What happened in history on this day: May 16?
On May 16 in ...
- 942 - Saadiah Gaon head of Talmudic Academy of Sura, dies.
- 955 - Alberich II, illegitimate son of Octavianus elected pope.
- 1165 - Ramjbam and his family reach Acre Palestine.
- 1434 - Pieter Appelmans Flemish architect/master builder, dies at about age 60.
- 1527 - Florence becomes a republic.
- 1532 - Sir Thomas More resigns as English Lord Chancellor.
- 1547 - Protestant German monarch Johan Frederik surrenders to Karel in Wittenberg.
- 1558 - Birth of Andreas of Austria Bohemia cardinal/Governor of Netherlands (1598-1600).
- 1568 - Mary Queen of Scotland flees to England.
- 1571 - Johannes Kepler, by his own calculations, is conceived at 4:37 AM.
- 1584 - Seven Westfriese towns divide monasteries of Egmond/Blokker/St-Pietersdal.
- 1604 - Three ships from France land at the site of modern day Liverpool, Nova Scotia, Canada.
- 1605 - Camillo Borghese elected to succeed Pope Leo XI becomes Paul V.
- 1606 - 2,000 foreigners murdered in Russia.
- 1609 - Birth of Ferdinand Austria, cardinal of Spain/Governor of Netherlands.
- 1641 - Birth of Dudley North financier/economist.
- 1648 - Battle at Zólty Wody: Bohdan Chmielricki's cosacks beat John Casimir.
- 1669 - Pietro da Cortona [Berrettini], painter/architect, dies.
- 1669 - Reyer Anslo writer/poet, dies at about age 42.
- 1691 - Jacob Leisler becomes first American colonist hanged for treason.
- 1696 - An envelope to enclose a letter addressed to another person is used for the first (known) time, by Sir James Ogilvie in Great Britain.
- 1718 - Birth of Maria G Agnesi in Italy; mathematician, curves: x²y=a²(a-y).
- 1747 - Prince Willem V sworn in as Admiral-General of Netherlands.
- 1748 - Birth of Antonius van Alphen apostolic vicar of De Bosch.
- 1761 - Birth of John Opie artist.
- 1763 - Birth of Louis-Nicolas Vauquelin chemist (discovered chromium, beryllium).
- 1770 - Marie Antoinette (14) marries future King Louis XVI (15) of France.
- 1777 - Death of Button Gwinnet from wounds; US revolutionary leader.
- 1779 - Birth of John Draper; American bank note engraver.
- 1791 - In Near Moodus, Connecticut, an earthquake occurs, the largest historical earthquake in Connecticut. Reported felt at Boston, Massachusetts, and New York City, New York.
- 1792 - Denmark abolishes slave trade.
- 1795 - Hedges Treaty: Bataafse Republic becomes French vassel state.
- 1796 - Lombardije Republic forms.
- 1801 - Birth of William Henry Seward in Florida, New York, USA; American lawyer, governor of New York (1838-42), US Senator (1849-61), Secretary of State (1861-69), negotiated purchase of Alaska.
- 1804 - Birth of Elizabeth Palmer Peabody; educator/founder (first US kindergarten).
- 1804 - Senate and Tribune declare Napolean leader of France.
- 1806 - Birth of George C Cadwalader; US Major General (Union volunteers) (dies 1879).
- 1811 - Peninsular War-Allies defeat French at Albuera.
- 1816 - Birth of Henry Hopkins Sibley; Brigadier General (Confederate Army) (dies 1886).
- 1817 - Mississippi River steamboat service begins.
- 1819 - Birth of Daniel Ammen; US Captain (Union Navy) (dies 1898).
- 1824 - Birth of Edmund Kirby-Smith in Florida; West Point graduate/educator/General (Confederate Army).
- 1824 - Birth of Levi Parsons Morton; American politician (Republican) 22nd US Vice President (1889-93).
- 1827 - Birth of Petrus J H Cuypers; architect (Amsterdam Museum, Central station).
- 1831 - Birth of David Edward Hughes; inventor (microphone, teleprinter).
- 1832 - Birth of Philip Danforth Armour; founder (Armour Foods).
- 1833 - Antonio López de Santa Anna becomes President (1st time) of Mexico.
- 1845 - Birth of Dietrich Schäfer; German historian (Deutsche Hanse).
- 1861 - Confederate Government offers war volunteers $10 premium.
- 1862 - Jean Joseph Etienne Lenoir builds first automobile.
- 1863 - Lloyd Tilghman, Confederate Brigadier-General, dies in battle at age 47.
- 1864 - Last battles at Drewry's Bluff, Virginia (6,666 casualties).
- 1866 - Birth of Ernest Watson Burgess; US sociologist (ecological school).
- 1866 - Charles Elmer Hires invents root beer.
- 1866 - US Congress authorizes copper-nickel 5-cent piece (to replace silver half-dime).
- 1868 - US President Andrew Johnson acquitted during Senate impeachment, by one vote.
- 1869 - Cincinnati Reds play their first baseball game, win 41-7.
- 1874 - First recorded dam disaster in US (Williamsburg, Massachusetts).
- 1875 - Earthquake in Venezuela and Colombia kills 16,000.
- 1878 - Birth of Taylor Holmes in Newark, New Jersey, USA; actor (Tobor the Great, Beware My Lovely).
- 1879 - Treaty of Gandamak signed to set up Afghan state between Russia and English.
- 1880 - Birth of Julius Tannen in New York, USA; comedian (Great Moment, House of Frankenstein).
- 1881 - World's first electric tram goes into service in Lichterfelder (near Berlin, Germany).
- 1882 - 8th Kentucky Derby: Babe Hurd aboard Apollo wins in 2:40.25.
- 1884 - 10th Kentucky Derby: Isaac Murphy aboard Buchanan wins in 2:40.25.
- 1887 - Birth of Bull Montana in Vogliera, Italy; actor (Brass Buttons, Victory).
- 1888 - Canadian Pacific Railway opens Hotel Vancouver, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
- 1889 - Birth of Joan Collette; Dutch (male) painter (New Church, Delft).
- 1891 - George A Hormel and Company introduces Spam meat product.
- 1892 - Birth of Coenraad B van Haeringen; linguist/etymologist (Dutch Dictionary).
- 1892 - John Banvard, painted world's largest painting (3 mile canvas), dies.
- 1893 - Birth of José Calvo Sotelo; Spanish minister of Finance (1925-30).
- 1894 - Fire in Boston, Massachusetts, USA destroys baseball stadium and spreads to 170 other buildings.
- 1898 - Birth of August de Schrijver; Belgian politician/founder (CVP).
- 1902 - Birth of Jan Kiepura in Sosnowiec, Poland; vocalist/actor (Her Wonderful Lie).
- 1903 - First transcontinental motorcycle trip begins at San Francisco (George Wymann).
- 1904 - Birth of Hugh Plaxton in Canada; ice hockey player (Olympics-gold-1928).
- 1904 - Birth of Lily Pons; opera singer/actress (That Girl From Paris).
- 1904 - N I Bobrikov, Russian Governor-General in Finland, dies.
- 1905 - Birth of H[erbert] E[rnest] Bates; novelist (Feast for July, Love for Lydia).
- 1905 - Birth of Henry Fonda in Grand Island, Nebraska, USA; actor (Mr Roberts, On Golden Pond) (dies 1982).
- 1906 - Birth of Arturo Uslar Pietri in Venezuela; writer/minister (Lanzas Coloradas).
- 1906 - Birth of Ernie McCormick; cricket player (Australian quickie of late 1930s).
- 1907 - Birth of Robert Tisdall in Ireland; 400m hurdles (Olympics-gold-1932).
- 1908 - Birth of Mohammed Roem; Indonesian foreign minister (Linggadjati).
- 1909 - Birth of Charles Wislon; principal (Glasgow University).
- 1911 - Birth of Margaret Sullavan in Norfolk, Virginia, USA; actress (Back Street).
- 1911 - Remains of a Neanderthal man is found in Jersey, United Kingdom.
- 1911 - Zeppelin Deutscheland wrecks at Dusseldorf, Germany.
- 1912 - Birth of Studs Terkel in New York City, New York, USA; author/host (Stud's Place, Working).
- 1913 - Birth of Woody Herman in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; band leader (Isham Jones' band (1934), Woody Herman Herd (1936) - "Woodchopper's Ball" (1939)).
- 1914 - American Horseshoe Pitchers Association organizes in Kansas City.
- 1916 - Birth of Adriana Caselotti; cartoon voice (Snow White - Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs).
- 1916 - 41st Preakness: Linus McAtee aboard Damrosch wins in 1:54.8.
- 1916 - American forces occupy the capital of the Dominican Republic.
- 1916 - Birth of Bernard Braden in Vancouver, BC, Canada; broadcaster/actor (An Evening At Home With Bernard Braden And Barbara Kelly, The Braden Beat TV show, Sweepstakes Game TV show, All Night Lone, Full Treatment).
- 1916 - Birth of Ephraim Katzir; biophysicist/President (Israel).
- 1917 - Birth of George Gaynes in Helsinki, Finland; actor (Henry - Punky Brewster).
- 1917 - Italy issues the world's first airmail stamps.
- 1918 - Birth of Juan Rulfo; Mexican writer (Pedro Páramo).
- 1918 - Birth of Kevin Skelton; Bishop (Lichfield).
- 1918 - White Mountain National Forest in New Hampshire and Maine is established as a national forest.
- 1919 - Birth of Wladziu Valentino Liberace AKA Liberace AKA Walter Busterkeys AKA Walter Liberace AKA Lee Liberace AKA Liberace Chefroach in West Allis, Wisconsin, USA; pianist (Liberace Show), actor (Evil Chandell - Batman) (dies 1987).
- 1919 - The US Navy aircraft NC-4 commanded by Albert Cushing Read leaves Trepassey, Newfoundland, for Lisbon via the Azores on the first trans-Atlantic flight.
- 1920 - Birth of Martine Carol [Maryse Mopurer] in Saint-Mande, France; actress (Nana).
- 1920 - Joan of Arc (Jeanne d'Arc) canonized a saint in Rome.
- 1920 - Spanish bullfighter Joselito is fatally gored fighting his last bull.
- 1921 - 47th Preakness: F Coltiletti aboard Broomspun wins in 1:54.2.
- 1921 - Birth of Harry Carey Junior in Saugus, California, USA; actor (She Wore a Yellow Ribbon, Adventures of Spin and Marty, Have Gun Will Travel).
- 1922 - Birth of Russell Wood; treasurer (Queen Elizabeth II).
- 1922 - White Star Line Majestic ocean liner completes 5.5-day maiden voyage.
- 1924 - Birth of Dawda Kairaba Jawara; President (Gambia, 1970-94).
- 1924 - Birth of Frank F Mankiewicz in New York City, New York, USA; columnist (Perfectly Clear).
- 1925 - First network radiocast (WHAS) of Kentucky Derby.
- 1925 - 51st Kentucky Derby: Earl Sande aboard Flying Ebony wins in 2:07.6.
- 1926 - Mehmed VI Vahideddin (Mohammed Osman), last sultan of Turkey (1918-22), dies.
- 1927 - New York Yankees' player Bob Meusel steals second, third and home.
- 1927 - US Supreme Court rules bootleggers must pay income tax.
- 1928 - Birth of Billy Martin; baseball second baseman/manager (New York Yankees, Oakland Athletics).
- 1928 - Birth of Reginald Askew; dean (King's College, London).
- 1929 - The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences hands out its first awards, at a dinner party held in the Roosevelt Hotel in Hollywood, California. Host of the ceremony is actor Douglas Fairbanks, Sr.
- Best Picture: Wings, by William Wellman;
- Best Actor: Emil Jannings, for The Way of All Flesh and The Last Command;
- Best Actress: Janet Gaynor, for The Last Command, Seventh Heaven, Street Angel, and Sunrise;
- Special honorary award: Charlie Chaplin.
- 1929 - Birth of Adrienne Cecile Rich in Baltimore, Maryland, USA; feminist writer (Diamond Cutters).
- 1929 - Birth of John Conyers Junior; American politician (Representative-Democrat-Michigan, 1965-).
- 1930 - 6th Walker Cup: US 10-Great Britain/Ireland 2.
- 1930 - Birth of Desmond Langley; Governor (Bermuda).
- 1930 - Birth of Friedrich Gulda; Austrian pianist/composer (Hangman's Songs).
- 1930 - Birth of Betty Carter AKA Lillie Mae Jones in Flint, Michigan, USA; jazz singer (album "Look What I Got!" (1988 Grammy award)).
- 1931 - 57th Kentucky Derby: Charley Kurtsinger on Twenty Grand wins in 2:01.8.
- 1931 - Birth of Donald James Martino in Plainfield, New Jersey, USA; composer (Noturnno - Pulitzer 1974).
- 1931 - Birth of Jack Dodson in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; actor (Howard Sprage - Andy Griffith Show).
- 1931 - Birth of Lowell P Weicker; American politician (Senator-Republican-Connecticut, 1971-88/Governor-Democrat-Connecticut).
- 1932 - Birth of Isaac "Redd" Holt; American drummer (Young-Holt Unlimited - "In Crowd").
- 1932 - New York Yankees' fourth straight shutout to equal record set by Cleveland Indians and Boston Braves.
- 1933 - Cecil Travis becomes first player to get five hits in his first game.
- 1934 - Birth of Anthony Walker; commandant (Royal College of Defense Studies).
- 1934 - Birth of Nicholas Goodison; CEO (TSB Group).
- 1935 - Czechoslovakia and the Soviet Union sign a five-year Treaty of Mutual Assistance.
- 1936 - 62nd Preakness: George Woolf aboard Bold Venture wins in 1:59.
- 1936 - Birth of Philippe de Montebello in Paris, France; art exhibitionist (Treasures of Tut).
- 1936 - Birth of Roy Hudd; comedian (Blood Beast Terror, Vampire Beast Craves Blood).
- 1937 - Birth of James Hunt Junior; American politician (Governor-North Carolina).
- 1937 - Birth of Yvonne Craig in Taylorville, Illinois, USA; actress (Batgirl - Batman TV show, Kissin Cousin).
- 1938 - First animal breeding society forms (New Jersey).
- 1938 - 38 die in Terminal Hotel fire (Atlanta, Georgia, USA).
- 1938 - Birth of Anthony Walker; commandant (Royal College of Defense Studies).
- 1938 - Birth of Stuart Bell; British Member of Parliament.
- 1938 - In cricket, Donald Bradman scores 278 Australia versus MCC, 349 minutes, 35 fours 1 six.
- 1939 - First American League night game, Philadelphia Shribe Park (Cleveland Indians 8, Philadelphia Athletics 3 in 10 innings).
- 1939 - Food stamps are first issued.
- 1940 - Birth of Bernardo Bertolucci in Parma, Italy; film director (1900, Last Emperor).
- 1940 - Birth of Gareth Roberts; chancellor (Sheffield University).
- 1940 - Germans forbid non-professional auto workers.
- 1940 - German troops enter The Hague and Amsterdam, Netherlands.
- 1941 - First US/radio performance of Bennett's "Symphony in D for the Dodgers".
- 1941 - Italian army under Aosta surrenders to Britain at Amba Alagi, Ethiopia.
- 1941 - Last great German air attack on Great Britain (Birmingham).
- 1941 - Germans forbid Dutch Organization of Actors (NOT).
- 1942 - First transport of British/Dutch prisoners to South Burma.
- 1943 - Birth of Dan Coats; American politician (Representative-Republican-Indiana, 1981-).
- 1943 - Birth of Jon Jost; director (All the Vermeers in New York).
- 1943 - German troops destroy synagogue of Warsaw.
- 1943 - Jewish resistance in Warsaw ghetto of Poland is crushed.
- 1943 - Nine British Lancaster bombers fitted with dam-busting mines take off from Scampton, England, headed for the Möhne and Eder dams in Germany. After four unsuccessful tries, the fifth plane succeeds in breaching the Möhne dam. Six planes with three bombs head over to the Eder dam. The third hit breaches the dam 30 feet below the top. Five planes return to home base. Two more waves of bombers attack other dams, causing a small breach in the Sorpe dam. In total, 19 aircraft take off, and 11 return. 34 awards are given out. Extensive damage is done by the flooding and loss of hydroelectric power. 1000 houses are destroyed or damaged, 125 factories destroyed/damaged, 1294 people killed, 2822 hectares of farmland ruined, 6316 animals killed, 35 road bridges destroyed/damaged, etc. Germans add more defenses to other dams. Manpower is diverted from the West Wall to repair the dams.
- 1944 - First of 180,000+ Hungarian Jews reach Auschwitz.
- 1944 - Birth of Billy Cobham in Panamá; jazz artist ("Same Ole Love").
- 1944 - George Ade, US novelist/playwright (Counsel Widow), dies at age 78.
- 1945 - Birth of Brewster H Shaw Junior in Cass City, Michigan, USA; Colonel US Air Force/astronaut (STS-9, STS 61B, STS-28).
- 1945 - Birth of James Moran; American politician (Representative-Democrat-Virginia).
- 1945 - Birth of Nicky Chinn; English songwriter/producer (Chinn and Chapman).
- 1945 - Violent battles around Sugar Loaf/Half Moon Okinawa, Japan.
- 1946 - Birth of Roger Earl; rocker (Foghat - "Slow Ride").
- 1946 - In Santa Ana, Nuevo Leon, a meteorite destroys many houses, injuring 28 people.
- 1946 - Musical Annie Get Your Gun starring Ethel Merman premieres in New York City.
- 1947 - Birth of Barbara Lee in New York City, New York, USA; singer (The Chiffons - "He's So Fine" (1963)).
- 1947 - Birth of Bill Smitrovich; actor (Crime Story, Miami Vice, Without a Trace, The Practice, Life Goes On).
- 1948 - Botvinnik wins 5-player tournament to determine world chess champion.
- 1948 - CBS news correspondent George Polk's body is found in Greece.
- 1948 - Chaim Weizmann elected Chairman of Provisional State Council (President of Israel).
- 1948 - Egyptians enter the Gaza.
- 1948 - Israel issues its first postage stamps, depicting coins.
- 1949 - Birth of Rick Reuschel; pitcher (New York Yankees).
- 1949 - Birth of William Sputnik Spooner; rock guitarist (Grateful Dead, Tubes).
- 1950 - Birth of Jock Bartley; rocker (Firefall).
- 1950 - Birth of Johannes Bednorz; German superconductivity physicist (Nobel Prize 1987).
- 1951 - El Al Israel Airlines begins the first regularly scheduled transatlantic flights between New York and London.
- 1951 - Birth of Jonathan Richman; rocker (Modern Lovers - "New England", "Egyptian Reggae").
- 1952 - Alec Hearne, cricket player (scored 9 in Test for England vs South Africa 1892), dies.
- 1953 - Birth of Pierce Brosnan in Drogheda, County Louth, Ireland; actor (Remington Steele, Dante's Peak, The Thomas Crown Affair, James Bond - Golden Eye, Tomorrow Never Dies, The World Is Not Enough, Die Another Day).
- 1953 - Birth of David Maclean; British minister of state.
- 1953 - Birth of Richard Page in Los Angeles, California, USA; rocker (Mr Mister).
- 1953 - Birth of Rick Rhoden; pitcher (New York Yankees).
- 1953 - Philadelphia Phillies' pitcher Curt Simmons gives up a single, then retires next 27 in a row.
- 1954 - Babe Didrikson-Zaharias wins LPGA National Capital Golf Open.
- 1954 - Birth of Janet Maw; actress (Sparrow, King John, Mayor of Casterbridge).
- 1954 - Birth of [Dafydd] Rhys Williams in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada; MD/astronaut (STS 90).
- 1954 - Clemens Krauss, Austrian conductor (Vienna State Opera), dies at age 61.
- 1954 - Ted Williams gets eight hits in first game (designated hitter) since breaking collarbone.
- 1955 - Birth of Debra Winger in Columbus, Ohio, USA; actress (An Officer and a Gentleman, Sometimes in April, Dawn Anna, Saturday Night Live).
- 1955 - Birth of Hazel O'Connor in Coventry, England; singer/actress (Breaking Glass).
- 1955 - Birth of Jack Morris in Saint Paul, Minnesota, USA; pitcher (Detroit Tigers).
- 1955 - Birth of Olga Korbut in Grodno, Belorussia; gymnast (Olympics-2 gold-1972).
- 1955 - Heavyweight Rocky Marciano knocks out Don Cockell in 9 rounds (San Francisco) for heavyweight boxing title.
- 1955 - James Agee, US critic/writer (Death in Family), dies in New York.
- 1955 - Ray Lindwall scores his second Test Cricket century 118 at Bridgetown.
- 1956 - Egypt recognizes People's Republic of China.
- 1956 - Great Britain performs nuclear test at Monte Bello Island, Australia.
- 1956 - Laker takes 10-88 for Surrey versus Australia at the Oval.
- 1957 - Birth of Joan Benoit Samuelson in Cape Elizabeth, Maine, USA; marathon runner (Olympics-gold-1984).
- 1957 - Major Irwin, US Air Force flies a Lockheed Starfighter to a record 1,404.18 MPH.
- 1957 - Pope Pius XII publishes encyclical Invicti Athletae.
- 1957 - US launches its third atomic submarine, USS Skate, at Groton, Connecticut.
- 1957 - New York Yankees involved in Copacabana Incident, leads to Billy Martin trade.
- 1958 - Birth of Glenn Gregory; rock vocalist (Heaven 17 - "Electric Dreams").
- 1958 - Eli Beeding experiences 83 G deceleration on a rocket sled, New Mexico, USA.
- 1959 - 85th Preakness: William Harmatz aboard Royal Orbit wins in 1:57.
- 1959 - Birth of Bob Patterson in Jacksonville, Florida, USA; pitcher (Chicago Cubs).
- 1959 - Birth of Mare Winningham in Phoenix, Arizona, USA; actress (Saint Elmo's Fire, Turner and Hooch, Grey's Anatomy, Clubhouse).
- 1959 - Birth of Ty Armstrong in Waxahachie, Texas, USA; Nike golfer (1993 Anheuser-Busch-19th).
- 1960 - Big four summit in Paris, France collapses as USSR levels spy charges against USA.
- 1960 - Birth of Anne Parillaud in Paris, France; actress (Subway, Nikita, Innocent Blood).
- 1960 - Theodore Maiman operates the first optical laser in Malibu, California, USA.
- 1961 - In Hollywood, California, the 13th Annual Emmy Awards are presented, hosted by Dick Powell and Joey Bishop.
- Outstanding Achievement in Art Direction and Scenic Design: John J. Lloyd for Checkmate
- Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography for Television: The Twilight Zone
- Outstanding Achievement in Electronic Camerawork: Red-EO-Tape Mobile Unit for The Bell Telephone Hour
- Outstanding Achievement in Film Editing for Television: Harry Coswick, Aaron Nibley, and Milton Shifman for Naked City
- Outstanding Achievement in the Field of Children's Programming: Young People's Concerts: Aaron Copland Birthday Party
- Outstanding Achievement in the Field of Music for Television: Leonard Bernstein for Leonard Bernstein and the New York Philharmonic
- Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Comedy: Sheldon Leonard for Make Room for Daddy
- Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Drama: George Schaefer for Macbeth
- Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Series (Lead): Raymond Burr for Perry Mason
- Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Series (Lead): Barbara Stanwyck for The Barbara Stanwyck Show
- Outstanding Performance in a Supporting Role by an Actor or Actress in a Series: Don Knotts for The Andy Griffith Show
- Outstanding Performance in a Supporting Role by an Actor or Actress in a Single Program: Roddy McDowall for Sunday Showcase
- Outstanding Performance in a Variety or Musical Program or Series: Dinah Shore for The Dinah Shore Show
- Outstanding Program Achievement in the Field of Drama: Macbeth
- Outstanding Program Achievement in the Field of Humor: The Jack Benny Program
- Outstanding Program Achievement in the Field of News: The Huntley-Brinkley Report
- Outstanding Program Achievement in the Field of Public Service: The Twentieth Century
- Outstanding Program Achievement in the Field of Variety: Astaire Time
- Outstanding Single Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role: Maurice Evans for Macbeth
- Outstanding Single Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role: Judith Anderson for Macbeth
- Outstanding Writing Achievement in Comedy: Sherwood Schwartz, Dave O'Brien, Al Schwartz, Martin Ragaway, and Red Skelton for The Red Skelton Show
- Outstanding Writing Achievement in Drama: Rod Serling for The Twilight Zone
- Outstanding Writing Achievement in the Documentary Field: Victor Wolfson for Winston Churchill: The Valiant Years
- The Program of the Year: Macbeth
- 1961 - Birth of Kevin McDonald in Montreal, Quebec, Canada; comedian/actor (Invader ZIM, Lilo & Stitch: The Series).
- 1961 - Birth of Nina Arvesen in White Plains, New York, USA; actress (Cassandra - The Young and the Restless).
- 1962 - Birth of Gary Crocker; cricket player (Zimbabwe Test batsman).
- 1963 - Birth of Jimmy Osmond; rocker (Osmond Brothers).
- 1963 - Gordon Cooper completes 22 orbits in Faith 7, ends US Project Mercury.
- 1964 - Birth of Boyd Tinsley; violinist (The Dave Matthews Band).
- 1964 - 90th Preakness: Bill Hartack aboard Northern Dancer wins in 1:56.8.
- 1964 - Birth of John Salley; NBA star (Detroit Pistons).
- 1964 - USSR performs nuclear test at Eastern Kazakhstan/Semipalitinsk.
- 1964 - Verne Gagne beats Mad Dog Vachon in Omaha, to become NWA champion.
- 1965 - Baltimore Orioles' player Jim Palmer's pitching debut, beats New York Yankees 7-5 and homers.
- 1965 - Birth of Brent Jasmer in Portland, Oregon, USA; actor (Sly - The Bold and the Beautiful).
- 1965 - Birth of Lori Sippel in Stratford, Ontario, Canada; softball pitcher (Olympics-1996).
- 1965 - Bomb destroys US Air Force base Bien Hoa, South Vietnam.
- 1965 - Campbell Soup Company introduces Spaghetti-Os under its Franco-American brand.
- 1965 - Susie Maxwell wins LPGA Muskogee Civitan Golf Open.
- 1966 - Beach Boys' "Pet Sounds" album is released.
- 1966 - Birth of Janet Jackson in Gary, Indiana, USA; singer, Michael Jackson's sister (Control).
- 1966 - Birth of Scott Reeves in Santa Monica, California, USA; actor (Ryan - The Young and the Restless), country singer (Blue County).
- 1966 - Birth of Sean Quilty; Australian marathon runner (Olympics-1996).
- 1966 - Birth of Thurman Thomas; NFL running back (Buffalo Bills).
- 1966 - American National Welfare Rights Organization begins.
- 1966 - Randolph Turpin, boxer, shot dead in his home.
- 1966 - Mao Zedong approves a secret circular declaring war on "representatives of the bourgeoisie" who had "sneaked into the Communist Party, the government, the army, and various spheres of culture". The Cultural Revolution.
- 1967 - Birth of Brian F. O'Byrne; actor (Oz, Alexander Hamilton).
- 1967 - Philadelphia voters approve a US$13 million bond issue to build a new stadium.
- 1968 - Birth of Ralph Tresvant in Boston, Massachusetts, USA; singer (New Editon).
- 1968 - In Honshu, Japan, a magnitude 8.2 earthquake occurs. Forty-seven people killed, 281 injured, and $131 million property damage sustained. The port city of Hachinohe incurs the greatest damage. A tsunami inundates low-lying areas and washes ashore or sinks 95 ships.
- 1969 - Birth of David Boreanaz; actor (Bones, Buffy the Vampire Slayer).
- 1969 - Birth of Yannick Bisson in Montreal, Quebec, Canada; actor (Sue Thomas F.B. Eye, Soul Food, Undergrads).
- 1969 - Birth of Marcel Schewe; cricket player (Holland wicket-keeper 1996 World Cup).
- 1969 - Birth of Steven Earl Lewis in Los Angeles, California, USA; 4X100/400 metre runner (Olympics-gold-1988).
- 1969 - Birth of Tracey Gold in New York City, New York, USA; actress (Carol - Growing Pains, Incredible Sunday, Final Approach).
- 1969 - Birth of Tricia Cast; actress (Nina - The Young and the Restless).
- 1969 - Johnny Jordan, cameraman (You Only Live Twice), dies at age 44.
- 1969 - Protesting students occupy Magden House, Amsterdam, Netherlands.
- 1969 - US submarine Guitarro sinks at the pier at San Francisco Bay Naval Shipyard, Vallejo, California.
- 1969 - USSR performs nuclear Test at Eastern Kazakhstan/Semipalitinsk.
- 1969 - Soviet spaceprobe Venera 5 lands on Venus, returns data on atmosphere.
- 1970 - 96th Preakness: Eddie Belmonte aboard Personality wins in 1:56.2.
- 1970 - Birth of Eric Lynch; NFL running back (Detroit Lions).
- 1970 - Birth of Gabriela Sabatini in Argentina; tennis player (Olympics-silver-1988).
- 1971 - US first class domestic letter postage now costs 8 cents per ounce (was 6 cents).
- 1971 - Birth of Khari Jones; Canadian Football League/WLAF quarterback (British Columbia Lions, Scottish Claymores).
- 1971 - Bulgaria adopts its constitution.
- 1972 - Birth of Keith Burns; NFL linebacker (Denver Broncos-Superbowl 32).
- 1972 - Birth of Matthew Hart; cricket player (New Zealand lefty spinner 1994-).
- 1972 - Greg Luzinski's 500-foot homerun hits the Liberty Bell monument in Philadelphia's Veteran Stadium.
- 1972 - Jane Blalock wins LPGA Suzuki Golf Internationale.
- 1973 - Birth of Victoria Davey Spelling in Los Angeles, California, USA; actress (Donna - Beverly Hills 90210, The Help).
- 1973 - ABC Masters Bowling Tournament won by Dave Soutar.
- 1973 - AC Milan wins 13th Europe Cup II in Saloniki.
- 1974 - Birth of Conal Groom in Northford, Connecticut, USA; rower (Olympics-1996).
- 1974 - Birth of Keith Thibodeaux; cornerback (Washington Redskins).
- 1974 - Helmut Schmidt is elected German Chancellor after Willy Brandt resigns due to the spy in his office. Hans-Dietrich Genscher (FDP) becomes vice chancellor and foreign minister.
- 1974 - USSR performs nuclear Test at Eastern Kazakhstan/Semipalitinsk.
- 1975 - India annexes Principality of Sikkim.
- 1975 - Michael X [Abdul Malik] is hanged in Trinidad for murder.
- 1975 - Muhammad Ali TKOs Ron Lyle in 11 rounds for heavyweight boxing title.
- 1976 - Stanley Cup: Montreal Canadiens sweep Philadelphia Flyers in four games.
- 1976 - Sue Roberts wins LPGA American Defender Golf Classic.
- 1977 - Birth of Melanie Lynskey; actress (Two and a Half Men, Drive).
- 1977 - Five die as New York Airway helicopter topples on the Pan Am Building in New York City.
- 1977 - Muhammad Ali beats Alfredo Evangelist in 15 round for heavyweight boxing title.
- 1978 - Birth of Vincent Larusso in Livingston, New Jersey; actor (Adam - Mighty Ducks, D2, D3).
- 1978 - Death of William Steinberg in New York; conductor of Pittsburg Symphony from 1952 to 1976, Prague Opera and the Frankfurt Opera.
- 1979 - Asa Philip Randolph, American labor leader and civil rights pioneer, dies at age 90 (born 1889).
- 1979 - Birth of Evan Ferrante; actor (Owen - Swan's Crossing).
- 1979 - FC Barcelona wins 19th Europe Cup II in Basel, Switzerland.
- 1979 - National League approves Houston Astros sale from Ford Motors to John J McMullen for US$19 million.
- 1980 - 34th NBA Championship: Los Angeles Lakers beat Philadelphia 76ers, 4 games to 2.
- 1981 - Birth of Jessica Ponzo; Miss New Jersey Teen USA (1996).
- 1981 - Houston Astros' Craig Reynolds hits three triples beating Chicago Cubs 6-1.
- 1981 - 107th Preakness: Jorge Velasquez aboard Pleasant Colony wins in 1:54.6.
- 1981 - Death of Ernie Freeman at age 58 of a heart attack; pianist ("Raunchy" (1957)), arranger, and producer (Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Connie Francis).
- 1982 - Kathy Whitworth wins LPGA Lady Michelob Golf Tournament.
- 1982 - Salvador Jorge Blanco wins presidential election in Dominican Republic.
- 1983 - New South Wales Premier Neville Wran steps down, in response to allegations raised by ABC program Four Corners that he attempted to influence the NSW Magistracy.
- 1983 - London, England, police begin the use of wheel clamps on illegally-parked vehicles.
- 1983 - Lebanese parliament accepts peace accord with Israel.
- 1984 - Death of Andy Kaufman at age 35 of lung cancer; comedian (Latka Gravas - Taxi TV show, 15-time guest on Saturday Night Live TV show).
- 1984 - Guinea-Bissau adopts constitution.
- 1984 - Irwin Shaw, American writer (Rich Man, Poor Man), dies at age 71 (born 1913).
- 1984 - Juventus wins 24th Europe Cup II in Basel, Switzerland.
- 1984 - Mackay pays US$218,718 for 44,166 tickets to keep Minnesota Twins in Minnesota; Twins sell 51,863 tickets but only 6,346 fans show up for the game.
- 1984 - Philadelphia Phillies' pitcher Steve Carlton hits a grand slam homer.
- 1984 - US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site.
- 1985 - Death of Margaret Hamilton at age 82 from a heart attack; actress (Wicked Witch - The Wizard of Oz movie, Lou Grant TV show, Studio One TV show, US Steel Hour TV show, Hallmark Hall of Fame TV show, Playhouse 90 TV show, Mister Rogers' Neighborhood TV show, As The World Turns TV show).
- 1985 - Michael Jordan named NBA Rookie of Year.
- 1986 - Birth of Megan Fox; American actress (Hope and Fath, Ocean Ave).
- 1986 - Paramount releases the film Top Gun to theaters.
- 1986 - Joaquín Balaguers PRSC wins Dominican Republic parliamentary election.
- 1986 - South African President P W Botha sends Coetsee to visit Mandela.
- 1986 - The Seville Statement on Violence is adopted by an international meeting of scientists, convened by the Spanish National Commission for UNESCO, in Seville, Spain.
- 1987 - Bobro 400, a barge carrying 3,200 tons of garbage, sets sail from New York, beginning an unsuccesful eight-week search for a dumping site.
- 1987 - 113th Preakness: Chris McCarron aboard Alysheba wins in 1:55.8.
- 1987 - ABC airs the last episode of The Wuzzles.
- 1988 - Kay Baxter, Best Bodybuilder in the World (1983-85), dies in car crash at age 42.
- 1988 - Louise Wood, director of Girl Scouts of USA (1961-72), dies at age 78.
- 1988 - US Surgeon General C Everett Koop reports nicotine as addictive as heroin.
- 1988 - US Supreme Court rules trash may be searched without a warrant.
- 1989 - Hassan Khaled, sheik of Lebanon, is murdered.
- 1989 - Soviet President Mikhail S Gorbachev and Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping end a 30-year rift when they formally meet in Beijing.
- 1990 - Birth of Marc John Jefferies; actor (Fatherhood, Tracy Morgan Show).
- 1990 - Dominican Republic President Joaquín Ricardo Balaguer re-elected.
- 1990 - Death of Jim Henson at age 53 of pneumonia; American puppeteer and filmmaker (Sesame Street TV show, The Muppet Show TV show).
- 1990 - Juventus wins 19th UEFA Cup in Avellino.
- 1990 - Death of Sammy Davis Junior at age 64 of throat cancer in Los Angeles, California, USA; dancer, actor (Mr. Wonderful Broadway play (1956), Golden Boy Broadway play (1966), Sportin' Life - Porgy and Bess movie (1959)), singer ("I've Gotta Be Me" (1969), "The Candy Man" (1972), "What Kind of Fool Am I", "Hey There", "Something's Gotta Give", "That Old Black Magic", "Mr. Wonderful", "Too Close for Comfort").
- 1991 - Queen Elizabeth II becomes first British monarch to address US congress.
- 1992 - 118th Preakness: Chris McCarron aboard Pine Bluff wins in 1:55.6.
- 1992 - Marisa Mell, actress (Hostages), dies of cancer at age 53.
- 1992 - US polls show presidential candidates Ross Perot, George Bush, and Bill Clinton could be in a deadlock.
- 1992 - US space shuttle STS-49 lands (maiden voyage of Endeavour).
- 1993 - Farmer Sugeng finds 1.2 million-year-old Pithecanthropus IX skull.
- 1993 - Laura Davies wins LPGA McDonald's Golf Championship.
- 1993 - Death of Marv Johnson at age 54 of a stroke at a concert in Columbia, South Carolina, USA; singer ("Come to Me" (1959), "You Got What it Takes").
- 1993 - Süleyman Demirel elected President of Turkey.
- 1994 - Alain Cuny, actor (Lovers, Emanuelle, Camille Claudel), dies.
- 1994 - Joaquín Balaguer (86), elected President of Dominican Republic.
- 1994 - Tennis star Jennifer Capriati arrested on possession of marijuana.
- 1994 - Vasek Simek, Czechoslovakia/American actor (Green Card, Mistress), dies at age 66.
- 1995 - Japanese police arrest cult leader Shoko Asahara and charged him with nerve-gas attack on Tokyo's subways two months earlier.
- 1995 - In Loyalty Islands region of the south Pacific, a magnitude 7.7 earthquake occurs.
- 1995 - The final episode of TV show In the Heat of the Night airs.
- 1995 - Death of Lola Flores at age 70; singer/actress (Kuma Ching, Faraona).
- 1995 - Jacques Chirac assumes the presidency of France.
- 1996 - Edward McInnes, German scholar, dies at age 60.
- 1996 - Mike Jeremy Boorda, Chief of Naval Operations (US Navy), commits suicide at age 57.
- 1996 - Pierre Debizet, resistance fighter/special agent, dies at age 72.
- 1996 - Sammy Sosa is first Chicago Cubs player to hit two homeruns in one inning.
- 1997 - Atlanta Braves beat Saint Louis Cardinals, 1-0 in 13 innings.
- 1997 - Brook Mehealani Lee, 26, of US crowned 46th Miss Universe.
- 1997 - Brandi Sherwood, (Idaho) replaces Brook Lee (Miss Universe) as Miss USA.
- 1997 - Montreal Expos trailing San Francisco Giants by nine runs comeback to win 14-13.
- 1997 - Saint Louis Cardinals' player Gary Gaetti records his 2,000th hit.
- 1997 - U.S. President Bill Clinton issues a formal apology to the surviving victims of the Tuskegee Study of Untreated Syphilis in the Negro Male and their families, 25 years after the 40-year "study" was exposed by reporter Jean Heller.
- 1997 - The final episode of US TV show Baywatch Nights airs.
- 1998 - First Global Street Party, with events in Czech Republic, Netherlands, Finland, Germany, USA, Australia, Canada, Switzerland, England. Total of 30 Reclaim The Streets events are held in 20 countries, on sections of public roads, by hundreds or thousands of people.
- 1998 - 124th Preakness: Kent Desormeaux on Real Quiet wins in 1:54.8.
- 2001 - In Germany, Cardinal Karl Lehmann is honored on his 65th birthday for his contributions to cooperation between the Church, society and the state.
- 2001 - DreamWorks releases the film Shrek to theaters.
- 2002 - Fox releases the film Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones to theaters.
- 2003 - In Casablanca, Morocco, 33 civilians are killed and more than 100 injured in the Casablanca terrorist attacks.
- 2004 - A coup d'état in Chad against the President Idriss Déby fails.
- 2004 - The "We Are the Future" concert takes place in Rome, organized by Quincy Jones in partnership with the Glocal Forum.
- 2004 - Death of June Taylor at age 85; choreographer (Jackie Gleason Show TV show).
- 2005 - CBS airs the final episode of TV show Everybody Loves Raymond.
- 2005 - George Galloway appears before a U.S. Senate committee, to answer allegations of making money from the Iraqi Oil-for-Food Programme.
- 2006 - Houston Astros pitcher Russ Springer strikes the San Francisco Giants player Barry Bonds on the shoulder with his fifth pitch. He is suspended for four games for his action. Bonds needs just one home run to equal Babe Ruth's career home run mark.
- 2006 - For the fourth time New York Yankees history, the team overcomes a nine-run deficit defeating the Texas Rangers at the Stadium, 14-13.
- 2006 - Nintendo releases the New Super Mario Bros. video game for the Nintendo DS in the USA.
- 2007 - Nicolas Sarkozy officially becomes President of the French Republic after taking over from Jacques Chirac.
- 2007 - Sony reports its games division lost US$1.9 billion during the fiscal year.
- 2008 - In Quebec City, Quebec, Canada, the semifinals of the men's world hockey tournament is held. Russia defeats Finland 4-0, advancing to the final on May 18.
- 2008 - In Quebec City, Quebec, Canada, the semifinals of the men's world hockey tournament is held. Canada beats Sweden 5-4 to advance to the final against Russia.
- 2009 - In Baltimore, Maryland, USA, the 134th running of the Preakness Stakes is held. The philly Rachel Alexandra wins, ridden by Calvin Borel, the first win for a philly since 1924.
- 2009 - General election in India: Congress alliance with president Sonia Gandhi and prime minister Manmohan Singh win re-election.
- 2010 - England wins the World Twenty20 cricket World Cup championships, beating Australia by seven wickets in the final in Barbados.
- 2010 - Rafael Nadal of Spain wins a record 18th men's Masters tennis title by beating Roger Federer 6-4, 7-6 (5) in the Madrid Open final.
- 2010 - Aravane Rezai of France upsets American Venus Williams 6-2, 7-5 to win her 3rd women's Masters tennis title in the Madrid Open final.
- 2010 - American brothers Bob and Mike Bryan defeat Toronto's Daniel Nestor and partner Nenad Zimonjic of Serbia fell 6-3, 6-4 to win their 61st career doubles title at the Madrid Open final.
- 2011 - The European Union agree to a 78-billion euro rescue deal for Portugal. The bailout loan will be equally split between the European Financial Stabilisation Mechanism, the European Financial Stability Facility, and the International Monetary Fund.
- 2013 - Death of Heinrich Rohrer at age 79; Swiss co-inventor of Scanning Tunnelling Microscope (nanotechnology).
- 2018 - The Yang di-Pertuan Agong, Sultan Muhammad V, pardons Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim who is immediately released.
- 2020 - Félicien Kabuga, a Rwandan businessman responsible for supporting the Rwandan genocide, is arrested in Asnières-sur-Seine, France, after 26 years as a fugitive.
- 2020 - Bundesliga becomes the first major sports league to resume its season since March 11.
- 2022 - McDonald's announces it is closing and selling close to 850 locations in Russia.
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