).
- 1908 - World's most intense rain shower (2.47 inches in 3 minutes) at Portobelo, Panamá.
- 1909 - Birth of Ethel Jane Cain; original United Kingdom Speaking Clock voice.
- 1909 - Netherlands begins unity with Belgium.
- 1910 - Birth of Cliff Battles in Akron, Ohio, USA; NFL hall of famer (Atlanta Braves, Washington Redskins).
- 1914 - China's first president Yuan Shikai wins dictatorial qualification.
- 1915 - British munition ship Lusitania leaves New York, for Liverpool, with large shipment of high explosives.
- 1915 - German submarine sinks US ship Gulflight.
- 1916 - Birth of Glenn Ford in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada; actor (Cade's County, The Family Holvak, Big Heat, Midway).
- 1916 - Birth of Jack Paar in Canton, Ohio, USA; actor/comedian/TV host (The Breakfast Club radio show, Up to Paar TV show, Bank on the Stars TV show, Early Show, Tonight Show).
- 1917 - Birth of Danielle Darrieux in France; actress (Alexander the Great, Mayerling).
- 1917 - Birth of John Beradino in Los Angeles, California, USA; major league baseball player, TV actor (I Led Three Lives, The New Breed, Steve Hardy - General Hospital).
- 1917 - Birth of Lodewijk Gerard van Hensbergen AKA Lo van Hensbergen; author, actor (Amsterdam Affair).
- 1917 - José E Rodo, Uruguayan writer (Motivos de proteo), dies.
- 1919 - Birth of Alwyn Farquharson; Scottish clan-captain/large landowner.
- 1919 - Birth of Dan O'Herlihy in Ireland; actor (Fail Safe, Last Starfighter, Robocop).
- 1919 - Mount Kelud (Indonesia) erupts, boiling crater lake which breaks through crater wall killing 5,000 people in 104 small villages.
- 1920 - Babe Ruth's first New York Yankees' homerun and 50th of career, out of Polo Grounds.
- 1920 - Belgian-Luxembourg toll tunnel opens.
- 1920 - Brooklyn Dodgers tie Boston Braves, 1-1, in 26 innings.
- 1920 - Swedish Crown Princess Margareta dies.
- 1921 - Birth of 12th Lord Middleton; English large landowner/multi-millionaire.
- 1921 - Birth of Paul Daels; president of Flemish Iron Pilgrimage committee.
- 1921 - Drusian sultan Pasja al-Atrasj is elected Governor of Suwayda.
- 1921 - First full-length feature film with sound, Dream Street, is shown in New York City, USA. The film was made by United Artists.
- 1922 - Birth of Louis Nye in Hartford, Connecticut, USA; comic actor (Steve Allen, Men on the Street, Happy Days, Curb Your Enthusiasm).
- 1922 - Chicago White Sox pitcher Charlie Robertson pitches a perfect no-hit, no-run game against Detroit Tigers, 2-0.
- 1923 - 49th Kentucky Derby: Earl Sande aboard Zev wins in 2:05.4.
- 1923 - Birth of Joseph Heller in Brooklyn, New York, USA; novelist (Catch-22, 1963 Arts and Letters Award).
- 1924 - Admiral Paul Koundouriótis becomes President of Greece.
- 1924 - August Cuppens, Flemish author (Limburgs Driemanschap), dies at age 62.
- 1924 - Birth of Art Fleming in the Bronx, New York, USA; TV host (Jeopardy) (dies 1995).
- 1925 - Birth of Chuck Bednarik in Pennsylvania, USA; NFL hall of fame center/linebacker (Philadelphia Eagles).
- 1925 - Birth of Malcolm Scott Carpenter in Boulder, Colorado, USA; astronaut (Mercury 7 - Aurora 7).
- 1925 - Cyprus becomes a British Crown Colony.
- 1926 - British coal-miners go on strike.
- 1926 - Nicolaus Adriani, translator (Middle-Celebes Language), dies at age 60.
- 1926 - Satchel Paige makes pitching debut in US Negro Southern League.
- 1927 - The first cooked meals on a scheduled flight are introduced on an Imperial Airways flight from London to Paris.
- 1927 - Birth of Greta Andersen in Denmark; 100 metre freestyle swimmer (Olympics-gold-1948).
- 1927 - Birth of Harry [Harold George Junior] Belafonte in New York City, New York, USA; calypso singer ("The Banana Boat Song").
- 1927 - Birth of Israr Ali; cricket pace bowler (Pakistan in four Tests 1952-59).
- 1927 - Birth of Lord Bathurst; English earl/large landowner/multi-millionaire.
- 1927 - Birth of Roland Verhavert; Flemish screen writer (Sea Gulls Die in the Harbor).
- 1928 - Six children die and ten injured by hailstones in Klausenburg, Romania.
- 1928 - Birth of Raoul Servais; Belgian cartoonist/president (l'ASIFA).
- 1928 - Pitcairn Airlines (later Eastern Airlines) begins service.
- 1929 - Birth of Sonny James AKA James Loden in Hackelburg, Alabama, USA; rocker (Young Love).
- 1929 - Birth of Sonny Ramadhin; cricket spin bowler (great West Indies spin bowler).
- 1929 - Brooklyn's Johnny Finn sets 100 yard sack race record in 14.4 seconds.
- 1929 - Farm workers' strike begins in East-Groningen.
- 1929 - Police kill 19 Mayday demonstrators in Berlin, Germany.
- 1930 - Birth of Ollie Matson; NFL halfback (Arizona Cardinals, Los Angeles Rams, Detroit Lions, Philadelphia Eagles).
- 1930 - Donald Bradman scores 236 in cricket for Australia versus Worcestershire, his first f-class innings in England.
- 1930 - The dwarf planet Pluto is officially named.
- 1931 - U.S. President Herbert Hoover officially dedicates New York City's Empire State Building. At 102 stories and 1,250 feet high it is the world's tallest skyscraper (a record held until 1972).
- 1931 - Norway claims Peter I Island.
- 1932 - First Suriname union congress at Paramaribo.
- 1932 - Paul Doumer, President of France (1931-32), assassinated by Russia's Paul Gargalov.
- 1933 - Birth of Joan Hackett in East Harlem, New York City, New York, USA; actress (Defenders, Another Day).
- 1934 - Austria signs pact with Vatican.
- 1934 - Birth of Alette Beaujon; Curaçaos poet (Gedichten on the Bay and Elsewhere).
- 1934 - Philippine legislature accepts US proposal for independence.
- 1935 - Boulder Dam is completed.
- 1935 - Canada's first silver dollar is made available, struck in 0.8 fine silver. The 1935-dated coin commemorates the 25th Anniversary of the accession to the throne of King George V.
- 1936 - Emperor Haile Selassie leaves Ethiopia as Italian soldiers invade.
- 1937 - Birth of Bo Nilsson; Swedish composer (Doppelspiel).
- 1937 - US President Franklin Roosevelt signs act of neutrality.
- 1937 - Snitz Edwards, actor (Phantom of the Opera, College), dies at age 75.
- 1939 - Birth of Judy Collins in Seattle, Washington, USA; singer ("Send in the Clowns", "Both Sides Now", "Clouds").
- 1939 - Birth of Max Robinson in Richmond, Virginia, USA; news anchor (ABC Evening News).
- 1939 - Birth of Ray Aranha in Miami, Florida, USA; actor (Nick - Married People).
- 1939 - Pulitzer Prize awarded to Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings (The Yearling).
- 1939 - Wilhelm Normann, German chemist (harden van oliën), dies.
- 1940 - 140 Palestinian Jews die as German planes bomb their ship.
- 1940 - The 1940 Olympics are cancelled.
- 1941 - Film Citizen Kane, directed by and starring Orson Welles, premieres in New York.
- 1941 - Birth of Barbara Barendrecht [BHM Wurfbain]; actress (Dirty Picture).
- 1941 - General Mills introduces Cheerios cereal.
- 1941 - German assault on Tobruk.
- 1941 - John R Locksmith de Brown, vicar/CHU-politician, dies at age 71.
- 1942 - Birth of Stephen Macht in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; actor (Joe - Knots Landing, Cagney and Lacey, State of Mind, Melrose Place).
- 1942 - Radio Orange calls to defy order to wear "Jewish star".
- 1943 - First edition of illegal "The Free Artist" appears in Amsterdam.
- 1943 - 69th Kentucky Derby: Johnny Longden aboard Count Fleet wins in 2:04.
- 1943 - Birth of Joy Harmon in Saint Louis, Missouri, USA; actress (Cool Hand Luke).
- 1943 - Food rationing begins in US.
- 1943 - German Wehrmacht deployed in order to break Dutch strikes.
- 1943 - German plane sinks boat loaded with Palestinian Jews bound for Malta.
- 1944 - Messerschmitt Me-262 Sturmvogel, first operational jet aircraft (twin-jet fighter), makes first flight.
- 1944 - Pulitzer prize awarded to Martin Flavin (Journey in the Dark).
- 1944 - Surprise attack on Weteringschans Amsterdam, fails.
- 1945 - Birth of Rita Coolidge in Nashville, Tennessee, USA; singer ("Higher and Higher", "We're All Alone").
- 1945 - 900 occupiers of Demmin Vorpommeren commit suicide.
- 1945 - Admiral Karl Dönitz forms German government.
- 1945 - German president Karl Dönitz commences a progressive total surrender of German armed forces, by means of local surrenders.
- 1945 - Australian and Dutch troops lands on Tarakan.
- 1945 - General Belgian Labor Union (ABVV) party forms.
- 1945 - Paul Josef Goebbels, German minister on propoganda, commits suicide.
- 1945 - Radio Budapest, Hungary re-enters shortwave broadcasting.
- 1945 - Seys-Inquart flees to Flensburg.
- 1945 - Soviet army reaches Rostock.
- 1946 - Birth of Bruce Robinson; actor (Story of Adele H).
- 1946 - Birth of Jerry Weiss in New York City, New York, USA; rocker (Blood Sweat and Tears).
- 1946 - Birth of Joanna Lumley in Kashmir, India; actress (Ab Fab, On Her Majesty's Secret Service).
- 1946 - Birth of Nick Fortune [Nicholas Fortuna]; rock bassist (The Buckinghams).
- 1946 - Fieldmarshal Bernard Montgomery appointed British supreme commander.
- 1946 - Mrs Emma Clarissa Clement named "American Mother of the Year".
- 1947 - Birth of Carlos Ward; rocker (B T Express).
- 1947 - Birth of Ghulam Abbas; cricket player (scored 12 and 0 in only Test for Pakistan 1967).
- 1947 - Cleveland Indians abandon League Park to play all games at Municipal Stadium.
- 1947 - Lieutenant General Hoyt S Vandenberg ends term as second head of US Central Intelligence Agency.
- 1947 - Radar for commercial and private planes first demonstrated.
- 1947 - Rear Admiral Roscoe H Hillenkoetter, US Navy, becomes 3th director of the Central Intelligence Agency.
- 1947 - Sanner, leader of Norger blood bath, executed.
- 1948 - 74th Kentucky Derby: Eddie Arcaro aboard Citation wins in 2:05.4; this is Arcaro's fourth win.
- 1948 - Birth of James Wise; American soul singer (Archie Bell and the Drells).
- 1948 - Christos Ladas, Greek minister of Justice, is murdered.
- 1948 - Glenn Taylor, Idaho Senator, arrested in Birmingham, Alabama, for trying to enter a meeting through a door marked "for Negroes".
- 1948 - North Korea proclaims itself People's Democratic Republic of Korea.
- 1948 - Pope Pius XII publishes encyclical Auspicia quaedam.
- 1949 - Philadelphia Athletics' Elmer Valo is first American League player to hit two bases-loaded triples in a game.
- 1949 - Birth of Douglas Barr in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, USA; actor-director (Howie - The Fall Guy, Designing Women).
- 1949 - Birth of Margo Miller in San Francisco, California, USA; fencer-epee (Olympics-1996).
- 1949 - Gerard Kuiper discovers Nereid, (second satellite of Neptune).
- 1950 - Birth of Marina Stepanova; Russian hurdler (world record 1986).
- 1950 - New marriage laws enforced in People's Republic China.
- 1950 - Pulitzer prize awarded to Rodgers and Hammerstein (South Pacific).
- 1951 - 600,000 march for peace and freedom in Germany.
- 1951 - Birth of Gordon Greenidge; cricket player (great West Indian opener 1974-91).
- 1951 - Birth of Dann Florek; actor (Law and Order: Special Victims Unit).
- 1952 - US Marines take part in an atomic explosion training in Nevada.
- 1952 - "Mr Potato Head" toy is introduced; first toy advertised on television.
- 1952 - TWA airline introduces tourist class.
- 1952 - William Fox [Fried], American film pioneer (Nickelodeon), dies at age 73.
- 1953 - Birth of Elquemedo Willett; cricket player (West Indies lefty spinner early 1970s).
- 1953 - Birth of Felix Hanemann; rocker (Zebra).
- 1954 - 80th Kentucky Derby: Raymond York aboard Determine wins in 2:03.
- 1954 - Birth of Michael Scott; reporter (Entertainment Tonight).
- 1954 - Birth of Ray Parker Junior in Detroit, Michigan, USA; rock guitarist/vocalist ("Ghostbusters").
- 1954 - Birth of Taslim Arif; cricket player (Pakistan keeper/batsman, 210 versus Australia 1980).
- 1954 - American Motors is formed by the merger of Nash-Kelvinator Corporation and Hudson Motor Car Comopany.
- 1954 - Bishops publish Mandement (member socialist organization forbidden).
- 1954 - HSA-UWC Established (Unification Church) (The Moonies).
- 1954 - Tom Tyler, actor (Lost Ranch, Coyote Trails), dies at age 50.
- 1955 - Babe Didrikson-Zaharias wins LPGA Peach Blossom Golf Tournament.
- 1955 - Birth of Julien Wiener; cricket player (Australian opening batsman 1979-80).
- 1955 - Bobby Feller's 15th one-hit or less game (12 one-hitters, three no-hitters).
- 1956 - Birth of Byron Stewart in Baxter Springs, Kansas, USA; actor (Warren Coolidge - St Elsewhere).
- 1956 - The polio vaccine developed by Jonas Salk is made available to the public.
- 1956 - A doctor in Japan reports an "epidemic of an unknown disease of the central nervous system," marking the official discovery of Minamata disease.
- 1957 - Birth of Dick Swett; American politician (Representative-Democrat-New Hampshire).
- 1957 - Birth of Paul D Ronney in Los Angeles, California, USA; ScD/astronaut (STS 83 alternate).
- 1957 - Birth of Rick Darling; cricket player (accident-prone/dashing Aussie opener 1978-79).
- 1957 - Birth of Steve Farris; rock guitarist (Mr Mister).
- 1957 - Grant Mitchell, actor (Great Lie, Laura, Cairo, Conflict), dies at age 82.
- 1957 - First radio broadcast (in Miami, Florida) of Larry Zeiger (as Larry King).
- 1957 - US gives Poland credit of US$95 million.
- 1957 - Vanguard TV-1 booster test reaches 195 km.
- 1958 - Arturo Frondizi sworn in as President of Argentina.
- 1958 - Birth of John Diehl in Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; actor (Detective Zito - Miami Vice).
- 1959 - Birth of Eddie Johnson; NBA guard/forward (Houston Rockets, Indiana Pacers).
- 1959 - Birth of Paul Smith; rock saxophonist (Haircut 100).
- 1959 - Floyd Patterson knocks out Brian London in 11 rounds for heavyweight boxing title.
- 1959 - Oscar Torp, Norwegian premier, dies.
- 1959 - Federal Republic of Germany introduces five-day work week.
- 1959 - Chicago White Sox' player Early Wynn beats Boston Red Sox 1-0 on his own homerun.
- 1960 - Birth of Albert McDonald in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada; American canoe (alternate-Olympics-1996).
- 1960 - India's Bombay state splits into Gujarat and Maharashtra states.
- 1960 - Pancho Gonzalez retires from tennis.
- 1960 - Russia shoots down American pilot Francis Gary Powers' U-2 spy plane over Sverdlovsk.
- 1961 - Birth of Charlie O'Brien in Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA; catcher (Milwaukee Brewers, New York Mets, Atlanta Braves, Toronto Blue Jays).
- 1961 - Birth of Steven Cauthen; jockey (1978 Kentucky Derby-Affirmed).
- 1961 - Fidel Castro announces there will be no more elections in Cuba.
- 1961 - Pulitzer prize awarded to Harper Lee (To Kill a Mockingbird).
- 1961 - Tanganyika granted full internal self-government by Britain.
- 1962 - First French underground nuclear experiment in the Sahara.
- 1962 - Birth of Gary Clark; NFL wide receiver (Miami Dolphins).
- 1962 - Birth of Paula Weishoff in Hollywood, California, USA; volleyball player (Olympics-silver-1984, bronze-1992, 1996).
- 1962 - Birth of Reggie Pleasant; Canadian Football League cornerback (Edmonton Eskimos).
- 1962 - Bo Belinsky pitches a no-hitter, in his fourth start.
- 1962 - France performs underground nuclear test at Ecker, Algeria.
- 1962 - US President John Kennedy authorizes Area Redevelopment Act (ARA).
- 1963 - First American (James Whittaker) conquers Mount Everest.
- 1963 - Indonesia takes control of Irian Jaya (west New Guinea) from Netherlands.
- 1964 - At Dartmouth College, in Hanover, New Hampshire, the BASIC programming language runs for the first time. The language was developed by professors John Kemeny and Thomas Kurtz, BASIC is an acronym for Beginners All-purpose Symbolic Instruction Code. It is based on FORTRAN and Algol, and was developed for a General Electric 225 mainframe computer.
- 1964 - Birth of Bruno Ravel in Paris, France; rocker (Danger Danger - "Screw It").
- 1964 - Birth of Carlos Aalbers; Dutch soccer player (NEC).
- 1964 - Birth of Sarah FE Armstrong-Jones, daughter of princess Margaret and Lord Snowdon.
- 1964 - Death of Spike Jones at age 62; bandleader (Spike Jones and His City Slickers - "All I Want for Christmas (Is My Two Front Teeth)" (1948)).
- 1965 - 91st Kentucky Derby: Bill Shoemaker on Lucky Debonair wins in 2:01.2.
- 1965 - Birth of Jon Warren in Akron, Ohio, USA; 1.5k runner.
- 1965 - Death of Spike (Lindley Armstrong) Jones at age 53 from emphysema; band leader and drummer ("Cocktails for Two", "Der Fuhrer's Face", "You Always Hurt the One You Love", "All I Want for Christmas is my Two Front Teeth", The Spike Jones Show TV Show).
- 1965 - Stanley Cup: Montreal Canadiens beat Chicago Blackhawks, 4 games to 3.
- 1965 - USSR launches Luna 5; later impacts on Moon.
- 1966 - Birth of Armando Reynoso in San Luis Potosi, México; pitcher (Colorado Rockies).
- 1966 - Birth of Charlie Schlatter in New York City, New York, USA; actor (18 Again, Heartbreak Hotel, Diagnosis Murder, Ferris Bueller's Day Off).
- 1966 - Birth of Johnny Colt in Cherry Point, North Carolina, USA; rock bassist (Black Crowes - "Shake Your Money Maker").
- 1966 - Birth of Mark Coogan in Manhaset, New York, USA; marathon runner (Olympics-1996).
- 1966 - Last British concert by The Beatles (Empire Pool in Wembley).
- 1966 - Mickey Wright wins LPGA Shreveport Kiwanis Club Golf Invitational.
- 1966 - Radio RSA, South Africa begins shortwave transmitting.
- 1966 - US troops shooting targets in Cambodia.
- 1967 - Anastasio Somoza Debayle becomes President of Nicaragua.
- 1967 - Birth of Bill Schultz; NFL/WLAF offensive tackle (Denver Broncos, Scottish Claymores).
- 1967 - Birth of Marvcus Patton; NFL linebacker (Washington Redskins).
- 1967 - Birth of Scott Coffey in Hawaii; actor (Satisfaction, Shout).
- 1967 - Birth of Yael Arad in Israel; Women's half middleweight judoka (Olympics-1996).
- 1967 - In the mountainous area of northern Arta Province, Greece, a magnitude 5.9 earthquake occurs. 9 killed, 56 injured, and over 100 houses destroyed. Extensive earthslides in the Ioannina (Jannina) District.
- 1967 - Elvis Presley and Pricilla Beaulieu wed in Las Vegas, Nevada.
- 1967 - Pulitzer prize awarded to Bernard Malamud (The Fixer).
- 1967 - Clay Shaw is arrested on charges of conspiracy in the murder of President John Kennedy.
- 1968 - Birth of Anton Scheutjens; soccer player (Roda JC).
- 1968 - Birth of Lisa Campbell in Victoria, Australia; badminton player (Olympics-1996).
- 1968 - Birth of Mark Scott in Paramus, New Jersey, USA; rock drummer (Trixter - "Give It To Me Good").
- 1968 - Harold G Nicolson, English author (English sense of humor), dies at age 71.
- 1968 - Philadelphia Phillies' J Boozer is ejected for throwing spitballs during his warmup.
- 1968 - Birth of D'Arcy Wretzky; bassist (Smashing Pumpkins).
- 1969 - Birth of Billy Owens; NBA forward/guard (Sacramento Kings).
- 1969 - Birth of Bryan Marchment in Scarborough, Ontario, Canada; NHL defenseman (Edmonton Oilers).
- 1969 - Birth of Roy Rosello; singer (Menudo - "Cannonball").
- 1969 - Ella Logan, actress (52nd Street, Woman Chases Man), dies at age 56.
- 1969 - George Parker, cricket player (two Tests for South Africa 1924), dies.
- 1969 - Houston Astros' Don Wilson second no-hitter, beats Cincinnati Reds, 4-0.
- 1969 - Leonard Tose buys NFL Philadelphia Eagles for US$16,155,000.
- 1969 - Clay Shaw is found not guilty of conspiracy to murder President John Kennedy.
- 1970 - Birth of Alex Van Pelt; NFL quarterback (Buffalo Bills).
- 1970 - Birth of Allen DeGraffenreid; WLAF wide receiver (Scotland Claymores).
- 1970 - Birth of Alundis Brice; NFL cornerback (Dallas Cowboys).
- 1970 - Birth of Damon Diletti; Australian field hockey goal keeper (Olympics-silver-1992, 1996).
- 1970 - Death of the poet, Paul Celan (Paul Antschel); poet (Der Sand aus den Urnen (1948), Mohn und Gedächtnis (1952), Lichtzwang (1970)).
- 1971 - 97th Kentucky Derby: Gustavo Avila on Canonero II wins in 2:03.2.
- 1971 - Amtrak (the National Railroad Passenger Corporation) is formed to take over U.S. passenger rail service.
- 1971 - Birth of Ethan Albright; NFL tackle (Miami Dolphins, Buffalo Bills).
- 1971 - Birth of Jamie Marie Swenson; Miss USA-South Dakota (1997).
- 1971 - Birth of Renee Poetschka; Australian 200 metre/400 metre (Olympics-1992, 1996).
- 1971 - Birth of Stuart Appleby in Cohuna, Australia; Nike golfer (1994 Victorian PGA).
- 1971 - Edith Day, actress (Romance of Air), dies at age 75.
- 1971 - Glenda Farrell, actress (Grand Slam, Exposed), dies at age 66.
- 1972 - Birth of Bobby Chouinard in Manilla, Phillipines; pitcher (Oakland Athletics).
- 1972 - Fernand Ansseau, Belgian operator (Orfeo), dies at age 82.
- 1972 - North Vietnamese troops occupy Quang Tri Activities Committee.
- 1972 - Pulitzer prize awarded to Wallace Stegner (Angle of Repose).
- 1972 - Radio's Mutual Black Network premieres.
- 1973 - Birth of Curtis Martin; NFL running back (New England Patriots).
- 1973 - Birth of Frank Beede; NFL center (Seattle Seahawks).
- 1973 - San Francisco Giants score seven runs with two outs in 9th inning to beat Pittsburgh Pirates, 8-7.
- 1974 - Birth of Matthew Hatchette; NFL wide receiver (Minnesota Vikings).
- 1974 - Birth of Vladimir Zavyalov; hockey forward (Team Kazakhstan Olympics-1998).
- 1975 - Birth of Austin Croshere; NBA forward (Indiana Pacers).
- 1976 - 102nd Kentucky Derby: Angel Cordero Junior on Bold Forbes wins in 2:01.6.
- 1976 - Birth of Darius McCrary in Walnut, California, USA; actor (Edward Winslow - Family Matters).
- 1976 - Jos Hermens on the Netherlands sets record for 20,000 metre, 57:24.2.
- 1976 - Rex O'Malley, actor (Camille, Zara, Midnight, Thief), dies at age 75.
- 1977 - Birth of Anna Louise Wilson in Dunedin, New Zealand; 100 metre breast stroke (Olympics-1996).
- 1977 - Chantal Langlace runs female world record marathon (2:35:15.4).
- 1977 - Debbie Austin wins LPGA Birmingham Golf Classic.
- 1978 - Death of Aram Khachaturian at age 74, Armenian/Russian composer (The Earth) (born 1903).
- 1978 - Japan's Naomi Uemura, travelling by dog sled, becomes the first person to reach the North Pole alone.
- 1979 - Berkeley Bertram McGarrell Gaskin, cricket player (two Tests for West Indies), dies.
- 1979 - Birth of Jennifer Botterill; ice hockey forward (Canada, Olympics-1998).
- 1979 - Birth of Kimberly Grigsby; Miss Virginia Teen USA (1997).
- 1979 - Elton John becomes first pop star to perform in Israel.
- 1979 - Home rule introduced to Kalaallit Nunaat (Greenland).
- 1979 - Marshall Islands (in the Pacific) become self-governing.
- 1979 - Silver passes $8 per ounce in London for first time.
- 1980 - 15th Academy of Country Music Awards: Barbara Mandrell wins.
- 1980 - American Book Award: William Styron (Sophie's Choice)/T Wolfe (The Right Stuff).
- 1981 - Dr Clarence A Bacote, historian and political scientist, dies at age 75.
- 1981 - Harrison Williams (Senator-Democrat-New Jersey) convicted on FBI Abscam charges.
- 1981 - Start of the new Chilean pension system, based on private pension funds.
- 1982 - 108th Kentucky Derby: Ed Delahoussaye on Gato Del Sol wins in 2:02.4.
- 1982 - Gene Sheldon, actor (Bernardo - Zorro), dies at age 72.
- 1982 - A Royal Air Force Avro Vulcan bomber takes off from Ascension Island and bombs Stanley Airport, Falkland Islands.
- 1982 - A crowd of over 100,000 attends the first day of the 1982 World's Fair in Knoxville, Tennessee. The fair is kicked off with an address by President Ronald Reagan.
- 1983 - Hollis Stacy wins LPGA CPC International Golf Tournament.
- 1983 - V N Swamy, Indian cricket pace bowler (without distinction), dies.
- 1984 - Death of Gordon Jenkins of Lou Gehrig's Disease at age 73; orchestra leader (The Mayor of the Town, The Man Called X, Al Jolson, Jack Carson, Dick Haymes, NBC Comedy Hour), musical director (Decca, Capitol Records, Frank Sinatra, Nat Cole).
- 1984 - Great Britain performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site.
- 1985 - "Communist" bomb attack kills two firemen in Brussels, Belgium.
- 1985 - US President Ronald Reagan ends embargo against Nicaragua.
- 1986 - Bill Elliott sets stock car speed record of 212.229 mph.
- 1986 - Soviet news agency Tass reports Chernobyl nuclear power plant mishap.
- 1986 - Will Stegers expedition reaches North Pole.
- 1987 - 46 homeruns hit in 13 baseball games.
- 1987 - Pope John Paul II beatifies Edith Stein, a Jewish-born nun.
- 1988 - Birth of Kristopher Tate; founder, Chief Technologist of Zooomr.
- 1988 - Irish Republican Army attack in Roermond, kills three.
- 1988 - Paolo Stoppa, actor (Garibaldi, Visit, Freedom Fighters), dies.
- 1988 - Patti Rizzo wins LPGA Sara Lee Golf Classic.
- 1988 - The final episode of TV show Magnum, P.I. airs.
- 1989 - The Disney-MGM Studios Theme Park at Walt Disney World opens to the public. It covers 135 acres. Total construction costs were over US$500 million. Advertising and promotions for the opening cost US$30 million. Entrance prices are US$29 for adults, and US$23 for children aged 3-9.
- 1989 - David Webster, South African white anti-apartheids activist, murdered.
- 1989 - Death of Douglass Watson at age 68; actor (Mac Cory - Another World TV show).
- 1989 - Jockey Chris Antley ends record of 64 consecutive winning days.
- 1989 - Marion Mack, actress (General), dies.
- 1989 - US Supreme Court rules employees have legal burden to prove non-discriminatory reasons for not hiring or promoting.
- 1989 - Death of Sally Kirkland, fashion editor at Life magazine (born 1912).
- 1990 - Sunset Carson, cowboy actor (El Paso Kid, Oregon Trail), dies at age 62.
- 1990 - Death of Sergio Franchi of cancer at his Connecticut estate; international singing star (recorded 25 albums, Nine musical (Tony award)).
- 1991 - Will Rogers Follies opens at Palace Theater in New York City for 983 performances.
- 1991 - Oakland Athletics' Rickey Henderson breaks Lou Brock's record with his 939th base steal (vs New York Yankees).
- 1991 - Angola's civil war ends.
- 1991 - Last day of Test cricket for Gordon Greenidge.
- 1991 - Milwaukee Brewers beat Chicago Cubs, 10-9, in 19 innings.
- 1991 - Richard Thorpe, MGM film director (Jailhouse Rock, Night Must Fall), dies at age 95.
- 1991 - Nolan Ryan of the Texas Rangers pitches his seventh career no-hitter (breaking his own record), beating the Toronto Blue Jays 3-0.
- 1992 - Eric Houston kills four in a California high school where he failed history four years prior.
- 1992 - Los Angeles Dodgers postpone three games due to racial riots resulting from the Rodney King incident.
- 1992 - New York Rangers win their first ever 7th game of a playoff (vs New Jersey Devils).
- 1992 - Rickey Henderson steals his 1,000th base.
- 1993 - 119th Kentucky Derby: Jerry Bailey aboard Sea Hero wins in 2:02.4.
- 1993 - A Tamil Tigers suicide bomber assassinates President Ranasinghe Premadasa of Sri Lanka. 25 others die as well.
- 1993 - Hans [Henri EA] Tuynman, provo (Full-time Provo), dies at age 50.
- 1993 - Pierre Bérégovoy, former Prime Minister of France (1992-93), commits suicide at age 67.
- 1994 - Brazilian Formula One driver Ayrton Senna dies in an accident during the San Marino Grand Prix.
- 1994 - Sandra Palmer wins LPGA Sprint Senior Challenge Golf Tournament.
- 1994 - Sherri Steinhauer wins LPGA Sprint Golf Championship.
- 1994 - Tornado and hail storms hit Jiangxi, China, 95 killed.
- 1995 - A fireball is seen in the sky over Australia.
- 1995 - Steve Waugh scores 200 for Australia versus West Indies at Sabina Park.
- 1996 - Gerald Williams is first New York Yankees' player since 1934 to get six hits in a game.
- 1997 - Bebe the dolphin, also known as Flipper, dies at age 40.
- 1997 - Tasmania becomes the last state in Australia to decriminalize homosexuality.
- 1997 - The United Kingdom's Labour Party ends 18 years of Conservative rule.
- 1997 - HM Prison Pentridge in Melbourne, Australia, is officially closed.
- 1999 - 125th Kentucky Derby: Chris Antley aboard Charismatic wins in 2:03.2.
- 2001 - The Japanese cities of Urawa, Omiya, and Yono merge to form the city of Saitama.
- 2002 - Tevor Hoffman of the San Diego Padres establishes a new major league record for the most saves for one team: 321.
- 2003 - George W. Bush lands on the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln, in a Lockheed S-3 Viking, where he gives a speech announcing the end of major combat in the 2003 Invasion of Iraq. A banner behind him declares "Mission Accomplished."
- 2004 - The largest expansion to date of the European Union takes place, extending the Union by ten member-states: Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Slovenia, Hungary, Malta and Cyprus.
- 2004 - Barry Bonds sets a major league record by being walked four times intentionally in a nine-inning game.
- 2004 - The Sasser computer worm is first noticed on the loose, affecting Windows 2000 and Windows XP. The worm crashes and rebots computers, replicating itself to other computers. Millions of computers are quickly affected worldwide.
- 2005 - A suicide attack targets a Kurdish funeral in the northern Iraqi town of Talafar, near Mosul, killing at least 25 people and injuring more than 30 others.
- 2006 - The Great American Boycott takes place across the United States as marchers protest for immigration rights.
- 2006 - Bolivian president Evo Morales orders military to occupy oil and gas fields in country, placing them under state control.
- 2008 - Great Britain's Labor Party suffers worst election defeat on record, losing 331 councilors in local elections to the opposition Conservatives, who gained 256.
- 2008 - Near the tip of the Aleutian island chain off Alaska, a 6.5 magnitude earthquake occurs.
- 2008 - A US navy ship off the coast of Somalia makes a missile attack on the home of Aden Hashi Ayro in Dusamareb, killing him and at least ten other people. Ayro was military leader of al-Shabab, in control of most of Somalia.
- 2008 - In Diyala province of Iraq, two suicide bombers detonate themselves in a market in Balad Ruz, killing at least 35 people and injuring 65.
- 2008 - In Havana, Cuba, hundreds of thousands of Cubans attend a May Day parade.
- 2008 - Death of Anthony Mamo, 1st President of Malta (born 1909).
- 2010 - At least 30 people are killed by two bomb blasts in the Abdalla Shideye mosque in the Somali capital, Mogadishu, with a further 70 injured.
- 2010 - The 2010 World Expo opens in Shanghai, China. Almost 250 countries and international organisations showcase their culture in an event themed around sustainable development. The Expo will be open for the next six months.
- 2011 - U.S. President Barack Obama announces that Osama bin Laden, the founder and leader of the militant group Al-Qaeda, has been killed during an American military operation in Pakistan.
- 2012 - Bolivian President Evo Morales announces nationalization of Transportadora de Electricidad, the Spanish-owned national power-grid company.
- 2015 - Buena Vista releases the film Avengers: Age of Ultron to theaters.
- 2015 - Expo 2015 opens in Milan, Italy.
- 2016 - People's Republic of China government extends value-added tax to all major service sectors.
- 2019 - Russian President Vladimir Putin signs into law a controversial "sovereign internet" bill that allows Russian authorities to better monitor internet routing and to steer Russian internet traffic away from foreign servers.
- 2019 - King Vajiralongkorn of Thailand marries his personal bodyguard Suthida Tidjai - a commoner - in a surprise ceremony, making her queen consort of Thailand.
- 2020 - The total number of recovered COVID-19 patients reaches 1 million worldwide, according to data from The Johns Hopkins University.
- 2020 - Death of Tun Tin, 6th Prime Minister of Burma (born 1920).
- 2022 - Death of Kathy Boudin at age 78; American radical activist (Weather Underground).
- 2022 - Death of Ric Parnell at age 70; actor (Mick Shrimpton - This Is Spinal Tap movie).
- 2023 - The US Navy base on Vieques island, Puerto Rico, (established in 1941) is permanently closed.
- 2023 - In the USA, First Republic Bank becomes the second-biggest retail-bank failure in the US, with JP Morgan Chase taking over most of the bank, and the Federal Deopsit Insurance Corporation expecting to lose $13 billion.
- 2023 - Death of Gordon Lightfoot at age 84 in a hospital in Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Canadian singer, songwriter, guitarist ("Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald", "Carefree Highway", "Sundown", "If You Could Read My Mind", received 17 Juno awards, recipient of the Order of Canada (1970), Canadian Music Hall of Fame (1986), inducted in US Songwriters Hall of Fame (2012), recipient of the Governor General's Award (1997)).
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