1774

  • June 4 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day

    • 1411 – King Charles VI granted a monopoly for the ripening of Roquefort cheese to the people of Roquefort-sur-Soulzon as they had been doing for centuries.
    • 1561 – The steeple of St Paul’s, the medieval cathedral of London, is destroyed in a fire caused by lightning and is never rebuilt.
    • 1615 – Siege of Osaka: Forces under Tokugawa Ieyasu take Osaka Castle in Japan.
    • 1745 – Battle of Hohenfriedberg: Frederick the Great’s Prussian army decisively defeated an Austrian army under Prince Charles Alexander of Lorraine during the War of the Austrian Succession.
    • 1760 – Great Upheaval: New England planters arrive to claim land in Nova Scotia, Canada, taken from the Acadians.
    • 1783 – The Montgolfier brothers publicly demonstrate their montgolfière (hot air balloon).
    • 1784 – Élisabeth Thible becomes the first woman to fly in an untethered hot air balloon. Her flight covers four kilometres in 45 minutes, and reached 1,500 metres altitude (estimated).
    • 1792 – Captain George Vancouver claims Puget Sound for the Kingdom of Great Britain.
    • 1802 – King Charles Emmanuel IV of Sardinia abdicates his throne in favor of his brother, Victor Emmanuel.
    • 1812 – Following Louisiana’s admittance as a U.S. state, the Louisiana Territory is renamed the Missouri Territory.
    • 1825 – General Lafayette, a French officer in the American Revolutionary War, speaks at what would become Lafayette Square, Buffalo, during his visit to the United States.
    • 1855 – Major Henry C. Wayne departs New York aboard the USS Supply to procure camels to establish the U.S. Camel Corps.
    • 1859 – Italian Independence wars: In the Battle of Magenta, the French army, under Louis-Napoleon, defeat the Austrian army.
    • 1862 – American Civil War: Confederate troops evacuate Fort Pillow on the Mississippi River, leaving the way clear for Union troops to take Memphis, Tennessee.
    • 1876 – An express train called the Transcontinental Express arrives in San Francisco, via the First Transcontinental Railroad only 83 hours and 39 minutes after leaving New York City.
    • 1878 – Cyprus Convention: The Ottoman Empire cedes Cyprus to the United Kingdom but retains nominal title.
    • 1896 – Henry Ford completes the Ford Quadricycle, his first gasoline-powered automobile, and gives it a successful test run.
    • 1912 – Massachusetts becomes the first state of the United States to set a minimum wage.
    • 1913 – Emily Davison, a suffragette, runs out in front of King George V’s horse at The Derby. She is trampled, never regains consciousness, and dies four days later.
    • 1916 – World War I: Russia opens the Brusilov Offensive with an artillery barrage of Austro-Hungarian lines in Galicia.
    • 1917 – The first Pulitzer Prizes are awarded: Laura E. Richards, Maude H. Elliott, and Florence Hall receive the first Pulitzer for biography (for Julia Ward Howe). Jean Jules Jusserand receives the first Pulitzer for history for his work With Americans of Past and Present Days. Herbert B. Swope receives the first Pulitzer for journalism for his work for the New York World.
    • 1919 – Women’s rights: The U.S. Congress approves the 19th Amendment to the United States Constitution, which guarantees suffrage to women, and sends it to the U.S. states for ratification.
    • 1920 – Hungary loses 71% of its territory and 63% of its population when the Treaty of Trianon is signed in Paris.
    • 1928 – The President of the Republic of China, Zhang Zuolin, is assassinated by Japanese agents.
    • 1932 – Marmaduke Grove and other Chilean military officers lead a coup d’état establishing the short-lived Socialist Republic of Chile.
    • 1939 – The Holocaust: The MS St. Louis, a ship carrying 963 Jewish refugees, is denied permission to land in Florida, in the United States, after already being turned away from Cuba. Forced to return to Europe, more than 200 of its passengers later die in Nazi concentration camps.
    • 1940 – World War II: The Dunkirk evacuation ends: British forces complete evacuation of 338,000 troops from Dunkirk in France. To rally the morale of the country, Winston Churchill delivers, only to the House of Commons, his famous “We shall fight on the beaches” speech.
    • 1942 – World War II: The Battle of Midway begins. The Japanese Admiral Chūichi Nagumo orders a strike on Midway Island by much of the Imperial Japanese Navy.
    • 1943 – A military coup in Argentina ousts Ramón Castillo.
    • 1944 – World War II: A hunter-killer group of the United States Navy captures the German submarine U-505: The first time a U.S. Navy vessel had captured an enemy vessel at sea since the 19th century.
    • 1944 – World War II: The United States Fifth Army captures Rome, although much of the German Fourteenth Army is able to withdraw to the north.
    • 1961 – Cold War: In the Vienna summit, the Soviet premier Nikita Khrushchev sparks the Berlin Crisis by threatening to sign a separate peace treaty with East Germany and ending American, British and French access to East Berlin.
    • 1967 – Seventy-two people are killed when a Canadair C-4 Argonaut crashes at Stockport in England.
    • 1970 – Tonga gains independence from the United Kingdom.
    • 1975 – The Governor of California Jerry Brown signs the California Agricultural Labor Relations Act into law, the first law in the U.S. giving farmworkers collective bargaining rights.
    • 1979 – Flight Lieutenant Jerry Rawlings takes power in Ghana after a military coup in which General Fred Akuffo is overthrown.
    • 1983 – Gordon Kahl, who killed two US Marshals in Medina, North Dakota on February 13, is killed in a shootout in Smithville, Arkansas, along with a local sheriff, after a four-month manhunt.
    • 1986 – Jonathan Pollard pleads guilty to espionage for selling top secret United States military intelligence to Israel.
    • 1988 – Three cars on a train carrying hexogen to Kazakhstan explode in Arzamas, Gorky Oblast, USSR, killing 91 and injuring about 1,500.
    • 1989 – Ali Khamenei is elected as the new Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran by the Assembly of Experts after the death and funeral of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.
    • 1989 – The Tiananmen Square protests are suppressed in Beijing by the People’s Liberation Army, with between 241 and 1,000 dead (an unofficial estimate).
    • 1989 – Solidarity’s victory in the first (somewhat) free parliamentary elections in post-war Poland sparks off a succession of peaceful anti-communist revolutions in Eastern Europe, leads to the creation of the so-called Contract Sejm and begins the Autumn of Nations.
    • 1989 – Ufa train disaster: A natural gas explosion near Ufa, Russia, kills 575 as two trains passing each other throw sparks near a leaky pipeline.
    • 1996 – The first flight of Ariane 5 explodes after roughly 37 seconds. It was a Cluster mission.
    • 1998 – Terry Nichols is sentenced to life in prison for his role in the Oklahoma City bombing.
    • 2010 – Falcon 9 Flight 1 is the maiden flight of the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, which launches from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station Space Launch Complex 40.

    Births on June 4

    • 1394 – Philippa of England, Queen of Denmark, Norway and Sweden (d. 1430)
    • 1489 – Antoine, Duke of Lorraine (d. 1544)
    • 1563 – George Heriot, Scottish goldsmith (d. 1624)
    • 1604 – Claudia de’ Medici, Italian daughter of Christina of Lorraine (d. 1648)
    • 1665 – Zacharie Robutel de La Noue, Canadian captain (d. 1733)
    • 1694 – François Quesnay, French economist and physician (d. 1774)
    • 1704 – Benjamin Huntsman, English inventor and businessman (d. 1776)
    • 1738 – George III of the United Kingdom (d. 1820)
    • 1744 – Patrick Ferguson, Scottish soldier, designed the Ferguson rifle (d. 1780)
    • 1754 – Miguel de Azcuénaga, Argentinian soldier (d. 1833)
    • 1754 – Franz Xaver von Zach, Slovak astronomer and academic (d. 1832)
    • 1787 – Constant Prévost, French geologist and academic (d. 1856)
    • 1801 – James Pennethorne, English architect, designed Victoria Park (d. 1871)
    • 1821 – Apollon Maykov, Russian poet and playwright (d. 1897)
    • 1829 – Jinmaku Kyūgorō, Japanese sumo wrestler, the 12th Yokozuna (d. 1903)
    • 1854 – Solko van den Bergh, Dutch target shooter (d. 1916)
    • 1860 – Alexis Lapointe, Canadian runner (d. 1924)
    • 1861 – William Propsting, Australian politician, 20th Premier of Tasmania (d. 1937)
    • 1866 – Miina Sillanpää, Finnish journalist and politician (d. 1952)
    • 1867 – Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim, Finnish general and politician, 6th President of Finland (d. 1951)
    • 1873 – Nictzin Dyalhis, American author (d.1942)
    • 1877 – Heinrich Otto Wieland, German chemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1957)
    • 1879 – Mabel Lucie Attwell, English author and illustrator (d. 1964)
    • 1880 – Clara Blandick, American actress (d. 1962)
    • 1885 – Arturo Rawson, Argentinian general and politician, 26th President of Argentina (d. 1952)
    • 1887 – Tom Longboat, Canadian runner and soldier (d. 1949)
    • 1889 – Beno Gutenberg, German-American seismologist (d. 1960)
    • 1903 – Yevgeny Mravinsky, Russian conductor (d. 1988)
    • 1904 – Bhagat Puran Singh, Indian publisher, environmentalist, and philanthropist (d. 1992)
    • 1907 – Jacques Roumain, Haitian journalist and politician (d. 1944)
    • 1907 – Rosalind Russell, American actress (d. 1976)
    • 1907 – Patience Strong, English poet and journalist (d. 1990)
    • 1910 – Christopher Cockerell, English engineer, invented the hovercraft (d. 1999)
    • 1912 – Robert Jacobsen, Danish sculptor and painter (d. 1993)
    • 1915 – Walter Hadlee, New Zealand cricketer (d. 2006)
    • 1915 – Modibo Keïta, Malian educator and politician, 1st President of Mali (d. 1977)
    • 1915 – Nils Kihlberg, Swedish actor, singer, and director (d. 1965)
    • 1916 – Robert F. Furchgott, American biochemist and pharmacologist, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 2009)
    • 1916 – Fernand Leduc, Canadian painter (d. 2014)
    • 1917 – Robert Merrill, American actor and singer (d. 2004)
    • 1921 – Milan Komar, Slovenian-Argentinian philosopher and academic (d. 2006)
    • 1921 – Bobby Wanzer, American basketball player and coach (d. 2016)
    • 1923 – Elizabeth Jolley, English-Australian author and academic (d. 2007)
    • 1923 – Masutatsu Ōyama, Japanese karateka (d. 1994)
    • 1924 – Tofilau Eti Alesana, Samoan politician, 5th Prime Minister of Samoa (d. 1999)
    • 1924 – Dennis Weaver, American actor and director (d. 2006)
    • 1925 – Antonio Puchades, Spanish footballer (d. 2013)
    • 1926 – Robert Earl Hughes, American who was the heaviest human being recorded in the history of the world during his lifetime (d. 1958)
    • 1926 – Ain Kaalep, Estonian poet, playwright, and critic (d. 2020)
    • 1926 – Judith Malina, German-American actress and director, co-founded The Living Theatre (d. 2015)
    • 1927 – Henning Carlsen, Danish director, producer, and screenwriter (d. 2014)
    • 1927 – Geoffrey Palmer, English actor
    • 1928 – Ruth Westheimer, German-American therapist and author
    • 1929 – Karolos Papoulias, Greek lawyer and politician, 5th President of Greece
    • 1930 – George Chesworth, English air marshal and politician, Lord Lieutenant of Moray (d. 2017)
    • 1930 – Morgana King, American singer and actress (d. 2018)
    • 1930 – Viktor Tikhonov, Russian ice hockey player and coach (d. 2014)
    • 1931 – Gustav Nossal, Austrian-Australian biologist and academic
    • 1932 – John Drew Barrymore, American actor (d. 2004)
    • 1932 – Oliver Nelson, American saxophonist and composer (d. 1975)
    • 1932 – Maurice Shadbolt, New Zealand author and playwright (d. 2004)
    • 1934 – Monica Dacon, Vincentian educator and politician, 6th Governor-General of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
    • 1934 – Daphne Sheldrick, Kenyan-British conservationist and author (d. 2018)
    • 1935 – Colette Boky, Canadian soprano and actress
    • 1935 – Berhanu Dinka, Ethiopian economist and diplomat (d. 2013)
    • 1936 – Vince Camuto, American fashion designer and businessman, co-founded Nine West (d. 2015)
    • 1936 – Bruce Dern, American actor
    • 1937 – Freddy Fender, American singer and guitarist (d. 2006)
    • 1937 – Mortimer Zuckerman, Canadian-American businessman and publisher, founded Boston Properties
    • 1938 – John Harvard, Canadian journalist and politician, 23rd Lieutenant Governor of Manitoba (d. 2016)
    • 1938 – Art Mahaffey, American baseball player
    • 1939 – Jeremy Browne, 11th Marquess of Sligo, Anglo-Irish peer (d. 2014)
    • 1939 – Denis de Belleval, Canadian civil servant and politician
    • 1939 – Henri Pachard, American director and producer (d. 2008)
    • 1939 – George Reid, Scottish journalist and politician, 2nd Presiding Officer of the Scottish Parliament
    • 1940 – Ludwig Schwarz, Slovak-Austrian bishop
    • 1941 – Kenneth G. Ross, Australian playwright and screenwriter
    • 1942 – Louis Reichardt, American mountaineer
    • 1942 – Bill Rowe, Canadian lawyer and politician
    • 1943 – John Burgess, Australian radio and television host
    • 1943 – Sandra Haynie, American golfer
    • 1943 – Tom Jaine, English author
    • 1944 – Roger Ball, Scottish saxophonist and songwriter
    • 1944 – Michelle Phillips, American singer-songwriter and actress
    • 1945 – Anthony Braxton, American saxophonist, clarinet player, and composer
    • 1945 – Daniel Topolski, English rower and coach (d. 2015)
    • 1945 – Gordon Waller, Scottish singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 2009)
    • 1947 – Viktor Klima, Austrian businessman and politician, 25th Chancellor of Austria
    • 1948 – Bob Champion, English jockey
    • 1948 – Sandra Post, Canadian golfer and sportscaster
    • 1948 – Jürgen Sparwasser, German footballer and manager
    • 1949 – Gabriel Arcand, Canadian actor
    • 1949 – Mark B. Cohen, American lawyer and politician
    • 1950 – Raymond Dumais, Canadian bishop (d. 2012)
    • 1951 – Leigh Kennedy, American author
    • 1951 – Bronisław Malinowski, Polish runner (d. 1981)
    • 1951 – Melanie Phillips, English journalist and author
    • 1951 – Wendy Pini, American author and illustrator
    • 1951 – David Yip, English actor and playwright
    • 1952 – Bronisław Komorowski, Polish historian and politician, 5th President of Poland
    • 1952 – Dambudzo Marechera, Zimbabwean author and poet (d. 1987)
    • 1953 – Linda Lingle, American journalist and politician, 6th Governor of Hawaii
    • 1953 – Jimmy McCulloch, Scottish musician and songwriter (d. 1979)
    • 1953 – Susumu Ojima, Japanese businessman, founded Huser
    • 1953 – Paul Samson, English guitarist and producer (d. 2002)
    • 1954 – Raphael Ravenscroft, English saxophonist and composer (d. 2014)
    • 1954 – Kazuhiro Yamaji, Japanese actor and voice actor
    • 1955 – Val McDermid, Scottish author
    • 1955 – Mary Testa, American singer and actress
    • 1956 – Keith David, American actor
    • 1956 – John Hockenberry, American journalist and author
    • 1956 – Terry Kennedy, American baseball player and manager
    • 1956 – Joyce Sidman, American author and poet
    • 1957 – Neil McNab, Scottish footballer
    • 1959 – Juan Camacho, Bolivian runner
    • 1959 – Georgios Voulgarakis, Greek politician, 21st Greek Minister for Culture
    • 1960 – Miloš Đelmaš, Serbian footballer and manager
    • 1960 – Kristine Kathryn Rusch, American author
    • 1960 – Paul Taylor, American guitarist and keyboard player
    • 1960 – Bradley Walsh, English television presenter, comedian, singer and former footballer
    • 1961 – El DeBarge, American singer-songwriter and producer
    • 1961 – Ferenc Gyurcsány, Hungarian businessman and politician, 6th Prime Minister of Hungary
    • 1962 – Krzysztof Hołowczyc, Polish race car driver
    • 1962 – Zenon Jaskuła, Polish cyclist
    • 1962 – John P. Kee, American singer-songwriter and pastor
    • 1962 – Junius Ho, Hong Kong solicitor and politician
    • 1963 – Sean Fitzpatrick, New Zealand rugby union player
    • 1963 – Jim Lachey, American football player and sportscaster
    • 1963 – Xavier McDaniel, American basketball player and coach
    • 1964 – Sean Pertwee, English actor
    • 1964 – Kōji Yamamura, Japanese animator, producer, and screenwriter
    • 1965 – Mick Doohan, Australian motorcycle racer
    • 1965 – Andrea Jaeger, American tennis player and preacher
    • 1966 – Cecilia Bartoli, Italian soprano and actress
    • 1966 – Vladimir Voevodsky, Russian mathematician and academic (d. 2017)
    • 1966 – Bill Wiggin, English politician, Shadow Secretary of State for Wales
    • 1967 – Robert S. Kimbrough, American colonel and astronaut
    • 1968 – Roger Lim, American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter
    • 1968 – Niurka Montalvo, Cuban-Spanish long jumper
    • 1968 – Al B. Sure!, American R&B singer-songwriter, keyboard player, and producer
    • 1968 – Scott Wolf, American actor
    • 1969 – Horatio Sanz, Chilean-American actor and comedian
    • 1970 – Deborah Compagnoni, Italian skier
    • 1970 – Richie Hawtin, English-Canadian DJ and producer
    • 1970 – Dave Pybus, English bass player and songwriter
    • 1970 – Izabella Scorupco, Polish-Swedish actress and model
    • 1971 – Joseph Kabila, Congolese soldier and politician, President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
    • 1971 – Mike Lee, American lawyer and politician
    • 1971 – Shoji Meguro, Japanese director and composer
    • 1971 – Karl Martin Sinijärv, Estonian journalist and poet
    • 1971 – Noah Wyle, American actor and producer
    • 1972 – Derian Hatcher, American ice hockey defenseman
    • 1972 – Rob Huebel, American comedian, actor, producer, and screenwriter
    • 1973 – Mikey Whipwreck, American wrestler and trainer
    • 1974 – Jacob Sahaya Kumar Aruni, Indian chef (d. 2012)
    • 1974 – Darin Erstad, American baseball player and coach
    • 1974 – Andrew Gwynne, English lawyer and politician
    • 1974 – Janette Husárová, Slovak tennis player
    • 1974 – Buddy Wakefield, American poet and author
    • 1975 – Russell Brand, English comedian and actor
    • 1975 – Henry Burris, American football player
    • 1975 – Angelina Jolie, American actress, filmmaker, humanitarian, and activist
    • 1975 – Dinanath Ramnarine, Trinidadian cricketer
    • 1975 – Alex Wharf, English cricketer
    • 1976 – Kasey Chambers, Australian singer-songwriter and guitarist
    • 1976 – Alexei Navalny, Russian lawyer and politician
    • 1976 – Nenad Zimonjić, Serbian tennis player
    • 1977 – Dionisis Chiotis, Greek footballer
    • 1977 – Alex Manninger, Austrian footballer
    • 1977 – Roman Miroshnichenko, Ukrainian guitarist and composer
    • 1977 – Roland G. Fryer Jr., American economist and professor
    • 1978 – Robin Lord Taylor, American actor
    • 1979 – Naohiro Takahara, Japanese footballer
    • 1979 – Daniel Vickerman, South African-Australian rugby player (d. 2017)
    • 1980 – François Beauchemin, Canadian ice hockey player
    • 1981 – Jennifer Carroll, Canadian swimmer
    • 1981 – Giourkas Seitaridis, Greek footballer
    • 1981 – Natalia Vodopyanova, Russian basketball player
    • 1982 – Abel Kirui, Kenyan runner
    • 1982 – Ronnie Prude, American-Canadian football player
    • 1983 – Romaric, Ivorian footballer
    • 1983 – Emmanuel Eboué, Ivorian footballer
    • 1983 – Olha Saladuha, Ukrainian triple jumper
    • 1984 – Enrico Rossi Chauvenet, Italian footballer
    • 1984 – Rainie Yang, Taiwanese actress
    • 1984 – Ian White, Canadian ice hockey player
    • 1985 – Leon Botha, South African painter and DJ (d. 2011)
    • 1985 – Anna-Lena Grönefeld, German tennis player
    • 1985 – Evan Lysacek, American figure skater
    • 1985 – Lukas Podolski, German footballer
    • 1985 – Oddvar Reiakvam, Norwegian politician
    • 1987 – Luisa Zissman, English businesswoman
    • 1987 – Mollie King, English singer-songwriter and model
    • 1988 – Matt Bartkowski, American ice hockey defenseman
    • 1988 – Kimberley Busteed, Australian model
    • 1989 – Federico Erba, Italian footballer
    • 1989 – Paweł Fajdek, Polish hammer thrower
    • 1990 – Zac Farro, American singer and drummer
    • 1990 – Evan Spiegel, American Internet entrepreneur
    • 1991 – Lorenzo Insigne, Italian footballer
    • 1991 – Matt McIlwrick, New Zealand rugby league player
    • 1991 – Ben Stokes, New Zealand-English cricketer
    • 1993 – Jonathan Huberdeau, Canadian ice hockey player
    • 1995 – Shiori Tamai, Japanese singer
    • 1999 – Kim So-hyun, South Korean actress
    • 2004 – Mackenzie Ziegler, American dancer, singer, actress and model

    Deaths on June 4

    • 756 – Shōmu, Japanese emperor (b. 701)
    • 863 – Charles, archbishop of Mainz
    • 895 – Li Xi, chancellor of the Tang Dynasty
    • 946 – Guaimar II (Gybbosus), Lombard prince
    • 956 – Muhammad III of Shirvan, Muslim ruler
    • 1039 – Conrad II, Holy Roman Emperor (b. 990)
    • 1102 – Władysław I Herman, Polish nobleman (b. c. 1044)
    • 1134 – Magnus I of Sweden (b. 1106)
    • 1135 – Emperor Huizong of Song (b. 1082)
    • 1206 – Adela of Champagne (b. 1140)
    • 1246 – Isabella of Angoulême (b. 1188)
    • 1257 – Przemysł I of Greater Poland (b. 1221)
    • 1394 – Mary de Bohun, wife of Henry IV of England (b.c. 1368)
    • 1453 – Andronikos Palaiologos Kantakouzenos, Byzantine commander
    • 1463 – Flavio Biondo, Italian historian and author (b. 1392)
    • 1472 – Nezahualcoyotl, Aztec poet (b. 1402)
    • 1585 – Muretus, French philosopher and author (b. 1526)
    • 1608 – Francis Caracciolo, Italian Catholic priest (b. 1563)
    • 1622 – Péter Révay, Hungarian soldier and historian (b. 1568)
    • 1647 – Canonicus, Grand Chief Sachem of the Narragansett (b. 1565)
    • 1663 – William Juxon, English archbishop and academic (b. 1582)
    • 1798 – Giacomo Casanova, Italian adventurer and author (b. 1725)
    • 1801 – Frederick Muhlenberg, American minister and politician, 1st Speaker of the United States House of Representatives (b. 1750)
    • 1809 – Nicolai Abildgaard, Danish neoclassical and history painter, sculptor and architect (b. 1743)
    • 1830 – Antonio José de Sucre, Venezuelan general and politician, 2nd President of Bolivia (b. 1795)
    • 1872 – Johan Rudolph Thorbecke, Dutch historian, jurist, and politician, Prime Minister of the Netherlands (b. 1798)
    • 1875 – Eduard Mörike, German pastor and poet (b. 1804)
    • 1876 – Abdülaziz of the Ottoman Empire, 32nd Sultan of the Ottoman Empire (b. 1830)
    • 1922 – W. H. R. Rivers, English anthropologist, neurologist, ethnologist, and psychiatrist (b. 1864)
    • 1925 – Margaret Murray Washington, American Academic (b. 1865)
    • 1926 – Fred Spofforth, Australian-English cricketer and coach (b. 1853)
    • 1928 – Zhang Zuolin, Chinese warlord (b. 1873)
    • 1929 – Harry Frazee, American director, producer, and agent (b. 1881)
    • 1931 – Hussein bin Ali, Sharif of Mecca, Sharif and Emir of Mecca, King of the Hejaz (b. 1853/54)
    • 1933 – Ahmet Haşim, Turkish poet and author (b. 1884)
    • 1939 – Tommy Ladnier, American trumpet player (b. 1900)
    • 1941 – Wilhelm II, German Emperor (b. 1859)
    • 1942 – Reinhard Heydrich, German SS officer and politician (b. 1904)
    • 1951 – Serge Koussevitzky, Russian-American bassist, composer, and conductor (b. 1874)
    • 1956 – Katherine MacDonald, American actress and producer (b. 1881)
    • 1962 – Clem McCarthy, American sportscaster (b. 1882)
    • 1967 – Linda Eenpalu, Estonian lawyer and politician (b. 1890)
    • 1968 – Dorothy Gish, American actress (b. 1898)
    • 1970 – Sonny Tufts, American actor (b. 1911)
    • 1971 – György Lukács, Hungarian historian and philosopher (b. 1885)
    • 1973 – Maurice René Fréchet, French mathematician and academic (b. 1878)
    • 1973 – Murry Wilson, American songwriter, producer, and manager (b. 1917)
    • 1981 – Leslie Averill, New Zealand doctor and soldier (b. 1897)
    • 1989 – Dik Browne, American cartoonist (b. 1917)
    • 1990 – Stiv Bators, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (b. 1949)
    • 1992 – Carl Stotz, American businessman, founded Little League Baseball (b. 1910)
    • 1993 – Bernard Evslin, American writer (b. 1922)
    • 1994 – Derek Leckenby, English musician (b. 1943)
    • 1997 – Ronnie Lane, English singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer (b. 1946)
    • 1998 – Josephine Hutchinson, American actress (b. 1903)
    • 2002 – Fernando Belaúnde Terry, Peruvian architect and politician, 42nd President of Peru (b. 1912)
    • 2004 – Steve Lacy, American saxophonist and composer (b. 1934)
    • 2004 – Nino Manfredi, Italian actor (b. 1921)
    • 2007 – Clete Boyer, American baseball player and manager (b. 1937)
    • 2007 – Bill France, Jr., American businessman (b. 1933)
    • 2007 – Craig L. Thomas, American captain and politician (b. 1933)
    • 2010 – John Wooden, American basketball player and coach (b. 1910)
    • 2011 – Juan Francisco Luis, Virgin Islander sergeant and politician, 23rd Governor of the United States Virgin Islands (b. 1940)
    • 2011 – Andreas P. Nielsen, Danish author and composer (b. 1953)
    • 2012 – Peter Beaven, New Zealand architect, designed the Lyttelton Road Tunnel Administration Building (b. 1925)
    • 2012 – Pedro Borbón, Dominican-American baseball player (b. 1946)
    • 2012 – Rodolfo Quezada Toruño, Guatemalan cardinal (b. 1932)
    • 2012 – Herb Reed, American violinist (b. 1929)
    • 2013 – Walt Arfons, American race car driver (b. 1916)
    • 2013 – Joey Covington, American drummer (b. 1945)
    • 2013 – Hermann Gunnarsson, Icelandic footballer, handball player, and sportscaster (b. 1946)
    • 2013 – Will Wynn, American football player (b. 1949)
    • 2014 – George Ho, American-Hong Kong businessman (b. 1919)
    • 2014 – Nathan Shamuyarira, Zimbabwean journalist and politician, Zimbabwean Minister of Foreign Affairs (b. 1928)
    • 2014 – Sydney Templeman, Baron Templeman, English lawyer and judge (b. 1920)
    • 2014 – Don Zimmer, American baseball player, coach, and manager (b. 1931)
    • 2015 – Marguerite Patten, English economist and author (b. 1915)
    • 2015 – Leonid Plyushch, Ukrainian mathematician and academic (b. 1938)
    • 2015 – Jabe Thomas, American race car driver (b. 1930)
    • 2015 – Anne Warburton, British academic and diplomat, British Ambassador to Denmark (b. 1927)
    • 2016 – Carmen Pereira, Bissau-Guinean politician (b. 1937)
    • 2017 – Juan Goytisolo, Spanish essayist, poet and novelist (b. 1931)

    Holidays and observances on June 4

    • Birthday of Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim & Flag Day celebration of the Finnish Defence Forces (Finland)
    • Christian feast day:
      • Filippo Smaldone
      • Francis Caracciolo
      • Optatus
      • Petroc of Cornwall
      • Quirinus of Sescia
      • Saturnina
      • June 4 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
    • Emancipation Day or Independence Day, commemorates the abolition of serfdom in Tonga by King George Tupou in 1862, and the independence of Tonga from the British protectorate in 1970. (Tonga)
    • Flag Day (Estonia)
    • International Day of Innocent Children Victims of Aggression (International)
    • National Unity Day (Hungary)
    • Tiananmen Square Protests of 1989 Memorial Day (International)

  • June 2 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day

    • 455 – Sack of Rome: Vandals enter Rome, and plunder the city for two weeks.
    • 1098 – First Crusade: The first Siege of Antioch ends as Crusader forces take the city; the second siege began five days later.
    • 1615 – The first Récollet missionaries arrive at Quebec City, from Rouen, France.
    • 1676 – Franco-Dutch War: France ensured the supremacy of its naval fleet for the remainder of the war with its victory in the Battle of Palermo.
    • 1692 – Bridget Bishop is the first person to be tried for witchcraft in Salem, Massachusetts; she was found guilty and later hanged.
    • 1763 – Pontiac’s Rebellion: At what is now Mackinaw City, Michigan, Chippewas capture Fort Michilimackinac by diverting the garrison’s attention with a game of lacrosse, then chasing a ball into the fort.
    • 1774 – Intolerable Acts: The Quartering Act is enacted, allowing a governor in colonial America to house British soldiers in uninhabited houses, outhouses, barns, or other buildings if suitable quarters are not provided.
    • 1793 – French Revolution: François Hanriot, leader of the Parisian National Guard, arrests 22 Girondists selected by Jean-Paul Marat, setting the stage for the Reign of Terror.
    • 1805 – Napoleonic Wars: A Franco-Spanish fleet recaptures Diamond Rock, an uninhabited island at the entrance to the bay leading to Fort-de-France, from the British.
    • 1835 – P. T. Barnum and his circus start their first tour of the United States.
    • 1848 – The Slavic congress in Prague begins.
    • 1866 – The Fenians defeat Canadian forces at Ridgeway and Fort Erie, but the raids end soon after.
    • 1896 – Guglielmo Marconi applies for a patent for his wireless telegraph.
    • 1909 – Alfred Deakin becomes Prime Minister of Australia for the third time.
    • 1910 – Charles Rolls, a co-founder of Rolls-Royce Limited, becomes the first man to make a non-stop double crossing of the English Channel by plane.
    • 1919 – Anarchists simultaneously set off bombs in eight separate U.S. cities.
    • 1924 – U.S. President Calvin Coolidge signs the Indian Citizenship Act into law, granting citizenship to all Native Americans born within the territorial limits of the United States.
    • 1941 – World War II: German paratroopers murder Greek civilians in the villages of Kondomari and Alikianos.
    • 1946 – Birth of the Italian Republic: In a referendum, Italians vote to turn Italy from a monarchy into a Republic. After the referendum, King Umberto II of Italy is exiled.
    • 1953 – The coronation of Queen Elizabeth II, who is crowned Queen of the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Her Other Realms and Territories & Head of the Commonwealth, the first major international event to be televised.
    • 1955 – The USSR and Yugoslavia sign the Belgrade declaration and thus normalize relations between both countries, discontinued since 1948.
    • 1962 – During the FIFA World Cup, police had to intervene multiple times in fights between Chilean and Italian players in one of the most violent games in football history.
    • 1964 – The Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) is formed.
    • 1966 – Surveyor program: Surveyor 1 lands in Oceanus Procellarum on the Moon, becoming the first U.S. spacecraft to soft-land on another world.
    • 1967 – Luis Monge is executed in Colorado’s gas chamber, in the last pre-Furman execution in the United States.
    • 1967 – Protests in West Berlin against the arrival of the Shah of Iran turn into riots, during which Benno Ohnesorg is killed by a police officer. His death results in the founding of the terrorist group Movement 2 June.
    • 1979 – Pope John Paul II starts his first official visit to his native Poland, becoming the first Pope to visit a Communist country.
    • 1983 – After an emergency landing because of an in-flight fire, twenty-three passengers aboard Air Canada Flight 797 are killed when a flashover occurs as the plane’s doors open. Because of this incident, numerous new safety regulations are put in place.
    • 1990 – The Lower Ohio Valley tornado outbreak spawns 66 confirmed tornadoes in Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, and Ohio, killing 12.
    • 1997 – In Denver, Timothy McVeigh is convicted on 15 counts of murder and conspiracy for his role in the 1995 bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, in which 168 people died. He was executed four years later.
    • 2003 – Europe launches its first voyage to another planet, Mars. The European Space Agency’s Mars Express probe launches from the Baikonur space center in Kazakhstan.
    • 2012 – Former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak is sentenced to life imprisonment for his role in the killing of demonstrators during the 2011 Egyptian revolution.
    • 2014 – Telangana officially becomes the 29th state of India, formed from ten districts of northwestern Andhra Pradesh.

    Births on June 2 

    • 1305 – Abu Sa’id Bahadur Khan, ruler of Ilkhanate (d. 1335)
    • 1423 – Ferdinand I of Naples (d. 1494)
    • 1489 – Charles, Duke of Vendôme (d. 1537)
    • 1535 – Pope Leo XI (d. 1605)
    • 1602 – Rudolf Christian, Count of East Frisia, Ruler of East Frisia (d. 1628)
    • 1621 – Rutger von Ascheberg, Courland-born soldier in Swedish service (d. 1693)
    • 1621 – (baptized) Isaac van Ostade, Dutch painter (d. 1649)
    • 1638 – Henry Hyde, 2nd Earl of Clarendon (d. 1709)
    • 1644 – William Salmon, English medical writer (d. 1713)
    • 1739 – Jabez Bowen, American colonel and politician, 45th Deputy Governor of Rhode Island (d. 1815)
    • 1740 – Marquis de Sade, French philosopher and politician (d. 1814)
    • 1743 – Alessandro Cagliostro, Italian occultist and explorer (d. 1795)
    • 1773 – John Randolph of Roanoke, American planter and politician, 8th United States Ambassador to Russia (d. 1833)
    • 1774 – William Lawson, English-Australian explorer and politician (d. 1850)
    • 1813 – Daniel Pollen, Irish-New Zealand politician, 9th Prime Minister of New Zealand (d. 1896)
    • 1823 – Gédéon Ouimet, Canadian lawyer and politician, 2nd Premier of Quebec (d. 1905)
    • 1835 – Pope Pius X (d. 1914)
    • 1838 – Duchess Alexandra Petrovna of Oldenburg (d. 1900)
    • 1840 – Thomas Hardy, English novelist and poet (d. 1928)
    • 1840 – Émile Munier, French artist (d. 1895)
    • 1857 – Edward Elgar, English composer and educator (d. 1934)
    • 1857 – Karl Adolph Gjellerup, Danish author and poet, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1919)
    • 1861 – Concordia Selander, Swedish actress and manager (d. 1935)
    • 1863 – Felix Weingartner, Croatian-Austrian pianist, composer, and conductor (d. 1942)
    • 1865 – George Lohmann, English cricketer (d. 1901)
    • 1865 – Adelaide Casely-Hayford, Sierra Leone Creole advocate and activist for cultural nationalism (d. 1960)
    • 1869 – Jack O’Connor, American baseball player and manager (d. 1937)
    • 1875 – Charles Stewart Mott, American businessman and politician, 50th Mayor of Flint, Michigan (d. 1973)
    • 1878 – Wallace Hartley, English violinist and bandleader (d. 1912)
    • 1881 – Walter Egan, American golfer (d. 1971)
    • 1891 – Thurman Arnold, American lawyer and judge (d. 1969)
    • 1891 – Takijirō Ōnishi, Japanese admiral and pilot (d. 1945)
    • 1899 – Lotte Reiniger, German animator and director (d. 1981)
    • 1899 – Edwin Way Teale, American environmentalist and photographer (d. 1980)
    • 1904 – Frank Runacres, English painter and educator (d. 1974)
    • 1904 – Johnny Weissmuller, Hungarian-American swimmer and actor (d. 1984)
    • 1907 – Dorothy West, American journalist and author (d. 1998)
    • 1907 – John Lehmann, English poet and publisher (d. 1987)
    • 1910 – Hector Dyer, American sprinter (d. 1990)
    • 1911 – Joe McCluskey, American runner (d. 2002)
    • 1913 – Barbara Pym, English author (d. 1980)
    • 1913 – Elsie Tu, English-Hong Kong educator and politician (d. 2015)
    • 1914 – Johnny Bulla, American golfer (d. 2003)
    • 1915 – Alexandru Nicolschi, Romanian spy (d. 1992)
    • 1917 – Heinz Sielmann, German photographer and director (d. 2006)
    • 1918 – Ruth Atkinson, Canadian-American illustrator (d. 1997)
    • 1918 – Kathryn Tucker Windham, American journalist and author (d. 2011)
    • 1919 – Nat Mayer Shapiro, American painter (d. 2005)
    • 1920 – Frank G. Clement, American lawyer and politician, 41st Governor of Tennessee (d. 1969)
    • 1920 – Yolande Donlan, American-English actress (d. 2014)
    • 1920 – Marcel Reich-Ranicki, Polish-German author and critic (d. 2013)
    • 1920 – Tex Schramm, American businessman (d. 2003)
    • 1920 – Johnny Speight, English screenwriter and producer (d. 1998)
    • 1921 – Betty Freeman, American photographer and philanthropist (d. 2009)
    • 1921 – Ernie Royal, American trumpet player (d. 1983)
    • 1921 – Sigmund Sternberg, Hungarian-English businessman and philanthropist (d. 2016)
    • 1921 – András Szennay, Hungarian priest (d. 2012)
    • 1922 – Juan Antonio Bardem, Spanish director and screenwriter (d. 2002)
    • 1922 – Carmen Silvera, Canadian-English actress (d. 2002)
    • 1923 – Lloyd Shapley, American mathematician and economist, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 2016)
    • 1924 – June Callwood, Canadian journalist, author, and activist (d. 2007)
    • 1926 – Chiyonoyama Masanobu, Japanese sumo wrestler, the 41st Yokozuna (d. 1977)
    • 1926 – Milo O’Shea, Irish-American actor (d. 2013)
    • 1927 – W. Watts Biggers, American author, screenwriter, and animator (d. 2013)
    • 1927 – Colin Brittan, English footballer (d. 2013)
    • 1927 – Christopher Slade, English lawyer and judge
    • 1928 – Erzsi Kovács, Hungarian singer (d. 2014)
    • 1928 – Rafael A. Lecuona, Cuban-American gymnast and academic (d. 2014)
    • 1928 – Ron Reynolds, English footballer (d. 1999)
    • 1929 – Norton Juster, American architect, author, and academic
    • 1929 – Ken McGregor, Australian tennis player (d. 2007)
    • 1930 – Pete Conrad, American captain, pilot, and astronaut (d. 1999)
    • 1933 – Jerry Lumpe, American baseball player and coach (d. 2014)
    • 1933 – Lew “Sneaky Pete” Robinson, drag racer (d. 1971)
    • 1934 – Johnny Carter, American singer (d. 2009)
    • 1935 – Carol Shields, American-Canadian novelist and short story writer (d. 2003)
    • 1935 – Dimitri Kitsikis, Greek poet and educator
    • 1936 – Volodymyr Holubnychy, Ukrainian race walker
    • 1937 – Rosalyn Higgins, English lawyer and judge
    • 1937 – Sally Kellerman, American actress
    • 1937 – Jimmy Jones, American singer-songwriter (d. 2012)
    • 1937 – Robert Paul, Canadian figure skater and choreographer
    • 1937 – Deric Washburn, American screenwriter and playwright
    • 1938 – Kevin Brownlow, English historian and author
    • 1938 – George William Penrose, Lord Penrose, Scottish lawyer and judge
    • 1939 – Charles Miller, American musician (d. 1980)
    • 1939 – John Schlee, American golfer (d. 2000)
    • 1940 – Constantine II of Greece
    • 1941 – Ünal Aysal, Turkish businessman
    • 1941 – Stacy Keach, American actor
    • 1941 – Lou Nanne, Canadian-American ice hockey player and manager
    • 1941 – Charlie Watts, English drummer, songwriter, and producer
    • 1942 – Mike Ahern, Australian politician, 32nd Premier of Queensland
    • 1943 – Charles Haid, American actor and director
    • 1943 – Crescenzio Sepe, Italian cardinal
    • 1944 – Robert Elliott, American actor (d. 2004)
    • 1944 – Marvin Hamlisch, American composer and conductor (d. 2012)
    • 1945 – Richard Long, English painter, sculptor, and photographer
    • 1945 – Bonnie Newman, American businesswoman and politician
    • 1946 – Lasse Hallström, Swedish director, producer, and screenwriter
    • 1946 – Peter Sutcliffe, UK serial killer
    • 1948 – Jerry Mathers, American actor
    • 1949 – Heather Couper, English astronomer and physicist (d. 2020)
    • 1949 – Frank Rich, American journalist and critic
    • 1950 – Jonathan Evans, Welsh lawyer and politician
    • 1950 – Joanna Gleason, Canadian actress and singer
    • 1950 – Anne Phillips, English theorist and academic
    • 1950 – Momčilo Vukotić, Serbian footballer and manager
    • 1951 – Gilbert Baker, American artist, gay rights activist, and designer of the rainbow flag (d. 2017)
    • 1951 – Arnold Mühren, Dutch footballer and manager
    • 1951 – Larry Robinson, Canadian ice hockey player and coach
    • 1951 – Alexander Wylie, Lord Kinclaven, Scottish lawyer, judge, and educator
    • 1952 – Gary Bettman, American commissioner of the National Hockey League
    • 1953 – Vidar Johansen, Norwegian saxophonist
    • 1953 – Craig Stadler, American golfer
    • 1953 – Cornel West, American philosopher, author, and academic
    • 1954 – Dennis Haysbert, American actor and producer
    • 1955 – Dana Carvey, American comedian and actor
    • 1955 – Nandan Nilekani, Indian businessman, co-founded Infosys
    • 1955 – Mani Ratnam, Indian director, producer, and screenwriter
    • 1955 – Michael Steele, American singer-songwriter and bass player
    • 1956 – Jan Lammers, Dutch race car driver
    • 1957 – Mark Lawrenson, English footballer and manager
    • 1958 – Lex Luger, American wrestler and football player
    • 1959 – Rineke Dijkstra, Dutch photographer
    • 1959 – Lydia Lunch, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and actress
    • 1959 – Erwin Olaf, Dutch photographer
    • 1960 – Olga Bondarenko, Russian runner
    • 1960 – Tony Hadley, English singer-songwriter and actor
    • 1960 – Kyle Petty, American race car driver and sportscaster
    • 1961 – Dez Cadena, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
    • 1962 – Mark Plaatjes, South African-American runner and coach
    • 1963 – Anand Abhyankar, Indian actor (d. 2012)
    • 1964 – Caroline Link, German director and screenwriter
    • 1965 – Russ Courtnall, Canadian ice hockey player
    • 1965 – Mark Waugh, Australian cricketer and journalist
    • 1965 – Steve Waugh, Australian cricketer
    • 1966 – Dayana Cadeau, Haitian born Canadian-American professional bodybuilder
    • 1966 – Candace Gingrich, American activist
    • 1966 – Pedro Guerra, Spanish singer-songwriter
    • 1966 – Petra van Staveren, Dutch swimmer
    • 1967 – Remigija Nazarovienė, Lithuanian heptathlete and coach
    • 1967 – Mike Stanton, American baseball player
    • 1968 – Merril Bainbridge, Australian singer-songwriter
    • 1968 – Andy Cohen, American television host
    • 1969 – Kurt Abbott, American baseball player
    • 1969 – Paulo Sérgio, Brazilian footballer
    • 1969 – David Wheaton, American tennis player, radio host, and author
    • 1970 – B Real, American rapper and actor
    • 1971 – Kateřina Jacques, Czech translator and politician
    • 1972 – Wayne Brady, American actor, comedian, game show host, and singer
    • 1972 – Raúl Ibañez, American baseball player
    • 1972 – Wentworth Miller, American actor and screenwriter
    • 1973 – Marko Kristal, Estonian footballer and manager
    • 1973 – Neifi Pérez, Dominican-American baseball player
    • 1974 – Gata Kamsky, Russian-American chess player
    • 1974 – Matt Serra, American mixed martial artist
    • 1975 – Salvatore Scibona, American author
    • 1976 – Earl Boykins, American basketball player
    • 1976 – Martin Čech, Czech ice hockey player (d. 2007)
    • 1976 – Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira, Brazilian mixed martial artist and boxer
    • 1976 – Tim Rice-Oxley, English singer-songwriter and keyboard player
    • 1977 – Teet Allas, Estonian footballer
    • 1977 – A.J. Styles, American wrestler
    • 1977 – Zachary Quinto, American actor and producer
    • 1978 – Dominic Cooper, English actor
    • 1978 – Nikki Cox, American actress
    • 1978 – Justin Long, American actor
    • 1978 – Yi So-yeon, biotechnologist and astronaut, the first Korean in space
    • 1978 – Luke Williamson, Australian rugby league player
    • 1979 – Morena Baccarin, Brazilian-American actress
    • 1979 – Butterfly Boucher, Australian singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer
    • 1979 – Natalia Rodríguez, Spanish runner
    • 1980 – Fabrizio Moretti, Brazilian-American drummer
    • 1980 – Bobby Simmons, American basketball player
    • 1980 – Richard Skuse, English rugby player
    • 1980 – Abby Wambach, American soccer player and coach
    • 1980 – Tomasz Wróblewski, Polish bass player and songwriter
    • 1981 – Nikolay Davydenko, Russian tennis player
    • 1981 – Chin-hui Tsao, Taiwanese baseball player
    • 1982 – Jewel Staite, Canadian actress
    • 1983 – Chris Higgins, American ice hockey player
    • 1983 – Leela James, American singer-songwriter
    • 1983 – Toni Livers, Swiss skier
    • 1983 – Brooke White, American singer-songwriter and actress
    • 1984 – Jack Afamasaga, New Zealand rugby league player
    • 1984 – Max Boyer, Canadian wrestler
    • 1984 – Feleti Mateo, Australian-Tongan rugby league player
    • 1985 – Miyuki Sawashiro, Japanese voice actress and singer
    • 1985 – Maggie Thrash, American graphic novelist and writer
    • 1986 – Todd Carney, Australian rugby league player
    • 1987 – Maryka Holtzhausen, South African netball player
    • 1987 – Yoann Huget, French rugby player
    • 1987 – Matthew Koma, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
    • 1987 – Angelo Mathews, Sri Lankan cricketer
    • 1987 – Darin Zanyar, Swedish singer-songwriter
    • 1987 – Sonakshi Sinha, Indian actress
    • 1988 – Sergio Agüero, Argentinian footballer
    • 1988 – Patrik Berglund, Swedish ice hockey player
    • 1988 – Staniliya Stamenova, Bulgarian canoeist
    • 1989 – Freddy Adu, Ghanaian-American footballer
    • 1989 – Steve Smith, Australian cricketer
    • 1990 – Jack Lowden, Scottish actor
    • 1992 – Pajtim Kasami, Swiss footballer
    • 1993 – Adam Taggart, Australian footballer
    • 1994 – Mike Grzesiek, Esports player and streamer
    • 1999 – Campbell Graham, Australian rugby league player
    • 2000 – Lilimar Hernandez, Venezuelan actress

    Deaths on June 2 

    • 657 – Pope Eugene I
    • 891 – Al-Muwaffaq, Abbasid general (b. 842)
    • 910 – Richilde of Provence (b. 845)
    • 1200 – Bishop John of Oxford
    • 1258 – Peter I, Count of Urgell
    • 1292 – Rhys ap Maredudd, Welsh nobleman and rebel leader
    • 1418 – Katherine of Lancaster, queen of Henry III of Castile
    • 1453 – Álvaro de Luna, Duke of Trujillo, Constable of Castile
    • 1567 – Shane O’Neill, head of the O’Neill dynasty in Ireland (b. 1530)
    • 1572 – Thomas Howard, 4th Duke of Norfolk (b. 1536)
    • 1581 – James Douglas, 4th Earl of Morton, Scottish soldier and politician, Lord Chancellor of Scotland (b. 1525)
    • 1603 – Bernard of Wąbrzeźno, Roman Catholic priest (b. 1575)
    • 1693 – John Wildman, English soldier and politician, Postmaster General of the United Kingdom (b. 1621)
    • 1701 – Madeleine de Scudéry, French author (b. 1607)
    • 1716 – Ogata Kōrin, Japanese painter and educator (b. 1658)
    • 1754 – Ebenezer Erskine, Scottish minister and theologian (b. 1680)
    • 1761 – Jonas Alströmer, Swedish businessman (b. 1685)
    • 1785 – Jean Paul de Gua de Malves, French mathematician and academic (b. 1713)
    • 1806 – William Tate, English painter (b. 1747)
    • 1853 – Henry Trevor, 21st Baron Dacre, English general (b. 1777)
    • 1865 – Ner Middleswarth, American judge and politician (b. 1783)
    • 1875 – Józef Kremer, Polish psychologist, historian, and philosopher (b. 1806)
    • 1881 – Émile Littré, French lexicographer and philosopher (b. 1801)
    • 1882 – Giuseppe Garibaldi, Italian general and politician (b. 1807)
    • 1901 – George Leslie Mackay, Canadian missionary and author (b. 1844)
    • 1927 – Hüseyin Avni Lifij, Turkish painter (b. 1886)
    • 1929 – Enrique Gorostieta, Mexican general (b. 1889)
    • 1933 – Frank Jarvis, American runner and triple jumper (b. 1878)
    • 1937 – Louis Vierne, French organist and composer (b. 1870)
    • 1941 – Lou Gehrig, American baseball player (b. 1903)
    • 1942 – Bunny Berigan, American singer and trumpet player (b. 1908)
    • 1947 – John Gretton, 1st Baron Gretton, English sailor and politician (b. 1867)
    • 1948 – Viktor Brack, German physician (b. 1904)
    • 1948 – Karl Brandt, German SS officer (b. 1904)
    • 1948 – Karl Gebhardt, German physician (b. 1897)
    • 1948 – Waldemar Hoven, German physician (b. 1903)
    • 1948 – Wolfram Sievers, German SS officer (b. 1905)
    • 1952 – Naum Torbov, Bulgarian architect, designed the Central Sofia Market Hall (b. 1880)
    • 1956 – Jean Hersholt, Danish-American actor and director (b. 1886)
    • 1959 – Lyda Borelli, Italian actress (b. 1884)
    • 1961 – George S. Kaufman, American director, producer, and playwright (b. 1889)
    • 1962 – Vita Sackville-West, English author and poet (b. 1892)
    • 1967 – Benno Ohnesorg, German student and activist (b. 1940)
    • 1968 – André Mathieu, Canadian pianist and composer (b. 1929)
    • 1969 – Leo Gorcey, American actor (b. 1917)
    • 1970 – Orhan Kemal, Turkish author (b. 1914)
    • 1970 – Albert Lamorisse, French director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1922)
    • 1970 – Bruce McLaren, New Zealand race car driver and engineer, founded the McLaren racing team (b. 1937)
    • 1970 – Giuseppe Ungaretti, Italian soldier, journalist, and academic (b. 1888)
    • 1974 – Hiroshi Kazato, Japanese race car driver (b. 1949)
    • 1976 – Kenneth Mason, English soldier and geographer (b. 1887)
    • 1976 – Juan José Torres, Bolivian general and politician, 61st President of Bolivia (b. 1920)
    • 1977 – Albert Bittlmayer, German footballer (b. 1952)
    • 1977 – Stephen Boyd, Northern Irish-born American actor (b. 1931)
    • 1978 – Santiago Bernabéu Yeste, Spanish footballer and coach (b. 1895)
    • 1979 – Jim Hutton, American actor (b. 1934)
    • 1982 – Fazal Ilahi Chaudhry, Pakistani lawyer and politician, 5th President of Pakistan (b. 1904)
    • 1983 – Stan Rogers, Canadian singer-songwriter (b. 1949)
    • 1983 – Ray Stehr, Australian rugby league player and coach (b. 1913)
    • 1986 – Aurèle Joliat, Canadian ice hockey player (b. 1901)
    • 1987 – Anthony de Mello, Indian-American priest and psychotherapist (b. 1931)
    • 1987 – Sammy Kaye, American bandleader and songwriter (b. 1910)
    • 1987 – Andrés Segovia, Spanish guitarist (b. 1893)
    • 1988 – Raj Kapoor, Indian actor, director, and producer (b. 1924)
    • 1989 – Ted a’Beckett, Australian cricketer and footballer (b. 1907)
    • 1990 – Jack Gilford, American actor and comedian (b. 1908)
    • 1990 – Rex Harrison, English actor (b. 1908)
    • 1991 – Ahmed Arif, Turkish poet and author (b. 1927)
    • 1992 – Philip Dunne, American director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1908)
    • 1993 – Johnny Mize, American baseball player, coach, and sportscaster (b. 1913)
    • 1993 – Tahar Djaout, Algerian journalist, writer and poet (b. 1954)
    • 1994 – David Stove, Australian philosopher, author, and academic (b. 1927)
    • 1996 – John Alton, Hungarian-American cinematographer and director (b. 1901)
    • 1996 – Leon Garfield, English author (b. 1921)
    • 1996 – Ray Combs, American game show host (b. 1956)
    • 1997 – Doc Cheatham, American trumpet player, singer, and bandleader (b. 1905)
    • 1999 – Junior Braithwaite, Jamaican singer (b. 1949)
    • 2000 – Svyatoslav Fyodorov, Russian ophthalmologist, academic, and politician (b. 1927)
    • 2000 – John Schlee, American golfer (b. 1939)
    • 2000 – Gerald James Whitrow, English mathematician, cosmologist, and historian (b. 1912)
    • 2001 – Imogene Coca, American actress and comedian (b. 1908)
    • 2001 – Joey Maxim, American boxer (b. 1922)
    • 2002 – Hugo van Lawick, Dutch director and photographer (b. 1937)
    • 2003 – Freddie Blassie, American wrestler and manager (b. 1918)
    • 2003 – Alma Ricard, Canadian broadcaster and philanthropist (b. 1906)
    • 2005 – Lucien Cliche, Canadian lawyer and politician (b. 1916)
    • 2005 – Gunder Gundersen, Norwegian skier (b. 1930)
    • 2005 – Samir Kassir, Lebanese journalist and educator (b. 1950)
    • 2005 – Melita Norwood, English civil servant and spy (b. 1912)
    • 2006 – Keith Smith, English rugby player and coach (b. 1952)
    • 2007 – Kentarō Haneda, Japanese pianist and composer (b. 1949)
    • 2007 – Huang Ju, Chinese engineer and politician, 1st Vice Premier of the People’s Republic of China (b. 1938)
    • 2008 – Bo Diddley, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (b. 1928)
    • 2008 – Mel Ferrer, American actor (b. 1917)
    • 2008 – Cevher Özden, Turkish banker and businessman (b. 1933)
    • 2009 – David Eddings, American author (b. 1931)
    • 2012 – Avraham Botzer, Polish-Israeli commander (b. 1929)
    • 2012 – Adolfo Calero, Nicaraguan businessman and political activist (b. 1931)
    • 2012 – Richard Dawson, English-American soldier, actor, television personality, and game show host (b. 1932)
    • 2012 – LeRoy Ellis, American basketball player (b. 1940)
    • 2012 – Kathryn Joosten, American actress (b. 1939)
    • 2012 – Jan Gmelich Meijling, Dutch commander and politician (b. 1943)
    • 2013 – Mario Bernardi, Canadian pianist and conductor (b. 1930)
    • 2013 – Chen Xitong, Chinese politician, 8th Mayor of Beijing (b. 1930)
    • 2013 – Mandawuy Yunupingu, Australian singer-songwriter and guitarist (b. 1956)
    • 2014 – Ivica Brzić, Serbian footballer and manager (b. 1941)
    • 2014 – Anjan Das, Indian director and producer (b. 1951)
    • 2014 – Gennadi Gusarov, Russian footballer and manager (b. 1937)
    • 2014 – Nikolay Khrenkov, Russian bobsledder (b. 1984)
    • 2014 – Duraisamy Simon Lourdusamy, Indian cardinal (b. 1924)
    • 2014 – Kuaima Riruako, Namibian politician (b. 1935)
    • 2014 – Alexander Shulgin, American pharmacologist and chemist (b. 1925)
    • 2015 – Fernando de Araújo, East Timorese politician, President of East Timor (b. 1963)
    • 2015 – Irwin Rose, American biologist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1926)
    • 2017 – Peter Sallis, English actor (b. 1921)

    Holidays and observances on June 2 

    • Children’s Day (North Korea)
    • Christian feast day:
      • Alexander (martyr)
      • Elmo
      • Felix of Nicosia
      • Marcellinus and Peter
      • Martyrs of Lyon, including Blandina
      • Pope Eugene I
      • Pothinus
      • June 2 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
    • Civil Aviation Day (Azerbaijan)
    • Coronation of King Jigme Singye Wangchuck, also Social Forestry Day (Bhutan)
    • Day of Hristo Botev (Bulgaria)
    • Decoration Day (Canada)
    • Festa della Repubblica (Italy)
    • International Sex Workers Day
    • Telangana Day (Telangana, India)

  • May 30 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day

    • AD 70 – Siege of Jerusalem: Titus and his Roman legions breach the Second Wall of Jerusalem. Jewish defenders retreat to the First Wall. The Romans build a circumvallation, cutting down all trees within fifteen kilometers.
    • 1381 – Beginning of the Peasants’ Revolt in England.
    • 1416 – The Council of Constance, called by Emperor Sigismund, a supporter of Antipope John XXIII, burns Jerome of Prague following a trial for heresy.
    • 1431 – Hundred Years’ War: In Rouen, France, the 19-year-old Joan of Arc is burned at the stake by an English-dominated tribunal. The Roman Catholic Church remembers this day as the celebration of Saint Joan of Arc.
    • 1434 – Hussite Wars: Battle of Lipany: Effectively ending the war, Utraquist forces led by Diviš Bořek of Miletínek defeat and almost annihilate Taborite forces led by Prokop the Great.
    • 1510 – During the reign of the Zhengde Emperor, Ming dynasty rebel leader Zhu Zhifan is defeated by commander Qiu Yue, ending the Prince of Anhua rebellion.
    • 1536 – King Henry VIII of England marries Jane Seymour, a lady-in-waiting to his first two wives.
    • 1539 – In Florida, Hernando de Soto lands at Tampa Bay with 600 soldiers with the goal of finding gold.
    • 1574 – Henry III becomes King of France.
    • 1588 – The last ship of the Spanish Armada sets sail from Lisbon heading for the English Channel.
    • 1631 – Publication of Gazette de France, the first French newspaper.
    • 1635 – Thirty Years’ War: The Peace of Prague is signed.
    • 1642 – From this date all honors granted by Charles I of England are retroactively annulled by Parliament.
    • 1806 – Future U.S. President Andrew Jackson kills Charles Dickinson in a duel.
    • 1814 – The First Treaty of Paris is signed, returning the French frontiers to their 1792 extent, and restoring the House of Bourbon to power.
    • 1815 – The East Indiaman Arniston is wrecked during a storm at Waenhuiskrans, near Cape Agulhas, in present-day South Africa, with the loss of 372 lives.
    • 1834 – Minister of Justice Joaquim António de Aguiar issues a law seizing “all convents, monasteries, colleges, hospices and any other houses” from the Catholic religious orders in Portugal, earning him the nickname of “The Friar-Killer”.
    • 1842 – John Francis attempts to murder Queen Victoria as she drives down Constitution Hill in London with Prince Albert.
    • 1845 – The Fatel Razack coming from India, lands in the Gulf of Paria in Trinidad and Tobago carrying the first Indians to the country.
    • 1854 – The Kansas–Nebraska Act becomes law establishing the US territories of Kansas and Nebraska.
    • 1868 – Decoration Day (the predecessor of the modern “Memorial Day”) is observed in the United States for the first time after a proclamation by John A. Logan, head of the Grand Army of the Republic (a veterans group).
    • 1876 – Ottoman sultan Abdülaziz is deposed and succeeded by his nephew Murad V.
    • 1883 – In New York City, a stampede on the recently opened Brooklyn Bridge killed twelve people.
    • 1899 – Pearl Hart, a female outlaw of the Old West, robs a stage coach 30 miles southeast of Globe, Arizona.
    • 1911 – At the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the first Indianapolis 500 ends with Ray Harroun in his Marmon Wasp becoming the first winner of the 500-mile auto race.
    • 1913 – The Treaty of London is signed, ending the First Balkan War; Albania becomes an independent nation.
    • 1914 – The new, and then the largest, Cunard ocean liner RMS Aquitania, 45,647 tons, sets sails on her maiden voyage from Liverpool, England, to New York City.
    • 1922 – The Lincoln Memorial is dedicated in Washington, D.C..
    • 1925 – May Thirtieth Movement: Shanghai Municipal Police Force shoot and kill 13 protesting workers.
    • 1937 – Memorial Day massacre: Chicago police shoot and kill ten labor demonstrators.
    • 1941 – World War II: Manolis Glezos and Apostolos Santas climb the Athenian Acropolis and tear down the German flag.
    • 1942 – World War II: One thousand British bombers launch a 90-minute attack on Cologne, Germany.
    • 1943 – The Holocaust: Josef Mengele becomes chief medical officer of the Zigeunerfamilienlager (Romani family camp) at Auschwitz concentration camp.
    • 1948 – A dike along the flooding Columbia River breaks, obliterating Vanport, Oregon within minutes. Fifteen people die and tens of thousands are left homeless.
    • 1958 – Memorial Day: The remains of two unidentified American servicemen, killed in action during World War II and the Korean War respectively, are buried at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington National Cemetery.
    • 1959 – The Auckland Harbour Bridge, crossing the Waitematā Harbour in Auckland, New Zealand, is officially opened by Governor-General Charles Lyttelton, 10th Viscount Cobham.
    • 1961 – The long-time Dominican dictator Rafael Trujillo is assassinated in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.
    • 1963 – A protest against pro-Catholic discrimination during the Buddhist crisis is held outside South Vietnam’s National Assembly, the first open demonstration during the eight-year rule of Ngo Dinh Diem.
    • 1966 – Former Congolese Prime Minister, Évariste Kimba, and several other politicians are publicly executed in Kinshasa on the orders of President Joseph Mobutu.
    • 1967 – The Nigerian Eastern Region declares independence as the Republic of Biafra, sparking a civil war.
    • 1968 – Charles de Gaulle reappears publicly after his flight to Baden-Baden, Germany, and dissolves the French National Assembly by a radio appeal. Immediately after, less than one million of his supporters march on the Champs-Élysées in Paris. This is the turning point of May 1968 events in France.
    • 1971 – Mariner program: Mariner 9 is launched to map 70% of the surface, and to study temporal changes in the atmosphere and surface, of Mars.
    • 1972 – The Angry Brigade goes on trial over a series of 25 bombings throughout the United Kingdom.
    • 1972 – In Ben Gurion Airport (at the time: Lod Airport), Israel, members of the Japanese Red Army carry out the Lod Airport massacre, killing 24 people and injuring 78 others.
    • 1974 – The Airbus A300 passenger aircraft first enters service.
    • 1979 – Downeast Flight 46 crashes on approach to Knox County Regional Airport in Rockland, Maine, killing 17.
    • 1975 – European Space Agency is established.
    • 1982 – Cold War: Spain joins NATO.
    • 1989 – Tiananmen Square protests of 1989: The 10-metre high “Goddess of Democracy” statue is unveiled in Tiananmen Square by student demonstrators.
    • 1990 – Croatian Parliament is constituted after the first free, multi-party elections, today celebrated as the National Day of Croatia.
    • 1998 – The 6.5 Mw  Afghanistan earthquake shook the Takhar Province of northern Afghanistan with a maximum Mercalli intensity of VII (Very strong), killing around 4,000–4,500.
    • 1998 – Nuclear Testing: Pakistan conducts an underground test in the Kharan Desert. It is reported to be a plutonium device with yield of 20kt TNT equivalent.
    • 2003 – Depayin massacre: At least 70 people associated with the National League for Democracy are killed by government-sponsored mob in Burma. Aung San Suu Kyi flees the scene, but is arrested soon afterwards.
    • 2008 – Convention on Cluster Munitions is adopted.
    • 2008 – TACA Flight 390 overshoots the runway at Toncontín International Airport, killing five people.
    • 2012 – Former Liberian president Charles Taylor is sentenced to 50 years in prison for his role in atrocities committed during the Sierra Leone Civil War.
    • 2013 – Nigeria passes a law banning same-sex marriage.
    • 2020 – The Crew Dragon Demo-2 launches from the Kennedy Space Center, becoming the first crewed rocket to launch from the United States since 2011.

    Births on May 30

    • 1010 – Ren Zong, Chinese emperor (d. 1063)
    • 1201 – Theobald IV, count of Champagne (d. 1253)
    • 1423 – Georg von Peuerbach, German mathematician and astronomer (d. 1461)
    • 1464 – Barbara of Brandenburg, Bohemian queen (d. 1515)
    • 1580 – Fadrique de Toledo, 1st Marquis of Villanueva de Valdueza (d. 1634)
    • 1599 – Samuel Bochart, French Protestant biblical scholar (d. 1667)
    • 1623 – John Egerton, 2nd Earl of Bridgewater, English politician, Lord Lieutenant of Buckinghamshire (d. 1686)
    • 1686 – Antonina Houbraken, Dutch illustrator (d. 1736)
    • 1718 – Wills Hill, 1st Marquess of Downshire, English politician, Secretary of State for the Colonies (d. 1793)
    • 1719 – Roger Newdigate, English politician (d. 1806)
    • 1757 – Henry Addington, 1st Viscount Sidmouth, English politician, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (d. 1844)
    • 1768 – Étienne Marie Antoine Champion de Nansouty, French general (d. 1815)
    • 1797 – Georg Amadeus Carl Friedrich Naumann, German mineralogist and geologist (d. 1873)
    • 1800 – Henri-Marie-Gaston Boisnormand de Bonnechose, French cardinal (d. 1883)
    • 1814 – Mikhail Bakunin, Russian philosopher and theorist (d. 1876)
    • 1814 – Eugène Charles Catalan, Belgian-French mathematician and academic (d. 1894)
    • 1819 – William McMurdo, English general (d. 1894)
    • 1820 – Pierre-Joseph-Olivier Chauveau, Canadian lawyer and politician, 1st Premier of Quebec (d. 1890)
    • 1835 – Alfred Austin, English author, poet, and playwright (d. 1913)
    • 1844 – Félix Arnaudin, French poet and photographer (d. 1921)
    • 1845 – Amadeo I, Spanish king (d. 1890)
    • 1846 – Peter Carl Fabergé, Russian goldsmith and jeweler (d. 1920)
    • 1862 – Mirza Alakbar Sabir, Azerbaijani philosopher and poet (d. 1911)
    • 1869 – Grace Andrews, American mathematician (d. 1951)
    • 1874 – Ernest Duchesne, French physician (d. 1912)
    • 1875 – Giovanni Gentile, Italian philosopher and academic (d. 1944)
    • 1879 – Colin Blythe, English cricketer and soldier (d. 1917)
    • 1879 – Konstantin Ramul, Estonian psychologist and academic (d. 1975)
    • 1881 – Georg von Küchler, German field marshal (d. 1968)
    • 1882 – Wyndham Halswelle, English runner and soldier (d. 1915)
    • 1883 – Sandy Pearce, Australian rugby league player (d. 1930)
    • 1884 – Siegmund Glücksmann, German soldier and politician (d. 1942)
    • 1885 – Villem Grünthal-Ridala, Estonian poet and linguist (d. 1942)
    • 1886 – Laurent Barré, Canadian lawyer and politician (d. 1964)
    • 1886 – Randolph Bourne, American theorist and author (d. 1918)
    • 1887 – Alexander Archipenko, Ukrainian-American sculptor and illustrator (d. 1964)
    • 1887 – Emil Reesen, Danish pianist, composer, and conductor (d. 1964)
    • 1890 – Roger Salengro, French soldier and politician, French Minister of the Interior (d. 1936)
    • 1892 – Fernando Amorsolo, Filipino painter (d. 1972)
    • 1894 – Hubertus van Mook, Dutch politician, Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies (d. 1965)
    • 1895 – Maurice Tate, English cricketer (d. 1956)
    • 1896 – Howard Hawks, American director, producer, and screenwriter (d. 1977)
    • 1897 – Frank Wise, Australian politician, 16th Premier of Western Australia (d. 1986)
    • 1898 – John Gilroy, English artist and illustrator (d. 1985)
    • 1899 – Irving Thalberg, American screenwriter and producer (d. 1936)
    • 1901 – Alfred Karindi, Estonian pianist and composer (d. 1969)
    • 1901 – Cornelia Otis Skinner, American actress and author (d. 1979)
    • 1902 – Stepin Fetchit, American actor and dancer (d. 1985)
    • 1903 – Countee Cullen, American poet and author (d. 1946)
    • 1906 – Bruno Gröning, German mystic and author (d. 1959)
    • 1907 – Germaine Tillion, French anthropologist and academic (d. 2008)
    • 1908 – Hannes Alfvén, Swedish physicist and engineer, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1995)
    • 1908 – Mel Blanc, American voice actor (d. 1989)
    • 1909 – Jacques Canetti, French music executive and talent agent (d. 1997)
    • 1909 – Freddie Frith, English motorcycle road racer (d. 1988)
    • 1909 – Benny Goodman, American clarinet player, songwriter, and bandleader (d. 1986)
    • 1910 – Harry Bernstein, English-American journalist and author (d. 2011)
    • 1912 – Julius Axelrod, American biochemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 2004)
    • 1912 – Erich Bagge, German physicist and academic (d. 1996)
    • 1912 – Hugh Griffith, Welsh actor (d. 1980)
    • 1912 – Millicent Selsam, American author and academic (d. 1996)
    • 1912 – Joseph Stein, American playwright and author (d. 2010)
    • 1914 – Akinoumi Setsuo, Japanese sumo wrestler, the 37th Yokozuna (d. 1979)
    • 1915 – Len Carney, English footballer and soldier (d. 1996)
    • 1916 – Justin Catayée, French soldier and politician (d. 1962)
    • 1916 – Mort Meskin, American illustrator (d. 1995)
    • 1918 – Pita Amor, Mexican poet and author (d. 2000)
    • 1918 – Bob Evans, American businessman, founded Bob Evans Restaurants (d. 2007)
    • 1919 – René Barrientos, Bolivian general and politician, 55th President of Bolivia (d. 1969)
    • 1920 – Franklin J. Schaffner, Japanese-American director and producer (d. 1989)
    • 1922 – Hal Clement, American author and educator (d. 2003)
    • 1924 – Anthony Dryden Marshall, American CIA officer and diplomat (d. 2014)
    • 1925 – John Henry Marks, English physician and author
    • 1926 – Johnny Gimble, American country/western swing musician (Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys) (d. 2015)
    • 1927 – Joan Birman, American mathematician
    • 1927 – Clint Walker, American actor and singer (d. 2018)
    • 1927 – Billy Wilson, Australian rugby league player and coach (d. 1993)
    • 1928 – Pro Hart, Australian painter (d. 2006)
    • 1928 – Agnès Varda, Belgian-French director, producer, and screenwriter (d. 2019)
    • 1929 – Georges Gilson, French archbishop
    • 1930 – Mark Birley, English businessman, founded Annabel’s (d. 2007)
    • 1930 – Robert Ryman, American painter (d. 2019)
    • 1931 – Larry Silverstein, American real estate magnate
    • 1932 – Ray Cooney, English actor and playwright
    • 1932 – Pauline Oliveros, American accordion player and composer (d. 2016)
    • 1932 – Ivor Richard, Baron Richard, Welsh politician and diplomat, British Ambassador to the United Nations (d. 2018)
    • 1934 – Alexei Leonov, Russian general, pilot, and cosmonaut (d. 2019)
    • 1934 – Alketas Panagoulias, Greek footballer and manager (d. 2012)
    • 1935 – Ruta Lee, Canadian-American actress and dancer
    • 1935 – Guy Tardif, Canadian academic and politician (d. 2005)
    • 1936 – Keir Dullea, American actor
    • 1937 – Christopher Haskins, Anglo-Irish businessman, life peer, and British politician
    • 1937 – Rick Mather, American-English architect (d. 2013)
    • 1938 – Billie Letts, American author and educator (d. 2014)
    • 1939 – Michael J. Pollard, American actor (d. 2019)
    • 1939 – Dieter Quester, Austrian race car driver
    • 1939 – Tim Waterstone, Scottish businessman, founded Waterstones
    • 1940 – Jagmohan Dalmiya, Indian cricket administrator (d. 2015)
    • 1940 – Gilles Villemure, Canadian-American ice hockey player
    • 1942 – John Gladwin, English bishop
    • 1942 – Carole Stone, English journalist and author
    • 1943 – Anders Michanek, Swedish motorcycle racer
    • 1943 – Gale Sayers, American football player and philanthropist
    • 1944 – Lenny Davidson, English guitarist and songwriter (The Dave Clark Five)
    • 1944 – Meredith MacRae, American actress (d. 2000)
    • 1944 – Stav Prodromou, Greek-American engineer and businessman
    • 1945 – Gladys Horton, American singer (d. 2011)
    • 1946 – Allan Chapman, English historian and author
    • 1946 – Dragan Džajić, Serbian and Yugoslav footballer
    • 1947 – Jocelyne Bourassa, Canadian golfer
    • 1948 – Johan De Muynck, Belgian former professional road racing cyclist
    • 1948 – Michael Piller, American screenwriter and producer (d. 2005)
    • 1948 – David Thorpe, Australian rules footballer
    • 1949 – P.J. Carlesimo, American basketball player and coach
    • 1949 – Paul Coleridge, English lawyer and judge
    • 1949 – Bob Willis, English cricketer and sportscaster (d. 2019)
    • 1950 – Bertrand Delanoë, French politician, 14th Mayor of Paris
    • 1950 – Paresh Rawal, Indian actor, producer, and politician
    • 1950 – Joshua Rozenberg, English lawyer, journalist, and author
    • 1951 – Zdravko Čolić, Bosnian Serb singer-songwriter
    • 1951 – Fernando Lugo, Paraguayan bishop and politician, President of Paraguay
    • 1951 – Stephen Tobolowsky, American actor, singer, and director
    • 1952 – Daniel Grodnik, American screenwriter and producer
    • 1952 – Kerry Fraser, Canadian ice hockey player, referee, and sportscaster
    • 1953 – Jim Hunter, Canadian skier
    • 1953 – Colm Meaney, Irish actor
    • 1955 – Topper Headon, English drummer and songwriter (The Clash)
    • 1955 – Jacqueline McGlade, English-Canadian biologist, ecologist, and academic
    • 1955 – Caroline Swift, English lawyer and judge
    • 1955 – Colm Tóibín, Irish novelist, poet, playwright, and critic
    • 1956 – Tim Lucas, American author, screenwriter, and critic
    • 1957 – Michael Clayton, Australian golfer
    • 1958 – Eugene Belliveau, Canadian football player
    • 1958 – Marie Fredriksson, Swedish singer-songwriter and pianist (d. 2019)
    • 1958 – Steve Israel, American lawyer and politician
    • 1958 – Michael López-Alegría, Spanish-American captain, pilot, and astronaut
    • 1958 – Ted McGinley, American actor
    • 1959 – Phil Brown, English footballer, coach, and manager
    • 1959 – Randy Ferbey, Canadian curler
    • 1959 – Frank Vanhecke, Belgian politician
    • 1961 – Harry Enfield, English actor, director, and screenwriter
    • 1961 – Bob Yari, Iranian-American director and producer
    • 1962 – Kevin Eastman, American author and illustrator, co-created the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
    • 1962 – Richard Fuller, English lawyer and politician
    • 1962 – Tim Loughton, English businessman and politician
    • 1962 – Tonya Pinkins, American actress and singer
    • 1963 – Michel Langevin, Canadian drummer and songwriter
    • 1963 – Élise Lucet, French journalist
    • 1963 – Helen Sharman, English chemist and astronaut
    • 1964 – Wynonna Judd, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and actress
    • 1964 – Andrea Montermini, Italian race car driver
    • 1964 – Tom Morello, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and actor
    • 1965 – Troy Coker, Australian rugby player
    • 1965 – Billy Donovan, American basketball player and coach
    • 1965 – Iginio Straffi, Italian animator and producer, founded Rainbow S.r.l.
    • 1966 – Thomas Häßler, German footballer and manager
    • 1966 – Stephen Malkmus, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
    • 1967 – Tim Burgess, English singer-songwriter
    • 1967 – Rechelle Hawkes, Australian hockey player
    • 1967 – Sven Pipien, German-American bass player
    • 1968 – Jason Kenney, Canadian lawyer and politician, 40th Canadian Minister of National Defence
    • 1968 – Zacarias Moussaoui, French citizen, sentenced to life in prison related to September 11 attacks
    • 1969 – Naomi Kawase, Japanese director, producer, and screenwriter
    • 1969 – Ryuhei Kitamura, Japanese director, producer, and screenwriter
    • 1971 – Paul Grayson, English rugby player and coach
    • 1971 – Duncan Jones, English director, producer, and screenwriter
    • 1971 – Idina Menzel, American singer-songwriter and actress
    • 1971 – Jiří Šlégr, Czech ice hockey player and politician
    • 1971 – Adrian Vowles, Australian rugby league player and sportscaster
    • 1972 – Manny Ramirez, Dominican-American baseball player and coach
    • 1974 – Big L, American rapper (d. 1999)
    • 1974 – Kostas Chalkias, Greek footballer
    • 1974 – CeeLo Green, American singer-songwriter, pianist, producer, and actor
    • 1974 – David Wilkie, American ice hockey player and coach
    • 1975 – Evan Eschmeyer, American basketball player
    • 1975 – Brian Fair, American singer-songwriter
    • 1975 – Andy Farrell, English rugby player and coach
    • 1975 – Marissa Mayer, American computer scientist and businesswoman
    • 1976 – Radoslav Nesterović, Slovenian-Greek basketball player
    • 1976 – Magnus Norman, Swedish tennis player and coach
    • 1976 – Margaret Okayo, Kenyan runner
    • 1977 – Rachael Stirling, English actress
    • 1977 – Federico Vilar, Argentinian-Italian footballer
    • 1979 – Mike Bishai, Canadian ice hockey player
    • 1979 – Clint Bowyer, American race car driver
    • 1979 – Francis Lessard, Canadian ice hockey player
    • 1980 – Steven Gerrard, English international footballer, midfielder and manager
    • 1980 – Ilona Korstin, Russian basketball player
    • 1980 – Ryōgo Narita, Japanese author
    • 1981 – Devendra Banhart, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
    • 1981 – Gianmaria Bruni, Italian race car driver
    • 1981 – Ahmad Elrich, Australian footballer
    • 1981 – Remy Ma, American rapper
    • 1981 – Lars Møller Madsen, Danish handball player
    • 1981 – Hisanori Takada, Japanese footballer
    • 1982 – Eddie Griffin, American basketball player (d. 2007)
    • 1982 – James Simpson-Daniel, English rugby player
    • 1984 – Sham Kwok Fai, Hong Kong footballer
    • 1984 – Matt Maguire, Australian footballer
    • 1984 – Alexander Sulzer, German ice hockey player
    • 1985 – Igor Kurnosov, Russian chess player (d. 2013)
    • 1985 – Igor Lewczuk, Polish footballer
    • 1985 – Aaron Volpatti, Canadian ice hockey player
    • 1986 – Nikolay Bodurov, Bulgarian international footballer, centre-back
    • 1989 – Ailee, Korean-American singer and songwriter
    • 1989 – Lesia Tsurenko, Ukrainian tennis player
    • 1990 – Andrei Loktionov, Russian ice hockey player
    • 1991 – Jonathan Fox, English swimmer
    • 1992 – Harrison Barnes, American basketball player
    • 1992 – Danielle Harold, English actress
    • 1994 – Scott Laughton, Canadian ice hockey player

    Deaths on May 30

    • 531 – Xiao Tong, prince of the Liang Dynasty (b. 501)
    • 727 – Hubertus, bishop Liège
    • 947 – Ma Xifan, king of Chu (b. 899)
    • 1035 – Baldwin IV, count of Flanders (b. 980)
    • 1159 – Władysław II the Exile, High Duke of Poland and Duke of Silesia (b. 1105)
    • 1252 – Ferdinand III, king of Castile and León (b. 1199)
    • 1347 – John Darcy, 1st Baron Darcy de Knayth, English peer (b. 1290)
    • 1376 – Joan of Ponthieu, Dame of Epernon, French noblewoman
    • 1416 – Jerome of Prague, Czech martyr and theologian (b. 1379)
    • 1431 – Joan of Arc, French martyr and saint (b. 1412)
    • 1434 – Prokop the Great, Czech general (b. 1380)
    • 1469 – Lope de Barrientos, Castilian bishop (b. 1389)
    • 1472 – Jacquetta of Luxembourg, daughter of Pierre de Luxembourg (b. 1416)
    • 1574 – Charles IX of France (b. 1550)
    • 1593 – Christopher Marlowe, English poet and playwright (b. 1564)
    • 1606 – Guru Arjan Dev, fifth of the Sikh gurus (executed) (b. 1563)
    • 1640 – Peter Paul Rubens, German-Belgian painter (b. 1577)
    • 1696 – Henry Capell, 1st Baron Capell of Tewkesbury, English politician, Lord Lieutenant of Ireland (b. 1638)
    • 1670 – John Davenport, English minister, co-founded the New Haven Colony (b. 1597)
    • 1712 – Andrea Lanzani, Italian painter (b. 1645)
    • 1718 – Arnold van Keppel, 1st Earl of Albemarle, Dutch-English general (b. 1670)
    • 1744 – Alexander Pope, English poet, essayist, and translator (b. 1688)
    • 1770 – François Boucher, French painter and set designer (b. 1703)
    • 1778 – Voltaire, French philosopher and author (b. 1694)
    • 1778 – José de la Borda, French/Spanish mining magnate in colonial Mexico (b. ca. 1700)
    • 1829 – Philibert Jean-Baptiste Curial, French general (b. 1774)
    • 1832 – James Mackintosh, Scottish historian, jurist, and politician (b. 1765)
    • 1855 – Mary Reibey, Australian businesswoman, (b. 1777)
    • 1892 – Mary Hannah Gray Clarke, American author, correspondent, and poet (b. 1835)
    • 1865 – John Catron, American lawyer and judge (b. 1786)
    • 1901 – Victor D’Hondt, Belgian mathematician, lawyer, and jurist (b. 1841)
    • 1911 – Milton Bradley, American businessman, founded the Milton Bradley Company (b. 1836)
    • 1912 – Wilbur Wright, American pilot and businessman, co-founded the Wright Company (b. 1867)
    • 1918 – Georgi Plekhanov, Russian philosopher and theorist (b. 1856)
    • 1925 – Arthur Moeller van den Bruck, German historian and author (b. 1876)
    • 1926 – Vladimir Steklov, Russian mathematician and physicist (b. 1864)
    • 1934 – Tōgō Heihachirō, Japanese admiral (b. 1848)
    • 1939 – Floyd Roberts, American race car driver (b. 1904)
    • 1941 – Prajadhipok, Thai king (b. 1893)
    • 1946 – Louis Slotin, Canadian physicist and chemist (b. 1910)
    • 1947 – Georg von Trapp, Austrian captain (b. 1880)
    • 1948 – József Klekl, Slovene-Hungarian priest and politician (b. 1874)
    • 1949 – Emmanuel Célestin Suhard, French cardinal (b. 1874)
    • 1951 – Hermann Broch, Austrian-American author (b. 1886)
    • 1953 – Dooley Wilson, American actor and singer (b. 1886)
    • 1955 – Bill Vukovich, American race car driver (b. 1918)
    • 1957 – Piero Carini, Italian race car driver (b. 1921)
    • 1960 – Boris Pasternak, Russian poet, novelist, and literary translator, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1890)
    • 1961 – Rafael Trujillo, Dominican soldier and politician, 36th President of the Dominican Republic (b. 1891)
    • 1964 – Isaac Babalola Akinyele, Nigerian king (b. 1882)
    • 1964 – Eddie Sachs, American race car driver (b. 1927)
    • 1964 – Leó Szilárd, Hungarian-American physicist and engineer (b. 1898)
    • 1965 – Louis Hjelmslev, Danish linguist and academic (b. 1899)
    • 1967 – Claude Rains, English-American actor (b. 1889)
    • 1967 – Georg Wilhelm Pabst, Austrian director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1885)
    • 1971 – Marcel Dupré, French organist and composer (b. 1886)
    • 1975 – Steve Prefontaine, American runner (b. 1951)
    • 1975 – Tatsuo Shimabuku, Japanese martial artist, founded Isshin-ryū (b. 1908)
    • 1975 – Michel Simon, Swiss-born French actor (b. 1895)
    • 1976 – Max Carey, American baseball player, coach, and manager (b. 1890)
    • 1976 – Mitsuo Fuchida, Japanese captain (b. 1902)
    • 1978 – Jean Deslauriers, Canadian violinist, composer, and conductor (b. 1909)
    • 1980 – Carl Radle, American bass player and producer (b. 1942)
    • 1981 – Don Ashby, Canadian ice hockey player (b. 1955)
    • 1981 – Ziaur Rahman, Bangladeshi general and politician, 7th President of Bangladesh (b. 1936)
    • 1982 – Albert Norden, German journalist and politician (b. 1904)
    • 1986 – Perry Ellis, American fashion designer, founded his own eponymous fashion brand (b. 1940)
    • 1993 – Sun Ra, American pianist, composer, and bandleader (b. 1914)
    • 1994 – Ezra Taft Benson, American religious leader, 13th President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (b. 1899)
    • 1994 – Marcel Bich, Italian-French businessman, co-founded Société Bic (b. 1914)
    • 1994 – Agostino Di Bartolomei, Italian footballer (b. 1955)
    • 1995 – Ted Drake, English footballer and manager (b. 1912)
    • 1995 – Lofty England, English-Austrian engineer (b. 1911)
    • 1995 – Bobby Stokes, English footballer (b. 1951)
    • 1996 – Léon-Étienne Duval, French cardinal (b. 1903)
    • 1996 – Alo Mattiisen, Estonian composer (b. 1961)
    • 1999 – Kalju Lepik, Estonian poet and author (b. 1920)
    • 2000 – Tex Beneke, American saxophonist and bandleader (b. 1914)
    • 2001 – Denis Whitaker, Canadian general and historian (b. 1915)
    • 2005 – Gérald Leblanc, Acadian poet (b. 1945)
    • 2005 – Tomasz Pacyński, Polish journalist and author (b. 1958)
    • 2005 – Alma Ziegler, American baseball player and stenographer (b. 1918)
    • 2006 – Shohei Imamura, Japanese director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1926)
    • 2006 – David Lloyd, New Zealand biologist and academic (b. 1938)
    • 2006 – Robert Sterling, American actor (b. 1917)
    • 2007 – Jean-Claude Brialy, Algerian-French actor and director (b. 1933)
    • 2007 – Birgit Dalland, Norwegian politician (b. 1907)
    • 2007 – Gunturu Seshendra Sarma, Indian poet and critic (b. 1927)
    • 2009 – Torsten Andersson, Swedish painter and illustrator (b. 1926)
    • 2009 – Susanna Haapoja, Finnish politician (b. 1966)
    • 2009 – Ephraim Katzir, Israeli biophysicist and politician, 4th President of Israel (b. 1916)
    • 2010 – Yuri Chesnokov, Russian volleyball player and coach (b. 1933)
    • 2010 – Dufferin Roblin, Canadian commander and politician, 14th Premier of Manitoba (b. 1917)
    • 2011 – Isikia Savua, Fijian police officer and diplomat (b. 1952)
    • 2011 – Saleem Shahzad, Pakistani journalist (b. 1970)
    • 2011 – Marek Siemek, Polish philosopher and historian (b. 1942)
    • 2011 – Clarice Taylor, American actress (b. 1917)
    • 2011 – Rosalyn Sussman Yalow, American physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1921)
    • 2012 – John Fox, American comedian, actor, and screenwriter (b. 1957)
    • 2012 – Andrew Huxley, English physiologist and biophysicist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1917)
    • 2012 – Gerhard Pohl, German economist and politician (b. 1937)
    • 2012 – Jack Twyman, American basketball player and sportscaster (b. 1934)
    • 2013 – Jayalath Jayawardena, Sri Lankan physician and politician (b. 1953)
    • 2013 – Larry Jones, American football player and coach (b. 1933)
    • 2014 – Hienadz Buraukin, Belarusian poet, journalist, and diplomat (b. 1936)
    • 2014 – Henning Carlsen, Danish director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1927)
    • 2014 – Joan Lorring, British actress (b. 1926)
    • 2014 – Leonidas Vasilikopoulos, Greek admiral (b. 1932)
    • 2015 – Beau Biden, American soldier, lawyer, and politician, 44th Attorney General of Delaware (b. 1969)
    • 2015 – Joël Champetier, Canadian author and screenwriter (b. 1957)
    • 2015 – L. Tom Perry, American religious leader and member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (b. 1922)
    • 2016 – Tom Lysiak, Polish-Canadian ice hockey player (b. 1953)
    • 2016 – Rick MacLeish, Canadian ice hockey player (b. 1950)
    • 2019 – Jason Marcano, Trinidadian footballer (b. 1983)

    Holidays and observances on May 30

    • Anguilla Day, commemorates the beginning of the Anguillian Revolution in 1967. (Anguilla)
    • Canary Islands Day (Spain)
    • Christian feast day:
      • Earliest day on which Feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary can fall, while July 3 is the latest; celebrated 20 days after Pentecost. (Catholic Church)
      • Ferdinand III of Castile
      • Isaac of Dalmatia
      • Joan of Arc
      • Joseph Marello
      • May 30 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
    • Indian Arrival Day (Trinidad and Tobago)
    • Lod Massacre Remembrance Day (Puerto Rico)
    • Mother’s Day (Nicaragua)
    • Statehood Day (Croatia)

  • May 27 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day

    • 1096 – Count Emicho enters Mainz, where his followers massacre Jewish citizens.At least 600 Jews are killed.
    • 1120 – Richard III of Capua is anointed as Prince two weeks before his untimely death.
    • 1153 – Malcolm IV becomes King of Scotland.
    • 1199 – John is crowned King of England.
    • 1257 – Richard of Cornwall, and his wife, Sanchia of Provence, are crowned King and Queen of the Germans at Aachen Cathedral.
    • 1644 – Manchu regent Dorgon defeats rebel leader Li Zicheng of the Shun dynasty at the Battle of Shanhai Pass, allowing the Manchus to enter and conquer the capital city of Beijing.
    • 1703 – Tsar Peter the Great founds the city of Saint Petersburg.
    • 1798 – The Battle of Oulart Hill takes place in Wexford, Ireland; Irish rebel leaders defeat and kill a detachment of militia.
    • 1799 – War of the Second Coalition: Austrian forces defeat the French at Winterthur, Switzerland.
    • 1813 – War of 1812: In Canada, American forces capture Fort George.
    • 1860 – Giuseppe Garibaldi begins his attack on Palermo, Sicily, as part of the Italian unification.
    • 1863 – American Civil War: First Assault on the Confederate works at the Siege of Port Hudson.
    • 1874 – The first group of Dorsland trekkers under the leadership of Gert Alberts leaves Pretoria.
    • 1883 – Alexander III is crowned Tsar of Russia.
    • 1896 – The F4-strength St. Louis–East St. Louis tornado hits in St. Louis, Missouri, and East St. Louis, Illinois, killing at least 255 people and causing over $10–million in damage.
    • 1905 – Russo-Japanese War: The Battle of Tsushima begins.
    • 1917 – Pope Benedict XV promulgates the 1917 Code of Canon Law, the first comprehensive codification of Catholic canon law in the legal history of the Catholic Church.
    • 1919 – The NC-4 aircraft arrives in Lisbon after completing the first transatlantic flight.
    • 1927 – The Ford Motor Company ceases manufacture of the Ford Model T and begins to retool plants to make the Ford Model A.
    • 1930 – The 1,046 feet (319 m) Chrysler Building in New York City, the tallest man-made structure at the time, opens to the public.
    • 1933 – New Deal: The U.S. Federal Securities Act is signed into law requiring the registration of securities with the Federal Trade Commission.
    • 1933 – The Walt Disney Company releases the cartoon Three Little Pigs, with its hit song “Who’s Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf?”
    • 1935 – New Deal: The Supreme Court of the United States declares the National Industrial Recovery Act to be unconstitutional in A.L.A. Schechter Poultry Corp. v. United States, (295 U.S. 495).
    • 1937 – In California, the Golden Gate Bridge opens to pedestrian traffic, creating a vital link between San Francisco and Marin County, California.
    • 1940 – World War II: In the Le Paradis massacre, 99 soldiers from a Royal Norfolk Regiment unit are shot after surrendering to German troops; two survive.
    • 1941 – World War II: U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt proclaims an “unlimited national emergency”.
    • 1941 – World War II: The German battleship Bismarck is sunk in the North Atlantic killing almost 2,100 men.
    • 1942 – World War II: In Operation Anthropoid, Reinhard Heydrich is fatally wounded in Prague; he dies of his injuries eight days later.
    • 1958 – First flight of the McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II.
    • 1960 – In Turkey, a military coup removes President Celâl Bayar and the rest of the democratic government from office.
    • 1962 – The Centralia mine fire is ignited in the town’s landfill above a coal mine.
    • 1965 – Vietnam War: American warships begin the first bombardment of National Liberation Front targets within South Vietnam.
    • 1967 – Australians vote in favor of a constitutional referendum granting the Australian government the power to make laws to benefit Indigenous Australians and to count them in the national census.
    • 1967 – The U.S. Navy aircraft carrier USS John F. Kennedy is launched by Jacqueline Kennedy and her daughter Caroline.
    • 1971 – The Dahlerau train disaster, the worst railway accident in West Germany, kills 46 people and injures 25 near Wuppertal.
    • 1971 – Pakistani forces massacre over 200 civilians, mostly Bengali Hindus, in the Bagbati massacre.
    • 1975 – Dibbles Bridge coach crash near Grassington, in North Yorkshire, England, kills 33 – the highest ever death toll in a road accident in the United Kingdom.
    • 1980 – The Gwangju Massacre: Airborne and army troops of South Korea retake the city of Gwangju from civil militias, killing at least 207 and possibly many more.
    • 1984 – The Danube-Black Sea canal is opened, in a ceremony attended by the Ceaușescus. It had been under construction since the 1950s.
    • 1996 – First Chechen War: the Russian President Boris Yeltsin meets with Chechnyan rebels for the first time and negotiates a cease-fire.
    • 1997 – The 1997 Central Texas tornado outbreak occurs, spawning multiple tornadoes in Central Texas, including the F5 that killed 27 in Jarrell.
    • 1998 – Oklahoma City bombing: Michael Fortier is sentenced to 12 years in prison and fined $200,000 for failing to warn authorities about the terrorist plot.
    • 2001 – Members of the Islamist separatist group Abu Sayyaf seize twenty hostages from an affluent island resort on Palawan in the Philippines; the hostage crisis would not be resolved until June 2002.
    • 2006 – The 6.4 Mw  Yogyakarta earthquake shakes central Java with an MSK intensity of VIII (Damaging), leaving more than 5,700 dead and 37,000 injured.
    • 2016 – Barack Obama is the first president of United States to visit Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park and meet Hibakusha.
    • 2017 – Andrew Scheer takes over after Rona Ambrose as the leader of the Conservative Party of Canada.
    • 2018 – Maryland Flood Event: A flood occurs throughout the Patapsco Valley causing one death and destroying the entire first floors of buildings on Main Street in Ellicott City and causing cars to overturn.

    Births on May 27

    • 742 – Emperor Dezong of Tang (d. 805)
    • 1332 – Ibn Khaldun, Tunisian historian and theologian (d. 1406)
    • 1378 – Zhu Quan, Chinese military commander, historian and playwright (d. 1448)
    • 1519 – Girolamo Mei, Italian historian and theorist (d. 1594)
    • 1537 – Louis IV, Landgrave of Hesse-Marburg (d. 1604)
    • 1576 – Caspar Schoppe, German author and scholar (d. 1649)
    • 1584 – Michael Altenburg, German theologian and composer (d. 1640)
    • 1601 – Antoine Daniel, French-Canadian missionary and saint (d. 1648)
    • 1626 – William II, Prince of Orange (d. 1650)
    • 1627 – Anne Marie Louise d’Orléans, Duchess of Montpensier (d. 1693)
    • 1651 – Louis Antoine de Noailles, French cardinal (d. 1729)
    • 1652 – Elizabeth Charlotte, Princess Palatine of Germany (d. 1722)
    • 1738 – Nathaniel Gorham, American merchant and politician, 14th President of the Continental Congress (d. 1796)
    • 1756 – Maximilian I Joseph of Bavaria (d. 1825)
    • 1774 – Francis Beaufort, Irish hydrographer and officer in the Royal Navy (d. 1857)
    • 1794 – Cornelius Vanderbilt, American businessman and philanthropist (d. 1877)
    • 1814 – John Rudolph Niernsee, Viennese-born American architect (d.1885)
    • 1815 – Henry Parkes, English-Australian politician, 7th Premier of New South Wales (d. 1896)
    • 1818 – Amelia Bloomer, American journalist and activist (d. 1894)
    • 1819 – Julia Ward Howe, American poet and songwriter (d. 1910)
    • 1827 – Samuel F. Miller, American lawyer and politician (d. 1892)
    • 1832 – Zenas Ferry Moody, American surveyor and politician, 7th Governor of Oregon (d. 1917)
    • 1836 – Jay Gould, American businessman and financier (d. 1892)
    • 1837 – Wild Bill Hickok, American police officer (d. 1876)
    • 1852 – Billy Barnes, English cricketer (d. 1899)
    • 1857 – Theodor Curtius, German chemist (d. 1928)
    • 1860 – Manuel Teixeira Gomes, Portuguese politician, 7th President of Portugal (d. 1941)
    • 1863 – Arthur Mold, English cricketer (d. 1921)
    • 1867 – Arnold Bennett, English author and playwright (d. 1931)
    • 1868 – Aleksa Šantić, Bosnian poet and author (d. 1924)
    • 1871 – Georges Rouault, French painter and illustrator (d. 1958)
    • 1875 – Frederick Cuming, English cricketer (d. 1942)
    • 1876 – Ferdynand Antoni Ossendowski, Polish journalist and author (d. 1945)
    • 1876 – William Stanier, English engineer (d. 1965)
    • 1878 – Anna Cervin, Swedish artist (d. 1972)
    • 1879 – Karl Bühler, German-American linguist and psychologist (d. 1963)
    • 1879 – Hans Lammers, German judge and politician (d. 1962)
    • 1883 – Jessie Arms Botke, American painter (d. 1971)
    • 1884 – Max Brod, Czech journalist, author, and composer (d. 1968)
    • 1887 – Frank Woolley, English cricketer (d. 1978)
    • 1888 – Louis Durey, French composer (d. 1979)
    • 1891 – Claude Champagne, Canadian violinist, pianist, and composer (d. 1965)
    • 1891 – Jaan Kärner, Estonian poet and author (d. 1958)
    • 1894 – Louis-Ferdinand Céline, French physician and author (d. 1961)
    • 1894 – Dashiell Hammett, American detective novelist and screenwriter (d. 1961)
    • 1895 – Douglas Lloyd Campbell, Canadian educator and politician, 13th Premier of Manitoba (d. 1995)
    • 1897 – John Cockcroft, English physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1967)
    • 1897 – Dink Templeton, American rugby player and coach (d. 1962)
    • 1898 – David Crosthwait, American engineer, inventor and writer (d. 1976)
    • 1899 – Johannes Türn, Estonian chess and draughts player (d. 1993)
    • 1900 – Lotte Toberentz, German overseer of the Nazi Uckermark concentration camp (d. 1964)
    • 1900 – Uładzimir Žyłka, Belarusian poet and translator (d. 1933)
    • 1904 – Chūhei Nambu, Japanese jumper and journalist (d. 1997)
    • 1906 – Buddhadasa, Thai monk and philosopher (d. 1993)
    • 1906 – Harry Hibbs, English footballer (d. 1984)
    • 1906 – Antonio Rosario Mennonna, Italian bishop (d. 2009)
    • 1907 – Nicolas Calas, Greek-American poet and critic (d. 1988)
    • 1907 – Rachel Carson, American biologist, environmentalist, and author (d. 1964)
    • 1909 – Dolores Hope, American singer and philanthropist (d. 2011)
    • 1911 – Hubert Humphrey, American journalist and politician, 38th Vice President of the United States (d. 1978)
    • 1911 – Teddy Kollek, Hungarian-Israeli politician, Mayor of Jerusalem (d. 2007)
    • 1911 – Vincent Price, American actor (d. 1993)
    • 1912 – John Cheever, American novelist and short story writer (d. 1982)
    • 1912 – Sam Snead, American golfer and sportscaster (d. 2002)
    • 1912 – Terry Moore, American baseball player, coach, and manager (d. 1995)
    • 1915 – Ester Soré, Chilean singer-songwriter (d. 1996)
    • 1915 – Herman Wouk, American novelist (d. 2019)
    • 1917 – Harry Webster, English engineer (d. 2007)
    • 1918 – Yasuhiro Nakasone, Japanese commander and politician, 45th Prime Minister of Japan (d. 2019)
    • 1921 – Bob Godfrey, Australian-English animator, director, and voice actor (d. 2013)
    • 1922 – Otto Carius, German lieutenant and pharmacist (d. 2015)
    • 1922 – Christopher Lee, English actor (d. 2015)
    • 1922 – John D. Vanderhoof, American banker and politician, 37th Governor of Colorado (d. 2013)
    • 1923 – Henry Kissinger, German-American political scientist and politician, 56th United States Secretary of State, Nobel Prize laureate
    • 1923 – Sumner Redstone, American businessman and philanthropist
    • 1924 – Jaime Lusinchi, Venezuelan physician and politician, President of Venezuela (d. 2014)
    • 1924 – John Sumner, English-Australian director, founded the Melbourne Theatre Company (d. 2013)
    • 1925 – Tony Hillerman, American journalist and author (d. 2008)
    • 1927 – Jüri Randviir, Estonian chess player and journalist (d. 1996)
    • 1928 – Thea Musgrave, Scottish-American composer and educator
    • 1930 – John Barth, American novelist and short story writer
    • 1930 – William S. Sessions, American civil servant and judge, 8th Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation
    • 1930 – Eino Tamberg, Estonian composer and educator (d. 2010)
    • 1931 – André Barbeau, French-Canadian neurologist (d. 1986)
    • 1931 – John Chapple, English field marshal and politician, Governor of Gibraltar
    • 1931 – Bernard Fresson, French actor (d. 2002)
    • 1931 – Faten Hamama, Egyptian actress and producer (d. 2015)
    • 1931 – Philip Kotler, American author and professor
    • 1933 – Edward Samuel Rogers, Canadian businessman (d. 2008)
    • 1933 – Manfred Sommer, Spanish author and illustrator (d. 2007)
    • 1934 – Ray Daviault, Canadian-American baseball player
    • 1934 – Harlan Ellison, American author and screenwriter (d. 2018)
    • 1935 – Daniel Colchico, American football player and coach (d. 2014)
    • 1935 – Mal Evans, British road manager of The Beatles (d. 1976)
    • 1935 – Jerry Kindall, American baseball player and coach (d. 2017)
    • 1935 – Ramsey Lewis, American jazz pianist and composer
    • 1935 – Lee Meriwether, American model and actress, Miss America 1955
    • 1936 – Benjamin Bathurst, English admiral
    • 1936 – Louis Gossett, Jr., American actor and producer
    • 1936 – Marcel Masse, Canadian educator and politician, 29th Canadian Minister of National Defence (d. 2014)
    • 1937 – Allan Carr, American playwright and producer (d. 1999)
    • 1939 – Simon Cairns, 6th Earl Cairns, English courtier and businessman
    • 1939 – Yves Duhaime, Canadian captain and politician
    • 1939 – Sokratis Kokkalis, Greek businessman
    • 1939 – Gerald Ronson, English businessman and philanthropist
    • 1939 – Lionel Sosa, Mexican-American advertising and marketing executive
    • 1939 – Don Williams, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 2017)
    • 1940 – Mike Gibson, Australian journalist and sportscaster (d. 2015)
    • 1942 – Lee Baca, American police officer
    • 1942 – Piers Courage, English racing driver (d. 1970)
    • 1942 – Roger Freeman, Baron Freeman, English accountant and politician, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
    • 1942 – Robin Widdows, English racing driver
    • 1943 – Cilla Black, English singer and actress (d. 2015)
    • 1943 – Bruce Weitz, American actor
    • 1944 – Chris Dodd, American lawyer and politician
    • 1944 – Ingrid Roscoe, English historian and politician, Lord Lieutenant of West Yorkshire
    • 1944 – Alain Souchon, French singer-songwriter, guitarist, and actor
    • 1945 – Bruce Cockburn, Canadian singer-songwriter and guitarist
    • 1946 – Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen, Danish bassist and composer (d. 2005)
    • 1946 – John Williams, English motorcycle racer (d. 1978)
    • 1947 – Peter DeFazio, American politician
    • 1947 – Marty Kristian, German-Australian singer-songwriter, guitarist, and actor
    • 1947 – Branko Oblak, Slovenian footballer and coach
    • 1947 – Riivo Sinijärv, Estonian politician, 19th Estonian Minister of Foreign Affairs
    • 1948 – Wubbo de Boer, Dutch civil servant (d. 2017)
    • 1948 – Pete Sears, English bass player
    • 1948 – Morning Glory Zell-Ravenheart, American occultist and author (d. 2014)
    • 1949 – Hugh Lowther, 8th Earl of Lonsdale, English politician
    • 1949 – Christa Vahlensieck, German runner
    • 1950 – Dee Dee Bridgewater, American singer-songwriter and actress
    • 1950 – Makis Dendrinos, Greek basketball player and coach (d. 2015)
    • 1951 – John Conteh, English boxer
    • 1954 – Pauline Hanson, Australian businesswoman, activist, and politician
    • 1954 – Jackie Slater, American football player and coach
    • 1955 – Eric Bischoff, American wrestler, manager, and producer
    • 1955 – Richard Schiff, American actor, director, and producer
    • 1955 – Ian Tracey, English organist and conductor
    • 1956 – Cynthia McFadden, American journalist
    • 1956 – Rosemary Squire, English producer and manager, co-founded Ambassador Theatre Group
    • 1956 – Giuseppe Tornatore, Italian director and screenwriter
    • 1957 – Dag Terje Andersen, Norwegian politician, Norwegian Minister of Labour
    • 1957 – Nitin Gadkari, Indian lawyer and politician, Indian Minister of Transport
    • 1957 – Eddie Harsch, Canadian-American keyboard player and bass player (d. 2016)
    • 1957 – Siouxsie Sioux, English singer-songwriter, musician, and producer
    • 1958 – Nick Anstee, English accountant and politician, 682nd Lord Mayor of London
    • 1958 – Neil Finn, New Zealand singer-songwriter and musician
    • 1958 – Jesse Robredo, Filipino politician, 23rd Filipino Secretary of the Interior (d. 2012)
    • 1960 – Gaston Therrien, Canadian ice hockey player and sportscaster
    • 1961 – José Luíz Barbosa, Brazilian runner and coach
    • 1961 – Peri Gilpin, American actress
    • 1962 – Marcelino Bernal, Mexican footballer
    • 1962 – Ray Borner, Australian basketball player
    • 1962 – Steven Brill, American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter
    • 1962 – Anthony A. Hyman, Israeli-English biologist and academic
    • 1962 – David Mundell, Scottish lawyer and politician, Secretary of State for Scotland
    • 1962 – Ravi Shastri, Indian cricketer and sportscaster
    • 1963 – Gonzalo Rubalcaba, Cuban pianist and composer
    • 1963 – Maria Walliser, Swiss skier
    • 1964 – Adam Carolla, American actor, producer, and screenwriter
    • 1965 – Pat Cash, Australian-English tennis player and sportscaster
    • 1966 – Heston Blumenthal, English chef and author
    • 1967 – Paul Gascoigne, English international footballer, midfielder, coach, and manager
    • 1967 – Eddie McClintock, American actor
    • 1968 – Jeff Bagwell, American baseball player and coach
    • 1968 – Rebekah Brooks, English journalist
    • 1968 – Harun Erdenay, Turkish basketball player and coach
    • 1968 – Frank Thomas, American baseball player and sportscaster
    • 1969 – Todd Hundley, American baseball player
    • 1969 – Jeremy Mayfield, American race car driver
    • 1969 – Craig Federighi, American computer scientist and engineer
    • 1970 – Michele Bartoli, Italian cyclist
    • 1970 – Tim Farron, English educator and politician
    • 1970 – Joseph Fiennes, English actor
    • 1970 – Alex Archer, American-born Australian musician
    • 1971 – Mathew Batsiua, Nauruan politician
    • 1971 – Paul Bettany, English actor
    • 1971 – Wayne Carey, Australian footballer and coach
    • 1971 – Kaur Kender, Estonian author
    • 1971 – Lisa Lopes, American rapper and dancer (d. 2002)
    • 1971 – Lee Sharpe, English footballer
    • 1971 – Grant Stafford, South African tennis player
    • 1971 – Sophie Walker, British politician, leader of the Women’s Equality Party
    • 1971 – Petroc Trelawny, British radio and television broadcaster
    • 1972 – Todd Demsey, American golfer
    • 1972 – Antonio Freeman, American football player
    • 1972 – Maxim Sokolov, Russian ice hockey player
    • 1973 – Jack McBrayer, American actor and comedian
    • 1973 – Tana Umaga, New Zealand rugby player and coach
    • 1973 – Yorgos Lanthimos, Greek film video, and theatre director, producer and screenwriter
    • 1974 – Skye Edwards, British singer-songwriter
    • 1974 – Denise van Outen, English actress, singer, and television host
    • 1974 – Derek Webb, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
    • 1974 – Danny Wuerffel, American football player
    • 1975 – André 3000, American rapper
    • 1975 – Michael Hussey, Australian cricketer
    • 1975 – Jamie Oliver, English chef and author
    • 1975 – Feryal Özel, Turkish astrophysicist, astronomer, and academic
    • 1976 – Marcel Fässler, Swiss racing driver
    • 1977 – Abderrahmane Hammad, Algerian high jumper
    • 1977 – Mahela Jayawardene, Sri Lankan cricketer
    • 1978 – Adin Brown, American soccer player
    • 1979 – Michael Buonauro, American author and illustrator (d. 2004)
    • 1979 – Mile Sterjovski, Australian footballer
    • 1980 – Craig Buntin, Canadian figure skater
    • 1981 – Alina Cojocaru, Romanian ballerina
    • 1981 – Johan Elmander, Swedish footballer
    • 1984 – Blake Ahearn, American basketball player
    • 1984 – Miguel González, Mexican baseball pitcher
    • 1985 – Chiang Chien-ming, Taiwanese baseball player
    • 1985 – Roberto Soldado, Spanish footballer
    • 1986 – Conor Cummins, Manx motorcycle racer
    • 1986 – Bamba Fall, Senegalese basketball player
    • 1986 – Lasse Schöne, Danish footballer
    • 1987 – Gervinho, Ivorian footballer
    • 1987 – Bella Heathcote, Australian actress
    • 1987 – Eric Kolelas, French-English actor and director
    • 1987 – Bora Paçun, Turkish basketball player
    • 1987 – Matt Prior, Australian rugby league player
    • 1987 – Martina Sablikova, Czech speed skater and cyclist
    • 1988 – Vontae Davis, American football player
    • 1988 – Irina Davydova, Russian hurdler
    • 1988 – Garrett Richards, American baseball pitcher
    • 1988 – Tyler Sash, American football player (d. 2015)
    • 1989 – Igor Morozov, Estonian footballer
    • 1990 – Yenew Alamirew, Ethiopian runner
    • 1990 – Chris Colfer, American actor and singer
    • 1990 – Marcus Kruger, Swedish ice hockey player
    • 1991 – Sebastien Dewaest, Belgian footballer
    • 1991 – Tim Lafai, Samoan rugby league player
    • 1991 – Ksenia Pervak, Russian tennis player
    • 1991 – Eneli Vals, Estonian footballer
    • 1992 – Aaron Brown, Canadian sprinter
    • 1992 – Laurence Vincent-Lapointe, Canadian canoer

    Deaths on May 27

    • 366 – Procopius, Roman usurper (b. 325)
    • 398 – Murong Bao, emperor of the Xianbei state Later Yan (b. 355)
    • 475 – Eutropius, bishop of Orange
    • 866 – Ordoño I of Asturias (b. 831)
    • 927 – Simeon I of Bulgaria first Bulgarian Emperor (b. 864)
    • 1039 – Dirk III, Count of Holland (b. 981)
    • 1045 – Bruno of Würzburg, imperial chancellor of Italy (b. c. 1005)
    • 1178 – Godfrey van Rhenen, bishop of Utrecht
    • 1240 – William de Warenne, 5th Earl of Surrey (b. 1166)
    • 1444 – John Beaufort, 1st Duke of Somerset, English commander (b. 1404)
    • 1508 – Ludovico Sforza, Duke of Milan (b. 1452)
    • 1508 – Lucrezia Crivelli, mistress of Ludovico Sforza (b. 1452)
    • 1525 – Thomas Müntzer, German mystic and theologian (b. 1488)
    • 1541 – Margaret Pole, Countess of Salisbury (b. 1473)
    • 1564 – John Calvin, French pastor and theologian (b. 1509)
    • 1610 – François Ravaillac, French assassin of Henry IV of France (b. 1578)
    • 1624 – Diego Ramírez de Arellano, Spanish sailor and cosmographer (b. c. 1580)
    • 1637 – John Boteler, 1st Baron Boteler of Brantfield, English politician (b. c. 1566)
    • 1661 – Archibald Campbell, 1st Marquess of Argyll, Scottish general and politician (b. 1607)
    • 1675 – Gaspard Dughet, Italian-French painter (b. 1613)
    • 1690 – Giovanni Legrenzi, Italian organist and composer (b. 1626)
    • 1702 – Dominique Bouhours, French priest and critic (b. 1628)
    • 1707 – Françoise-Athénaïs, marquise de Montespan, French mistress of Louis XIV of France (b. 1640)
    • 1781 – Giovanni Battista Beccaria, Italian physicist and academic (b. 1716)
    • 1797 – François-Noël Babeuf, French journalist (b. 1760)
    • 1831 – Jedediah Smith, American hunter, explorer, and author (b. 1799)
    • 1840 – Niccolò Paganini, Italian violinist and composer (b. 1782)
    • 1867 – Thomas Bulfinch American mythologist (b. 1796)
    • 1896 – Aleksandr Stoletov, Russian physicist, engineer, and academic (b. 1839)
    • 1910 – Robert Koch, German physician and microbiologist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1843)
    • 1918 – Ōzutsu Man’emon, Japanese sumo wrestler, the 18th Yokozuna (b. 1869)
    • 1919 – Kandukuri Veeresalingam, Indian author and activist (b. 1848)
    • 1933 – Achille Paroche, French target shooter (b. 1868)
    • 1939 – Joseph Roth, Austrian-French journalist and author (b. 1894)
    • 1941 – Ernst Lindemann, German captain (b. 1894)
    • 1941 – Günther Lütjens, German admiral (b. 1889)
    • 1942 – Muhammed Hamdi Yazır, Turkish theologian, logician, and translator (b. 1878)
    • 1943 – Gordon Coates, New Zealand soldier and politician, 21st Prime Minister of New Zealand (b. 1878)
    • 1945 – Enno Lolling, German physician (b. 1888)
    • 1947 – Ed Konetchy, American baseball player and manager (b. 1885)
    • 1949 – Robert Ripley, American cartoonist, publisher, and businessman, founded Ripley’s Believe It or Not! (b. 1890)
    • 1953 – Jesse Burkett, American baseball player and manager (b. 1868)
    • 1960 – James Montgomery Flagg, American painter and illustrator (b. 1877)
    • 1963 – Grigoris Lambrakis, Greek physician and politician (b. 1912)
    • 1964 – Jawaharlal Nehru, Indian lawyer and politician, 1st Prime Minister of India (b. 1889)
    • 1967 – W. Otto Miessner, American composer and educator (b. 1880)
    • 1967 – Ernst Niekisch, German academic and politician (b. 1889)
    • 1969 – Jeffrey Hunter, American actor and producer (b. 1926)
    • 1971 – Béla Juhos, Hungarian-Austrian philosopher from the Vienna Circle (b. 1901)
    • 1971 – Armando Picchi, Italian footballer and coach (b. 1935)
    • 1980 – Gün Sazak, Turkish agronomist and politician (b. 1932)
    • 1984 – Vasilije Mokranjac, Serbian composer (b. 1923)
    • 1986 – Ismail al-Faruqi, Palestinian-American philosopher and academic (b. 1921)
    • 1986 – Ajoy Mukherjee, Indian politician, Chief Minister of West Bengal (b. 1901)
    • 1986 – Giorgos Tzifos, Greek actor and cinematographer (b. 1918)
    • 1987 – John Howard Northrop, American biochemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1891)
    • 1988 – Hjördis Petterson, Swedish actress (b. 1908)
    • 1988 – Ernst Ruska, German physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1906)
    • 1989 – Arseny Tarkovsky, Russian poet and translator (b. 1907)
    • 1990 – Robert B. Meyner, American lawyer and politician, 44th Governor of New Jersey (b. 1908)
    • 1991 – Leopold Nowak, Austrian musicologist and theorist (b. 1904)
    • 1992 – Uncle Charlie Osborne, American fiddler (b. 1890)
    • 1998 – Minoo Masani, Indian lawyer and politician (b. 1905)
    • 2000 – Kazimierz Leski, Polish engineer and pilot (b. 1912)
    • 2000 – Murray MacLehose, Baron MacLehose of Beoch, Scottish politician and diplomat, 25th Governor of Hong Kong (b. 1917)
    • 2000 – Maurice Richard, Canadian ice hockey player and coach (b. 1921)
    • 2003 – Luciano Berio, Italian composer and educator (b. 1925)
    • 2006 – Rob Borsellino, American journalist (b. 1949)
    • 2006 – Paul Gleason, American actor (b. 1939)
    • 2006 – Craig Heyward, American football player (b. 1966)
    • 2007 – Izumi Sakai, Japanese singer-songwriter (b. 1967)
    • 2007 – Gretchen Wyler, American actress and dancer (b. 1932)
    • 2007 – Ed Yost, American inventor, created the hot air balloon (b. 1919)
    • 2008 – Franz Künstler, Hungarian soldier (b. 1900)
    • 2009 – Thomas M. Franck, American lawyer and academic (b. 1931)
    • 2009 – Clive Granger, Welsh-American economist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1934)
    • 2009 – Mona Grey, British nursing administrator; Northern Ireland’s first Chief Nursing Officer
    • 2009 – Abram Hoffer, Canadian biochemist, physician, and psychiatrist (b. 1917)
    • 2009 – Gérard Jean-Juste, Haitian-American priest and theologian (b. 1946)
    • 2009 – Carol Anne O’Marie, American nun and author (b. 1933)
    • 2009 – William Refshauge, Australian soldier and physician (b. 1913)
    • 2009 – Paul Sharratt, English-American television host (b. 1933)
    • 2010 – Payut Ngaokrachang, Thai animator and director (b. 1929)
    • 2011 – Jeff Conaway, American actor and singer (b. 1950)
    • 2011 – Margo Dydek, Polish-American basketball player (b. 1974)
    • 2011 – Gil Scott-Heron, American singer-songwriter and poet (b. 1949)
    • 2012 – Simeon Daniel, Nevisian educator and politician, 1st Premier of Nevis (b. 1934)
    • 2012 – Friedrich Hirzebruch, German mathematician and academic (b. 1927)
    • 2012 – Anahit Perikhanian, Russian-born Armenian Iranologist (b. 1928)
    • 2012 – David Rimoin, Canadian-American geneticist and academic (b. 1936)
    • 2013 – Jagjit Singh Lyallpuri, Indian politician (b. 1917)
    • 2013 – Bill Pertwee, English actor (b. 1926)
    • 2013 – Abdoulaye Sékou Sow, Malian politician, Prime Minister of Mali (b. 1931)
    • 2014 – Robert Genn, Canadian painter and author (b. 1936)
    • 2014 – Helma Sanders-Brahms, German director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1940)
    • 2014 – Roberto Vargas, Puerto Rican-American baseball player, coach, and manager (b. 1929)
    • 2014 – Massimo Vignelli, Italian-American graphic designer (b. 1931)
    • 2015 – Erik Carlsson, Swedish rally driver (b. 1929)
    • 2015 – Nils Christie, Norwegian sociologist, criminologist, and author (b. 1928)
    • 2015 – Andy King, English footballer and manager (b. 1956)
    • 2015 – Michael Martin, American philosopher and academic (b. 1932)
    • 2017 – Gregg Allman, American musician, singer and songwriter (b. 1947)
    • 2020 – Larry Kramer, American playwright, public health advocate and LGBT rights activist (b. 1935)

    Holidays and observances on May 27

    • Armed Forces Day (Nicaragua)
    • Children’s Day (Nigeria)
    • Christian feast day:
      • Augustine of Canterbury
      • Blessed Lojze Grozde
      • Bede (commemoration, Anglican Communion)
      • Bruno of Würzburg
      • Eutropius of Orange
      • Hildebert
      • Julius the Veteran
      • May 27 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
    • Mother’s Day (Bolivia)
    • Navy Day (Japan)
    • Slavery Abolition Day (Guadeloupe, Saint Barthélemy, Saint Martin)
    • Start of National Reconciliation Week (Australia)

  • May 12 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day

    • 254 – Pope Stephen I succeeds Pope Lucius I, becoming the 23rd pope of the Catholic Church.
    • 907 – Zhu Wen forces Emperor Ai into abdicating, ending the Tang dynasty after nearly three hundred years of rule.
    • 1191 – Richard I of England marries Berengaria of Navarre in Cyprus; she is crowned Queen consort of England the same day.
    • 1328 – Antipope Nicholas V, a claimant to the papacy, is consecrated in Rome by the Bishop of Venice.
    • 1364 – Jagiellonian University, the oldest university in Poland, is founded in Kraków.
    • 1510 – The Prince of Anhua rebellion begins when Zhu Zhifan kills all the officials invited to a banquet and declares his intent on ousting the powerful Ming dynasty eunuch Liu Jin during the reign of the Zhengde Emperor.
    • 1551 – National University of San Marcos, the oldest university in the Americas, is founded in Lima, Peru.
    • 1588 – French Wars of Religion: Henry III of France flees Paris after Henry I, Duke of Guise, enters the city and a spontaneous uprising occurs.
    • 1593 – London playwright Thomas Kyd is arrested and tortured by the Privy Council for libel.
    • 1743 – Maria Theresa of Austria is crowned Queen of Bohemia after defeating her rival, Charles VII, Holy Roman Emperor.
    • 1778 – Heinrich XI, count of the Principality of Reuss-Greiz, is elevated to Prince by Joseph II, Holy Roman Emperor.
    • 1780 – American Revolutionary War: In the largest defeat of the Continental Army, Charleston, South Carolina is taken by British forces.
    • 1797 – War of the First Coalition: Napoleon I of France conquers Venice.
    • 1821 – The first major battle of the Greek War of Independence against the Turks is fought in Valtetsi.
    • 1846 – The Donner Party of pioneers departs Independence, Missouri for California, on what will become a year-long journey of hardship and cannibalism.
    • 1862 – American Civil War: U.S. federal troops occupy Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
    • 1863 – American Civil War: Battle of Raymond: Two divisions of James B. McPherson’s XVII Corps turn the left wing of Confederate General John C. Pemberton’s defensive line on Fourteen Mile Creek, opening up the interior of Mississippi to the Union Army during the Vicksburg Campaign.
    • 1864 – American Civil War: The Battle of Spotsylvania Court House: Union troops assault a Confederate salient known as the “Mule Shoe”, with the fiercest fighting of the war, much of it hand-to-hand combat, occurring at “the Bloody Angle” on the northwest.
    • 1865 – American Civil War: The Battle of Palmito Ranch: The first day of the last major land action to take place during the Civil War, resulting in a Confederate victory.
    • 1870 – The Manitoba Act is given the Royal Assent, paving the way for Manitoba to become a province of Canada on July 15.
    • 1881 – In North Africa, Tunisia becomes a French protectorate.
    • 1885 – North-West Rebellion: The four-day Battle of Batoche, pitting rebel Métis against the Canadian government, comes to an end with a decisive rebel defeat.
    • 1888 – In Southeast Asia, the North Borneo Chartered Company’s territories become the British protectorate of North Borneo.
    • 1926 – The Italian-built airship Norge becomes the first vessel to fly over the North Pole.
    • 1932 – Ten weeks after his abduction, Charles Jr., the infant son of Charles Lindbergh, is found dead near Hopewell, New Jersey, just a few miles from the Lindberghs’ home.
    • 1933 – The Agricultural Adjustment Act, which restricts agricultural production through government purchase of livestock for slaughter and paying subsidies to farmers when they remove land from planting, is signed into law by President Franklin D. Roosevelt.
    • 1937 – The Duke and Duchess of York are crowned as King George VI and Queen Elizabeth of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland in Westminster Abbey.
    • 1941 – Konrad Zuse presents the Z3, the world’s first working programmable, fully automatic computer, in Berlin.
    • 1942 – World War II: Second Battle of Kharkov: In eastern Ukraine, Red Army forces under Marshal Semyon Timoshenko launch a major offensive from the Izium bridgehead, only to be encircled and destroyed by the troops of Army Group South two weeks later.
    • 1942 – World War II: The U.S. tanker SS Virginia is torpedoed in the mouth of the Mississippi River by the German submarine U-507.
    • 1948 – Wilhelmina, Queen regnant of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, cedes the throne.
    • 1949 – Cold War: The Soviet Union lifts its blockade of Berlin.
    • 1965 – The Soviet spacecraft Luna 5 crashes on the Moon.
    • 1968 – Vietnam War: North Vietnamese and Viet Cong forces attack Australian troops defending Fire Support Base Coral.
    • 1978 – In Zaire, rebels occupy the city of Kolwezi, the mining center of the province of Shaba (now known as Katanga); the local government asks the US, France and Belgium to restore order.
    • 1981 – Francis Hughes, Provisional IRA hunger striker, dies in the Maze Prison, Northern Ireland.
    • 1982 – During a procession outside the shrine of the Virgin Mary in Fátima, Portugal, security guards overpower Juan María Fernández y Krohn before he can attack Pope John Paul II with a bayonet.
    • 1989 – The San Bernardino train disaster kills four people. A week later an underground gasoline pipeline explodes killing two more people.
    • 1998 – Four students are shot at Trisakti University, leading to widespread riots and the fall of Suharto.
    • 2002 – Former US President Jimmy Carter arrives in Cuba for a five-day visit with Fidel Castro, becoming the first President of the United States, in or out of office, to visit the island since Castro’s 1959 revolution.
    • 2003 – The Riyadh compound bombings, carried out by al-Qaeda, kill 26 people.
    • 2006 – Mass unrest by the Primeiro Comando da Capital begins in São Paulo (Brazil), leaving at least 150 dead.
    • 2006 – Iranian Azeris interpret a cartoon published in an Iranian magazine as insulting, resulting in massive riots throughout the country.
    • 2008 – An earthquake (measuring around 8.0 magnitude) occurs in Sichuan, China, killing over 69,000 people.
    • 2008 – U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement conducts the largest-ever raid of a workplace in Postville, Iowa, arresting nearly 400 immigrants for identity theft and document fraud.
    • 2010 – Afriqiyah Airways Flight 771 crashes on final approach to Tripoli International Airport in Tripoli, Libya, killing 103 out of the 104 people on board.
    • 2015 – A train derailment in Philadelphia kills eight people and injures more than 200.
    • 2015 – Massive Nepal earthquake kills 218 people and injures more than 3500.
    • 2017 – The WannaCry ransomware attack impacts over 400 thousand computers worldwide, targeting computers of the United Kingdom’s National Health Services and Telefónica computers.
    • 2018 – Paris knife attack: A man was fatally shot by police in Paris after killing one and injuring several others.

    Births on May 13

    1401 – Emperor Shōkō of Japan (d. 1428)

    • 1479 – Pompeo Colonna, Catholic cardinal (d. 1532)
    • 1496 – Gustav I of Sweden (d. 1560)
    • 1590 – Cosimo II de’ Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany (d. 1621)
    • 1606 – Joachim von Sandrart, German art-historian and painter (d. 1688)
    • 1622 – Louis de Buade de Frontenac, French-Canadian soldier and politician, 3rd Governor General of New France (d. 1698)
    • 1626 – Louis Hennepin, Flemish priest and missionary (d. 1705)
    • 1670 – Augustus II the Strong, Polish king (d. 1733)
    • 1700 – Luigi Vanvitelli, Italian architect and engineer, designed the Palace of Caserta and Royal Palace of Milan (d. 1773)
    • 1725 – Louis Philippe I, Duke of Orléans (d. 1785)
    • 1739 – Johann Baptist Wanhal, Czech-Austrian organist and composer (d. 1813)
    • 1754 – Franz Anton Hoffmeister, German composer and publisher (d. 1812)
    • 1755 – Giovanni Battista Viotti, Italian violinist and composer (d. 1824)
    • 1767 – Manuel Godoy, Spanish field marshal and politician, Prime Minister of Spain (d. 1851)
    • 1774 – Ellis Cunliffe Lister, English politician (d. 1853)
    • 1777 – Mary Reibey, Australian businesswoman (d. 1855)
    • 1803 – Justus von Liebig, German chemist and academic (d. 1873)
    • 1804 – Robert Baldwin, Canadian lawyer and politician, 3rd Premier of West Canada (d. 1858)
    • 1806 – Johan Vilhelm Snellman, Finnish philosopher and politician (d. 1881)
    • 1812 – Edward Lear, English poet and illustrator (d. 1888)
    • 1814 – Adolf von Henselt, German pianist and composer (d. 1889)
    • 1820 – Florence Nightingale, Italian-English nurse, social reformer, and statistician (d. 1910)
    • 1825 – Orélie-Antoine de Tounens, French lawyer and explorer (d. 1878)
    • 1828 – Dante Gabriel Rossetti, English poet and painter (d. 1882)
    • 1829 – Pavlos Carrer, Greek composer and educator (d. 1896)
    • 1839 – Tôn Thất Thuyết, Vietnamese mandarin (d. 1913)
    • 1840 – Alejandro Gorostiaga, Chilean colonel (d. 1912)
    • 1842 – Jules Massenet, French composer (d. 1912)
    • 1845 – Gabriel Fauré, French pianist, composer, and educator (d. 1924)
    • 1850 – Henry Cabot Lodge, American historian and politician (d. 1924)
    • 1850 – Frederick Holder, Australian politician, 19th Premier of South Australia (d. 1909)
    • 1859 – William Alden Smith, American lawyer and politician (d. 1932)
    • 1859 – Frank Wilson, English-Australian politician, 9th Premier of Western Australia (d. 1918)
    • 1863 – Upendrakishore Ray Chowdhury, Bengali writer, painter, violin player and composer, technologist and entrepreneur. (d. 1915)
    • 1867 – Hugh Trumble, Australian cricketer and accountant (d. 1938)
    • 1869 – Carl Schuhmann, German gymnast, wrestler, and weightlifter (d. 1946)
    • 1872 – Anton Korošec, Slovenian priest and politician, 10th Prime Minister of Yugoslavia (d. 1940)
    • 1873 – J. E. H. MacDonald, English-Canadian painter (d. 1932)
    • 1874 – Clemens von Pirquet, Austrian pediatrician and immunologist (d. 1929)
    • 1875 – Charles Holden, English architect, designed the Bristol Central Library (d. 1960)
    • 1880 – Lincoln Ellsworth, American explorer (d. 1951)
    • 1885 – Paltiel Daykan, Lithuanian-Israeli lawyer and jurist (d. 1969)
    • 1885 – Saneatsu Mushanokōji, Japanese author (d. 1976)
    • 1886 – Ernst A. Lehmann, German captain and pilot (d. 1937)
    • 1899 – Abelardo L. Rodríguez, substitute president of Mexico (d. 1967)
    • 1889 – Otto Frank, German-Swiss businessman and Holocaust survivor; father of diarist Anne Frank (d. 1980)
    • 1892 – Fritz Kortner, Austrian-German actor and director (d. 1970)
    • 1895 – William Giauque, Canadian-American chemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1982)
    • 1895 – Jiddu Krishnamurti, Indian-American philosopher and author (d. 1986)
    • 1900 – Helene Weigel, Austrian-German actress (d. 1971)
    • 1901 – The Duke of Paducah, American country comedian, radio host and banjo player (d. 1986)
    • 1903 – Faith Bennett, British actress and ATA pilot during WWII (d. 1969)
    • 1903 – Wilfrid Hyde-White, English actor (d. 1991)
    • 1905 – Édouard Rinfret, Canadian lawyer and politician, Postmaster General of Canada (d. 1994)
    • 1907 – Leslie Charteris, English author and screenwriter (d. 1993)
    • 1907 – Katharine Hepburn, American actress (d. 2003)
    • 1908 – Nicholas Kaldor, Hungarian-English economist (d. 1986)
    • 1910 – James Dudley, American baseball player, wrestling manager and executive (d. 2004)
    • 1910 – Johan Ferrier, Surinamese educator and politician, 1st President of Suriname (d. 2010)
    • 1910 – Dorothy Hodgkin, English biochemist, crystallographer, and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1994)
    • 1910 – Gordon Jenkins, American pianist and composer (d. 1984)
    • 1911 – Charles Biro, American author and illustrator (d. 1972)
    • 1912 – Henry Jonsson, Swedish runner (d. 2001)
    • 1912 – Marshal Royal, American saxophonist and clarinet player (d. 1995)
    • 1914 – Bertus Aafjes, Dutch poet and author (d. 1993)
    • 1914 – Howard K. Smith, American journalist and actor (d. 2002)
    • 1915 – Tony Strobl, American comics artist and animator (d. 1991)
    • 1916 – Albert Murray, American author and critic (d. 2013)
    • 1918 – Mary Kay Ash, American businesswoman, founded Mary Kay Cosmetics (d. 2001)
    • 1918 – Julius Rosenberg, American spy (d. 1953)
    • 1921 – Joseph Beuys, German sculptor and illustrator (d. 1986)
    • 1921 – Farley Mowat, Canadian environmentalist and author (d. 2014)
    • 1922 – Marco Denevi, Argentinian lawyer and author (d. 1998)
    • 1922 – Murray Gershenz, American actor and businessman (d. 2013)
    • 1922 – Bob Goldham, Canadian ice hockey player and sportscaster (d. 1991)
    • 1922 – Roy Salvadori, English race car driver and manager (d. 2012)
    • 1924 – Maxine Cooper, American actress and photographer (d. 2009)
    • 1924 – Alexander Esenin-Volpin, Russian-American mathematician and poet (d. 2016)
    • 1924 – Tony Hancock, English actor, producer, and screenwriter (d. 1968)
    • 1925 – Yogi Berra, American baseball player, coach, and manager (d. 2015)
    • 1926 – Paulette Poujol-Oriol, Hatian educator and writer (d. 2011)
    • 1926 – Viren J. Shah, Indian politician, 21st Governor of West Bengal (d. 2013)
    • 1928 – Burt Bacharach, American singer-songwriter, pianist, and producer
    • 1929 – Sam Nujoma, Namibian politician, 1st President of Namibia
    • 1929 – Dollard St. Laurent, Canadian ice hockey player (d. 2015)
    • 1930 – Jesús Franco, Spanish director and screenwriter (d. 2013)
    • 1932 – Joel Joffe, Baron Joffe, South African-English lawyer and politician (d. 2017)
    • 1933 – Andrei Voznesensky, Russian poet (d. 2010)
    • 1935 – Felipe Alou, Dominican-American baseball player, coach, and manager
    • 1935 – Johnny Bucyk, Canadian ice hockey player and sportscaster
    • 1936 – Guillermo Endara, Panamanian lawyer and politician, 32nd President of Panama (d. 2009)
    • 1936 – Tom Snyder, American journalist and talk show host (d. 2007)
    • 1936 – Frank Stella, American painter and sculptor
    • 1937 – Beryl Burton, English cyclist (d. 1996)
    • 1937 – George Carlin, American comedian, actor, and author (d. 2008)
    • 1937 – Susan Hampshire, English actress
    • 1937 – Miriam Stoppard, English physician and author
    • 1938 – Millie Perkins, American actress
    • 1939 – Cyril Chantler, English pediatrician and academic
    • 1939 – Jalal Dabagh, Kurdish journalist and politician
    • 1939 – Miltiadis Evert, Greek minister and politician, 69th Mayor of Athens (d. 2011)
    • 1939 – Reg Gasnier, Australian rugby league player, coach, and sportscaster (d. 2014)
    • 1939 – Ron Ziegler, American politician, White House Press Secretary (d. 2003)
    • 1940 – Lill Lindfors, Swedish singer
    • 1940 – Norman Whitfield, American songwriter and producer (d. 2008)
    • 1941 – Ruud de Wolff, Dutch singer (d. 2000)
    • 1942 – Ian Dury, English singer-songwriter (d. 2000)
    • 1942 – Michel Fugain, French singer-songwriter
    • 1942 – Billy Swan, American country singer-songwriter
    • 1942 – Dragoljub Velimirović, Serbian chess player and theoretician (d. 2014)
    • 1944 – Chris Patten, English academic and politician, 28th Governor of Hong Kong
    • 1945 – Alan Ball, Jr., English footballer and manager (d. 2007)
    • 1945 – Ian McLagan, English keyboard player and songwriter (d. 2014)
    • 1945 – Patrick Ricard, French businessman (d. 2012)
    • 1946 – Daniel Libeskind, American architect, designed the Imperial War Museum North and Jewish Museum
    • 1947 – Michael Ignatieff, Canadian journalist and politician
    • 1948 – Lindsay Crouse, American actress
    • 1948 – Dave Heineman, American captain and politician, 39th Governor of Nebraska
    • 1948 – Richard Riehle, American actor
    • 1948 – Steve Winwood, English singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist
    • 1949 – Ross Bleckner, American painter
    • 1950 – Bruce Boxleitner, American actor and author
    • 1950 – Gabriel Byrne, Irish actor, director, and producer
    • 1950 – Helena Kennedy, Baroness Kennedy of The Shaws, Scottish lawyer, academic, and politician
    • 1950 – Billy Squier, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
    • 1951 – George Karl, American basketball player and coach
    • 1955 – Kix Brooks, American country music singer-songwriter and musician
    • 1956 – Bernie Federko, Canadian ice hockey player, coach, and manager
    • 1956 – Sergio Marchi, Argentinean-Canadian urban planner and politician, 10th Canadian Minister of International Trade
    • 1956 – Greg Phillinganes, American keyboardist
    • 1956 – Asad Rauf, Pakistani cricketer and umpire
    • 1957 – Ziya Onis, Turkish economist and academic
    • 1958 – Kim Greist, American actress
    • 1958 – Andreas Petroulakis, Greek cartoonist
    • 1958 – Dries van Noten, Belgian fashion designer
    • 1959 – Dave Christian, American ice hockey player
    • 1959 – Ray Gillen, American rock singer-songwriter (d. 1993)
    • 1959 – Ving Rhames, American actor
    • 1960 – Lisa Martin, Australian runner
    • 1961 – Thomas Dooley, German-American soccer player and manager
    • 1961 – Billy Duffy, English rock guitarist and songwriter
    • 1961 – Bruce McCulloch, Canadian actor and comedian
    • 1962 – Emilio Estevez, American actor
    • 1962 – Brett Gurewitz, American guitarist and songwriter
    • 1962 – Gregory H. Johnson, English-born American astronaut
    • 1963 – Panagiotis Fasoulas, Greek basketball player and politician
    • 1963 – Gavin Hood, South African actor, director, producer, and screenwriter
    • 1963 – Stefano Modena, Italian race car driver
    • 1963 – Vanessa A. Williams, American actress and producer
    • 1964 – Pierre Morel, French director and cinematographer
    • 1965 – Renée Simonsen, Danish model and writer
    • 1965 – Stacy Wilson, Canadian ice hockey player
    • 1966 – Stephen Baldwin, American actor
    • 1966 – Bebel Gilberto, American-Brazilian singer-songwriter
    • 1966 – Deborah Kara Unger, Canadian actress
    • 1967 – Mireille Bousquet-Mélou, French mathematician
    • 1967 – Bill Shorten, Australian politician
    • 1968 – Tony Hawk, American skateboarder and actor
    • 1968 – Catherine Tate, English actress and screenwriter
    • 1969 – Suzanne Clément, Canadian actress
    • 1969 – Kim Fields, American actress
    • 1970 – Mark Foster, English swimmer
    • 1970 – Jim Furyk, American golfer
    • 1970 – Samantha Mathis, American actress
    • 1970 – Mike Weir, Canadian golfer
    • 1970 – David A. R. White, American actor and producer
    • 1971 – Doug Basham, American wrestler
    • 1971 – Jamie Luner, American actress
    • 1972 – Christian Campbell, Canadian-American actor, writer and photographer
    • 1973 – Mackenzie Astin, American actor
    • 1973 – Lutz Pfannenstiel, German footballer and manager
    • 1975 – Jonah Lomu, New Zealand rugby player (d. 2015)
    • 1975 – Ricky Ortiz, American professional wrestler and football player
    • 1976 – Kardinal Offishall, Canadian rap musician and producer
    • 1977 – Graeme Dott, Scottish snooker player and coach
    • 1977 – Maryam Mirzakhani, Iranian mathematician (d. 2017)
    • 1977 – Onur Saylak, Turkish actor, filmmaker and director
    • 1977 – Rachel Wilson, Canadian actress and voice actress
    • 1978 – Aaron Abrams, Canadian actor
    • 1978 – Malin Åkerman, Swedish-Canadian model, actress, and singer
    • 1978 – Jason Biggs, American actor and comedian
    • 1978 – Aya Ishiguro, Japanese singer and fashion designer
    • 1979 – Adrian Serioux,Canadian soccer player
    • 1979 – Aaron Yoo, American actor
    • 1980 – Keith Bogans, American basketball player
    • 1981 – Rami Malek, American actor
    • 1981 – Kentaro Sato, Japanese-American composer and conductor
    • 1981 – Dennis Trillo, Filipino actor and singer
    • 1982 – Donnie Nietes, Filipino boxer
    • 1983 – Domhnall Gleeson, Irish actor
    • 1983 – Alina Kabaeva, Russian gymnast and politician
    • 1983 – Yujiro Kushida, Japanese wrestler and mixed martial artist
    • 1983 – Charilaos Pappas, Greek footballer
    • 1983 – Virginie Razzano, French tennis player
    • 1983 – Francisco Javier Torres, Mexican footballer
    • 1984 – Clare Bowen, Australian actress and singer
    • 1985 – Paolo Goltz, Argentinian footballer
    • 1985 – Andrew Howe, Italian long jumper and sprinter
    • 1985 – Jeroen Simaeys, Belgian footballer
    • 1986 – Jonathan Orozco, Mexican footballer
    • 1986 – Emily VanCamp, Canadian actress
    • 1987 – Kieron Pollard, Trinidadian cricketer
    • 1988 – Marcelo, Brazilian footballer
    • 1989 – Eleftheria Eleftheriou, Greek Cypriot singer, musician, and actress
    • 1990 – Florent Amodio, French figure skater
    • 1992 – Volha Khudzenka, Belarusian kayaker
    • 1995 – Luke Benward, American actor and singer
    • 1995 – Irina Khromacheva, Russian tennis player
    • 1997 – Morgan Lake, English athlete

    Deaths on May 12

    • 805 – Æthelhard, archbishop of Canterbury
    • 940 – Eutychius, patriarch of Alexandria (b. 877)
    • 1003 – Sylvester II, pope of the Catholic Church (b. 946)
    • 1012 – Sergius IV, pope of the Catholic Church (b. 970)
    • 1090 – Liutold of Eppenstein, duke of Carinthia
    • 1161 – Fergus of Galloway, Scottish nobleman
    • 1182 – Valdemar I, king of Denmark (b. 1131)
    • 1331 – Engelbert of Admont, Benedictine abbot and scholar
    • 1382 – Joanna I, queen of Naples (b. 1328)
    • 1465 – Thomas Palaiologos, Despot of Morea (b. 1409)
    • 1490 – Joanna, Portuguese princess and regent (b. 1452)
    • 1529 – Cecily Bonville, 7th Baroness Harington, English noblewoman (b. 1460)
    • 1599 – Murad Mirza, Mughal prince (b. 1570)
    • 1634 – George Chapman, English poet and playwright (b. 1559)
    • 1641 – Thomas Wentworth, 1st Earl of Strafford, English soldier and politician, Lord Lieutenant of Ireland (b. 1593)
    • 1684 – Edme Mariotte, French physicist and priest (b. 1620)
    • 1699 – Lucas Achtschellinck, Flemish painter (b. 1626)
    • 1700 – John Dryden, English poet, playwright, and critic (b. 1631)
    • 1708 – Adolphus Frederick II, duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (b. 1658)
    • 1748 – Thomas Lowndes, English astronomer and academic (b. 1692)
    • 1759 – Lambert-Sigisbert Adam, French sculptor (b. 1700)
    • 1784 – Abraham Trembley, Swiss zoologist and academic (b. 1710)
    • 1792 – Charles Simon Favart, French playwright and composer (b. 1710)
    • 1796 – Johann Uz, German poet and author (b. 1720)
    • 1801 – Nicholas Repnin, Russian general and politician, Governor-General of Baltic provinces (b. 1734)
    • 1842 – Walenty Wańkowicz, Belarusian-Polish painter (b. 1799)
    • 1845 – János Batsányi, Hungarian poet and academic (b. 1763)
    • 1856 – Jacques Philippe Marie Binet, French mathematician, physicist, and astronomer (b. 1786)
    • 1859 – Sergey Aksakov, Russian author and academic (b. 1791)
    • 1860 – Charles Barry, English architect, designed Upper Brook Street Chapel and the Palace of Westminster (b. 1795)
    • 1864 – J. E. B. Stuart, American general (b. 1833)
    • 1867 – Friedrich Wilhelm Eduard Gerhard, German archaeologist and academic (b. 1795)
    • 1878 – Anselme Payen, French chemist and academic (b. 1795)
    • 1876 – Georgi Benkovski, Bulgarian activist (b. 1843)
    • 1884 – Bedřich Smetana, Czech composer and educator (b. 1824)
    • 1907 – Joris-Karl Huysmans, French author and critic (b. 1848)
    • 1916 – James Connolly, Scottish-born Irish socialist and rebel leader (b. 1868)
    • 1925 – Amy Lowell, American poet and critic (b. 1874)
    • 1931 – Eugène Ysaÿe, Belgian violinist, composer, and conductor (b. 1858)
    • 1935 – Józef Piłsudski, Polish field marshal and politician, 15th Prime Minister of Poland (b. 1867)
    • 1944 – Max Brand, American journalist and author (b. 1892)
    • 1944 – Arthur Quiller-Couch, English author, poet, and critic (b. 1863)
    • 1956 – Louis Calhern, American actor and singer (b. 1895)
    • 1957 – Alfonso de Portago, Spanish bobsledder and race car driver (b. 1928)
    • 1957 – Erich von Stroheim, Austrian-American actor, director, and producer (b. 1885)
    • 1963 – Richard Girulatis, German footballer and manager (b. 1878)
    • 1963 – Robert Kerr, Irish-Canadian sprinter and coach (b. 1882)
    • 1964 – Agnes Forbes Blackadder, Scottish medical doctor (b. 1875)
    • 1966 – Felix Steiner, Russian-German SS officer (b. 1896)
    • 1967 – John Masefield, English poet and author (b. 1878)
    • 1970 – Nelly Sachs, German poet and playwright, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1891)
    • 1971 – Heinie Manush, American baseball player and coach (b. 1901)
    • 1973 – Frances Marion, American screenwriter, novelist and journalist (b. 1888)
    • 1973 – Art Pollard, American race car driver (b. 1927)
    • 1974 – Wayne Maki, Canadian National Hockey League player (b. 1944)
    • 1980 – Lillian Roth, American actress 9b. 1910)
    • 1985 – Jean Dubuffet, French painter and sculptor (b. 1901)
    • 1986 – Elisabeth Bergner, German actress (b. 1897)
    • 1992 – Nikos Gatsos, Greek poet and songwriter (b. 1911)
    • 1992 – Robert Reed, American actor (b. 1932)
    • 1993 – Zeno Colò, Italian Olympic alpine skier (b.1920)
    • 1994 – Erik Erikson, German-American psychologist and psychoanalyst (b. 1902)
    • 1994 – John Smith, Scottish-English lawyer and politician, Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer (b. 1938)
    • 1995 – Ștefan Kovács, Romanian football player and coach (b. 1920)
    • 1999 – Saul Steinberg, Romanian-American illustrator (b. 1914)
    • 2000 – Adam Petty, American race car driver (b. 1980)
    • 2001 – Perry Como, American singer and television host (b. 1912)
    • 2001 – Alexei Tupolev, Russian engineer, designed the Tupolev Tu-144 (b. 1925)
    • 2003 – Prince Sadruddin Aga Khan, French-American diplomat (b. 1933)
    • 2005 – Ömer Kavur, Turkish director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1944)
    • 2005 – Martin Lings, English author and scholar (b. 1909)
    • 2005 – Monica Zetterlund, Swedish actress (b. 1937)
    • 2006 – Hussein Maziq, Libyan politician, Prime Minister of Libya (b. 1918)
    • 2008 – Robert Rauschenberg, American painter and illustrator (b. 1925)
    • 2008 – Irena Sendler, Polish nurse and humanitarian (b. 1910)
    • 2009 – Antonio Vega, Spanish singer-songwriter and guitarist (b. 1957)
    • 2012 – Jan Bens, Dutch footballer and coach (b. 1921)
    • 2012 – Eddy Paape, Belgian illustrator (b. 1920)
    • 2013 – Gerd Langguth, German political scientist, author, and academic (b. 1946)
    • 2014 – Cornell Borchers, Lithuanian-German actress and singer (b. 1925)
    • 2014 – Marco Cé, Italian cardinal (b. 1925)
    • 2014 – H. R. Giger, Swiss painter, sculptor, and set designer (b. 1940)
    • 2014 – Sarat Pujari, Indian actor, director, and screenwriter (b. 1934)
    • 2014 – Lorenzo Zambrano, Mexican businessman and philanthropist (b. 1944)
    • 2015 – Peter Gay, German-American historian, author, and academic (b. 1923)
    • 2015 – William Zinsser American journalist and critic (b. 1922)
    • 2016 – Mike Agostini, Trinidadian sprinter (b. 1935)
    • 2017 – Mauno Koivisto, Finnish banker and politician, 9th President of Finland (b. 1923)
    • 2018 – Dennis Nilsen, Scottish serial killer (b. 1945)

    Holidays and observances on May 12

    • 2nd Amendment Day (Pennsylvania, United States)
    • Christian feast day:
      • Blessed Imelda
      • Blessed Joan of Portugal
      • Crispoldus
      • Dominic de la Calzada
      • Epiphanius of Salamis
      • Gregory Dix (Church of England)
      • Modoald
      • Nereus, Achilleus, Domitilla, and Pancras
      • Patriarch Germanus I of Constantinople (Eastern Church)
      • Philip of Agira
      • May 12 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
    • Day of the Finnish Identity (Finland)
    • International Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Awareness Day
    • International Nurses Day
    • Saint Andrea the First Day (Georgia)

  • May 10 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day

    • 28 BC – A sunspot is observed by Han dynasty astronomers during the reign of Emperor Cheng of Han, one of the earliest dated sunspot observations in China.
    • 1291 – Scottish nobles recognize the authority of Edward I of England pending the selection of a king.
    • 1497 – Amerigo Vespucci allegedly leaves Cádiz for his first voyage to the New World.
    • 1503 – Christopher Columbus visits the Cayman Islands and names them Las Tortugas after the numerous turtles there.
    • 1534 – Jacques Cartier visits Newfoundland.
    • 1688 – King Narai nominates Phetracha as regent, leading to the revolution of 1688 in which Phetracha becomes king of the Ayutthaya Kingdom.
    • 1768 – Rioting occurs in London after John Wilkes is imprisoned for writing an article for The North Briton severely criticizing King George III.
    • 1773 – The Parliament of Great Britain passes the Tea Act, designed to save the British East India Company by reducing taxes on its tea and granting it the right to sell tea directly to North America. The legislation leads to the Boston Tea Party.
    • 1774 – Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette become King and Queen of France.
    • 1775 – American Revolutionary War: A small Colonial militia led by Ethan Allen and Colonel Benedict Arnold captures Fort Ticonderoga.
    • 1775 – American Revolutionary War: The Second Continental Congress takes place in Philadelphia.
    • 1796 – War of the First Coalition: Napoleon wins a victory against Austrian forces at Lodi bridge over the Adda River in Italy. The Austrians lose some 2,000 men.
    • 1801 – First Barbary War: The Barbary pirates of Tripoli declare war on the United States of America.
    • 1824 – The National Gallery in London opens to the public.
    • 1837 – Panic of 1837: New York City banks suspend the payment of specie, triggering a national banking crisis and an economic depression whose severity was not surpassed until the Great Depression.
    • 1849 – Astor Place Riot: A riot breaks out at the Astor Opera House in Manhattan, New York City over a dispute between actors Edwin Forrest and William Charles Macready, killing at least 22 and injuring over 120.
    • 1857 – Indian Rebellion of 1857: In India, the first war of Independence begins. Sepoys mutiny against their commanding officers at Meerut.
    • 1865 – American Civil War: In Kentucky, Union soldiers ambush and mortally wound Confederate raider William Quantrill, who lingers until his death on June 6.
    • 1869 – The First Transcontinental Railroad, linking the eastern and western United States, is completed at Promontory Summit, Utah with the golden spike.
    • 1872 – Victoria Woodhull becomes the first woman nominated for President of the United States.
    • 1876 – The Centennial Exposition is opened in Philadelphia.
    • 1881 – Carol I is crowned the King of the Romanian Kingdom.
    • 1904 – The Horch & Cir. Motorwagenwerke AG is founded. It would eventually become the Audi company.
    • 1908 – Mother’s Day is observed for the first time in the United States, in Grafton, West Virginia.
    • 1916 – Sailing in the lifeboat James Caird, Ernest Shackleton arrives at South Georgia after a journey of 800 nautical miles from Elephant Island.
    • 1922 – The United States annexes the Kingman Reef.
    • 1924 – J. Edgar Hoover is appointed first Director of the United States’ Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and remains so until his death in 1972.
    • 1933 – Censorship: In Germany, the Nazis stage massive public book burnings.
    • 1940 – World War II: German fighters accidentally bomb the German city of Freiburg.
    • 1940 – World War II: Winston Churchill is appointed Prime Minister of the United Kingdom following the resignation of Neville Chamberlain. On the same day, Germany invades France, Belgium and Luxembourg.Meanwhile, the United Kingdom occupies Iceland.
    • 1941 – World War II: The House of Commons in London is damaged by the Luftwaffe in an air raid.
    • 1941 – World War II: Rudolf Hess parachutes into Scotland to try to negotiate a peace deal between the United Kingdom and Nazi Germany.hai Phayap Army invades the Shan States during the Burma Campaign.
    • 1946 – First successful launch of an American V-2 rocket at White Sands Proving Ground.
    • 1962 – Marvel Comics publishes the first issue of The Incredible Hulk.
    • 1967 – The Northrop M2-F2 crashes on landing, becoming the inspiration for the novel Cyborg and TV series The Six Million Dollar Man.
    • 1969 – Vietnam War: The Battle of Dong Ap Bia begins with an assault on Hill 937. It will ultimately become known as Hamburger Hill.
    • 1975 – Sony introduces the Betamax videocassette recorder.
    • 1993 – In Thailand, a fire at the Kader Toy Factory kills over 200 workers.
    • 1994 – Nelson Mandela is inaugurated as South Africa’s first black president.
    • 1996 – A blizzard strikes Mount Everest, killing eight climbers by the next day.
    • 1997 – The 7.3 Mw Qayen earthquake strikes Iran’s Khorasan Province killing 1,567 people.
    • 2002 – FBI agent Robert Hanssen is sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole for selling United States secrets to Russia for $1.4 million in cash and diamonds.
    • 2005 – A hand grenade thrown by Vladimir Arutyunian lands about 60 feet from U.S. President George W. Bush while he is giving a speech to a crowd in Tbilisi, Georgia, but it malfunctions and does not detonate.
    • 2012 – The Damascus bombings are carried out using a pair of car bombs detonated by suicide bombers outside of a military intelligence complex in Damascus, Syria, killing 55 people.
    • 2013 – One World Trade Center becomes the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere.

    Births on May 10

    • 874 – Meng Zhixiang, Chinese general and emperor (d. 934)
    • 955 – Al-Aziz Billah, Fatimid caliph (d. 996)
    • 1491 – Suzanne, Duchess of Bourbon (d. 1521)
    • 1604 – Jean Mairet, French author and playwright (d. 1686)
    • 1697 – Jean-Marie Leclair, French violinist and composer (d. 1764)
    • 1727 – Anne-Robert-Jacques Turgot, Baron de Laune, French economist and politician (d. 1781)
    • 1755 – Robert Gray, American captain and explorer (d. 1806)
    • 1760 – Johann Peter Hebel, German author and poet (d. 1826)
    • 1760 – Claude Joseph Rouget de Lisle, French captain, engineer, and composer (d. 1836)
    • 1770 – Louis-Nicolas Davout, French general and politician, French Minister of War (d. 1823)
    • 1788 – Augustin-Jean Fresnel, French physicist and engineer (d. 1827)
    • 1812 – William Henry Barlow, English engineer (d. 1902)
    • 1813 – Montgomery Blair, American lieutenant and politician, 20th United States Postmaster General (d. 1883)
    • 1838 – John Wilkes Booth, American actor, assassin of Abraham Lincoln (d. 1865)
    • 1841 – James Gordon Bennett, Jr., American publisher and broadcaster (d. 1918)
    • 1843 – Benito Pérez Galdós, Spanish author and playwright (d. 1920)
    • 1847 – Wilhelm Killing, German mathematician and academic (d. 1923)
    • 1855 – Yukteswar Giri, Indian guru and educator (d. 1936)
    • 1872 – Marcel Mauss, French sociologist and anthropologist (d. 1950)
    • 1876 – Ivan Cankar, Slovenian poet and playwright (d. 1918)
    • 1878 – Konstantinos Parthenis, Greek painter (d. 1967)
    • 1878 – Gustav Stresemann, German journalist and politician, Chancellor of Germany, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1929)
    • 1879 – Symon Petliura, Ukrainian journalist and politician (d. 1926)
    • 1886 – Karl Barth, Swiss theologian and author (d. 1968)
    • 1888 – Max Steiner, Austrian-American composer and conductor (d. 1971)
    • 1890 – Alfred Jodl, German general (d. 1946)
    • 1891 – Mahmoud Mokhtar, Egyptian sculptor and academic (d. 1934)
    • 1893 – Tonita Peña, San Ildefonso Pueblo (Native American) artist (d. 1949)
    • 1894 – Dimitri Tiomkin, Ukrainian-American composer and conductor (d. 1979)
    • 1897 – Einar Gerhardsen, Norwegian politician, Prime Minister of Norway (d. 1987)
    • 1898 – Ariel Durant, American historian and author (d. 1981)
    • 1899 – Fred Astaire, American actor, singer, and dancer (d. 1987)
    • 1900 – Cecilia Payne-Gaposchkin, English-American astronomer and astrophysicist (d. 1979)
    • 1901 – John Desmond Bernal, Irish-English crystallographer and physicist (d. 1971)
    • 1901 – Hildrus Poindexter, American bacteriologist (d. 1987)
    • 1902 – David O. Selznick, American director and producer (d. 1965)
    • 1903 – Otto Bradfisch, German economist, jurist, and SS officer (d. 1994)
    • 1905 – Markos Vamvakaris, Greek singer-songwriter and bouzouki player (d. 1972)
    • 1908 – Carl Albert, American lawyer and politician, 54th Speaker of the United States House of Representatives (d. 2000)
    • 1909 – Maybelle Carter, American autoharp player (d. 1978)
    • 1911 – Bel Kaufman, American author and educator (d. 2014)
    • 1915 – Denis Thatcher, English soldier and businessman, Spouse of the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (d. 2003)
    • 1916 – Milton Babbitt, American composer and educator (d. 2011)
    • 1918 – T. Berry Brazelton, American pediatrician and author (d. 2018)
    • 1918 – Desmond MacNamara, Irish painter, sculptor, and author (d. 2008)
    • 1919 – Ella T. Grasso, Governor of Connecticut (d. 1981)
    • 1920 – Basil Kelly, Northern Irish barrister, judge and politician (d. 2008)
    • 1920 – Bert Weedon, English guitarist (d. 2012)
    • 1922 – David Azrieli, Polish-Canadian businessman and philanthropist (d. 2014)
    • 1922 – Nancy Walker, American actress, singer, and director (d. 1992)
    • 1923 – Heydar Aliyev, Azerbaijan general and politician, President of Azerbaijan (d. 2003)
    • 1923 – Otar Korkia, Georgian basketball player and coach (d. 2005)
    • 1926 – Hugo Banzer, Bolivian general and politician, President of Bolivia (d. 2002)
    • 1927 – Nayantara Sahgal, Indian author
    • 1928 – Arnold Rüütel, Estonian agronomist and politician, President of Estonia
    • 1928 – Lothar Schmid, German chess player (d. 2013)
    • 1929 – Audun Boysen, Norwegian runner (d. 2000)
    • 1929 – George Coe, American actor and producer (d. 2015)
    • 1929 – Antonine Maillet, Canadian author and playwright
    • 1930 – George E. Smith, American physicist and engineer, Nobel Prize laureate
    • 1931 – Ettore Scola, Italian director and screenwriter (d. 2016)
    • 1933 – Jean Becker, French actor, director, and screenwriter
    • 1935 – Larry Williams, American singer-songwriter, pianist, and producer (d. 1980)
    • 1937 – Tamara Press, Ukrainian shot putter and discus thrower
    • 1938 – Manuel Santana, Spanish tennis player
    • 1940 – Arthur Alexander, American country-soul singer-songwriter (d. 1993)
    • 1940 – Wayne Dyer, American author and educator (d. 2015)
    • 1942 – Jim Calhoun, American basketball player and coach
    • 1944 – Jim Abrahams, American director, producer, and screenwriter
    • 1944 – Marie-France Pisier, French actress, director, and screenwriter (d. 2011)
    • 1946 – Donovan, Scottish singer-songwriter
    • 1946 – Graham Gouldman, English guitarist and songwriter
    • 1946 – Dave Mason, English singer-songwriter and guitarist
    • 1947 – Caroline B. Cooney, American author
    • 1949 – Miuccia Prada, Italian fashion designer
    • 1952 – Sly Dunbar, Jamaican drummer
    • 1955 – Mark David Chapman, American murderer
    • 1956 – Vladislav Listyev, Russian journalist (d. 1995)
    • 1957 – Sid Vicious, English singer and bass player (d. 1979)
    • 1958 – Gaétan Boucher, Canadian speed skater
    • 1958 – Rick Santorum, American lawyer and politician, United States Senator from Pennsylvania
    • 1959 – Victoria Rowell, American actress
    • 1959 – Danny Schayes, American basketball player
    • 1959 – Cindy Hyde-Smith, American politician, United States Senator from Mississippi, Mississippi Commissioner of Agriculture and Commerce
    • 1960 – Bono, Irish singer-songwriter, musician and activist
    • 1960 – Dean Heller, American lawyer and politician, United States Senator from Nevada, Secretary of State of Nevada
    • 1960 – Merlene Ottey, Jamaican-Slovenian runner
    • 1963 – Lisa Nowak, American commander and astronaut
    • 1963 – Debbie Wiseman, English composer and conductor
    • 1965 – Linda Evangelista, Canadian model
    • 1966 – Jonathan Edwards, English triple jumper
    • 1967 – Eion Crossan, New Zealand rugby player
    • 1968 – Al Murray, English comedian and television host
    • 1968 – Tatyana Shikolenko, Russian javelin thrower
    • 1969 – Dennis Bergkamp, Dutch footballer and manager
    • 1969 – John Scalzi, American author and blogger
    • 1970 – Gabriela Montero, Venezuelan-American pianist
    • 1970 – David Weir, Scottish footballer
    • 1971 – Ådne Søndrål, Norwegian speed skater
    • 1972 – Christian Wörns, German footballer
    • 1973 – Joshua Eagle, Australian tennis player
    • 1973 – Ollie le Roux, South African rugby player
    • 1974 – Sylvain Wiltord, French footballer
    • 1975 – Hélio Castroneves, Brazilian race car driver
    • 1975 – Adam Deadmarsh, Canadian-American ice hockey player
    • 1978 – Bruno Cheyrou, French footballer
    • 1981 – Samuel Dalembert, Haitian-Canadian basketball player
    • 1981 – Humberto Suazo, Chilean footballer
    • 1983 – Gustav Fridolin, Swedish journalist and politician, Swedish Minister of Education
    • 1984 – Edward Mujica, Venezuelan baseball player
    • 1985 – Ryan Getzlaf, Canadian ice hockey player
    • 1985 – Jon Schofield, English canoe racer
    • 1987 – Wilson Chandler, American basketball player
    • 1990 – Salvador Pérez, Venezuelan baseball player
    • 1990 – Ivana Španović, Serbian long jumper
    • 1995 – Missy Franklin, American swimmer1995 – Gabriella Papadakis, French ice dancer
    • 1996 – Tyus Jones, American basketball player
    • 1996 – Kateřina Siniaková, Czech tennis player

    Deaths on May 10

    • 1299 – Theingapati, heir to the Pagan Kingdom
    • 1403 – Katherine Swynford, widow of John of Gaunt
    • 1482 – Paolo dal Pozzo Toscanelli, Italian mathematician and astronomer (b. 1397)
    • 1493 – Colin Campbell, 1st Earl of Argyll, Scottish politician, Lord Chancellor of Scotland (b. 1433)
    • 1521 – Sebastian Brant, German author (b. 1457)
    • 1566 – Leonhart Fuchs, German physician and botanist (b. 1501)
    • 1569 – John of Ávila, Spanish mystic and saint (b. 1500)
    • 1641 – Johan Banér, Swedish field marshal (b. 1596)
    • 1717 – John Hathorne, American merchant and politician (b. 1641)
    • 1726 – Charles Beauclerk, 1st Duke of St Albans, English soldier and politician, Lord Lieutenant of Berkshire (b. 1670)
    • 1774 – Louis XV of France (b. 1710)
    • 1787 – William Watson, English physician, physicist, and botanist (b. 1715)
    • 1794 – Élisabeth of France, French princess and youngest sibling of Louis XVI (b.1764)
    • 1798 – George Vancouver, English navigator and explorer (b. 1757)
    • 1807 – Jean-Baptiste Donatien de Vimeur, comte de Rochambeau, French general (b. 1725)
    • 1818 – Paul Revere, American engraver and soldier (b. 1735)
    • 1829 – Thomas Young, English physician and linguist (b. 1773)
    • 1849 – Hokusai, Japanese painter and illustrator (b. 1760)
    • 1863 – Stonewall Jackson, American general (b. 1824)
    • 1868 – Henry Bennett, American lawyer and politician (b. 1808)
    • 1889 – Mikhail Saltykov-Shchedrin, Russian journalist, author, and playwright (b. 1826)
    • 1891 – Carl Nägeli, Swiss botanist and mycologist (b. 1817)
    • 1897 – Andrés Bonifacio, Filipino soldier and politician, President of the Philippines (b. 1863)
    • 1910 – Stanislao Cannizzaro, Italian chemist and academic (b. 1826)
    • 1945 – Richard Glücks, German SS officer (b. 1889)
    • 1945 – Konrad Henlein, Czech soldier and politician (b. 1898)
    • 1960 – Yury Olesha, Russian author, poet, and playwright (b. 1899)
    • 1964 – Mikhail Larionov, Russian painter, illustrator, and set designer (b. 1881)
    • 1965 – Hubertus van Mook, Dutch politician, Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies (b. 1894)
    • 1968 – Scotty Beckett, American actor and singer (b. 1929)
    • 1974 – Hal Mohr, American director and cinematographer (b. 1894)
    • 1977 – Joan Crawford, American actress (year of birth disputed)
    • 1982 – Peter Weiss, German playwright and painter (b. 1916)
    • 1988 – Shen Congwen, Chinese author and academic (b. 1902)
    • 1990 – Walker Percy, American novelist and essayist (b. 1916)
    • 1994 – John Wayne Gacy, American serial killer (b. 1942)
    • 1999 – Shel Silverstein, American poet, author, and illustrator
    • 2000 – Jules Deschênes, Canadian lawyer and judge (b. 1923)
    • 2000 – Dick Sprang, American illustrator (b. 1915)
    • 2001 – Sudhakarrao Naik, Indian politician, Governor of Himachal Pradesh (b. 1934)
    • 2002 – Kaifi Azmi, Indian poet and songwriter (b. 1919)
    • 2002 – Yves Robert, French actor, director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1920)
    • 2003 – Milan Vukcevich, Serbian-American chemist and chess player (b. 1937)
    • 2006 – Soraya, Colombian-American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer (b. 1969)
    • 2008 – Leyla Gencer, Turkish soprano (b. 1928)
    • 2010 – Frank Frazetta, American illustrator and painter (b. 1928)
    • 2012 – Horst Faas, German photographer and journalist (b. 1933)
    • 2012 – Carroll Shelby, American race car driver and designer (b. 1923)
    • 2012 – Gunnar Sønsteby, Norwegian captain and author (b. 1918)
    • 2015 – Chris Burden, American sculptor, illustrator, and academic (b. 1946)
    • 2018 – David Goodall, Australian botanist and ecologist (b. 1914)
    • 2019 – Alfredo Pérez Rubalcaba, Spanish politician and chemist (b. 1951)

    Holidays and observances on May 10

    • Children’s Day (Maldives)
    • Christian feast day:
      • Alphius, Philadelphus and Cyrinus
      • Calepodius
      • Catald
      • Comgall
      • Damien of Molokai
      • Gordianus and Epimachus
      • Job (Roman Catholic Church, pre-1969 calendar)
      • John of Ávila
      • May 10 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
    • Confederate Memorial Day (North Carolina and South Carolina)
    • Constitution Day (Micronesia)
    • Earliest possible day on which Pentecost can fall, while June 13 is the latest; celebrated 50 days after Easter Day.(Christianity)
    • Golden Spike Day (Promontory, Utah)
    • Mother’s Day (Guatemala, and Mexico)

  • May 8 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day

    • 453 BC – Spring and Autumn period: The house of Zhao defeats the house of Zhi, ending the Battle of Jinyang, a military conflict between the elite families of the State of Jin.
    • 413 – Emperor Honorius signs an edict providing tax relief for the Italian provinces Tuscia, Campania, Picenum, Samnium, Apulia, Lucania and Calabria, which were plundered by the Visigoths.
    • 589 – Reccared I opens the Third Council of Toledo, marking the entry of Visigothic Spain into the Catholic Church.
    • 1429 – Joan of Arc lifts the Siege of Orléans, turning the tide of the Hundred Years’ War.
    • 1450 – Kentishmen revolt against King Henry VI.
    • 1516 – A group of imperial guards, led by Trịnh Duy Sản, murdered Emperor Lê Tương Dực and fled, leaving the capital Thăng Long undefended.
    • 1541 – Hernando de Soto stops near present-day Walls, Mississippi, and sees the Mississippi River(then known by the Spanish as Río de Espíritu Santo, the name given to it by Alonso Álvarez de Pineda in 1519).
    • 1788 – King Louis XVI of France attempts to impose the reforms of Étienne Charles de Loménie de Brienne by abolishing the parlements.
    • 1794 – Branded a traitor during the Reign of Terror, French chemist Antoine Lavoisier, who was also a tax collector with the Ferme générale, is tried, convicted and guillotined in one day in Paris.
    • 1821 – Greek War of Independence: The Greeks defeat the Turks at the Battle of Gravia Inn.
    • 1842 – A train derails and catches fire in Paris, killing between 52 and 200 people.
    • 1846 – Mexican–American War: American forces led by Zachary Taylor defeat a Mexican force north of the Rio Grande in the first major battle of the war.
    • 1877 – At Gilmore’s Gardens in New York City, the first Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show opens.
    • 1886 – Pharmacist John Pemberton first sells a carbonated beverage named “Coca-Cola” as a patent medicine.
    • 1898 – The first games of the Italian football league system are played.
    • 1899 – The Irish Literary Theatre in Dublin produced its first play.
    • 1902 – In Martinique, Mount Pelée erupts, destroying the town of Saint-Pierre and killing over 30,000 people. Only a handful of residents survive the blast.
    • 1912 – Paramount Pictures is founded.
    • 1919 – Edward George Honey proposes the idea of a moment of silence to commemorate the Armistice of 11 November 1918 which ended World War I.
    • 1921 – The creation of the Communist Party of Romania.
    • 1924 – The Klaipėda Convention is signed formally incorporating Klaipėda Region (Memel Territory) into Lithuania.
    • 1927 – Attempting to make the first non-stop transatlantic flight from Paris to New York, French war heroes Charles Nungesser and François Coli disappear after taking off aboard The White Bird biplane.
    • 1933 – Mohandas Gandhi begins a 21-day fast of self-purification and launched a one-year campaign to help the Harijan movement.
    • 1941 – World War II: The German Luftwaffe launches a bombing raid on Nottingham and Derby.
    • 1942 – World War II: The German 11th Army begins Operation Trappenjagd (Bustard Hunt) and destroys the bridgehead of the three Soviet armies defending the Kerch Peninsula.
    • 1942 – World War II: The Battle of the Coral Sea comes to an end with Imperial Japanese Navy aircraft carrier aircraft attacking and sinking the United States Navy aircraft carrier USS Lexington.
    • 1942 – World War II: Gunners of the Ceylon Garrison Artillery on Horsburgh Island in the Cocos Islands rebel in the Cocos Islands Mutiny. Their mutiny is crushed and three of them are executed, the only British Commonwealth soldiers to be executed for mutiny during the Second World War.
    • 1945 – World War II: The German Instrument of Surrender signed at Reims comes into effect.
    • 1945 – End of the Prague uprising, celebrated now as a national holiday in the Czech Republic.
    • 1945 – Hundreds of Algerian civilians are killed by French Army soldiers in the Sétif massacre.
    • 1945 – The Halifax riot starts when thousands of civilians and servicemen rampage through Halifax, Nova Scotia.
    • 1946 – Estonian schoolgirls Aili Jõgi and Ageeda Paavel blow up the Soviet memorial which preceded the Bronze Soldier of Tallinn.
    • 1963 – South Vietnamese soldiers under the Roman Catholic President Ngo Dinh Diem open fire on Buddhists defying a ban on the flying of the Buddhist flag on Vesak, killing nine and sparking the Buddhist crisis.
    • 1967 – The Philippine province of Davao is split into three: Davao del Norte, Davao del Sur, and Davao Oriental.
    • 1972 – Vietnam War: U.S. President Richard Nixon announces his order to place naval mines in major North Vietnamese ports in order to stem the flow of weapons and other goods to that nation.
    • 1973 – A 71-day standoff between federal authorities and the American Indian Movement members occupying the Pine Ridge Reservation at Wounded Knee, South Dakota ends with the surrender of the militants.
    • 1976 – The rollercoaster The New Revolution, the first steel coaster with a vertical loop, opens at Six Flags Magic Mountain.
    • 1978 – The first ascent of Mount Everest without supplemental oxygen, by Reinhold Messner and Peter Habeler.
    • 1980 – The World Health Organization confirms the eradication of smallpox.
    • 1984 – Corporal Denis Lortie enters the Quebec National Assembly and opens fire, killing three people and wounding 13. René Jalbert, Sergeant-at-Arms of the Assembly, succeeds in calming him, for which he will later receive the Cross of Valour.
    • 1984 – The Thames Barrier is officially opened, preventing the floodplain of most of Greater London from being flooded except under extreme circumstances.
    • 1987 – The SAS kills eight Provisional Irish Republican Army volunteers and a civilian during an ambush in Loughgall, Northern Ireland.
    • 1988 – A fire at Illinois Bell’s Hinsdale Central Office triggers an extended 1AESS network outage once considered to be the “worst telecommunications disaster in US telephone industry history”.
    • 1997 – China Southern Airlines Flight 3456 crashes on approach into Bao’an International Airport, killing 35 people.
    • 2019 – British 17-year-old Isabelle Holdaway is reported to be the first patient ever to receive a genetically modified phage therapy to treat a drug-resistant infection.

    Births on May 8

    • 1326 – Joan I, Countess of Auvergne (d. 1360)
    • 1427 – John Tiptoft, 1st Earl of Worcester, Lord High Treasurer (d. 1470)
    • 1460 – Frederick I, Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach (d. 1536)
    • 1492 – Andrea Alciato, Italian jurist and writer (d. 1550)
    • 1508 – Charles Wriothesley, English Officer of Arms (d. 1562)
    • 1521 – Peter Canisius, Dutch-Swiss priest and saint (d. 1597)
    • 1551 – Thomas Drury, English government informer and swindler (d. 1603)
    • 1587 – Victor Amadeus I, Duke of Savoy (d. 1637)
    • 1622 – Claes Rålamb, Swedish politician (d. 1698)
    • 1628 – Angelo Italia, Sicilian Jesuit and architect (d. 1700)
    • 1629 – Niels Juel, Norwegian-Danish admiral (d. 1697)
    • 1632 – Heino Heinrich Graf von Flemming, German field marshal and politician (d. 1706)
    • 1639 – Giovanni Battista Gaulli, Italian artist (d. 1709)
    • 1641 – Nicolaes Witsen, Mayor of Amsterdam, Netherlands (d. 1717)
    • 1653 – Claude Louis Hector de Villars, French general and politician, French Minister of Defence (d. 1734)
    • 1670 – Charles Beauclerk, 1st Duke of St Albans, English soldier and politician, Lord Lieutenant of Berkshire (d. 1726)
    • 1698 – Henry Baker, English naturalist (d. 1774)
    • 1720 – William Cavendish, 4th Duke of Devonshire, English politician, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (d. 1764)
    • 1735 – Nathaniel Dance-Holland, English painter and politician (d. 1811)
    • 1737 – Edward Gibbon, English historian and politician (d. 1794)
    • 1745 – Carl Stamitz, German violinist and composer (d. 1801)
    • 1753 – Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla, Mexican priest and rebel leader (d. 1811)
    • 1786 – John Vianney, French priest and saint (d. 1859)
    • 1815 – Edward Tompkins, American lawyer and politician (d. 1872)
    • 1818 – Samuel Leonard Tilley, Canadian pharmacist and politician, 3rd Premier of New Brunswick (d. 1896)
    • 1821 – William Henry Vanderbilt, American businessman and philanthropist (d. 1885)
    • 1824 – William Walker, American physician, lawyer, journalist and mercenary (d. 1860)
    • 1825 – George Bruce Malleson, English-Indian colonel and author (d. 1898)
    • 1828 – Henry Dunant, Swiss businessman and activist, co-founded the Red Cross, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1910)
    • 1828 – Charbel Makhluf, Lebanese monk and saint (d. 1898)
    • 1829 – Louis Moreau Gottschalk, American pianist and composer (d. 1869)
    • 1835 – Bertalan Székely, Hungarian painter and academic (d. 1910)
    • 1839 – Adolphe-Basile Routhier, Canadian judge, author, and songwriter (d. 1920)
    • 1842 – Emil Christian Hansen, Danish physiologist and mycologist (d. 1909)
    • 1846 – Oscar Hammerstein I, American businessman and composer (d. 1919)
    • 1850 – Ross Barnes, American baseball player and manager (d. 1915)
    • 1853 – Dan Brouthers, American baseball player and manager (d. 1932)
    • 1856 – Pedro Lascuráin, Mexican politician, president for 45 minutes on February 13, 1913. (d. 1952)
    • 1858 – Heinrich Berté, Slovak-Austrian composer (d. 1924)
    • 1858 – J. Meade Falkner, English author and poet (d. 1932)
    • 1859 – Johan Jensen, Danish mathematician and engineer (d. 1925)
    • 1867 – Margarete Böhme, German novelist (d. 1939)
    • 1879 – Wesley Coe, American shot putter, discus thrower, and tug of war competitor (d. 1926)
    • 1884 – Harry S. Truman, American colonel and politician, 33rd President of the United States (d. 1972)
    • 1885 – Thomas B. Costain, Canadian journalist and author (d. 1965)
    • 1892 – Adriaan Pelt, Dutch journalist and diplomat (d. 1981)
    • 1893 – Francis Ouimet, American golfer (d. 1967)
    • 1893 – Edd Roush, American baseball player and coach (d. 1988)
    • 1893 – Teddy Wakelam, English rugby player and sportscaster (d. 1963)
    • 1895 – James H. Kindelberger, American businessman (d. 1962)
    • 1895 – Fulton J. Sheen, American archbishop (d. 1979)
    • 1895 – Edmund Wilson, American critic, essayist, and editor (d. 1972)
    • 1898 – Aloysius Stepinac, Croatian cardinal (d. 1960)
    • 1899 – Arthur Q. Bryan, American actor, voice actor, comedian and radio personality (d. 1959)
    • 1899 – Friedrich Hayek, Austrian economist and philosopher, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1992)
    • 1899 – Jacques Heim, French fashion designer (d. 1967)
    • 1901 – Turkey Stearnes, American baseball player (d. 1979)
    • 1902 – André Michel Lwoff, French microbiologist and physician, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1994)
    • 1903 – Fernandel, French actor and singer (d. 1971)
    • 1903 – Mary Stewart, Baroness Stewart of Alvechurch, British politician and educator (d. 1984)
    • 1904 – John Snagge, English journalist (d. 1996)
    • 1905 – Red Nichols, American cornet player, composer, and bandleader (d. 1965)
    • 1906 – Roberto Rossellini, Italian director and screenwriter (d. 1977)
    • 1910 – George Male, English footballer (d. 1998)
    • 1910 – Andrew E. Svenson, American author and publisher (d. 1975)
    • 1910 – Mary Lou Williams, American pianist and composer (d. 1981)
    • 1911 – Wilhelm Friedrich de Gaay Fortman, Dutch jurist and politician, Dutch Minister of The Interior (d. 1997)
    • 1911 – Robert Johnson, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 1938)
    • 1912 – George Woodcock, Canadian author and poet (d. 1995)
    • 1913 – Bob Clampett, American animator, director, and producer (d. 1984)
    • 1913 – Sid James, South African-English actor and singer (d. 1976)
    • 1915 – Milton Meltzer, American historian and author (d. 2009)
    • 1916 – João Havelange, Brazilian water polo player, lawyer, and businessman (d. 2016)
    • 1916 – Chinmayananda Saraswati, Indian spiritual leader and educator (d. 1993)
    • 1916 – Ramananda Sengupta, Indian cinematographer (d. 2017)
    • 1917 – John Anderson, Jr., American lawyer and politician, 36th Governor of Kansas (d. 2014)
    • 1919 – Lex Barker, American actor (d. 1973)
    • 1920 – Saul Bass, American graphic designer and director (d. 1996)
    • 1920 – Tom of Finland, Finnish illustrator (d. 1991)
    • 1920 – Sloan Wilson, American author and poet (d. 2003)
    • 1920 – Gordon McClymont, Australian ecologist and academic (d. 2000)
    • 1922 – Mary Q. Steele, American naturalist and author (d. 1992)
    • 1924 – S. Vithiananthan, Sri Lankan author and academic (d. 1989)
    • 1925 – Ali Hassan Mwinyi, Tanzanian politician, 2nd President of Tanzania
    • 1926 – David Attenborough, English environmentalist and television host
    • 1926 – David Hurst, German actor (d. 2019)
    • 1926 – Don Rickles, American comedian and actor (d. 2017)
    • 1927 – Chumy Chúmez, Spanish actor, director, and screenwriter (d. 2003)
    • 1927 – László Paskai, Hungarian cardinal (d. 2015)
    • 1928 – Robert Conley, American journalist (d. 2013)
    • 1928 – Ted Sorensen, American lawyer, 8th White House Counsel (d. 2010)
    • 1929 – Ethel D. Allen, American physician and politician (d. 1981)
    • 1929 – Girija Devi, Indian classical singer (d. 2017)
    • 1929 – Claude Castonguay, Canadian banker and politician
    • 1929 – Miyoshi Umeki, Japanese-American actress and singer (d. 2007)
    • 1930 – Heather Harper, Northern Irish soprano (d. 2019)
    • 1930 – Doug Atkins, American football player (d. 2015)
    • 1930 – René Maltête, French photographer and poet (d. 2000)
    • 1930 – Gary Snyder, American poet, essayist, and translator
    • 1932 – Julieta Campos, Cuban-Mexican author and translator (d. 2007)
    • 1932 – Phyllida Law, Scottish actress
    • 1932 – Harry Wells, Australian rugby league player
    • 1934 – Leonard Hoffmann, Baron Hoffmann, South African-English lawyer and judge
    • 1934 – Maurice Norman, English footballer
    • 1934 – David Williamson, Baron Williamson of Horton, English soldier and politician (d. 2015)
    • 1935 – Lucius Cary, 15th Viscount Falkland, Scottish politician
    • 1935 – Princess Elisabeth of Denmark (d. 2018)
    • 1935 – Jack Charlton, English footballer and manager
    • 1936 – Kazuo Koike, Japanese author
    • 1936 – Haljand Udam, Estonian orientalist and academic (d. 2005)
    • 1937 – Bernard Cleary, Canadian journalist, academic, and politician
    • 1937 – Mike Cuellar, Cuban-American baseball player (d. 2010)
    • 1937 – Carlos Gaviria Díaz, Colombian lawyer and politician (d. 2015)
    • 1937 – Thomas Pynchon, American novelist
    • 1938 – Javed Burki, Indian-Pakistani cricketer
    • 1938 – Jean Giraud, French author and illustrator (d. 2012)
    • 1939 – Paul Drayton, American sprinter (d. 2010)
    • 1940 – Peter Benchley, American author and screenwriter (d. 2006)
    • 1940 – James Blyth, Baron Blyth of Rowington, English businessman and academic
    • 1940 – Irwin Cotler, Canadian lawyer and politician, 47th Canadian Minister of Justice
    • 1940 – Emilio Delgado, Mexican-American actor, “Sesame Street”
    • 1940 – Ricky Nelson, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and actor (d. 1985)
    • 1940 – Toni Tennille, American singer-songwriter and keyboard player
    • 1941 – John Fred, American singer-songwriter (d. 2005)
    • 1941 – Bill Lockyer, American academic and politician, 30th Attorney General of California
    • 1941 – James Traficant, American lawyer and politician (d. 2014)
    • 1942 – Martin Dobkin, Canadian doctor and politician, 2nd Mayor of Mississauga
    • 1942 – Robin Hobbs, English cricketer
    • 1942 – Norman Lamont, Scottish banker and politician, Chancellor of the Exchequer
    • 1942 – Pierre Morency, Canadian poet and playwright
    • 1942 – Terry Neill, Irish footballer and manager
    • 1943 – Pat Barker, English author
    • 1943 – Johnny Greaves, Australian rugby league player
    • 1943 – Jon Mark, English-New Zealand singer-songwriter and guitarist
    • 1943 – Paul Samwell-Smith, English bass player and producer
    • 1943 – Danny Whitten, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 1972)
    • 1944 – Gary Glitter, English singer-songwriter
    • 1944 – Bill Legend, English drummer
    • 1945 – Arthur Docters van Leeuwen, Dutch jurist and politician
    • 1945 – Mike German, Baron German, Welsh educator and politician, Deputy First Minister for Wales
    • 1945 – Janine Haines, Australian politician (d. 2004)
    • 1945 – Keith Jarrett, American pianist and composer
    • 1946 – André Boulerice, Canadian politician
    • 1946 – Jonathan Dancy, English philosopher, author, and academic
    • 1947 – H. Robert Horvitz, American biologist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate
    • 1947 – Felicity Lott, English soprano
    • 1947 – John Reid, Baron Reid of Cardowan, Scottish historian and politician, Secretary of State for Defence
    • 1948 – Steve Braun, American baseball player and coach
    • 1948 – Stephen Stohn, American-Canadian lawyer and producer
    • 1949 – David Vines, Australian economist and academic
    • 1950 – Robert Mugge, American director and producer
    • 1950 – Lepo Sumera, Estonian composer and educator (d. 2000)
    • 1951 – Philip Bailey, American singer-songwriter, drummer, and actor
    • 1951 – Mike D’Antoni, American basketball player and coach
    • 1951 – Chris Frantz, American drummer and producer
    • 1952 – Peter McNab, Canadian ice hockey player and sportscaster
    • 1953 – Billy Burnette, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and actor
    • 1953 – Alex Van Halen, Dutch-American drummer
    • 1954 – Pam Arciero, American puppeteer and voice actress
    • 1954 – David Keith, American actor and director
    • 1954 – John Michael Talbot, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
    • 1955 – Stephen Furst, American actor and director (d. 2017)
    • 1955 – Mladen Markač, Croatian general
    • 1955 – Keith Osgood, English footballer
    • 1956 – Jeff Wincott, Canadian actor and martial artist
    • 1957 – Bill Cowher, American football player and coach
    • 1957 – Rino Katase, Japanese actress
    • 1957 – Gary Lunn, Canadian lawyer and politician, 6th Canadian Minister of Natural Resources
    • 1958 – Roddy Doyle, Irish novelist, playwright, and screenwriter
    • 1958 – Simone Kleinsma, Dutch actress and singer
    • 1958 – Brooks Newmark, American-English businessman and politician, Lord of the Treasury
    • 1958 – Lovie Smith, American football player and coach
    • 1959 – Ronnie Lott, American football player and sportscaster
    • 1959 – David Manners, 11th Duke of Rutland, English politician
    • 1959 – Ikue Sakakibara, Japanese actress and singer
    • 1960 – Franco Baresi, Italian footballer and coach
    • 1960 – Eric Brittingham, American bass player
    • 1961 – Bill de Blasio, American politician, 109th Mayor of New York City
    • 1961 – Gert Kruys, Dutch footballer and manager
    • 1961 – Vallo Reimaa, Estonian academic and politician
    • 1961 – David Winning, Canadian-American director, producer, and screenwriter
    • 1962 – Natalia Molchanova, Russian diver (d. 2015)
    • 1962 – David Sole, Scottish rugby player
    • 1963 – Sylvain Cossette, Canadian singer-songwriter
    • 1963 – Anthony Field, Australian guitarist, songwriter, producer, and actor
    • 1963 – Michel Gondry, French director and screenwriter
    • 1963 – Izabela Kloc, Polish politician
    • 1963 – Aleksandr Kovalenko, Belarusian triple jumper
    • 1963 – Rick Zombo, American ice hockey player and coach
    • 1964 – Päivi Alafrantti, Finnish javelin thrower
    • 1964 – Melissa Gilbert, American actress and director
    • 1964 – Bobby Labonte, American race car driver
    • 1964 – Nathalie Roy, Canadian lawyer and politician
    • 1964 – Dave Rowntree, English drummer and animator
    • 1964 – Metin Tekin, Turkish footballer, manager, and journalist
    • 1966 – Cláudio Taffarel, Brazilian footballer and coach
    • 1967 – Viviana Durante, Italian ballerina and actress
    • 1967 – Angus Scott, British sports television presenter
    • 1968 – Teet Kask, Estonian ballet dancer and choreographer
    • 1968 – Nathalie Normandeau, Canadian politician, Deputy Premier of Quebec
    • 1968 – Johan Pehrson, Swedish lawyer and politician
    • 1969 – Jonny Searle, English rower
    • 1969 – Akebono Tarō, American-Japanese sumo wrestler, the 64th Yokozuna
    • 1969 – John Timu, New Zealand rugby player
    • 1970 – Michael Bevan, Australian cricketer and coach
    • 1970 – Naomi Klein, Canadian author and activist
    • 1970 – Luis Enrique, Spanish footballer and manager
    • 1971 – Chuck Huber, American voice actor, director, and screenwriter
    • 1971 – Candice Night, American singer-songwriter
    • 1972 – Darren Hayes, Australian singer-songwriter
    • 1972 – Ray Whitney, Canadian ice hockey player
    • 1973 – Hiromu Arakawa, Japanese author and illustrator
    • 1973 – Jesús Arellano, Mexican footballer
    • 1973 – Marcus Brigstocke, English comedian, actor, and screenwriter
    • 1974 – Marge Kõrkjas, Estonian swimmer
    • 1974 – Korey Stringer, American football player (d. 2001)
    • 1974 – Christian XXX, American pornographic star
    • 1975 – Enrique Iglesias, Spanish-American singer-songwriter, producer, and actor
    • 1975 – Jussi Markkanen, Finnish ice hockey player
    • 1975 – Gastón Mazzacane, Argentinian race car driver
    • 1975 – Dmitri Ustritski, Estonian footballer
    • 1976 – Gonçalo Abecasis, Portuguese-American biochemist and academic
    • 1976 – Martha Wainwright, Canadian-American singer-songwriter and guitarist
    • 1977 – Joe Bonamassa, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
    • 1977 – Bad News Brown, Canadian rapper, harmonica player, and actor (d. 2011)
    • 1977 – Theodoros Papaloukas, Greek basketball player
    • 1977 – Kathrin Bringmann, German mathematician and academic
    • 1978 – Lúcio, Brazilian footballer
    • 1978 – Jang Woo-hyuk, South Korean rapper and dancer
    • 1979 – Ole Morten Vågan, Norwegian bassist
    • 1980 – Keyon Dooling, American basketball player
    • 1980 – Panagiotis Kafkis, Greek basketball player
    • 1980 – Evgeny Lebedev, Russian-English publisher and philanthropist
    • 1980 – Michelle McManus, Scottish singer-songwriter and actress
    • 1980 – Benny Yau, Hong Kong-Canadian actor and singer
    • 1981 – Stephen Amell, Canadian actor
    • 1981 – Andrea Barzagli, Italian footballer
    • 1981 – Tatyana Dektyareva, Russian hurdler
    • 1981 – Björn Dixgård, Swedish singer-songwriter and guitarist
    • 1981 – Manny Gamburyan, Armenian-American mixed martial artist
    • 1981 – John Maine, American baseball player
    • 1982 – Buakaw Banchamek, Thai kick-boxer
    • 1982 – Christina Cole, English actress
    • 1982 – Adrián González, American baseball player
    • 1982 – Uğur Yıldırım, Turkish-Dutch footballer
    • 1983 – Juan Martin Goity, Argentinian-German rugby player
    • 1983 – Bershawn Jackson, American hurdler
    • 1983 – Lawrence Vickers, American football player
    • 1983 – Vicky McClure, English actress
    • 1984 – David King, English figure skater
    • 1985 – Tommaso Ciampa, American wrestler
    • 1985 – Silvia Stroescu, Romanian gymnast
    • 1985 – Sarah Vaillancourt, Canadian ice hockey player
    • 1985 – Usama Young, American football player
    • 1986 – Pemra Özgen, Turkish tennis player
    • 1986 – Galen Rupp, American runner
    • 1986 – Marvell Wynne, American soccer player
    • 1987 – Felix Jones, American football player
    • 1987 – Aarne Nirk, Estonian hurdler
    • 1987 – Mark Noble, English footballer
    • 1987 – Kurt Tippett, Australian footballer
    • 1988 – Tanel Kurbas, Estonian basketball player
    • 1988 – Maicon Pereira de Oliveira, Brazilian footballer (d. 2014)
    • 1989 – Liam Bridcutt, English footballer
    • 1989 – Lars Eller, Danish ice hockey player
    • 1989 – Dinesh Patel, Indian baseball player
    • 1990 – Kemba Walker, American basketball player
    • 1991 – Ethan Gage, Canadian soccer player
    • 1991 – Valentijn Lietmeijer, Dutch basketball player
    • 1991 – Anamaria Tămârjan, Romanian gymnast
    • 1992 – Kevin Hayes, American ice hockey player
    • 1993 – Pat Cummins, Australian cricketer
    • 1996 – 6ix9ine, American rapper
    • 2001 – Jordyn Huitema, Canadian soccer player
    • 2003 – Moulay Hassan, Crown Prince of Morocco

    Deaths on May 8

    • 535 – Pope John II
    • 615 – Pope Boniface IV (b. 550)
    • 685 – Pope Benedict II
    • 997 – Tai Zong, Chinese emperor (b. 939)
    • 1157 – Ahmed Sanjar, Seljuk sultan (b. 1086)
    • 1192 – Ottokar IV, duke of Styria (b. 1163)
    • 1220 – Richeza of Denmark, queen of Sweden
    • 1278 – Duan Zong, Chinese emperor (b. 1269)
    • 1319 – Haakon V, king of Norway (b. 1270)
    • 1473 – John Stafford, 1st Earl of Wiltshire, English politician (b. 1420)
    • 1538 – Edward Foxe, English bishop and academic (b. 1496)
    • 1551 – Barbara Radziwiłł, queen of Poland (b. 1520)
    • 1668 – Catherine of St. Augustine, French-Canadian nun and saint (b. 1632)
    • 1766 – Samuel Chandler, English minister and author (b. 1693)
    • 1773 – Ali Bey al-Kabir, Egyptian sultan (b. 1728)
    • 1781 – Richard Jago, English priest and poet (b. 1715)
    • 1782 – Sebastião José de Carvalho e Melo, 1st Marquis of Pombal, Portuguese politician, Prime Minister of Portugal (b. 1699)
    • 1785 – Étienne François, duc de Choiseul, French general and politician, Prime Minister of France (b. 1719)
    • 1785 – Pietro Longhi, Italian painter (b. 1701)
    • 1788 – Giovanni Antonio Scopoli, Italian physician and botanist (b. 1723)
    • 1794 – Antoine Lavoisier, French chemist and biologist (b. 1743)
    • 1819 – Kamehameha I, king of the Hawaiian Islands
    • 1822 – John Stark, American general (b. 1728)
    • 1828 – Mauro Giuliani, Italian guitarist, cellist, and composer (b. 1781)
    • 1837 – Alexander Balashov, Russian general and politician, Russian Minister of Police (b. 1770)
    • 1842 – Jules Dumont d’Urville, French admiral and explorer (b. 1790)
    • 1853 – Jan Roothaan, Dutch priest, 21st Superior General of the Society of Jesus (b. 1785)
    • 1880 – Gustave Flaubert, French novelist (b. 1821)
    • 1891 – Helena Blavatsky, Russian-English mystic and author (b. 1831)
    • 1891 – John Robertson, English-Australian politician, 5th Premier of New South Wales (b. 1816)
    • 1893 – Manuel González Flores, Mexican general and president, 1880–1884 (b. 1833)
    • 1903 – Paul Gauguin, French painter and sculptor (b. 1848)
    • 1907 – Edmund G. Ross, American soldier and politician, 13th Governor of New Mexico Territory (b. 1826)
    • 1925 – John Beresford, Irish polo player (b. 1847)
    • 1936 – Oswald Spengler, German historian and philosopher (b. 1880)
    • 1941 – Natalie, queen consort of Serbia (b. 1859)
    • 1941 – Tore Svennberg, Swedish actor and director (b. 1858)
    • 1942 – Nikolai Reek, Estonian general and politician, 11th Estonian Minister of War (b. 1890)
    • 1943 – Mordechai Anielewicz, Polish commander (b. 1919)
    • 1944 – Themistoklis Diakidis, Greek high jumper (b. 1882)
    • 1945 – Frank Bourne, British soldier, last survivor of the Battle of Rorke’s Drift (b. 1854)
    • 1945 – Wilhelm Rediess, German SS officer (b. 1900)
    • 1945 – Bernhard Rust, German lieutenant and politician (b. 1883)
    • 1945 – Josef Terboven, German lieutenant and politician (b. 1898)
    • 1947 – Harry Gordon Selfridge, American-English businessman, founded Selfridges (b. 1858)
    • 1948 – U Saw, Burmese politician, Prime Minister of Burma (b. 1900)
    • 1950 – Vital Brazil, Brazilian physician and immunologist (b. 1865)
    • 1952 – William Fox, Austrian businessman, founded Fox Theatres (b. 1879)
    • 1959 – John Fraser, Canadian soccer player (b. 1881)
    • 1960 – J. H. C. Whitehead, Indian-English mathematician and academic (b. 1904)
    • 1965 – Wally Hardinge, English cricketer and footballer (b. 1886)
    • 1969 – Remington Kellogg, American zoologist and paleontologist (b. 1892)
    • 1972 – Pandurang Vaman Kane, Indologist and Sanskrit scholar, Bharat Ratna awardee (b. 1880)
    • 1972 – Beatrice Helen Worsley, Mexican-Canadian computer scientist (b. 1921)
    • 1975 – Avery Brundage, American businessman and art collector (b. 1887)
    • 1980 – Geoffrey Baker, English Field Marshal and Chief of the General Staff of the British Army (b. 1920)
    • 1981 – Uri Zvi Greenberg, Israeli poet and journalist (b. 1896)
    • 1982 – Neil Bogart, American record producer, co-founded Casablanca Records (b. 1943)
    • 1982 – Gilles Villeneuve, Canadian race car driver (b. 1950)
    • 1983 – John Fante, American author and screenwriter (b. 1909)
    • 1984 – Lila Bell Wallace, American publisher, co-founded Reader’s Digest (b. 1890)
    • 1984 – Gino Bianco, Italian-Brazilian race car driver (b. 1916)
    • 1985 – Karl Marx, German conductor and composer (b. 1897)
    • 1985 – Theodore Sturgeon, American author and critic (b. 1918)
    • 1985 – Dolph Sweet, American actor (b. 1920)
    • 1986 – Ernle Bradford, English historian and author (b. 1922)
    • 1987 – Doris Stokes, English psychic and author (b. 1920)
    • 1988 – Robert A. Heinlein, American science fiction writer and screenwriter (b. 1907)
    • 1990 – Luigi Nono, Italian composer and educator (b. 1924)
    • 1991 – Jean Langlais, French pianist and composer (b. 1907)
    • 1991 – Rudolf Serkin, Czech-Austrian pianist and educator (b. 1903)
    • 1992 – Joyce Ricketts, American baseball player (b. 1933)
    • 1993 – Avram Davidson, American soldier and author (b. 1923)
    • 1994 – George Peppard, American actor and producer (b. 1928)
    • 1995 – Teresa Teng, Taiwanese singer (b. 1953)
    • 1996 – Beryl Burton, English cyclist (b. 1937)
    • 1996 – Luis Miguel Dominguín, Spanish bullfighter (b. 1926)
    • 1996 – Larry Levis, American poet, author, and critic (b. 1946)
    • 1996 – Garth Williams, American illustrator (b. 1912)
    • 1998 – Johannes Kotkas, Estonian wrestler (b. 1915)
    • 1998 – Charles Rebozo, American banker and businessman (b. 1912)
    • 1999 – Dirk Bogarde, English actor and screenwriter (b. 1921)
    • 1999 – Ed Gilbert, American actor (b. 1931)
    • 1999 – Dana Plato, American actress (b. 1964)
    • 1999 – Soeman Hs, Indonesian author and educator (b. 1904)
    • 2000 – Pita Amor, Mexican poet and author (b. 1918)
    • 2000 – Dédé Fortin, Canadian singer-songwriter and guitarist (b. 1962)
    • 2000 – Henry Nicols, American activist (b. 1973)
    • 2003 – Elvira Pagã, Brazilian vedette, singer, and artist (b. 1920)
    • 2005 – Jean Carrière, French author (b. 1928)
    • 2005 – Nicolás Vuyovich, Argentinian race car driver (b. 1981)
    • 2006 – Iain Macmillan, Scottish photographer and author (b. 1938)
    • 2007 – Philip R. Craig, American author and poet (b. 1933)
    • 2007 – Carson Whitsett, American keyboard player, songwriter, and producer (b. 1945)
    • 2008 – Eddy Arnold, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and actor (b. 1918)
    • 2008 – François Sterchele, Belgian footballer (b. 1982)
    • 2009 – Dom DiMaggio, American baseball player (b. 1917)
    • 2009 – Bud Shrake, American journalist and author (b. 1931)
    • 2011 – Lionel Rose, Australian boxer (b. 1948)
    • 2012 – Everett Lilly, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (b. 1924)
    • 2012 – Jerry McMorris, American businessman (b. 1941)
    • 2012 – Stacy Robinson, American football player (b. 1962)
    • 2012 – Maurice Sendak, American author and illustrator (b. 1928)
    • 2012 – Ampon Tangnoppakul, Thai criminal (b. 1948)
    • 2012 – Roman Totenberg, Polish-American violinist and educator (b. 1911)
    • 2013 – Jeanne Cooper, American actress (b. 1928)
    • 2013 – Bryan Forbes, English actor, director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1926)
    • 2013 – Juan José Muñoz, Argentinian businessman (b. 1950)
    • 2013 – Hugh J. Silverman, American philosopher and theorist (b. 1945)
    • 2013 – Ken Whaley, Austrian-English bass player (b. 1946)
    • 2014 – Roger L. Easton, American scientist, co-invented the GPS (b. 1921)
    • 2014 – Nancy Malone, American actress, director, and producer (b. 1935)
    • 2014 – Yago Lamela, Spanish long jumper (b. 1977)
    • 2014 – Jair Rodrigues, Brazilian singer (b. 1939)
    • 2014 – R. Douglas Stuart Jr., American businessman and diplomat, United States Ambassador to Norway (b. 1916)
    • 2014 – Joseph P. Teasdale, American lawyer and politician, 48th Governor of Missouri (b. 1936)
    • 2015 – Zeki Alasya, Turkish actor and director (b. 1943)
    • 2015 – Mwepu Ilunga, Congolese footballer (b. 1949)
    • 2015 – Menashe Kadishman, Israeli sculptor and painter (b. 1932)
    • 2015 – Juan Schwanner, Hungarian-Chilean footballer and manager (b. 1921)
    • 2015 – Atanas Semerdzhiev, Bulgarian soldier and politician, 1st Vice President of Bulgaria (b. 1924)
    • 2016 – Tom M. Apostol, American analytic number theorist (b. 1923)
    • 2016 – William Schallert, American actor; president (1979–81) of the Screen Actors Guild (b. 1922)
    • 2018 – Big Bully Busick, American professional wrestler (b. 1954)
    • 2018 – Anne V. Coates, British film editor (Lawrence of Arabia, The Elephant Man, Erin Brockovich), Oscar winner (1963) (b. 1925)
    • 2019 – Sprent Dabwido, President of Nauru from 2011 to 2013 (b. 1972)

    Holidays and observances on May 8

    • Christian feast day:
      • Amato Ronconi
      • Apparition of Saint Michael
      • Arsenius the Great
      • Desideratus
      • Blessed Catherine of St. Augustine
      • Julian of Norwich (Anglican, Lutheran)
      • Magdalene of Canossa
      • Our Lady of Luján
      • Peter of Tarentaise
      • Blessed Teresa Demjanovich (Ruthenian Catholic Church)
      • May 8 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
    • Earliest day on which Father’s Day can fall, while May 14 is the latest; celebrated on the second Sunday of May. (Romania)
    • Earliest day on which Mother’s Day can fall, while May 14 is the latest; celebrated on the second Sunday of May. (United States and others)
    • Earliest day on which State Flag and State Emblem Day can fall, while May 14 is the latest; celebrated on the second Sunday of May. (Belarus)
    • Earliest day on which World Fair Trade Day can fall, while May 14 is the latest; celebrated on the second Saturday of May (site of the WFTO) (International)
    • Emancipation Day (Columbus, Mississippi)
    • Furry Dance (Helston, UK)
    • Liberation Day (Czech Republic)
    • Miguel Hidalgo’s birthday (Mexico)
    • Parents’ Day (South Korea)
    • Truman Day (Missouri)
    • Veterans Day (Norway)
    • Victory in Europe Day, and its related observances (Europe):
      • Time of Remembrance and Reconciliation for Those Who Lost Their Lives during the Second World War, continues to May 9
    • White Lotus Day (Theosophy)
    • World Red Cross and Red Crescent Day (International)

  • May 7 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day

    • 351 – The Jewish revolt against Constantius Gallus breaks out after his arrival at Antioch.
    • 558 – In Constantinople, the dome of the Hagia Sophia collapses, twenty years after its construction. Justinian I immediately orders that the dome be rebuilt.
    • 1274 – In France, the Second Council of Lyon opens to regulate the election of the Pope.
    • 1487 – The Siege of Málaga commences during the Spanish Reconquista.
    • 1544 – The Burning of Edinburgh by an English army is the first action of the Rough Wooing.
    • 1664 – Louis XIV of France begins construction of the Palace of Versailles.
    • 1685 – Battle of Vrtijeljka between rebels and Ottoman forces.
    • 1697 – Stockholm’s royal castle (dating back to medieval times) is destroyed by fire. It is replaced in the 18th century by the current Royal Palace.
    • 1718 – The city of New Orleans is founded by Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne, Sieur de Bienville.
    • 1763 – Pontiac’s War begins with Pontiac’s attempt to seize Fort Detroit from the British.
    • 1794 – French Revolution: Robespierre introduces the Cult of the Supreme Being in the National Convention as the new state religion of the French First Republic.
    • 1824 – World premiere of Ludwig van Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony in Vienna, Austria. The performance is conducted by Michael Umlauf under the composer’s supervision.
    • 1832 – Greece’s independence is recognized by the Treaty of London.
    • 1840 – The Great Natchez Tornado strikes Natchez, Mississippi killing 317 people. It is the second deadliest tornado in United States history.
    • 1846 – The Cambridge Chronicle, America’s oldest surviving weekly newspaper, is published for the first time in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
    • 1864 – American Civil War: The Army of the Potomac, under General Ulysses S. Grant, breaks off from the Battle of the Wilderness and moves southwards.
    • 1864 – The world’s oldest surviving clipper ship, the City of Adelaide is launched by William Pile, Hay and Co. in Sunderland, England, for transporting passengers and goods between Britain and Australia.
    • 1895 – In Saint Petersburg, Russian scientist Alexander Stepanovich Popov demonstrates to the Russian Physical and Chemical Society his invention, the Popov lightning detector—a primitive radio receiver. In some parts of the former Soviet Union the anniversary of this day is celebrated as Radio Day.
    • 1915 – World War I: German submarine U-20 sinks RMS Lusitania, killing 1,198 people, including 128 Americans. Public reaction to the sinking turns many former pro-Germans in the United States against the German Empire.
    • 1915 – The Republic of China accedes to 13 of the 21 Demands, extending the Empire of Japan‘s control over Manchuria and the Chinese economy.
    • 1920 – Kiev Offensive: Polish troops led by Józef Piłsudski and Edward Rydz-Śmigły and assisted by a symbolic Ukrainian force capture Kiev only to be driven out by the Red Army counter-offensive a month later.
    • 1920 – Treaty of Moscow: Soviet Russia recognizes the independence of the Democratic Republic of Georgia only to invade the country six months later.
    • 1920 – Morecambe Football Club was founded during a meeting at the West View Hotel on the town’s promenade.
    • 1930 – The 7.1 Mw  Salmas earthquake shakes northwestern Iran and southeastern Turkey with a maximum Mercalli intensity of IX (Violent). Up to three-thousand people were killed.
    • 1931 – The stand-off between criminal Francis Crowley and 300 members of the New York Police Department takes place in his fifth-floor apartment on West 91st Street, New York City.
    • 1937 – Spanish Civil War: The German Condor Legion, equipped with Heinkel He 51 biplanes, arrives in Spain to assist Francisco Franco’s forces.
    • 1940 – World War II: The Norway Debate in the British House of Commons begins, and leads to the replacement of Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain with Winston Churchill three days later.
    • 1942 – World War II: During the Battle of the Coral Sea, United States Navy aircraft carrier aircraft attack and sink the Imperial Japanese Navy light aircraft carrier Shōhō; the battle marks the first time in naval history that two enemy fleets fight without visual contact between warring ships.
    • 1945 – World War II: Last German U boat attack of the war, two freighters are sunk off the Firth of Forth, Scotland.
    • 1945 – World War II: General Alfred Jodl signs unconditional surrender terms at Reims, France, ending Germany’s participation in the war. The document takes effect the next day.
    • 1946 – Tokyo Telecommunications Engineering (later renamed Sony) is founded
    • 1948 – The Council of Europe is founded during the Hague Congress.
    • 1952 – The concept of the integrated circuit, the basis for all modern computers, is first published by Geoffrey Dummer.
    • 1954 – Indochina War: The Battle of Dien Bien Phu ends in a French defeat and a Viet Minh victory (the battle began on March 13).
    • 1960 – Cold War: U-2 Crisis of 1960: Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev announces that his nation is holding American U-2 pilot Gary Powers.
    • 1976 – The Honda Accord is officially launched.
    • 1986 – Canadian Patrick Morrow becomes the first person to climb each of the Seven Summits.
    • 1992 – Michigan ratifies a 203-year-old proposed amendment to the United States Constitution making the 27th Amendment law. This amendment bars the U.S. Congress from giving itself a mid-term pay raise.
    • 1992 – Space Shuttle program: The Space Shuttle Endeavour is launched on its first mission, STS-49.
    • 1992 – Three employees at a McDonald’s Restaurant in Sydney, Nova Scotia, Canada, are brutally murdered and a fourth permanently disabled after a botched robbery. It is the first “fast-food murder” in Canada.
    • 1994 – Edvard Munch’s painting The Scream is recovered undamaged after being stolen from the National Gallery of Norway in February.
    • 1998 – Mercedes-Benz buys Chrysler for US$40 billion and forms DaimlerChrysler in the largest industrial merger in history.
    • 1999 – Pope John Paul II travels to Romania, becoming the first pope to visit a predominantly Eastern Orthodox country since the Great Schism in 1054.
    • 1999 – Kosovo War: Three Chinese citizens are killed and 20 wounded when a NATO aircraft apparently inadvertently bombs the Chinese embassy in Belgrade, Serbia.
    • 1999 – In Guinea-Bissau, President João Bernardo Vieira is ousted in a military coup.
    • 2000 – Vladimir Putin is inaugurated as president of Russia.
    • 2002 – An EgyptAir Boeing 737-500 crashes on approach to Tunis–Carthage International Airport, killing 14 people.
    • 2002 – A China Northern Airlines MD-82 plunges into the Yellow Sea, killing 112 people.
    • 2004 – American businessman Nick Berg is beheaded by Islamic militants. The act is recorded on videotape and released on the Internet.

    Births on May 7

    • Before 160 – Julia Maesa, Roman noblewoman (d. 224)
    • 1488 – John III of the Palatinate, archbishop of Regensburg (d. 1538)
    • 1530 – Louis, Prince of Condé (d. 1569)
    • 1553 – Albert Frederick, Duke of Prussia (d. 1618)
    • 1605 – Patriarch Nikon of Moscow (d. 1681)
    • 1643 – Stephanus Van Cortlandt, American politician, 10th Mayor of New York City (d. 1700)
    • 1700 – Gerard van Swieten, Dutch-Austrian physician (d. 1772)
    • 1701 – Carl Heinrich Graun, German tenor and composer (d. 1759)
    • 1711 – David Hume, Scottish economist, historian, and philosopher (d. 1776)
    • 1724 – Dagobert Sigmund von Wurmser, French-Austrian field marshal (d. 1797)
    • 1740 – Nikolai Arkharov, Russian police officer and general (d. 1814)
    • 1748 – Olympe de Gouges, French playwright and philosopher (d. 1793)
    • 1763 – Józef Poniatowski, Polish general (d. 1813)
    • 1767 – Princess Frederica Charlotte of Prussia (d. 1820)
    • 1774 – William Bainbridge, American commodore (d. 1833)
    • 1787 – Jacques Viger, Canadian archaeologist and politician, 1st mayor of Montreal (d. 1858)
    • 1812 – Robert Browning, English poet and playwright (d. 1889)
    • 1833 – Johannes Brahms, German pianist and composer (d. 1897)
    • 1836 – Joseph Gurney Cannon, American lawyer and politician, 40th Speaker of the United States House of Representatives (d. 1926)
    • 1837 – Karl Mauch, German geographer and explorer (d. 1875)
    • 1840 – Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Russian composer and educator (d. 1893)
    • 1845 – Mary Eliza Mahoney, American nurse and activist (d. 1926)
    • 1847 – Archibald Primrose, 5th Earl of Rosebery, English politician, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (d. 1929)
    • 1857 – William A. MacCorkle, American lawyer and politician, 9th Governor of West Virginia (d. 1930)
    • 1860 – Tom Norman, English businessman (d. 1930)
    • 1861 – Rabindranath Tagore, Indian author and poet, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1941)
    • 1867 – Władysław Reymont, Polish novelist, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1925)
    • 1875 – Bill Hoyt, American pole vaulter (d. 1951)
    • 1880 – Pandurang Vaman Kane, Indologist and Sanskrit scholar, Bharat Ratna awardee (d. 1972)
    • 1881 – George E. Wiley, American cyclist (d. 1954)
    • 1882 – Willem Elsschot, Belgian author and poet (d. 1960)
    • 1885 – George “Gabby” Hayes, American actor (d. 1969)
    • 1889 – Viktor Puskar, Estonian colonel (d. 1943)
    • 1891 – Harry McShane, Scottish engineer and activist (d. 1988)
    • 1892 – Archibald MacLeish, American poet, playwright, and lawyer (d. 1982)
    • 1892 – Josip Broz Tito, Yugoslav field marshal and politician, 1st President of Yugoslavia (d. 1980)
    • 1893 – Frank J. Selke, Canadian ice hockey coach and manager (d. 1985)
    • 1896 – Kathleen McKane Godfree, English tennis and badminton player (d. 1992)
    • 1899 – Alfred Gerrard, English sculptor and academic (d. 1998)
    • 1901 – Gary Cooper, American actor (d. 1961)
    • 1903 – Jimmy Ball, Canadian sprinter (d. 1988)
    • 1904 – Kurt Weitzmann, German-American historian and author (d. 1993)
    • 1906 – Eric Krenz, American discus thrower and shot putter (d. 1931)
    • 1909 – Edwin H. Land, American scientist and inventor, co-founded the Polaroid Corporation (d. 1991)
    • 1909 – Dorothy Sunrise Lorentino, Native American teacher (d. 2005)
    • 1911 – Ishirō Honda, Japanese director, producer, and screenwriter (d. 1993)
    • 1911 – Rıfat Ilgaz, Turkish author, poet, and educator (d. 1993)
    • 1912 – Pannalal Patel, Indian author (d. 1989)
    • 1913 – John Spencer Hardy, American general (d. 2012)
    • 1913 – Simon Ramo, American physicist and engineer (d. 2016)
    • 1914 – Arthur Snelling, English civil servant and diplomat. British Ambassador to South Africa (d. 1996)
    • 1916 – Huw Wheldon, Welsh-English broadcaster (d. 1986)
    • 1916 – W. B. Young, Scottish rugby player and physician (d. 2013)
    • 1917 – Domenico Bartolucci, Italian cardinal and composer (d. 2013)
    • 1917 – Lenox Hewitt, Australian public servant (d. 2020)
    • 1917 – David Tomlinson, English actor (d. 2000)
    • 1919 – Eva Perón, Argentinian actress, 25th First Lady of Argentina (d. 1952)
    • 1920 – Rendra Karno, Indonesian actor (d. 1985)
    • 1921 – Asa Briggs, Baron Briggs, English historian and academic (d. 2016)
    • 1921 – Gaston Rébuffat, French mountaineer and author (d. 1985)
    • 1922 – Darren McGavin, American actor and director (d. 2006)
    • 1922 – Joe O’Donnell, American photographer and journalist (d. 2007)
    • 1923 – Anne Baxter, American actress (d. 1985)
    • 1923 – Jim Lowe, American singer-songwriter, disc jockey, and radio host (d. 2016)
    • 1923 – Bülent Ulusu, Turkish admiral and politician, 18th Prime Minister of Turkey (d. 2015)
    • 1924 – Albert Band, French-American director and producer (d. 2002)
    • 1925 – Lauri Vaska, Estonian-American chemist and academic (d. 2015)
    • 1927 – Ruth Prawer Jhabvala, German-American author and screenwriter (d. 2013)
    • 1929 – Dick Williams, American baseball player, coach, and manager (d. 2011)
    • 1930 – Totie Fields, American comedian and author (d. 1978)
    • 1930 – Babe Parilli, American football player and coach (d. 2017)
    • 1930 – John Smith, Baron Kirkhill, English politician
    • 1931 – Teresa Brewer, American singer (d. 2007)
    • 1931 – Gene Wolfe, American author (d. 2019)
    • 1932 – Jordi Bonet, Spanish-Canadian painter and sculptor (d. 1979)
    • 1932 – Alan Cuthbert, English pharmacologist and academic (d. 2016)
    • 1932 – Pete Domenici, American lawyer and politician, 37th Mayor of Albuquerque (d. 2017)
    • 1932 – Derek Taylor, English journalist and author (d. 1997)
    • 1933 – Johnny Unitas, American football player and sportscaster (d. 2002)
    • 1935 – Avraham Heffner, Israeli actor, director, and screenwriter (d. 2014)
    • 1935 – Michael Hopkins, English architect
    • 1936 – Robin Hanbury-Tenison, English explorer and author
    • 1936 – Tony O’Reilly, Irish rugby player and businessman
    • 1936 – Jimmy Ruffin, American soul singer (d. 2014)
    • 1937 – Eddie Clayton, English footballer
    • 1937 – Claude Raymond, Canadian baseball player and coach
    • 1939 – Sidney Altman, Canadian-American biologist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate
    • 1939 – Ruggero Deodato, Italian actor, director, and screenwriter
    • 1939 – Ruud Lubbers, Dutch economist and politician, Prime Minister of the Netherlands (d. 2018)
    • 1939 – Johnny Maestro, American pop/doo-wop singer (d. 2010)
    • 1939 – Clive Soley, Baron Soley, English politician
    • 1940 – Angela Carter, English novelist and short story writer (d. 1992)
    • 1940 – Dave Chambers, Canadian ice hockey player and coach
    • 1941 – Lawrence Collins, Baron Collins of Mapesbury, English lawyer and judge
    • 1943 – Terry Allen, American singer and painter
    • 1943 – Harvey Andrews, English singer-songwriter and poet
    • 1943 – John Bannon, Australian academic and politician, 39th Premier of South Australia (d. 2015)
    • 1943 – Peter Carey, Australian novelist and short story writer
    • 1945 – Christy Moore, Irish singer-songwriter and guitarist
    • 1945 – Robin Strasser, American actress
    • 1946 – Thelma Houston, American R&B/disco singer and actress
    • 1946 – Marv Hubbard, American football player (d. 2015)
    • 1946 – Bill Kreutzmann, American drummer
    • 1946 – Michael Rosen, English author and poet
    • 1946 – Brian Turner, English chef and television host
    • 1949 – Kathy Ahern, American golfer (d. 1996)
    • 1949 – Deborah Butterfield, American sculptor
    • 1950 – John Dowling Coates, Australian lawyer, sports administrator and businessman
    • 1950 – Randall “Tex” Cobb, American boxer and actor
    • 1950 – Tim Russert, American television journalist and lawyer (d. 2008)
    • 1953 – Pat McInally, American football player and coach
    • 1953 – Ian McKay, English sergeant, Victoria Cross recipient (d. 1982)
    • 1954 – Philippe Geluck, Belgian cartoonist
    • 1954 – Joanna Haigh, English meteorologist and physicist
    • 1954 – Amy Heckerling, American director, producer, and screenwriter
    • 1955 – Clément Gignac, Canadian politician
    • 1955 – Ben Poquette, American basketball player
    • 1955 – Axel Zwingenberger, German pianist and songwriter
    • 1956 – Jan Peter Balkenende, Dutch jurist and politician, Prime Minister of the Netherlands
    • 1956 – Anne Dudley, English pianist and composer
    • 1956 – Nicholas Hytner, English director and producer
    • 1956 – Jean Lapierre, Canadian talk show host and politician
    • 1956 – Calum MacDonald, Scottish journalist and politician
    • 1957 – Kristina M. Johnson, American business executive, engineer, academic and government official
    • 1958 – Mikhail Biryukov, Russian footballer and manager
    • 1958 – Mark G. Kuzyk, American physicist and academic
    • 1958 – Anne Marie Rafferty, English nurse and academic
    • 1959 – Michael E. Knight, American actor
    • 1959 – Tony Sealy, English footballer, forward and manager
    • 1959 – Heiki Valk, Estonian archeologist and academic
    • 1960 – Adam Bernstein, American director and screenwriter
    • 1960 – Ara Darzi, Baron Darzi of Denham, Iraqi-English surgeon and academic
    • 1960 – Almudena Grandes, Spanish author
    • 1961 – Hans-Peter Bartels, German politician
    • 1961 – Sue Black, Scottish anthropologist and academic
    • 1961 – Ivar Must, Estonian composer and producer
    • 1962 – Tony Campbell, American basketball player and coach
    • 1962 – Judith Donath, American computer scientist and academic
    • 1963 – Johnny Lee Middleton, American bass player and songwriter
    • 1964 – Ronnie Harmon, American football player
    • 1964 – Denis Mandarino, Brazilian guitarist, composer, and painter
    • 1964 – Leslie O’Neal, American football player
    • 1965 – Reuben Davis, American football player
    • 1965 – Owen Hart, Canadian wrestler (d. 1999)
    • 1965 – Norman Whiteside, Northern Irish footballer and manager
    • 1965 – Huang Zhihong, Chinese shot putter
    • 1967 – Martin Bryant, Australian mass murderer
    • 1967 – Adam Price, Danish chef and screenwriter
    • 1967 – Joe Rice, American colonel and politician
    • 1968 – Traci Lords, American actress and singer
    • 1968 – Lisa Raitt, Canadian lawyer and politician, 30th Canadian Minister of Transport
    • 1969 – Eagle-Eye Cherry, Swedish singer-songwriter
    • 1969 – Jun Falkenstein, American director, producer, and screenwriter
    • 1969 – Katerina Maleeva, Bulgarian tennis player
    • 1971 – Reidar Horghagen, Norwegian drummer
    • 1971 – Dave Karpa, Canadian ice hockey player
    • 1971 – Thomas Piketty, French economist
    • 1972 – Peter Dubovský, Czech-Slovak footballer (d. 2000)
    • 1972 – Frank Trigg, American mixed martial artist and wrestler
    • 1973 – Kristian Lundin, Swedish songwriter and producer
    • 1973 – Paolo Savoldelli, Italian cyclist
    • 1974 – Ian Pearce, English footballer and assistant manager
    • 1973 – Lawrence Johnson, American pole vaulter
    • 1975 – Ashley Cowan, English cricketer
    • 1976 – Calvin Booth, American basketball player
    • 1976 – Berke Hatipoğlu, Turkish guitarist and songwriter
    • 1976 – Stacey Jones, New Zealand rugby league player
    • 1976 – Andrea Lo Cicero, Italian rugby player
    • 1976 – Michael P. Murphy, American lieutenant, Medal of Honor recipient (d. 2005)
    • 1976 – Ayelet Shaked, Israeli Minister of Justice (2015-2019)
    • 1977 – Elton Flatley, Australian rugby player
    • 1978 – Stian Arnesen, Norwegian guitarist, drummer, and songwriter
    • 1978 – James Carter, American hurdler
    • 1978 – Shawn Marion, American basketball player
    • 1979 – Katie Douglas, American basketball player
    • 1983 – Phionah Atuhebwe, Ugandan vaccinologist and immunization expert
    • 1984 – James Loney, American baseball player
    • 1984 – Alex Smith, American football player
    • 1984 – Kevin Owens, Canadian wrestler
    • 1985 – Jarrad Hickey, Australian rugby league player
    • 1985 – Drew Neitzel, American basketball player
    • 1986 – Matt Helders, English drummer
    • 1987 – Asami Konno, Japanese singer
    • 1987 – Michael Maidens, English footballer (d. 2007)
    • 1987 – Mark Reynolds, Scottish footballer
    • 1987 – David Schlemko, Canadian ice hockey player
    • 1988 – Eino Puri, Estonian footballer
    • 1988 – Sander Puri, Estonian footballer
    • 1989 – Earl Thomas, American football player
    • 1995 – Seko Fofana, French born Ivorian international footballer
    • 1997 – Daria Kasatkina, Russian tennis player
    • 1998 – Jesse Puljujärvi, Finnish ice hockey player

    Deaths on May 7

    • 721 – John of Beverley, bishop of York
    • 833 – Ibn Hisham, Egyptian Muslim historian
    • 973 – Otto I, Holy Roman Emperor (b. 912)
    • 1014 – Bagrat III, 1st King of Georgia (b. 960)
    • 1092 – Remigius de Fécamp, English monk and bishop
    • 1166 – William I of Sicily
    • 1202 – Hamelin de Warenne, Earl of Surrey
    • 1205 – Ladislaus III of Hungary (b. 1201)
    • 1234 – Otto I, Duke of Merania (b. c. 1180)
    • 1243 – Hugh d’Aubigny, 5th Earl of Arundel
    • 1427 – Thomas la Warr, 5th Baron De La Warr, English priest (b. 1352)
    • 1494 – Eskender, Emperor of Ethiopia (b. 1471)
    • 1523 – Franz von Sickingen, German knight (b. 1481)
    • 1539 – Ottaviano Petrucci, Italian printer (b. 1466)
    • 1617 – David Fabricius, German astronomer and theologian (b. 1564)
    • 1667 – Johann Jakob Froberger, German organist and composer (b. 1616)
    • 1682 – Feodor III of Russia (b. 1661)
    • 1685 – Bajo Pivljanin (b. 1630)
    • 1718 – Mary of Modena (b. 1658)
    • 1793 – Pietro Nardini, Italian violinist and composer (b. 1722)
    • 1800 – Niccolò Piccinni, Italian composer (b. 1728)
    • 1805 – William Petty, 2nd Earl of Shelburne, Irish-English general and politician, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (b. 1737)
    • 1815 – Jabez Bowen, American colonel and politician, 45th Deputy Governor of Rhode Island (b. 1739)
    • 1825 – Antonio Salieri, Italian composer and conductor (b. 1750)
    • 1840 – Caspar David Friedrich, German painter and educator (b. 1774)
    • 1868 – Henry Brougham, 1st Baron Brougham and Vaux, Scottish lawyer and politician, Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain (b. 1778)
    • 1872 – Alexander Loyd, American carpenter and politician, 4th Mayor of Chicago (b. 1805)
    • 1876 – William Buell Sprague, American clergyman, historian, and author (b. 1795)
    • 1887 – C. F. W. Walther, German-American religious leader and theologian (b. 1811)
    • 1896 – H. H. Holmes, American serial killer (b. 1861)
    • 1902 – Agostino Roscelli, Italian priest and saint (b. 1818)
    • 1917 – Albert Ball, English fighter pilot (b. 1896)
    • 1922 – Max Wagenknecht, German pianist and composer (b. 1857)
    • 1924 – Alluri Sitarama Raju, Indian activist (b. 1897/1898)
    • 1925 – William Lever, 1st Viscount Leverhulme, English businessman and politician (b. 1851)
    • 1937 – Ernst A. Lehmann, German captain and author (b. 1886)
    • 1938 – Octavian Goga, Romanian politician, former Prime Minister (b. 1881)
    • 1940 – George Lansbury, English journalist and politician (b. 1859)
    • 1941 – James George Frazer, Scottish-English anthropologist and academic (b. 1854)
    • 1942 – Felix Weingartner, Croatian pianist, composer, and conductor (b. 1863)
    • 1943 – Fethi Okyar, Turkish colonel and politician, 2nd Prime Minister of Turkey (b. 1880)
    • 1946 – Herbert Macaulay, Nigerian journalist and politician (b. 1864)
    • 1951 – Warner Baxter, American actor (b. 1889)
    • 1967 – Margaret Larkin, American writer and poet (b. 1899)
    • 1958 – Mihkel Lüdig, Estonian organist, composer, and conductor (b. 1880)
    • 1976 – Alison Uttley, English children’s book writer (b. 1884)
    • 1978 – Mort Weisinger, American journalist and author (b. 1915)
    • 1986 – Haldun Taner, Turkish playwright and author (b. 1915)
    • 1987 – Colin Blakely, Northern Irish actor (b. 1930)
    • 1987 – Paul Popham, American soldier and activist, co-founded Gay Men’s Health Crisis (b. 1941)
    • 1990 – Sam Tambimuttu, Sri Lankan lawyer and politician (b. 1932)
    • 1994 – Clement Greenberg, American art critic (b. 1909)
    • 1995 – Ray McKinley, American drummer, singer, and bandleader (Glenn Miller Orchestra) (b. 1910)
    • 1998 – Allan McLeod Cormack, South African-English physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1924)
    • 1998 – Eddie Rabbitt, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (b. 1941)
    • 2000 – Douglas Fairbanks, Jr., American captain, actor, and producer (b. 1909)
    • 2001 – Jacques de Bourbon-Busset, French author and politician (b. 1912)
    • 2004 – Waldemar Milewicz, Polish journalist (b. 1956)
    • 2005 – Tristan Egolf, American author and activist (b. 1971)
    • 2005 – Peter Rodino, American captain and politician (b. 1909)
    • 2005 – Otilino Tenorio, Ecuadorian footballer (b. 1980)
    • 2006 – Richard Carleton, Australian journalist (b. 1943)
    • 2006 – Joan C. Edwards, American singer and philanthropist (b. 1918)
    • 2007 – Isabella Blow, English magazine editor (b. 1958)
    • 2007 – Diego Corrales, American boxer (b. 1977)
    • 2007 – Octavian Paler, Romanian journalist and politician (b. 1926)
    • 2007 – Yahweh ben Yahweh, American cult leader, founded the Nation of Yahweh (b. 1935)
    • 2009 – David Mellor, English designer (b. 1930)
    • 2009 – Danny Ozark, American baseball player, coach, and manager (b. 1923)
    • 2011 – Seve Ballesteros, Spanish golfer (b. 1957)
    • 2011 – Willard Boyle, Canadian physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1924)
    • 2011 – Big George, English songwriter, producer, and radio host (b. 1957)
    • 2012 – Sammy Barr, Scottish trade union leader (b. 1931)
    • 2012 – Ferenc Bartha, Hungarian economist and politician (b. 1943)
    • 2012 – Dennis E. Fitch, American captain and pilot (b. 1942)
    • 2013 – Ferruccio Mazzola, Italian footballer and manager (b. 1948)
    • 2013 – George Sauer, Jr., American football player (b. 1943)
    • 2014 – Neville McNamara, Australian air marshal (b. 1923)
    • 2014 – Colin Pillinger, English astronomer, chemist, and academic (b. 1943)
    • 2014 – Dick Welteroth, American baseball player (b. 1927)
    • 2015 – Frank DiPascali, American businessman (b. 1956)
    • 2015 – John Dixon, Australian-American author, and illustrator (b. 1929)

    Holidays and observances on May 7

    • Christian feast day:
      • Agathius of Byzantium
      • Agostino Roscelli
      • Pope Benedict II
      • Flavia Domitilla
      • Gisela of Hungary
      • Harriet Starr Cannon (Episcopal Church (USA))
      • John of Beverley
      • Rose Venerini
      • Stanislaus (Roman Martyrology)
      • May 7 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
    • Defender of the Fatherland Day (Kazakhstan)
    • Dien Bien Phu Victory Day (Vietnam)
    • Radio Day, commemorating the work of Alexander Popov (Russia, Bulgaria)

  • May 4 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day

    • 1256 – The Augustinian monastic order is constituted at the Lecceto Monastery when Pope Alexander IV issues a papal bull Licet ecclesiae catholicae.
    • 1415 – Religious reformers John Wycliffe and Jan Hus are condemned as heretics at the Council of Constance.
    • 1436 – Assassination of the Swedish rebel (later national hero) Engelbrekt Engelbrektsson
    • 1471 – Wars of the Roses: The Battle of Tewkesbury: Edward IV defeats a Lancastrian Army and kills Edward of Westminster, Prince of Wales.
    • 1493 – Pope Alexander VI divides the New World between Spain and Portugal along the Line of Demarcation.
    • 1626 – Dutch explorer Peter Minuit arrives in New Netherland (present day Manhattan Island) aboard the See Meeuw.
    • 1686 – The Municipality of Ilagan is founded in the Philippines.
    • 1776 – Rhode Island becomes the first American colony to renounce allegiance to King George III.
    • 1799 – Fourth Anglo-Mysore War: The Battle of Seringapatam: The siege of Seringapatam ends when the city is invaded and Tipu Sultan killed by the besieging British army, under the command of General George Harris.
    • 1814 – Emperor Napoleon arrives at Portoferraio on the island of Elba to begin his exile.
    • 1814 – King Ferdinand VII abolishes the Spanish Constitution of 1812, returning Spain to absolutism.
    • 1836 – Formation of Ancient Order of Hibernians
    • 1859 – The Cornwall Railway opens across the Royal Albert Bridge linking Devon and Cornwall in England.
    • 1869 – The Naval Battle of Hakodate is fought in Japan.
    • 1871 – The National Association, the first professional baseball league, opens its first season in Fort Wayne, Indiana.
    • 1886 – Haymarket affair: A bomb is thrown at policemen trying to break up a labor rally in Chicago, United States, killing eight and wounding 60. The police fire into the crowd.
    • 1904 – The United States begins construction of the Panama Canal.
    • 1910 – The Royal Canadian Navy is created.
    • 1912 – Italy occupies the Greek island of Rhodes.
    • 1919 – May Fourth Movement: Student demonstrations take place in Tiananmen Square in Beijing, China, protesting the Treaty of Versailles, which transferred Chinese territory to Japan.
    • 1926 – The United Kingdom general strike begins.
    • 1927 – The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is incorporated.
    • 1932 – In Atlanta, mobster Al Capone begins serving an eleven-year prison sentence for tax evasion.
    • 1942 – World War II: The Battle of the Coral Sea begins with an attack by aircraft from the United States aircraft carrier USS Yorktown on Japanese naval forces at Tulagi Island in the Solomon Islands. The Japanese forces had invaded Tulagi the day before.
    • 1945 – World War II: Neuengamme concentration camp near Hamburg is liberated by the British Army.
    • 1945 – World War II: The German surrender at Lüneburg Heath is signed, coming into effect the following day. It encompasses all Wehrmacht units in the Netherlands, Denmark and northwest Germany.
    • 1946 – In San Francisco Bay, U.S. Marines from the nearby Treasure Island Naval Base stop a two-day riot at Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary. Five people are killed in the riot.
    • 1949 – The entire Torino football team (except for two players who did not take the trip: Sauro Tomà, due to an injury and Renato Gandolfi, because of coach request) is killed in a plane crash.
    • 1953 – Ernest Hemingway wins the Pulitzer Prize for The Old Man and the Sea.
    • 1959 – The 1st Annual Grammy Awards are held.
    • 1961 – American civil rights movement: The “Freedom Riders” begin a bus trip through the South.
    • 1961 – Malcolm Ross and Victor Prather attain a new altitude record for manned balloon flight ascending in the Strato-Lab V open gondola to 113,740 feet (34.67 km).
    • 1970 – Vietnam War: Kent State shootings: The Ohio National Guard, sent to Kent State University after disturbances in the city of Kent the weekend before, opens fire killing four unarmed students and wounding nine others. The students were protesting the Cambodian Campaign of the United States and South Vietnam.
    • 1972 – The Don’t Make A Wave Committee, a fledgling environmental organization founded in Canada in 1971, officially changes its name to “Greenpeace Foundation”.
    • 1978 – The South African Defence Force attacks a SWAPO base at Cassinga in southern Angola, killing about 600 people.
    • 1979 – Margaret Thatcher becomes the first female Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.
    • 1982 – Twenty sailors are killed when the British Type 42 destroyer HMS Sheffield is hit by an Argentinian Exocet missile during the Falklands War.
    • 1988 – The PEPCON disaster rocks Henderson, Nevada, as tons of Space Shuttle fuel detonate during a fire.
    • 1989 – Iran–Contra affair: Former White House aide Oliver North is convicted of three crimes and acquitted of nine other charges; the convictions are later overturned on appeal.
    • 1990 – Latvia proclaims the renewal of its independence after the Soviet occupation.
    • 1994 – Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and PLO leader Yasser Arafat sign a peace accord, granting self-rule in the Gaza Strip and Jericho.
    • 1998 – A federal judge in Sacramento, California, gives “Unabomber” Theodore Kaczynski four life sentences plus 30 years after Kaczynski accepts a plea agreement sparing him from the death penalty.
    • 2000 – Ken Livingstone becomes the first Mayor of London (an office separate from that of the Lord Mayor of London).
    • 2007 – Greensburg, Kansas is almost completely destroyed by a 1.7-mile wide EF5 tornado. It was the first-ever tornado to be rated as such with the new Enhanced Fujita scale.
    • 2014 – Three people are killed and 62 injured in a pair of bombings on buses in Nairobi, Kenya.

    Births on May 4

    • 1006 – Khwaja Abdullah Ansari, Persian mystic and poet (d. 1088)
    • 1008 – Henry I, king of France (d. 1060)
    • 1559 – Alice Spencer, English noblewoman (d. 1637)
    • 1634 – Katherine Ferrers, English aristocrat and heiress (d. 1660)
    • 1649 – Chhatrasal, Indian ruler (d. 1731)
    • 1654 – Kangxi Emperor, Emperor of the Qing Dynasty
    • 1655 – Bartolomeo Cristofori, Italian instrument maker, invented the piano (d. 1731)
    • 1677 – Françoise-Marie de Bourbon, French noblewoman (d.1749)
    • 1715 – Richard Graves, English minister and author (d. 1804)
    • 1733 – Jean-Charles de Borda, French mathematician, physicist, and sailor (d. 1799)
    • 1752 – John Brooks, American soldier and politician, 11th Governor of Massachusetts (d. 1825)
    • 1757 – Manuel Tolsá, Spanish sculptor and first director of the Academy of San Carlos in Mexico City (d. 1816)
    • 1767 – Tyagaraja, Indian composer (d. 1847)
    • 1770 – François Gérard, French painter (d. 1837)
    • 1772 – Friedrich Arnold Brockhaus, German publisher (d. 1823)
    • 1796 – Horace Mann, American educator and politician (d. 1859)
    • 1796 – William Pennington, American lawyer and politician, 13th Governor of New Jersey, 23rd Speaker of the United States House of Representatives (d. 1862)
    • 1796 – William H. Prescott, American historian and scholar (d. 1859)
    • 1820 – Julia Gardiner Tyler, American wife of John Tyler, 11th First Lady of the United States (d. 1889)
    • 1820 – John Whiteaker, American soldier, judge, and politician, 1st Governor of Oregon (d. 1902)
    • 1822 – Charles Boucher de Boucherville, Canadian physician and politician, 3rd Premier of Quebec (d. 1915)
    • 1825 – Thomas Henry Huxley, English biologist, anatomist, and academic (d. 1895)
    • 1825 – Augustus Le Plongeon, English-American historian, photographer, and academic (d. 1908)
    • 1826 – Frederic Edwin Church, American painter (d. 1900)
    • 1827 – John Hanning Speke, English soldier and explorer (d. 1864)
    • 1851 – Thomas Dewing, American painter (d. 1938)
    • 1852 – Alice Liddell, English model (d. 1934)
    • 1855 – Greyfriars Bobby, faithful dog (d. 1872)
    • 1883 – Wang Jingwei, Chinese politician (d. 1944)
    • 1884 – Richard Baggallay, English army officer and cricketer (d. 1975)
    • 1887 – Andrew Dasburg, French-American painter (d. 1979)
    • 1889 – Francis Spellman, American cardinal (d. 1967)
    • 1890 – Franklin Carmichael, Canadian painter (d. 1945)
    • 1902 – Ronnie Aird, English cricketer and administrator (d. 1986)
    • 1902 – Cola Debrot, Dutch physician, lawyer, and politician (d. 1981)
    • 1903 – Luther Adler, American actor (d. 1984)
    • 1903 – Paul Demel, Czech actor (d. 1951)
    • 1905 – Al Dexter, American country singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 1984)
    • 1906 – Gustav Bergmann, Austrian-American philosopher from the Vienna Circle (d. 1987)
    • 1907 – Lincoln Kirstein, American soldier and playwright, co-founded the New York City Ballet (d. 1996)
    • 1907 – Walter Walsh, American target shooter and FBI agent (d. 2014)
    • 1908 – Wolrad Eberle, German decathlete (d. 1949)
    • 1911 – Evald Seepere, Estonian boxer (d. 1990)
    • 1913 – John Broome, American author (d. 1999)
    • 1913 – Princess Katherine of Greece and Denmark (d. 2007)
    • 1914 – Maedayama Eigorō, Japanese sumo wrestler, the 39th Yokozuna (d. 1971)
    • 1916 – Jane Jacobs, American-Canadian journalist, author, and activist (d. 2006)
    • 1916 – Richard Proenneke, American soldier, carpenter, and meteorologist (d. 2003)
    • 1917 – Edward T. Cone, American pianist and composer (d. 2004)
    • 1917 – Nick Joaquin, Filipino writer, journalist and historian (d. 2004)
    • 1918 – Tom Mead, Australian journalist and politician (d. 2004)
    • 1918 – Kakuei Tanaka, Japanese soldier and politician, 64th Prime Minister of Japan (d. 1993)
    • 1919 – Dory Funk, American wrestler and trainer (d. 1973)
    • 1919 – Basil Yamey, South African-English economist and academic
    • 1921 – Patsy Garrett, American actress and singer (d. 2015)
    • 1921 – John van Kesteren, Dutch-American tenor and actor (d. 2008)
    • 1921 – Edo Murtić, Croatian painter, sculptor, and illustrator (d. 2005)
    • 1922 – Paul-Émile Charbonneau, Canadian archbishop (d. 2014)
    • 1922 – Eugenie Clark, American biologist and academic (d. 2015)
    • 1923 – Stanley Biber, American soldier and physician (d. 2006)
    • 1923 – Ed Cassidy, American jazz and rock drummer (d. 2012)
    • 1923 – Assi Rahbani, Lebanese composer and producer (d. 1986)
    • 1923 – Eric Sykes, British actor and comedian (d. 2012)
    • 1923 – John Toner, American football player and coach (d. 2014)
    • 1925 – Jenő Buzánszky, Hungarian footballer and coach (d. 2015)
    • 1925 – Maurice R. Greenberg, American businessman and philanthropist
    • 1926 – David Stoddart, Baron Stoddart of Swindon, English politician
    • 1928 – Maynard Ferguson, Canadian trumpet player and bandleader (d. 2006)
    • 1928 – Thomas Kinsella, Irish poet, translator, and publisher
    • 1928 – Hosni Mubarak, Egyptian air marshal and politician, 4th President of Egypt (d. 2020)
    • 1928 – Betsy Rawls, American golfer
    • 1928 – Wolfgang von Trips, German race car driver (d. 1961)
    • 1929 – Manuel Contreras, Chilean general (d. 2015)
    • 1929 – Audrey Hepburn, Belgian-British actress and humanitarian (d. 1993)
    • 1930 – Katherine Jackson, matriarch of the Jackson family
    • 1930 – Roberta Peters, American soprano (d. 2017)
    • 1931 – Jan Pesman, Dutch speed skater (d. 2014)
    • 1931 – Gennady Rozhdestvensky, Russian conductor and educator (d. 2018)
    • 1931 – Thomas Stuttaford, English physician, journalist, and politician (d. 2018)
    • 1932 – Harlon Hill, American football player and coach (d. 2013)
    • 1932 – Alexander MacAra, Scottish epidemiologist and academic (d. 2012)
    • 1933 – J. Fred Duckett, American journalist and educator (d. 2007)
    • 1936 – El Cordobés, Spanish bullfighter
    • 1936 – Med Hondo, Mauritanian filmmaker and actor (d. 2019)
    • 1937 – Ron Carter, American bassist and educator
    • 1937 – Dick Dale, American surf-rock guitarist, singer, and songwriter (d. 2019)
    • 1937 – Wim Verstappen, Dutch director, producer, and screenwriter (d. 2004)
    • 1938 – Tyrone Davis, American blues and soul singer (d. 2005)
    • 1938 – Carlos Monsiváis, Mexican journalist, author, and critic (d. 2010)
    • 1938 – Gillian Tindall, English historian and author
    • 1939 – Neil Fox, English rugby league player and coach
    • 1939 – Amos Oz, Israeli journalist and author (d. 2018)
    • 1939 – Leon Rochefort, Canadian ice hockey player
    • 1940 – Robin Cook, American physician and author
    • 1940 – Peter Gregg, American race car driver and businessman (d. 1980)
    • 1941 – George Will, American journalist and author
    • 1942 – Nickolas Ashford, American singer-songwriter, pianist, and producer (d. 2011)
    • 1943 – Georgi Asparuhov, Bulgarian footballer (d. 1971)
    • 1943 – Mihail Chemiakin, Russian painter and sculptor
    • 1943 – Prasanta Pattanaik, Indian economist and academic
    • 1944 – Steve Liebmann, Australian radio and television host
    • 1944 – Russi Taylor, American voice actress (d. 2019)
    • 1945 – Jan Mulder, Dutch footballer and journalist
    • 1946 – John Barnard, English car designer
    • 1946 – Gary Bauer, American political activist
    • 1946 – John Watson, British race car driver
    • 1947 – John Bosley, Canadian businessman and politician, 31st Canadian Speaker of the House of Commons
    • 1947 – Ronald Sørensen, Dutch historian and politician
    • 1947 – Trivimi Velliste, Estonian politician, 17th Estonian Minister of Foreign Affairs
    • 1948 – Alison Britton, English sculptor and educator
    • 1948 – Hurley Haywood, American race car driver
    • 1948 – King George Tupou V of Tonga, (d. 2012)
    • 1949 – Graham Swift, English novelist and short story writer
    • 1950 – Darryl Hunt, English bass player
    • 1951 – Colin Bass, English bass player, songwriter, and producer
    • 1951 – Colleen Hanabusa, American lawyer and politician
    • 1951 – Jackie Jackson, American singer-songwriter and dancer
    • 1952 – Belinda Green, Australian beauty queen and 1972 Miss World
    • 1953 – Pia Zadora, American actress and singer
    • 1954 – Ryan Cayabyab, Filipino pianist, composer, and conductor
    • 1956 – Michael L. Gernhardt, American astronaut and engineer
    • 1956 – David Guterson, American novelist, short story writer, poet, and essayist
    • 1956 – Ken Oberkfell, American baseball player and coach
    • 1957 – Jaak Huimerind, Estonian architect
    • 1957 – Kathy Kreiner, Canadian skier
    • 1957 – Peter Sleep, Australian cricketer
    • 1957 – Marijke Vos, Dutch educator and politician
    • 1958 – Delbert Fowler, American football player
    • 1958 – Keith Haring, American painter (d. 1990)
    • 1958 – Jane Kennedy, English politician
    • 1958 – Caroline Spelman, English politician, Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
    • 1959 – Valdemaras Chomičius, Lithuanian basketball player and coach
    • 1959 – Randy Travis, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and actor
    • 1959 – Bob Tway, American golfer
    • 1960 – Werner Faymann, Austrian politician, 28th Chancellor of Austria
    • 1961 – Jay Aston, English singer-songwriter and dancer
    • 1964 – Silvia Costa, Cuban high jumper
    • 1966 – Gary Elkins, English footballer and manager
    • 1966 – Jane McGrath, English-Australian activist, co-founded the McGrath Foundation (d. 2008)
    • 1967 – Kate Garraway, English journalist
    • 1967 – Ana Gasteyer, American actress and singer
    • 1969 – Micah Aivazoff, Canadian ice hockey player
    • 1969 – Franz Resch, Austrian footballer and manager
    • 1970 – Gregg Alexander, American singer-songwriter and producer
    • 1970 – Will Arnett, Canadian actor and producer
    • 1970 – Giovanni Mirabassi, Italian jazz musician
    • 1970 – Dawn Staley, American basketball player
    • 1970 – Paul Wiseman, New Zealand cricketer and coach
    • 1971 – Joe Borowski, American baseball player and sportscaster
    • 1971 – Miles Stewart, Australian triathlete
    • 1972 – Manny Aybar, Dominican baseball player
    • 1972 – Mike Dirnt, American bass player and songwriter
    • 1973 – Matthew Barnaby, Canadian ice hockey player and sportscaster
    • 1973 – Guillermo Barros Schelotto, Argentinian footballer and coach
    • 1973 – John Madden, Canadian ice hockey player and coach
    • 1974 – Miguel Cairo, Venezuelan baseball player and coach
    • 1974 – Tony McCoy, Northern Irish jockey and sportscaster
    • 1976 – Ben Grieve, American baseball player
    • 1976 – Rory Hamill, Northern Irish international footballer
    • 1976 – Jason Michaels, American baseball player
    • 1976 – Indrek Visnapuu, Estonian basketball player and coach
    • 1977 – John Tripp, Canadian-German ice hockey player
    • 1978 – Erin Andrews, American sportscaster and journalist
    • 1978 – Igor Biscan, Croatian footballer
    • 1978 – Brett Burton, Australian footballer
    • 1978 – Vladimíra Uhlířová, Czech tennis player
    • 1979 – Lance Bass, American singer, dancer, and producer
    • 1979 – Kristin Harmel, American journalist and author
    • 1979 – Marie Poissonnier, French pole vaulter
    • 1979 – Lesley Vainikolo, Tongan rugby player
    • 1980 – Andrew Raycroft, Canadian ice hockey player
    • 1981 – Eric Djemba-Djemba, Cameroon footballer
    • 1981 – Dallon Weekes, American singer-songwriter and musician
    • 1982 – Kleopas Giannou, Greek footballer
    • 1982 – Markus Rogan, Austrian swimmer
    • 1982 – Giorgos Tsiaras, Greek basketball player
    • 1983 – Dan Christian, Australian cricketer
    • 1983 – Derek Roy, Canadian ice hockey player
    • 1983 – Robert Zwinkels, Dutch footballer
    • 1984 – Manjural Islam Rana, Bangladeshi cricketer (d. 2007)
    • 1984 – Brad Maddox, American wrestler and referee
    • 1984 – Sarah Meier, Swiss figure skater
    • 1984 – Montell Owens, American football player
    • 1984 – Kevin Slowey, American baseball player
    • 1985 – Ravi Bopara, English cricketer
    • 1985 – Anthony Fedorov, Ukrainian-born American singer and actor
    • 1985 – Fernandinho, Brazilian footballer
    • 1985 – Lester “Bo” McCalebb, American-Macedonian professional basketball player
    • 1985 – Jamie Adenuga, English MC and rapper
    • 1986 – Devan Dubnyk, Canadian ice hockey player
    • 1986 – George Hill, American basketball player
    • 1987 – Cesc Fàbregas, Spanish footballer
    • 1987 – Jorge Lorenzo, Spanish motorcycle racer
    • 1988 – Radja Nainggolan, Belgian footballer
    • 1989 – Dániel Gyurta, Hungarian swimmer
    • 1989 – Henna Lindholm, Finnish figure skater
    • 1989 – Rory McIlroy, Northern Irish golfer
    • 1989 – Aris Tatarounis, Greek basketball player
    • 1989 – James van Riemsdyk, American ice hockey player
    • 1990 – Irina Falconi, American tennis player
    • 1990 – Ryan Morgan, Australian rugby league player
    • 1990 – Duvashen Padayachee, Australian race car driver
    • 1990 – Andrea Torres, Filipino actress and model
    • 1991 – Brianne Jenner, Canadian women’s ice hockey player
    • 1992 – Victor Oladipo, American basketball player
    • 1993 – Jānis Bērziņš, Latvian basketball player
    • 1994 – Abi Masatora, Japanese sumo wrestler
    • 1994 – Joseph Tapine, New Zealand rugby league player
    • 1996 – Pelayo Roza, Spanish sprint canoeist

    Deaths on May 4

    • 408 – Venerius, archbishop of Milan
    • 784 – Arbeo, bishop of Freising
    • 1003 – Herman II, duke of Swabia
    • 1038 – Gotthard of Hildesheim, German bishop (b. 960)
    • 1406 – Coluccio Salutati, chancellor of Florence (b. 1331)
    • 1436 – Engelbrekt Engelbrektsson, Swedish rebel leader
    • 1471 – Edward of Westminster, Prince of Wales, son and heir of Henry VI of England (b. 1453)
    • 1471 – Edmund Beaufort, 4th Duke of Somerset (b. 1438)
    • 1483 – George Neville, Duke of Bedford (b. 1457)
    • 1506 – Husayn Mirza Bayqara, Timurid ruler of Herat (b. 1438)
    • 1519 – Lorenzo de’ Medici, duke of Urbino (b. 1492)
    • 1535 – John Houghton, Carthusian monk and saint
    • 1562 – Lelio Sozzini, Italian Protestant theologian (b. 1525)
    • 1566 – Luca Ghini, Italian physician and botanist (b. 1490)
    • 1571 – Pierre Viret, Swiss theologian and reformer (b. 1511)
    • 1604 – Claudio Merulo, Italian organist and composer (b. 1533)
    • 1605 – Ulisse Aldrovandi, Italian naturalist (b. 1522)
    • 1615 – Adriaan van Roomen, Flemish priest and mathematician (b. 1561)
    • 1626 – Arthur Lake, English bishop and scholar (b. 1569)
    • 1677 – Isaac Barrow, English mathematician and theologian (b. 1630)
    • 1684 – John Nevison, English criminal (b. 1639)
    • 1729 – Louis Antoine de Noailles, French cardinal (b. 1651)
    • 1734 – James Thornhill, English painter and politician (b. 1675)
    • 1737 – Eustace Budgell, English journalist and politician (b. 1686)
    • 1774 – Anthony Ulrich of Brunswick, Prussian nobleman (b. 1714)
    • 1776 – Jacques Saly, French painter and sculptor (b. 1717)
    • 1790 – Matthew Tilghman, American politician (b. 1718)
    • 1799 – Tipu, ruler of Mysore (b. 1750)
    • 1811 – Nikolay Kamensky, Russian general (b. 1776)
    • 1816 – Samuel Dexter, American lawyer and politician, 4th United States Secretary of War, 3rd United States Secretary of the Treasury (b. 1761)
    • 1824 – Joseph Joubert, French author (b. 1754)
    • 1826 – Sebastián Kindelán y O’Regan, colonial governor of East Florida, Santo Domingo and Cuba (b. 1757)
    • 1839 – Denis Davydov, Russian general and poet (b. 1784)
    • 1858 – Aimé Bonpland, French botanist and explorer (b. 1773)
    • 1859 – Joseph Diaz Gergonne, French mathematician and philosopher (b. 1771)
    • 1880 – Edward Clark, American lawyer and politician, 8th Governor of Texas (b. 1815)
    • 1901 – John Jones Ross, Canadian lawyer and politician, 7th Premier of Quebec (b. 1831)
    • 1903 – Gotse Delchev, Macedonian Bulgarian revolutionary IMRO (b. 1872)
    • 1912 – Nettie Stevens, American geneticist credited with discovering sex chromosomes (b. 1861)
    • 1916 – Ned Daly, Irish rebel commander (Easter Rising) (b. 1891)
    • 1916 – John Murray, Australian politician, 23rd Premier of Victoria (b. 1851)
    • 1916 – Joseph Plunkett, Irish rebel and writer (b. 1887)
    • 1916 – Willie Pearse, Irish rebel (b. 1891)
    • 1919 – Milan Rastislav Štefánik, Slovak general and politician (b. 1880)
    • 1922 – Viktor Kingissepp, Estonian politician (b. 1888)
    • 1923 – Ralph McKittrick, American golfer and tennis player (b. 1877)
    • 1924 – E. Nesbit, English author and poet (b. 1858)
    • 1938 – Kanō Jigorō, Japanese founder of judo (b. 1860)
    • 1938 – Carl von Ossietzky, German journalist and activist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1889)
    • 1941 – Chris McKivat, Australian rugby player and coach (b. 1880)
    • 1945 – Fedor von Bock, German field marshal (b. 1880)
    • 1953 – Alexandre Pharamond, French rugby player (b. 1876)
    • 1955 – George Enescu, Romanian pianist, composer, and conductor (b. 1881)
    • 1964 – Karl Robert Pusta, Estonian politician, 4th Estonian Minister of Foreign Affairs (b. 1883)
    • 1969 – Osbert Sitwell, English-Italian author and poet (b. 1892)
    • 1972 – Edward Calvin Kendall, American chemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1886)
    • 1973 – Jane Bowles, American author and playwright (b. 1917)
    • 1975 – Moe Howard, American actor, singer, and screenwriter (b. 1897)
    • 1976 – Frank Strahan, Australian public servant (b. 1886)
    • 1980 – Josip Broz Tito, Yugoslav field marshal and politician, 1st President of Yugoslavia (b. 1892)
    • 1981 – C. Loganathan, Sri Lankan banker (b. 1913)
    • 1983 – Nino Sanzogno, Italian conductor and composer (b. 1911)
    • 1984 – Diana Dors, English actress (b. 1931)
    • 1985 – Fikri Sönmez, Turkish tailor and politician (b. 1938)
    • 1985 – Clarence Wiseman, English-Canadian 10th General of The Salvation Army (b. 1907)
    • 1987 – Paul Butterfield, American singer and harmonica player (b. 1942)
    • 1987 – Cathryn Damon, American actress (b. 1930)
    • 1988 – Lillian Estelle Fisher, American historian of Spanish America (b. 1891)
    • 1990 – Emily Remler, American guitarist (b. 1957)
    • 1991 – Mohammed Abdel Wahab, Egyptian singer-songwriter and mandolin player (b. 1902)
    • 1992 – Gregor Mackenzie, Scottish politician (b. 1927)
    • 1993 – France Štiglic, Slovenian film director and screenwriter (b. 1919)
    • 1995 – Connie Wisniewski, American baseball player (b. 1922)
    • 2000 – Hendrik Casimir, Dutch physicist and academic (b. 1909)
    • 2001 – Bonnie Lee Bakley, American model, wife of Robert Blake (b. 1956)
    • 2004 – David Reimer, Canadian victim of a botched circumcision and transgender reassignment surgery (b. 1965)
    • 2005 – David Hackworth, American colonel and journalist (b. 1930)
    • 2008 – Fred Baur, American chemist and founder of Pringles (b. 1918)
    • 2009 – Dom DeLuise, American actor, director, and producer (b. 1933)
    • 2011 – Sammy McCrory, Northern Irish footballer (b. 1924)
    • 2012 – Mort Lindsey, American pianist, composer, and conductor (b. 1923)
    • 2012 – Bob Stewart, American television producer, founded Stewart Tele Enterprises (b. 1920)
    • 2012 – Adam Yauch, American rapper and director (b. 1964)
    • 2012 – Rashidi Yekini, Nigerian footballer (b. 1963)
    • 2013 – Otis R. Bowen, American physician and politician, 44th Governor of Indiana (b. 1918)
    • 2013 – Christian de Duve, English-Belgian cytologist and biochemist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1917)
    • 2013 – Javier Diez Canseco, Peruvian sociologist and politician (b. 1948)
    • 2013 – Mario Machado, Chinese-American journalist and actor (b. 1935)
    • 2013 – Morgan Morgan-Giles, English admiral and politician (b. 1914)
    • 2013 – César Portillo de la Luz, Cuban guitarist and composer (b. 1922)
    • 2014 – Dick Ayers, American author and illustrator (b. 1924)
    • 2014 – Elena Baltacha, Ukrainian-Scottish tennis player (b. 1983)
    • 2014 – Edgar Cortright, American scientist and engineer (b. 1923)
    • 2014 – Helga Königsdorf, German physicist and author (b. 1938)
    • 2014 – Ross Lonsberry, Canadian-American ice hockey player (b. 1947)
    • 2014 – Jean-Paul Ngoupandé, Central African politician, Prime Minister of the Central African Republic (b. 1948)
    • 2015 – William Bast, American screenwriter and author (b. 1931)
    • 2015 – Ellen Albertini Dow, American actress (b. 1913)
    • 2015 – Marv Hubbard, American football player (b. 1946)
    • 2016 – Jean-Baptiste Bagaza, Burundian politician (b. 1946)
    • 2020 – Don Shula, American football player and coach (b. 1930)
    • 2020 – Greg Zanis, American carpenter and activist (b. 1950)

    Holidays and observances on May 4

    • Anti-Bullying Day (United Nations)
    • Bird Day (United States)
    • Cassinga Day (Namibia)
    • Christian feast day:
      • Blessed Ceferino Giménez Malla
      • Blessed Michal Giedroyc
      • English Saints and Martyrs of the Reformation Era (Church of England)
      • F. C. D. Wyneken (Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod)
      • Florian
      • Gotthard of Hildesheim
      • José María Rubio
      • Judas Cyriacus
      • Monica of Hippo (1960 Roman Catholic Calendar)
      • Sacerdos of Limoges
      • Venerius of Milan
      • May 4 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
    • Dave Brubeck Day
    • Death of Milan Rastislav Štefánik Day (Slovakia)
    • Greenery Day (Japan)
    • International Firefighters’ Day
    • May Fourth Movement commemorations:
      • Literary Day (Republic of China)
      • Youth Day (China)
    • Remembrance Day for Martyrs and Disabled (Afghanistan)
    • Remembrance of the Dead (Netherlands)
    • Restoration of Independence day (Latvia)
    • Star Wars Day (International observance)
    • World Give Day
    • World Naked Gardening Day
    • Youth Day (Fiji)

  • May 3 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day

    • 752 – Mayan king Bird Jaguar IV of Yaxchilan in modern-day Chiapas, Mexico assumes the throne.
    • 1294 – John II becomes Duke of Brabant, Lothier and Limburg.
    • 1481 – The largest of three earthquakes strikes the island of Rhodes and causes an estimated 30,000 casualties.
    • 1491 – Kongo monarch Nkuwu Nzinga is baptized by Portuguese missionaries, adopting the baptismal name of João I.
    • 1616 – Treaty of Loudun ends French civil war.
    • 1715 – A total solar eclipse was visible across northern Europe, and northern Asia, as predicted by Edmond Halley to within 4 minutes accuracy.
    • 1791 – The Constitution of May 3 (the first modern constitution in Europe) is proclaimed by the Sejm of Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth.
    • 1802 – Washington, D.C. is incorporated as a city after Congress abolishes the Board of Commissioners, the District’s founding government. The “City of Washington” is given a mayor-council form of government.
    • 1808 – Finnish War: Sweden loses the fortress of Sveaborg to Russia.
    • 1808 – Peninsular War: The Madrid rebels who rose up on May 2 are executed near Príncipe Pío hill.
    • 1815 – Neapolitan War: Joachim Murat, King of Naples is defeated by the Austrians at the Battle of Tolentino, the decisive engagement of the war.
    • 1830 – The Canterbury and Whitstable Railway is opened; it is the first steam-hauled passenger railway to issue season tickets and include a tunnel.
    • 1837 – The University of Athens is founded in Athens, Greece.
    • 1848 – The boar-crested Anglo-Saxon Benty Grange helmet is discovered in a barrow on the Benty Grange farm in Derbyshire.
    • 1849 – The May Uprising in Dresden begins: The last of the German revolutions of 1848–49.
    • 1855 – American adventurer William Walker departs from San Francisco with about 60 men to conquer Nicaragua.
    • 1860 – Charles XV of Sweden–Norway is crowned king of Sweden.
    • 1867 – The Hudson’s Bay Company gives up all claims to Vancouver Island.
    • 1901 – The Great Fire of 1901 begins in Jacksonville, Florida.
    • 1913 – Raja Harishchandra, the first full-length Indian feature film, is released, marking the beginning of the Indian film industry.
    • 1920 – A Bolshevik coup fails in the Democratic Republic of Georgia.
    • 1921 – West Virginia becomes the first state to legislate a broad sales tax, but does not implement it until a number of years later due to enforcement issues.
    • 1921 – The Government of Ireland Act 1920 is passed, dividing Ireland into Northern Ireland and Southern Ireland.
    • 1928 – The Jinan incident begins with the deaths of twelve Japanese civilians by Chinese forces in Jinan, China, which leads to Japanese retaliation and the deaths of over 2,000 Chinese civilians in the following days.
    • 1939 – The All India Forward Bloc is formed by Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose.
    • 1942 – World War II: Japanese naval troops invade Tulagi Island in the Solomon Islands during the first part of Operation Mo that results in the Battle of the Coral Sea between Japanese forces and forces from the United States and Australia.
    • 1945 – World War II: Sinking of the prison ships Cap Arcona, Thielbek and Deutschland by the Royal Air Force in Lübeck Bay.
    • 1947 – New post-war Japanese constitution goes into effect.
    • 1948 – The U.S. Supreme Court rules in Shelley v. Kraemer that covenants prohibiting the sale of real estate to blacks and other minorities are legally unenforceable.
    • 1951 – London’s Royal Festival Hall opens with the Festival of Britain.
    • 1951 – The United States Senate Committee on Armed Services and United States Senate Committee on Foreign Relations begin their closed door hearings into the relief of Douglas MacArthur by U.S. President Harry Truman.
    • 1952 – Lieutenant Colonels Joseph O. Fletcher and William P. Benedict of the United States land a plane at the North Pole.
    • 1952 – The Kentucky Derby is televised nationally for the first time, on the CBS network.
    • 1957 – Walter O’Malley, the owner of the Brooklyn Dodgers, agrees to move the team from Brooklyn to Los Angeles.
    • 1960 – The Off-Broadway musical comedy The Fantasticks opens in New York City’s Greenwich Village, eventually becoming the longest-running musical of all time.
    • 1960 – The Anne Frank House museum opens in Amsterdam, Netherlands.
    • 1963 – The police force in Birmingham, Alabama switches tactics and responds with violent force to stop the “Birmingham campaign” protesters. Images of the violent suppression are transmitted worldwide, bringing new-found attention to the civil rights movement.
    • 1971 – Erich Honecker becomes First Secretary of the Socialist Unity Party of Germany, remaining in power until 1989
    • 1973 – The 108-story Sears Tower in Chicago is topped out at 1,451 feet as the world’s tallest building.
    • 1978 – The first unsolicited bulk commercial email (which would later become known as “spam”) is sent by a Digital Equipment Corporation marketing representative to every ARPANET address on the west coast of the United States.
    • 1986 – Twenty-one people are killed and forty-one are injured after a bomb explodes on Air Lanka Flight 512 at Colombo airport in Sri Lanka.
    • 1987 – A crash by Bobby Allison at the Talladega Superspeedway, Alabama fencing at the start-finish line would lead NASCAR to develop the restrictor plate for the following season both at Daytona International Speedway and Talladega.
    • 1999 – The southwestern portion of Oklahoma City is devastated by an F5 tornado, killing forty-five people, injuring 665, and causing $1 billion in damage. The tornado is one of 66 from the 1999 Oklahoma tornado outbreak. This tornado also produces the highest wind speed ever recorded, measured at 301 +/- 20 mph (484 +/- 32 km/h).
    • 1999 – Infiltration of Pakistani soldiers on Indian side resulted into the kargil war.
    • 2000 – The sport of geocaching begins, with the first cache placed and the coordinates from a GPS posted on Usenet.
    • 2001 – The United States loses its seat on the U.N. Human Rights Commission for the first time since the commission was formed in 1947.
    • 2002 – An Indian Air Force MiG-21 crashes into a bank in Jalandhar, killing eight and injuring 17.
    • 2007 – The 3-year-old British girl Madeleine McCann disappears in Praia da Luz, Portugal, starting “the most heavily reported missing-person case in modern history”.
    • 2015 – Two gunmen launch an attempted attack on an anti-Islam event in Garland, Texas, which was held in response to the Charlie Hebdo shooting.
    • 2016 – Eighty-eight thousand people were evacuated from their homes in Fort McMurray, Alberta, Canada as a wildfire ripped through the community, destroying approximately 2,400 homes and buildings.

    Births on May 3

    • 490 – K’an Joy Chitam I, ruler of Palenque (d. 565)
    • 612 – Constantine III, Byzantine emperor (d. 641)
    • 1238 – Emilia Bicchieri, Italian saint (d. 1314)
    • 1276 – Louis, Count of Évreux, son of King Philip III of France (d. 1319)
    • 1415 – Cecily Neville, Duchess of York (d. 1495)
    • 1428 – Pedro González de Mendoza, Spanish cardinal (d. 1495)
    • 1446 – Margaret of York (d. 1503)
    • 1461 – Raffaele Riario, Italian cardinal (d. 1521)
    • 1469 – Niccolò Machiavelli, Italian historian and philosopher (d. 1527)
    • 1479 – Henry V, Duke of Mecklenburg (d. 1552)
    • 1481 – Juana de la Cruz Vázquez Gutiérrez, Spanish abbess of the Franciscan Third Order Regular (d. 1534)
    • 1536 – Stephan Praetorius, German theologian (d. 1603)
    • 1632 – Catherine of St. Augustine, French-Canadian nurse and saint, founded the Hôtel-Dieu de Québec (d. 1668)
    • 1662 – Matthäus Daniel Pöppelmann, German architect, designed the Pillnitz Castle (d. 1736)
    • 1678 – Amaro Pargo, Spanish corsair (d. 1747)
    • 1695 – Henri Pitot, French physicist and engineer, invented the Pitot tube (d. 1771)
    • 1729 – Florian Leopold Gassmann, Czech composer (d. 1774)
    • 1761 – August von Kotzebue, German playwright and author (d. 1819)
    • 1764 – Princess Élisabeth of France (d. 1794)
    • 1768 – Charles Tennant, Scottish chemist and businessman (d. 1838)
    • 1783 – José de la Riva Agüero, Peruvian soldier and politician, 1st President of Peru and 2nd President of North Peru (d. 1858)
    • 1814 – Adams George Archibald, Canadian lawyer and politician, 4th Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia (d. 1892)
    • 1826 – Charles XV of Sweden (d. 1872)
    • 1844 – Richard D’Oyly Carte, English talent agent and composer (d. 1901)
    • 1849 – Jacob Riis, Danish-American journalist and photographer (d. 1914)
    • 1849 – Bernhard von Bülow, German soldier and politician, Chancellor of Germany (d. 1929)
    • 1854 – George Gore, American baseball player and manager (d. 1933)
    • 1859 – August Herrmann, American executive in Major League Baseball (d.1931)
    • 1860 – Vito Volterra, Italian mathematician and physicist (d. 1940)
    • 1867 – Andy Bowen, American boxer (d. 1894)
    • 1867 – J. T. Hearne, English cricketer (d. 1944)
    • 1870 – Princess Helena Victoria of Schleswig-Holstein (d. 1948)
    • 1871 – Emmett Dalton, American criminal (d. 1937)
    • 1873 – Pavlo Skoropadskyi, German-Ukrainian general and politician, Hetman of Ukraine (d. 1945)
    • 1874 – François Coty, French businessman and publisher, founded Coty, Inc. (d. 1934)
    • 1874 – Vagn Walfrid Ekman, Swedish oceanographer and academic (d. 1954)
    • 1877 – Karl Abraham, German psychoanalyst and author (d. 1925)
    • 1879 – Fergus McMaster, Australian businessman and soldier, co-founded Qantas (d. 1950)
    • 1886 – Marcel Dupré, French organist and composer (d. 1971)
    • 1887 – Marika Kotopouli, Greek actress (d. 1954)
    • 1889 – Beulah Bondi, American actress (d. 1981)
    • 1889 – Gottfried Fuchs, German-Canadian Olympic soccer player (d. 1972)
    • 1891 – Tadeusz Peiper, Polish poet and critic (d. 1969)
    • 1891 – Eppa Rixey, American baseball pitcher (d. 1963)
    • 1892 – George Paget Thomson, English physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1975)
    • 1892 – Jacob Viner, Canadian-American economist and academic (d. 1970)
    • 1893 – Konstantine Gamsakhurdia, Georgian author (d. 1975)
    • 1895 – Cornelius Van Til, Dutch philosopher, theologian, and apologist (d. 1987)
    • 1896 – Karl Allmenröder, German soldier and pilot (d. 1917)
    • 1896 – V. K. Krishna Menon, Indian lawyer, jurist, and politician, Indian Minister of Defence (d. 1974)
    • 1896 – Dodie Smith, English author and playwright (d. 1990)
    • 1897 – William Joseph Browne, Canadian lawyer and politician, 20th Solicitor General of Canada (d. 1989)
    • 1898 – Septima Poinsette Clark, American educator and activist (d. 1987)
    • 1898 – Golda Meir, Ukrainian-Israeli educator and politician, 4th Prime Minister of Israel (d. 1978)
    • 1902 – Alfred Kastler, German-French physicist and poet, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1984)
    • 1903 – Bing Crosby, American singer and actor (d. 1977)
    • 1905 – Edmund Black, American hammer thrower (d. 1996)
    • 1905 – Werner Fenchel, German-Danish mathematician and academic (d. 1988)
    • 1905 – Red Ruffing, American baseball pitcher and coach (d. 1986)
    • 1906 – Mary Astor, American actress (d. 1987)
    • 1906 – René Huyghe, French historian and author (d. 1997)
    • 1906 – Anna Roosevelt Halsted, American journalist and author (d. 1975)
    • 1906 – Enrique Laguerre, Puerto Rican journalist, author, and playwright (d. 2005)
    • 1910 – Norman Corwin, American screenwriter and producer (d. 2011)
    • 1912 – Virgil Fox, American organist and composer (d. 1980)
    • 1912 – May Sarton, American poet, novelist and memoirist (d. 1995)
    • 1913 – William Inge, American playwright and novelist (d. 1973)
    • 1914 – Georges-Emmanuel Clancier, French journalist, author, and poet (d. 2018)
    • 1915 – Stu Hart, Canadian wrestler and trainer, founded Stampede Wrestling (d. 2003)
    • 1915 – Richard Lippold, American sculptor and academic (d. 2002)
    • 1916 – Léopold Simoneau, Canadian tenor and actor (d. 2006)
    • 1917 – Betty Comden, American screenwriter and librettist (d. 2006)
    • 1917 – George Gaynes, Finnish-American actor (d. 2016)
    • 1918 – Ted Bates, English footballer and manager (d. 2003)
    • 1919 – John Cullen Murphy, American soldier and illustrator (d. 2004)
    • 1919 – Pete Seeger, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and activist (d. 2014)
    • 1920 – John Lewis, American pianist and composer (d. 2001)
    • 1921 – Sugar Ray Robinson, American boxer (d. 1989)
    • 1922 – Len Shackleton, English footballer and journalist (d. 2000)
    • 1923 – George Hadjinikos, Greek pianist, conductor, and educator (d. 2015)
    • 1923 – Ralph Hall, American lieutenant, lawyer, and politician (d. 2019)
    • 1924 – Yehuda Amichai, German-Israeli author and poet (d. 2000)
    • 1924 – Ken Tyrrell, English race car driver, founded Tyrrell Racing (d. 2001)
    • 1925 – Jean Séguy, French sociologist and author (d. 2007)
    • 1926 – Matt Baldwin, Canadian curler and engineer
    • 1928 – Dave Dudley, American singer-songwriter (d. 2003)
    • 1928 – Jacques-Louis Lions, French mathematician (d. 2001)
    • 1929 – Denise Lor, American singer and actress (d. 2015)
    • 1930 – Juan Gelman, Argentinian poet and author (d. 2014)
    • 1930 – David Harrison, English chemist and academic
    • 1931 – Vasily Rudenkov, Belarusian hammer thrower (d. 1982)
    • 1931 – Sait Maden, Turkish translator, poet, painter and graphic designer (d. 2013)
    • 1932 – Robert Osborne, American actor and historian (d. 2017)
    • 1933 – James Brown, American singer-songwriter, producer, and actor (d. 2006)
    • 1933 – Steven Weinberg, American physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate
    • 1934 – Henry Cooper, English boxer and sportscaster (d. 2011)
    • 1934 – Georges Moustaki, Egyptian-French singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 2013)
    • 1934 – Frankie Valli, American singer and actor
    • 1935 – Ron Popeil, American businessman, founded the Ronco Company
    • 1937 – Nélida Piñon, Brazilian author and academic
    • 1938 – Omar Abdel-Rahman, Egyptian terrorist
    • 1938 – Chris Cannizzaro, American baseball player
    • 1938 – Napoleon XIV, American singer, songwriter and record producer
    • 1939 – Jonathan Harvey, English composer and educator (d. 2012)
    • 1940 – David Koch, American engineer, businessman, and philanthropist (d. 2019)
    • 1940 – Clemens Westerhof, Dutch footballer and manager
    • 1941 – Alexander Harley, English general
    • 1941 – Edward Malloy, American priest and academic
    • 1942 – Věra Čáslavská, Czech gymnast and coach (d. 2016)
    • 1942 – Dave Marash, American journalist and sportscaster
    • 1942 – Butch Otter, American soldier and politician, 32nd Governor of Idaho
    • 1943 – Yukio Hashi, Japanese singer and actor
    • 1943 – Jim Risch, American lawyer and politician, 31st Governor of Idaho
    • 1943 – Vicente Saldivar, Mexican boxer (d. 1985)
    • 1944 – Peter Doyle, English bishop
    • 1944 – Pete Staples, English bass player
    • 1945 – Jörg Drehmel, German triple jumper and coach
    • 1945 – Davey Lopes, American baseball player, coach, and manager
    • 1946 – Norm Chow, American football player and coach
    • 1946 – Silvino Francisco, South African snooker player
    • 1946 – Greg Gumbel, American sportscaster
    • 1947 – Doug Henning, Canadian magician (d. 2000)
    • 1948 – Denis Cosgrove, British-American academic and geographer (d. 2008)
    • 1948 – Chris Mulkey, American actor
    • 1949 – Liam Donaldson, English physician and academic
    • 1949 – Ruth Lister, Baroness Lister of Burtersett, English academic and politician
    • 1949 – Ron Wyden, American academic and politician
    • 1950 – Mary Hopkin, Welsh singer-songwriter
    • 1950 – Dag Arnesen, Norwegian pianist and composer
    • 1951 – Alan Clayson, English singer-songwriter and journalist
    • 1951 – Christopher Cross, American singer-songwriter and producer
    • 1951 – Ashok Gehlot, Indian politician, 21st Chief Minister of Rajasthan
    • 1951 – Tatyana Tolstaya, Russian author and publicist
    • 1952 – Chuck Baldwin, American pastor and politician
    • 1952 – Caitlin Clarke, American actress (d. 2004)
    • 1952 – Joseph W. Tobin, American cardinal
    • 1953 – Bruce Hall, American singer-songwriter, bass player, and producer
    • 1953 – Jake Hooker, Israeli-American guitarist and songwriter (d. 2014)
    • 1954 – Angela Bofill, American singer-songwriter
    • 1954 – Jean-Marc Roberts, French author and screenwriter (d. 2013)
    • 1955 – Stephen D. M. Brown, British geneticist
    • 1955 – Colin Deans, Scottish rugby player
    • 1955 – David Hookes, Australian cricketer, coach, and sportscaster (d. 2004)
    • 1955 – Seishirō Nishida, Japanese actor
    • 1956 – Marc Bellemare, Canadian lawyer and politician
    • 1957 – Alain Côté, Canadian ice hockey player
    • 1957 – Rod Langway, Taiwanese-American ice hockey player and coach
    • 1958 – Bill Sienkiewicz, American author and illustrator
    • 1958 – Sandi Toksvig, Danish-English comedian, writer, and broadcaster
    • 1959 – David Ball, English keyboard player and producer
    • 1959 – Uma Bharti, Indian activist and politician, 16th Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh
    • 1959 – Ben Elton, English actor, director, and screenwriter
    • 1960 – Kathy Smallwood-Cook, English sprinter and educator
    • 1961 – Steve McClaren, English footballer and manager
    • 1961 – David Vitter, American lawyer and politician
    • 1961 – Leyla Zana, Kurdish activist and politician
    • 1962 – Anders Graneheim, Swedish bodybuilder
    • 1963 – Jeff Hornacek, American basketball player and coach
    • 1963 – Mona Siddiqui, Pakistani-Scottish journalist and academic
    • 1964 – Sterling Campbell, American drummer and songwriter
    • 1964 – Ron Hextall, Canadian-American ice hockey player and manager
    • 1965 – Ignatius Aphrem II, Syrian patriarch
    • 1965 – Mark Cousins, Northern Irish director, writer, cinematographer
    • 1965 – John Jensen, Danish footballer and coach
    • 1965 – Mikhail Prokhorov, Russian businessman
    • 1966 – Giorgos Agorogiannis, Greek footballer
    • 1966 – Frank Dietrich, German politician (d. 2011)
    • 1967 – Daniel Anderson, Australian rugby league coach and manager
    • 1967 – Kenneth Joel Hotz, Canadian producer, writer, director, actor, and comedian
    • 1968 – Viliami Ofahengaue, Tongan-Australian rugby player
    • 1971 – Douglas Carswell, British politician, the first elected MP for the UK Independence Party
    • 1972 – Stephen Barclay, English lawyer and politician
    • 1973 – Jamie Baulch, Welsh sprinter and television host
    • 1975 – Willie Geist, American television journalist and host
    • 1976 – Jeff Halpern, American ice hockey player
    • 1976 – Brad Scott, Australian footballer and coach
    • 1976 – Chris Scott, Australian footballer and coach
    • 1977 – Eric Church, American country music singer-songwriter
    • 1977 – Ryan Dempster, Canadian baseball player and sportscaster
    • 1977 – Tyronn Lue, American basketball player and coach
    • 1977 – Maryam Mirzakhani, Iranian mathematician (d. 2017)
    • 1977 – Ben Olsen, American soccer player and coach
    • 1978 – Christian Annan, Ghanaian-Hong Kong footballer
    • 1978 – Paul Banks, English-American singer-songwriter and guitarist
    • 1978 – Dai Tamesue, Japanese hurdler
    • 1978 – Lawrence Tynes, American football player
    • 1979 – Steve Mack, American wrestler
    • 1979 – Anastasiya Shvedova, Belarusian pole vaulter
    • 1980 – Zuzana Ondrášková, Czech tennis player
    • 1982 – Igor Olshansky, Ukrainian-American football player
    • 1982 – Nick Stavinoha, American baseball player
    • 1983 – Joseph Addai, American football player
    • 1983 – Romeo Castelen, Dutch footballer
    • 1983 – Jérôme Clavier, French pole vaulter
    • 1983 – Márton Fülöp, Hungarian footballer (d. 2015)
    • 1985 – Ezequiel Lavezzi, Argentinian footballer
    • 1985 – Kadri Lehtla, Estonian biathlete
    • 1985 – Miko Mälberg, Estonian swimmer
    • 1986 – Moon Byung-woo, South Korean footballer
    • 1987 – Lina Grinčikaitė, Lithuanian sprinter
    • 1988 – Ben Revere, American baseball player
    • 1988 – Paddy Holohan, Irish mixed martial artist
    • 1989 – Jesse Bromwich, New Zealand rugby league player
    • 1989 – Katinka Hosszú, Hungarian swimmer
    • 1990 – Brooks Koepka, American golfer
    • 1991 – Samuel Seo, South Korean musician
    • 1992 – Aaron Whitchurch, Australian rugby league player
    • 1995 – Ivan Bukavshin, Russian chess player (d. 2016)
    • 1996 – Mary Cain, American runner
    • 1996 – Alex Iwobi, Nigerian football player
    • 1996 – Domantas Sabonis, Lithuanian basketball player
    • 1997 – Desiigner, American rapper
    • 1997 – Dwayne Haskins, American football player
    • 1997 – Ivana Jorović, Serbian tennis player

    Deaths on May 3

    • 678 – Tōchi, Japanese princess
    • 738 – Uaxaclajuun Ub’aah K’awiil, Mayan ruler (ajaw)
    • 1152 – Matilda of Boulogne (b. 1105)
    • 1270 – Béla IV of Hungary (b. 1206)
    • 1294 – John I, Duke of Brabant (b. 1252)
    • 1330 – Alexios II Megas Komnenos, Emperor of Trebizond (b. 1282)
    • 1410 – Antipope Alexander V
    • 1481 – Mehmed the Conqueror, Ottoman sultan (b. 1432)
    • 1501 – John Devereux, 8th Baron Ferrers of Chartley, English Baron (b. 1463)
    • 1524 – Richard Grey, 3rd Earl of Kent, English peer (b. 1481)
    • 1534 – Juana de la Cruz Vazquez Gutierrez, Spanish Roman Catholic nun and venerable (b. 1481)
    • 1589 – Julius, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg (b. 1528)
    • 1606 – Henry Garnet, English priest and author (b. 1555)
    • 1621 – Elizabeth Bacon, English Tudor gentlewoman (b. 1541)
    • 1679 – James Sharp, Scottish archbishop (b. 1613)
    • 1693 – Claude de Rouvroy, duc de Saint-Simon, French courtier (b. 1607)
    • 1704 – Heinrich Ignaz Franz Biber, Czech-Austrian violinist and composer (b. 1644)
    • 1724 – John Leverett the Younger, American lawyer, academic, and politician (b. 1662)
    • 1750 – John Willison, Scottish minister and author (b. 1680)
    • 1752 – Samuel Ogle, English-American captain and politician, 5th Governor of Restored Proprietary Government (b. 1692)
    • 1758 – Pope Benedict XIV (b. 1675)
    • 1763 – George Psalmanazar, French-English author (b. 1679)
    • 1764 – Francesco Algarotti, Italian philosopher, poet, and critic (b. 1712)
    • 1779 – John Winthrop, American mathematician, physicist, and astronomer (b. 1714)
    • 1793 – Martin Gerbert, German historian and theologian (b. 1720)
    • 1839 – Ferdinando Paer, Italian composer (b. 1771)
    • 1856 – Adolphe Adam, French composer and critic (b. 1803)
    • 1856 – Louis-Étienne Saint-Denis, Arab-French servant to Napoleon I (b. 1788)
    • 1882 – Leonidas Smolents, Austrian–Greek general and army minister (b. 1806)
    • 1910 – Howard Taylor Ricketts, American pathologist (b. 1871)
    • 1916 – Tom Clarke, Irish rebel (b. 1858)
    • 1916 – Thomas MacDonagh, Irish poet and rebel (b. 1878)
    • 1916 – Patrick Pearse, Irish teacher and rebel leader (b. 1879)
    • 1918 – Charlie Soong, Chinese businessman and missionary (b. 1863)
    • 1919 – Elizabeth Almira Allen, American educator (b. 1854)
    • 1921 – Théodore Pilette, Belgian race car driver (b. 1883)
    • 1925 – Clément Ader, French engineer, designed the Ader Avion III (b. 1841)
    • 1932 – Charles Fort, American journalist and author (b. 1874)
    • 1935 – Jessie Willcox Smith, American illustrator (b. 1863)
    • 1939 – Madeleine Desroseaux, French author and poet (b. 1873)
    • 1942 – Thorvald Stauning, Danish politician, 24th Prime Minister of Denmark (b. 1873)
    • 1943 – Harry Miller, American engineer (b. 1875)
    • 1948 – Ernst Tandefelt, Finnish assassin of Heikki Ritavuori (b. 1876)
    • 1949 – Fanny Walden, English footballer and cricketer (b. 1888)
    • 1958 – Frank Foster, English cricketer (b. 1889)
    • 1969 – Zakir Husain, Indian academic and politician, 3rd President of India (b. 1897)
    • 1970 – Cemil Gürgen Erlertürk, Turkish footballer, coach, and pilot (b. 1918)
    • 1972 – Kenneth Bailey, Australian lawyer and diplomat, Australian High Commissioner to Canada (b. 1898)
    • 1972 – Emil Breitkreutz, American runner and coach (b. 1883)
    • 1972 – Bruce Cabot, American actor (b. 1904)
    • 1978 – Bill Downs, American journalist (b. 1914)
    • 1981 – Nargis, Indian actress (b. 1929)
    • 1986 – Robert Alda, American actor (b. 1914)
    • 1987 – Dalida, Italian singer, actress, dancer, and model (b. 1933)
    • 1988 – Lev Pontryagin, Russian mathematician and academic (b. 1908)
    • 1989 – Christine Jorgensen, American trans woman (b. 1926)
    • 1991 – Jerzy Kosiński, Polish-American novelist and screenwriter (b. 1933)
    • 1992 – George Murphy, American actor, dancer, and politician (b. 1902)
    • 1996 – Dimitri Fampas, Greek guitarist, composer, and educator (b. 1921)
    • 1996 – Alex Kellner, American baseball player (b. 1924)
    • 1996 – Jack Weston, American actor (b. 1924)
    • 1997 – Sébastien Enjolras, French race car driver (b. 1976)
    • 1997 – Narciso Yepes, Spanish guitarist and composer (b. 1927)
    • 1998 – Gene Raymond, American actor (b. 1908)
    • 1999 – Joe Adcock, American baseball player and manager (b. 1927)
    • 1999 – Steve Chiasson, Canadian-American ice hockey player (b. 1967)
    • 1999 – Godfrey Evans, English cricketer (b. 1920)
    • 2000 – Júlia Báthory, Hungarian glass designer (b. 1901)
    • 2000 – John Joseph O’Connor, American cardinal (b. 1920)
    • 2002 – Barbara Castle, Baroness Castle of Blackburn, English politician, First Secretary of State (b. 1910)
    • 2002 – Yevgeny Svetlanov, Russian pianist, composer, and conductor (b. 1928)
    • 2003 – Suzy Parker, American model and actress (b. 1932)
    • 2004 – Ken Downing, English race car driver (b. 1917)
    • 2004 – Darrell Johnson, American baseball player, coach, and manager (b. 1928)
    • 2006 – Karel Appel, Dutch painter, sculptor, and poet (b. 1921)
    • 2006 – Pramod Mahajan, Indian politician (b. 1949)
    • 2006 – Earl Woods, American colonel, baseball player, and author (b. 1932)
    • 2007 – Warja Honegger-Lavater, Swiss illustrator (b. 1913)
    • 2007 – Wally Schirra, American captain, pilot, and astronaut (b. 1923)
    • 2007 – Knock Yokoyama, Japanese politician (b. 1932)
    • 2008 – Leopoldo Calvo-Sotelo, Spanish engineer and politician, Prime Minister of Spain (b. 1926)
    • 2009 – Renée Morisset, Canadian pianist (b. 1928)
    • 2009 – Ram Balkrushna Shewalkar, Indian author and critic (b. 1931)
    • 2010 – Roy Carrier, American accordion player (b. 1947)
    • 2010 – Peter O’Donnell, English soldier and author (b. 1920)
    • 2010 – Guenter Wendt, German-American engineer (b. 1923)
    • 2011 – Jackie Cooper, American actor, television director, producer and executive (b. 1922)
    • 2011 – Sergo Kotrikadze, Georgian footballer and manager (b. 1936)
    • 2011 – Thanasis Veggos, Greek actor and director (b. 1927)
    • 2012 – Jorge Illueca, Panamanian politician, 30th President of Panama (b. 1918)
    • 2012 – Felix Werder, German-Australian composer, conductor, and critic (b. 1922)
    • 2013 – Joe Astroth, American baseball player (b. 1922)
    • 2013 – Herbert Blau, American engineer and academic (b. 1926)
    • 2013 – Cedric Brooks, Jamaican-American saxophonist and flute player (b. 1943)
    • 2013 – Keith Carter, American swimmer and soldier (b. 1924)
    • 2013 – Brad Drewett, Australian tennis player and sportscaster (b. 1958)
    • 2013 – David Morris Kern, American pharmacist, co-invented Orajel (b. 1909)
    • 2013 – Curtis Rouse, American football player (b. 1960)
    • 2013 – Branko Vukelić, Croatian politician, 11th Minister of Defence for Croatia (b. 1958)
    • 2014 – Gary Becker, American economist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1930)
    • 2014 – Francisco Icaza, Mexican painter (b. 1930)
    • 2014 – Jim Oberstar, American educator and politician (b. 1934)
    • 2015 – Revaz Chkheidze, Georgian director and screenwriter (b. 1926)
    • 2015 – Danny Jones, Welsh rugby player (b. 1986)
    • 2015 – Warren Smith, American golfer and coach (b. 1915)
    • 2016 – Ian Deans, Canadian politician (b. 1937)
    • 2016 – Jadranka Stojaković, Yugoslav singer-songwriter (b. 1950)
    • 2017 – Daliah Lavi, Israeli actress, singer and model (b. 1942)

    Holidays and observances on May 3

    • Christian feast day:
      • Abhai (Syriac Orthodox Church)
      • Antonia and Alexander
      • Juvenal of Narni
      • Moura (Coptic Church)
      • Philip and James the Lesser
      • Pope Alexander I
      • Sarah the Martyr (Coptic Church)
      • The Most Holy Virgin Mary, Queen of Poland
      • Theodosius of Kiev (Eastern Orthodox Church)
      • May 3 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
    • Constitution Memorial Day (Japan)
    • Constitution Day (Poland)
    • Finding of the Holy Cross-related observances:
      • Fiesta de las Cruces (Spain and Hispanic America)
      • Roodmas, or Feast of the Finding of the Holy Cross (Gallican Rite of the Catholic Church)
    • Sun Day (International)
    • World Press Freedom Day