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May 31- History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day

On This Day, Uncategorized / admin

455 – Emperor Petronius Maximus is stoned to death by an angry mob while fleeing Rome.
1223 – Mongol invasion of the Cumans: Battle of the Kalka River: Mongol armies of Genghis Khan led by Subutai defeat Kievan Rus’ and Cumans.
1293 – Mongol invasion of Java was a punitive expedition against King Kertanegara of Singhasari, who had refused to pay tribute to the Yuan and maimed one of its ministers. However, it ended with failure for the Mongols. Regarded as establish City of Surabaya
1578 – King Henry III lays the first stone of the Pont Neuf (New Bridge), the oldest bridge of Paris, France.
1669 – Citing poor eyesight as a reason, Samuel Pepys records the last event in his diary.
1775 – American Revolution: The Mecklenburg Resolves are adopted in the Province of North Carolina.
1790 – Manuel Quimper explores the Strait of Juan de Fuca.
1790 – The United States enacts its first copyright statute, the Copyright Act of 1790.
1795 – French Revolution: The Revolutionary Tribunal is suppressed.
1805 – French and Spanish forces begin the assault against British forces occupying Diamond Rock.
1813 – In Australia, William Lawson, Gregory Blaxland and William Wentworth reach Mount Blaxland, effectively marking the end of a route across the Blue Mountains.
1859 – The clock tower at the Houses of Parliament, which houses Big Ben, starts keeping time.
1862 – American Civil War: Peninsula Campaign: Confederate forces under Joseph E. Johnston and G.W. Smith engage Union forces under George B. McClellan outside Richmond, Virginia.
1864 – American Civil War: Overland Campaign: Battle of Cold Harbor: The Army of Northern Virginia engages the Army of the Potomac.
1879 – Gilmore’s Garden in New York City is renamed Madison Square Garden by William Henry Vanderbilt and is opened to the public at 26th Street and Madison Avenue.
1884 – The arrival at Plymouth of Tāwhiao, King of Maoris, to claim the protection of Queen Victoria.
1889 – Johnstown Flood: Over 2,200 people die after a dam fails and sends a 60-foot (18-meter) wall of water over the town of Johnstown, Pennsylvania.
1902 – Second Boer War: The Treaty of Vereeniging ends the war and ensures British control of South Africa.
1909 – The National Negro Committee, forerunner to the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), convenes for the first time.
1910 – The South Africa Act comes into force, establishing the Union of South Africa.
1911 – The RMS Titanic is launched in Belfast, Northern Ireland.
1911 – The President of Mexico Porfirio Díaz flees the country during the Mexican Revolution.
1916 – World War I: Battle of Jutland: The British Grand Fleet engages the High Seas Fleet in the largest naval battle of the war, which proves indecisive.
1921 – The Tulsa race massacre kills at least 39, but other estimates of black fatalities vary from 55 to about 300.
1935 – A 7.7 M_w  earthquake destroys Quetta in modern-day Pakistan killing 40,000.
1941 – Anglo-Iraqi War: The United Kingdom completes the re-occupation of Iraq and returns ‘Abd al-Ilah to power as regent for Faisal II.
1942 – World War II: Imperial Japanese Navy midget submarines begin a series of attacks on Sydney, Australia.
1947 – Ferenc Nagy, the democratically elected Prime Minister of Hungary, resigns from office after blackmail from the Hungarian Communist Party accusing him of being part of a plot against the state. This grants the Communists effective control of the Hungarian government.
1961 – The South African Constitution of 1961 becomes effective, thus creating the Republic of South Africa, which remains outside the Commonwealth of Nations until 1 June 1994, when South Africa is returned to Commonwealth membership.
1961 – In Moscow City Court, the Rokotov–Faibishenko show trial begins, despite the Khrushchev Thaw to reverse Stalinist elements in Soviet society.
1962 – The West Indies Federation dissolves.
1970 – The 7.9 M_w  Ancash earthquake shakes Peru with a maximum Mercalli intensity of VIII (Severe) and a landslide buries the town of Yungay, Peru. Between 66,794–70,000 were killed and 50,000 were injured.
1971 – In accordance with the Uniform Monday Holiday Act passed by the U.S. Congress in 1968, observation of Memorial Day occurs on the last Monday in May for the first time, rather than on the traditional Memorial Day of May 30.
1973 – The United States Senate votes to cut off funding for the bombing of Khmer Rouge targets within Cambodia, hastening the end of the Cambodian Civil War.
1977 – The Trans-Alaska Pipeline System is completed.
1985 – United States–Canada tornado outbreak: Forty-one tornadoes hit Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, and Ontario, leaving 76 dead.
1991 – Bicesse Accords in Angola lay out a transition to multi-party democracy under the supervision of the United Nations’ UNAVEM II mission.
2005 – Vanity Fair reveals that Mark Felt was “Deep Throat”.
2008 – Usain Bolt breaks the world record in the 100m sprint, with a wind-legal (+1.7 m/s) 9.72 seconds
2010 – Israeli Shayetet 13 commandos boarded the Gaza Freedom Flotilla while still in international waters trying to break the ongoing blockade of the Gaza Strip; nine Turkish citizens on the flotilla were killed in the ensuing violent affray.
2013 – The asteroid 1998 QE2 and its moon make their closest approach to Earth for the next two centuries.
2013 – A record breaking 2.6 mile wide tornado strikes El Reno, Oklahoma, United States, causing eight fatalities and over 150 injuries.
2017 – A car bomb explodes in a crowded intersection in Kabul near the German embassy during rush hour, killing over 90 and injuring 463.
2017 – U.S. President Donald Trump tweets the word “covfefe” and quickly becomes a worldwide viral phenomenon.
2019 – A shooting occurs inside a municipal building at Virginia Beach, Virginia, leaving 13 people dead, including the shooter, and four others injured.

Births on May 31

1443 (or 1441) – Margaret Beaufort, Countess of Richmond and Derby (d. 1509)
1462 – Philipp II, Count of Hanau-Lichtenberg (d. 1504)
1469 – Manuel I of Portugal (d. 1521)
1535 – Alessandro Allori, Italian painter (d. 1607)
1556 – Jerzy Radziwiłł, Catholic cardinal (d. 1600)
1577 – Nur Jahan, Empress consort of the Mughal Empire (d. 1645)
1613 – John George II, Elector of Saxony (d. 1680)
1640 – Michał Korybut Wiśniowiecki, King of Poland (d. 1673)
1641 – Patriarch Dositheos II of Jerusalem (d. 1707)
1725 – Ahilyabai Holkar, Queen of the Malwa Kingdom under the Maratha Empire (d. 1795)
1732 – Count Hieronymus von Colloredo, Austrian archbishop (d. 1812)
1753 – Pierre Victurnien Vergniaud, French lawyer and politician (d. 1793)
1754 – Andrea Appiani, Italian painter and educator (d. 1817)
1773 – Ludwig Tieck, German poet, author, and critic (d. 1853)
1801 – Johann Georg Baiter, Swiss philologist and scholar (d. 1887)
1815 – Adye Douglas, English-Australian cricketer and politician, 15th Premier of Tasmania (d. 1906)
1818 – John Albion Andrew, American lawyer and politician, 25th Governor of Massachusetts (d. 1867)
1819 – Walt Whitman, American poet, essayist, and journalist (d. 1892)
1827 – Kusumoto Ine, first Japanese female doctor of Western medicine (d. 1903)
1835 – Hijikata Toshizō, Japanese commander (d. 1869)
1838 – Henry Sidgwick, English economist and philosopher (d. 1900)
1842 – John Cox Bray, Australian politician, 15th Premier of South Australia (d. 1894)
1847 – William Pirrie, 1st Viscount Pirrie, Canadian-Irish businessman and politician, Lord Mayor of Belfast (d. 1924)
1852 – Francisco Moreno, Argentinian explorer and academic (d. 1919)
1852 – Julius Richard Petri, German microbiologist, invented the Petri dish (d. 1921)
1857 – Pope Pius XI (d. 1939)
1858 – Graham Wallas, English socialist, social psychologist, and educationalist (d. 1932)
1860 – Walter Sickert, English painter (d. 1942)
1863 – Francis Younghusband, Indian-English captain and explorer (d. 1942)
1866 – John Ringling, American entrepreneur; one of the founders of the Ringling Brothers Circus (d. 1936)
1875 – Rosa May Billinghurst, British suffragette and women’s rights activist (d.1953)
1879 – Frances Alda, New Zealand-Australian soprano (d. 1952)
1882 – Sándor Festetics, Hungarian politician, Hungarian Minister of War (d. 1956)
1883 – Lauri Kristian Relander, Finnish politician, 2nd President of Finland (d. 1942)
1885 – Robert Richards, Australian politician, 32nd Premier of South Australia (d. 1967)
1887 – Saint-John Perse, French poet and diplomat, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1975)
1892 – Michel Kikoine, Belarusian-French painter (d. 1968)
1892 – Erich Neumann, German lieutenant and politician (d. 1951)
1892 – Konstantin Paustovsky, Russian poet and author (d. 1968)
1892 – Gregor Strasser, German lieutenant and politician (d. 1934)
1894 – Fred Allen, American comedian, radio host, game show panelist, and author (d. 1956)
1898 – Norman Vincent Peale, American minister and author (d. 1993)
1900 – Lucile Godbold, American Olympic athlete (d. 1981)
1901 – Alfredo Antonini, Italian-American conductor and composer (d. 1983)
1908 – Don Ameche, American actor (d. 1993)
1909 – Art Coulter, Canadian-American ice hockey player (d. 2000)
1911 – Maurice Allais, French economist and physicist, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 2010)
1912 – Chien-Shiung Wu, Chinese-American experimental physicist (d. 1997)
1914 – Akira Ifukube, Japanese composer and educator (d. 2006)
1916 – Bert Haanstra, Dutch director, producer, and screenwriter (d. 1997)
1918 – Robert Osterloh, American actor (d. 2001)
1918 – Lloyd Quarterman, African American chemist (d. 1982)
1919 – Robie Macauley, American editor, novelist and critic (d. 1995)
1921 – Edna Doré, English actress (d. 2014)
1921 – Andrew Grima, Anglo-Italian jewellery designer (d. 2007)
1921 – Howard Reig, American radio and television announcer (d. 2008)
1921 – Alida Valli, Austrian-Italian actress and singer (d. 2006)
1922 – Denholm Elliott, English-Spanish actor (d. 1992)
1923 – Ellsworth Kelly, American painter and sculptor (d. 2015)
1923 – Rainier III, Prince of Monaco (d. 2005)
1925 – Julian Beck, American actor and director (d. 1986)
1927 – James Eberle, English admiral (d. 2018)
1927 – Michael Sandberg, Baron Sandberg, English lieutenant and banker (d. 2017)
1928 – Pankaj Roy, Indian cricketer (d. 2001)
1929 – Menahem Golan, Israeli director and producer (d. 2014)
1930 – Clint Eastwood, American actor, director, musician, and producer
1931 – John Robert Schrieffer, American physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 2019)
1931 – Shirley Verrett, American soprano and actress (d. 2010)
1932 – Ed Lincoln, Brazilian pianist, bassist, and composer (d. 2012)
1932 – Jay Miner, American computer scientist and engineer (d. 1994)
1933 – Henry B. Eyring, American religious leader, educator, and author
1934 – Jim Hutton, American actor (d. 1979)
1935 – Jim Bolger, New Zealand businessman and politician, 35th Prime Minister of New Zealand
1938 – Johnny Paycheck, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 2003)
1938 – John Prescott, British sailor and politician, Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
1938 – Peter Yarrow, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer
1939 – Terry Waite, English humanitarian and author
1940 – Anatoliy Bondarchuk, Ukrainian hammer thrower and coach
1940 – Augie Meyers, American musician and singer-songwriter
1940 – Gilbert Shelton, American illustrator
1941 – June Clark, Welsh nurse and educator
1941 – Louis Ignarro, American pharmacologist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate
1941 – William Nordhaus, American economist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate
1943 – Sharon Gless, American actress
1943 – Joe Namath, American football player, sportscaster, and actor
1945 – Rainer Werner Fassbinder, German actor, director, and screenwriter (d. 1982)
1945 – Laurent Gbagbo, Ivorian academic and politician, 4th President of Côte d’Ivoire
1945 – Bernard Goldberg, American journalist and author
1946 – Ted Baehr, American publisher and critic
1946 – Steve Bucknor, Jamaican cricketer and umpire
1946 – Krista Kilvet, Estonian journalist, politician, and diplomat (d. 2009)
1946 – Debbie Moore, English model and businesswoman
1947 – Junior Campbell, Scottish singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer
1947 – Gabriele Hinzmann, German discus thrower
1948 – Svetlana Alexievich, Belarusian journalist and author, Nobel Prize laureate
1948 – John Bonham, English musician, songwriter and drummer (d. 1980)
1948 – Martin Hannett, English bass player, guitarist, and record producer (d. 1991)
1948 – Duncan Hunter, American lieutenant, lawyer, and politician
1949 – Tom Berenger, American actor, film producer and television writer
1950 – Jean Chalopin, French director, producer, and screenwriter, founded DIC Entertainment
1950 – Gregory Harrison, American actor
1950 – Edgar Savisaar, Estonian politician, Estonian Minister of the Interior
1951 – Karl-Hans Riehm, German hammer thrower
1952 – Karl Bartos, German singer-songwriter and keyboard player
1953 – Pirkka-Pekka Petelius, Finnish actor and screenwriter
1954 – Thomas Mavros, Greek footballer
1954 – Vicki Sue Robinson, American actress and singer (d. 2000)
1955 – Tommy Emmanuel, Australian singer-songwriter and guitarist
1955 – Susie Essman, American actress, comedian, and screenwriter
1956 – Fritz Hilpert, German drummer and composer
1956 – John Young, English singer-songwriter and keyboard player
1957 – Jim Craig, American ice hockey player
1959 – Andrea de Cesaris, Italian racing driver (d. 2014)
1959 – Phil Wilson, English politician
1960 – Greg Adams, Canadian ice hockey player and businessman
1960 – Chris Elliott, American actor, comedian, and screenwriter
1960 – Peter Winterbottom, English rugby player
1961 – Ray Cote, Canadian ice hockey player
1961 – Justin Madden, Australian footballer and politician
1961 – Lea Thompson, American actress, director, and producer
1962 – Corey Hart, Canadian singer-songwriter and producer
1963 – David Leigh, holder of the Sir Samuel Hall Chair of Chemistry at the University of Manchester
1963 – Viktor Orbán, Hungarian politician, 38th Prime Minister of Hungary
1963 – Wesley Willis, American singer-songwriter and keyboard player (d. 2003)
1964 – Leonard Asper, Canadian lawyer and businessman
1964 – Stéphane Caristan, French hurdler and coach
1964 – Yukio Edano, Japanese politician, Japanese Minister for Foreign Affairs
1964 – Darryl “D.M.C.” McDaniels, American rapper and producer
1965 – Brooke Shields, American model, actress, and producer
1966 – Roshan Mahanama, Sri Lankan cricketer and referee
1967 – Phil Keoghan, New Zealand television host and producer
1967 – Kenny Lofton, American baseball player, coach, and sportscaster
1971 – Arun Luthra, Indo-Anglo-American saxophonist, konnakol artist, composer, and arranger
1972 – Christian McBride, American bassist and record producer
1972 – Archie Panjabi, Indo-British actress
1972 – Frode Estil, Norwegian skier
1972 – Antti Niemi, Finnish international footballer, goalkeeper and coach
1972 – Dave Roberts, American baseball player and coach
1974 – Hiroiki Ariyoshi, Japanese comedian and singer
1974 – Chad Campbell, American golfer
1975 – Mac Suzuki, Japanese baseball player
1976 – Colin Farrell, Irish actor
1976 – Matt Harpring, American basketball player and sportscaster
1977 – Theodoros Baev, Bulgarian-Greek volleyball player
1977 – Domenico Fioravanti, Italian swimmer
1977 – Eric Christian Olsen, American actor
1977 – Moses Sichone, Zambian footballer
1977 – Petr Tenkrát, Czech ice hockey player
1979 – Jean-François Gillet, Belgian footballer
1981 – Mikael Antonsson, Swedish footballer
1981 – Daniele Bonera, Italian footballer
1981 – Jake Peavy, American baseball player
1981 – Marlies Schild, Austrian skier
1984 – Andrew Bailey, American baseball player
1984 – Milorad Čavić, Serbian swimmer
1984 – Nate Robinson, American basketball player
1985 – Jordy Nelson, American football player
1986 – Robert Gesink, Dutch cyclist
1989 – Marco Reus, German footballer
1990 – Erik Karlsson, Swedish ice hockey player
1992 – Michaël Bournival, Canadian ice hockey player
1992 – Laura Ikauniece, Latvian heptathlete
1996 – Normani Korde, American singer
1998 – Santino Ferrucci, American race car driver

Deaths on May 31

455 – Petronius Maximus, Roman emperor (b. 396)
930 – Liu Hua, princess of Southern Han (b. 896)
960 – Fujiwara no Morosuke, Japanese statesman (b. 909)
1076 – Waltheof, Earl of Northumbria, English politician (b. 1050)
1089 – Sigwin von Are, archbishop of Cologne
1162 – Géza II, king of Hungary (b. 1130)
1321 – Birger, king of Sweden (b. 1280)
1326 – Maurice de Berkeley, 2nd Baron Berkeley (b. 1271)
1329 – Albertino Mussato, Italian statesman and writer (b. 1261)
1349 – Thomas Wake, English politician (b. 1297)
1370 – Vitalis of Assisi, Italian hermit and monk (b. 1295)
1408 – Ashikaga Yoshimitsu, Japanese shōgun (b. 1358)
1410 – Martin of Aragon, Spanish king (b. 1356)
1504 – Engelbert II of Nassau (b. 1451)
1558 – Philip Hoby, English general and diplomat (b. 1505)
1567 – Guido de Bres, Belgian pastor and theologian (b. 1522)
1594 – Tintoretto, Italian painter and educator (b. 1518)
1601 – Gebhard Truchsess von Waldburg, Archbishop-Elector of Cologne (b. 1547)
1640 – Zeynab Begum, Safavid princess (date of birth unknown)
1665 – Pieter Jansz. Saenredam, Dutch painter (b. 1597)
1680 – Joachim Neander, German theologian and educator (b. 1650)
1740 – Frederick William I of Prussia (b. 1688)
1747 – Andrey Osterman, German-Russian politician, Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs (b. 1686)
1809 – Joseph Haydn, Austrian pianist and composer (b. 1732)
1809 – Jean Lannes, French general (b. 1769)
1831 – Samuel Bentham, English architect and engineer (b. 1757)
1832 – Évariste Galois, French mathematician and theorist (b. 1811)
1837 – Joseph Grimaldi, English actor, comedian and dancer, (b. 1779)
1846 – Philip Marheineke, German pastor and philosopher (b. 1780)
1847 – Thomas Chalmers, Scottish minister and economist (b. 1780)
1848 – Eugénie de Guérin, French author (b. 1805)
1899 – Stefanos Koumanoudis, Greek archaeologist, teacher and writer (b. 1818)
1908 – Louis-Honoré Fréchette, Canadian author, poet, and politician (b. 1839)
1909 – Thomas Price, Welsh-Australian politician, 24th Premier of South Australia (b. 1852)
1910 – Elizabeth Blackwell, English-American physician and educator (b. 1821)
1931 – Felix-Raymond-Marie Rouleau, Canadian cardinal (b. 1866)
1931 – Willy Stöwer, German author and illustrator (b. 1864)
1945 – Odilo Globocnik, Italian-Austrian SS officer (b. 1904)
1954 – Antonis Benakis, Greek art collector and philanthropist, founded the Benaki Museum (b. 1873)
1957 – Stefanos Sarafis, Greek general and politician (b. 1890)
1957 – Leopold Staff, Polish poet and academic (b. 1878)
1960 – Willem Elsschot, Flemish author and poet (b. 1882)
1960 – Walther Funk, German economist, journalist, and politician, German Minister of Economics (b. 1890)
1962 – Henry F. Ashurst, American lawyer and politician (b. 1874)
1967 – Billy Strayhorn, American pianist and composer (b. 1915)
1970 – Terry Sawchuk, Canadian-American ice hockey player (b. 1929)
1976 – Jacques Monod, French biologist and geneticist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1910)
1977 – William Castle, American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1914)
1978 – József Bozsik, Hungarian footballer and manager (b. 1925)
1981 – Barbara Ward, Baroness Jackson of Lodsworth, English economist and journalist (b. 1914)
1982 – Carlo Mauri, Italian mountaineer and explorer (b. 1930)
1983 – Jack Dempsey, American boxer and lieutenant (b. 1895)
1985 – Gaston Rébuffat, French mountaineer and author (b. 1921)
1986 – Jane Frank, American painter and sculptor (b. 1918)
1986 – James Rainwater, American physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1917)
1987 – John Abraham, Indian director and screenwriter (b. 1937)
1989 – Owen Lattimore, American author and academic (b. 1900)
1989 – C. L. R. James, Trinidadian journalist and historian (b. 1901)
1993 – Honey Tree Evil Eye, or, Spud Mackenzie, a Bull Terrier, dies of kidney failure.
1994 – Uzay Heparı, Turkish actor, producer, and composer (b. 1969)
1994 – Herva Nelli, Italian-American soprano (b. 1909)
1995 – Stanley Elkin, American novelist, short story writer, and essayist (b. 1930)
1996 – Timothy Leary, American psychologist and author (b. 1920)
1998 – Charles Van Acker, Belgian-American race car driver (b. 1912)
2000 – Petar Mladenov, Bulgarian diplomat, 1st President of Bulgaria (b. 1936)
2000 – Tito Puente, American jazz musician (b. 1923)
2000 – A. Jeyaratnam Wilson, Sri Lankan historian, author, and academic (b. 1928)
2001 – Arlene Francis, American actress, talk show host, game show panelist, and television personality (b. 1907)
2002 – Subhash Gupte, Indian cricketer (b. 1929)
2004 – Aiyathurai Nadesan, Sri Lankan journalist (b. 1954)
2004 – Robert Quine, American guitarist (b. 1941)
2004 – Étienne Roda-Gil, French screenwriter and composer (b. 1941)
2006 – Miguel Ortiz Berrocal, Spanish sculptor (b. 1933)
2006 – Raymond Davis, Jr., American physicist and chemist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1914)
2009 – Danny La Rue, Irish-British drag queen performer and singer (b. 1927)
2009 – George Tiller, American physician (b. 1941)
2010 – Louise Bourgeois, French-American sculptor and painter (b. 1911)
2010 – Brian Duffy, English photographer and producer (b. 1933)
2010 – William A. Fraker, American director, producer, and cinematographer (b. 1923)
2010 – Rubén Juárez, Argentinian singer-songwriter and bandoneón player (b. 1947)
2010 – Merata Mita, New Zealand director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1942)
2011 – Pauline Betz, American tennis player (b. 1919)
2011 – Jonas Bevacqua, American fashion designer, co-founded the Lifted Research Group (b. 1977)
2011 – Derek Hodge, Virgin Islander lawyer and politician, Lieutenant Governor of the United States Virgin Islands (b. 1941)
2011 – Hans Keilson, German-Dutch psychoanalyst and author (b. 1909)
2011 – John Martin, English admiral and politician, Lieutenant Governor of Guernsey (b. 1918)
2011 – Andy Robustelli, American football player and manager (b. 1925)
2012 – Christopher Challis, English cinematographer (b. 1919)
2012 – Randall B. Kester, American lawyer and judge (b. 1916)
2012 – Paul Pietsch, German racing driver and publisher (b. 1911)
2012 – Orlando Woolridge, American basketball player and coach (b. 1959)
2013 – Gerald E. Brown, American physicist and academic (b. 1926)
2013 – Frederic Lindsay, Scottish author and educator (b. 1933)
2013 – Miguel Méndez, American author and poet (b. 1930)
2013 – Tim Samaras, American engineer and storm chaser (b. 1957)
2013 – Jairo Mora Sandoval, Costa Rican environmentalist (b. 1987)
2013 – Jean Stapleton, American actress (b. 1923)
2014 – Marilyn Beck, American journalist (b. 1928)
2014 – Marinho Chagas, Brazilian footballer and coach (b. 1952)
2014 – Hoss Ellington, American race car driver (b. 1935)
2014 – Martha Hyer, American actress (b. 1924)
2014 – Lewis Katz, American businessman and philanthropist (b. 1942)
2014 – Mary Soames, Baroness Soames, English author (b. 1922)
2015 – Gladys Taylor, Canadian author and publisher (b. 1917)
2016 – Mohamed Abdelaziz, President of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (1976–2016) (b. 1947)
2016 – Jan Crouch, American televangelist, co-founder of the Trinity Broadcasting Network (b. 1938)
2016 – Carla Lane, English television writer (b. 1928)
2016 – Rupert Neudeck, German journalist and humanitarian (b. 1939)

Holidays and observances on May 31

Anniversary of Royal Brunei Malay Regiment (Brunei)
Christian feast day:
- Camilla Battista da Varano
- Hermias
- Petronella
- Visitation of Mary (Western Christianity)
- May 31 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
The beginning of Gawai Dayak (Dayaks in Sarawak, Malaysia and West Kalimantan, Indonesia)
World No Tobacco Day (International)

May 31- History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day Read More »

On This Day, Uncategorized

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

On This Day / admin

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 M_w  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 30 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day Read More »

On This Day

May 28 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day

On This Day / admin

585 BC – A solar eclipse occurs, as predicted by the Greek philosopher and scientist Thales, while Alyattes is battling Cyaxares in the Battle of Halys, leading to a truce. This is one of the cardinal dates from which other dates can be calculated.
621 – Battle of Hulao: Li Shimin, the son of the Chinese emperor Gaozu, defeats the numerically superior forces of Dou Jiande near the Hulao Pass (Henan). This victory decides the outcome of the civil war that followed the Sui dynasty’s collapse in favour of the Tang dynasty.
1533 – The Archbishop of Canterbury, Thomas Cranmer, declares the marriage of King Henry VIII of England to Anne Boleyn valid.
1588 – The Spanish Armada, with 130 ships and 30,000 men, sets sail from Lisbon, Portugal, heading for the English Channel. (It will take until May 30 for all ships to leave port.)
1644 – English Civil War: Bolton Massacre by Royalist troops under the command of James Stanley, 7th Earl of Derby.
1754 – French and Indian War: In the first engagement of the war, Virginia militia under the 22-year-old Lieutenant colonel George Washington defeat a French reconnaissance party in the Battle of Jumonville Glen in what is now Fayette County in southwestern Pennsylvania.
1802 – In Guadeloupe, 400 rebellious slaves, led by Louis Delgrès, blow themselves up rather than submit to Napoleon’s troops.
1830 – U.S. President Andrew Jackson signs the Indian Removal Act which denies Native Americans their land rights and forcibly relocates them.
1871 – The Paris Commune falls after two months.
1892 – In San Francisco, John Muir organizes the Sierra Club.
1905 – Russo-Japanese War: The Battle of Tsushima ends with the destruction of the Russian Baltic Fleet by Admiral Tōgō Heihachirō and the Imperial Japanese Navy.
1907 – The first Isle of Man TT race was held.
1918 – The Azerbaijan Democratic Republic and the First Republic of Armenia declare their independence.
1926 – The 28 May 1926 coup d’état: Ditadura Nacional is established in Portugal to suppress the unrest of the First Republic.
1932 – In the Netherlands, construction of the Afsluitdijk is completed and the Zuiderzee bay is converted to the freshwater IJsselmeer.
1934 – Near Callander, Ontario, Canada, the Dionne quintuplets are born to Oliva and Elzire Dionne; they will be the first quintuplets to survive infancy.
1936 – Alan Turing submits On Computable Numbers for publication.
1937 – Volkswagen, the German automobile manufacturer is founded.
1940 – World War II: Belgium surrenders to Nazi Germany to end the Battle of Belgium.
1940 – World War II: Norwegian, French, Polish and British forces recapture Narvik in Norway. This is the first allied infantry victory of the War.
1948 – Daniel François Malan is elected as Prime Minister of South Africa. He later goes on to implement Apartheid.
1958 – Cuban Revolution: Fidel Castro’s 26th of July Movement, heavily reinforced by Frank Pais Militia, overwhelm an army post in El Uvero.
1961 – Peter Benenson’s article The Forgotten Prisoners is published in several internationally read newspapers. This will later be thought of as the founding of the human rights organization Amnesty International.
1974 – Northern Ireland’s power-sharing Sunningdale Agreement collapses following a general strike by loyalists.
1975 – Fifteen West African countries sign the Treaty of Lagos, creating the Economic Community of West African States.
1977 – In Southgate, Kentucky, the Beverly Hills Supper Club is engulfed in fire, killing 165 people inside.
1979 – Konstantinos Karamanlis signs the full treaty of the accession of Greece with the European Economic Community.
1987 – A West German pilot, Mathias Rust, who was 18 years old, evades Soviet Union air defences and lands a private plane in the Red Square in Moscow, Russia.
1991 – The capital city of Addis Ababa falls to the Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front, ending both the Derg regime in Ethiopia and the Ethiopian Civil War.
1995 – The 7.0 M_w  Neftegorsk earthquake shook the former Russian settlement of Neftegorsk with a maximum Mercalli intensity of IX (Violent). Total damage was $64.1–300 million, with 1,989 deaths and 750 injured. The settlement was not rebuilt.
1996 – U.S. President Bill Clinton’s former business partners in the Whitewater land deal, Jim McDougal and Susan McDougal, and the Governor of Arkansas Jim Guy Tucker, are convicted of fraud.
1998 – Nuclear testing: Pakistan responds to a series of nuclear tests by India with five of its own codenamed Chagai-I, prompting the United States, Japan, and other nations to impose economic sanctions. Pakistan celebrates Youm-e-Takbir annually.
1999 – In Milan, Italy, after 22 years of restoration work, Leonardo da Vinci’s masterpiece The Last Supper is put back on display.
2002 – The last steel girder is removed from the original World Trade Center site. Cleanup duties officially end with closing ceremonies at Ground Zero in Manhattan, New York City.
2003 – Peter Hollingworth resigns as Governor-General of Australia following criticism of his handling of child sexual abuse allegations during his tenure as Anglican Archbishop of Brisbane.
2004 – The Iraqi Governing Council chooses Ayad Allawi, a longtime anti-Saddam Hussein exile, as prime minister of Iraq’s interim government.
2008 – The first meeting of the Constituent Assembly of Nepal formally declares Nepal a republic, ending the 240-year reign of the Shah dynasty.
2010 – In West Bengal, India, the Jnaneswari Express train derailment and subsequent collision kills 148 passengers.
2011 – Malta votes on the introduction of divorce; the proposal was approved by 53% of voters, resulting in a law allowing divorce under certain conditions being enacted later in the year.

Births on May 28

1140 – Xin Qiji, Chinese poet, general, and politician (d. 1207)
1371 – John the Fearless, Duke of Burgundy (d. 1419)
1524 – Selim II, Ottoman sultan (d. 1574)
1588 – Pierre Séguier, French politician, Lord Chancellor of France (d. 1672)
1589 – Robert Arnauld d’Andilly, French writer (d. 1674)
1663 – António Manoel de Vilhena, Grand Master of the Order of Saint John (d. 1736)
1676 – Jacopo Riccati, Italian mathematician and academic (d. 1754)
1692 – Geminiano Giacomelli, Italian composer (d. 1740)
1738 – Joseph-Ignace Guillotin, French physician (d. 1814)
1759 – William Pitt the Younger, English lawyer and politician, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (d. 1806)
1763 – Manuel Alberti, Argentinian priest and journalist (d. 1811)
1764 – Edward Livingston, American jurist and politician, 11th United States Secretary of State (d. 1836)
1779 – Thomas Moore, Irish poet and composer (d. 1852)
1807 – Louis Agassiz, Swiss-American paleontologist and geologist (d. 1873)
1818 – P. G. T. Beauregard, American general (d. 1893)
1836 – Friedrich Baumfelder, German pianist, composer, and conductor (d. 1916)
1836 – Alexander Mitscherlich, German chemist and academic (d. 1918)
1837 – George Ashlin, Irish architect, co-designed St Colman’s Cathedral (d. 1921)
1837 – Tony Pastor, American impresario, variety performer and theatre owner (d. 1908)
1841 – Sakaigawa Namiemon, Japanese sumo wrestler, the 14th Yokozuna (d. 1887)
1853 – Carl Larsson, Swedish painter and author (d. 1919)
1858 – Carl Richard Nyberg, Swedish inventor and businessman, developed the blow torch (d. 1939)
1872 – Marian Smoluchowski, Polish physicist and mountaineer (d. 1917)
1878 – Paul Pelliot, French sinologist and explorer (d. 1945)
1879 – Milutin Milanković, Serbian mathematician, astronomer, and geophysicist (d. 1958)
1883 – Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, Indian poet and politician (d. 1966)
1883 – Clough Williams-Ellis, English-Welsh architect, designed the Portmeirion Village (d. 1978)
1884 – Edvard Beneš, Czech academic and politician, 2nd President of Czechoslovakia (d. 1948)
1886 – Santo Trafficante, Sr., Italian-American mobster (d. 1954)
1888 – Kaarel Eenpalu, Estonian journalist and politician, 6th Prime Minister of Estonia (d. 1942)
1888 – Vivienne Haigh-Wood Eliot, English author and educator (d. 1947)
1888 – Jim Thorpe, American decathlete, football player, and coach (d. 1953)
1889 – Richard Réti, Slovak-Czech chess player and author (d. 1929)
1892 – Minna Gombell, American actress (d. 1973)
1900 – Tommy Ladnier, American trumpet player (d. 1939)
1903 – S. L. Kirloskar, Indian businessman, founded Kirloskar Group (d. 1994)
1906 – Henry Thambiah, Sri Lankan lawyer, judge, and diplomat, Sri Lankan High Commissioner to Canada (d. 1997)
1908 – Léo Cadieux, Canadian journalist and politician, 17th Canadian Minister of National Defence (d. 2005)
1908 – Ian Fleming, English journalist and author, created James Bond (d. 1964)
1909 – Red Horner, Canadian ice hockey player (d. 2005)
1910 – Georg Gaßmann, German politician, Mayor of Marburg (d. 1987)
1910 – Rachel Kempson, English actress (d. 2003)
1910 – T-Bone Walker, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 1975)
1911 – Bob Crisp, South African cricketer (d. 1994)
1911 – Thora Hird, English actress (d. 2003)
1911 – Fritz Hochwälder, Austrian playwright (d. 1986)
1912 – Herman Johannes, Indonesian scientist, academic, and politician (d. 1992)
1912 – Ruby Payne-Scott, Australian physicist and astronomer (d. 1981)
1912 – Patrick White, Australian novelist, poet, and playwright, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1990)
1914 – W. G. G. Duncan Smith, English captain and pilot (d. 1996)
1915 – Joseph Greenberg, American linguist and academic (d. 2001)
1916 – Walker Percy, American novelist and essayist (d. 1990)
1917 – Barry Commoner, American biologist, academic, and politician (d. 2012)
1918 – Johnny Wayne, Canadian comedian (d. 1990)
1921 – D. V. Paluskar, Indian Hindustani classical musician (d. 1955)
1921 – Heinz G. Konsalik, German journalist and author (d. 1999)
1921 – Tom Uren, Australian soldier, boxer, and politician (d. 2015)
1922 – Lou Duva, American boxer, trainer, and manager (d. 2017)
1922 – Roger Fisher, American author and academic (d. 2012)
1922 – Tuomas Gerdt, Finnish soldier
1923 – György Ligeti, Hungarian-Austrian composer and educator (d. 2006)
1923 – N. T. Rama Rao, Indian actor, director, producer, and politician, 10th Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh (d. 1996)
1924 – Edward du Cann, English naval officer and politician (d. 2017)
1924 – Paul Hébert, Canadian actor (d. 2017)
1925 – Bülent Ecevit, Turkish journalist, scholar, and politician, 16th Prime Minister of Turkey (d. 2006)
1925 – Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, German opera singer and conductor (d. 2012)
1928 – Sally Forrest, American actress and dancer (d. 2015)
1929 – Patrick McNair-Wilson, English politician
1930 – Edward Seaga, American-Jamaican academic and politician, 5th Prime Minister of Jamaica (d. 2019)
1931 – Carroll Baker, American actress
1931 – Gordon Willis, American cinematographer (d. 2014)
1932 – Tim Renton, Baron Renton of Mount Harry, English politician, Minister for Culture, Communications and Creative Industries
1933 – John Karlen, American actor
1933 – Zelda Rubinstein, American actress and activist (d. 2010)
1936 – Claude Forget, Canadian academic and politician
1936 – Ole K. Sara, Norwegian politician (d. 2013)
1936 – Betty Shabazz, American educator and activist (d. 1997)
1938 – Jerry West, American basketball player, coach, and executive
1939 – Maeve Binchy, Irish novelist (d. 2012)
1940 – David William Brewer, English politician, Lord-Lieutenant of Greater London
1940 – Shlomo Riskin, American rabbi and academic, founded the Lincoln Square Synagogue
1941 – Beth Howland, American actress and singer (d. 2015)
1942 – Stanley B. Prusiner, American neurologist and biochemist, Nobel Prize laureate
1943 – Terry Crisp, Canadian ice hockey player and coach
1944 – Faith Brown, English actress and singer
1944 – Rudy Giuliani, American lawyer and politician, 107th mayor of New York City
1944 – Gladys Knight, American singer-songwriter and actress
1944 – Rita MacNeil, Canadian singer and actress (d. 2013)
1944 – Gary Stewart, American singer-songwriter (d. 2003)
1944 – Billy Vera, American singer-songwriter and actor
1945 – Patch Adams, American physician and author, founded the Gesundheit! Institute
1945 – John N. Bambacus, American military veteran (USMC) and politician
1945 – John Fogerty, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer
1945 – Jean Perrault, Canadian politician, Mayor of Sherbrooke, Quebec
1945 – Helena Shovelton, English physician
1946 – Bruce Alexander, English actor
1946 – Skip Jutze, American baseball player
1946 – Janet Paraskeva, Welsh politician
1946 – K. Satchidanandan, Indian poet and critic
1946 – William Shawcross, English journalist and author
1947 – Zahi Hawass, Egyptian archaeologist and academic
1947 – Lynn Johnston, Canadian author and illustrator
1947 – Leland Sklar, American singer-songwriter and bass player
1948 – Michael Field, Australian politician, 38th Premier of Tasmania
1948 – Pierre Rapsat, Belgian singer and songwriter (d. 2002)
1949 – Martin Kelner, English journalist, author, comedian, singer, actor and radio presenter
1949 – Wendy O. Williams, American singer-songwriter, musician, and actress (d. 1998)
1952 – Roger Briggs, American pianist, composer, conductor, and educator
1953 – Pierre Gauthier, Canadian ice hockey player and manager
1954 – João Carlos de Oliveira, Brazilian jumper (d. 1999)
1954 – Youri Egorov, Russian pianist and composer (d. 1988)
1954 – Charles Saumarez Smith, English historian and academic
1954 – Péter Szilágyi, Hungarian conductor and politician (d. 2013)
1954 – John Tory, Canadian lawyer and politician, 65th Mayor of Toronto
1955 – Laura Amy Schlitz, American author and librarian
1955 – Mark Howe, American ice hockey player and coach
1956 – Jerry Douglas, American guitarist and producer
1956 – Jeff Dujon, Jamaican cricketer
1956 – Markus Höttinger, Austrian racing driver (d. 1980)
1956 – Peter Wilkinson, English admiral
1957 – Colin Barnes, English footballer
1957 – Kirk Gibson, American baseball player and manager
1957 – Ben Howland, American basketball player and coach
1959 – Risto Mannisenmäki, Finnish racing driver
1960 – Mark Sanford, American military veteran (USAF) and politician, 115th Governor of South Carolina
1960 – Mary Portas, English journalist and author
1963 – Houman Younessi, Australian-American biologist and academic
1964 – Jeff Fenech, Australian boxer and trainer
1964 – Armen Gilliam, American basketball player and coach (d. 2011)
1964 – Zsa Zsa Padilla, Filipino singer and actress
1964 – Phil Vassar, American singer-songwriter
1965 – Chris Ballew, American singer-songwriter and bass player
1965 – Mary Coughlan, Irish politician
1966 – Roger Kumble, American director, screenwriter, and playwright
1966 – Miljenko Jergović, Bosnian novelist and journalist
1966 – Gavin Robertson, Australian cricketer
1967 – Glen Rice, American basketball player
1968 – Kylie Minogue, Australian singer-songwriter, producer, and actress
1969 – Mike DiFelice, American baseball player and manager
1969 – Rob Ford, Canadian politician, 64th Mayor of Toronto (d. 2016)
1970 – Glenn Quinn, American actor (d. 2002)
1971 – Isabelle Carré, French actress and singer
1971 – Ekaterina Gordeeva, Russian figure skater and sportscaster
1971 – Marco Rubio, American lawyer and politician
1972 – Doriva, Brazilian footballer and manager
1972 – Michael Boogerd, Dutch cyclist and manager
1973 – Marco Paulo Faria Lemos, Portuguese footballer and manager
1974 – Hans-Jörg Butt, German footballer
1974 – Misbah-ul-Haq, Pakistani cricketer
1975 – Maura Johnston, American journalist, critic, and academic
1976 – Steven Bell, Australian rugby league player
1976 – Zaza Enden, Georgian-Turkish wrestler, basketball player, and coach
1976 – Roberto Goretti, Italian footballer
1976 – Glenn Morrison, Australian rugby league player and coach
1977 – Elisabeth Hasselbeck, American talk show host and author
1978 – Jake Johnson, American actor
1979 – Abdulaziz al-Omari, Saudi Arabian terrorist, hijacker of American Airlines Flight 11 (d. 2001)
1979 – Ronald Curry, American football player and coach
1980 – Miguel Pérez, Spanish footballer
1980 – Lucy Shuker, English tennis player
1981 – Daniel Cabrera, Dominican-American baseball player
1981 – Eric Ghiaciuc, American football player
1981 – Adam Green, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
1982 – Alexa Davalos, French-American actress
1982 – Jhonny Peralta, Dominican-American baseball player
1983 – Steve Cronin, American soccer player
1983 – Humberto Sánchez, Dominican-American baseball player
1983 – Roman Atwood, American YouTube star
1985 – Colbie Caillat, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
1985 – Pablo Andrés González, Argentinian footballer
1985 – Kostas Mendrinos, Greek footballer
1985 – Carey Mulligan, English actress and singer
1986 – Berrick Barnes, Australian rugby player
1986 – Seth Rollins, American wrestler
1986 – Ingmar Vos, Dutch decathlete
1987 – T.J. Yates, American football player
1988 – NaVorro Bowman, American football player
1988 – Percy Harvin, American football player
1988 – Craig Kimbrel, American baseball player
1990 – Kyle Walker, English international footballer, right-back
1991 – Sharrif Floyd, American football player
1991 – Alexandre Lacazette, French footballer
1991 – Kail Piho, Estonian skier
1992 – Tom Carroll, English footballer
1993 – Daniel Alvaro, Australian rugby league player
1993 – Bárbara Luz, Portuguese tennis player
1994 – John Stones, English footballer
1994 – Son Yeon-jae, South Korean gymnast
1998 – Dahyun, Korean singer
1999 – Cameron Boyce, American actor (d. 2019)
2000 – Phil Foden, English footballer

Deaths on May 28

576 – Germain of Paris, French bishop and saint (b. 496)
741 – Ucha’an K’in B’alam, Mayan king
926 – Kong Qian, official of Later Tang
926 – Li Jiji, prince of Later Tang
1023 – Wulfstan, English archbishop
1279 – William Wishart, English bishop
1327 – Robert Baldock, Lord Privy Seal and Lord Chancellor of England
1357 – Afonso IV of Portugal (b. 1291)
1427 – Henry IV, Count of Holstein-Rendsburg (b. 1397)
1556 – Saitō Dōsan, Japanese samurai (b. 1494)
1626 – Thomas Howard, 1st Earl of Suffolk (b. 1561)
1651 – Henry Grey, 10th Earl of Kent, English politician (b. 1594)
1672 – John Trevor, Welsh politician, Secretary of State for the Northern Department (b. 1626)
1747 – Luc de Clapiers, marquis de Vauvenargues, French author (b. 1715)
1750 – Emperor Sakuramachi of Japan (b. 1720)
1787 – Leopold Mozart, Austrian violinist, composer, and conductor (b. 1719)
1805 – Luigi Boccherini, Italian cellist and composer (b. 1743)
1808 – Richard Hurd, English bishop (b. 1720)
1811 – Henry Dundas, 1st Viscount Melville, Scottish lawyer and politician, Secretary of State for War (b. 1742)
1831 – William Carnegie, 7th Earl of Northesk, Scottish-English admiral (b. 1756)
1843 – Noah Webster, American lexicographer (b. 1758)
1849 – Anne Brontë, English novelist and poet (b. 1820)
1864 – Simion Bărnuțiu, Romanian historian and politician (b. 1808)
1878 – John Russell, 1st Earl Russell, English politician, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (b. 1792)
1904 – Kicking Bear, Native American tribal leader (b. 1846)
1916 – Ivan Franko, Ukrainian economist, journalist, and poet (b. 1856)
1927 – Boris Kustodiev, Russian painter and stage designer (b. 1878)
1937 – Alfred Adler, Austrian-Scottish ophthalmologist and psychologist (b. 1870)
1946 – Carter Glass, American publisher and politician, 47th United States Secretary of the Treasury (b. 1858)
1947 – August Eigruber, Austrian-German politician (b. 1907)
1952 – Philippe Desranleau, Canadian archbishop (b. 1882)
1953 – Tatsuo Hori, Japanese author and poet (b. 1904)
1964 – Terry Dillon, American football player (b. 1941)
1968 – Fyodor Okhlopkov, Russian sergeant and sniper (b. 1908)
1971 – Audie Murphy, American soldier and actor, Medal of Honor recipient (b. 1925)
1972 – Edward VIII of the United Kingdom (b. 1894)
1975 – Ezzard Charles, American boxer (b. 1921)
1976 – Zainul Abedin, Bangladeshi painter and sculptor (b. 1914)
1980 – Rolf Nevanlinna, Finnish mathematician and academic (b. 1895)
1981 – Mary Lou Williams, American pianist and composer (b. 1910)
1981 – Stefan Wyszyński, Polish cardinal (b. 1901)
1982 – H. Jones, English colonel, Victoria Cross recipient (b. 1940)
1983 – Erastus Corning 2nd, American soldier and politician, 72nd Mayor of Albany (b. 1909)
1984 – Eric Morecambe, English actor and comedian (b. 1926)
1986 – Edip Cansever, Turkish poet and author (b. 1928)
1988 – Sy Oliver, American trumpet player, composer, and bandleader (b. 1910)
1990 – Julius Eastman, American composer (b. 1940)
1994 – Julius Boros, American golfer (b. 1920)
1994 – Ely Jacques Kahn, Jr., American author and academic (b. 1916)
1998 – Phil Hartman, Canadian-American actor and comedian (b. 1948)
1999 – Michael Barkai, Israeli commander (b. 1935)
1999 – B. Vittalacharya, Indian director and producer (b. 1920)
2000 – George Irving Bell, American physicist, biologist, and mountaineer (b. 1926)
2001 – Joe Moakley, American lawyer and politician (b. 1927)
2001 – Francisco Varela, Chilean biologist and philosopher (b. 1946)
2002 – Mildred Benson, American journalist and author (b. 1905)
2003 – Oleg Grigoryevich Makarov, Russian engineer and astronaut (b. 1933)
2003 – Ilya Prigogine, Russian-Belgian chemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1917)
2003 – Martha Scott, American actress (b. 1912)
2004 – Umberto Agnelli, Swiss-Italian businessman and politician (b. 1934)
2004 – Michael Buonauro, American author and illustrator (b. 1979)
2004 – John Tolos, Greek-Canadian wrestler (b. 1930)
2006 – Thorleif Schjelderup, Norwegian ski jumper and author (b. 1920)
2007 – Jörg Immendorff, German painter, sculptor, and academic (b. 1945)
2007 – Toshikatsu Matsuoka, Japanese politician, Japanese Minister of Agriculture (b. 1945)
2008 – Beryl Cook, English painter and illustrator (b. 1926)
2010 – Gary Coleman, American actor (b. 1968)
2011 – Gino Valenzano, Italian racing driver (b. 1920)
2012 – Bob Edwards, English journalist (b. 1925)
2012 – Yuri Susloparov, Ukrainian-Russian footballer and manager (b. 1958)
2013 – Viktor Kulikov, Russian commander (b. 1921)
2013 – Eddie Romero, Filipino director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1924)
2013 – Gerd Schmückle, German general (b. 1917)
2014 – Maya Angelou, American memoirist and poet (b. 1928)
2014 – Stan Crowther, English footballer (b. 1935)
2014 – Oscar Dystel, American publisher (b. 1912)
2014 – Malcolm Glazer, American businessman (b. 1928)
2014 – Bob Houbregs, Canadian-American basketball player and manager (b. 1932)
2014 – Isaac Kungwane, South African footballer (b. 1971)
2015 – Steven Gerber, American pianist and composer (b. 1948)
2015 – Johnny Keating, Scottish trombonist, composer, and producer (b. 1927)
2015 – Reynaldo Rey, American actor and screenwriter (b. 1940)
2018 – Neale Cooper, Scottish footballer (b. 1963)
2018 – Jens Christian Skou, Danish medical doctor and Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1918)
2018 – Cornelia Frances, English-Australian actress (b. 1941)

Holidays and observances on May 28

Armed Forces Day (Croatia)
Christian feast day:
- Bernard of Menthon
- Germain of Paris
- John Calvin (Episcopal Church)
- Lanfranc
- Margaret Pole
- William of Gellone
- May 28 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
Downfall of the Derg Day (Ethiopia)
Flag Day (Philippines)
Menstrual Hygiene Day
Republic Day (Nepal)
TDFR Republic Day, celebrates the declaration of independence of the First Republic of Armenia and the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic from the Transcaucasian Democratic Federative Republic in 1918. (Azerbaijan and Armenia)
Youm-e-Takbir (Pakistan)

May 28 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day Read More »

On This Day

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

On This Day / admin

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 M_w  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 27 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day Read More »

On This Day

May 23 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day

On This Day / admin

1430 – Joan of Arc is captured by the Burgundians while leading an army to raise the Siege of Compiègne.
1498 – Girolamo Savonarola is burned at the stake in Florence, Italy.
1533 – The marriage of King Henry VIII to Catherine of Aragon is declared null and void.
1568 – Dutch rebels led by Louis of Nassau, defeat Jean de Ligne, Duke of Arenberg, and his loyalist troops in the Battle of Heiligerlee, opening the Eighty Years’ War.
1609 – Official ratification of the Second Virginia Charter takes place.
1618 – The Second Defenestration of Prague precipitates the Thirty Years’ War.
1701 – After being convicted of piracy and of murdering William Moore, Captain William Kidd is hanged in London.
1706 – John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough, defeats a French army under Marshal François de Neufville, duc de Villeroy at the Battle of Ramillies.
1788 – South Carolina ratifies the United States Constitution as the eighth American state.
1793 – Battle of Famars during the Flanders Campaign of the War of the First Coalition.
1829 – Accordion patent granted to Cyrill Demian in Vienna, Austrian Empire.
1844 – Declaration of the Báb the evening before the 23rd: A merchant of Shiraz announces that he is a Prophet and founds a religious movement that would later be brutally crushed by the Persian government. He is considered to be a forerunner of the Bahá’í Faith; Bahá’ís celebrate the day as a holy day.
1846 – Mexican–American War: President Mariano Paredes of Mexico unofficially declares war on the United States.
1863 – The General German Workers’ Association, a precursor of the modern Social Democratic Party of Germany, is founded in Leipzig, Kingdom of Saxony.
1873 – The Canadian Parliament establishes the North-West Mounted Police, the forerunner of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.
1900 – American Civil War: Sergeant William Harvey Carney is awarded the Medal of Honor for his heroism in the Assault on the Battery Wagner in 1863.
1907 – The unicameral Parliament of Finland gathers for its first plenary session.
1911 – The New York Public Library is dedicated.
1915 – World War I: Italy joins the Allies, fulfilling its part of the Treaty of London.
1932 – In Brazil, four students are shot and killed during a manifestation against the Brazilian dictator Getúlio Vargas, which resulted in the outbreak of the Constitutionalist Revolution several weeks later.
1934 – Infamous American bank robbers Bonnie and Clyde are ambushed by police and killed in Bienville Parish, Louisiana.
1934 – The Auto-Lite strike culminates in the “Battle of Toledo”, a five-day melée between 1,300 troops of the Ohio National Guard and 6,000 picketers.
1939 – The U.S. Navy submarine USS Squalus sinks off the coast of New Hampshire during a test dive, causing the death of 24 sailors and two civilian technicians. The remaining 32 sailors and one civilian naval architect are rescued the following day.
1945 – World War II: Heinrich Himmler, head of the Schutzstaffel, commits suicide while in Allied custody.
1945 – World War II: Germany’s Flensburg Government under Karl Dönitz is dissolved when its members are arrested by British forces.
1948 – Thomas C. Wasson, the US Consul-General, is assassinated in Jerusalem, Israel.
1949 – Cold War: The Western occupying powers approve the Basic Law and establish a new German state, the Federal Republic of Germany.
1951 – Tibetans sign the Seventeen Point Agreement with China.
1960 – A tsunami caused by an earthquake in Chile the previous day kills 61 people in Hilo, Hawaii.
1992 – Italy’s most prominent anti-mafia judge Giovanni Falcone, his wife and three body guards are killed by the Corleonesi clan with a half-ton bomb near Capaci, Sicily. His friend and colleague Paolo Borsellino will be assassinated less than two months later, making 1992 a turning point in the history of Italian Mafia prosecutions.
1995 – The first version of the Java programming language is released.
1998 – The Good Friday Agreement is accepted in a referendum in Northern Ireland with roughly 75% voting yes.
2002 – The “55 parties” clause of the Kyoto Protocol is reached after its ratification by Iceland.
2006 – Alaskan stratovolcano Mount Cleveland erupts.
2008 – The International Court of Justice (ICJ) awards Middle Rocks to Malaysia and Pedra Branca (Pulau Batu Puteh) to Singapore, ending a 29-year territorial dispute between the two countries.
2013 – A freeway bridge carrying Interstate 5 over the Skagit River collapses in Mount Vernon, Washington.
2014 – Seven people, including the perpetrator, are killed and another 14 injured in a killing spree near the campus of University of California, Santa Barbara.
2015 – At least 46 people are killed as a result of floods caused by a tornado in Texas and Oklahoma.
2016 – Two suicide bombings, conducted by the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, killed at least 45 potential army recruits in Aden, Yemen.
2016 – Eight bombings were carried out by the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria in Jableh and Tartus, coastline cities in Syria. One hundred eighty-four people were killed and at least 200 people injured.
2017 – Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte declared martial law in Mindanao, following the Maute’s attack in Marawi.

Births on May 23

635 – K’inich Kan Bahlam II, Mayan king (d. 702)
675 – Perumbidugu Mutharaiyar II, King of Mutharaiyar dynasty, Tamil Nadu, India
1052 – Philip I of France (d. 1108)
1100 – Emperor Qinzong of Song (d. 1161)
1127 – Uijong of Goryeo, Korean monarch of the Goryeo dynasty (d. 1173)
1330 – Gongmin of Goryeo, Korean ruler (d. 1374)
1586 – Paul Siefert, German composer and organist (d. 1666)
1606 – Juan Caramuel y Lobkowitz, Spanish mathematician and philosopher (d. 1682)
1614 – Bertholet Flemalle, Flemish Baroque painter (d. 1675)
1617 – Elias Ashmole, English astrologer and politician (d. 1692)
1629 – William VI, Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel, noble of Hesse-Kassel (d. 1663)
1707 – Carl Linnaeus, Swedish botanist, physician, and zoologist (d. 1778)
1718 – William Hunter, Scottish-English anatomist and physician (d. 1783)
1729 – Giuseppe Parini, Italian poet and educator (d. 1799)
1730 – Prince Augustus Ferdinand of Prussia, Prussian prince and general (d. 1813)
1734 – Franz Mesmer, German physician and astrologer (d. 1815)
1741 – Andrea Luchesi, Italian organist and composer (d. 1801)
1789 – Franz Schlik, Austrian earl and general (d. 1862)
1790 – Jules Dumont d’Urville, French admiral and explorer (d. 1842)
1790 – James Pradier, French neoclassical sculptor (d. 1852)
1794 – Ignaz Moscheles, Czech pianist and composer (d. 1870)
1795 – Charles Barry, English architect, designed the Upper Brook Street Chapel and Halifax Town Hall (d. 1860)
1800 – Rómulo Díaz de la Vega, Mexican general and president (1855) (d. 1877)
1810 – Margaret Fuller, American journalist and critic (d. 1850)
1817 – Manuel Robles Pezuela, Unconstitutional Mexican interim president (d. 1862)
1820 – James Buchanan Eads, American engineer, designed the Eads Bridge (d. 1887)
1820 – Lorenzo Sawyer, American lawyer and judge (d. 1891)
1824 – Ambrose Burnside, American general and politician, 30th Governor of Rhode Island (d. 1881)
1834 – Jānis Frīdrihs Baumanis, Latvian architect (d. 1891)
1834 – Carl Bloch, Danish painter and academic (d. 1890)
1837 – Anatole Mallet, Swiss mechanical engineer and inventor (d. 1919)
1837 – Józef Wieniawski, Polish pianist and composer (d. 1912)
1838 – Amaldus Nielsen, Norwegian painter (d. 1932)
1840 – George Throssell, Irish-Australian politician, 2nd Premier of Western Australia (d. 1910)
1844 – `Abdu’l-Bahá, Iranian religious leader (d. 1921)
1848 – Otto Lilienthal, German pilot and engineer (d. 1896)
1855 – Isabella Ford, English author and activist (d. 1924)
1861 – József Rippl-Rónai, Hungarian painter (d. 1927)
1863 – Władysław Horodecki, Polish architect (d. 1930)
1864 – William O’Connor, American fencer (d. 1939)
1865 – Epitácio Pessoa, Brazilian jurist and politician, 11th President of Brazil (d. 1942)
1875 – Alfred P. Sloan, American businessman and philanthropist (d. 1966)
1882 – William Halpenny, Canadian pole vaulter (d. 1960)
1883 – Douglas Fairbanks, American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter (d. 1939)
1884 – Corrado Gini, Italian sociologist and demographer (d. 1965)
1887 – Thoralf Skolem, Norwegian mathematician and theorist (d. 1963)
1887 – Nikolai Vekšin, Estonian-Russian sailor and captain (d. 1951)
1888 – Adriaan Roland Holst, Dutch writer (d. 1976)
1888 – Zack Wheat, American baseball player and police officer (d. 1972)
1889 – Ernst Niekisch, German educator and politician (d. 1967)
1890 – Herbert Marshall, English-American actor and singer (d. 1966)
1891 – Pär Lagerkvist, Swedish novelist, playwright, and poet, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1974)
1892 – Albert Spencer, 7th Earl Spencer, British peer and grandfather of Diana Spencer (d. 1975)
1896 – Felix Steiner, Russian-German SS officer (d. 1966)
1897 – Jimmie Guthrie, Scottish motorcycle racer (d. 1937)
1898 – Scott O’Dell, American soldier, journalist, and author (d. 1989)
1898 – Josef Terboven, German soldier and politician (d. 1945)
1899 – Jeralean Talley, American super-centenarian (d. 2015)
1900 – Hans Frank, German lawyer and politician (d. 1946)
1900 – Franz Leopold Neumann, German lawyer and theorist (d. 1954)
1908 – John Bardeen, American physicist and engineer, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1991)
1908 – Hélène Boucher, French pilot (d. 1934)
1910 – Margaret Wise Brown, American author and educator (d. 1952)
1910 – Hugh Casson, English architect and academic (d. 1999)
1910 – Scatman Crothers, American actor and comedian (d. 1986)
1910 – Franz Kline, American painter and academic (d. 1962)
1910 – Artie Shaw, American clarinet player, composer, and bandleader (d. 2004)
1911 – Lou Brouillard, Canadian boxer (d. 1984)
1911 – Paul Augustin Mayer, German cardinal (d. 2010)
1911 – Betty Nuthall, English tennis player (d. 1983)
1912 – Jean Françaix, French pianist and composer (d. 1997)
1912 – John Payne, American actor (d. 1989)
1914 – Harold Hitchcock, English visionary landscape artist (d. 2009)
1914 – Celestine Sibley, American journalist and author (d. 1999)
1914 – Barbara Ward, Baroness Jackson of Lodsworth, English economist, journalist, and prominent Catholic layperson (d. 1981)
1915 – S. Donald Stookey, American physicist and chemist, invented CorningWare (d. 2014)
1917 – Edward Norton Lorenz, American mathematician and meteorologist (d. 2008)
1918 – Denis Compton, English cricketer and sportscaster (d. 1997)
1919 – Robert Bernstein, American author and playwright (d. 1988)
1919 – Ruth Fernández, Puerto Rican contralto and a member of the Puerto Rican Senate (d. 2012)
1919 – Betty Garrett, American actress, singer, and dancer (d. 2011)
1920 – Helen O’Connell, American singer (d. 1993)
1923 – Alicia de Larrocha, Catalan-Spanish pianist (d. 2009)
1923 – Irving Millman, American virologist and microbiologist (d. 2012)
1924 – Karlheinz Deschner, German author and activist (d. 2014)
1925 – Joshua Lederberg, American biologist and geneticist, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 2008)
1926 – Basil Salvadore D’Souza, Indian bishop (d. 1996)
1926 – Joe Slovo, Lithuanian-South African activist and politician (d. 1995)
1928 – Rosemary Clooney, American singer and actress (d. 2002)
1928 – Nigel Davenport, English actor (d. 2013)
1928 – Nina Otkalenko, Russian runner (d. 2015)
1929 – Ulla Jacobsson, Swedish-Austrian actress (d. 1982)
1930 – Friedrich Achleitner, German poet and critic (d. 2019)
1931 – Barbara Barrie, American actress
1932 – Kevork Ajemian, Syrian-French journalist and author (d. 1998)
1933 – Joan Collins, English actress
1933 – Ove Fundin, Swedish motorcycle racer
1934 – Robert Moog, electronic engineer and inventor of the Moog synthesizer (d. 2005)
1935 – Lasse Strömstedt, Swedish author (d. 2009)
1936 – Ingeborg Hallstein, German soprano and actress
1936 – Charles Kimbrough, American actor
1939 – Michel Colombier, French-American composer and conductor (d. 2004)
1939 – Reinhard Hauff, German director and screenwriter
1940 – Bjorn Johansen, Norwegian saxophonist (d. 2002)
1940 – Gérard Larrousse, French race car driver
1940 – Cora Sadosky, Argentinian mathematician and academic (d. 2010)
1941 – Zalman King, American director, producer, and screenwriter (d. 2012)
1941 – Rod Thorn, American basketball player, coach, and executive
1942 – Gabriel Liiceanu, Romanian philosopher, author, and academic
1942 – Kovelamudi Raghavendra Rao, Indian director, screenwriter, and choreographer
1943 – Peter Kenilorea, Solomon Islands politician, 1st Prime Minister of the Solomon Islands (d. 2016)
1944 – John Newcombe, Australian tennis player and sportscaster
1945 – Padmarajan, Indian director, screenwriter, and author (d. 1991)
1946 – David Graham, Australian golfer
1947 – Jane Kenyon, American poet and translator (d. 1995)
1948 – Myriam Boyer, French actress, director, and producer
1949 – Daniel DiNardo, American cardinal
1949 – Alan García, Peruvian lawyer and politician, 61st and 64th President of Peru (d. 2019)
1950 – Martin McGuinness, Irish republican and Sinn Féin politician, Deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland (d. 2017)
1951 – Anatoly Karpov, Russian chess player
1951 – Antonis Samaras, Greek economist and politician, 185th Prime Minister of Greece
1952 – Martin Parr, English photographer and journalist
1954 – Gerry Armstrong, Northern Irish international footballer, striker
1954 – Marvelous Marvin Hagler, American boxer and actor
1955 – Luka Bloom, Irish singer-songwriter and guitarist
1956 – Andrea Pazienza, Italian illustrator and painter (d. 1988)
1956 – Ursula Plassnik, Austrian politician and diplomat, Foreign Minister of Austria
1956 – Buck Showalter, American baseball player, coach, and manager
1958 – Mitch Albom, American journalist, author, and screenwriter
1958 – Drew Carey, American actor, game show host, and entrepreneur
1958 – Lea DeLaria, American actress and singer
1959 – Marcella Mesker, Dutch tennis player and sportscaster
1960 – Linden Ashby, American actor
1961 – Daniele Massaro, Italian footballer and manager
1961 – Norrie May-Welby, Scottish Australian gender activist
1962 – Karen Duffy, American actress
1963 – Viviane Baladi, Swiss mathematician
1964 – Ruth Metzler, Swiss lawyer and politician
1965 – Manuel Sanchís Hontiyuelo, Spanish footballer
1965 – Tom Tykwer, German director, producer, screenwriter, and composer
1965 – Melissa McBride, American actress
1965 – Paul Sironen, Australian rugby league player
1966 – Graeme Hick, Zimbabwean-English cricketer and coach
1966 – Gary Roberts, Canadian ice hockey player and coach
1967 – Luís Roberto Alves, Mexican footballer
1967 – Anna Ibrisagic, Swedish politician
1968 – Guinevere Turner, American actress and screenwriter
1970 – Bryan Herta, American race car driver and businessman, co-founded Bryan Herta Autosport
1971 – George Osborne, English journalist and politician, former Chancellor of the Exchequer
1972 – Rubens Barrichello, Brazilian race car driver
1972 – Martin Saggers, English cricketer and umpire
1973 – Maxwell, American singer-songwriter and producer
1974 – Jewel, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, actress, and poet
1974 – Manuela Schwesig, German politician, German Federal Minister of Family Affairs
1976 – Ricardinho, Brazilian footballer and manager
1977 – Ilia Kulik, Russian figure skater
1978 – Scott Raynor, American drummer
1979 – Rasual Butler, American basketball player (d. 2018)
1979 – Brian Campbell, Canadian ice hockey player
1980 – Theofanis Gekas, Greek footballer
1980 – Ben Ross, Australian rugby league player
1983 – Silvio Proto, Belgian-Italian footballer
1984 – Hugo Almeida, Portuguese footballer
1985 – Sebastián Fernández, Uruguayan footballer
1985 – Teymuraz Gabashvili, Russian tennis player
1985 – Wim Stroetinga, Dutch cyclist
1985 – Ross Wallace, Scottish footballer
1986 – Ryan Coogler, American film director and screenwriter
1986 – Alexei Sitnikov, Russian-Azerbaijani figure skater
1986 – Alice Tait, Australian swimmer
1986 – Ruben Zadkovich, Australian footballer
1987 – Gracie Otto, Australian actress, director, producer, and screenwriter
1987 – Bray Wyatt, American wrestler
1988 – Rosanna Crawford, Canadian biathlete
1988 – Angelo Ogbonna, Italian footballer
1988 – Morgan Pressel, American golfer
1989 – Ezequiel Schelotto, Italian footballer
1990 – Dan Evans, British tennis player
1990 – Kristina Kucova, Slovakian tennis player
1990 – Oliver Venno, Estonian volleyball player
1991 – Aaron Donald, American football player
1991 – Lena Meyer-Landrut, German singer-songwriter
1991 – César Pinares, Chilean footballer
1996 – Katharina Althaus, German ski jumper
1996 – Emmanuel Boateng, Ghanaian footballer
1996 – Razvan Marin, Romanian footballer
1997 – Pedro Chirivella, Spanish footballer
1997 – Coy Craft, American footballer
1997 – Joe Gomez, English footballer
1997 – Gustaf Nilsson, Swedish footballer
1997 – Sam Timmins, New Zealand basketball player
1998 – Sérgio Sette Câmara, Brazilian race car driver
1998 – Ross Cunningham, Scottish footballer
1998 – Salwa Eid Naser, Bahraini track and field sprinter
1998 – Luca De La Torre, American footballer
1998 – Steve Lacy, American musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer
2000 – Felipe Drugovich, Brazilian race car driver
2000 – Jaxson Hayes, American basketball player

Deaths on May 23

230 – Urban I, pope of the Catholic Church
922 – Li Sizhao, Chinese general and governor
962 – Guibert of Gembloux, Frankish abbot (b. 892)
1125 – Henry V, Holy Roman Emperor (b. 1081)
1304 – Jehan de Lescurel, French poet and composer
1338 – Alice de Warenne, Countess of Arundel, English noble (b. 1287)
1370 – Toghon Temür, Mongol emperor (b. 1320)
1423 – Antipope Benedict XIII (b. 1328)
1498 – Girolamo Savonarola, Italian friar and preacher (b. 1452)
1523 – Ashikaga Yoshitane, Japanese shōgun (b. 1466)
1524 – Ismail I, First Emperor of Safavid Empire (b. 1487)
1591 – John Blitheman, English organist and composer (b. 1525)
1662 – John Gauden, English bishop (b. 1605)
1670 – Ferdinando II de’ Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany (b. 1610)
1691 – Adrien Auzout, French astronomer and instrument maker (b. 1622)
1701 – William Kidd, Scottish pirate (b. 1645)
1749 – Abraham ben Abraham, Polish martyr (b. 1700)
1752 – William Bradford, English-American printer (b. 1663)
1754 – John Wood, the Elder, English architect, designed The Circus and Queen Square (b. 1704)
1783 – James Otis, Jr., American lawyer and politician (b. 1725)
1813 – Géraud Duroc, French general and diplomat (b. 1772)
1815 – Gotthilf Heinrich Ernst Muhlenberg, American clergyman and botanist (b. 1753)
1841 – Franz Xaver von Baader, German philosopher and theologian (b. 1765)
1855 – Charles Robert Malden, English lieutenant and explorer (b. 1797)
1857 – Augustin-Louis Cauchy, French mathematician and academic (b. 1789)
1868 – Kit Carson, American general (b. 1809)
1886 – Leopold von Ranke, German historian and academic (b. 1795)
1893 – Anton von Schmerling, Austrian politician (b. 1805)
1895 – Franz Ernst Neumann, German mineralogist, physicist, and mathematician (b. 1798)
1906 – Henrik Ibsen, Norwegian director, playwright, and poet (b. 1828)
1908 – François Coppée, French poet and author (b. 1842)
1920 – Svetozar Boroević, Croatian-Austrian field marshal (b. 1856)
1921 – August Nilsson, Swedish shot putter and tug of war competitor (b. 1872)
1934 – Clyde Barrow, American criminal (b. 1909)
1934 – Mihkel Martna, Estonian journalist and politician (b. 1860)
1934 – Bonnie Parker, American criminal (b. 1910)
1937 – John D. Rockefeller, American businessman and philanthropist, founded the Standard Oil Company and Rockefeller University (b. 1839)
1938 – Frederick Ruple, Swiss-American painter (b. 1871)
1942 – Panagiotis Toundas, Greek composer and conductor (b. 1886)
1945 – Heinrich Himmler, German commander and politician, Reich Minister of the Interior (b. 1900)
1947 – Charles-Ferdinand Ramuz, Swiss author and poet (b. 1878)
1949 – Jan Frans De Boever, Belgian painter and illustrator (b. 1872)
1956 – Gustav Suits, Latvian-Estonian poet and politician (b. 1883)
1960 – Georges Claude, French engineer and inventor, created Neon lighting (b. 1870)
1962 – Louis Coatalen, French engineer (b. 1879)
1963 – August Jakobson, Estonian author and politician (b. 1904)
1965 – David Smith, American sculptor (b. 1906)
1975 – Moms Mabley, American comedian and actor (b. 1894)
1979 – S. Selvanayagam, Sri Lankan geographer and academic (b. 1932)
1981 – Gene Green, American baseball player (b. 1933)
1981 – Rayner Heppenstall, English author and poet (b. 1911)
1981 – George Jessel, American actor, singer, and producer (b. 1898)
1981 – David Lewis, Belarusian-Canadian lawyer and politician (b. 1909)
1986 – Sterling Hayden, American actor (b. 1916)
1989 – Georgy Tovstonogov, Russian director and producer (b. 1915)
1989 – Karl Koch, German computer hacker (b. 1965)
1991 – Wilhelm Kempff, German pianist and composer (b. 1895)
1991 – Jean Van Houtte, Belgian academic and politician, 50th Prime Minister of Belgium (b. 1907)
1991 – Fletcher Markle, Canadian director, screenwriter, and producer (b. 1921)
1992 – Kostas Davourlis, Greek footballer (b. 1948)
1992 – Giovanni Falcone, Italian lawyer and judge (b. 1939)
1994 – Olav Hauge, Norwegian poet (b. 1908)
1996 – Kronid Lyubarsky, Russian journalist and activist (b. 1934)
1998 – Telford Taylor, American general and lawyer (b. 1908)
1999 – Owen Hart, Canadian-American wrestler (b. 1965)
2002 – Sam Snead, American golfer and journalist (b. 1912)
2006 – Lloyd Bentsen, American colonel and politician, 69th United States Secretary of the Treasury (b. 1921)
2006 – Kazimierz Górski, Polish footballer and manager (b. 1921)
2008 – Iñaki Ochoa de Olza, Spanish mountaineer (b. 1967)
2008 – Utah Phillips, American singer-songwriter and poet (b. 1935)
2009 – Roh Moo-hyun, South Korean soldier and politician, 9th President of South Korea (b. 1946)
2010 – José Lima, Dominican-American baseball player (b. 1972)
2010 – Simon Monjack, English director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1970)
2011 – Xavier Tondo, Spanish cyclist (b. 1978)
2012 – Paul Fussell, American historian, author, and academic (b. 1924)
2013 – Epy Guerrero, Dominican baseball player, coach, and scout (b. 1942)
2013 – Hayri Kozakçıoğlu, Turkish police officer and politician, 15th Governor of Istanbul Province (b. 1938)
2013 – Georges Moustaki, Egyptian-French singer-songwriter and guitarist (b. 1934)
2013 – Flynn Robinson, American basketball player (b. 1941)
2014 – Mikhail Egorovich Alekseev, Russian linguist and academic (b. 1949)
2014 – Madhav Mantri, Indian cricketer (b. 1921)
2015 – Anne Meara, American actress, comedian and playwright (b. 1929)
2015 – Aleksey Mozgovoy, Ukrainian sergeant (b. 1975)
2015 – Alicia Nash, Salvadoran-American physicist and engineer (b. 1933)
2015 – John Forbes Nash, Jr., American mathematician and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1928)
2017 – Roger Moore, English actor (b. 1927)
2020 – Hana Kimura, Japanese professional wrestler (b. 1997)

Holidays and observances on May 23

Christian feast day:
- Aaron the Illustrious (Syriac Orthodox Church)
- Desiderius of Vienne
- Giovanni Battista de’ Rossi
- Julia of Corsica
- Nicolaus Copernicus and Johannes Kepler (Episcopal Church (USA))
- Quintian, Lucius and Julian
- William of Perth
- May 23 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
Constitution Day (Germany)
Earliest day on which Declaration of the Báb can fall, while May 24 is the latest; observed on ‘Aẓamat 8 (Bahá’í Faith)
Earliest day on which National Heroes’ Day can fall, while May 31 is the latest; celebrated on last Monday of May. (Turks and Caicos Islands)
Labour Day (Jamaica)
Students’ Day (Mexico)
World Turtle Day

May 23 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day Read More »

On This Day

May 22 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day

On This Day / admin

192 – Dong Zhuo is assassinated by his adopted son Lü Bu.
760 – Fourteenth recorded perihelion passage of Halley’s Comet.
853 – A Byzantine fleet sacks and destroys undefended Damietta in Egypt.
1176 – The Hashshashin (Assassins) attempt to assassinate Saladin near Aleppo.
1200 – King John of England and King Philip II of France sign the Treaty of Le Goulet.
1246 – Henry Raspe is elected anti-king of the Kingdom of Germany in opposition to Conrad IV.
1254 – Serbian King Stefan Uroš I and the Republic of Venice sign a peace treaty.
1370 – Brussels massacre: Hundreds of Jews are murdered and the rest of the Jewish community is banished from Brussels, Belgium, for allegedly desecrating consecrated Host.
1377 – Pope Gregory XI issues five papal bulls to denounce the doctrines of English theologian John Wycliffe.
1455 – Start of the Wars of the Roses: At the First Battle of St Albans, Richard, Duke of York, defeats and captures King Henry VI of England.
1520 – The massacre at the festival of Tóxcatl takes place during the Fall of Tenochtitlan, resulting in turning the Aztecs against the Spanish.
1629 – Holy Roman Emperor Ferdinand II and Danish King Christian IV sign the Treaty of Lübeck ending Danish intervention in the Thirty Years’ War.
1762 – Sweden and Prussia sign the Treaty of Hamburg.
1762 – Trevi Fountain is officially completed and inaugurated in Rome.
1766 – A large earthquake causes heavy damage and loss of life in Istanbul and the Marmara region.
1804 – The Lewis and Clark Expedition officially begins as the Corps of Discovery departs from St. Charles, Missouri.
1807 – A grand jury indicts former Vice President of the United States Aaron Burr on a charge of treason.
1809 – On the second and last day of the Battle of Aspern-Essling (near Vienna, Austria), Napoleon I is repelled by an enemy army for the first time.
1816 – A mob in Littleport, Cambridgeshire, England, riots over high unemployment and rising grain costs, and the riots spread to Ely the next day.
1819 – SS Savannah leaves port at Savannah, Georgia, United States, on a voyage to become the first steamship to cross the Atlantic Ocean.
1826 – HMS Beagle departs on its first voyage.
1840 – The penal transportation of British convicts to the New South Wales colony is abolished.
1848 – Slavery is abolished in Martinique.
1849 – Future U.S. President Abraham Lincoln is issued a patent for an invention to lift boats, making him the only U.S. president to ever hold a patent.
1856 – Congressman Preston Brooks of South Carolina severely beats Senator Charles Sumner of Massachusetts with a cane in the hall of the United States Senate for a speech Sumner had made regarding Southerners and slavery.
1863 – American Civil War: Union forces begin the Siege of Port Hudson which lasts 48 days, the longest siege in U.S. military history.
1864 – American Civil War: After ten weeks, the Union Army’s Red River Campaign ends in failure.
1872 – Reconstruction Era: President Ulysses S. Grant signs the Amnesty Act into law, restoring full civil and political rights to all but about 500 Confederate sympathizers.
1900 – The Associated Press is formed in New York City as a non-profit news cooperative.
1906 – The Wright brothers are granted U.S. patent number 821,393 for their “Flying-Machine”.
1915 – Lassen Peak erupts with a powerful force, the only volcano besides Mount St. Helens to erupt in the contiguous U.S. during the 20th century.
1915 – Three trains collide in the Quintinshill rail disaster near Gretna Green, Scotland, killing 227 people and injuring 246.
1926 – Chiang Kai-shek replaces the communists in Kuomintang China.
1927 – Near Xining, China, an 8.3 magnitude earthquake causes 200,000 deaths in one of the world’s most destructive earthquakes.
1939 – World War II: Germany and Italy sign the Pact of Steel.
1941 – During the Anglo-Iraqi War, British troops take Fallujah.
1942 – Mexico enters the Second World War on the side of the Allies.
1943 – Joseph Stalin disbands the Comintern.
1947 – Cold War: The Truman Doctrine goes into effect, aiding Turkey and Greece.
1957 – South Africa’s government approves of racial separation in universities.
1958 – The 1958 riots in Ceylon become a watershed in the race relations of various ethnic communities of Sri Lanka. The total deaths is estimated at 300, mostly Tamils.
1960 – The Great Chilean earthquake, measuring 9.5 on the moment magnitude scale, hits southern Chile, becoming the most powerful earthquake ever recorded.
1962 – Continental Airlines Flight 11 crashes after bombs explode on board.
1963 – Greek left-wing politician Grigoris Lambrakis is shot in an assassination attempt, and dies five days later.
1964 – Lyndon B. Johnson launches the Great Society.
1967 – Egypt closes the Straits of Tiran to Israeli shipping.
1967 – L’Innovation department store in Brussels, Belgium, burns down, resulting in 323 dead or missing and 150 injured, the most devastating fire in Belgian history.
1968 – The nuclear-powered submarine USS Scorpion sinks with 99 men aboard, 400 miles southwest of the Azores.
1969 – Apollo 10’s lunar module flies within 8.4 nautical miles (16 km) of the moon’s surface.
1972 – Ceylon adopts a new constitution, becoming a republic and changing its name to Sri Lanka, and joins the Commonwealth of Nations.
1972 – Over 400 women in Derry, Northern Ireland attack the offices of Sinn Féin following the shooting by the Irish Republican Army of a young British soldier on leave.
1987 – Hashimpura massacre occurs in Meerut, India.
1987 – First ever Rugby World Cup kicks off with New Zealand playing Italy at Eden Park in Auckland, New Zealand.
1990 – North and South Yemen are unified to create the Republic of Yemen.
1992 – Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia and Slovenia join the United Nations.
1994 – A worldwide trade embargo against Haiti goes into effect to punish its military rulers for not reinstating the country’s ousted elected leader, Jean-Bertrand Aristide.
1996 – The Burmese military regime jails 71 supporters of Aung San Suu Kyi in a bid to block a pro-democracy meeting.
1998 – A U.S. federal judge rules that U.S. Secret Service agents can be compelled to testify before a grand jury concerning the Lewinsky scandal involving President Bill Clinton.
2000 – In Sri Lanka, over 150 Tamil rebels are killed over two days of fighting for control in Jaffna.
2002 – Civil rights movement: A jury in Birmingham, Alabama, convicts former Ku Klux Klan member Bobby Frank Cherry of the 1963 murder of four girls in the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing.
2010 – Air India Express Boeing 737 crashes over a cliff upon landing at Mangalore, India, killing 158 of 166 people on board, becoming the deadliest crash involving a Boeing 737.
2010 – Inter Milan beat Bayern Munich 2–0 in the Uefa Champions League final in Madrid, Spain to become the first, and so far only, Italian team to win the historic treble (Serie A, Coppa Italia, Champions League).
2011 – An EF5 tornado strikes Joplin, Missouri, killing 158 people and wreaking $2.8 billion in damages, the costliest and seventh-deadliest single tornado in U.S. history.
2012 – Tokyo Skytree opens to the public. It is the tallest tower in the world (634 m), and the second tallest man-made structure on Earth after Burj Khalifa (829.8 m).
2014 – General Prayut Chan-o-cha becomes interim leader of Thailand in a military coup d’état, following six months of political turmoil.
2014 – An explosion occurs in Ürümqi, capital of China’s far-western Xinjiang region, resulting in at least 43 deaths and 91 injuries.
2015 – The Republic of Ireland becomes the first nation in the world to legalize gay marriage in a public referendum.
2017 – Twenty-two people are killed at an Ariana Grande concert in the 2017 Manchester Arena bombing.
2017 – United States President Donald Trump visits the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem and becomes the first sitting U.S. president to visit the Western Wall.

Births on May 22

626 – Itzam K’an Ahk I, Mayan king (d. 686)
1009 – Su Xun, Chinese writer (d. 1066)
1408 – Annamacharya, Hindu saint (d. 1503)
1539 – Edward Seymour, 1st Earl of Hertford (d. 1621)
1622 – Louis de Buade de Frontenac, French soldier and governor (d. 1698)
1644 – Gabriël Grupello, Flemish Baroque sculptor (d. 1730)
1650 – Richard Brakenburgh, Dutch Golden Age painter (d. 1702)
1694 – Daniel Gran, Austrian painter (d. 1757)
1715 – François-Joachim de Pierre de Bernis, French cardinal and diplomat (d. 1794)
1733 – Hubert Robert, French painter (d. 1808)
1752 – Louis Legendre, French butcher and politician (d. 1797)
1762 – Henry Bathurst, 3rd Earl Bathurst, English politician (d. 1834)
1770 – Princess Elizabeth of the United Kingdom (d. 1840)
1772 – Ram Mohan Roy, Indian philosopher and reformer (d. 1833)
1782 – Hirose Tansō, Japanese neo-Confucian scholar, teacher, writer (d. 1856)
1783 – William Sturgeon, English physicist and inventor, invented the electromagnet and electric motor (d. 1850)
1808 – Gérard de Nerval, French poet and translator (d. 1855)
1811 – Giulia Grisi, Italian soprano (d. 1869)
1811 – Henry Pelham-Clinton, 5th Duke of Newcastle, English politician (d. 1864)
1813 – Richard Wagner, German composer (d. 1883)
1814 – Amalia Lindegren, Swedish painter (d. 1891)
1820 – Worthington Whittredge, American painter (d. 1910)
1828 – Albrecht von Graefe, German ophthalmologist and academic (d. 1870)
1831 – Henry Vandyke Carter, English anatomist and surgeon (d. 1897)
1833 – Félix Bracquemond, French painter and etcher (d. 1914)
1833 – Manuel Ruiz Zorrilla, Spanish politician, Prime Minister of Spain (d. 1895)
1841 – Catulle Mendès, French poet, author, and playwright (d. 1909)
1844 – Mary Cassatt, American painter and educator (d. 1926)
1846 – Rita Cetina Gutiérrez, Mexican poet, educator, and activist (d. 1908)
1848 – Fritz von Uhde, German painter and educator (d. 1911)
1849 – Aston Webb, English architect and academic (d. 1930)
1858 – Belmiro de Almeida, Brazilian painter, illustrator, sculptor (d. 1935)
1859 – Arthur Conan Doyle, British writer (d. 1930)
1859 – Tsubouchi Shōyō, Japanese author, playwright, and educator (d. 1935)
1864 – Willy Stöwer, German author and illustrator (d. 1931)
1868 – Augusto Pestana, Brazilian engineer and politician (d. 1934)
1874 – Daniel François Malan, South African clergyman and politician, 5th Prime Minister of South Africa (d. 1959)
1876 – Julius Klinger, Austrian painter and illustrator (d. 1942)
1879 – Warwick Armstrong, Australian cricketer and journalist (d. 1947)
1879 – Jean Cras, French admiral and composer (d. 1932)
1879 – Symon Petliura, Ukrainian statesman and independence leader (d. 1926)
1880 – Francis de Miomandre, French author and translator (d. 1959)
1885 – Giacomo Matteotti, Italian lawyer and politician (d. 1924)
1885 – Soemu Toyoda, Japanese admiral (d. 1957)
1887 – A. W. Sandberg, Danish film director and screenwriter (d. 1938)
1891 – Johannes R. Becher, German politician, novelist, and poet (d. 1958)
1894 – Friedrich Pollock, German sociologist and philosopher (d. 1970)
1897 – Robert Neumann, German and English-speaking author (d. 1975)
1900 – Juan Arvizu, Mexican lyric opera tenor and bolero vocalist (d.1985)
1901 – Maurice J. Tobin, American politician, 6th United States Secretary of Labor (d. 1953)
1902 – Jack Lambert, English footballer and manager (d. 1940)
1902 – Al Simmons, American baseball player and coach (d. 1956)
1904 – Uno Lamm, Swedish electrical engineer and inventor (d. 1989)
1905 – Bodo von Borries, German physicist and academic, co-invented the electron microscope (d. 1956)
1905 – Tom Driberg, British politician (d. 1976)
1907 – Hergé, Belgian author and illustrator (d. 1983)
1907 – Laurence Olivier, English actor, director, and producer (d. 1989)
1908 – Horton Smith, American golfer and captain (d. 1963)
1909 – Margaret Mee, English illustrator and educator (d. 1988)
1912 – Herbert C. Brown, English-American chemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 2004)
1913 – Rafael Gil, Spanish director and screenwriter (d. 1986)
1913 – Dominique Rolin, Belgian author (d. 2012)
1914 – Max Kohnstamm, Dutch historian and diplomat (d. 2010)
1914 – Sun Ra, American pianist, composer, bandleader, poet (d. 1993)
1917 – George Aratani, American businessman and philanthropist (d. 2013)
1917 – Jean-Louis Curtis, French author (d. 1995)
1919 – Paul Vanden Boeynants, Belgian businessman and politician, 55th Prime Minister of Belgium (d. 2001)
1920 – Thomas Gold, Austrian-American astrophysicist and academic (d. 2004)
1921 – George S. Hammond, American scientist (d. 2005)
1922 – Quinn Martin, American screenwriter and producer (d. 1987)
1924 – Charles Aznavour, French-Armenian singer-songwriter and actor (d. 2018)
1925 – Jean Tinguely, Swiss painter and sculptor (d. 1991)
1927 – Michael Constantine, American actor
1927 – Peter Matthiessen, American novelist, short story writer, editor, co-founded The Paris Review (d. 2014)
1927 – George Andrew Olah, Hungarian-American chemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 2017)
1928 – Serge Doubrovsky, French theorist and author (d. 2017)
1928 – John Mackenzie, Scottish director and producer (d. 2011)
1928 – T. Boone Pickens, American businessman (d. 2019)
1928 – Hiroshi Sano, Japanese novelist (d. 2013)
1929 – Ahmed Fouad Negm, Egyptian poet (d. 2013)
1930 – Kenny Ball, English jazz trumpet player, vocalist, and bandleader (d. 2013)
1930 – Marisol Escobar, French-American sculptor (d. 2016)
1930 – Harvey Milk, American lieutenant and politician (d. 1978)
1932 – Robert Spitzer, American psychiatrist and academic (d. 2015)
1933 – Chen Jingrun, Chinese mathematician and academic (d. 1996)
1934 – Peter Nero, American pianist and conductor
1936 – George H. Heilmeier, American engineer (d. 2014)
1937 – Facundo Cabral, Argentinian singer-songwriter (d. 2011)
1938 – Richard Benjamin, American actor and director
1938 – Susan Strasberg, American actress (d. 1999)
1939 – Paul Winfield, American actor (d. 2004)
1940 – Kieth Merrill, American filmmaker
1940 – Michael Sarrazin, Canadian actor (d. 2011)
1940 – Bernard Shaw, American journalist
1940 – Mick Tingelhoff, American Pro Football Hall of Famer
1941 – Menzies Campbell, Scottish sprinter and politician
1942 – Roger Brown, American basketball player (d. 1997)
1942 – Ted Kaczynski, American academic and mathematician turned anarchist and serial murderer (Unabomber)
1942 – Barbara Parkins, Canadian actress
1942 – Richard Oakes, Native American civil rights activist (d. 1972)
1943 – Betty Williams, Northern Irish peace activist, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 2020)
1943 – Tommy John, American baseball player
1944 – John Flanagan, Australian fantasy author
1945 – Bob Katter, Australian politician
1946 – George Best, Northern Irish footballer and manager (d. 2005)
1946 – Michael Green, English physicist and academic
1946 – Howard Kendall, English footballer and manager (d. 2015)
1946 – Andrei Marga, Romanian philosopher, political scientist, politician
1946 – Lyudmila Zhuravleva, Russian-Ukrainian astronomer
1948 – Tomás Sánchez, Cuban painter and engraver
1948 – Nedumudi Venu, Indian actor and screenwriter
1949 – Cheryl Campbell, English actress
1949 – Valentin Inzko, Austrian diplomat
1950 – Bernie Taupin, English singer-songwriter and poet
1953 – François Bon, French writer
1953 – Cha Bum-kun, South Korean footballer and manager
1953 – Paul Mariner, English footballer, coach, and manager
1954 – Barbara May Cameron, Native American human rights activist (d. 2002)
1954 – Shuji Nakamura, Japanese-American physicist and engineer, Nobel Prize laureate
1956 – Lucie Brock-Broido, American poet (d. 2018)
1957 – Lisa Murkowski, American lawyer and politician
1959 – David Blatt, Israeli-American basketball player and coach
1959 – Morrissey, English singer-songwriter and performer
1959 – Kwak Jae-yong, South Korean director and screenwriter
1959 – Mehbooba Mufti, Indian politician
1960 – Hideaki Anno, Japanese animator, director, and screenwriter
1962 – Brian Pillman, American football player and wrestler (d. 1997)
1963 – Claude Closky, French contemporary artist
1965 – Jay Carney, American journalist, 29th White House Press Secretary
1966 – Johnny Gill, American singer-songwriter and producer
1966 – Wang Xiaoshuai, Chinese director and screenwriter
1968 – Graham Linehan, Irish comedian, actor, and author
1969 – Cathy McMorris Rodgers, American lawyer and politician
1970 – Naomi Campbell, English model
1970 – Brody Stevens, American comedian and actor (d. 2019)
1972 – Max Brooks, American author and screenwriter
1973 – Nikolaj Lie Kaas, Danish actor
1974 – Garba Lawal, Nigerian footballer
1974 – Henrietta Ónodi, Hungarian Olympic gymnast
1974 – Arseniy Yatsenyuk, Ukrainian politician
1975 – Salva Ballesta, Spanish footballer and manager
1976 – Christian Vande Velde, American cyclist
1978 – Ginnifer Goodwin, American actress
1978 – Katie Price, English television personality and glamour model
1979 – Maggie Q, American actress
1979 – Nazanin Boniadi, Iranian-American actress
1980 – Sharice Davids, American politician
1980 – Lucy Gordon, British actress and model (d. 2009)
1981 – Daniel Bryan, American wrestler
1981 – Bassel Khartabil, Syrian computer programmer and engineer (d. 2015)
1981 – Jürgen Melzer, Austrian tennis player
1982 – Erin McNaught, Australian model and actress
1982 – Apolo Ohno, American speed skater
1982 – Hong Yong-jo, North Korean footballer
1983 – Natasha Kai, American soccer player and Olympic medalist
1984 – Karoline Herfurth, German actress
1984 – Didier Ya Konan, Ivorian footballer
1984 – Dustin Moskovitz, American entrepreneur, co-founder of Facebook
1985 – Tranquillo Barnetta, Swiss footballer
1985 – Tao Okamoto, Japanese model and actress
1986 – Julian Edelman, American football player
1986 – Matt Jarvis, English footballer
1986 – Tatiana Volosozhar, Russian figure skater
1987 – Novak Djokovic, Serbian tennis player
1987 – Arturo Vidal, Chilean footballer
1988 – Heida Reed, Icelandic-British actress
1989 – Corey Dickerson, American baseball player
1990 – Wyatt Roy, Australian politician
1991 – Joel Obi, Nigerian footballer
1991 – Suho, South Korean singer and actor
1992 – Anna Baryshnikov, American actress
1994 – Florian Luger, Austrian male model
1998 – Samile Bermannelli, Brazilian fashion model
1999 – Camren Bicondova, American actress
1999 – Femke Huijzer, Dutch model

Deaths on May 22

192 – Dong Zhuo, Chinese warlord and politician (b. 138)
337 – Constantine the Great, Roman emperor (b. 272)
748 – Empress Genshō of Japan (b. 683)
1067 – Constantine X, Byzantine Emperor (b. 1006)
1068 – Emperor Go-Reizei of Japan (b. 1025)
1310 – Saint Humility, founder of the Vallumbrosan religious order of nuns (b. c.1226)
1409 – Blanche of England, sister of King Henry V (b. 1392)
1455 – Edmund Beaufort, 2nd Duke of Somerset, English commander (b. 1406)
1455 – Thomas Clifford, 8th Baron de Clifford, Lancastrian commander (b. 1414)
1455 – Henry Percy, 2nd Earl of Northumberland, English commander (b. 1393)
1457 – Rita of Cascia, Italian nun and saint (b. 1381)
1490 – Edmund Grey, 1st Earl of Kent, English administrator, nobleman and magnate (b. 1416)
1538 – John Forest, English friar and martyr (b. 1471)
1540 – Francesco Guicciardini, Italian historian and politician (b. 1483)
1545 – Sher Shah Suri, Indian ruler (b. 1486)
1553 – Giovanni Bernardi, Italian sculptor and engraver (b. 1495)
1602 – Renata of Lorraine (b. 1544)
1609 – Pieter Willemsz. Verhoeff, Dutch captain (b. 1573)
1666 – Gaspar Schott, German physicist and mathematician (b. 1608)
1667 – Pope Alexander VII (b. 1599)
1745 – François-Marie, 1st duc de Broglie, French general (b. 1671)
1760 – Baal Shem Tov, Polish rabbi and author (b. 1700)
1772 – Durastante Natalucci, Italian historian and academic (b. 1687)
1795 – Ewald Friedrich von Hertzberg, Prussian politician, Foreign Minister of Prussia (b. 1725)
1802 – Martha Washington, First, First Lady of the United States (b. 1731)
1851 – Mordecai Manuel Noah, American journalist and diplomat (b. 1755)
1859 – Ferdinand II of the Two Sicilies (b. 1810)
1861 – Thornsbury Bailey Brown, American soldier (b. 1829)
1868 – Julius Plücker, German mathematician and physicist (b. 1801)
1885 – Victor Hugo, French novelist, poet, and playwright (b. 1802)
1901 – Gaetano Bresci, Italian-American anarchist, assassin of Umberto I of Italy (b. 1869)
1910 – Jules Renard, French author and playwright (b. 1864)
1932 – Augusta, Lady Gregory, Anglo-Irish activist, landlord, and playwright, co-founded the Abbey Theatre (b. 1852)
1933 – Tsengeltiin Jigjidjav, Mongolian politician, 10th Prime Minister of Mongolia (b. 1894)
1938 – William Glackens, American painter and illustrator (b. 1870)
1939 – Ernst Toller, German playwright and author (b. 1893)
1939 – Jiří Mahen, Czech author and playwright (b. 1882)
1954 – Chief Bender, American baseball player, coach, and manager (b. 1884)
1965 – Christopher Stone, English radio host (b. 1882)
1966 – Tom Goddard, English cricketer (b. 1900)
1967 – Langston Hughes, American poet, social activist, novelist, and playwright (b. 1902)
1967 – Charlotte Serber, American Librarian of the Manhattan Project’s Los Alamos site (b. 1911)
1972 – Cecil Day-Lewis, Anglo-Irish poet and author (b. 1904)
1972 – Margaret Rutherford, English actress (b. 1892)
1974 – Irmgard Flügge-Lotz, German-American mathematician and aerospace engineer (b. 1903)
1975 – Lefty Grove, American baseball player (b. 1900)
1982 – Cevdet Sunay, Turkish general and politician, 5th President of Turkey (b. 1899)
1983 – Albert Claude, Belgian biologist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1899)
1985 – Wolfgang Reitherman, German-American animator, director, and producer (b. 1909)
1988 – Giorgio Almirante, Italian journalist and politician (b. 1914)
1989 – Steven De Groote, South African pianist and educator (b. 1953)
1990 – Rocky Graziano, American boxer (b. 1922)
1991 – Shripad Amrit Dange, Indian lawyer and politician (b. 1899)
1991 – Stan Mortensen, English footballer and manager (b. 1921)
1992 – Zellig Harris, American linguist and academic (b. 1909)
1993 – Mieczysław Horszowski, Polish-American pianist and composer (b. 1892)
1997 – Alziro Bergonzo, Italian architect and painter (b. 1906)
1997 – Alfred Hershey, American biochemist and geneticist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1908)
1998 – John Derek, American actor, director, and photographer (b. 1926)
1998 – José Enrique Moyal, Israeli physicist and engineer (b. 1910)
2000 – Davie Fulton, Canadian lawyer, judge, and politician (b. 1916)
2004 – Richard Biggs, American actor (b. 1960)
2004 – Mikhail Voronin, Russian gymnast (b. 1945)
2005 – Charilaos Florakis, Greek politician (b. 1914)
2005 – Thurl Ravenscroft, American voice actor and singer (b. 1914)
2006 – Lee Jong-wook, South Korean physician and diplomat (b. 1945)
2007 – Pemba Doma Sherpa, Nepalese mountaineer (b. 1970)
2008 – Robert Asprin, American soldier and author (b. 1946)
2010 – Martin Gardner, American mathematician, cryptographer, and author (b. 1914)
2011 – Joseph Brooks, American director, producer, screenwriter, and composer (b. 1938)
2012 – Muzafar Bhutto, Pakistani politician (b. 1970)
2012 – Wesley A. Brown, American lieutenant and engineer (b. 1927)
2013 – Sigurd Ottovich Schmidt, Russian historian and ethnographer (b. 1922)
2015 – Marques Haynes, American basketball player and coach (b. 1926)
2015 – Vladimir Katriuk, Ukrainian-Canadian SS officer (b. 1921)
2016 – Velimir “Bata” Živojinović, Serbian actor and politician (b. 1933)
2017 – Nicky Hayden, American motorcycle racer (b. 1981)
2019 – Judith Kerr, German-born British writer and illustrator (b. 1923)
2020 – Denise Cronenberg, Canadian costume designer (b. 1938)

Holidays and observances on May 22

Abolition Day (Martinique)
Christian feast day:
- Castus and Emilius
- Fulk
- Humilita
- Michael Hồ Đình Hy (one of Vietnamese Martyrs)
- Quiteria
- Rita of Cascia
- Romanus of Subiaco
- May 22 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
Harvey Milk Day (California)
International Day for Biological Diversity (International)
United States National Maritime Day
National Sovereignty Day (Haiti)
Republic Day (Sri Lanka)
Translation of the Relics of Saint Nicholas from Myra to Bari (Ukraine)
Unity Day (Yemen), celebrates the unification of North and South Yemen into the Republic of Yemen in 1990.
World Goth Day

May 22 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day Read More »

On This Day

May 21 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day

On This Day / admin

293 – Roman Emperors Diocletian and Maximian appoint Galerius as Caesar to Diocletian, beginning the period of four rulers known as the Tetrarchy.
878 – Syracuse, Sicily, is captured by the Muslim Aghlabids after a nine-month siege.
879 – Pope John VIII gives blessings to Branimir of Croatia and to the Croatian people, considered to be international recognition of the Croatian state.
996 – Sixteen-year-old Otto III is crowned Holy Roman Emperor.
1349 – Dušan’s Code, the constitution of the Serbian Empire, is enacted by Dušan the Mighty.
1403 – Henry III of Castile sends Ruy González de Clavijo as ambassador to Timur to discuss the possibility of an alliance between Timur and Castile against the Ottoman Empire.
1554 – Queen Mary I grants a royal charter to Derby School, as a grammar school for boys in Derby, England.
1659 – In the Concert of The Hague, the Dutch Republic, the Commonwealth of England and the Kingdom of France set out their views on how the Second Northern War should end.
1660 – The Battle of Long Sault concludes after five days in which French colonial militia, with their Huron and Algonquin allies, are defeated by the Iroquois Confederacy.
1674 – The nobility elect John Sobieski King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania.
1703 – Daniel Defoe is imprisoned on charges of seditious libel.
1725 – The Order of St. Alexander Nevsky is instituted in Russia by Empress Catherine I. It would later be discontinued and then reinstated by the Soviet government in 1942 as the Order of Alexander Nevsky.
1758 – Ten-year-old Mary Campbell is abducted in Pennsylvania by Lenape during the French and Indian War. She is returned six and a half years later.
1792 – A lava dome collapses on Mount Unzen, near the city of Shimbara on the Japanese island of Kyūshū, creating a deadly tsunami that kills nearly 15,000 people.
1809 – The first day of the Battle of Aspern-Essling between the Austrian army led by Archduke Charles and the French army led by Napoleon I of France sees the French attack across the Danube held.
1851 – Slavery in Colombia is abolished.
1856 – Lawrence, Kansas is captured and burned by pro-slavery forces.
1863 – American Civil War: The Union Army succeeds in closing off the last escape route from Port Hudson, Louisiana, in preparation for the coming siege.
1864 – Russia declares an end to the Russo-Circassian War and many Circassians are forced into exile. The day is designated the Circassian Day of Mourning.
1864 – American Civil War: The Battle of Spotsylvania Court House ends.
1864 – The Ionian Islands reunite with Greece.
1871 – French troops invade the Paris Commune and engage its residents in street fighting. By the close of “Bloody Week”, some 20,000 communards have been killed and 38,000 arrested.
1871 – Opening of the first rack railway in Europe, the Rigi Bahnen on Mount Rigi.
1879 – War of the Pacific: Two Chilean ships blocking the harbor of Iquique (then belonging to Peru) battle two Peruvian vessels in the Battle of Iquique.
1881 – The American Red Cross is established by Clara Barton in Washington, D.C.
1894 – The Manchester Ship Canal in the United Kingdom is officially opened by Queen Victoria, who later knights its designer Sir Edward Leader Williams.
1904 – The Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) is founded in Paris.
1911 – President of Mexico Porfirio Díaz and the revolutionary Francisco Madero sign the Treaty of Ciudad Juárez to put an end to the fighting between the forces of both men, concluding the initial phase of the Mexican Revolution.
1917 – The Imperial War Graves Commission is established through royal charter to mark, record, and maintain the graves and places of commemoration of the British Empire’s military forces.
1917 – The Great Atlanta fire of 1917 causes $5.5 million in damages, destroying some 300 acres including 2,000 homes, businesses and churches, displacing about 10,000 people but leading to only one fatality (due to heart attack).
1924 – University of Chicago students Richard Loeb and Nathan Leopold, Jr. murder 14-year-old Bobby Franks in a “thrill killing”.
1927 – Charles Lindbergh touches down at Le Bourget Field in Paris, completing the world’s first solo nonstop flight across the Atlantic Ocean.
1932 – Bad weather forces Amelia Earhart to land in a pasture in Derry, Northern Ireland, and she thereby becomes the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean.
1934 – Oskaloosa, Iowa, becomes the first municipality in the United States to fingerprint all of its citizens.
1936 – Sada Abe is arrested after wandering the streets of Tokyo for days with her dead lover’s severed genitals in her handbag. Her story soon becomes one of Japan’s most notorious scandals.
1937 – A Soviet station, North Pole-1, becomes the first scientific research settlement to operate on the drift ice of the Arctic Ocean.
1939 – The Canadian National War Memorial is unveiled by King George VI and Queen Elizabeth in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
1946 – Physicist Louis Slotin is fatally irradiated in a criticality incident during an experiment with the demon core at Los Alamos National Laboratory.
1951 – The opening of the Ninth Street Show, otherwise known as the 9th Street Art Exhibition: A gathering of a number of notable artists, and the stepping-out of the post war New York avant-garde, collectively known as the New York School.
1961 – American civil rights movement: Alabama Governor John Malcolm Patterson declares martial law in an attempt to restore order after race riots break out.
1966 – The Ulster Volunteer Force declares war on the Irish Republican Army in Northern Ireland.
1969 – Civil unrest in Rosario, Argentina, known as Rosariazo, following the death of a 15-year-old student.
1972 – Michelangelo’s Pietà in St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome is damaged by a vandal, the mentally disturbed Hungarian geologist Laszlo Toth.
1976 – Twenty-nine people are killed in the Yuba City bus disaster in Martinez, California.
1979 – White Night riots in San Francisco following the manslaughter conviction of Dan White for the assassinations of George Moscone and Harvey Milk.
1981 – The Italian government releases the membership list of Propaganda Due, an illegal pseudo-Masonic lodge that was implicated in numerous Italian crimes and mysteries.
1981 – Transamerica Corporation agrees to sell United Artists to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer for $380 million after the box office failure of the 1980 film Heaven’s Gate.
1982 – Falklands War: A British amphibious assault during Operation Sutton leads to the Battle of San Carlos.
1991 – Former Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi is assassinated by a female suicide bomber near Madras.
1991 – Mengistu Haile Mariam, president of the People’s Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, flees Ethiopia, effectively bringing the Ethiopian Civil War to an end.
1992 – After 30 seasons Johnny Carson hosted his penultimate episode and last featuring guests (Robin Williams and Bette Midler) of The Tonight Show.
1994 – The Democratic Republic of Yemen unsuccessfully attempts to secede from the Republic of Yemen; a war breaks out.
1996 – The ferry MV Bukoba sinks in Tanzanian waters on Lake Victoria, killing nearly 1,000.
1998 – In Miami, five abortion clinics are attacked by a butyric acid attacker.
1998 – President Suharto of Indonesia resigns following the killing of students from Trisakti University earlier that week by security forces and growing mass protests in Jakarta against his ongoing corrupt rule.
2001 – French Taubira law is enacted, officially recognizing the Atlantic slave trade and slavery as crimes against humanity.
2003 – The 6.8 M_w  Boumerdès earthquake shakes northern Algeria with a maximum Mercalli intensity of X (Extreme). More than 2,200 people were killed and a moderate tsunami sank boats at the Balearic Islands.
2005 – The tallest roller coaster in the world, Kingda Ka opens at Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson Township, New Jersey.
2006 – The Republic of Montenegro holds a referendum proposing independence from the State Union of Serbia and Montenegro; 55% of Montenegrins vote for independence.
2010 – JAXA, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, launches the solar-sail spacecraft IKAROS aboard an H-IIA rocket. The vessel would make a Venus flyby late in the year.
2011 – Radio broadcaster Harold Camping predicted that the world would end on this date.
2012 – A bus accident near Himara, Albania kills 13 people and injures 21 others.
2012 – A suicide bombing kills more than 120 people in Sana’a, Yemen.
2017 – Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus performed their final show at Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum.

Births on May 21

1471 – Albrecht Dürer, German painter, engraver, and mathematician (d. 1528)
1497 – Al-Hattab, Muslim jurist (d. 1547)
1527 – Philip II of Spain (d. 1598)
1653 – Eleonore of Austria, Queen of Poland (d. 1697)
1688 – Alexander Pope, English poet, essayist, and translator (d. 1744)
1755 – Alfred Moore, American lawyer and judge (d. 1810)
1756 – William Babington, Irish-born, English physician and mineralogist (d. 1833)
1763 – Joseph Fouché, French lawyer and politician (d. 1820)
1775 – Lucien Bonaparte, French soldier and politician (d. 1840)
1780 – Elizabeth Fry, English prison reformer, philanthropist and Quaker (d. 1845)
1790 – William Cavendish, 6th Duke of Devonshire, English politician, Lord Chamberlain of the Household (d. 1858)
1792 – Gaspard-Gustave de Coriolis, French mathematician and engineer (d. 1843)
1799 – Mary Anning, English paleontologist (d. 1847)
1801 – Princess Sophie of Sweden, Swedish princess (d. 1865)
1806 – Harriet Sutherland-Leveson-Gower, Duchess of Sutherland, English duchess (d. 1868)
1808 – David de Jahacob Lopez Cardozo, Dutch Talmudist (d. 1890)
1827 – William P. Sprague, American banker and politician (d. 1899)
1828 – Rudolf Koller, Swiss painter (d. 1905)
1835 – František Chvostek, Czech-Austrian physician and academic (d. 1884)
1837 – Itagaki Taisuke, Japanese soldier and politician (d. 1919)
1843 – Charles Albert Gobat, Swiss lawyer and politician, and Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1914)
1843 – Louis Renault, French jurist, educator, and Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1918)
1844 – Henri Rousseau, French painter (d. 1910)
1850 – Giuseppe Mercalli, Italian priest and volcanologist (d. 1914)
1851 – Léon Bourgeois, French police officer and politician, 64th Prime Minister of France, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1925)
1853 – Jacques Marie Eugène Godefroy Cavaignac, French politician (d. 1905)
1856 – José Batlle y Ordóñez, Uruguayan journalist and politician, President of Uruguay (d. 1929)
1860 – Willem Einthoven, Indonesian-Dutch physician, physiologist, and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1927)
1861 – Abel Ayerza, Argentinian physician and academic (d. 1918)
1863 – Archduke Eugen of Austria (d. 1954)
1864 – Princess Stéphanie of Belgium (d. 1945)
1873 – Hans Berger, German neurologist and academic (d. 1941)
1878 – Glenn Curtiss, American cyclist and engineer (d. 1930)
1880 – Tudor Arghezi, Romanian journalist, author, and poet (d. 1967)
1884 – Manuel Pérez y Curis, Uruguayan poet and publisher (d. 1920)
1885 – Princess Sophie of Albania, (Princess Sophie of Schönburg-Waldenburg) (d. 1936)
1893 – Arthur Carr, English cricketer (d. 1963)
1893 – Giles Chippindall, Australian public servant (d. 1969)
1895 – Lázaro Cárdenas, Mexican general, president (1934–1940) and father of Cuauhtémoc Cárdenas (d. 1970)
1898 – Armand Hammer, American physician and businessman, founded Occidental Petroleum (d. 1990)
1898 – Charles Léon Hammes, Luxembourgian lawyer and judge (d. 1967)
1898 – Carl Johnson, American long jumper (d. 1932)
1898 – John McLaughlin, American painter and translator (d. 1976)
1901 – Regina M. Anderson, Multiracial playwright and librarian (d. 1993)
1901 – Horace Heidt, American pianist, bandleader, and radio host (d. 1986)
1901 – Sam Jaffe, American film producer and agent (d. 2000)
1901 – Suzanne Lilar, Belgian author and playwright (d. 1992)
1902 – Earl Averill, American baseball player (d. 1983)
1902 – Marcel Breuer, Hungarian-American architect and academic, designed the Ameritrust Tower (d. 1981)
1902 – Anatole Litvak, Ukrainian-American director, producer, and screenwriter (d. 1974)
1903 – Manly Wade Wellman, American author (d. 1986)
1904 – Robert Montgomery, American actor and director (d. 1981)
1904 – Fats Waller, American singer-songwriter and pianist (d. 1943)
1907 – John C. Allen, American roller coaster designer (d. 1979)
1912 – Chen Dayu, Chinese painter and calligrapher (d. 2001)
1912 – John Curtis Gowan, American psychologist and academic (d. 1986)
1912 – Monty Stratton, American baseball player and coach (d. 1982)
1913 – Gina Bachauer, Greek pianist and composer (d. 1976)
1915 – Cathleen Cordell, American actress (d. 1997)
1915 – Chakravarthi V. Narasimhan, Indian Civil Service Officer and former Under Secretary-General of the UN (d. 2003)
1916 – Dennis Day, American singer and actor (d. 1988)
1916 – Tinus Osendarp, Dutch sprinter and police officer (d. 2002)
1916 – Harold Robbins, American author and screenwriter (d. 1997)
1917 – Raymond Burr, Canadian-American actor and director (d. 1993)
1918 – Anthony Steel, English actor and singer (d. 2001)
1919 – George P. Mitchell, American businessman and philanthropist (d. 2013)
1920 – Bill Barber, American tuba player and educator (d. 2007)
1920 – Forrest White, American businessman, co-founded the Music Man Company (d. 1994)
1921 – Sandy Douglas, English computer scientist and academic, designed OXO (d. 2010)
1921 – Andrei Sakharov, Russian physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1989)
1923 – Vernon Biever, American photographer (d. 2010)
1923 – Armand Borel, Swiss-American mathematician and academic (d. 2003)
1923 – Ara Parseghian, American football player and coach (d. 2017)
1923 – Dorothy Hewett, Australian feminist poet, novelist and playwright (d. 2002)
1923 – Evelyn Ward, American actress (d. 2012)
1924 – Peggy Cass, American actress, comedian, and game show panelist (d. 1999)
1926 – Robert Creeley, American novelist, essayist, and poet (d. 2005)
1927 – Kay Kendall, English actress and comedian (d. 1959)
1927 – Péter Zwack, Hungarian businessman and diplomat (d. 2012)
1928 – Tom Donahue, American radio host and producer (d. 1975)
1928 – Alice Drummond, American actress (d. 2016)
1929 – Larance Marable, American drummer (d. 2012)
1929 – Robert Welch, English silversmith and industrial designer (d. 2000)
1930 – Tommy Bryant, American bassist (d. 1982)
1930 – Keith Davis, New Zealand rugby player (d. 2019)
1930 – Malcolm Fraser, Australian politician, 22nd Prime Minister of Australia (d. 2015)
1932 – Inese Jaunzeme, Latvian javelin thrower and surgeon (d. 2011)
1932 – Leonidas Vasilikopoulos, Greek admiral and intelligence chief (d. 2014)
1933 – Maurice André, French trumpet player (d. 2012)
1933 – Yevgeny Minayev, Russian weightlifter (d. 1993)
1934 – Jocasta Innes, Chinese-English journalist and author (d. 2013)
1934 – Bob Northern, American horn player and bandleader
1934 – Bengt I. Samuelsson, Swedish biochemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate
1935 – Terry Lightfoot, English clarinet player and bandleader (d. 2013)
1936 – Günter Blobel, Polish-American biologist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 2018)
1938 – Lee “Shot” Williams, American singer (d. 2011)
1939 – Heinz Holliger, Swiss oboist, composer, and conductor
1940 – Tony Sheridan, English singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 2013)
1941 – Martin Carthy, English singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer
1941 – Bobby Cox, American baseball player and manager
1941 – Ambrose Greenway, 4th Baron Greenway, English photographer and politician
1941 – Ronald Isley, American singer-songwriter and producer
1942 – David Hunt, Baron Hunt of Wirral, English politician, Secretary of State for Wales
1942 – John Konrads, Australian swimmer
1942 – Danny Ongais, American race car driver
1943 – Vincent Crane, English pianist and composer (d. 1989)
1943 – John Dalton, English bass player
1943 – Hilton Valentine, English guitarist and songwriter
1944 – Haleh Afshar, Baroness Afshar, Iranian-English academic and politician
1944 – Marcie Blane, American singer
1944 – Janet Dailey, American author and entrepreneur (d. 2013)
1944 – Mary Robinson, Irish lawyer and politician, 7th President of Ireland
1945 – Ernst Messerschmid, German physicist and astronaut
1945 – Richard Hatch, American actor, writer, and producer (d. 2017)
1946 – Allan McKeown, English-American screenwriter and producer (d. 2013)
1946 – Wayne Roycroft, Australian equestrian rider and coach
1947 – Bill Champlin, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer
1947 – Linda Laubenstein, American physician and academic (d. 1992)
1947 – İlber Ortaylı, Turkish historian and academic
1948 – Elizabeth Buchan, English author and critic
1948 – Joe Camilleri, Maltese-Australian singer-songwriter and saxophonist
1948 – Jonathan Hyde, Australian-English actor
1948 – Denis MacShane, Scottish journalist and politician, UK Minister of State for Europe
1948 – Leo Sayer, English-Australian singer-songwriter and musician
1949 – Andrew Neil, Scottish journalist and academic
1949 – Denis O’Connor, British police officer
1949 – Rosalind Plowright, English soprano
1950 – Will Hutton, English economist and journalist
1951 – Al Franken, American actor, screenwriter, and politician
1951 – Adrian Hardiman, Irish lawyer and judge (d. 2016)
1952 – Mr. T, American actor and wrestler
1953 – Nora Aunor, Filipino actress and recording artist
1954 – D. B. S. Jeyaraj, Sri Lankan-Canadian journalist and blogger
1954 – Janice Karman, American film producer, record producer, singer, and voice actress
1954 – Marc Ribot, American guitarist and composer
1955 – Paul Barber, English field hockey player
1955 – Stan Lynch, American drummer, songwriter, and producer
1957 – James Bailey, American basketball player
1957 – Nadine Dorries, English nurse and politician
1957 – Judge Reinhold, American actor and producer
1957 – Renée Soutendijk, Dutch actress
1958 – Christian Audigier, French fashion designer (d. 2015)
1958 – Muffy Calder, Canadian-Scottish computer scientist and academic
1958 – Michael Crick, English journalist and author
1958 – Naeem Khan, Indian-American fashion designer
1958 – Jefery Levy, American director, producer, and screenwriter
1959 – Nick Cassavetes, American actor, director, and screenwriter
1959 – Abdulla Yameen, Maldivian politician, 6th President of the Maldives
1960 – Jeffrey Dahmer, American serial killer (d. 1994)
1960 – Kent Hrbek, American baseball player and sportscaster
1960 – Mohanlal, Indian actor
1960 – Mark Ridgway, Australian cricketer
1960 – Vladimir Salnikov, Russian swimmer
1962 – David Crumb, American composer and educator
1963 – Richard Appel, American screenwriter and producer
1963 – Patrick Grant, American musician and producer
1963 – David Lonsdale, English actor
1964 – Pete Sandoval, Salvadoran-American drummer
1963 – Kevin Shields, American-Irish singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer
1963 – Dave Specter, American guitarist
1963 – Laurie Spina, Australian rugby league player and sportscaster
1964 – Danny Bailey, English footballer and coach
1965 – Josh Richman, American actor and producer
1966 – Lisa Edelstein, American actress and playwright
1966 – Tatyana Ledovskaya, Belarusian hurdler
1967 – Chris Benoit, Canadian professional wrestler (d. 2007)
1968 – Ilmar Raag, Estonian director, producer, and screenwriter
1968 – Matthias Ungemach, German-Australian rower
1968 – Julie Vega, Filipino actress and singer (d. 1985)
1969 – Pierluigi Brivio, Italian footballer
1969 – Georgiy Gongadze, Georgian-Ukrainian journalist and director (d. 2000)
1969 – Masayo Kurata, Japanese voice actress and singer
1969 – George LeMieux, American lawyer and politician
1969 – Brian Statham, Rhodesian born English footballer, defender and manager
1970 – Brigita Bukovec, Slovenian hurdler
1970 – Dorsey Levens, American football player and sportscaster
1970 – Pauline Menczer, Australian surfer
1970 – Carl Veart, Australian footballer and coach
1972 – The Notorious B.I.G., American rapper (d. 1997)
1973 – Stewart Cink, American golfer
1973 – Noel Fielding, English comedian, musician and television presenter
1974 – Brad Arthur, Australian rugby league coach
1974 – Fairuza Balk, American actress
1974 – Aditi Gowitrikar, Indian model, actress, and physician, Mrs. World 2001
1974 – Havoc, American rapper and producer
1975 – Anthony Mundine, Australian rugby league player and boxer
1976 – Stuart Bingham, English snooker player
1976 – Abderrahim Goumri, Moroccan runner (d. 2013)
1976 – Deron Miller, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
1977 – Quinton Fortune, South African international footballer midfielder and coach
1977 – Michael Fuß, German footballer
1977 – Ricky Williams, American football player and coach
1978 – Max B, American rapper and songwriter
1978 – Briana Banks, German-American porn actress and model
1978 – Jamaal Magloire, Canadian basketball player and coach
1979 – Damián Ariel Álvarez, Argentinian-Mexican footballer
1979 – Jamie Hepburn, Scottish politician, Minister for Sport, Health Improvement and Mental Health
1979 – James Clancy Phelan, Australian author and academic
1979 – Scott Smith, American mixed martial artist
1979 – Sonja Vectomov, Czech musician/composer
1980 – Gotye, Belgian-Australian singer-songwriter
1981 – Craig Anderson, American ice hockey player
1981 – Edson Buddle, American soccer player
1981 – Josh Hamilton, American baseball player
1981 – Maximilian Mutzke, German singer-songwriter
1981 – Anna Rogowska, Polish pole vaulter
1983 – Līga Dekmeijere, Latvian tennis player
1983 – Deidson Araújo Maia, Brazilian footballer
1983 – Kaori Shimizu, Japanese voice actress and singer
1984 – Brandon Fields, American football player
1984 – Sara Goller, German volleyball player
1984 – Syamsul Yusof, Malaysian actor, film director, scriptwriter, film producer, rapper and singer
1985 – Mutya Buena, English singer-songwriter
1985 – Alison Carroll, English gymnast, model, and actress
1985 – Mark Cavendish, Manx cyclist
1985 – Alexander Dale Oen, Norwegian swimmer (d. 2012)
1985 – Isa Guha, English cricketer
1985 – Lucie Hradecká, Czech tennis player
1985 – Kano, English rapper, producer, and actor
1985 – Dušan Kuciak, Slovak footballer
1985 – Heath L’Estrange, Australian rugby league player
1985 – Andrew Miller, American baseball player
1986 – Mario Mandžukić, Croatian footballer
1986 – Myra, American singer and actress
1986 – Eder Sánchez, Mexican race walker
1986 – Park Sojin, South Korean singer-songwriter and dancer
1986 – Greg Stewart, Canadian ice hockey player
1987 – Beau Falloon, Australian rugby league player
1988 – Claire Cashmore, English Paralympic swimmer
1988 – Park Gyu-ri, South Korean singer
1988 – Jonny Howson, English footballer
1988 – Kaire Leibak, Estonian triple jumper
1989 – Emily Robins, New Zealand actress and singer
1989 – Hal Robson-Kanu, English footballer
1990 – Kierre Beckles, Barbadian athlete
1990 – Rene Krhin, Slovenian footballer
1991 – Guilherme, Brazilian footballer
1992 – Hutch Dano, American actor
1992 – Lisa Evans, Scottish footballer
1992 – Philipp Grüneberg, German footballer
1992 – Olivia Olson, American singer and actress
1993 – Grete Gaim, Estonian biathlete
1993 – Luke Garbutt, English footballer, left-back
1994 – Tom Daley, English diver
1995 – Katharina Andresen, Norwegian heiress and equestrian
1995 – Diego Loyzaga, Filipino actor
1996 – Josh Allen, American footballer
1996 – Indy de Vroome, Dutch tennis player
1996 – Karen Khachanov, Russian tennis player
1997 – Ivan De Santis, Italian footballer
1997 – Sisca Folkertsma, Dutch footballer
1997 – Viktoria Petryk, Ukrainian singer-songwriter

Deaths on May 21

252 – Sun Quan, Chinese emperor of Eastern Wu (b. 182)
954 – Feng Dao, Chinese prince and chancellor (b. 882)
987 – Louis V, king of West Francia (b. c. 966)
1075 – Richeza of Poland, queen of Hungary (b. 1013)
1086 – Wang Anshi, Chinese statesman and poet (b. 1021)
1237 – Olaf the Black, Manx son of Godred II Olafsson
1254 – Conrad IV, king of Germany (b. 1228)
1416 – Anna of Celje, queen consort of Poland (b. 1386)
1471 – Henry VI, king of England (b. 1421)
1481 – Christian I, king of Denmark (b. 1426)
1512 – Pandolfo Petrucci, Italian ruler (b. 1452)
1524 – Thomas Howard, 2nd Duke of Norfolk, English soldier and politician, Lord High Treasurer (b. 1443)
1542 – Hernando de Soto, Spanish-American explorer (b. 1496)
1563 – Martynas Mažvydas, Lithuanian writer (b. 1510)
1607 – John Rainolds, English scholar and academic (b. 1549)
1619 – Hieronymus Fabricius, Italian anatomist (b. 1537)
1639 – Tommaso Campanella, Italian astrologer, theologian, and poet (b. 1568)
1647 – Pieter Corneliszoon Hooft, Dutch poet and playwright (b. 1581)
1650 – James Graham, 1st Marquess of Montrose, Scottish general and politician (b. 1612)
1664 – Elizabeth Poole, English settler, founded Taunton, Massachusetts (b. 1588)
1670 – Niccolò Zucchi, Italian astronomer and physicist (b. 1586)
1686 – Otto von Guericke, German physicist and inventor of the Magdeburg Hemispheres (b. 1602)
1690 – John Eliot, English-American minister and missionary (b. 1604)
1719 – Pierre Poiret, French mystic and philosopher (b. 1646)
1724 – Robert Harley, 1st Earl of Oxford and Earl Mortimer, English politician, Chancellor of the Exchequer (b. 1661)
1742 – Lars Roberg, Swedish physician and academic (b. 1664)
1762 – Alexander Joseph Sulkowski, Polish and Saxon general (b. 1695)
1771 – Christopher Smart, English actor, playwright, and poet (b. 1722)
1786 – Carl Wilhelm Scheele, German-Swedish chemist and pharmacist (b. 1742)
1790 – Thomas Warton, English poet and critic (b. 1728)
1810 – Chevalier d’Eon, French diplomat and spy (b. 1728)
1844 – Giuseppe Baini, Italian priest and composer (b. 1775)
1858 – José de la Riva Agüero, Peruvian soldier and politician, 1st President of Peru and 2nd President of North Peru (b. 1783)
1862 – John Drew, Irish-American actor and manager (b. 1827)
1879 – Arturo Prat, Chilean lawyer and commander (b. 1848)
1894 – Émile Henry, French anarchist (b. 1872)
1894 – August Kundt, German physicist and academic (b. 1839)
1895 – Franz von Suppé, Austrian composer and conductor (b. 1819)
1901 – Joseph Olivier, French rugby player (b. 1874)
1911 – Williamina Fleming, Scottish-American astronomer and academic (b. 1857)
1915 – Leonid Gobyato, Russian general and engineer (b. 1875)
1919 – Evgraf Fedorov, Russian mathematician, crystallographer, and mineralogist (b. 1853)
1920 – Venustiano Carranza, Mexican politician, 54th President of Mexico (b. 1859)
1925 – Hidesaburō Ueno, Japanese agriculturalist, guardian of Hachikō (b. 1871)
1926 – Ronald Firbank, English-Italian author (b. 1886)
1929 – Archibald Primrose, 5th Earl of Rosebery, English politician, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (b. 1847)
1932 – Marcel Boulenger, French fencer and author (b. 1873)
1935 – Jane Addams, American activist and author, co-founded Hull House, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1860)
1935 – Hugo de Vries, Dutch botanist and geneticist (b. 1848)
1940 – Billy Minter, English footballer and manager (b. 1888)
1949 – Klaus Mann, German-American novelist, playwright, and critic (b. 1906)
1952 – John Garfield, American actor (b. 1913)
1956 – Harry Bensley, English businessman and adventurer (b. 1877)
1957 – Alexander Vertinsky, Ukrainian-Russian singer-songwriter, actor, and poet (b. 1889)
1964 – James Franck, German physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1882)
1965 – Marguerite Bise, French chef (b. 1898)
1965 – Geoffrey de Havilland, English pilot and engineer, designed the de Havilland Mosquito (b. 1882)
1968 – Doris Lloyd, English actress (b. 1896)
1970 – E. L. Grant Watson, English-Australian biologist and author (b. 1885)
1973 – Vaughn Monroe, American singer, trumpet player, bandleader, and actor (b. 1911)
1973 – Ivan Konev, Soviet Marshal and general (b. 1897)
1981 – Raymond McCreesh, PIRA volunteer (b. 1957)
1981 – Patsy O’Hara, INLA volunteer (b. 1957)
1983 – Kenneth Clark, English historian and author (b. 1903)
1984 – Ann Little, American actress (b. 1891)
1988 – Sammy Davis Sr., American actor and dancer (b. 1900)
1991 – Lino Brocka, Filipino director and screenwriter (b. 1939)
1991 – Rajiv Gandhi, Indian politician, 6th Prime Minister of India (b. 1944)
1995 – Les Aspin, American captain and politician, 18th United States Secretary of Defense (b. 1938)
1996 – Paul Delph, American singer-songwriter and producer (b. 1957)
1996 – Lash LaRue, American actor and producer (b. 1917)
1996 – Villem Raam, Estonian art historian, art critic and conservator (b. 1910)
1998 – Robert Gist, American actor and director (b. 1917)
2000 – Barbara Cartland, English author (b. 1901)
2000 – John Gielgud, English actor (b. 1904)
2000 – Mark R. Hughes, American businessman, founded Herbalife (b. 1956)
2002 – Niki de Saint Phalle, French-American sculptor and painter (b. 1930)
2003 – Alejandro de Tomaso, Argentinian-Italian race car driver and businessman, founded De Tomaso (b. 1928)
2003 – Frank D. White, American captain, banker, and politician, 41st Governor of Arkansas (b. 1933)
2005 – Deborah Berger, American outsider artist (b. 1956)
2005 – Stephen Elliott, American actor (b. 1918)
2005 – Howard Morris, American actor and director (b. 1919)
2006 – Spencer Clark, American race car driver (b. 1987)
2006 – Katherine Dunham, American dancer, choreographer, and author (b. 1909)
2006 – Cherd Songsri, Thai director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1931)
2006 – Billy Walker, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (b. 1929)
2012 – Eddie Blazonczyk, American singer-songwriter (b. 1941)
2012 – Otis Clark, American butler and preacher, survivor of the Tulsa race riot (b. 1903)
2012 – Constantine of Irinoupolis, Metropolitan of Irinoupolis and Primate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the USA (b. 1936)
2012 – Roman Dumbadze, Georgian commander (b. 1964)
2012 – Douglas Rodríguez, Cuban boxer (b. 1950)
2012 – Bill Stewart, American football player and coach (b. 1952)
2012 – Alan Thorne, Australian anthropologist and academic (b. 1939)
2013 – Count Christian of Rosenborg, member of the Danish royal family (b. 1942)
2013 – Frank Comstock, American trombonist, composer, and conductor (b. 1922)
2013 – Cot Deal, American baseball player and coach (b. 1923)
2013 – Mohammad Khaled Hossain, Bangladeshi mountaineer (b. 1979)
2013 – Leonard Marsh, American businessman, co-founded Snapple (b. 1933)
2013 – Bob Thompson, American pianist and composer (b. 1924)
2013 – Dominique Venner, French journalist and historian (b. 1935)
2013 – David Voelker, American businessman and philanthropist (b. 1953)
2014 – Tunku Annuar, Malaysian son of Badlishah of Kedah (b. 1939)
2014 – Evelyn Blackmon, American businesswoman and politician (b. 1924)
2014 – Johnny Gray, American baseball player (b. 1926)
2014 – Jaime Lusinchi, Venezuelan physician and politician, President of Venezuela (b. 1924)
2014 – Alireza Soleimani, Iranian wrestler (b. 1956)
2015 – Annarita Sidoti, Italian race walker (b. 1969)
2015 – Twinkle, English singer-songwriter (b. 1948)
2015 – Jassem Al-Kharafi, Kuwaiti businessman and politician, 8th Kuwaiti Speaker of the National Assembly (b. 1940)
2015 – Fred Gladding, American baseball player and coach (b. 1936)
2015 – Louis Johnson, American bass player and producer (b. 1955)
2016 – Nick Menza, American drummer and songwriter (b. 1964)
2019 – Rik Kuypers, Belgian film director (b. 1925)
2019 – Binyavanga Wainaina, Kenyan writer (b. 1971)
2020 – Alan Merten, fifth President of George Mason University (b. 1941)

Holidays and observances on May 21

Afro-Colombian Day (Colombia)
Christian feast day:
- Arcangelo Tadini
- Blessed Adílio Daronch and Manuel Gómez González
- Blessed Franz Jägerstätter
- Earliest day on which Corpus Christi can fall, while June 24 is the latest; held on Thursday after Trinity Sunday (often locally moved to Sunday). (Roman Catholic Church)
- Emperor Constantine I
- Eugène de Mazenod
- Helena of Constantinople, also known as “Feast of the Holy Great Sovereigns Constantine and Helen, Equal-to-the-Apostles.” (Eastern Orthodox Church, Anglican Communion)
- John Elliot (Episcopal Church)
- Saints of the Cristero War, including Christopher Magallanes
- May 21 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
Circassian Day of Mourning (Circassians)
Day of Patriots and Military (Hungary)
Independence Day, celebrates the Montenegrin independence referendum in 2006, celebrated until the next day. (Montenegro)
Navy Day (Chile)
Saint Helena Day, celebrates the discovery of Saint Helena in 1502. (Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha)
World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development (International)
International Tea Day (International)

May 21 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day Read More »

On This Day

May 19 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day

On This Day / admin

639 – Ashina Jiesheshuai and his tribesmen assaulted Emperor Taizong at Jiucheng Palace.
715 – Pope Gregory II is elected.
1051 – Henry I of France marries the Russian princess, Anne of Kiev.
1445 – John II of Castile defeats the Infantes of Aragon at the First Battle of Olmedo.
1499 – Catherine of Aragon is married by proxy to Arthur, Prince of Wales. Catherine is 13 and Arthur is 12.
1535 – French explorer Jacques Cartier sets sail on his second voyage to North America with three ships, 110 men, and Chief Donnacona’s two sons (whom Cartier had kidnapped during his first voyage).
1536 – Anne Boleyn, the second wife of Henry VIII of England, is beheaded for adultery, treason, and incest.
1542 – The Prome Kingdom falls to the Taungoo Dynasty in present-day Myanmar.
1568 – Queen Elizabeth I of England orders the arrest of Mary, Queen of Scots.
1643 – Thirty Years’ War: French forces under the duc d’Enghien decisively defeat Spanish forces at the Battle of Rocroi, marking the symbolic end of Spain as a dominant land power.
1649 – An Act of Parliament declaring England a Commonwealth is passed by the Long Parliament. England would be a republic for the next eleven years.
1655 – The Invasion of Jamaica begins during the Anglo-Spanish War.
1743 – Jean-Pierre Christin developed the centigrade temperature scale.
1749 – King George II of Great Britain grants the Ohio Company a charter of land around the forks of the Ohio River.
1776 – American Revolutionary War: A Continental Army garrison surrenders in the Battle of The Cedars.
1780 – New England’s Dark Day, an unusual darkening of the day sky, was observed over the New England states and parts of Canada.
1802 – Napoleon Bonaparte founds the Legion of Honour.
1828 – U.S. President John Quincy Adams signs the Tariff of 1828 into law, protecting wool manufacturers in the United States.
1845 – Captain Sir John Franklin and his ill-fated Arctic expedition depart from Greenhithe, England.
1848 – Mexican–American War: Mexico ratifies the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo thus ending the war and ceding California, Nevada, Utah and parts of four other modern-day U.S. states to the United States for US$15 million.
1911 – Parks Canada, the world’s first national park service, is established as the Dominion Parks Branch under the Department of the Interior.
1917 – The Norwegian football club Rosenborg BK is founded.
1919 – Mustafa Kemal Atatürk lands at Samsun on the Anatolian Black Sea coast, initiating what is later termed the Turkish War of Independence.
1921 – The United States Congress passes the Emergency Quota Act establishing national quotas on immigration.
1922 – The Young Pioneer Organization of the Soviet Union is established.
1934 – Zveno and the Bulgarian Army engineer a coup d’état and install Kimon Georgiev as the new Prime Minister of Bulgaria.
1942 – World War II: In the aftermath of the Battle of the Coral Sea, Task Force 16 heads to Pearl Harbor.
1950 – A barge containing munitions destined for Pakistan explodes in the harbor at South Amboy, New Jersey, devastating the city.
1950 – Egypt announces that the Suez Canal is closed to Israeli ships and commerce.
1959 – The North Vietnamese Army establishes Group 559, whose responsibility is to determine how to maintain supply lines to South Vietnam; the resulting route is the Ho Chi Minh trail.
1961 – Venera program: Venera 1 becomes the first man-made object to fly by another planet by passing Venus (the probe had lost contact with Earth a month earlier and did not send back any data).
1961 – At Silchar Railway Station, Assam, 11 Bengalis die when police open fire on protesters demanding state recognition of Bengali language in the Bengali Language Movement.
1962 – A birthday salute to U.S. President John F. Kennedy takes place at Madison Square Garden, New York City. The highlight is Marilyn Monroe’s rendition of “Happy Birthday”.
1963 – The New York Post Sunday Magazine publishes Martin Luther King Jr.’s Letter from Birmingham Jail.
1971 – Mars probe program: Mars 2 is launched by the Soviet Union.
1986 – The Firearm Owners Protection Act is signed into law by U.S. President Ronald Reagan.
1991 – Croatians vote for independence in a referendum.
1997 – The Sierra Gorda biosphere, the most ecologically diverse region in Mexico, is established as a result of grassroots efforts.
2007 – President of Romania Traian Băsescu survives an impeachment referendum and returns to office from suspension.
2010 – The Royal Thai Armed Forces concludes its crackdown on protests by forcing the surrender of United Front for Democracy Against Dictatorship leaders.
2012 – Three gas cylinder bombs explode in front of a vocational school in the Italian city of Brindisi, killing one person and injuring five others.
2012 – A car bomb explodes near a military complex in the Syrian city of Deir ez-Zor, killing nine people.
2015 – The Refugio oil spill deposited 142,800 U.S. gallons (3,400 barrels) of crude oil onto an area in California considered one of the most biologically diverse coastlines of the west coast.
2016 – EgyptAir Flight 804 crashes into the Mediterranean Sea while traveling from Paris to Cairo, killing all on board.
2018 – The wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle is held at St George’s Chapel, Windsor, with an estimated global audience of 1.9 billion.

Births on May 19

1400 – John Stourton, 1st Baron Stourton, English soldier and politician (d. 1462)
1462 – Baccio D’Agnolo, Italian woodcarver, sculptor and architect (d. 1543)
1476 (or 1474) – Helena of Moscow, Grand Duchess consort of Lithuania and Queen consort of Poland (d. 1513)
1593 – Claude Vignon, French painter (d. 1670)
1616 – Johann Jakob Froberger, German organist and composer (d. 1667)
1639 – Charles Weston, 3rd Earl of Portland, English soldier and noble (d. 1665)
1700 – José de Escandón, 1st Count of Sierra Gorda, Spanish sergeant and politician (d. 1770)
1724 – Augustus Hervey, 3rd Earl of Bristol, English admiral and politician, Chief Secretary for Ireland (d. 1779)
1744 – Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, German-born Queen to George III of the United Kingdom (d. 1818)
1762 – Johann Gottlieb Fichte, German philosopher and academic (d. 1814)
1773 – Arthur Aikin, English chemist and mineralogist (d. 1854)
1795 – Johns Hopkins, American businessman and philanthropist (d. 1873)
1827 – Paul-Armand Challemel-Lacour, French academic and politician, French Minister of Foreign Affairs (d. 1896)
1832 – James Watney, Jr., English politician, brewer and cricketer (d. 1886)
1857 – John Jacob Abel, American biochemist and pharmacologist (d. 1938)
1861 – Nellie Melba, Australian soprano and actress (d. 1931)
1871 – Walter Russell, American painter, sculptor, and author (d. 1963)
1874 – Gilbert Jessop, English cricketer and soldier (d. 1955)
1878 – Alfred Laliberté, Canadian sculptor and painter (d. 1953)
1879 – Nancy Astor, Viscountess Astor, American-English politician (d. 1964)
1880 – Albert Richardson, English architect and educator, designed the Manchester Opera House (d. 1964)
1881 – Mustafa Kemal Atatürk (official birthday), Turkish field marshal and statesman, 1st President of Turkey (d. 1938)
1884 – David Munson, American runner (d. 1953)
1886 – Francis Biddle, American lawyer and judge, 58th United States Attorney General (d. 1968)
1887 – Ion Jalea, Romanian soldier and sculptor (d. 1983)
1889 – Tản Đà, Vietnamese poet and author (d. 1939)
1889 – Henry B. Richardson, American archer (d. 1963)
1890 – Eveline Adelheid von Maydell, German-American illustrator (d. 1962)
1890 – Ho Chi Minh, Vietnamese politician, 1st President of Vietnam (d. 1969)
1891 – Oswald Boelcke, German captain and pilot (d. 1916)
1893 – H. Bonciu, Romanian author, poet, and journalist (d. 1950)
1897 – Frank Luke, American lieutenant and pilot, Medal of Honor recipient (d. 1918)
1898 – Julius Evola, Italian philosopher and painter (d. 1974)
1899 – Lothar Rădăceanu, Romanian journalist, linguist, and politician (d. 1955)
1902 – Lubka Kolessa, Ukrainian-Canadian pianist and educator (d. 1997)
1903 – Ruth Ella Moore, American scientist (d. 1994)
1906 – Bruce Bennett, American shot putter and actor (d. 2007)
1908 – Manik Bandopadhyay, Indian author, poet, and playwright (d. 1956)
1908 – Merriam Modell, American author (d. 1994)
1908 – Percy Williams, Canadian sprinter (d. 1982)
1909 – Nicholas Winton, English banker and humanitarian (d. 2015)
1910 – Alan Melville, South African cricketer (d. 1983)
1913 – Neelam Sanjiva Reddy, Indian lawyer and politician, 6th President of India (d. 1996)
1914 – Max Perutz, Austrian-English biologist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 2002)
1914 – Alex Shibicky, Canadian ice hockey player (d. 2005)
1914 – John Vachon, American photographer and journalist (d. 1975)
1915 – Renée Asherson, English actress (d. 2014)
1918 – Abraham Pais, Dutch-American physicist, historian, and academic (d. 2000)
1919 – Georgie Auld, Canadian-American saxophonist, clarinet player, and bandleader (d. 1990)
1919 – Mitja Ribičič, Italian-Slovenian soldier and politician, 25th Prime Minister of Yugoslavia (d. 2013)
1920 – Tina Strobos, Dutch psychiatrist known for rescuing Jews during World War II (d. 2012)
1921 – Leslie Broderick, English lieutenant and pilot (d. 2013)
1921 – Harry W. Brown, American colonel and pilot (d. 1991)
1921 – Daniel Gélin, French actor, director, and screenwriter (d. 2002)
1921 – Yuri Kochiyama, American activist (d. 2014)
1921 – Karel van het Reve, Dutch historian and author (d. 1999)
1922 – Arthur Gorrie, Australian hobby shop proprietor (d. 1992)
1924 – Sandy Wilson, English composer and songwriter (d. 2014)
1925 – Pol Pot, Cambodian general and politician, 29th Prime Minister of Cambodia (d. 1998)
1925 – Malcolm X, American minister and activist (d. 1965)
1926 – Edward Parkes, English engineer and academic (d. 2019)
1926 – Peter Zadek, German director and screenwriter (d. 2009)
1927 – Serge Lang, French-American mathematician, author and academic (d. 2005)
1928 – Colin Chapman, English engineer and businessman, founded Lotus Cars (d. 1982)
1928 – Thomas Kennedy, English air marshal (d. 2013)
1928 – Gil McDougald, American baseball player and coach (d. 2010)
1928 – Dolph Schayes, American basketball player and coach (d. 2015)
1929 – Helmut Braunlich, German-American violinist and composer (d. 2013)
1929 – Richard Larter, Australian painter (d. 2014)
1929 – John Stroger, American politician (d. 2008)
1930 – Eugene Genovese, American historian and author (d. 2012)
1930 – Lorraine Hansberry, American playwright and director (d. 1965)
1931 – Bob Anderson, English race car driver (d. 1967)
1931 – Trevor Peacock, English actor, screenwriter and songwriter
1932 – Alma Cogan, English singer (d. 1966)
1932 – Paul Erdman, American economist and author (d. 2007)
1932 – Bill Fitch, American basketball player and coach
1932 – Elena Poniatowska, Mexican intellectual and journalist
1933 – Edward de Bono, Maltese physician, author, and academic
1934 – Ruskin Bond, Indian author and poet
1934 – Jim Lehrer, American journalist and author (d. 2020)
1935 – David Hartman, American journalist and television personality
1937 – Pat Roach, English wrestler (d. 2004)
1938 – Moisés da Costa Amaral, East Timorese politician (d. 1989)
1938 – Herbie Flowers, English musician
1938 – Igor Ter-Ovanesyan, Ukrainian long jumper and coach
1939 – Livio Berruti, Italian sprinter
1939 – James Fox, English actor
1939 – Nancy Kwan, Hong Kong-American actress and makeup artist
1939 – Jānis Lūsis, Latvian javelin thrower and coach (d. 2020)
1939 – Dick Scobee, American colonel, pilot, and astronaut (d. 1986)
1940 – Jan Janssen, Dutch cyclist
1940 – Mickey Newbury, American country/pop singer-songwriter (d. 2002)
1941 – Nora Ephron, American director, producer, and screenwriter (d. 2012)
1941 – Igor Judge, Baron Judge, Maltese-English lawyer and judge, Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales
1942 – Gary Kildall, American computer scientist, founded Digital Research Inc. (d. 1994)
1942 – Robert Kilroy-Silk, English television host and politician
1943 – Eddie May, English footballer and manager (d. 2012)
1943 – Shirrel Rhoades, American author, publisher, and academic
1944 – Peter Mayhew, English-American actor (d. 2019)
1945 – Pete Townshend, English singer-songwriter and guitarist
1946 – Claude Lelièvre, Belgian activist
1946 – Michele Placido, Italian actor and director
1946 – André the Giant, French-American wrestler and actor (d. 1993)
1947 – Paul Brady, Irish singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer
1947 – Christopher Chope, English lawyer and politician
1947 – David Helfgott, Australian pianist
1948 – Grace Jones, Jamaican-American singer-songwriter, producer, and actress
1949 – Dusty Hill, American singer-songwriter and bass player
1949 – Philip Hunt, Baron Hunt of Kings Heath, English politician
1949 – Archie Manning, American football player
1950 – Tadeusz Ślusarski, Polish pole vaulter (d. 1998)
1951 – Joey Ramone, American singer-songwriter (d. 2001)
1951 – Dick Slater, American wrestler
1952 – Charlie Spedding, English runner
1952 – Bert van Marwijk, Dutch footballer, coach, and manager
1953 – Patrick Hodge, Lord Hodge, Scottish lawyer and judge
1953 – Shavarsh Karapetyan, Armenian finswimmer
1953 – Florin Marin, Romanian footballer and manager
1953 – Victoria Wood, English actress, singer, director, and screenwriter (d. 2016)
1954 – Rick Cerone, American baseball player and sportscaster
1954 – Hōchū Ōtsuka, Japanese voice actor
1954 – Phil Rudd, Australian-New Zealand drummer
1955 – James Gosling, Canadian-American computer scientist, created Java
1956 – Oliver Letwin, English philosopher and politician, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
1956 – Martyn Ware, English keyboard player, songwriter, and producer
1957 – Bill Laimbeer, American basketball player and coach
1957 – James Reyne, Nigerian-Australian singer-songwriter
1961 – Vadim Cojocaru, Moldovan politician
1961 – Gregory Poirier, American director, producer, and screenwriter
1961 – Wayne Van Dorp, Canadian ice hockey player
1963 – Filippo Galli, Italian footballer and manager
1964 – Peter Jackson, Australian rugby league player and sportscaster (d. 1997)
1964 – John Lee, South Korean-American football player
1964 – Miloslav Mečíř, Slovak tennis player
1965 – Maile Flanagan, American actress, producer, and screenwriter
1966 – Marc Bureau, Canadian ice hockey player and sportscaster
1966 – Jodi Picoult, American author and educator
1966 – Polly Walker, English actress
1967 – Alexia, Italian singer
1967 – Geraldine Somerville, Irish-born English actress
1968 – Kyle Eastwood, American actor and bass player
1970 – Stuart Cable, Welsh drummer (d. 2010)
1970 – K. J. Choi, South Korean golfer
1970 – Regina Narva, Estonian chess player
1970 – Nia Zulkarnaen, Indonesian actress, singer and producer
1971 – Ross Katz, American director, producer, and screenwriter
1971 – Andres Salumets, Estonian biologist, biochemist, and educator
1972 – Jenny Berggren, Swedish singer-songwriter
1972 – Claudia Karvan, Australian actress, producer, and screenwriter
1973 – Dario Franchitti, Scottish race car driver
1974 – Andrew Johns, Australian rugby league player, coach, and sportscaster
1974 – Emma Shapplin, French soprano
1974 – Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Indian actor
1975 – Pretinha, Brazilian footballer
1975 – London Fletcher, American football player
1975 – Josh Paul, American baseball player and manager
1975 – Jonas Renkse, Swedish singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer
1976 – Ed Cota, American basketball player
1976 – Kevin Garnett, American basketball player
1977 – Manuel Almunia, Spanish footballer
1977 – Wouter Hamel, Dutch singer and guitarist
1977 – Brandon Inge, American baseball player
1977 – Natalia Oreiro, Uruguayan singer-songwriter and actress
1978 – Marcus Bent, English footballer
1978 – Dave Bus, Dutch footballer
1979 – Andrea Pirlo, Italian footballer
1979 – Diego Forlan, Uruguayan footballer
1980 – Tony Hackworth, English footballer
1981 – Luciano Figueroa, Argentinian footballer
1981 – Yo Gotti, American rapper
1981 – Michael Leighton, Canadian ice hockey player
1981 – Sina Schielke, German sprinter
1981 – Klaas-Erik Zwering, Dutch swimmer
1982 – Kevin Amankwaah, English footballer
1982 – Pål Steffen Andresen, Norwegian footballer
1982 – Klaas Vantornout, Belgian cyclist
1983 – Michael Che, American comedian
1983 – Jessica Fox, English actress
1984 – Marcedes Lewis, American football player
1985 – Aleister Black, Dutch professional wrestler
1986 – Mario Chalmers, American basketball player
1987 – Michael Angelakos, American singer-songwriter and producer
1987 – David Edgar, Canadian soccer player
1987 – Mariano Torres, Argentinian footballer
1987 – Jayne Wisener, Northern Irish actress
1991 – Jordan Pruitt, American singer-songwriter
1992 – Marshmello, American electronic music producer and DJ
1992 – Michele Camporese, Italian footballer
1992 – Ola John, Dutch footballer
1992 – Felise Kaufusi, New Zealand-Tongan rugby league player
1992 – Evgeny Kuznetsov, Russian ice hockey player
1992 – Sam Smith, English singer-songwriter
1994 – Carlos Guzmán, Mexican footballer
1995 – Taane Milne, New Zealand rugby league player

Deaths on May 19

804 – Alcuin, English monk and scholar (b. 735)
956 – Robert, archbishop of Trier
988 – Dunstan, English archbishop and saint (b. 909)
1102 – Stephen, Count of Blois (b. 1045)
1125 – Vladimir II Monomakh, Grand Duke of Kiev
1164 – Saint Bashnouna, Egyptian saint and martyr
1218 – Otto IV, Holy Roman Emperor
1296 – Pope Celestine V (b. 1215)
1303 – Saint Ivo of Kermartin, French canon lawyer (b. 1253)
1319 – Louis, Count of Évreux (b. 1276)
1389 – Dmitry Donskoy, Grand Prince of Muscovy (b. 1350)
1396 – John I of Aragon (b. 1350)
1526 – Emperor Go-Kashiwabara of Japan (b. 1464)
1531 – Jan Łaski, Polish archbishop and diplomat (b. 1456)
1536 – Anne Boleyn, Queen of England (1533–1536); second wife of Henry VIII of England (b. c. 1501)
1601 – Costanzo Porta, Italian composer (b. 1528)
1609 – García Hurtado de Mendoza, 5th Marquis of Cañete (b. 1535)
1610 – Thomas Sanchez, Spanish priest and theologian (b. 1550)
1623 – Mariam-uz-Zamani, Empress of the Mughal Empire (b. 1542)
1637 – Isaac Beeckman, Dutch scientist and philosopher (b. 1588)
1715 – Charles Montagu, 1st Earl of Halifax, English poet and politician, Chancellor of the Exchequer (b. 1661)
1786 – John Stanley, English organist and composer (b. 1712)
1795 – Josiah Bartlett, American physician and politician, 4th Governor of New Hampshire (b. 1729)
1795 – James Boswell, Scottish biographer (b. 1740)
1798 – William Byron, 5th Baron Byron, English lieutenant and politician (b. 1722)
1821 – Camille Jordan, French lawyer and politician (b. 1771)
1825 – Claude Henri de Rouvroy, comte de Saint-Simon, French philosopher and theorist (b. 1760)
1831 – Johann Friedrich von Eschscholtz, Estonian-German physician, botanist, and entomologist (b. 1793)
1864 – Nathaniel Hawthorne, American novelist and short story writer (b. 1804)
1865 – Sengge Rinchen, Mongolian general (b. 1811)
1872 – John Baker, English-Australian politician, 2nd Premier of South Australia (b. 1813)
1876 – Guillaume Groen van Prinsterer, Dutch historian and politician (b. 1801)
1885 – Peter W. Barlow, English engineer (b. 1809)
1895 – José Martí, Cuban journalist, poet, and philosopher (b. 1853)
1898 – William Ewart Gladstone, English lawyer and politician, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (b. 1809)
1901 – Marthinus Wessel Pretorius, South African general and politician, 1st President of the South African Republic (b. 1819)
1903 – Arthur Shrewsbury, English cricketer (b. 1856)
1904 – Auguste Molinier, French librarian and historian (b. 1851)
1904 – Jamsetji Tata, Indian businessman, founded Tata Group (b. 1839)
1906 – Gabriel Dumont, Canadian Métis leader (b. 1837)
1907 – Benjamin Baker, English engineer, designed the Forth Bridge (b. 1840)
1912 – Bolesław Prus, Polish journalist and author (b. 1847)
1915 – John Simpson Kirkpatrick, English-Australian soldier (b. 1892)
1918 – Gervais Raoul Lufbery, French-American soldier and pilot (b. 1885)
1935 – T. E. Lawrence, British colonel and archaeologist (b. 1888)
1936 – Muhammad Marmaduke Pickthall, British Islamic scholar (b. 1875)
1939 – Ahmet Ağaoğlu, Azerbaijani-Turkish journalist and publicist (b. 1869)
1943 – Kristjan Raud, Estonian painter and illustrator (b. 1865)
1945 – Philipp Bouhler, German soldier and politician (b. 1889)
1946 – Booth Tarkington, American novelist and dramatist (b. 1869)
1950 – Daniel Ciugureanu, Romanian physician and politician, Prime Minister of Moldova (b. 1884)
1954 – Charles Ives, American composer and educator (b. 1874)
1958 – Jadunath Sarkar, Indian historian (b. 1870)
1958 – Archie Scott Brown, Scottish race car driver (b. 1927)
1958 – Ronald Colman, English actor (b. 1891)
1963 – Walter Russell, American painter, sculptor, and author (b. 1871)
1969 – Coleman Hawkins, American saxophonist and clarinet player (b. 1901)
1971 – Ogden Nash, American poet (b. 1902)
1978 – Albert Kivikas, Estonian-Swedish journalist and author (b. 1898)
1980 – Joseph Schull, Canadian playwright and historian (b. 1906)
1983 – Jean Rey, Belgian lawyer and politician, 2nd President of the European Commission (b. 1902)
1984 – John Betjeman, English poet and academic (b. 1906)
1986 – Jimmy Lyons, American saxophonist (b. 1931)
1987 – James Tiptree, Jr., American psychologist and author (b. 1915)
1989 – Yiannis Papaioannou, Greek composer and educator (b. 1910)
1994 – Jacques Ellul, French sociologist, philosopher, and academic (b. 1912)
1994 – Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, American journalist, 37th First Lady of the United States (b. 1929)
1994 – Luis Ocaña, Spanish cyclist (b. 1945)
1996 – John Beradino, American baseball player and actor (b. 1917)
1998 – Sōsuke Uno, Japanese soldier and politician, 75th Prime Minister of Japan (b. 1922)
2001 – Alexey Maresyev, Russian soldier and pilot (b. 1916)
2001 – Susannah McCorkle, American singer (b. 1946)
2002 – John Gorton, Australian lieutenant and politician, 19th Prime Minister of Australia (b. 1911)
2002 – Walter Lord, American historian and author (b. 1917)
2004 – Mary Dresselhuys, Dutch actress and screenwriter (b. 1907)
2007 – Bernard Blaut, Polish footballer and coach (b. 1940)
2007 – Dean Eyre, New Zealand politician (b. 1914)
2008 – Vijay Tendulkar, Indian playwright and screenwriter (b. 1928)
2009 – Robert F. Furchgott, American biochemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1916)
2009 – Nicholas Maw, English composer and academic (b. 1935)
2009 – Clint Smith, Canadian ice hockey player and coach (b. 1913)
2011 – Garret FitzGerald, Irish lawyer and politician, 8th Taoiseach of Ireland (b. 1926)
2011 – Jeffrey Catherine Jones, American artist (b.1944)
2012 – Bob Boozer, American basketball player (b. 1937)
2012 – Tamara Brooks, American conductor and educator (b. 1941)
2012 – Ian Burgess, English race car driver (b. 1930)
2012 – Gerhard Hetz, German-Mexican swimmer (b. 1942)
2012 – Phil Lamason, New Zealand soldier and pilot (b. 1918)
2013 – G. Sarsfield Ford, American lawyer and jurist (b. 1933)
2013 – Robin Harrison, English-Canadian pianist and composer (b. 1932)
2013 – Neil Reynolds, Canadian journalist and politician (b. 1940)
2014 – Simon Andrews, English motorcycle racer (b. 1982)
2014 – Jack Brabham, Australian race car driver (b. 1926)
2014 – Terry W. Gee, American businessman and politician (b. 1940)
2014 – Sam Greenlee, American author and poet (b. 1930)
2014 – Vincent Harding, American historian and scholar (b. 1931)
2014 – Gabriel Kolko, American historian and author (b. 1932)
2014 – Zbigniew Pietrzykowski, Polish boxer (b. 1934)
2015 – Bruce Lundvall, American businessman (b. 1935)
2015 – Ted McWhinney, Australian-Canadian lawyer and politician (b. 1924)
2015 – Happy Rockefeller, American philanthropist, socialite; 31st Second Lady of the United States (b. 1926)
2015 – Robert S. Wistrich, English historian, author, and academic (b. 1945)
2016 – Alan Young, English-born Canadian-American actor (b. 1919)
2016 – Morley Safer, Canadian-born American journalist (b. 1931)
2017 – Nawshirwan Mustafa, General coordinator of the Movement for Change (Gorran) (b. 1944)
2018 – Zhengzhang Shangfang, Chinese linguist (b. 1933)

Holidays and observances on May 19

Christian feast day:
- Calocerus (Eastern Orthodox Church)
- Crispin of Viterbo
- Dunstan (Roman Catholic Church, Orthodox Church; commemoration, Anglicanism)
- Ivo of Kermartin
- Joaquina Vedruna de Mas
- Maria Bernarda Bütler
- Peter Celestine
- Pudentiana (Roman Catholic Church, Orthodox Church)
- May 19 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
Commemoration of Atatürk, Youth and Sports Day (Turkey, Northern Cyprus)
Greek Genocide Remembrance Day (Greece)
Hồ Chí Minh’s Birthday (Vietnam)
Malcolm X Day (United States of America)
National Asian & Pacific Islander HIV/AIDS Awareness Day (United States)
Hepatitis Testing Day (United States)
Mother’s Day (Kyrgyzstan)

May 19 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day Read More »

On This Day

May 17 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day

On This Day / admin

1395 – Battle of Rovine: The Wallachians defeat an invading Ottoman army.
1536 – George Boleyn, 2nd Viscount Rochford and four other men are executed for treason.
1536 – Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn’s marriage is annulled.
1590 – Anne of Denmark is crowned Queen of Scotland.
1642 – Paul de Chomedey, Sieur de Maisonneuve (1612–1676) founds the Ville Marie de Montréal.
1673 – Louis Jolliet and Jacques Marquette begin exploring the Mississippi River.
1792 – The New York Stock Exchange is formed under the Buttonwood Agreement.
1805 – Muhammad Ali becomes Wāli of Egypt.
1809 – Emperor Napoleon I orders the annexation of the Papal States to the French Empire.
1814 – Occupation of Monaco changes from French to Austrian.
1814 – The Constitution of Norway is signed and Crown Prince Christian Frederick of Denmark is elected King of Norway by the Norwegian Constituent Assembly.
1859 – Members of the Melbourne Football Club codified the first rules of Australian rules football.
1863 – Rosalía de Castro publishes Cantares Gallegos, the first book in the Galician language.
1865 – The International Telegraph Union (later the International Telecommunication Union) is established in Paris.
1875 – Aristides wins the first Kentucky Derby with the jockey Oliver Lewis (2:37.75)
1900 – Second Boer War: British troops relieve Mafeking.
1900 – The children’s novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, by L. Frank Baum, is first published in the United States. The first copy is given to the author’s sister.
1902 – Greek archaeologist Valerios Stais discovers the Antikythera mechanism, an ancient mechanical analog computer.
1914 – The Protocol of Corfu is signed, recognising full autonomy to Northern Epirus under nominal Albanian sovereignty.
1915 – The last British Liberal Party government (led by H. H. Asquith) falls.
1933 – Vidkun Quisling and Johan Bernhard Hjort form Nasjonal Samling — the national-socialist party of Norway.
1939 – The Columbia Lions and the Princeton Tigers play in the United States’ first televised sporting event, a collegiate baseball game in New York City.
1940 – World War II: Germany occupies Brussels, Belgium.
1943 – World War II: Dambuster Raids commence by No. 617 Squadron RAF.
1954 – The United States Supreme Court hands down a unanimous decision in Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas, outlawing racial segregation in public schools.
1967 – Six-Day War: President Gamal Abdel Nasser of Egypt demands dismantling of the peace-keeping UN Emergency Force in Egypt.
1969 – Venera program: Soviet Venera 6 begins its descent into the atmosphere of Venus, sending back atmospheric data before being crushed by pressure.
1973 – Watergate scandal: Televised hearings begin in the United States Senate.
1974 – The Troubles: Thirty-three civilians are killed and 300 injured when the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) detonates four car bombs in Dublin and Monaghan, Republic of Ireland.
1974 – Police in Los Angeles raid the Symbionese Liberation Army’s headquarters, killing six members, including Camilla Hall.
1977 – Nolan Bushnell opened the first Chuck E. Cheese’s in San Jose, California.
1980 – General Chun Doo-hwan of South Korea seizes control of the government and declares martial law in order to suppress student demonstrations.
1980 – On the eve of presidential elections, Maoist guerrilla group Shining Path attacks a polling location in Chuschi (a town in Ayacucho), starting the Internal conflict in Peru.
1983 – The U.S. Department of Energy declassifies documents showing world’s largest mercury pollution event in Oak Ridge, Tennessee (ultimately found to be 4.2 million pounds , in response to the Appalachian Observer’s Freedom of Information Act request.
1983 – Lebanon, Israel, and the United States sign an agreement on Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon.
1984 – Prince Charles calls a proposed addition to the National Gallery, London, a “monstrous carbuncle on the face of a much-loved and elegant friend”, sparking controversies on the proper role of the Royal Family and the course of modern architecture.
1987 – Iran–Iraq War: An Iraqi Dassault Mirage F1 fighter jet fires two missiles into the U.S. Navy warship USS Stark, killing 37 and injuring 21 of her crew.
1990 – The General Assembly of the World Health Organization (WHO) eliminates homosexuality from the list of psychiatric diseases.
1992 – Three days of popular protests against the government of Prime Minister of Thailand Suchinda Kraprayoon begin in Bangkok, leading to a military crackdown that results in 52 officially confirmed deaths, hundreds of injuries, many disappearances, and more than 3,500 arrests.
1994 – Malawi holds its first multi-party elections.
1995 – Shawn Nelson steals an M60 tank from the California Army National Guard Armory in San Diego and proceeds to go on a rampage.
1997 – Troops of Laurent Kabila march into Kinshasa. Zaire is officially renamed Democratic Republic of the Congo.
2000 – Arsenal and Galatasaray fans clash in the 2000 UEFA Cup Final riots in Copenhagen
2004 – The first legal same-sex marriages in the U.S. are performed in the state of Massachusetts.
2006 – The aircraft carrier USS Oriskany is sunk in the Gulf of Mexico as an artificial reef.
2007 – Trains from North and South Korea cross the 38th Parallel in a test-run agreed by both governments. This is the first time that trains have crossed the Demilitarized Zone since 1953.
2014 – A plane crash in northern Laos kills 17 people.

Births on May 17

1155 – Jien, Japanese monk, poet, and historian (d. 1225)
1443 – Edmund, Earl of Rutland (d. 1460)
1451 – Engelbert II of Nassau, Count of Nassau-Vianden and Lord of Breda (1475–1504) (d. 1504)
1490 – Albert, Duke of Prussia, last Grand Master of the Teutonic Knights (d. 1568)
1500 – Federico II Gonzaga, Duke of Mantua (d. 1540)
1551 – Martin Delrio, Belgian occultist and theologian (d. 1601)
1568 – Anna Vasa of Sweden, Swedish princess (d. 1625)
1610 – Stefano della Bella, Italian engraver and etcher (d. 1664)
1628 – Ferdinand Charles, Archduke of Austria (d. 1662)
1636 – Edward Colman, English Catholic courtier under Charles II (d. 1678)
1682 – Bartholomew Roberts, Welsh pirate (d. 1722)
1698 – Gio Nicola Buhagiar, Maltese painter (d. 1752)
1706 – Andreas Felix von Oefele, German historian and librarian (d. 1780)
1718 – Robert Darcy, 4th Earl of Holderness, English politician and diplomat, Secretary of State for the Southern Department (d. 1778)
1732 – Francesco Pasquale Ricci, Italian violinist and composer (d. 1817)
1743 – Seth Warner, American colonel (d. 1784)
1749 – Edward Jenner, English physician and microbiologist (d. 1823)
1758 – Sir John St Aubyn, 5th Baronet, English politician (d. 1839)
1768 – Caroline of Brunswick (d. 1821)
1768 – Henry Paget, 1st Marquess of Anglesey, English general and politician, Lord Lieutenant of Ireland (d. 1854)
1794 – Anna Brownell Jameson, Irish-English author (d. 1860)
1818 – Ezra Otis Kendall, American professor, astronomer and mathematician (d. 1899)
1821 – Sebastian Kneipp, German priest and therapist (d. 1897)
1835 – Thomas McIlwraith, Scottish-Australian politician, 8th Premier of Queensland (d. 1900)
1836 – Virginie Loveling, Belgian author and poet (d. 1923)
1836 – Wilhelm Steinitz, Austrian-American chess player (d. 1900)
1845 – Jacint Verdaguer, Catalan priest and poet (d. 1902)
1860 – Martin Kukučín, Slovak author and playwright (d. 1928)
1860 – Charlotte Barnum, American mathematician and social activist (d. 1934)
1863 – Léon Gérin, Canadian lawyer, sociologist, and civil servant (d. 1951)
1864 – Louis Richardet, Swiss target shooter (d. 1923)
1864 – Ante Trumbić, Croatian lawyer and politician, 27th Mayor of Split (d. 1938)
1866 – Erik Satie, French pianist and composer (d. 1925)
1868 – Horace Elgin Dodge, American businessman, co-founded Dodge (d. 1920)
1868 – Panagis Tsaldaris, Greek politician, Prime Minister of Greece (d. 1936)
1870 – Newton Moore, Australian politician, 8th Premier of Western Australia (d. 1936)
1873 – Henri Barbusse, French author and journalist (d. 1935)
1873 – Dorothy Richardson, English author and journalist (d. 1957)
1874 – George Sheldon, American diver (d. 1907)
1882 – Karl Burman, Estonian architect and painter (d. 1965)
1886 – Alfonso XIII of Spain, Spanish monarch (d. 1941)
1888 – Tich Freeman, English cricketer (d. 1965)
1889 – Dorothy Gibson, American actress and singer (d. 1946)
1889 – Alfonso Reyes, Mexican author (d. 1959)
1891 – Napoleon Zervas, Greek general and politician (d. 1957)
1893 – Frederick McKinley Jones, American inventor and entrepreneur (d. 1961)
1895 – Saul Adler, Belarusian-English captain and parasitologist (d. 1966)
1895 – Reinhold Saulmann, Estonian sprinter and bandy player (d. 1936)
1897 – Odd Hassel, Norwegian chemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1981)
1898 – A. J. Casson, Canadian painter (d. 1992)
1899 – Carmen de Icaza, Spanish writer (d. 1979)
1901 – Werner Egk, German pianist and composer (d. 1983)
1903 – Cool Papa Bell, American baseball player and manager (d. 1991)
1904 – Marie-Anne Desmarest, French author (d. 1973)
1906 – Zinka Milanov, Croatian-American soprano and educator (d. 1989)
1909 – Julius Sumner Miller, American physicist and academic (d. 1987)
1911 – Lisa Fonssagrives, Swedish-American model (d. 1992)
1911 – Maureen O’Sullivan, Irish-American actress (d. 1998)
1912 – Archibald Cox, American lawyer and politician, 31st United States Solicitor General (d. 2004)
1912 – Ace Parker, American baseball and football player (d. 2013)
1912 – Mary Beatrice Davidson Kenner, American inventor (d. 2006)
1913 – Hans Ruesch, Swiss racing driver and author (d. 2007)
1914 – Robert N. Thompson, American-Canadian chiropractor and politician (d. 1997)
1918 – Joan Benham, English actress (d. 1981)
1918 – Birgit Nilsson, Swedish operatic soprano (d. 2005)
1919 – Antonio Aguilar, Mexican singer-songwriter, producer, actor, and screenwriter (d. 2007)
1919 – Merle Miller, American author and screenwriter (d. 1986)
1919 – Gustav Naan, Russian-Estonian physicist and philosopher (d. 1994)
1920 – Harry Männil, Estonian-Venezuelan businessman, co-founded ACO Group (d. 2010)
1921 – Dennis Brain, English composer (d. 1957)
1921 – Bob Merrill, American composer and screenwriter (d. 1998)
1922 – Jean Rédélé, French racing driver, founded Alpine (d. 2007)
1923 – Michael Beetham, English commander and pilot (d. 2015)
1924 – Roy Bentley, English footballer (d. 2018)
1924 – Francis Tombs, Baron Tombs, English engineer and politician (d. 2020)
1926 – David Ogilvy, 13th Earl of Airlie, English-Scottish soldier and politician
1926 – Dietmar Schönherr, Austrian-Spanish actor, director, and screenwriter (d. 2014)
1926 – Franz Sondheimer, German-English chemist and academic (d. 1981)
1929 – Branko Zebec, Yugoslav football player and coach (d. 1988)
1931 – Marshall Applewhite, American cult leader, founded Heaven’s Gate (d. 1997)
1931 – Dewey Redman, American saxophonist (d. 2006)
1932 – Rodric Braithwaite, English soldier and diplomat, British Ambassador to Russia
1932 – Peter Burge, Australian cricketer (d. 2001)
1933 – Yelena Gorchakova, Russian javelin thrower (d. 2002)
1934 – Friedrich-Wilhelm Kiel, German educator and politician
1934 – Earl Morrall, American football player and coach (d. 2014)
1934 – Ronald Wayne, American computer scientist, co-founded Apple Inc.
1935 – Dennis Potter, English voice actor, director, producer, and screenwriter (d. 1994)
1936 – Dennis Hopper, American actor and director (d. 2010)
1937 – Hazel R. O’Leary, American lawyer and politician, 7th United States Secretary of Energy
1938 – Jason Bernard, American actor (d. 1996)
1938 – Marcia Freedman, Israeli activist
1938 – Pervis Jackson, American R&B bass singer (d. 2008)
1939 – Hugh Dykes, Baron Dykes, English politician
1939 – Gary Paulsen, American author
1940 – Alan Kay, American computer scientist and academic
1940 – Reynato Puno, Filipino lawyer and jurist, 22nd Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines
1941 – David Cope, American composer and author
1941 – Ben Nelson, American lawyer and politician, 37th Governor of Nebraska
1942 – Taj Mahal, American blues singer-songwriter and musician
1943 – Sirajuddin of Perlis, Yang di-Pertuan Agong of Malaysia
1943 – Johnny Warren, Australian footballer, coach, and sportscaster (d. 2004)
1944 – Jesse Winchester, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer (d. 2014)
1945 – B.S. Chandrasekhar, Indian cricketer
1945 – Tony Roche, Australian tennis player and coach
1946 – Udo Lindenberg, German singer-songwriter and drummer
1947 – Stephen Platten, English bishop
1948 – Dick Gaughan, Scottish singer-songwriter and guitarist
1949 – Bill Bruford, English drummer, songwriter, and producer
1949 – Keith, American pop singer
1950 – Howard Ashman, American playwright and composer (d. 1991)
1950 – Keith Bradley, Baron Bradley, English accountant and politician
1950 – Janez Drnovšek, Slovenian economist and politician, 2nd President of Slovenia (d. 2008)
1950 – Alan Johnson, English politician, Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer
1950 – Valeriya Novodvorskaya, Russian journalist and politician (d. 2014)
1951 – Simon Hughes, English lawyer and politician
1952 – Howard Hampton, Canadian lawyer and politician
1954 – Michael Roberts, South African-English jockey
1955 – Bill Paxton, American actor and director (d. 2017)
1955 – David Townsend, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 2005)
1956 – Sugar Ray Leonard, American boxer
1956 – Annise Parker, American politician
1956 – Bob Saget, American comedian, actor, and television host
1956 – Dave Sim, Canadian cartoonist and author
1957 – Pascual Pérez, Dominican baseball player (d. 2012)
1958 – Paul Di’Anno, English rock singer-songwriter
1959 – Marcelo Loffreda, Argentine rugby player and coach
1960 – Lou DiBella, American boxing promoter, actor, and producer
1960 – Simon Fuller, English talent manager and producer, created the Idols series
1961 – Enya, Irish singer-songwriter and producer
1961 – Jamil Azzaoui, Canadian singer-songwriter and guitarist
1961 – Justin King, English businessman
1962 – Lise Lyng Falkenberg, Danish journalist and author
1962 – Andrew Farrar, Australian rugby league player and coach
1962 – Craig Ferguson, Scottish-American comedian, actor, and talk show host
1962 – Jane Moore, English journalist and author
1962 – Rosalind Picard, American computer scientist and engineer, co-founded Affectiva
1963 – Jon Koncak, American basketball player
1963 – Page McConnell, American keyboard player and songwriter
1964 – Stratos Apostolakis, Greek footballer and coach
1964 – Mauro Martini, Italian race car driver
1964 – Menno Oosting, Dutch tennis player (d. 1999)
1965 – Trent Reznor, American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and producer
1965 – Jeremy Vine, English journalist and author
1966 – Qusay Hussein, Iraqi soldier and politician (d. 2003)
1966 – Mark Kratzmann, Australian tennis player and coach
1966 – Danny Manning, American basketball player and coach
1966 – Gilles Quénéhervé, French sprinter
1967 – Nancy Benoit, American professional wrestling valet and model (d. 2007)
1967 – Mohamed Nasheed, Maldivian lawyer and politician 4th President of the Maldives
1967 – Patrick Ortlieb, Austrian skier
1968 – Dave Abbruzzese, American rock drummer and songwriter
1969 – Keith Hill, English footballer and manager
1970 – Hubert Davis, American basketball player and coach
1970 – Jordan Knight, American singer-songwriter and actor
1970 – Matt Lindland, American mixed martial artist, wrestler, and politician
1970 – Jodie Rogers, Australian diver
1970 – René Vilbre, Estonian director and screenwriter
1971 – Mark Connors, Australian rugby player
1971 – Shaun Hart, Australian footballer, coach, and sportscaster
1971 – Stella Jongmans, Dutch athlete
1971 – Queen Máxima of the Netherlands, Dutch royal
1971 – Gina Raimondo, Governor of Rhode Island
1972 – Barry Hayles, English born Jamaican international footballer
1973 – Josh Homme, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer
1974 – Andrea Corr, Irish singer-songwriter, pianist, and actress
1974 – Wiki González, Venezuelan baseball player
1974 – Eddie Lewis, American international soccer player
1975 – Marcelinho Paraíba, Brazilian footballer
1975 – Alex Wright, German wrestler
1976 – Kandi Burruss, American singer-songwriter, producer, and actress
1976 – Shayne Dunley, Australian rugby league player
1976 – José Guillén, Dominican-American baseball player
1976 – Daniel Komen, Kenyan runner
1976 – Wang Leehom, American-Taiwanese singer-songwriter, producer, actor, and director
1976 – Mayte Martínez, Spanish runner
1976 – Kirsten Vlieghuis, Dutch freestyle swimmer
1978 – John Foster, American baseball player and coach
1978 – Paddy Kenny, English footballer
1978 – Carlos Peña, Dominican-American baseball player
1978 – Magdalena Zděnovcová, Czech tennis player
1979 – David Jarolím, Czech footballer
1979 – Wayne Thomas, English footballer
1980 – Davor Džalto, Bosnian historian and philosopher
1980 – Fredrik Kessiakoff, Swedish cyclist
1980 – Alistair Overeem, Dutch mixed martial artist and kickboxer
1980 – Ariën van Weesenbeek, Dutch drummer
1981 – Beñat Albizuri, Spanish cyclist
1981 – Leon Osman, English footballer
1981 – Lim Jeong-hee, South Korean singer
1981 – Chris Skidmore, English historian and politician
1981 – Giannis Taralidis, Greek footballer
1982 – Matt Cassel, American football player
1982 – Dan Hardy, English mixed martial artist
1982 – Reiko Nakamura, Japanese swimmer
1982 – Tony Parker, French-American basketball player
1982 – Chloe Smith, English politician
1983 – Channing Frye, American basketball player
1983 – Chris Henry, American football player (d. 2009)
1983 – Nicky Hofs, Dutch footballer
1983 – Kevin Kingston, Australian rugby league player
1983 – Jeremy Sowers, American baseball player
1984 – Christian Bolaños, Costa Rican footballer
1984 – Christine Ohuruogu, English runner
1984 – Christine Robinson, Canadian water polo player
1984 – Passenger, English singer-songwriter and musician
1985 – Teófilo Gutiérrez, Colombian footballer
1985 – Derek Hough, American actor, singer, and dancer
1985 – Christine Nesbitt, Canadian speed skater
1985 – Todd Redmond, American baseball player
1985 – Matt Ryan, American football player
1986 – Marius Činikas, Lithuanian footballer
1986 – Timo Simonlatser, Estonian skier
1986 – Jodie Taylor, English footballer
1987 – Edvald Boasson Hagen, Norwegian cyclist
1987 – Aleandro Rosi, Italian footballer
1988 – Nikki Reed, American actress, singer, and screenwriter
1988 – Jennison Myrie-Williams, English footballer
1989 – Mose Masoe, New Zealand rugby league player
1989 – Rain Raadik, Estonian basketball player
1989 – Tessa Virtue, Canadian ice dancer
1990 – Fabian Giefer, German footballer
1990 – Charlie Gubb, New Zealand rugby league player
1990 – Katrina Hart, English runner
1990 – Guido Pella, Argentine tennis player
1991 – Johanna Konta, Australian-English tennis player
1991 – Adil Omar, Pakistani rapper and music producer
1991 – Abigail Raye, Canadian field hockey player

Deaths on May 17

528 – Empress Dowager Hu of Northern Wei
528 – Yuan Yong, imperial prince of Northern Wei
528 – Yuan Zhao, emperor of Northern Wei (b. 526)
896 – Liu Jianfeng, Chinese warlord
924 – Li Maozhen, Chinese warlord and king (b. 856)
946 – Al-Qa’im bi-Amr Allah, Fatimid caliph (b. 893)
1299 – Daumantas of Pskov, Lithuanian prince (b. c. 1240)
1336 – Go-Fushimi, emperor of Japan (b. 1288)
1365 – Louis II, Elector of Brandenburg (b. 1328)
1395 – Konstantin Dejanović/Constantine Dragaš, Serbian ruler (b. 1355)
1464 – Thomas de Ros, 9th Baron de Ros, English politician (b. 1427)
1510 – Sandro Botticelli, Italian painter (b. 1445)
1521 – Edward Stafford, 3rd Duke of Buckingham, Welsh politician, Lord High Constable of England (b. 1478)
1536 – George Boleyn, 2nd Viscount Rochford, English courtier and diplomat, Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports (b. 1504)
1536 – William Brereton, English courtier (b. 1487)
1536 – Henry Norris, English courtier (b. 1482)
1546 – Philipp von Hutten, German explorer (b. 1511)
1551 – Shin Saimdang, South Korean poet and calligraphist (b. 1504)
1558 – Francisco de Sá de Miranda, Portuguese poet (b. 1485)
1575 – Matthew Parker, English archbishop and academic (b. 1504)
1606 – False Dmitriy I, pretender to the Russian throne (b. 1582)
1607 – Anna d’Este, French princess (b. 1531)
1626 – Joan Pau Pujol, Catalan organist and composer (b. 1570)
1643 – Giovanni Picchi, Italian organist and composer (b. 1571)
1727 – Catherine I of Russia (b. 1684)
1729 – Samuel Clarke, English clergyman and philosopher (b. 1675)
1765 – Alexis Clairaut, French mathematician, astronomer, and geophysicist (b. 1713)
1797 – Michel-Jean Sedaine, French playwright and composer (b. 1719)
1801 – William Heberden, English physician and scholar (b. 1710)
1807 – John Gunby, American general (b. 1745)
1809 – Leopold Auenbrugger, Austrian physician (b. 1722)
1822 – Armand-Emmanuel de Vignerot du Plessis, Duc de Richelieu, French general and politician, 2nd Prime Minister of France (b. 1766)
1829 – John Jay, American politician and diplomat, 1st Chief Justice of the United States (b. 1745)
1838 – René Caillié, French explorer and author (b. 1799)
1838 – Charles Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord, French bishop and politician, Prime Minister of France (b. 1754)
1839 – Archibald Alison, Scottish priest and author (b. 1757)
1868 – Kondō Isami, Japanese commander (b. 1834)
1875 – John C. Breckinridge, American lawyer and politician, 14th Vice President of the United States, Confederate States general (b. 1821)
1879 – Asa Packer, American businessman, founded Lehigh University (b. 1805)
1880 – Ziya Pasha, Greek author and translator (b. 1826)
1886 – John Deere, American blacksmith and businessman, founded the Deere & Company (b. 1804)
1888 – Giacomo Zanella, Italian priest and poet (b. 1820)
1911 – Frederick August Otto Schwarz, German-American businessman, founded FAO Schwarz (b. 1836)
1916 – Boris Borisovich Golitsyn, Russian physicist and seismologist (b. 1862)
1917 – Clara Ayres, American nurse (b. 1880)
1917 – Charles Brooke, Rajah of Sarawak (b. 1829)
1919 – Guido von List, Austrian-German journalist, author, and poet (b. 1848)
1921 – Karl Mantzius, Danish actor and director (b. 1860)
1922 – Dorothy Levitt, English racing driver and journalist (b. 1882)
1927 – Harold Geiger, American pilot and lieutenant (b. 1884)
1934 – Cass Gilbert, American architect (b. 1859)
1935 – Paul Dukas, French composer, critic, and educator (b. 1865)
1936 – Panagis Tsaldaris, Greek lawyer and politician, 124th Prime Minister of Greece (b. 1868)
1938 – Jakob Ehrlich, Czech-Austrian academic and politician (b. 1877)
1943 – Johanna Elberskirchen, German author and activist (b. 1864)
1947 – George Forbes, New Zealand farmer and politician, 22nd Prime Minister of New Zealand (b. 1869)
1951 – William Birdwood, Anglo-Indian field marshal (b. 1865)
1960 – Jules Supervielle, Uruguayan-French poet and author (b. 1884)
1963 – John Wilce, American football player, coach, and physician (b. 1888)
1964 – Nandor Fodor, Hungarian-American psychologist and parapsychologist (b. 1895)
1974 – Ernest Nash, German-American photographer and scholar (b. 1898)
1977 – Charles E. Rosendahl, American admiral and pilot (b. 1892)
1980 – Gündüz Kılıç, Turkish football player and coach (b. 1918)
1985 – Abe Burrows, American director, composer, and author (b. 1910)
1987 – Gunnar Myrdal, Swedish economist, sociologist, and politician, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1898)
1992 – Lawrence Welk, American accordion player and bandleader (b. 1903)
1995 – Toe Blake, Canadian ice hockey player and coach (b. 1912)
1996 – Kevin Gilbert, American singer-songwriter and producer (b. 1966)
1999 – Bruce Fairbairn, Canadian trumpet player and producer (b. 1949)
1999 – Lembit Oll, Estonian chess Grandmaster (b. 1966)
2000 – Donald Coggan, English archbishop (b. 1909)
2001 – Jacques-Louis Lions, French mathematician (b. 1928)
2001 – Frank G. Slaughter, American physician and author (b. 1908)
2002 – László Kubala, Hungarian-Spanish footballer, coach, and manager (b. 1927)
2002 – Aşık Mahzuni Şerif, Turkish poet and composer (b. 1940)
2004 – Jørgen Nash, Danish poet and painter (b. 1920)
2004 – Tony Randall, American actor (b. 1920)
2004 – Ezzedine Salim, Iraqi politician (b. 1943)
2005 – Frank Gorshin, American actor (b. 1934)
2006 – Cy Feuer, American director, producer, and composer (b. 1911)
2007 – Lloyd Alexander, American soldier and author (b. 1924)
2007 – T. K. Doraiswamy, Indian poet and author (b. 1921)
2009 – Mario Benedetti, Uruguayan journalist, author, and poet (b. 1920)
2009 – Jung Seung-hye, South Korean journalist and producer (b. 1965)
2010 – Yvonne Loriod, French pianist, composer, and educator (b. 1924)
2010 – Walasse Ting, Chinese-American painter and poet (b. 1929)
2011 – Harmon Killebrew, American baseball player and sportscaster (b. 1936)
2012 – Gideon Ezra, Israeli geographer and politician, Israeli Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office (b. 1937)
2012 – Patrick Mafisango, Congolese-Rwandan footballer (b. 1980)
2012 – Donna Summer, American singer-songwriter (b. 1948)
2013 – Philippe Gaumont, French cyclist (b. 1973)
2013 – Peter Schulz, German politician, Mayor of Hamburg (b. 1930)
2013 – Ken Venturi, American golfer and sportscaster (b. 1931)
2013 – Jorge Rafael Videla, Argentine general and politician, 42nd President of Argentina (b. 1925)
2014 – Gerald Edelman, American biologist and immunologist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1929)
2014 – C. P. Krishnan Nair, Indian businessman, founded The Leela Palaces, Hotels and Resorts (b. 1922)
2014 – Douangchay Phichit, Laotian politician (b. 1944)
2014 – Thongbanh Sengaphone, Laotian politician (b. 1953)
2017 – Todor Veselinović, Serbian football player and manager (b. 1930)
2019 – Herman Wouk, American author (b. 1915)
2020 – Lucky Peterson, American blues singer, keyboardist and guitarist (b. 1964)

Holidays and observances on May 17

Birthday of the Raja (Perlis)
Christian feast day:
- Giulia Salzano
- Paschal Baylon
- William Hobart Hare (Episcopal Church (USA))
- Restituta
- May 17 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
Children’s Day (Norway)
Constitution Day (Nauru)
Norwegian Constitution Day
The earliest date on which Trinity Sunday can fall, while June 20 is the latest; celebrated on the first Sunday after Pentecost. (Western Christianity)
Feast of ‘Aẓamat (Bahá’í Faith, day shifts with March Equinox, see List of observances set by the Baháʼí calendar)
Galician Literature Day or Día das Letras Galegas (Galicia)
National Day Against Homophobia (Canada)
International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia also known as IDAHOT
Liberation Day (Democratic Republic of the Congo)
Navy Day (Argentina)
World Hypertension Day
World Information Society Day (International)

May 17 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day Read More »

On This Day

May 15 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day

On This Day / admin

495 BC – A newly constructed temple in honour of the god Mercury was dedicated in ancient Rome on the Circus Maximus, between the Aventine and Palatine hills. To spite the senate and the consuls, the people awarded the dedication to a senior military officer, Marcus Laetorius.
221 – Liu Bei, Chinese warlord, proclaims himself emperor of Shu Han, the successor of the Han dynasty.
392 – Emperor Valentinian II is assassinated while advancing into Gaul against the Frankish usurper Arbogast. He is found hanging in his residence at Vienne.
589 – King Authari marries Theodelinda, daughter of the Bavarian duke Garibald I. A Catholic, she has great influence among the Lombard nobility.
908 – The three-year-old Constantine VII, the son of Emperor Leo VI the Wise, is crowned as co-emperor of the Byzantine Empire by Patriarch Euthymius I at Constantinople.
1252 – Pope Innocent IV issues the papal bull ad extirpanda, which authorizes, but also limits, the torture of heretics in the Medieval Inquisition.
1525 – Insurgent peasants led by Anabaptist pastor Thomas Müntzer were defeated at the Battle of Frankenhausen, ending the German Peasants’ War in the Holy Roman Empire.
1536 – Anne Boleyn, Queen of England, stands trial in London on charges of treason, adultery and incest; she is condemned to death by a specially-selected jury.
1567 – Mary, Queen of Scots marries James Hepburn, 4th Earl of Bothwell, her third husband.
1618 – Johannes Kepler confirms his previously rejected discovery of the third law of planetary motion (he first discovered it on March 8 but soon rejected the idea after some initial calculations were made).
1648 – The Peace of Münster is ratified, by which Spain acknowledges Dutch sovereignty.
1718 – James Puckle, a London lawyer, patents the world’s first machine gun.
1776 – American Revolution: The Fifth Virginia Convention instructs its Continental Congress delegation to propose a resolution of independence from Great Britain, paving the way for the United States Declaration of Independence.
1791 – French Revolution: Maximilien Robespierre proposes the Self-denying Ordinance.
1792 – War of the First Coalition: France declares war on Kingdom of Sardinia.
1793 – Diego Marín Aguilera flies a glider for “about 360 meters”, at a height of 5–6 meters, during one of the first attempted manned flights.
1796 – War of the First Coalition: Napoleon enters Milan in triumph.
1800 – King George III of the United Kingdom survives an assassination attempt by James Hadfield, who is later acquitted by reason of insanity.
1817 – Opening of the first private mental health hospital in the United States, the Asylum for the Relief of Persons Deprived of the Use of Their Reason (now Friends Hospital, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania).
1836 – Francis Baily observes “Baily’s beads” during an annular eclipse.
1849 – The Sicilian revolution of 1848 is finally extinguished.
1850 – The Bloody Island massacre takes place in Lake County, California, in which a large number of Pomo Indians are slaughtered by a regiment of the United States Cavalry.
1850 – The Arana–Southern Treaty is ratified, ending “the existing differences” between Great Britain and Argentina.
1851 – The first Australian gold rush is proclaimed, although the discovery had been made three months earlier.
1858 – Opening of the present Royal Opera House in Covent Garden, London.
1862 – President Abraham Lincoln signs a bill into law creating the United States Bureau of Agriculture. It is later renamed the United States Department of Agriculture.
1864 – American Civil War: Battle of New Market, Virginia: Students from the Virginia Military Institute fight alongside the Confederate army to force Union General Franz Sigel out of the Shenandoah Valley.
1867 – Canadian Bank of Commerce opens for business in Toronto, Ontario. The bank would later merge with Imperial Bank of Canada to become what is CIBC in 1961.
1869 – Women’s suffrage: In New York, Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton form the National Woman Suffrage Association.
1891 – Pope Leo XIII defends workers’ rights and property rights in the encyclical Rerum novarum, the beginning of modern Catholic social teaching.
1904 – Russo-Japanese War: The Russian minelayer Amur lays a minefield about 15 miles off Port Arthur and sinks Japan’s battleships Hatsuse, 15,000 tons, with 496 crew and Yashima.
1905 – Las Vegas is founded when 110 acres (0.45 km²), in what later would become downtown, are auctioned off.
1911 – In Standard Oil Co. of New Jersey v. United States, the United States Supreme Court declares Standard Oil to be an “unreasonable” monopoly under the Sherman Antitrust Act and orders the company to be broken up.
1911 – More than 300 Chinese immigrants are killed in the Torreón massacre when the forces of the Mexican Revolution led by Emilio Madero take the city of Torreón from the Federales.
1914 – During a poker game at the Gaiety Theatre in Galesburg, Illinois, comedian Art Fisher nicknames Chicko, Harpo, Groucho, and Gummo Marx.
1919 – The Winnipeg general strike begins. By 11:00, almost the whole working population of Winnipeg had walked off the job.
1919 – Greek occupation of Smyrna. During the occupation, the Greek army kills or wounds 350 Turks; those responsible are punished by Greek commander Aristides Stergiades.
1925 – Al-Insaniyyah, the first Arabic communist newspaper, is founded.
1928 – Walt Disney character Mickey Mouse premieres in his first cartoon, “Plane Crazy”.
1929 – A fire at the Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland, Ohio kills 123.
1932 – In an attempted coup d’état, the Prime Minister of Japan Inukai Tsuyoshi is assassinated.
1933 – All military aviation organizations within or under the control of the RLM of Germany were officially merged in a covert manner to form its Wehrmacht military’s air arm, the Luftwaffe.
1934 – Kārlis Ulmanis establishes an authoritarian government in Latvia.
1940 – USS Sailfish is recommissioned. It was originally the USS Squalus.
1940 – World War II: After fierce fighting, the poorly trained and equipped Dutch troops surrender to Germany, marking the beginning of five years of occupation.
1940 – Richard and Maurice McDonald open the first McDonald’s restaurant.
1941 – First flight of the Gloster E.28/39 the first British and Allied jet aircraft.
1941 – Joe DiMaggio begins a 56-game hitting streak.
1942 – World War II: In the United States, a bill creating the Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps (WAAC) is signed into law.
1943 – Joseph Stalin dissolves the Comintern (or Third International).
1945 – World War II: The Battle of Poljana, the final skirmish in Europe is fought near Prevalje, Slovenia.
1948 – Following the expiration of The British Mandate for Palestine, the Kingdom of Egypt, Transjordan, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and Saudi Arabia invade Israel thus starting the 1948 Arab–Israeli War.
1957 – At Malden Island in the Pacific Ocean, Britain tests its first hydrogen bomb in Operation Grapple.
1958 – The Soviet Union launches Sputnik 3.
1960 – The Soviet Union launches Sputnik 4.
1963 – Project Mercury: The launch of the final Mercury mission, Mercury-Atlas 9 with astronaut Gordon Cooper on board. He becomes the first American to spend more than a day in space, and the last American to go into space alone.
1966 – After a policy dispute, Prime Minister Nguyễn Cao Kỳ of South Vietnam’s ruling junta launches a military attack on the forces of General Tôn Thất Đính, forcing him to abandon his command.
1969 – People’s Park: California Governor Ronald Reagan has an impromptu student park owned by the University of California at Berkeley fenced off from student anti-war protestors, sparking a riot.
1970 – President Richard Nixon appoints Anna Mae Hays and Elizabeth P. Hoisington the first female United States Army generals.
1970 – Philip Lafayette Gibbs and James Earl Green are killed at Jackson State University by police during student protests.
1972 – The Ryukyu Islands, under U.S. military governance since its conquest in 1945, reverts to Japanese control.
1972 – In Laurel, Maryland, Arthur Bremer shoots and paralyzes Alabama Governor George Wallace while he is campaigning to become president.
1974 – Ma’alot massacre: Members of the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine attack and take hostages at an Israeli school; a total of 31 people are killed, including 22 schoolchildren.
1976 – Aeroflot Flight 1802 crashes in Viktorovka, Chernihiv Raion, killing all 52 people on board.
1987 – The Soviet Union launches the Polyus prototype orbital weapons platform. It fails to reach orbit.
1988 – Soviet–Afghan War: After more than eight years of fighting, the Soviet Army begins to withdraw 115,000 troops from Afghanistan.
1991 – Édith Cresson becomes France’s first female Prime Minister.
1997 – The United States government acknowledges the existence of the “Secret War” in Laos and dedicates the Laos Memorial in honor of Hmong and other “Secret War” veterans.
1997 – The Space Shuttle Atlantis launches on STS-84 to dock with the Russian space station Mir.
2004 – Arsenal F.C. go an entire league campaign unbeaten in the English Premier League, joining Preston North End F.C with the right to claim the title “The Invincibles”.
2008 – California becomes the second U.S. state after Massachusetts in 2004 to legalize same-sex marriage after the state’s own Supreme Court rules a previous ban unconstitutional.
2010 – Jessica Watson becomes the youngest person to sail, non-stop and unassisted around the world solo.
2013 – An upsurge in violence in Iraq leaves more than 389 people dead over three days.

Births on May 15

1397 – Sejong the Great, Korean king (d. 1450)
1531 – Maria of Austria, Duchess of Jülich-Cleves-Berg (d. 1581)
1565 – Hendrick de Keyser, Dutch sculptor and architect (d. 1621)
1567 – Claudio Monteverdi, Italian priest and composer (d. 1643)
1655 – Pope Innocent XIII (d. 1724)
1608 – René Goupil, French-American missionary and saint (d. 1642)
1633 – Sébastien Le Prestre de Vauban, French noble (d. 1707)
1645 – George Jeffreys, 1st Baron Jeffreys, British judge (d. 1689)
1689 – Lady Mary Wortley Montagu, English writer (d. 1762)
1720 – Maximilian Hell, Hungarian priest and astronomer (d. 1792)
1749 – Levi Lincoln Sr., American lawyer and politician, 4th United States Attorney General (d. 1820)
1759 – Maria Theresia von Paradis, Austrian pianist and composer (d. 1824)
1770 – Ezekiel Hart, Canadian businessman and politician (d. 1843)
1773 – Klemens von Metternich, German-Austrian politician, 1st State Chancellor of the Austrian Empire (d. 1859)
1786 – Dimitris Plapoutas, Greek general and politician (d. 1864)
1803 – Juan Almonte, son of José María Morelos, was a Mexican soldier and diplomat who served as a regent in the Second Mexican Empire (1863-1864) (d. 1869)
1805 – Samuel Carter, Early English railway solicitor and MP (d. 1878)
1808 – Michael William Balfe, Irish composer and conductor (d. 1870)
1817 – Debendranath Tagore, Indian philosopher and author (d. 1905)
1841 – Clarence Dutton, American commander and geologist (d. 1912)
1845 – Élie Metchnikoff, Russian zoologist (d. 1916)
1848 – Viktor Vasnetsov, Russian painter and illustrator (d. 1926)
1854 – Ioannis Psycharis, Ukrainian-French philologist and author (d. 1929)
1856 – L. Frank Baum, American novelist (d. 1919)
1856 – Matthias Zurbriggen, Swiss mountaineer (d. 1917)
1857 – Williamina Fleming, Scottish-American astronomer and academic (d. 1911)
1859 – Pierre Curie, French physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1906)
1862 – Arthur Schnitzler, Austrian author and playwright (d. 1931)
1863 – Frank Hornby, English businessman and politician, invented Meccano (d. 1936)
1869 – Paul Probst, Swiss target shooter (d. 1945)
1869 – John Storey, Australian politician, 20th Premier of New South Wales (d. 1921)
1882 – Walter White, Scottish international footballer (d. 1950)
1890 – Katherine Anne Porter, American short story writer, novelist, and essayist (d. 1980)
1891 – Mikhail Bulgakov, Russian novelist and playwright (d. 1940)
1891 – Fritz Feigl, Austrian-Brazilian chemist and academic (d. 1971)
1892 – Charles E. Rosendahl, American admiral (d. 1977)
1892 – Jimmy Wilde, Welsh boxer (d. 1969)
1893 – José Nepomuceno, Filipino filmmaker, founder of Philippine cinema (d. 1959)
1894 – Feg Murray, American hurdler and cartoonist (d. 1973)
1895 – Prescott Bush, American captain, banker, and politician (d. 1972)
1895 – William D. Byron, American lieutenant and politician (d. 1941)
1898 – Arletty, French model, actress, and singer (d. 1992)
1899 – Jean Étienne Valluy, French general (d. 1970)
1900 – Ida Rhodes, American mathematician, pioneer in computer programming (d. 1986)
1901 – Xavier Herbert, Australian author (d. 1984)
1901 – Luis Monti, Argentinian-Italian footballer and manager (d. 1983)
1902 – Richard J. Daley, American lawyer and politician, 48th Mayor of Chicago (d. 1976)
1902 – Sigizmund Levanevsky, Soviet aircraft pilot of Polish origin (d. 1937)
1903 – Maria Reiche, German mathematician and archaeologist (d. 1998)
1904 – Clifton Fadiman, American game show host and author (d. 1999)
1905 – Joseph Cotten, American actor (d. 1994)
1905 – Albert Dubout, French cartoonist, illustrator, painter, and sculptor (d. 1976)
1905 – Abraham Zapruder, American businessman and amateur photographer, filmed the Zapruder film (d. 1970)
1907 – Sukhdev Thapar, Indian activist (d. 1931)
1909 – James Mason, English actor, producer, and screenwriter (d. 1984)
1909 – Clara Solovera, Chilean singer-songwriter (d. 1992)
1910 – Constance Cummings, British-based American actress (d. 2005)
1911 – Max Frisch, Swiss playwright and novelist (d. 1991)
1911 – Herta Oberheuser, German physician (d. 1978)
1912 – Arthur Berger, American composer and educator (d. 2003)
1914 – Turk Broda, Canadian ice hockey player and coach (d. 1972)
1914 – Angus MacLean, Canadian farmer and politician, 25th Premier of Prince Edward Island (d. 2000)
1914 – Norrie Paramor, English composer, producer, and conductor (d. 1979)
1915 – Hilda Bernstein, English-South African author and activist (d. 2006)
1915 – Paul Samuelson, American economist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 2009)
1915 – Henrik Sandberg, Danish production manager and producer (d. 1993)
1916 – Vera Gebuhr, Danish actress (d. 2014)
1918 – Eddy Arnold, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and actor (d. 2008)
1918 – Arthur Jackson, American lieutenant and target shooter (d. 2015)
1918 – Joseph Wiseman, Canadian-American actor (d. 2009)
1920 – Michel Audiard, French director and screenwriter (d. 1985)
1922 – Sigurd Ottovich Schmidt, Russian historian and ethnographer (d. 2013)
1922 – Jakucho Setouchi, Japanese nun and author
1923 – Richard Avedon, American sailor and photographer (d. 2004)
1923 – John Lanchbery, English-Australian composer and conductor (d. 2003)
1924 – Maria Koepcke, German-Peruvian ornithologist and zoologist (d. 1971)
1925 – Andrei Eshpai, Russian pianist and composer (d. 2015)
1925 – Mary F. Lyon, English geneticist and biologist (d. 2014)
1925 – Carl Sanders, American soldier, pilot, and politician, 74th Governor of Georgia (d. 2014)
1925 – Roy Stewart, Jamaican-English actor and stuntman (d. 2008)
1926 – Clermont Pépin, Canadian pianist, composer, and educator (d. 2006)
1926 – Anthony Shaffer, English author, playwright, and screenwriter (d. 2001)
1926 – Peter Shaffer, English playwright and screenwriter (d. 2016)
1930 – Jasper Johns, American painter and sculptor
1931 – Ken Venturi, American golfer and sportscaster (d. 2013)
1935 – Don Bragg, American pole vaulter
1935 – Ted Dexter, Italian-English cricketer
1935 – Utah Phillips, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 2008)
1935 – Akihiro Miwa, Japanese singer, actor, director, composer, author and drag queen
1936 – Anna Maria Alberghetti, Italian-American actress and singer
1936 – Mart Laga, Estonian basketball player (d. 1977)
1936 – Ralph Steadman, English painter and illustrator
1936 – Paul Zindel, American playwright and novelist (d. 2003)
1937 – Madeleine Albright, Czech-American politician and diplomat, 64th United States Secretary of State
1937 – Karin Krog, Norwegian singer
1937 – Trini Lopez, American singer, guitarist, and actor
1938 – Mireille Darc, French actress, director, and screenwriter (d. 2017)
1938 – Nancy Garden, American author (d. 2014)
1939 – Dorothy Shirley, English high jumper and educator
1940 – Roger Ailes, American businessman (d. 2017)
1940 – Lainie Kazan, American actress and singer
1940 – Don Nelson, American basketball player and coach
1941 – Jaxon, American illustrator and publisher, co-founded the Rip Off Press (d. 2006)
1942 – Lois Johnson, American singer-songwriter (d. 2014)
1942 – Jusuf Kalla, Indonesian businessman and politician, 10th Vice President of Indonesia
1942 – Doug Lowe, Australian politician, 35th Premier of Tasmania
1942 – K. T. Oslin, American singer-songwriter and actress
1943 – Paul Bégin, Canadian lawyer and politician
1943 – Freddie Perren, American songwriter, producer, and conductor (d. 2004)
1944 – Bill Alter, American police officer and politician
1944 – Ulrich Beck, German sociologist and academic (d. 2015)
1945 – Michael Dexter, English hematologist and academic
1945 – Jerry Quarry, American boxer (d. 1999)
1946 – Thadeus Nguyễn Văn Lý, Vietnamese priest and activist
1947 – Graeham Goble, Australian singer-songwriter, guitarist and producer
1948 – Kate Bornstein, American author, playwright, performance artist, and gender theorist
1948 – Yutaka Enatsu, Japanese baseball player
1948 – Brian Eno, English singer-songwriter, keyboard player, and producer
1948 – Kathleen Sebelius, American politician, 44th Governor of Kansas
1949 – Frank L. Culbertson Jr., American captain, pilot, and astronaut
1949 – Robert S.J. Sparks, English geologist and academic
1950 – Jim Bacon, Australian politician, 41st Premier of Tasmania (d. 2004)
1950 – Jim Simons, American golfer (d. 2005)
1951 – Dennis Frederiksen, American singer-songwriter (d. 2014)
1951 – Chris Ham, English political scientist and academic
1951 – Frank Wilczek, American mathematician and physicist, Nobel Prize laureate
1952 – Chazz Palminteri, American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter
1953 – George Brett, American baseball player and coach
1953 – Athene Donald, English physicist and academic
1953 – Mike Oldfield, English-Irish singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer
1954 – Diana Liverman, English-American geographer and academic
1954 – Caroline Thomson, English journalist and broadcaster
1955 – Mohamed Brahmi, Tunisian politician (d. 2013)
1955 – Lia Vissi, Cypriot singer-songwriter and politician
1956 – Andreas Loverdos, Greek lawyer and politician, Greek Minister of Labour
1956 – Dan Patrick, American television anchor and sportscaster
1956 – Kevin Greenaugh, American nuclear engineer
1957 – Meg Gardiner, American-English author and academic
1957 – Juan José Ibarretxe, Spanish politician
1957 – Kevin Von Erich, American football player and wrestler
1958 – Jason Graae, American musical theater actor
1958 – Ruth Marcus, American journalist
1958 – Ron Simmons, American football player and wrestler
1959 – Khaosai Galaxy, Thai boxer and politician
1959 – Luis Pérez-Sala, Spanish race car driver
1959 – Beverly Jo Scott, American-Belgian singer-songwriter
1960 – Rhonda Burchmore, Australian actress, singer, and dancer
1960 – Rob Bowman, American director and producer
1960 – R. Kuhaneswaran, Sri Lankan politician
1960 – Rimas Kurtinaitis, Lithuanian basketball player and coach
1961 – Giselle Fernández, Mexican-American television journalist.
1962 – Lisa Curry, Australian swimmer
1963 – Gavin Nebbeling, South African footballer
1964 – Lars Løkke Rasmussen, Danish lawyer and politician, 40th Prime Minister of Denmark
1965 – André Abujamra, Brazilian singer-songwriter and guitarist
1965 – Scott Tronc, Australian rugby league player
1966 – Jiří Němec, Czech footballer
1967 – Simen Agdestein, Norwegian chess grandmaster and football player
1967 – Laura Hillenbrand, American journalist and author
1967 – John Smoltz, American baseball player and sportscaster
1967 – Madhuri Dixit, Indian actress
1968 – Cecilia Malmström, Swedish academic and politician, 15th European Commissioner for Trade
1968 – Sophie Raworth, English journalist and broadcaster
1969 – Hideki Irabu, Japanese-American baseball player (d. 2011)
1969 – Emmitt Smith, American football player and sportscaster
1970 – Frank de Boer, Dutch footballer and manager
1970 – Ronald de Boer, Dutch footballer and manager
1970 – Desmond Howard, American football player and sportscaster
1970 – Alison Jackson, English photographer, director, and screenwriter
1970 – Rod Smith, American football player
1970 – Ben Wallace, English captain and politician
1971 – Karin Lušnic, Slovenian tennis player
1972 – Danny Alexander, Scottish politician, Secretary of State for Scotland
1972 – David Charvet, French actor and singer
1974 – Vasilis Kikilias, Greek basketball player and politician
1974 – Matthew Sadler, English chess player and author
1974 – Marko Tredup, German footballer and manager
1974 – Ahmet Zappa, American musician and writer
1975 – Ray Lewis, American football player and sportscaster
1975 – Ales Michalevic, Belarusian lawyer and politician
1976 – Torraye Braggs, American basketball player
1976 – Mark Kennedy, Irish footballer
1976 – Jacek Krzynówek, Polish footballer
1976 – Ryan Leaf, American football player and coach
1976 – Anže Logar, Slovenian politician
1976 – Tyler Walker, American baseball player
1978 – Amy Chow, American gymnast and pediatrician
1978 – Dwayne De Rosario, Canadian soccer player
1978 – Edu, Brazilian footballer
1978 – David Krumholtz, American actor
1979 – Adolfo Bautista, Mexican footballer
1979 – Daniel Caines, English sprinter
1979 – Chris Masoe, New Zealand rugby player
1979 – Ryan Max Riley, American skier
1979 – Robert Royal, American football player
1979 – Dominic Scott, Irish guitarist
1980 – Josh Beckett, American baseball player
1981 – Patrice Evra, French footballer
1981 – Paul Konchesky, English international footballer
1981 – Justin Morneau, Canadian baseball player
1981 – Zara Phillips, English equestrian
1981 – Jamie-Lynn Sigler, American actress and singer
1982 – Veronica Campbell-Brown, Jamaican sprinter
1982 – Segundo Castillo, Ecuadorian footballer
1982 – Rafael Pérez, Dominican baseball player
1982 – Layal Abboud, Lebanese singer
1984 – Jeff Deslauriers, Canadian ice hockey player
1984 – Sérgio Jimenez, Brazilian race car driver
1984 – Samantha Noble, Australian actress
1984 – Beau Scott, Australian rugby league player
1984 – Mr Probz, Dutch singer, songwriter, rapper, actor and record producer
1985 – Cristiane, Brazilian footballer
1985 – Tania Cagnotto, Italian diver
1985 – Laura Harvey, English football coach
1985 – Tathagata Mukherjee, Indian actor
1985 – Denis Onyango, Ugandan goalkeeper
1985 – Justine Robbeson, South African javelin thrower
1986 – Thomas Brown, American football player
1986 – Matías Fernández, Chilean footballer
1986 – Adam Moffat, Scottish footballer
1987 – David Adams, American baseball player
1987 – Michael Brantley, American baseball player
1987 – Brian Dozier, American baseball player
1987 – Mark Fayne, American ice hockey player
1987 – Ersan İlyasova, Turkish basketball player
1987 – Leonardo Mayer, Argentinian tennis player
1987 – Andy Murray, Scottish tennis player
1988 – Indrek Kajupank, Estonian basketball player
1988 – Scott Laird, English footballer
1989 – Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa, French footballer
1990 – Jordan Eberle, Canadian ice hockey player
1990 – Lee Jong-hyun, Korean guitarist
1990 – Stella Maxwell, New Zealand model
1993 – Jeremy Hawkins, New Zealand rugby league player
1993 – Tomáš Kalas, Czech international footballer
1996 – Birdy, English singer-songwriter
1997 – Ousmane Dembélé, French footballer

Deaths on May 15

392 – Valentinian II, Roman emperor (b. 371)
558 – Hilary of Galeata, Christian monk (b. 476)
884 – Narinus I, pope of the Catholic Church (b. 830)
913 – Hatto I, German archbishop (b. 850)
926 – Zhuang Zong, Chinese emperor (b. 885)
973 – Byrhthelm, bishop of Wells
1036 – Go-Ichijō, emperor of Japan (b. 1008)
1157 – Yuri Dolgorukiy, Grand Prince of Kiev (b. 1099)
1175 – Mleh, prince of Armenia
1174 – Nur ad-Din, Seljuk emir of Syria (b. 1118)
1268 – Peter II, count of Savoy (b. 1203)
1461 – Domenico Veneziano, Italian painter (b. c. 1410)
1464 – Henry Beaufort, 3rd Duke of Somerset (b. 1436)
1470 – Charles VIII, king of Sweden (b. 1409)
1585 – Niwa Nagahide, Japanese samurai (b. 1535)
1609 – Giovanni Croce, Italian composer and educator (b. 1557)
1615 – Henry Bromley, English politician (b. 1560)
1634 – Hendrick Avercamp, Dutch painter (b. 1585)
1698 – Marie Champmeslé, French actress (b. 1642)
1699 – Sir Edward Petre, 3rd Baronet, English politician (b. 1631)
1700 – John Hale, American minister (b. 1636)
1740 – Ephraim Chambers, English publisher (b. 1680)
1773 – Alban Butler, English priest and hagiographer (b. 1710)
1845 – Braulio Carrillo Colina, Costa Rican lawyer and politician, Head of State of Costa Rica (b. 1800)
1879 – Gottfried Semper, German architect and educator, designed the Semper Opera House (b. 1803)
1886 – Emily Dickinson, American poet and author (b. 1830)
1914 – Ida Freund, Austrian-born chemist and educator (b. 1863)
1919 – Hasan Tahsin, Turkish journalist (b. 1888)
1924 – Paul-Henri-Benjamin d’Estournelles de Constant, French diplomat and politician, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1852)
1926 – Joseph James Fletcher, Australian biologist (b. 1850)
1928 – Umegatani Tōtarō I, Japanese sumo wrestler, the 15th Yokozuna (b. 1845)
1935 – Kazimir Malevich, Ukrainian-Russian painter and theoretician (b. 1878)
1937 – Philip Snowden, 1st Viscount Snowden, English politician, Chancellor of the Exchequer (b. 1864)
1945 – Kenneth J. Alford, English soldier, bandmaster, and composer (b. 1881)
1945 – Charles Williams, English author, poet, and critic (b. 1886)
1948 – Edward J. Flanagan, Irish-American priest, founded Boys Town (b. 1886)
1954 – William March, American soldier and author (b. 1893)
1956 – Austin Osman Spare, English painter and magician (b. 1886)
1957 – Keith Andrews, American race car driver (b. 1920)
1957 – Dick Irvin, Canadian ice hockey player and coach (b. 1892)
1963 – John Aglionby, English-born Bishop of Accra and soldier (b. 1884)
1964 – Vladko Maček, Croatian lawyer and politician (b. 1879)
1965 – Pio Pion, Italian businessman (b. 1887)
1967 – Edward Hopper, American painter (b. 1882)
1967 – Italo Mus, Italian painter (b. 1892)
1969 – Joe Malone, Canadian ice hockey player (b. 1890)
1971 – Tyrone Guthrie, English director, producer, and playwright (b. 1900)
1978 – Robert Menzies, Australian lawyer and politician, 12th Prime Minister of Australia (b. 1894)
1980 – Gordon Prange, American historian and author (b. 1910)
1982 – Gordon Smiley, American race car driver (b. 1946)
1984 – Francis Schaeffer, American pastor, theologian, and philosopher (b. 1912)
1985 – Jackie Curtis, American actress and writer (b. 1947)
1986 – Elio de Angelis, Italian race car driver (b. 1958)
1986 – Theodore H. White, American historian, journalist, and author (b. 1915)
1989 – Johnny Green, American composer and conductor (b. 1908)
1989 – Luc Lacourcière, Canadian ethnographer and author (b. 1910)
1991 – Andreas Floer, German mathematician and academic (b. 1956)
1991 – Amadou Hampâté Bâ, Malian ethnologist and author (b. 1901)
1991 – Fritz Riess, German race car driver (b. 1922)
1993 – Salah Ahmed Ibrahim, Sudanese poet and diplomat (b. 1933)
1994 – Gilbert Roland, American actor (b. 1905)
1995 – Eric Porter, English actor (b. 1928)
1996 – Charles B. Fulton, American lawyer and judge (b. 1910)
1998 – Earl Manigault, American basketball player (b. 1944)
1998 – Naim Talu, Turkish economist, banker, politician, 15th Prime Minister of Turkey (b. 1919)
2003 – June Carter Cash, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and actress (b. 1929)
2006 – Nizar Abdul Zahra, Iraqi footballer (b. 1961)
2007 – Jerry Falwell, American pastor, founded Liberty University (b. 1933)
2008 – Tommy Burns, Scottish footballer and manager (b. 1956)
2008 – Alexander Courage, American composer and conductor (b. 1919)
2008 – Will Elder, American illustrator (b. 1921)
2009 – Bud Tingwell, Australian actor, director, and producer (b. 1923)
2009 – Wayman Tisdale, American basketball player and bass player (b. 1964)
2010 – Besian Idrizaj, Austrian footballer (b. 1987)
2010 – Loris Kessel, Swiss race car driver (b. 1950)
2012 – Carlos Fuentes, Mexican novelist and essayist (b. 1928)
2012 – Arno Lustiger, German historian and author (b. 1924)
2012 – Zakaria Mohieddin, Egyptian soldier and politician, 33rd Prime Minister of Egypt (b. 1918)
2013 – Henrique Rosa, Bissau-Guinean politician, President of Guinea-Bissau (b. 1946)
2014 – Jean-Luc Dehaene, French-Belgian politician, 63rd Prime Minister of Belgium (b. 1940)
2014 – Noribumi Suzuki, Japanese director and screenwriter (b. 1933)
2015 – Elisabeth Bing, German-American physical therapist and author (b. 1914)
2015 – Jackie Brookner, American sculptor and educator (b. 1945)
2015 – Garo Yepremian, Cypriot-American football player (b. 1944)
2020 – Fred Willard, American actor, comedian, and writer (b. 1933)^[19]

Holidays and observances on May 15

Aoi Matsuri (Kyoto)
Army Day (Slovenia)
Christian feast day:
- Achillius of Larissa
- Athanasius of Alexandria (Coptic Church)
- Dymphna
- Hallvard Vebjørnsson (Roman Catholic Church)
- Hesychius of Cazorla
- Hilary of Galeata
- Isidore the Laborer, celebrated with festivals in various countries, the beginning of bullfighting season in Madrid.
- Jean-Baptiste de La Salle (Roman Catholic Church)
- Peter, Andrew, Paul, and Denise (Roman Catholic Church)
- Reticius (Roman Catholic Church)
- Sophia of Rome (Roman Catholic church)
- May 15 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
Constituent Assembly Day (Lithuania)
Earliest date on which Armed Forces Day (United States) can fall, while May 21 is the latest; celebrated on the third Saturday of May.
Independence Day (Paraguay), celebrates the independence of Paraguay from Spain in 1811. Celebrations for the anniversary of the independence begin on Flag Day, May 14.
International Conscientious Objectors Day
International Day of Families (International)
La Corsa dei Ceri begins on the eve of the feast day of Saint Ubaldo. (Gubbio)
Mother’s Day (Paraguay)
Nakba Day (Palestinian communities)
Peace Officers Memorial Day (United States)
Republic Day (Lithuania)
Teachers’ Day (Colombia, Mexico and South Korea)

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