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July 24 – History, Events, Births, Deaths Holidays and Observances On This Day

On This Day /
  • 1132 – Battle of Nocera between Ranulf II of Alife and Roger II of Sicily.
  • 1148 – Louis VII of France lays siege to Damascus during the Second Crusade.
  • 1304 – Wars of Scottish Independence: Fall of Stirling Castle: King Edward I of England takes the stronghold using the War Wolf.
  • 1411 – Battle of Harlaw, one of the bloodiest battles in Scotland, takes place.
  • 1412 – Behnam Hadloyo becomes Syriac Orthodox Patriarch of Mardin.
  • 1487 – Citizens of Leeuwarden, Netherlands, strike against a ban on foreign beer.
  • 1534 – French explorer Jacques Cartier plants a cross on the Gaspé Peninsula and takes possession of the territory in the name of Francis I of France.
  • 1567 – Mary, Queen of Scots, is forced to abdicate and replaced by her 1-year-old son James VI.
  • 1701 – Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac founds the trading post at Fort Pontchartrain, which later becomes the city of Detroit.
  • 1783 – The Kingdom of Georgia and the Russian Empire sign the Treaty of Georgievsk.
  • 1814 – War of 1812: General Phineas Riall advances toward the Niagara River to halt Jacob Brown’s American invaders.
  • 1823 – Afro-Chileans are emancipated.
  • 1823 – In Maracaibo, Venezuela, the naval Battle of Lake Maracaibo takes place, where Admiral José Prudencio Padilla defeats the Spanish Navy, thus culminating the independence for the Gran Colombia.
  • 1847 – After 17 months of travel, Brigham Young leads 148 Mormon pioneers into Salt Lake Valley, resulting in the establishment of Salt Lake City.
  • 1847 – Richard March Hoe, American inventor, patented the rotary-type printing press.
  • 1864 – American Civil War: Battle of Kernstown: Confederate General Jubal Early defeats Union troops led by General George Crook in an effort to keep them out of the Shenandoah Valley.
  • 1866 – Reconstruction: Tennessee becomes the first U.S. state to be readmitted to the Union following the American Civil War.
  • 1901 – O. Henry is released from prison in Columbus, Ohio, after serving three years for embezzlement from a bank.
  • 1910 – The Ottoman Empire captures the city of Shkodër, putting down the Albanian Revolt of 1910.
  • 1911 – Hiram Bingham III re-discovers Machu Picchu, “the Lost City of the Incas”.
  • 1915 – The passenger ship SS Eastland capsizes while tied to a dock in the Chicago River. A total of 844 passengers and crew are killed in the largest loss of life disaster from a single shipwreck on the Great Lakes.
  • 1922 – The draft of the British Mandate of Palestine was formally confirmed by the Council of the League of Nations; it came into effect on 26 September 1923.
  • 1923 – The Treaty of Lausanne, settling the boundaries of modern Turkey, is signed in Switzerland by Greece, Bulgaria and other countries that fought in World War I.
  • 1924 – Themistoklis Sofoulis becomes Prime Minister of Greece.
  • 1927 – The Menin Gate war memorial is unveiled at Ypres.
  • 1929 – The Kellogg–Briand Pact, renouncing war as an instrument of foreign policy, goes into effect (it is first signed in Paris on August 27, 1928, by most leading world powers).
  • 1935 – The Dust Bowl heat wave reaches its peak, sending temperatures to 109 °F (43 °C) in Chicago and 104 °F (40 °C) in Milwaukee.
  • 1937 – Alabama drops rape charges against the “Scottsboro Boys”.
  • 1943 – World War II: Operation Gomorrah begins: British and Canadian aeroplanes bomb Hamburg by night, and American planes bomb the city by day. By the end of the operation in November, 9,000 tons of explosives will have killed more than 30,000 people and destroyed 280,000 buildings.
  • 1950 – Cape Canaveral Air Force Station begins operations with the launch of a Bumper rocket.
  • 1959 – At the opening of the American National Exhibition in Moscow, U.S. Vice President Richard Nixon and Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev have a “Kitchen Debate”.
  • 1963 – The ship Bluenose II was launched in Lunenburg, Nova Scotia. The schooner is a major Canadian symbol.
  • 1966 – Michael Pelkey makes the first BASE jump from El Capitan along with Brian Schubert. Both came out with broken bones. BASE jumping has now been banned from El Cap.
  • 1967 – During an official state visit to Canada, French President Charles de Gaulle declares to a crowd of over 100,000 in Montreal: Vive le Québec libre! (“Long live free Quebec!”); the statement angered the Canadian government and many Anglophone Canadians.
  • 1969 – Apollo program: Apollo 11 splashes down safely in the Pacific Ocean.
  • 1974 – Watergate scandal: The United States Supreme Court unanimously ruled that President Richard Nixon did not have the authority to withhold subpoenaed White House tapes and they order him to surrender the tapes to the Watergate special prosecutor.
  • 1977 – End of a four-day-long Libyan–Egyptian War.
  • 1980 – The Quietly Confident Quartet of Australia wins the men’s 4 x 100 metre medley relay at the Moscow Olympics, the only time the United States has not won the event at Olympic level.
  • 1982 – Heavy rain causes a mudslide that destroys a bridge at Nagasaki, Japan, killing 299.
  • 1983 – The Black July anti-Tamil riots begin in Sri Lanka, killing between 400 and 3,000. Black July is generally regarded as the beginning of the Sri Lankan Civil War.
  • 1983 – George Brett batting for the Kansas City Royals against the New York Yankees, has a game-winning home run nullified in the “Pine Tar Incident”.
  • 1987 – US supertanker SS Bridgeton collides with mines laid by IRGC causing a 43-square-meter dent in the body of the oil tanker.
  • 1987 – Hulda Crooks, at 91 years of age, climbed Mt. Fuji. Crooks became the oldest person to climb Japan’s highest peak.
  • 1998 – Russell Eugene Weston Jr. bursts into the United States Capitol and opens fire killing two police officers. He is later ruled to be incompetent to stand trial.
  • 2001 – Simeon Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, the last Tsar of Bulgaria when he was a child, is sworn in as Prime Minister of Bulgaria, becoming the first monarch in history to regain political power through democratic election to a different office.
  • 2001 – The Bandaranaike Airport attack is carried out by 14 Tamil Tiger commandos. Eleven civilian and military aircraft are destroyed and 15 are damaged. All 14 commandos are shot dead, while seven soldiers from the Sri Lanka Air Force are killed. In addition, three civilians and an engineer die. This incident slowed the Sri Lankan economy.
  • 2013 – A high-speed train derails in Spain rounding a curve with an 80 km/h (50 mph) speed limit at 190 km/h (120 mph), killing 78 passengers.
  • 2014 – Air Algérie Flight 5017 loses contact with air traffic controllers 50 minutes after takeoff. It was travelling between Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso and Algiers. The wreckage is later found in Mali. All 116 people onboard are killed.

Births on July 24

  • 1242 – Christina von Stommeln, German Roman Catholic mystic, ecstatic, and stigmatic (d. 1312)
  • 1468 – Catherine of Saxony, Archduchess of Austria (d. 1524)
  • 1529 – Charles II, Margrave of Baden-Durlach (d. 1577)
  • 1561 – Maria of the Palatinate-Simmern (d. 1589)
  • 1574 – Thomas Platter the Younger, Swiss physician and author (d. 1628)
  • 1660 – Charles Talbot, 1st Duke of Shrewsbury, English politician, Lord High Treasurer (d. 1718)
  • 1689 – Prince William, Duke of Gloucester, son of Queen Anne of Great Britain and Prince George of Denmark (d. 1700)
  • 1725 – John Newton, English sailor and priest (d. 1807)
  • 1757 – Vladimir Borovikovsky, Ukrainian-Russian painter (d. 1825)
  • 1783 – Simón Bolívar, Venezuelan commander and politician, 2nd President of Venezuela (d. 1830)
  • 1786 – Joseph Nicollet, French mathematician and explorer (d. 1843)
  • 1794 – Johan Georg Forchhammer, Danish mineralogist and geologist (d. 1865)
  • 1802 – Alexandre Dumas, French novelist and playwright (d. 1870)
  • 1803 – Adolphe Adam, French composer and critic (d. 1856)
  • 1803 – Alexander J. Davis, American architect (d. 1892)
  • 1821 – William Poole, American boxer and gangster (d. 1855)
  • 1826 – Jan Gotlib Bloch, Polish theorist and activist (d. 1902)
  • 1851 – Friedrich Schottky, Polish-German mathematician and theorist (d. 1935)
  • 1856 – Émile Picard, French mathematician and academic (d. 1941)
  • 1857 – Henrik Pontoppidan, Danish journalist and author, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1943)
  • 1857 – Juan Vicente Gómez, Venezuelan general and politician, 27th President of Venezuela (d. 1935)
  • 1860 – Princess Charlotte of Prussia (d. 1919)
  • 1860 – Alphonse Mucha, Czech painter and illustrator (d. 1939)
  • 1864 – Frank Wedekind, German actor and playwright (d. 1918)
  • 1867 – Vicente Acosta, Salvadoran journalist and poet (d. 1908)
  • 1867 – E. F. Benson, English archaeologist and author (d. 1940)
  • 1867 – Fred Tate, English cricketer and coach (d. 1943)
  • 1874 – Oswald Chambers, Scottish minister and author (d. 1917)
  • 1877 – Calogero Vizzini, Italian mob boss (d. 1954)
  • 1878 – Edward Plunkett, 18th Baron of Dunsany, Irish author, poet, and playwright (d. 1957)
  • 1880 – Ernest Bloch, Swiss-American composer and educator (d. 1959)
  • 1884 – Maria Caserini, Italian actress (d. 1969)
  • 1886 – Jun’ichirō Tanizaki, Japanese author (d. 1965)
  • 1888 – Arthur Richardson, Australian cricketer and coach (d. 1973)
  • 1889 – Agnes Meyer Driscoll, American cryptanalyst (d. 1971)
  • 1895 – Robert Graves, English poet, novelist, critic (d. 1985)
  • 1897 – Amelia Earhart, American pilot and author (d. 1937)
  • 1899 – Chief Dan George, Canadian actor (d. 1981)
  • 1900 – Zelda Fitzgerald, American author and poet (d. 1948)
  • 1904 – Leo Arnaud, French-American trombonist, composer, and conductor (d. 1991)
  • 1904 – Richard B. Morris, American historian and academic (d. 1989)
  • 1904 – Delmer Daves, American screenwriter, director and producer (d. 1977)
  • 1909 – John William Finn, American lieutenant, Medal of Honor recipient (d. 2010)
  • 1910 – Harry Horner, American director and production designer (d. 1994)
  • 1912 – Essie Summers, New Zealand author (d. 1998)
  • 1913 – Britton Chance, American biologist and sailor (d. 2010)
  • 1914 – Frances Oldham Kelsey, Canadian pharmacologist and physician (d. 2015)
  • 1914 – Ed Mirvish, American-Canadian businessman and philanthropist (d. 2007)
  • 1914 – Alan Waddell, Australian walker (d. 2008)
  • 1915 – Enrique Fernando, Filipino lawyer and jurist, 13th Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines (d. 2004)
  • 1916 – John D. MacDonald, American colonel and author (d. 1986)
  • 1917 – Robert Farnon, Canadian trumpet player, composer, and conductor (d. 2005)
  • 1917 – Jack Moroney, Australian cricketer (d. 1999)
  • 1918 – Ruggiero Ricci, American violinist and educator (d. 2012)
  • 1919 – Robert Marsden Hope, Australian lawyer and judge (d. 1999)
  • 1919 – Kenneth S. Kleinknecht, NASA manager (d. 2007)
  • 1919 – John Winkin, American baseball player, coach, and journalist (d. 2014)
  • 1920 – Bella Abzug, American lawyer and politician (d. 1998)
  • 1920 – Constance Dowling, American model and actress (d. 1969)
  • 1921 – Giuseppe Di Stefano, Italian tenor and actor (d. 2008)
  • 1921 – Billy Taylor, American pianist and composer (d. 2010)
  • 1922 – Madeleine Ferron, Canadian radio host and author (d. 2010)
  • 1924 – Wilfred Josephs, English composer (d. 1997)
  • 1924 – Aris Poulianos, Greek anthropologist and archaeologist
  • 1927 – Alex Katz, American painter and sculptor
  • 1927 – Zara Mints, Russian-Estonian philologist and academic (d. 1990)
  • 1930 – Alfred Balk, American journalist and author (d. 2010)
  • 1930 – Keshubhai Patel, Indian politician, 10th Chief Minister of Gujarat
  • 1931 – Ermanno Olmi, Italian director, screenwriter, and cinematographer (d. 2018)
  • 1931 – Éric Tabarly, French commander (d. 1998)
  • 1932 – Gustav Andreas Tammann, German astronomer and academic (d. 2019)
  • 1933 – Doug Sanders, American golfer (d. 2020)
  • 1934 – P. S. Soosaithasan, Sri Lankan accountant and politician (d. 2017)
  • 1935 – Aaron Elkins, American author and academic
  • 1935 – Pat Oliphant, Australian cartoonist
  • 1935 – Mel Ramos, American painter, illustrator, and academic (d. 2018)
  • 1935 – Les Reed, English pianist, composer, and conductor (d. 2019)
  • 1935 – Derek Varnals, South African cricketer
  • 1936 – Ruth Buzzi, American actress and comedian
  • 1936 – Mark Goddard, American actor
  • 1937 – Manoj Kumar, Indian actor, director, producer, and screenwriter
  • 1937 – Quinlan Terry, English architect, designed the Brentwood Cathedral
  • 1938 – Alexis Jacquemin, Belgian economist and academic (d. 2004)
  • 1938 – Eugene J. Martin, American painter (d. 2005)
  • 1938 – John Sparling, New Zealand cricketer
  • 1939 – Walt Bellamy, American basketball player and coach (d. 2013)
  • 1939 – David Simon, Baron Simon of Highbury, English businessman and politician
  • 1940 – Dan Hedaya, American actor
  • 1941 – John Bond, English banker and businessman
  • 1942 – Heinz, German-English singer-songwriter and bass player (d. 2000)
  • 1942 – David Miner, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer
  • 1942 – Chris Sarandon, American actor
  • 1944 – Jim Armstrong, Northern Irish guitarist
  • 1945 – Frank Close, English physicist and academic
  • 1945 – Azim Premji, Indian businessman and philanthropist
  • 1945 – Hugh Ross, Canadian-American astrophysicist and astronomer
  • 1945 – Anthony Watts, English geologist, geophysicist, and academic
  • 1946 – Gallagher, American comedian and actor
  • 1946 – Friedhelm Haebermann, German footballer and manager
  • 1946 – Hervé Vilard, French singer-songwriter
  • 1947 – Zaheer Abbas, Pakistani cricketer and manager
  • 1947 – Geoff McQueen, English screenwriter and producer (d. 1994)
  • 1947 – Peter Serkin, American pianist and educator
  • 1949 – Michael Richards, American actor and comedian
  • 1950 – Jadranka Stojaković, Yugoslav singer-songwriter (d. 2016)
  • 1951 – Lynda Carter, American actress
  • 1951 – Chris Smith, Baron Smith of Finsbury, English politician, Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
  • 1952 – Ian Cairns, Australian surfer
  • 1952 – Gus Van Sant, American director, producer, and screenwriter
  • 1953 – Julian Brazier, English captain and politician
  • 1953 – Jon Faddis, American trumpet player, composer, and conductor
  • 1953 – Tadashi Kawamata, Japanese contemporary artist
  • 1953 – Claire McCaskill, American lawyer and politician
  • 1953 – James Newcome, English bishop
  • 1954 – Erdoğan Arıca, Turkish footballer and manager (d. 2012)
  • 1954 – Jorge Jesus, Portuguese footballer and manager
  • 1955 – Brad Watson, American author and academic
  • 1956 – Charlie Crist, American lawyer and politician, 44th Governor of Florida
  • 1957 – Pam Tillis, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and actress
  • 1958 – Jim Leighton, Scottish footballer and coach
  • 1960 – Catherine Destivelle, French rock climber and mountaineer
  • 1961 – Kerry Dixon, English footballer and manager
  • 1962 – Johnny O’Connell, American race car driver and sportscaster
  • 1963 – Louis Armary, French rugby player
  • 1963 – Karl Malone, American basketball player and coach
  • 1964 – Barry Bonds, American baseball player
  • 1964 – Pedro Passos Coelho, Portuguese economist and politician, 118th Prime Minister of Portugal
  • 1964 – Urmas Kaljend, Estonian footballer
  • 1964 – John Rosengren, American journalist and author
  • 1965 – Andrew Gaze, Australian basketball player and sportscaster
  • 1965 – Kadeem Hardison, American actor, director, and screenwriter
  • 1965 – Doug Liman, American director and producer
  • 1966 – Mo-Do, Italian singer-songwriter (d. 2013)
  • 1966 – Aminatou Haidar, Sahrawi human rights activist
  • 1966 – Martin Keown, English footballer and coach
  • 1968 – Kristin Chenoweth, American actress and singer
  • 1968 – Colleen Doran, American author and illustrator
  • 1968 – Malcolm Ingram, Canadian director, producer, and screenwriter
  • 1968 – Laura Leighton, American actress
  • 1969 – Rick Fox, Bahamian basketball player
  • 1969 – Jennifer Lopez, American actress, singer, and dancer
  • 1971 – Dino Baggio, Italian footballer
  • 1971 – Patty Jenkins, American film director and screenwriter
  • 1972 – Kaiō Hiroyuki, Japanese sumo wrestler
  • 1973 – Russell Bawden, Australian rugby league player
  • 1973 – Ana Cristina Oliveira, Portuguese model and actress
  • 1973 – Amanda Stretton, English race car driver and journalist
  • 1974 – Andy Gomarsall, English rugby player
  • 1975 – Tracey Crouch, English politician, Minister for Sport and the Olympics
  • 1975 – Jamie Langenbrunner, American ice hockey player
  • 1975 – Torrie Wilson, American model, fitness competitor, actress and professional wrestler
  • 1975 – Eric Szmanda, American actor
  • 1976 – Rafer Alston, American basketball player
  • 1976 – Tiago Monteiro, Portuguese race car driver and manager
  • 1978 – Andy Irons, American surfer (d. 2010)
  • 1979 – Rose Byrne, Australian actress
  • 1979 – Jerrod Niemann, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1979 – Valerio Scassellati, Italian race car driver
  • 1979 – Anne-Gaëlle Sidot, French tennis player
  • 1979 – Mark Andrew Smith, American author
  • 1979 – Ryan Speier, American baseball player
  • 1980 – Joel Stroetzel, American guitarist
  • 1981 – Doug Bollinger, Australian cricketer
  • 1981 – Summer Glau, American actress
  • 1981 – Mark Robinson, English footballer
  • 1982 – Trevor Matthews, Canadian actor and producer, founded Brookstreet Pictures
  • 1982 – Thiago Medeiros, Brazilian race car driver
  • 1982 – Mewelde Moore, American football player
  • 1982 – Elisabeth Moss, American actress
  • 1982 – Anna Paquin, Canadian-New Zealand actress
  • 1982 – Michael Poppmeier, South African-German rugby player
  • 1983 – Daniele De Rossi, Italian footballer
  • 1983 – Asami Mizukawa, Japanese actress
  • 1984 – Patrick Harvey, Australian actor
  • 1984 – Tyler Kyte, Canadian singer and drummer
  • 1985 – Patrice Bergeron, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1985 – Aries Merritt, American hurdler
  • 1985 – Lukáš Rosol, Czech tennis player
  • 1985 – Eric Wright, American football player
  • 1986 – Natalie Tran, Australian actress, online producer
  • 1987 – Filipe Francisco dos Santos, Brazilian footballer
  • 1987 – Nathan Gerbe, American ice hockey player
  • 1987 – Zack Sabre Jr., English wrestler
  • 1988 – Han Seung-yeon, South Korean singer and dancer
  • 1988 – Nichkhun, Thai-American singer-songwriter and actor
  • 1988 – Ricky Petterd, Australian footballer
  • 1989 – Maurkice Pouncey, American football player
  • 1989 – Kim Tae-hwan, South Korean footballer
  • 1990 – Daveigh Chase, American actress
  • 1990 – Travis Mahoney, Australian swimmer
  • 1991 – Manuel Fischnaller, Italian footballer
  • 1991 – Emily Bett Rickards, Canadian actress
  • 1992 – Mikaël Kingsbury, Canadian skier
  • 1992 – Mitch Grassi, American singer and songwriter
  • 1994 – Alejandra Álvarez, Ecuadorian tennis player
  • 1994 – Phillip Lindsay, American football player
  • 1995 – Valentine Holmes, Australian rugby league player
  • 1995 – Kyle Kuzma, American basketball player
  • 1995 – Meisei Chikara, Japanese sumo wrestler
  • 1997 – Emre Mor, Turkish football player
  • 2002 – Nicole Pircio, Brazilian rhythmic gymnast

Deaths on July 24

  • 759 – Oswulf, king of Northumbria
  • 811 – Gao Ying, Chinese politician (b. 740)
  • 946 – Muhammad ibn Tughj al-Ikhshid, Egyptian ruler (b. 882)
  • 1115 – Matilda of Tuscany (b. 1046)
  • 1129 – Emperor Shirakawa of Japan (b. 1053)
  • 1198 – Berthold of Hanover, Bishop of Livonia
  • 1345 – Jacob van Artevelde, Flemish statesman (b. 1290)
  • 1568 – Carlos, Prince of Asturias (b. 1545)
  • 1594 – John Boste, English martyr and saint (b. 1544)
  • 1601 – Joris Hoefnagel, Flemish painter (b. 1542)
  • 1612 – John Salusbury, Welsh politician and poet (b. 1567)
  • 1739 – Benedetto Marcello, Italian composer and educator (b. 1686)
  • 1768 – Nathaniel Lardner, English theologian and author (b. 1684)
  • 1862 – Martin Van Buren, American lawyer and politician, 8th President of the United States (b. 1782)
  • 1891 – Hermann Raster, German-American journalist and politician (b. 1827)
  • 1908 – Vicente Acosta, Salvadoran journalist and poet (b. 1867)
  • 1910 – Arkhip Kuindzhi, Ukrainian-Russian painter (b. 1841)
  • 1927 – Ryūnosuke Akutagawa, Japanese author (b. 1892)
  • 1957 – Sacha Guitry, French actor and director (b. 1885)
  • 1962 – Wilfrid Noyce, English mountaineer and author (b. 1917)
  • 1965 – Constance Bennett, American actress and producer (b. 1904)
  • 1966 – Tony Lema, American golfer (b. 1934)
  • 1969 – Witold Gombrowicz, Polish author and playwright (b. 1904)
  • 1970 – Peter de Noronha, Indian businessman, philanthropist, and civil servant (b. 1897)
  • 1974 – James Chadwick, English physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1891)
  • 1980 – Peter Sellers, English actor and comedian (b. 1925)
  • 1985 – Ezechiele Ramin, Italian missionary and martyr (b. 1953)
  • 1986 – Fritz Albert Lipmann, German-American biochemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1899)
  • 1986 – Qudrat Ullah Shahab, Pakistani civil servant and author (b. 1917)
  • 1991 – Isaac Bashevis Singer, Polish-American novelist and short story writer, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1902)
  • 1992 – Arletty, French actress and singer (b. 1898)
  • 1992 – Sam Berger, Canadian lawyer and businessman (b. 1900)
  • 1994 – Helen Cordero, Cochiti Pueblo (Native American) Pueblo potter (b. 1915)
  • 1995 – George Rodger, English photographer and journalist (b. 1908)
  • 1996 – Alphonso Theodore Roberts, Vincentian cricketer and activist (b. 1937)
  • 1997 – William J. Brennan Jr., American colonel and jurist (b. 1906)
  • 1997 – Saw Maung, Burmese general and politician, 7th Prime Minister of Burma (b. 1928)
  • 2000 – Ahmad Shamloo, Iranian poet and journalist (b. 1925)
  • 2001 – Georges Dor, Canadian author, playwright, and composer (b. 1931)
  • 2005 – Richard Doll, English physiologist and epidemiologist (b. 1912)
  • 2007 – Albert Ellis, American psychologist and author (b. 1913)
  • 2007 – Nicola Zaccaria, Greek opera singer (b. 1923)
  • 2008 – Norman Dello Joio, American pianist and composer (b. 1913)
  • 2011 – Frank Dietrich, German politician (b. 1966)
  • 2011 – Dan Peek, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (b. 1950)
  • 2011 – Harald Johnsen, Norwegian bassist and composer (b. 1970)
  • 2011 – David Servan-Schreiber, French physician, neuroscientist, and author (b. 1961)
  • 2011 – Skip Thomas, American football player (b. 1950)
  • 2012 – Chad Everett, American actor and director (b. 1937)
  • 2012 – Sherman Hemsley, American actor and singer (b. 1938)
  • 2012 – Larry Hoppen, American singer and guitarist (b. 1951)
  • 2012 – Robert Ledley, American physiologist and physicist, invented the CT scanner (b. 1926)
  • 2012 – Themo Lobos, Chilean author and illustrator (b. 1928)
  • 2012 – John Atta Mills, Ghanaian lawyer and politician, a President of Ghana (b. 1944)
  • 2012 – Gregorio Peces-Barba, Spanish jurist and politician (b. 1938)
  • 2013 – Garry Davis, American pilot and activist, created the World Passport (b. 1921)
  • 2013 – Fred Dretske, American philosopher and academic (b. 1932)
  • 2013 – Virginia E. Johnson, American psychologist and sexologist (b. 1925)
  • 2013 – Pius Langa, South African lawyer and jurist, 19th Chief Justice of South Africa (b. 1939)
  • 2014 – Ik-Hwan Bae, Korean-American violinist and educator (b. 1956)
  • 2014 – Dale Schlueter, American basketball player (b. 1945)
  • 2014 – Hans-Hermann Sprado, German journalist and author (b. 1956)
  • 2015 – Peg Lynch, American actress and screenwriter (b. 1916)
  • 2015 – Ingrid Sischy, South African-American journalist and critic (b. 1952)
  • 2016 – Marni Nixon, American actress and singer (b. 1930)
  • 2017 – Harshida Raval, Indian Gujarati playback singer

Holidays and observances on July 24

  • Carnival of Awussu (Tunisia)
  • Children’s Day (Vanuatu)
  • Christian feast day:
    • Charbel (Maronite Church/Catholic Church)
    • Christina the Astonishing
    • Christina of Bolsena
    • Declán of Ardmore
    • John Boste
    • Kinga (or Cunegunda) of Poland
    • Martyrs of Daimiel
    • Menefrida of Cornwall
    • Sigolena of Albi
    • July 24 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
  • Pioneer Day (Utah)
  • Police Day (Poland)
  • Simón Bolívar Day (Ecuador, Venezuela, Colombia, and Bolivia)
    • Navy Day (Venezuela)

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On This Day

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

On This Day /

July 3 in History

  • 324 – Battle of Adrianople: Constantine I defeats Licinius, who flees to Byzantium.
  • 987 – Hugh Capet is crowned King of France, the first of the Capetian dynasty that would rule France until the French Revolution in 1792.
  • 1035 – William the Conqueror becomes the Duke of Normandy, reigns until 1087.
  • 1608 – Québec City is founded by Samuel de Champlain.
  • 1754 – French and Indian War: George Washington surrenders Fort Necessity to French forces.
  • 1767 – Pitcairn Island is discovered by Midshipman Robert Pitcairn on an expeditionary voyage commanded by Philip Carteret.
  • 1767 – Norway’s oldest newspaper still in print, Adresseavisen, is founded and the first edition is published.
  • 1775 – American Revolutionary War: George Washington takes command of the Continental Army at Cambridge, Massachusetts.
  • 1778 – American Revolutionary War: Iroquois allied to Britain kill 360 people in the Wyoming Valley massacre.
  • 1819 – The Bank for Savings in the City of New-York, the first savings bank in the United States, opens.
  • 1839 – The first state normal school in the United States, the forerunner to today’s Framingham State University, opens in Lexington, Massachusetts with three students.
  • 1844 – The last pair of great auks is killed.
  • 1848 – Governor-General Peter von Scholten emancipates all remaining slaves in the Danish West Indies.
  • 1849 – France invades the Roman Republic and restores the Papal States.
  • 1852 – Congress establishes the United States’ 2nd mint in San Francisco.
  • 1863 – American Civil War: The final day of the Battle of Gettysburg culminates with Pickett’s Charge.
  • 1866 – Austro-Prussian War is decided at the Battle of Königgrätz, resulting in Prussia taking over as the prominent German nation from Austria.
  • 1884 – Dow Jones & Company publishes its first stock average.
  • 1886 – Karl Benz officially unveils the Benz Patent-Motorwagen, the first purpose-built automobile.
  • 1886 – The New-York Tribune becomes the first newspaper to use a linotype machine, eliminating typesetting by hand.
  • 1890 – Idaho is admitted as the 43rd U.S. state.
  • 1898 – A Spanish squadron, led by Pascual Cervera y Topete, is defeated by an American squadron under William T. Sampson in the Battle of Santiago de Cuba.
  • 1913 – Confederate veterans at the Great Reunion of 1913 reenact Pickett’s Charge; upon reaching the high-water mark of the Confederacy they are met by the outstretched hands of friendship from Union survivors.
  • 1938 – World speed record for a steam locomotive is set in England, by the Mallard, which reaches a speed of 125.88 miles per hour (202.58 km/h).
  • 1938 – United States President Franklin D. Roosevelt dedicates the Eternal Light Peace Memorial and lights the eternal flame at Gettysburg Battlefield.
  • 1940 – World War II: The Royal Navy attacks the French naval squadron in Algeria, to ensure that it will not fall under German control. Of the four French battleships present, one is sunk, two are damaged, and one escapes back to France.
  • 1944 – World War II: The Minsk Offensive clears German troops from the city.
  • 1952 – The Constitution of Puerto Rico is approved by the United States Congress.
  • 1952 – The SS United States sets sail on her maiden voyage to Southampton. During the voyage, the ship takes the Blue Riband away from the RMS Queen Mary.
  • 1967 – The Aden Emergency: The Battle of the Crater in which the British Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders retake the Crater district following the Arab Police mutiny.
  • 1969 – Space Race: The biggest explosion in the history of rocketry occurs when the Soviet N-1 rocket explodes and subsequently destroys its launchpad.
  • 1970 – The Troubles: The “Falls Curfew” begins in Belfast, Northern Ireland.
  • 1970 – Dan-Air Flight 1903 crashes into the Les Agudes mountain in the Montseny Massif near the village of Arbúcies in Catalonia, Spain, killing all 112 people aboard.
  • 1979 – U.S. President Jimmy Carter signs the first directive for secret aid to the opponents of the pro-Soviet regime in Kabul.
  • 1988 – United States Navy warship USS Vincennes shoots down Iran Air Flight 655 over the Persian Gulf, killing all 290 people aboard.
  • 1988 – The Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge in Istanbul, Turkey is completed, providing the second connection between the continents of Europe and Asia over the Bosphorus.
  • 1996 – British Prime Minister John Major announced the Stone of Scone would be returned to Scotland.
  • 2013 – Egyptian coup d’état: President of Egypt Mohamed Morsi is overthrown by the military after four days of protests all over the country calling for Morsi’s resignation, to which he did not respond. President of the Supreme Constitutional Court of Egypt Adly Mansour is declared acting president.

Births on July 3

  • 321 – Valentinian I, Roman emperor (d. 375)
  • 1423 – Louis XI of France (d. 1483)
  • 1442 – Emperor Go-Tsuchimikado of Japan (d. 1500)
  • 1518 – Li Shizhen, Chinese physician and mineralogist (d. 1593)
  • 1530 – Claude Fauchet, French historian and author (d. 1601)
  • 1534 – Myeongjong of Joseon, Ruler of Korea (d. 1567)
  • 1550 – Jacobus Gallus, Slovenian composer (d. 1591)
  • 1569 – Thomas Richardson, English politician and judge (d. 1635)
  • 1683 – Edward Young, English poet, dramatist and literary critic (Night-Thoughts) (d. 1765)
  • 1685 – Sir Robert Rich, 4th Baronet, English field marshal and politician (d. 1768)
  • 1728 – Robert Adam, Scottish-English architect, designed Culzean Castle (d. 1792)
  • 1738 – John Singleton Copley, American painter (d. 1815)
  • 1778 – Carl Ludvig Engel, German architect (d. 1840)
  • 1789 – Johann Friedrich Overbeck, German-Italian painter and engraver (d. 1869)
  • 1814 – Ferdinand Didrichsen, Danish botanist and physicist (d. 1887)
  • 1823 – Ahmed Vefik Pasha, Greek-Ottoman statesman, diplomat, playwright, and translator (d. 1891)
  • 1844 – Dankmar Adler, German-born American architect and engineer (d. 1900)
  • 1846 – Achilles Alferaki, Russian composer and politician, Governor of Taganrog (d. 1919)
  • 1851 – Charles Bannerman, English-Australian cricketer and umpire (d. 1930)
  • 1854 – Leoš Janáček, Czech composer and theorist (d. 1928)
  • 1860 – Charlotte Perkins Gilman, American sociologist and author (d. 1935)
  • 1866 – Albert Gottschalk, Danish painter (d. 1906)
  • 1869 – Svend Kornbeck, Danish actor (d. 1933)
  • 1870 – R. B. Bennett, Canadian lawyer and politician, 11th Prime Minister of Canada (d. 1947)
  • 1871 – William Henry Davies, Welsh poet and writer (d.1940)
  • 1874 – Jean Collas, French rugby player and tug of war competitor (d. 1928)
  • 1875 – Ferdinand Sauerbruch, German surgeon and academic (d. 1951)
  • 1876 – Ralph Barton Perry, American philosopher and academic (d. 1957)
  • 1878 – George M. Cohan, American songwriter, actor, singer, and dancer (d. 1942)
  • 1879 – Alfred Korzybski, Polish-American mathematician, linguist, and philosopher (d. 1950)
  • 1880 – Carl Schuricht, Polish-German conductor (d. 1967)
  • 1883 – Franz Kafka, Czech-Austrian author (d. 1924)
  • 1886 – Raymond A. Spruance, American admiral and diplomat, United States Ambassador to the Philippines (d. 1969)
  • 1888 – Ramón Gómez de la Serna, Spanish author and playwright (d. 1963)
  • 1889 – Richard Cramer, American actor (d. 1960)
  • 1893 – Sándor Bortnyik, Hungarian painter and graphic designer (d. 1976)
  • 1896 – Doris Lloyd, English actress (d. 1968)
  • 1897 – Jesse Douglas, American mathematician and academic (d. 1965)
  • 1898 – Stefanos Stefanopoulos, Greek politician, Prime Minister of Greece (d. 1982)
  • 1900 – Alessandro Blasetti, Italian director and screenwriter (d. 1987)
  • 1901 – Ruth Crawford Seeger, American composer (d. 1953)
  • 1903 – Ace Bailey, Canadian ice hockey player and coach (d. 1992)
  • 1905 – Johnny Gibson, American hurdler and coach (d. 2006)
  • 1906 – George Sanders, Russian-born British actor (d. 1972)
  • 1908 – M. F. K. Fisher, American author (d. 1992)
  • 1908 – Robert B. Meyner, American lawyer and politician, 44th Governor of New Jersey (d. 1990)
  • 1909 – Stavros Niarchos, Greek shipping magnate (d.1996)
  • 1910 – Fritz Kasparek, Austrian mountaineer (d. 1954)
  • 1911 – Joe Hardstaff Jr., English cricketer (d. 1990)
  • 1913 – Dorothy Kilgallen, American journalist, actress, and author (d. 1965)
  • 1916 – John Kundla, American basketball player and coach (d. 2017)
  • 1917 – João Saldanha, Brazilian footballer, manager, and journalist (d. 1990)
  • 1918 – S. V. Ranga Rao, Indian actor, director, and producer (d. 1974)
  • 1918 – Johnny Palmer, American golfer (d. 2006)
  • 1919 – Cecil FitzMaurice, 8th Earl of Orkney (d. 1998)
  • 1919 – Gerald W. Thomas, American soldier and academic (d. 2013)
  • 1920 – Eddy Paape, Belgian illustrator (d. 2012)
  • 1920 – Paul O’Dea, American baseball player and manager (d. 1978)
  • 1921 – Susan Peters, American actress (d. 1952)
  • 1921 – François Reichenbach, French director, producer, and screenwriter (d. 1993)
  • 1922 – Guillaume Cornelis van Beverloo, Belgian painter and sculptor (d. 2010)
  • 1922 – Theo Brokmann Jr., Dutch football player (d. 2003)
  • 1924 – Amalia Aguilar, Cuban-Mexican film actress and dancer
  • 1924 – S. R. Nathan, 6th President of Singapore (d. 2016)
  • 1925 – Terry Moriarty, Australian rules footballer (d. 2011)
  • 1925 – Danny Nardico, American professional boxer (d. 2010)
  • 1925 – Philip Jamison, American artist
  • 1926 – Johnny Coles, American trumpet player (d. 1997)
  • 1926 – Rae Allen, American actress, singer, and director
  • 1926 – Laurence Street, Australian jurist and former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of New South Wales (d. 2018)
  • 1927 – Ken Russell, English actor, director, and producer (d. 2011)
  • 1927 – Tim O’Connor, American actor (d. 2018)
  • 1928 – Evelyn Anthony, English author (d. 2018)
  • 1929 – Clément Perron, Canadian director, producer, and screenwriter (d. 1999)
  • 1929 – Joanne Herring, American socialite, businesswoman, political activist, philanthropist, diplomat, and television talk show host
  • 1930 – Pete Fountain, American clarinet player (d. 2016)
  • 1930 – Carlos Kleiber, German-Austrian conductor (d. 2004)
  • 1930 – Tommy Tedesco, American guitarist (d. 1997)
  • 1932 – Richard Mellon Scaife, American businessman (d. 2014)
  • 1933 – Edward Brandt, Jr., American physician and mathematician (d. 2007)
  • 1935 – Cheo Feliciano, Puerto Rican-American singer-songwriter (d. 2014)
  • 1935 – Harrison Schmitt, American geologist, astronaut, and politician
  • 1936 – Anthony Lester, Baron Lester of Herne Hill, English lawyer and politician
  • 1936 – Baard Owe, Norwegian-Danish actor
  • 1937 – Nicholas Maxwell, English philosopher and academic
  • 1937 – Tom Stoppard, Czech-English playwright and screenwriter
  • 1938 – Jean Aitchison, English linguist and academic
  • 1939 – Brigitte Fassbaender, German soprano and director
  • 1939 – László Kovács, Hungarian politician and diplomat, Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs
  • 1939 – Coco Laboy, Puerto Rican baseball player
  • 1940 – Lamar Alexander, American lawyer and politician, 5th United States Secretary of Education
  • 1940 – Jerzy Buzek, Polish engineer and politician, 9th Prime Minister of Poland
  • 1940 – Lance Larson, American swimmer
  • 1940 – César Tovar, Venezuelan baseball player (d. 1994)
  • 1941 – Gloria Allred, American lawyer and activist
  • 1941 – Liamine Zéroual, Algerian politician, 4th President of Algeria
  • 1942 – Eddy Mitchell, French singer-songwriter
  • 1943 – Gary Waldhorn, British actor
  • 1943 – Judith Durham, Australian folk-pop singer-songwriter and musician
  • 1943 – Kurtwood Smith, American actor
  • 1943 – Norman E. Thagard, American astronaut
  • 1945 – Michael Cole, American actor
  • 1945 – Michael Martin, Baron Martin of Springburn, Scottish politician, Speaker of the House of Commons (d. 2018)
  • 1946 – Johnny Lee, American singer and guitarist
  • 1946 – Leszek Miller, Polish political scientist and politician, 10th Prime Minister of Poland
  • 1946 – Michael Shea, American author (d. 2014)
  • 1947 – Dave Barry, American journalist and author
  • 1947 – Betty Buckley, American actress and singer
  • 1947 – Mike Burton, American swimmer
  • 1948 – Paul Barrere, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1948 – Tarmo Koivisto, Finnish author and illustrator
  • 1949 – Susan Penhaligon, English actress
  • 1949 – John Verity, English guitarist
  • 1949 – Johnnie Wilder, Jr., American singer (d. 2006)
  • 1949 – Bo Xilai, Chinese politician, Chinese Minister of Commerce
  • 1950 – Ewen Chatfield, New Zealand cricketer
  • 1950 – James Hahn, American judge and politician, 40th Mayor of Los Angeles
  • 1951 – Jean-Claude Duvalier, Haitian politician, 41st President of Haiti (d. 2014)
  • 1951 – Richard Hadlee, New Zealand cricketer and footballer
  • 1952 – Laura Branigan, American singer-songwriter (d. 2004)
  • 1952 – Lu Colombo, Italian singer
  • 1952 – Andy Fraser, English singer-songwriter and bass player (d. 2015)
  • 1952 – Carla Olson, American singer-songwriter and music producer
  • 1952 – Wasim Raja, Pakistani cricketer (d. 2006)
  • 1952 – Amit Kumar, Indian film playback singer, actor, director, music director and musician
  • 1953 – Lotta Sollander, Swedish alpine skier
  • 1954 – Les Cusworth, English rugby player
  • 1955 – Claude Rajotte, Canadian radio and television host
  • 1956 – Montel Williams, American talk show host and television personality
  • 1957 – Poly Styrene, British musician (d. 2011)
  • 1958 – Matthew Fraser, Canadian-English journalist and academic
  • 1958 – Charlie Higson, English actor, singer, and author
  • 1958 – Siân Lloyd, Welsh meteorologist and journalist
  • 1958 – Didier Mouron, Swiss-Canadian painter
  • 1958 – Aaron Tippin, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer
  • 1959 – Julie Burchill, English journalist and author
  • 1959 – Ian Maxtone-Graham, American screenwriter and producer
  • 1959 – Stephen Pearcy, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1959 – David Shore, Canadian screenwriter and producer
  • 1960 – Vince Clarke, English singer-songwriter, keyboard player, and producer
  • 1962 – Scott Borchetta, American record executive and entrepreneur
  • 1962 – Tom Cruise, American actor and producer
  • 1964 – Yeardley Smith, American actress, voice actress, comedian and writer
  • 1965 – Shinya Hashimoto, Japanese wrestler (d. 2005)
  • 1965 – Connie Nielsen, Danish-American actress
  • 1965 – Komsan Pohkong, Thai lawyer and academic
  • 1965 – Christophe Ruer, French pentathlete (d. 2007)
  • 1966 – Moisés Alou, American baseball player
  • 1967 – Katy Clark, Scottish lawyer and politician
  • 1968 – Ramush Haradinaj, Kosovo-Albanian soldier and politician, 4th Prime Minister of Kosovo
  • 1970 – Serhiy Honchar, Ukrainian cyclist
  • 1970 – Audra McDonald, American actress and singer
  • 1970 – Teemu Selänne, Finnish ice hockey player
  • 1971 – Julian Assange, Australian journalist, publisher, and activist, founded WikiLeaks
  • 1973 – Paul Rauhihi, New Zealand rugby league player
  • 1973 – Ólafur Stefánsson, Icelandic handball player
  • 1973 – Fyodor Tuvin, Russian footballer (d. 2013)
  • 1976 – Wade Belak, Canadian ice hockey player (d. 2011)
  • 1976 – Henry Olonga, Zimbabwean cricketer and sportscaster
  • 1976 – Wanderlei Silva, Brazilian-American mixed martial artist
  • 1976 – Bobby Skinstad, Zimbabwean-South African rugby union player
  • 1977 – David Bowens, American football player
  • 1978 – Mizuki Noguchi, Japanese runner
  • 1979 – Jamie Grove, English cricketer
  • 1980 – Mazharul Haque, Bangladeshi cricketer (d. 2013)
  • 1980 – Roland Schoeman, South African swimmer
  • 1980 – Harbhajan Singh, Indian cricketer
  • 1983 – Edinson Vólquez, Dominican baseball player
  • 1984 – Manny Lawson, American football player
  • 1984 – Churandy Martina, Dutch sprinter
  • 1984 – Corey Sevier, Canadian actor and producer
  • 1986 – Marco Antônio de Mattos Filho, Brazilian footballer
  • 1986 – Kisenosato Yutaka, Japanese sumo wrestler
  • 1987 – Sebastian Vettel, German race car driver
  • 1988 – Winston Reid, New Zealand-Danish footballer
  • 1988 – Vladislav Sesganov, Russian figure skater
  • 1988 – James Troisi, Australian footballer
  • 1989 – Mitchell Dodds, Australian rugby league player
  • 1989 – Elle King, American singer, songwriter, and actress
  • 1990 – Nathan Gardner, Australian rugby league player
  • 1990 – Bobby Hopkinson, English footballer
  • 1990 – Lucas Mendes, Brazilian footballer
  • 1991 – Alison Howie, Scottish field hockey player
  • 1991 – Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, Russian tennis player
  • 1992 – Will Smith, Australian rugby league player
  • 1994 – Ben Winchell, American actor

Deaths on July 3

  • 458 – Anatolius of Constantinople, Byzantine patriarch and saint (b. 449)
  • 710 – Emperor Zhongzong of Tang (b. 656)
  • 896 – Dong Chang, Chinese warlord
  • 964 – Henry I, Frankish nobleman and archbishop
  • 1090 – Egbert II, Margrave of Meissen (b. c. 1060)
  • 1288 – Stephen de Fulbourn, English-born Irish cleric and politician
  • 1503 – Pierre d’Aubusson, Grand Master of the Knights of Rhodes (b. 1423)
  • 1570 – Aonio Paleario, Italian academic and reformer (b. 1500)
  • 1642 – Marie de’ Medici, French queen consort and regent (b. 1573)
  • 1672 – Francis Willughby, English ornithologist and ichthyologist (b. 1635)
  • 1749 – William Jones, Welsh-English mathematician and academic (b. 1675)
  • 1790 – Jean-Baptiste L. Romé de l’Isle, French geologist and mineralogist (b. 1736)
  • 1795 – Louis-Georges de Bréquigny, French scholar and author (b. 1714)
  • 1795 – Antonio de Ulloa, Spanish general, astronomer, and politician, 1st Colonial Governor of Louisiana (b. 1716)
  • 1809 – Joseph Quesnel, French-Canadian composer and playwright (b. 1746)
  • 1863 – George Hull Ward, American general (b. 1826)
  • 1863 – Little Crow, American tribal leader (b. 1810)
  • 1881 – Hasan Tahsini, Albanian astronomer, mathematician, and philosopher (b. 1811)
  • 1887 – Clay Allison, American rancher (b. 1841)
  • 1888 – Nguyễn Đình Chiểu, Vietnamese poet and author (b. 1822)
  • 1904 – Édouard Beaupré, Canadian giant and strongman (b. 1881)
  • 1904 – Theodor Herzl, Austrian journalist and playwright (b. 1860)
  • 1908 – Joel Chandler Harris, American journalist and author (b. 1845)
  • 1916 – Hetty Green, American businesswoman and financier (b. 1834)
  • 1918 – Mehmed V, Ottoman sultan (b. 1844)
  • 1921 – James Mitchel, Irish-American weight thrower (b. 1864)
  • 1927 – Gérard de Courcelles, French race car driver
  • 1933 – Hipólito Yrigoyen, Argentinian educator and politician, 19th President of Argentina (b. 1852)
  • 1935 – André Citroën, French engineer and businessman, founded the Citroën Company (b. 1878)
  • 1937 – Jacob Schick, American-Canadian captain and businessman, invented the electric razor (b. 1877)
  • 1940 – Nicolae Bivol, Moldovan businessman and politician, Mayor of Chișinău (b. 1882)
  • 1941 – Friedrich Akel, Estonian physician and politician, Head of State of Estonia (b. 1871)
  • 1954 – Siegfried Handloser, German physician and general (b. 1895)
  • 1954 – Reginald Marsh, French-American painter, illustrator, and academic (b. 1898)
  • 1957 – Dolf Luque, Cuban baseball player and manager (b. 1890)
  • 1957 – Richard Mohaupt, German composer and Kapellmeister (b. 1904)
  • 1958 – Charles Bathurst, 1st Viscount Bledisloe, English politician, 4th Governor-General of New Zealand (b. 1867)
  • 1969 – Brian Jones, English guitarist, songwriter, and producer (b. 1942)
  • 1971 – Jim Morrison, American singer-songwriter (b. 1943)
  • 1974 – John Crowe Ransom, American poet and critic (b. 1888)
  • 1977 – Alexander Volkov, Russian mathematician and author (b. 1891)
  • 1978 – James Daly, American actor (b. 1918)
  • 1979 – Louis Durey, French pianist and composer (b. 1888)
  • 1981 – Ross Martin, American actor and director (b. 1920)
  • 1985 – Frank J. Selke, Canadian ice hockey player and manager (b. 1893)
  • 1986 – Rudy Vallée, American singer, saxophonist, and actor (b. 1901)
  • 1989 – Jim Backus, American actor and voice artist (b. 1913)
  • 1993 – Don Drysdale, American baseball player and sportscaster (b. 1936)
  • 1994 – Lew Hoad, Australian tennis player and coach (b. 1934)
  • 1995 – Pancho Gonzales, American tennis player (b. 1928)
  • 1995 – Eddie Mazur, Canadian ice hockey player (b. 1929)
  • 1998 – Danielle Bunten Berry, American game designer and programmer (b. 1949)
  • 1999 – Mark Sandman, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer (b. 1952)
  • 1999 – Pelageya Polubarinova-Kochina, Russian mathematician (b. 1899)
  • 1999 – Manoj Kumar Pandey,Param Vir ChakraIndian army personnel
  • 2001 – Mordecai Richler, Canadian author and screenwriter (b. 1931)
  • 2001 – Johnny Russell, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (b. 1940)
  • 2004 – Andriyan Nikolayev, Russian general, pilot, and astronaut (b. 1929)
  • 2005 – Alberto Lattuada, Italian actor, director, and screenwriter (b. 1914)
  • 2005 – Gaylord Nelson, American lawyer and politician, 35th Governor of Wisconsin (b. 1916)
  • 2006 – Joseph Goguen, American computer scientist, developed the OBJ programming language (b. 1941)
  • 2007 – Boots Randolph, American saxophonist (b. 1927)
  • 2008 – Clive Hornby, English actor and drummer (b. 1944)
  • 2008 – Oliver Schroer, Canadian fiddler, composer, and producer (b. 1956)
  • 2009 – Alauddin Al-Azad, Bangladeshi author and poet (b.1932)
  • 2009 – John Keel, American journalist and author (b. 1930)
  • 2010 – Abu Daoud, Palestinian terrorist, planned the Munich massacre (b. 1937)
  • 2011 – Ali Bahar, Bahraini singer and guitarist (b. 1960)
  • 2012 – Nguyễn Hữu Có, Vietnamese general and politician (b. 1925)
  • 2012 – Andy Griffith, American actor, singer, and producer (b. 1926)
  • 2012 – Yvonne B. Miller, American educator and politician (b. 1934)
  • 2012 – Sergio Pininfarina, Italian engineer and politician (b. 1926)
  • 2012 – Richard Alvin Tonry, American lawyer and politician (b. 1935)
  • 2013 – Roman Bengez, Slovenian footballer and manager (b. 1964)
  • 2013 – Francis Ray, American author (b. 1944)
  • 2013 – PJ Torokvei, Canadian actress and screenwriter (b. 1951)
  • 2013 – Radu Vasile, Romanian historian and politician, 57th Prime Minister of Romania (b. 1942)
  • 2013 – Bernard Vitet, French trumpet player and composer (b. 1934)
  • 2013 – Snoo Wilson, English playwright and screenwriter (b. 1948)
  • 2014 – Jini Dellaccio, American photographer (b. 1917)
  • 2014 – Tim Flood, Irish hurler and coach (b. 1927)
  • 2014 – Volkmar Groß, German footballer (b. 1948)
  • 2014 – Ira Ruskin, American politician (b. 1943)
  • 2014 – Zalman Schachter-Shalomi, Ukrainian-American rabbi and author (b. 1924)
  • 2015 – Diana Douglas, British-American actress (b. 1923)
  • 2015 – Boyd K. Packer, American religious leader and educator (b. 1924)
  • 2015 – Wayne Townsend, American farmer and politician (b. 1926)
  • 2015 – Phil Walsh, Australian footballer and coach (b. 1960)
  • 2020 – Saroj Khan, Indian dance choreographer, known as “The Mother of Dance/Choreography in India”.(b. 1948)

Holidays and observances on July 3

  • Christian feast day:
    • Anatolius of Constantinople
    • Anatolius of Laodicea
    • Dathus
    • Germanus of Man
    • Gurthiern
    • Heliodorus of Altino
    • Mucian
    • Peregrina Mogas Fontcuberta
    • Pope Leo II
    • Thomas the Apostle
    • July 3 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
  • Emancipation Day (United States Virgin Islands)
  • Independence Day, celebrates the liberation of Minsk from Nazi occupation by Soviet troops in 1944 (Belarus)
  • The start of the Dog Days according to the Old Farmer’s Almanac but not according to established meaning in most European cultures
  • Women’s Day (Myanmar)

July 3 – History, Events, Births, Deaths Holidays and Observances On This Day Read More »

On This Day

June 18 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day

On This Day /
  • 618 – Li Yuan becomes Emperor Gaozu of Tang, initiating three centuries of Tang dynasty rule over China.
  • 656 – Ali becomes Caliph of the Rashidun Caliphate.
  • 860 – Byzantine–Rus’ War: A fleet of about 200 Rus’ vessels sails into the Bosphorus and starts pillaging the suburbs of the Byzantine capital Constantinople.
  • 1053 – Battle of Civitate: Three thousand horsemen of Norman Count Humphrey rout the troops of Pope Leo IX.
  • 1178 – Five Canterbury monks see what is possibly the Giordano Bruno crater being formed. It is believed that the current oscillations of the Moon’s distance from the Earth (on the order of meters) are a result of this collision.
  • 1264 – The Parliament of Ireland meets at Castledermot in County Kildare, the first definitively known meeting of this Irish legislature.
  • 1265 – A draft Byzantine–Venetian treaty is concluded between Venetian envoys and Emperor Michael VIII Palaiologos, but is not ratified by Doge Reniero Zeno.
  • 1429 – French forces under the leadership of Joan of Arc defeat the main English army under Sir John Fastolf at the Battle of Patay. This turns the tide of the Hundred Years’ War.
  • 1633 – Charles I is crowned King of Scots at St Giles’ Cathedral, Edinburgh.
  • 1684 – The charter of the Massachusetts Bay Colony is revoked via a scire facias writ issued by an English court.
  • 1757 – Battle of Kolín between Prussian forces under Frederick the Great and an Austrian army under the command of Field Marshal Count Leopold Joseph von Daun in the Seven Years’ War.
  • 1778 – American Revolutionary War: British troops abandon Philadelphia.
  • 1799 – Action of 18 June 1799: A frigate squadron under Rear-admiral Perrée is captured by the British fleet under Lord Keith.
  • 1812 – The United States declaration of war upon the United Kingdom is signed by President James Madison, beginning the War of 1812.
  • 1815 – Napoleonic Wars: The Battle of Waterloo results in the defeat of Napoleon Bonaparte by the Duke of Wellington and Gebhard Leberecht von Blücher forcing him to abdicate the throne of France for the second and last time.
  • 1822 – Constantine Kanaris blows up the Ottoman navy’s flagship at Chios, killing the Kapudan Pasha Nasuhzade Ali Pasha.
  • 1858 – Charles Darwin receives a paper from Alfred Russel Wallace that includes nearly identical conclusions about evolution as Darwin’s own, prompting Darwin to publish his theory.
  • 1859 – First ascent of Aletschhorn, second summit of the Bernese Alps.
  • 1873 – Susan B. Anthony is fined $100 for attempting to vote in the 1872 presidential election.
  • 1887 – The Reinsurance Treaty between Germany and Russia is signed.
  • 1900 – Empress Dowager Cixi of China orders all foreigners killed, including foreign diplomats and their families.
  • 1908 – Japanese immigration to Brazil begins when 781 people arrive in Santos aboard the ship Kasato-Maru.
  • 1908 – The University of the Philippines is established.
  • 1923 – Checker Taxi puts its first taxi on the streets.
  • 1928 – Aviator Amelia Earhart becomes the first woman to fly in an aircraft across the Atlantic Ocean (she is a passenger; Wilmer Stultz is the pilot and Lou Gordon the mechanic).
  • 1935 – Police in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, clash with striking longshoremen, resulting in a total of 60 injuries and 24 arrests.
  • 1940 – Appeal of 18 June by Charles de Gaulle.
  • 1940 – The “Finest Hour” speech is delivered by Winston Churchill.
  • 1945 – William Joyce (“Lord Haw-Haw”) is charged with treason for his pro-German propaganda broadcasting during World War II.
  • 1946 – Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia, a Socialist, calls for a Direct Action Day against the Portuguese in Goa.
  • 1948 – Columbia Records introduces the long-playing record album in a public demonstration at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York City.
  • 1953 – The Egyptian revolution of 1952 ends with the overthrow of the Muhammad Ali dynasty and the declaration of the Republic of Egypt.
  • 1953 – A United States Air Force C-124 crashes and burns near Tachikawa, Japan, killing 129.
  • 1954 – Carlos Castillo Armas leads an invasion force across the Guatemalan border, setting in motion the 1954 Guatemalan coup d’état.
  • 1965 – Vietnam War: The United States uses B-52 bombers to attack National Liberation Front guerrilla fighters in South Vietnam.
  • 1972 – Staines air disaster: One hundred eighteen people are killed when a BEA H.S. Trident crashes two minutes after take off from London’s Heathrow Airport.
  • 1979 – SALT II is signed by the United States and the Soviet Union.
  • 1981 – The Lockheed F-117 Nighthawk, the first operational aircraft initially designed around stealth technology, makes its first flight.
  • 1982 – Italian banker Roberto Calvi’s body is discovered hanging beneath Blackfriars Bridge in London, England.
  • 1983 – Space Shuttle program: STS-7, Astronaut Sally Ride becomes the first American woman in space.
  • 1983 – Mona Mahmudnizhad, together with nine other Bahá’í women, is sentenced to death and hanged in Shiraz, Iran over her religious beliefs.
  • 1984 – A major clash between about 5,000 police and a similar number of miners takes place at Orgreave, South Yorkshire, during the 1984–85 UK miners’ strike.
  • 1994 – The Troubles: Members of the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) attack a crowded pub with assault rifles in Loughinisland, Northern Ireland. Six Catholic civilians are killed and five wounded. It was crowded with people watching the 1994 FIFA World Cup.
  • 2006 – The first Kazakh space satellite, KazSat-1 is launched.
  • 2007 – The Charleston Sofa Super Store fire happened in Charleston, South Carolina, killing nine firefighters.
  • 2009 – The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO), a NASA robotic spacecraft is launched.
  • 2018 – An earthquake of magnitude 6.1 strikes northern Osaka.

Births on June 18

  • 1269 – Eleanor of England, Countess of Bar (d. 1298)
  • 1318 – Eleanor of Woodstock (d. 1355)
  • 1332 – John V Palaiologos, Byzantine Emperor (d. 1391)
  • 1466 – Ottaviano Petrucci, Italian printer (d. 1539)
  • 1511 – Bartolomeo Ammannati, Italian architect and sculptor, designed the Ponte Santa Trinita (d. 1592)
  • 1517 – Emperor Ōgimachi of Japan (d. 1593)
  • 1521 – Maria of Portugal, Duchess of Viseu (d. 1577)
  • 1667 – Ivan Trubetskoy, Russian field marshal (d. 1750)
  • 1673 – Antonio de Literes, Spanish composer (d. 1747)
  • 1677 – Antonio Maria Bononcini, Italian cellist and composer (d. 1726)
  • 1716 – Joseph-Marie Vien, French painter and educator (d. 1809)
  • 1717 – Johann Stamitz, Czech violinist and composer (d. 1757)
  • 1757 – Ignaz Pleyel, Austrian-French pianist and composer (d. 1831)
  • 1757 – Gervasio Antonio de Posadas, Argentinian lawyer and politician 1st Supreme Director of the United Provinces of the Río de la Plata (d. 1833)
  • 1769 – Robert Stewart, Viscount Castlereagh, Irish-English politician, Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (d. 1822)
  • 1799 – William Lassell, English astronomer and merchant (d. 1880)
  • 1812 – Ivan Goncharov, Russian journalist and author (d. 1891)
  • 1815 – Ludwig Freiherr von und zu der Tann-Rathsamhausen, German general (d. 1881)
  • 1816 – Hélène Napoleone Bonaparte, French daughter of Napoleon (d. 1907)
  • 1816 – Jung Bahadur Rana, Nepali ruler (d. 1877)
  • 1833 – Manuel González Flores, Mexican general and President (1880-1884) (d. 1893)
  • 1834 – Auguste-Théodore-Paul de Broglie, French philosopher and academic (d. 1895)
  • 1839 – William H. Seward Jr., American general and banker (d. 1920)
  • 1845 – Charles Louis Alphonse Laveran, French physician and parasitologist, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1922)
  • 1850 – Richard Heuberger, Austrian composer and critic (d. 1914)
  • 1854 – E. W. Scripps, American publisher, founded the E. W. Scripps Company (d. 1926)
  • 1857 – Henry Clay Folger, American businessman and philanthropist, founded the Folger Shakespeare Library (d. 1930)
  • 1858 – Andrew Forsyth, Scottish-English mathematician and academic (d. 1942)
  • 1858 – Hector Rason, English-Australian politician, 7th Premier of Western Australia (d. 1927)
  • 1862 – Carolyn Wells, American novelist and poet (d. 1942)
  • 1863 – George Essex Evans, English-Australian poet and author (d. 1909)
  • 1868 – Miklós Horthy, Hungarian admiral and politician, Regent of Hungary (d. 1957)
  • 1870 – Édouard Le Roy, French mathematician and philosopher (d. 1954)
  • 1877 – James Montgomery Flagg, American painter and illustrator (d. 1960)
  • 1881 – Zoltán Halmay, Hungarian swimmer (d. 1956)
  • 1882 – Georgi Dimitrov, Bulgarian compositor and politician, 32nd Prime Minister of Bulgaria (d. 1949)
  • 1884 – Édouard Daladier, French captain and politician, Prime Minister of France (d. 1970)
  • 1886 – George Mallory, English lieutenant and mountaineer (d. 1924)
  • 1886 – Alexander Wetmore, American ornithologist and paleontologist (d. 1978)
  • 1887 – Tancrède Labbé, Canadian businessman and politician (d. 1956)
  • 1896 – Blanche Sweet, American actress (d. 1986)
  • 1897 – Martti Marttelin, Finnish runner (d. 1940)
  • 1900 – Vlasta Vraz, Czech-American relief worker, editor, and fundraiser (d. 1989)
  • 1901 – Grand Duchess Anastasia Nikolaevna of Russia (d. 1918)
  • 1901 – Llewellyn Rees, English actor (d. 1994)
  • 1902 – Louis Alter, American musician (d. 1980)
  • 1902 – Paavo Yrjölä, Finnish decathlete (d. 1980)
  • 1903 – Jeanette MacDonald, American actress and singer (d. 1965)
  • 1903 – Raymond Radiguet, French author and poet (d. 1923)
  • 1904 – Keye Luke, Chinese-American actor (d. 1991)
  • 1904 – Manuel Rosenthal, French conductor and composer (d. 2003)
  • 1905 – Eduard Tubin, Estonian composer and conductor (d. 1982)
  • 1907 – Frithjof Schuon, Swiss-American metaphysicist, philosopher, and author (d. 1998)
  • 1908 – Bud Collyer, American actor and game show host (d. 1969)
  • 1908 – Stanley Knowles, American-Canadian academic and politician (d. 1997)
  • 1908 – Nedra Volz, American actress (d. 2003)
  • 1910 – Dick Foran, American actor and singer (d. 1979)
  • 1910 – Avon Long, American actor and singer (d. 1984)
  • 1910 – Ray McKinley, American singer, drummer, and bandleader (d. 1995)
  • 1912 – Glenn Morris, American decathlete (d. 1974)
  • 1913 – Wilfred Gordon Bigelow, Canadian soldier and surgeon (d. 2005)
  • 1913 – Sammy Cahn, American pianist and composer (d. 1993)
  • 1913 – Sylvia Porter, American economist and journalist (d. 1991)
  • 1913 – Françoise Loranger, Canadian playwright and producer (d. 1995)
  • 1913 – Robert Mondavi, American winemaker and philanthropist (d. 2008)
  • 1913 – Oswald Teichmüller, German mathematician (d. 1943)
  • 1914 – E. G. Marshall, American actor (d. 1998)
  • 1914 – Efraín Huerta, Mexican poet (d.1982)
  • 1915 – Red Adair, American firefighter (d. 2004)
  • 1915 – Robert Kanigher, American author (d. 2002)
  • 1915 – Alice T. Schafer, American mathematician (d. 2009)
  • 1916 – Julio César Turbay Ayala, Colombian lawyer and politician, 25th President of Colombia (d. 2005)
  • 1917 – Richard Boone, American actor, singer, and director (d. 1981)
  • 1917 – Jack Karnehm, English snooker player and sportscaster (d. 2002)
  • 1917 – Erik Ortvad, Danish painter and illustrator (d. 2008)
  • 1918 – Alf Francis, West Prussia-born, English motor racing mechanic and race car constructor (d. 1983)
  • 1918 – Jerome Karle, American chemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 2013)
  • 1918 – Franco Modigliani, Italian-American economist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 2003)
  • 1919 – Jüri Järvet, Estonian actor and screenwriter (d. 1995)
  • 1920 – Ian Carmichael, English actor and singer (d. 2010)
  • 1920 – Lode Van Den Bergh, Belgian author and academic
  • 1922 – Claude Helffer, French pianist and educator (d. 2004)
  • 1924 – George Mikan, American basketball player and coach (d. 2005)
  • 1925 – Robert Beadell, American composer and educator (d. 1994)
  • 1926 – Philip B. Crosby, American businessman and author (d. 2001)
  • 1926 – Allan Sandage, American astronomer and cosmologist (d. 2010)
  • 1926 – Tom Wicker, American journalist and author (d. 2011)
  • 1927 – Eva Bartok, Hungarian-English actress (d. 1998)
  • 1927 – Paul Eddington, English actor (d. 1995)
  • 1928 – Michael Blakemore, Australian actor, director, and screenwriter
  • 1928 – David T. Lykken, American geneticist and academic (d. 2006)
  • 1929 – Jürgen Habermas, German sociologist and philosopher
  • 1929 – Tibor Rubin, Hungarian-American soldier, Medal of Honor recipient (d. 2015)
  • 1931 – Fernando Henrique Cardoso, Brazilian sociologist, academic, and politician, 34th President of Brazil
  • 1932 – Dudley R. Herschbach, American chemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate
  • 1932 – Geoffrey Hill, English poet and academic (d. 2016)
  • 1933 – Colin Brumby, Australian composer and conductor (d. 2018)
  • 1933 – Tommy Hunt, American singer
  • 1934 – Brian Kenny, English general (d. 2017)
  • 1934 – Mitsuteru Yokoyama, Japanese author and illustrator (d. 2004)
  • 1936 – Denny Hulme, New Zealand race car driver (d. 1992)
  • 1936 – Barack Obama Sr., Kenyan economist (d. 1982)
  • 1936 – Ronald Venetiaan, Surinamese politician, 6th President of Suriname
  • 1937 – Del Harris, American basketball player and coach
  • 1937 – Jay Rockefeller, American lawyer and politician, 29th Governor of West Virginia
  • 1937 – Bruce Trigger, Canadian archaeologist, anthropologist and historian (d. 2006)
  • 1937 – Vitaly Zholobov, Ukrainian colonel, engineer, and astronaut
  • 1938 – Kevin Murray, Australian footballer and coach
  • 1939 – Lou Brock, American baseball player and sportscaster
  • 1939 – Jean-Claude Germain, Canadian historian, author, and journalist
  • 1939 – Brooks Firestone, American businessman and politician
  • 1941 – Roger Lemerre, French footballer and manager
  • 1941 – Paul Mayersberg, English director and screenwriter
  • 1941 – Delia Smith, English chef and author
  • 1942 – John Bellany, Scottish painter and academic (d. 2013)
  • 1942 – Roger Ebert, American journalist, critic, and screenwriter (d. 2013)
  • 1942 – Pat Hutchins, English author and illustrator
  • 1942 – Thabo Mbeki, South African politician, 23rd President of South Africa
  • 1942 – Paul McCartney, English singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1942 – Richard Perry, American record producer
  • 1942 – Carl Radle, American bass player and producer (d. 1980)
  • 1942 – Nick Tate, Australian actor and director
  • 1942 – Hans Vonk, Dutch conductor (d. 2004)
  • 1943 – Barry Evans, English actor (d. 1997)
  • 1943 – Raffaella Carrà, Italian singer, dancer, and actress
  • 1944 – Bruce DuMont, American broadcaster and political analyst
  • 1944 – Sandy Posey, American pop/country singer
  • 1946 – Russell Ash, English journalist and author (d. 2010)
  • 1946 – Bruiser Brody, American wrestler (d. 1988)
  • 1946 – Fabio Capello, Italian footballer and manager
  • 1946 – Maria Bethânia, Brazilian singer
  • 1947 – Ivonne Coll, Puerto Rican-American model and actress, Miss Puerto Rico 1967
  • 1947 – Bernard Giraudeau, French actor, director, producer, and screenwriter (d. 2010)
  • 1947 – Linda Thorson, Canadian actress
  • 1948 – Philip Jackson, English actor
  • 1948 – Éva Marton, Hungarian soprano and actress
  • 1948 – Sherry Turkle, American academic, psychologist, and sociologist
  • 1949 – Chris Van Allsburg, American author and illustrator
  • 1949 – Jarosław Kaczyński, Polish lawyer and politician, 13th Prime Minister of Poland
  • 1949 – Lech Kaczyński, Polish lawyer and politician, 4th President of Poland (d. 2010)
  • 1949 – Lincoln Thompson, Jamaican singer-songwriter (d. 1999)
  • 1950 – Rod de’Ath, Welsh drummer and producer (d. 2014)
  • 1950 – Annelie Ehrhardt, German hurdler
  • 1950 – Mike Johanns, American lawyer and politician, 28th United States Secretary of Agriculture
  • 1950 – Jackie Leven, Scottish singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 2011)
  • 1951 – Mohammed Al-Sager, Kuwaiti journalist and politician
  • 1951 – Miriam Flynn, American actress and comedian
  • 1951 – Ian Hargreaves, English-Welsh journalist and academic
  • 1951 – Stephen Hopper, Australian botanist and academic
  • 1951 – Gyula Sax, Hungarian chess player (d. 2014)
  • 1952 – Tiiu Aro, Estonian physician and politician, Estonian Minister of Social Affairs
  • 1952 – Denis Herron, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1952 – Carol Kane, American actress
  • 1952 – Isabella Rossellini, Italian actress, director, producer, and screenwriter
  • 1952 – Lee Soo-man, South Korean singer and businessman, founded S.M. Entertainment
  • 1953 – Peter Donohoe, English pianist and educator
  • 1955 – Ed Fast, Canadian lawyer and politician
  • 1956 – Brian Benben, American actor and producer
  • 1956 – John Scott, English organist and conductor (d. 2015)
  • 1957 – Miguel Ángel Lotina, Spanish footballer and manager
  • 1957 – Richard Powers, American novelist
  • 1958 – Peter Altmaier, German jurist and politician, Federal Minister for Special Affairs of Germany
  • 1958 – Gary Martin, British voice actor and actor
  • 1959 – Joe Ansolabehere, American animation screenwriter and producer
  • 1960 – Barbara Broccoli, American director and producer
  • 1960 – Steve Murphy, Canadian journalist
  • 1961 – Oz Fox, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer
  • 1961 – Andrés Galarraga, Venezuelan-American baseball player
  • 1961 – Angela Johnson, American novelist and poet
  • 1961 – Alison Moyet, English singer-songwriter
  • 1962 – Lisa Randall, American physicist and academic
  • 1963 – Dizzy Reed, American keyboard player and songwriter
  • 1963 – Bruce Smith, American football player
  • 1964 – Uday Hussein, Iraqi commander (d. 2003)
  • 1964 – Patti Webster, American publicist and author (d. 2013)
  • 1966 – Kurt Browning, Canadian figure skater, choreographer, and sportscaster
  • 1966 – Troy Kemp, Bahamian high jumper
  • 1968 – Frank Müller, German decathlete
  • 1969 – Haki Doku, Albanian cyclist
  • 1969 – Christopher Largen, American journalist and author (d. 2012)
  • 1970 – Katie Derham, English journalist
  • 1970 – Ivan Kozák, Slovak footballer
  • 1970 – Greg Yaitanes, American director and producer
  • 1971 – Kerry Butler, American actress and singer
  • 1971 – Jason McAteer, English-Irish footballer and manager
  • 1971 – Nathan Morris, American soul singer
  • 1972 – Anu Tali, Estonian pianist and conductor
  • 1972 – Wikus du Toit, South African actor, director, and composer
  • 1973 – Julie Depardieu, French actress
  • 1973 – Stephen Thomas Erlewine, American author and music critic
  • 1973 – Ray LaMontagne, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1973 – Alexandra Meissnitzer, Austrian skier
  • 1973 – Matt Parsons, Australian rugby league player
  • 1973 – Gavin Wanganeen Australian footballer and coach
  • 1974 – Vincenzo Montella, Italian footballer and manager
  • 1974 – Sergey Sharikov, Russian fencer and coach (d. 2015)
  • 1975 – Marie Gillain, Belgian actress
  • 1975 – Aleksandrs Koļinko, Latvian footballer
  • 1975 – Martin St. Louis, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1976 – Blake Shelton, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1978 – Wang Liqin, Chinese table tennis player
  • 1979 – Yumiko Kobayashi, Japanese voice actress and singer
  • 1979 – Ivana Wong, Hong Kong singer-songwriter and actress
  • 1980 – Antonio Gates, American football player
  • 1980 – Sergey Kirdyapkin, Russian race walker
  • 1980 – Craig Mottram, Australian runner
  • 1980 – Antero Niittymäki, Finnish ice hockey player
  • 1980 – Tara Platt, American actress, producer, and screenwriter
  • 1981 – Clint Newton, American-Australian rugby league player
  • 1981 – Marco Streller, Swiss footballer
  • 1982 – Nadir Belhadj, French-Algerian footballer
  • 1982 – Marco Borriello, Italian footballer
  • 1982 – Nathan Cavaleri, Australian singer-songwriter, guitarist, and actor
  • 1983 – Billy Slater, Australian rugby league player
  • 1983 – Cameron Smith, Australian rugby league player
  • 1984 – Nanyak Dala, Canadian rugby player
  • 1985 – Chris Coghlan, American baseball player
  • 1985 – Alex Hirsch, American animator and television producer
  • 1986 – Edgars Eriņš, Latvian decathlete
  • 1986 – Richard Gasquet, French tennis player
  • 1987 – Omar Arellano, Mexican footballer
  • 1987 – Moeen Ali, English cricketer
  • 1988 – Elini Dimoutsos, Greek footballer
  • 1988 – Josh Dun, American musician
  • 1989 – Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, French-born Gabonese footballer
  • 1989 – Chris Harris Jr., American football player
  • 1990 – Luke Adam, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1990 – Sandra Izbașa, Romanian gymnast
  • 1990 – Derek Stepan, American ice hockey player
  • 1990 – Christian Taylor, American triple jumper
  • 1993 – Dennis Lloyd, Israeli musician, producer, singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist
  • 1994 – Sean McMahon, Australian rugby player
  • 1994 – Takeoff, American rapper
  • 1995 – Maxim Kovtun, Russian figure skater
  • 1996 – Alen Halilović, Croatian footballer
  • 1996 – Niki Wories, Dutch figure skater
  • 1997 – Katharina Hobgarski, German tennis player
  • 1997 – Latrell Mitchell, Australian rugby league player
  • 1999 – Trippie Redd, American rapper

Deaths on June 18

  • 741 – Leo III the Isaurian, Byzantine emperor (b. 685)
  • 908 – Zhang Hao, general of Yang Wu
  • 1095 – Sophia of Hungary (b. c. 1050)
  • 1164 – Elisabeth of Schönau, German Benedictine visionary (b. c. 1129)
  • 1234 – Emperor Chūkyō of Japan (b. 1218)
  • 1250 – Theresa of Portugal, Queen of León
  • 1291 – Alfonso III of Aragon (b. 1265)
  • 1333 – Henry XV, Duke of Bavaria (b. 1312)
  • 1464 – Rogier van der Weyden, Flemish painter (b. 1400)
  • 1588 – Robert Crowley, English minister and poet (b. 1517)
  • 1629 – Piet Pieterszoon Hein, Dutch admiral (b. 1577)
  • 1650 – Christoph Scheiner, German priest, physicist, and astronomer (b. 1575)
  • 1673 – Jeanne Mance, French-Canadian nurse, founded the Hôtel-Dieu de Montréal (b. 1606)
  • 1704 – Tom Brown, English author and translator (b. 1662)
  • 1726 – Michel Richard Delalande, French organist and composer (b. 1657)
  • 1742 – John Aislabie, English politician, Chancellor of the Exchequer (b. 1670)
  • 1749 – Ambrose Philips, English poet and politician (b. 1674)
  • 1772 – Johann Ulrich von Cramer, German jurist and scholar (b. 1706)
  • 1772 – Gerard van Swieten, Dutch-Austrian physician and reformer (b. 1700)
  • 1788 – Adam Gib, Scottish religious leader (b. 1714)
  • 1794 – François Buzot, French lawyer and politician (b. 1760)
  • 1794 – James Murray, Scottish-English general and politician, 20th Governor of the Province of Quebec (b. 1721)
  • 1815 – Thomas Picton, Welsh-English general and politician (b. 1758)
  • 1833 – Robert Hett Chapman, American minister, missionary, and academic (b. 1771)
  • 1835 – William Cobbett, English farmer and journalist (b. 1763)
  • 1860 – Friedrich Wilhelm von Bismarck, German army officer and writer (b. 1783)
  • 1866 – Prince Sigismund of Prussia (b. 1864)
  • 1902 – Samuel Butler, English novelist, satirist, and critic (b. 1835)
  • 1905 – Carmine Crocco, Italian soldier (b. 1830)
  • 1916 – Max Immelmann, German lieutenant and pilot (b. 1890)
  • 1917 – Titu Maiorescu, Romanian critic and politician, 23rd Prime Minister of Romania (b. 1840)
  • 1922 – Jacobus Kapteyn, Dutch astronomer and academic (b. 1851)
  • 1928 – Roald Amundsen, Norwegian pilot and explorer (b. 1872)
  • 1936 – Maxim Gorky, Russian novelist, short story writer, and playwright (b. 1868)
  • 1937 – Gaston Doumergue, French politician, 13th President of France (b. 1863)
  • 1942 – Arthur Pryor, American trombonist, bandleader, and politician (b. 1870)
  • 1943 – Elias Degiannis, Greek commander (b. 1912)
  • 1945 – Florence Bascom, American geologist and educator (b. 1862)[10]
  • 1945 – Simon Bolivar Buckner Jr., American general (b. 1886)
  • 1947 – Shigematsu Sakaibara, Japanese admiral (b. 1898)
  • 1948 – Edward Brooker, English-Australian politician, 31st Premier of Tasmania (b. 1891)
  • 1959 – Ethel Barrymore, American actress (b. 1879)
  • 1963 – Pedro Armendáriz, Mexican-American actor (b. 1912)
  • 1964 – Giorgio Morandi, Italian painter (b. 1890)
  • 1967 – Geki, Italian race car driver (b. 1937)
  • 1967 – Beat Fehr, Swiss race car driver (b. 1942)
  • 1971 – Thomas Gomez, American actor (b. 1905)
  • 1971 – Paul Karrer, Russian-Swiss chemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1889)
  • 1974 – Júlio César de Mello e Souza, Brazilian mathematician and academic (b. 1896)
  • 1974 – Georgy Zhukov, Russian marshal and politician, Minister of Defence for the Soviet Union (b. 1896)
  • 1975 – Hugo Bergmann, German-Israeli philosopher and author (b. 1883)
  • 1978 – Walter C. Alvarez, American physician and author (b. 1884)
  • 1980 – Terence Fisher, English director and screenwriter (b. 1904)
  • 1980 – André Leducq, French cyclist (b. 1904)
  • 1982 – Djuna Barnes, American novelist, journalist, and playwright (b. 1892)
  • 1982 – John Cheever, American novelist and short story writer (b. 1912)
  • 1982 – Curd Jürgens, German-Austrian actor and director (b. 1915)
  • 1984 – Alan Berg, American lawyer and radio host (b. 1934)
  • 1985 – Paul Colin, French illustrator (b. 1892)
  • 1986 – Frances Scott Fitzgerald, American journalist (b. 1921)
  • 1989 – I. F. Stone, American journalist and author (b. 1907)
  • 1992 – Kofoworola Abeni Pratt, the first black Chief Nursing Officer of Nigeria  (b. 1910)
  • 1992 – Peter Allen, Australian singer-songwriter and pianist (b. 1944)
  • 1992 – Mordecai Ardon, Polish-Israeli painter and educator (b. 1896)
  • 1993 – Craig Rodwell, American activist, founded the Oscar Wilde Bookshop (b. 1940)
  • 1996 – Endel Puusepp, Estonian-Soviet military pilot and politician (b. 1909)
  • 1997 – Lev Kopelev, Ukrainian-German author and academic (b. 1912)
  • 1998 – Felix Knight, American actor and tenor (b. 1908)
  • 2000 – Nancy Marchand, American actress (b. 1928)
  • 2003 – Larry Doby, American baseball player and manager (b. 1923)
  • 2005 – Mushtaq Ali, Indian cricketer (b. 1914)
  • 2005 – Manuel Sadosky, Argentinian mathematician and academic (b. 1914)
  • 2006 – Vincent Sherman, American actor, director, and screenwriter (b. 1906)
  • 2006 – Joseph Zobel, Martinique-French author (b. 1915)
  • 2007 – Bernard Manning, English comedian and actor (b. 1930)
  • 2007 – Hank Medress, American singer and producer (b. 1938)
  • 2007 – Georges Thurston, Canadian singer-songwriter (b. 1951)
  • 2008 – Jean Delannoy, French actor, director, and screenwriter (b. 1908)
  • 2008 – Tasha Tudor, American author and illustrator (b. 1915)
  • 2008 – Hans Steinbrenner, German sculptor (b. 1928)
  • 2010 – Trent Acid, American wrestler (b. 1980)
  • 2010 – José Saramago, Portuguese novelist Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1922)
  • 2010 – Okan Demiriş, Turkish composer (b. 1942)
  • 2011 – Yelena Bonner, Russian activist (b. 1923)
  • 2011 – Frederick Chiluba, Zambian politician, 2nd President of Zambia (b. 1943)
  • 2011 – Clarence Clemons, American saxophonist (b. 1942)
  • 2012 – Horacio Coppola, Argentinian photographer and director (b. 1906)
  • 2012 – Lina Haag, German author and activist (b. 1907)
  • 2012 – Tom Maynard, Welsh cricketer (b. 1989)
  • 2012 – Luis Edgardo Mercado Jarrín, Peruvian general and politician, 109th Prime Minister of Peru (b. 1919)
  • 2012 – Alketas Panagoulias, Greek footballer and manager (b. 1934)
  • 2012 – William Van Regenmorter, American businessman and politician (b. 1939)
  • 2013 – Brent F. Anderson, American engineer and politician (b. 1932)
  • 2013 – Alastair Donaldson, Scottish bass player (b. 1955)
  • 2013 – Garde Gardom, Canadian lawyer and politician, 26th Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia (b. 1924)
  • 2013 – Michael Hastings, American journalist and author (b. 1980)
  • 2013 – David Wall, English ballet dancer (b. 1946)
  • 2014 – Stephanie Kwolek, American chemist and engineer (b. 1923)
  • 2014 – Johnny Mann, American singer-songwriter and conductor (b. 1928)
  • 2014 – Claire Martin, Canadian author (b. 1914)
  • 2014 – Vladimir Popovkin, Russian general (b. 1957)
  • 2014 – Horace Silver, American pianist and composer (b. 1928)
  • 2015 – Phil Austin, American comedian, actor, and screenwriter (b. 1941)
  • 2015 – Ralph J. Roberts, American businessman, co-founded Comcast (b. 1920)
  • 2015 – Danny Villanueva, American football player and broadcaster, co-founded Univision (b. 1937)
  • 2015 – Allen Weinstein, American historian and academic (b. 1937)
  • 2016 – Jeppiaar, Indian educationist, founder and chancellor of Sathyabama University (b. 1931)
  • 2018 – XXXTentacion, American rapper (b. 1998)
  • 2018 – Big Van Vader (also known as Vader) American professional wrestler (b. 1955)
  • 2018 – Jimmy Wopo, American rapper (b. 1997)
  • 2020 – Vera Lynn, English singer who was the “Forces’ Sweetheart” in World War II (b. 1917)

Holidays and observances on June 18

  • Autistic Pride Day (International)
  • Christian feast day:
    • Bernard Mizeki (Anglican and Episcopal Church)
    • Elisabeth of Schönau
    • Gregorio Barbarigo
    • Leontius, Hypatius and Theodulus
    • Marina the Monk (Maronite Church, Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria)
    • Mark and Marcellian
    • June 18 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
  • Foundation Day (Benguet)
  • Human Rights Day (Azerbaijan)
  • National Day (Seychelles)
  • Queen Mother’s Birthday (Cambodia)
  • Waterloo Day (United Kingdom)

June 18 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day Read More »

On This Day

June 16 – History, Events, Births, Deaths Holidays and Observances On This Day

On This Day /
  • 363 – Emperor Julian marches back up the Tigris and burns his fleet of supply ships. During the withdrawal, Roman forces suffer several attacks from the Persians.
  • 632 – Yazdegerd III ascends the throne as king (shah) of the Persian Empire. He becomes the last ruler of the Sasanian dynasty (modern Iran).
  • 1407 – Ming–Hồ War: Retired King Hồ Quý Ly and his son King Hồ Hán Thương of Hồ dynasty are captured by the Ming armies.
  • 1487 – Battle of Stoke Field: King Henry VII of England defeats the leaders of a Yorkist rebellion in the final engagement of the Wars of the Roses.
  • 1586 – Mary, Queen of Scots, recognizes Philip II of Spain as her heir and successor.
  • 1745 – War of the Austrian Succession: New England colonial troops under the command of William Pepperrell capture the Fortress of Louisbourg in Louisbourg, New France (Old Style date).
  • 1746 – War of the Austrian Succession: Austria and Sardinia defeat a Franco-Spanish army at the Battle of Piacenza.
  • 1755 – French and Indian War: The French surrender Fort Beauséjour to the British, leading to the expulsion of the Acadians.
  • 1779 – Spain declares war on the Kingdom of Great Britain, and the Great Siege of Gibraltar begins.
  • 1795 – French Revolutionary Wars: In what became known as Cornwallis’s Retreat, a British Royal Navy squadron led by Vice Admiral William Cornwallis strongly resists a much larger French Navy force and withdraws largely intact, setting up the French Navy defeat at the Battle of Groix six days later.
  • 1811 – Survivors of an attack the previous day by Tla-o-qui-aht on board the Pacific Fur Company’s ship Tonquin, intentionally detonate a powder magazine on the ship, destroying it and killing about 100 attackers.
  • 1815 – Battle of Ligny and Battle of Quatre Bras, two days before the Battle of Waterloo.
  • 1819 – A major earthquake strikes the Kutch district of western India, killing over 1,543 people and raising a 6 m high, 6 km wide, ridge, extending for at least 80 km, that was known as the Allah Bund (“Dam of God”).
  • 1836 – The formation of the London Working Men’s Association gives rise to the Chartist Movement.
  • 1846 – The Papal conclave of 1846 elects Pope Pius IX, beginning the longest reign in the history of the papacy.
  • 1858 – Abraham Lincoln delivers his House Divided speech in Springfield, Illinois.
  • 1871 – The Universities Tests Act 1871 allows students to enter the universities of Oxford, Cambridge and Durham without religious tests (except for those intending to study theology).
  • 1883 – The Victoria Hall theatre panic in Sunderland, England, kills 183 children.
  • 1884 – The first purpose-built roller coaster, LaMarcus Adna Thompson’s “Switchback Railway”, opens in New York’s Coney Island amusement park.
  • 1897 – A treaty annexing the Republic of Hawaii to the United States is signed; the Republic would not be dissolved until a year later.
  • 1903 – The Ford Motor Company is incorporated.
  • 1903 – Roald Amundsen leaves Oslo, Norway, to commence the first east-west navigation of the Northwest Passage.
  • 1904 – Eugen Schauman assassinates Nikolay Bobrikov, Governor-General of Finland.
  • 1904 – Irish author James Joyce begins a relationship with Nora Barnacle and subsequently uses the date to set the actions for his novel Ulysses; this date is now traditionally called “Bloomsday”.
  • 1911 – IBM founded as the Computing-Tabulating-Recording Company in Endicott, New York.
  • 1922 – General election in the Irish Free State: The pro-Treaty Sinn Féin party wins a large majority.
  • 1925 – The most famous Young Pioneer camp of the Soviet Union, Artek, is established.
  • 1930 – Sovnarkom establishes decree time in the USSR.
  • 1933 – The National Industrial Recovery Act is passed in the United States, allowing businesses to avoid antitrust prosecution if they establish voluntary wage, price, and working condition regulations on an industry-wide basis.
  • 1940 – World War II: Marshal Henri Philippe Pétain becomes Chief of State of Vichy France (Chef de l’État Français).
  • 1940 – A Communist government is installed in Lithuania.
  • 1944 – In a gross miscarriage of justice, George Junius Stinney Jr., age 14, becomes the youngest person executed in the United States in the 20th century after being convicted in a two-hour trial for the rape and murder of two teenage white girls.
  • 1948 – Members of the Malayan Communist Party kill three British plantation managers in Sungai Siput; in response, British Malaya declares a state of emergency.
  • 1955 – In a futile effort to topple Argentine President Juan Perón, rogue aircraft pilots of the Argentine Navy drop several bombs upon an unarmed crowd demonstrating in favor of Perón in Buenos Aires, killing 364 and injuring at least 800. At the same time on the ground, some soldiers attempt to stage a coup but are suppressed by loyal forces.
  • 1958 – Imre Nagy, Pál Maléter and other leaders of the 1956 Hungarian Uprising are executed.
  • 1961 – While on tour with the Kirov Ballet in Paris, Rudolf Nureyev defects from the Soviet Union.
  • 1963 – Soviet Space Program: Vostok 6 mission: Cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova becomes the first woman in space.
  • 1972 – The largest single-site hydroelectric power project in Canada is inaugurated at Churchill Falls Generating Station.
  • 1976 – Soweto uprising: A non-violent march by 15,000 students in Soweto, South Africa, turns into days of rioting when police open fire on the crowd.
  • 1977 – Oracle Corporation is incorporated in Redwood Shores, California, as Software Development Laboratories (SDL), by Larry Ellison, Bob Miner and Ed Oates.
  • 1981 – US President Ronald Reagan awards the Congressional Gold Medal to Ken Taylor, Canada’s former ambassador to Iran, for helping six Americans escape from Iran during the hostage crisis of 1979–81; he is the first foreign citizen bestowed the honor.
  • 1989 – Revolutions of 1989: Imre Nagy, the former Hungarian prime minister, is reburied in Budapest following the collapse of Communism in Hungary.
  • 1997 – Fifty people are killed in the Daïat Labguer (M’sila) massacre in Algeria.
  • 2000 – The Secretary-General of the UN reports that Israel has complied with United Nations Security Council Resolution 425, 22 years after its issuance, and completely withdrew from Lebanon. The Resolution does not encompass the Shebaa farms, which is claimed by Israel, Syria and Lebanon.
  • 2010 – Bhutan becomes the first country to institute a total ban on tobacco.
  • 2012 – China successfully launches its Shenzhou 9 spacecraft, carrying three astronauts, including the first female Chinese astronaut Liu Yang, to the Tiangong-1 orbital module.
  • 2012 – The United States Air Force’s robotic Boeing X-37B spaceplane returns to Earth after a classified 469-day orbital mission
  • 2013 – A multi-day cloudburst, centered on the North Indian state of Uttarakhand, causes devastating floods and landslides, becoming the country’s worst natural disaster since the 2004 tsunami.
  • 2016 – Shanghai Disneyland Park, the first Disney Park in Mainland China, opens to the public.
  • 2019 – Upwards of 2,000,000 people participate in the 2019–20 Hong Kong protests, the largest in Hong Kong’s history.

Births on June 16

  • 1139 – Emperor Konoe of Japan (d. 1155)
  • 1332 – Isabella de Coucy, English daughter of Edward III of England (d. 1379)
  • 1454 – Joanna of Aragon, Queen of Naples (d. 1517)
  • 1514 – John Cheke, English academic and politician, English Secretary of State (d. 1557)
  • 1516 – Yang Jisheng, Ming dynasty official and Confucian martyr (d. 1555)
  • 1583 – Axel Oxenstierna, Swedish politician, Lord High Chancellor of Sweden (d. 1654)
  • 1591 – Joseph Solomon Delmedigo, Greek-Italian physician, mathematician, and theorist (d. 1655)
  • 1606 – Arthur Chichester, 1st Earl of Donegall, Irish soldier and politician (d. 1675)
  • 1613 – John Cleveland, English poet and educator (d. 1658)
  • 1625 – Samuel Chappuzeau, French scholar (d. 1701)
  • 1633 – Jean de Thévenot, French linguist and botanist (d. 1667)
  • 1644 – Henrietta Anne Stuart, Princess of Scotland, England and Ireland (d. 1670)
  • 1653 – James Bertie, 1st Earl of Abingdon, English nobleman (d. 1699)
  • 1713 – Meshech Weare, American farmer, lawyer, and politician, 1st Governor of New Hampshire (d. 1786)
  • 1723 – Adam Smith, Scottish philosopher and economist (d. 1790)
  • 1738 – Mary Katherine Goddard, American publisher (d. 1816)
  • 1754 – Salawat Yulayev, Russian poet (d. 1800)
  • 1792 – John Linnell, English painter and engraver (d. 1882)
  • 1801 – Julius Plücker, German mathematician and physicist (d. 1868)
  • 1806 – Edward Davy, English physician and chemist (d. 1885)
  • 1813 – Otto Jahn, German archaeologist and philologist (d. 1869)
  • 1820 – Athanase Josué Coquerel, Dutch-French preacher and theologian (d. 1875)
  • 1821 – Old Tom Morris, Scottish golfer and architect (d. 1908)
  • 1826 – Constantin von Ettingshausen, Austrian geologist and botanist (d. 1897)
  • 1829 – Geronimo, American tribal leader (d. 1909)
  • 1836 – Wesley Merritt, American general and politician, Military Governor of the Philippines (d. 1910)
  • 1837 – Ernst Laas, German philosopher and academic (d. 1885)
  • 1838 – Frederic Archer, English organist, composer, and conductor (d. 1901)
  • 1838 – Cushman Kellogg Davis, American lieutenant and politician, 7th Governor of Minnesota (d. 1900)
  • 1840 – Ernst Otto Schlick, German engineer and author (d. 1913)
  • 1850 – Max Delbrück, German chemist and academic (d. 1919)
  • 1857 – Arthur Arz von Straußenburg, Austrian-Hungarian general (d. 1935)
  • 1858 – Gustaf V of Sweden (d. 1950)
  • 1863 – Francisco León de la Barra, Mexican politician and diplomat (d. 1939)
  • 1866 – Germanos Karavangelis, Greek-Austrian metropolitan (d. 1935)
  • 1874 – Arthur Meighen, Canadian lawyer and politician, 9th Prime Minister of Canada (d. 1960)
  • 1880 – Otto Eisenschiml, Austrian-American chemist and author (d. 1963)
  • 1882 – Mohammad Mosaddegh, Iranian educator and politician, 60th Prime Minister of Iran (d. 1967)
  • 1885 – Erich Jacoby, Estonian-Polish architect (d. 1941)
  • 1888 – Alexander Friedmann, Russian physicist and mathematician (d. 1925)
  • 1888 – Peter Stoner, American mathematician and astronomer (d. 1980)
  • 1890 – Stan Laurel, English actor and comedian (d. 1965)
  • 1896 – Murray Leinster, American author and screenwriter (d. 1976)
  • 1897 – Georg Wittig, German chemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1987)
  • 1899 – Helen Traubel, American operatic soprano (d. 1972)
  • 1902 – Barbara McClintock, American geneticist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1992)
  • 1902 – George Gaylord Simpson, American paleontologist and author (d. 1984)
  • 1906 – Alan Fairfax, Australian cricketer (d. 1955)
  • 1907 – Jack Albertson, American actor (d. 1981)
  • 1909 – Archie Carr, American ecologist and zoologist (d. 1987)
  • 1910 – Juan Velasco Alvarado, Peruvian general and politician, 1st President of Peru (d. 1977)
  • 1912 – Albert Chartier, Canadian illustrator (d. 2004)
  • 1912 – Enoch Powell, English soldier and politician, Secretary of State for Health (d. 1998)
  • 1914 – Eleanor Sokoloff, American pianist and teacher
  • 1915 – John Tukey, American mathematician and academic (d. 2000)
  • 1915 – Marga Faulstich, German glass chemist (d. 1998)
  • 1917 – Phaedon Gizikis, Greek general and politician, President of Greece (d. 1999)
  • 1917 – Katharine Graham, American publisher (d. 2001)
  • 1917 – Aurelio Lampredi, Italian automobile and aircraft engine designer (d. 1989)
  • 1917 – Irving Penn, American photographer (d. 2009)
  • 1920 – Isabelle Holland, Swiss-American author (d. 2002)
  • 1920 – Raymond Lemieux, Canadian chemist and academic (d. 2002)
  • 1920 – José López Portillo, Mexican lawyer and politician, 31st President of Mexico (d. 2004)
  • 1920 – Hemanta Mukharjee, Indian singer and music director
  • 1922 – Ilmar Kullam, Estonian basketball player and coach (d. 2011)
  • 1923 – Ron Flockhart, Scottish race car driver (d. 1962)
  • 1924 – Faith Domergue, American actress (d. 1999)
  • 1925 – Jean d’Ormesson, French journalist and author (d. 2017)
  • 1925 – Otto Muehl, Austrian-Portuguese painter and director (d. 2013)
  • 1926 – Efraín Ríos Montt, Guatemalan general and politician, 26th President of Guatemala (d. 2018)
  • 1927 – Tom Graveney, English cricketer and sportscaster (d. 2015)
  • 1927 – Herbert Lichtenfeld, German author and screenwriter (d. 2001)
  • 1927 – Ariano Suassuna, Brazilian author and playwright (d. 2014)
  • 1929 – Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, Emir of Kuwait
  • 1930 – Vilmos Zsigmond, Hungarian-American cinematographer and producer (d. 2016)
  • 1934 – Eileen Atkins, English actress and screenwriter
  • 1934 – Roger Neilson, Canadian ice hockey player and coach (d. 2003)
  • 1935 – Jim Dine, American painter and illustrator
  • 1937 – Simeon Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, Bulgarian politician, 48th Prime Minister of Bulgaria
  • 1937 – Erich Segal, American author and screenwriter (d. 2010)
  • 1938 – Thomas Boyd-Carpenter, English general
  • 1938 – Torgny Lindgren, Swedish author and poet (d. 2017)
  • 1938 – Joyce Carol Oates, American novelist, short story writer, critic, and poet
  • 1939 – Billy “Crash” Craddock, American singer-songwriter
  • 1940 – Māris Čaklais, Latvian poet, writer, and journalist (d. 2003)
  • 1940 – Neil Goldschmidt, American lawyer and politician, 33rd Governor of Oregon
  • 1941 – Rosalind Baker, Australian author
  • 1941 – Lamont Dozier, American songwriter and producer
  • 1941 – Tommy Horton, English golfer (d. 2017)
  • 1941 – Mumtaz Hamid Rao, Pakistani journalist (d. 2011)
  • 1942 – Giacomo Agostini, Italian motorcycle racer and manager
  • 1942 – Eddie Levert, American R&B/soul singer-songwriter, musician, and actor
  • 1944 – Henri Richelet, French painter and etcher
  • 1945 – Claire Alexander, Canadian ice hockey player and coach
  • 1945 – Lucienne Robillard, Canadian social worker and politician, 59th Secretary of State for Canada
  • 1946 – Rick Adelman, American basketball player and coach
  • 1946 – John Astor, 3rd Baron Astor of Hever, English businessman and politician
  • 1946 – Karen Dunnell, English statistician and academic
  • 1946 – Tom Harrell, American trumpet player and composer
  • 1946 – Neil MacGregor, Scottish historian and curator
  • 1946 – Iain Matthews, English singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1946 – Jodi Rell, American politician, 87th Governor of Connecticut
  • 1946 – Mark Ritts, American actor, puppeteer, and producer (d. 2009)
  • 1946 – Derek Sanderson, Canadian ice hockey player and sportscaster
  • 1946 – Simon Williams, English actor and playwright
  • 1947 – Tom Malone, American trombonist, composer, and producer
  • 1947 – Buddy Roberts, American wrestler (d. 2012)
  • 1947 – Al Cowlings, American ex-NFL player and close friend of O.J. Simpson and Nicole Brown Simpson
  • 1947 – Tom Wyner, English-American voice actor, director, producer, and screenwriter
  • 1948 – Ron LeFlore, American baseball player and manager
  • 1949 – Paulo Cézar Caju, Brazilian footballer
  • 1949 – Ralph Mann, American hurdler and author
  • 1950 – Mithun Chakraborty, Indian actor and politician
  • 1950 – Michel Clair, Canadian lawyer and politician
  • 1950 – Jerry Petrowski, American politician and farmer
  • 1951 – Charlie Dominici, American singer and guitarist
  • 1951 – Roberto Durán, Panamanian boxer
  • 1952 – George Papandreou, Greek sociologist and politician, 182nd Prime Minister of Greece
  • 1952 – Gino Vannelli, Canadian singer-songwriter
  • 1953 – Valerie Mahaffey, American actress
  • 1953 – Ian Mosley, English drummer
  • 1954 – Matthew Saad Muhammad, American boxer and trainer (d. 2014)
  • 1954 – Garry Roberts, Irish guitarist
  • 1955 – Grete Faremo, Norwegian politician, Norwegian Minister of Defence
  • 1955 – Laurie Metcalf, American actress
  • 1955 – Artemy Troitsky, Russian journalist and critic
  • 1957 – Ian Buchanan, Scottish-American actor
  • 1957 – Leeona Dorrian, Lady Dorrian, Scottish lawyer and judge
  • 1958 – Darrell Griffith, American basketball player
  • 1958 – Ulrike Tauber, German swimmer
  • 1958 – Warren Rodwell, Australian soldier, educator and musician
  • 1959 – The Ultimate Warrior, American wrestler (d. 2014)
  • 1960 – Peter Sterling, Australian rugby league player and sportscaster
  • 1961 – Can Dündar, Turkish journalist and author
  • 1961 – Robbie Kerr, Australian cricketer
  • 1961 – Steve Larmer, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1961 – Margus Metstak, Estonian basketball player and coach
  • 1962 – Wally Joyner, American baseball player and coach
  • 1962 – Arnold Vosloo, South African-American actor
  • 1962 – Anthony Wong, Hong Kong singer
  • 1963 – The Sandman, American wrestler
  • 1964 – Danny Burstein, American actor and singer
  • 1965 – Michael Richard Lynch, Irish computer scientist and entrepreneur; co-founded HP Autonomy
  • 1965 – Richard Madaleno, American politician
  • 1966 – Mark Occhilupo, Australian surfer
  • 1966 – Olivier Roumat, French rugby player
  • 1966 – Phil Vischer, American voice actor, director, producer, and screenwriter, co-created VeggieTales
  • 1966 – Jan Železný, Czech javelin thrower and coach
  • 1967 – Charalambos Andreou, Cypriot footballer
  • 1967 – Jürgen Klopp, German footballer and manager
  • 1968 – Adam Schmitt, American singer-songwriter, musician, and producer
  • 1969 – Shami Chakrabarti, English lawyer and academic
  • 1969 – Mark Crossley, English-Welsh footballer and manager
  • 1970 – Younus AlGohar, Pakistani poet and academic, co-founded Messiah Foundation International
  • 1970 – Clifton Collins Jr., American actor
  • 1970 – Cobi Jones, American soccer player and manager
  • 1970 – Phil Mickelson, American golfer
  • 1971 – Tupac Shakur, American rapper and producer (d. 1996)
  • 1972 – Kiko Loureiro, Brazilian guitarist
  • 1973 – Eddie Cibrian, American actor
  • 1974 – Glenicia James, Saint Lucian cricketer
  • 1975 – Anthony Carter, American basketball player and coach
  • 1977 – Craig Fitzgibbon, Australian rugby league player and coach
  • 1977 – Duncan Hames, English accountant and politician
  • 1977 – Kerry Wood, American baseball player
  • 1978 – Daniel Brühl, Spanish-German actor
  • 1978 – Dainius Zubrus, Lithuanian ice hockey player
  • 1978 – Fish Leong, Malaysian singer
  • 1980 – Brandon Armstrong, American basketball player
  • 1980 – Phil Christophers, German-English rugby player
  • 1980 – Henry Perenara, New Zealand rugby league player and referee
  • 1980 – Martin Stranzl, Austrian footballer
  • 1980 – Joey Yung, Hong Kong singer
  • 1981 – Benjamin Becker, German tennis player
  • 1981 – Kevin Bieksa, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1981 – Alexandre Giroux, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1981 – Ola Kvernberg, Norwegian violinist
  • 1981 – Miguel Villalta, Peruvian footballer
  • 1982 – May Andersen, Danish model and actress
  • 1982 – Missy Peregrym, Canadian model and actress
  • 1983 – Armend Dallku, Albanian footballer
  • 1984 – Rick Nash, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1984 – Dan Ryckert, American writer and entertainer
  • 1984 – Steven Whittaker, Scottish footballer
  • 1986 – Rodrigo Defendi, Brazilian footballer
  • 1986 – Urby Emanuelson, Dutch footballer
  • 1986 – Fernando Muslera, Uruguayan footballer
  • 1987 – Diana DeGarmo, American singer-songwriter and actress
  • 1987 – Per Ciljan Skjelbred, Norwegian footballer
  • 1987 – Christian Tshimanga Kabeya, Belgian footballer
  • 1988 – Keshia Chante, Canadian singer
  • 1988 – Jermaine Gresham, American football player
  • 1990 – John Newman, English musician, singer, songwriter and record producer
  • 1991 – Joe McElderry, English singer-songwriter
  • 1991 – Siya Kolisi, South African rugby player
  • 1991 – Matt Moylan, Australian rugby league player
  • 1992 – Vladimir Morozov, Russian swimmer
  • 1993 – Park Bo-gum, South Korean actor
  • 1993 – Gnash, American singer, songwriter, rapper, DJ and record producer
  • 1994 – Grete-Lilijane Küppas, Estonian footballer
  • 1994 – Rezar, Albanian professional wrestler
  • 1995 – Euan Aitken, Australian rugby league player
  • 1995 – Joseph Schooling, Singaporean swimmer
  • 1995 – Akira Ioane, New Zealand rugby Union player
  • 2000 – Bianca Andreescu, Canadian tennis player

Deaths on June 16

  • 840 – Rorgon I, Frankish nobleman (or 839)
  • 924 – Li Cunshen, general of Later Tang (b. 862)
  • 956 – Hugh the Great, Frankish nobleman (b. 898)
  • 1185 – Richeza of Poland, queen of León (b. c. 1140)
  • 1286 – Hugh de Balsham, English bishop
  • 1332 – Adam de Brome, founder of Oriel College, Oxford
  • 1361 – Johannes Tauler, German mystic theologian
  • 1397 – Philip of Artois, Count of Eu, French soldier (b. 1358)
  • 1424 – Johannes Ambundii, archbishop of Riga
  • 1468 – Jean Le Fèvre de Saint-Remy, Burgundian historian and author (b. 1395)
  • 1487 – John de la Pole, 1st Earl of Lincoln (b. c. 1463)
  • 1540 – Konrad von Thüngen, German nobleman (b. c. 1466)
  • 1622 – Alexander Seton, 1st Earl of Dunfermline, Scottish lawyer, judge, and politician, Lord Chancellor of Scotland (b. 1555)
  • 1626 – Christian, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg-Wolfenbüttel, German Protestant military leader (b. 1599)
  • 1666 – Sir Richard Fanshawe, 1st Baronet, English poet and diplomat, English Ambassador to Spain (b. 1608)
  • 1722 – John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough, English general and politician, Lord Lieutenant of Oxfordshire (b. 1650)
  • 1743 – Louise-Françoise de Bourbon, eldest daughter of King Louis XIV of France (b. 1673)
  • 1752 – Joseph Butler, English bishop and philosopher (b. 1692)
  • 1762 – Anne Russell, Countess of Jersey (formerly Duchess of Bedford) (b. c.1705)
  • 1777 – Jean-Baptiste-Louis Gresset, French poet and playwright (b. 1709)
  • 1779 – Sir Francis Bernard, 1st Baronet, English lawyer and politician, Governor of the Province of Massachusetts Bay (b. 1712)
  • 1804 – Johann Adam Hiller, German composer and conductor (b. 1728)
  • 1824 – Charles-François Lebrun, duc de Plaisance, French lawyer and politician (b. 1739)
  • 1849 – Wilhelm Martin Leberecht de Wette, German theologian and scholar (b. 1780)
  • 1850 – William Lawson, English-Australian explorer and politician (b. 1774)
  • 1858 – John Snow, English epidemiologist and physician (b. 1813)
  • 1862 – Hidenoyama Raigorō, Japanese sumo wrestler, the 9th Yokozuna (b. 1808)
  • 1869 – Charles Sturt, Indian-English botanist and explorer (b. 1795)
  • 1872 – Norman MacLeod, Scottish minister and author (b. 1812)
  • 1878 – Crawford Long, American surgeon and pharmacist (b. 1815)
  • 1878 – Kikuchi Yōsai, Japanese painter (b. 1781)
  • 1881 – Josiah Mason, English businessman and philanthropist (b. 1795)
  • 1885 – Wilhelm Camphausen, German painter and academic (b. 1818)
  • 1886 – Alexander Stuart, Scottish-Australian politician, 9th Premier of New South Wales (b. 1824)
  • 1902 – Ernst Schröder, German mathematician and academic (b. 1841)
  • 1918 – Bazil Assan, Romanian engineer and explorer (b. 1860)
  • 1925 – Chittaranjan Das, Indian lawyer and politician (b. 1870)
  • 1929 – Bramwell Booth, English 2nd General of The Salvation Army (b. 1856)
  • 1929 – Vernon Louis Parrington, American historian and scholar (b. 1871)
  • 1930 – Ezra Fitch, American lawyer and businessman, co-founded Abercrombie & Fitch (b. 1866)
  • 1930 – Elmer Ambrose Sperry, American inventor, co-invented the gyrocompass (b. 1860)
  • 1939 – Chick Webb, American drummer and bandleader (b. 1905)
  • 1940 – DuBose Heyward, American author (b. 1885)
  • 1944 – Marc Bloch, French historian and academic (b. 1886)
  • 1945 – Aris Velouchiotis, Greek general (b. 1905)
  • 1946 – Gordon Brewster, Irish cartoonist (b 1889)
  • 1952 – Andrew Lawson, Scottish-American geologist and academic (b. 1861)
  • 1953 – Margaret Bondfield, English politician, Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (b. 1873)
  • 1955 – Ozias Leduc, Canadian painter (b. 1864)
  • 1958 – Pál Maléter, Hungarian general and politician, Minister of Defence of Hungary (b. 1917)
  • 1958 – Imre Nagy, Hungarian politician, 3rd Prime Minister of Hungary (b. 1895)
  • 1959 – George Reeves, American actor and director (b. 1914)
  • 1961 – Marcel Junod, Swiss physician and anesthesiologist (b. 1904)
  • 1967 – Reginald Denny, English actor (b. 1891)
  • 1969 – Harold Alexander, 1st Earl Alexander of Tunis, English field marshal and politician, 17th Governor General of Canada (b. 1891)
  • 1970 – Sydney Chapman, English mathematician and geophysicist (b. 1888)
  • 1970 – Brian Piccolo, American football player (b. 1943)
  • 1971 – John Reith, 1st Baron Reith, Scottish broadcaster, co-founded BBC (b. 1889)
  • 1974 – Amalie Sara Colquhoun, Australian landscape and portrait painter (b. 1894)
  • 1977 – Wernher von Braun, German-American physicist and engineer (b. 1912)
  • 1979 – Ignatius Kutu Acheampong, Ghanaian general and politician, 6th Head of state of Ghana (b. 1931)
  • 1979 – Nicholas Ray, American actor, director, and screenwriter (b. 1911)
  • 1981 – Thomas Playford IV, Australian politician, 33rd Premier of South Australia (b. 1896)
  • 1982 – James Honeyman-Scott, English guitarist and songwriter (b. 1956)
  • 1984 – Lew Andreas, American football player and coach (b. 1895)
  • 1984 – Erni Krusten, Estonian author and poet (b. 1900)
  • 1986 – Maurice Duruflé, French organist and composer (b. 1902)
  • 1987 – Marguerite de Angeli, American author and illustrator (b. 1889)
  • 1988 – Miguel Piñero, Puerto Rican-American actor and playwright (b. 1946)
  • 1993 – Lindsay Hassett, Australian cricketer and soldier (b. 1913)
  • 1994 – Kristen Pfaff, American bass player and songwriter (b. 1967)
  • 1996 – Mel Allen, American sportscaster and game show host (b. 1913)
  • 1997 – Dal Stivens, Australian soldier and author (b. 1911)
  • 1998 – Fred Wacker, American race car driver and engineer (b. 1918)
  • 1999 – Screaming Lord Sutch, English singer and activist (b. 1940)
  • 2003 – Pierre Bourgault, Canadian journalist and politician (b. 1934)
  • 2003 – Georg Henrik von Wright, Finnish–Swedish philosopher and author (b. 1916)
  • 2004 – Thanom Kittikachorn, Thai field marshal and politician, 10th Prime Minister of Thailand (b. 1911)
  • 2004 – Jacques Miquelon, Canadian lawyer and judge (b. 1911)
  • 2005 – Enrique Laguerre, Puerto Rican-American author and critic (b. 1906)
  • 2008 – Mario Rigoni Stern, Italian soldier and author (b. 1921)
  • 2010 – Marc Bazin, Haitian lawyer and politician, 49th President of Haiti (b. 1932)
  • 2010 – Maureen Forrester, Canadian singer and academic (b. 1930)
  • 2010 – Ronald Neame, English director, producer, cinematographer, and screenwriter (b. 1911)
  • 2011 – Östen Mäkitalo, Swedish engineer and academic (b. 1938)
  • 2012 – Nils Karlsson, Swedish skier (b. 1917)
  • 2012 – Jorge Lankenau, Mexican banker and businessman (b. 1944)
  • 2012 – Sławomir Petelicki, Polish general (b. 1946)
  • 2012 – Susan Tyrrell, American actress (b. 1945)
  • 2013 – Sam Farber, American businessman, co-founded OXO (b. 1924)
  • 2013 – Hans Hass, Austrian biologist and diver (b. 1919)
  • 2013 – Khondakar Ashraf Hossain, Bangladesh poet and academic (b. 1950)
  • 2013 – Norman Ian MacKenzie, English journalist and author (b. 1921)
  • 2013 – Ottmar Walter, German footballer (b. 1924)
  • 2014 – Tony Gwynn, American baseball player and coach (b. 1960)
  • 2014 – Cándido Muatetema Rivas (b. 1960), Equatoguinean politician and diplomat, Prime Minister of Equatorial Guinea
  • 2015 – Charles Correa, Indian architect and urban planner (b. 1930)
  • 2015 – Jean Vautrin, French director, screenwriter, and critic (b. 1933)
  • 2016 – Jo Cox, English political activist and MP (b. 1974)
  • 2017 – Helmut Kohl, German politician, 6th Chancellor of Germany (b. 1930)
  • 2020 – Eduardo Cojuangco Jr. (b. 1935), Filipino businessman and politician

Holidays and observances on June 16

  • Juneteenth (United States)
  • Birthday of Leonard P. Howell (Rastafari)
  • Bloomsday (Dublin, Ireland)
  • Christian feast days:
    • Aurelianus of Arles
    • Aureus of Mainz (and his sister Justina)
    • Benno
    • Cettin of Oran
    • Curig of Llanbadarn
    • Ferreolus and Ferrutio
    • George Berkeley and Joseph Butler (Episcopal Church)
    • Lutgardis
    • Quriaqos and Julietta
    • June 16 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
  • Engineer’s Day (Argentina)
  • Father’s Day (Seychelles)
  • International Day of the African Child (Organisation of African Unity)
  • Martyrdom of Guru Arjan Dev (Sikhism)
  • Sussex Day (Sussex)
  • Youth Day (South Africa)

June 16 – History, Events, Births, Deaths Holidays and Observances On This Day Read More »

On This Day

May 25 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day

On This Day /
  • 567 BC – Servius Tullius, the king of Rome, celebrates a triumph for his victory over the Etruscans.
  • 240 BC – First recorded perihelion passage of Halley’s Comet.
  • 1085 – Alfonso VI of Castile takes Toledo, Spain, back from the Moors.
  • 1420 – Henry the Navigator is appointed governor of the Order of Christ.
  • 1521 – The Diet of Worms ends when Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor, issues the Edict of Worms, declaring Martin Luther an outlaw.
  • 1644 – Ming general Wu Sangui forms an alliance with the invading Manchus and opens the gates of the Great Wall of China at Shanhaiguan pass, letting the Manchus through towards the capital Beijing.
  • 1659 – Richard Cromwell resigns as Lord Protector of England following the restoration of the Long Parliament, beginning a second brief period of the republican government called the Commonwealth of England.
  • 1660 – Charles II lands at Dover at the invitation of the Convention Parliament, which marks the end of the Cromwell-proclaimed Commonwealth of England, Scotland and Ireland and begins the Restoration of the British monarchy.
  • 1738 – A treaty between Pennsylvania and Maryland ends the Conojocular War with settlement of a boundary dispute and exchange of prisoners.
  • 1787 – After a delay of 11 days, the United States Constitutional Convention formally convenes in Philadelphia after a quorum of seven states is secured.
  • 1798 – United Irishmen Rebellion: Battle of Carlow begins; executions of suspected rebels at Carnew and at Dunlavin Green take place.
  • 1809 – Chuquisaca Revolution: Patriot revolt in Chuquisaca (modern-day Sucre) against the Spanish Empire, sparking the Latin American wars of independence.
  • 1810 – May Revolution: Citizens of Buenos Aires expel Viceroy Baltasar Hidalgo de Cisneros during the “May Week”, starting the Argentine War of Independence.
  • 1819 – The Argentine Constitution of 1819 is promulgated.
  • 1833 – The Chilean Constitution of 1833 is promulgated.
  • 1865 – In Mobile, Alabama, around 300 people are killed when an ordnance depot explodes.
  • 1878 – Gilbert and Sullivan’s comic opera H.M.S. Pinafore opens at the Opera Comique in London.
  • 1895 – Playwright, poet and novelist Oscar Wilde is convicted of “committing acts of gross indecency with other male persons” and sentenced to serve two years in prison.
  • 1895 – The Republic of Formosa is formed, with Tang Jingsong as its president.
  • 1914 – The House of Commons of the United Kingdom passes the Home Rule Bill for devolution in Ireland.
  • 1925 – Scopes Trial: John T. Scopes is indicted for teaching human evolution in Tennessee.
  • 1926 – Sholom Schwartzbard assassinates Symon Petliura, the head of the government of the Ukrainian People’s Republic, which is in government-in-exile in Paris.
  • 1935 – Jesse Owens of Ohio State University breaks three world records and ties a fourth at the Big Ten Conference Track and Field Championships in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
  • 1938 – Spanish Civil War: The bombing of Alicante kills 313 people.
  • 1940 – World War II: The German 2nd Panzer Division captures the port of Boulogne-sur-Mer; the surrender of the last French and British troops marks the end of the Battle of Boulogne.
  • 1946 – The parliament of Transjordan makes Abdullah I of Jordan their Emir.
  • 1953 – Nuclear weapons testing: At the Nevada Test Site, the United States conducts its first and only nuclear artillery test.
  • 1953 – The first public television station in the United States officially begins broadcasting as KUHT from the campus of the University of Houston.
  • 1955 – In the United States, a night-time F5 tornado strikes the small city of Udall, Kansas, killing 80 and injuring 273. It is the deadliest tornado to ever occur in the state and the 23rd deadliest in the U.S.
  • 1955 – First ascent of Mount Kangchenjunga: A British expedition led by Charles Evans, Joe Brown and George Band reaches the summit of the third-highest mountain in the world (8,586 meters); Norman Hardie and Tony Streather join them the following day.
  • 1961 – Apollo program: U.S. President John F. Kennedy announces, before a special joint session of the U.S. Congress, his goal to initiate a project to put a “man on the Moon” before the end of the decade.
  • 1963 – The Organisation of African Unity is established in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
  • 1966 – Explorer program: Explorer 32 launches.
  • 1968 – The Gateway Arch in St. Louis, Missouri, is dedicated.
  • 1973 – In protest against the dictatorship in Greece, the captain and crew on Greek naval destroyer Velos mutiny and refuse to return to Greece, instead anchoring at Fiumicino, Italy.
  • 1977 – Star Wars (retroactively titled Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope) is released in theaters.
  • 1977 – The Chinese government removes a decade-old ban on William Shakespeare’s work, effectively ending the Cultural Revolution started in 1966.
  • 1978 – The first of a series of bombings orchestrated by the Unabomber detonates at Northwestern University resulting in minor injuries.
  • 1979 – John Spenkelink, a convicted murderer, is executed in Florida; he is the first person to be executed in the state after the reintroduction of capital punishment in 1976.
  • 1979 – American Airlines Flight 191: A McDonnell Douglas DC-10 crashes during takeoff at O’Hare International Airport, Chicago, killing all 271 on board and two people on the ground.
  • 1981 – In Riyadh, the Gulf Cooperation Council is created between Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
  • 1982 – Falklands War: HMS Coventry is sunk by Argentine Air Force A-4 Skyhawks.
  • 1985 – Bangladesh is hit by a tropical cyclone and storm surge, which kills approximately 10,000 people.
  • 1986 – The Hands Across America event takes place.
  • 1997 – A military coup in Sierra Leone replaces President Ahmad Tejan Kabbah with Major Johnny Paul Koroma.
  • 1999 – The United States House of Representatives releases the Cox Report which details the People’s Republic of China’s nuclear espionage against the U.S. over the prior two decades.
  • 2000 – Liberation Day of Lebanon: Israel withdraws its army from Lebanese territory (with the exception of the disputed Shebaa farms zone) 18 years after the invasion of 1982.
  • 2001 – Erik Weihenmayer becomes the first blind person to reach the summit of Mount Everest, in the Himalayas, with Dr. Sherman Bull.
  • 2002 – China Airlines Flight 611 disintegrates in mid-air and crashes into the Taiwan Strait, with the loss of all 225 people on board.
  • 2008 – NASA’s Phoenix lander touches down in the Green Valley region of Mars to search for environments suitable for water and microbial life.
  • 2009 – North Korea allegedly tests its second nuclear device, after which Pyongyang also conducts several missile tests, building tensions in the international community.
  • 2011 – Oprah Winfrey airs her last show, ending her 25-year run of The Oprah Winfrey Show.
  • 2012 – The SpaceX Dragon becomes the first commercial spacecraft to successfully rendezvous and berth with the International Space Station.
  • 2013 – Suspected Maoist rebels kill at least 28 people and injure 32 others in an attack on a convoy of Indian National Congress politicians in Chhattisgarh, India.
  • 2013 – A gas cylinder explodes on a school bus in the Pakistani city of Gujrat, killing at least 18 people.
  • 2018 – The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) becomes enforceable in the European Union.
  • 2018 – Ireland votes to repeal the Eighth Amendment of their constitution that prohibits abortion in all but a few cases, choosing to replace it with the Thirty-sixth Amendment of the Constitution of Ireland.
  • 2020 – George Floyd, a black man, is killed in Minneapolis, Minnesota, during an arrest when he is restrained in a prone position face-down on the ground for several minutes, provoking protests across the United States and elsewhere around the world.

Births on May 25

  • 1048 – Emperor Shenzong of Song (d. 1085)
  • 1320 – Toghon Temür, Mongolian emperor (d. 1370)
  • 1334 – Emperor Sukō of Japan (d. 1398)
  • 1416 – Jakobus (“James”), Count of Lichtenburg (d. 1480)
  • 1417 – Catherine of Cleves, Duchess consort regent of Guelders (d. 1479)
  • 1550 – Camillus de Lellis, Italian saint and nurse (d. 1614)
  • 1606 – Charles Garnier, French missionary and saint (d. 1649)
  • 1661 – Claude Buffier, Polish-French historian and philosopher (d. 1737)
  • 1713 – John Stuart, 3rd Earl of Bute, Scottish politician, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (d. 1792)
  • 1725 – Samuel Ward, American politician, 31st Governor of the Colony of Rhode Island (d. 1776)
  • 1783 – Philip Pendleton Barbour, American farmer and politician, 12th Speaker of the United States House of Representatives (d. 1841)
  • 1791 – Minh Mạng, Vietnamese emperor (d. 1841)
  • 1803 – Edward Bulwer-Lytton, English author, playwright, and politician, Secretary of State for the Colonies (d. 1873)
  • 1803 – Ralph Waldo Emerson, American poet and philosopher (d. 1882)
  • 1818 – Jacob Burckhardt, Swiss historian and academic (d. 1897)
  • 1818 – Louise de Broglie, Countess d’Haussonville, French essayist and biographer (d. 1882)
  • 1830 – Trebor Mai (né Robert Williams), Welsh poet (d. 1877)
  • 1846 – Naim Frashëri, Albanian-Turkish poet and translator (d. 1900)
  • 1848 – Johann Baptist Singenberger, Swiss composer, educator, and publisher (d. 1924)
  • 1852 – William Muldoon, American wrestler and trainer (d. 1933)
  • 1856 – Louis Franchet d’Espèrey, Algerian-French general (d. 1942)
  • 1860 – James McKeen Cattell, American psychologist and academic (d. 1944)
  • 1865 – John Mott, American evangelist and saint, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1955)
  • 1865 – Pieter Zeeman, Dutch physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1943)
  • 1867 – Anders Peter Nielsen, Danish target shooter (d. 1950)
  • 1869 – Robbie Ross, Canadian journalist and art critic (d. 1918)
  • 1869 – Mathilde Verne, English pianist and educator (d. 1936)
  • 1878 – Bill Robinson, American actor and dancer (d. 1949)
  • 1879 – Max Aitken, Lord Beaverbrook, Canadian-English businessman and politician, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (d. 1964)
  • 1879 – William Stickney, American golfer (d. 1944)
  • 1880 – Jean Alexandre Barré, French neurologist and academic (d. 1967)
  • 1882 – Marie Doro, American actress (d. 1956)
  • 1883 – Carl Johan Lind, Swedish hammer thrower (d. 1965)
  • 1886 – Rash Behari Bose, Indian soldier and activist (d. 1945)
  • 1886 – Philip Murray, Scottish-American miner and labor leader (d. 1952)
  • 1887 – Padre Pio, Italian priest and saint (d. 1968)
  • 1888 – Miles Malleson, English actor and screenwriter (d. 1969)
  • 1889 – Günther Lütjens, German admiral (d. 1941)
  • 1889 – Igor Sikorsky, Russian-American aircraft designer, founded Sikorsky Aircraft (d. 1972)
  • 1893 – Ernest “Pop” Stoneman, American country musician (d. 1968)
  • 1897 – Alan Kippax, Australian cricketer (d. 1972)
  • 1897 – Gene Tunney, American boxer and soldier (d. 1978)
  • 1898 – Bennett Cerf, American publisher and television game show panelist; co-founded Random House (d. 1971)
  • 1899 – Kazi Nazrul Islam, Bengali poet, author, and flute player (d. 1976)
  • 1900 – Alain Grandbois, Canadian poet and author (d. 1975)
  • 1907 – U Nu, Burmese politician, 1st Prime Minister of Burma (d. 1995)
  • 1908 – Theodore Roethke, American poet (d. 1963)
  • 1909 – Alfred Kubel, German politician, 5th Prime Minister of Lower Saxony (d. 1999)
  • 1912 – Dean Rockwell, American commander, wrestler, and coach (d. 2005)
  • 1913 – Heinrich Bär, German colonel and pilot (d. 1957)
  • 1913 – Richard Dimbleby, English journalist and producer (d. 1965)
  • 1916 – Brian Dickson, Canadian captain, lawyer, and politician, 15th Chief Justice of Canada (d. 1998)
  • 1916 – Giuseppe Tosi, Italian discus thrower (d. 1981)
  • 1917 – Steve Cochran, American film, television and stage actor (d. 1965)
  • 1917 – Theodore Hesburgh, American priest, theologian, and academic (d. 2015)
  • 1920 – Arthur Wint, Jamaican runner and diplomat (d. 1992)
  • 1921 – Hal David, American songwriter and composer (d. 2012)
  • 1921 – Kitty Kallen, American singer (d. 2016)
  • 1921 – Jack Steinberger, German-Swiss physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate
  • 1922 – Enrico Berlinguer, Italian politician (d. 1984)
  • 1924 – István Nyers, French-Hungarian footballer (d. 2005)
  • 1925 – Rosario Castellanos, Mexican poet and author (d. 1974)
  • 1925 – Jeanne Crain, American actress (d. 2003)
  • 1925 – Eldon Griffiths, English journalist and politician (d. 2014)
  • 1925 – Don Liddle, American baseball player (d. 2000)
  • 1925 – Claude Pinoteau, French film director and screenwriter (d. 2012)
  • 1926 – Claude Akins, American actor (d. 1994)
  • 1926 – William Bowyer, English painter and academic (d. 2015)
  • 1926 – Phyllis Gotlieb, Canadian author and poet (d. 2009)
  • 1926 – Bill Sharman, American basketball player and coach (d. 2013)
  • 1926 – David Wynne, English sculptor and painter (d. 2014)
  • 1927 – Robert Ludlum, American soldier and author (d. 2001)
  • 1927 – Norman Petty, American singer-songwriter, pianist, and producer (d. 1984)
  • 1929 – Beverly Sills, American soprano and actress (d. 2007)
  • 1930 – Sonia Rykiel, French fashion designer (d. 2016)
  • 1931 – Herb Gray, Canadian lawyer and politician, 7th Deputy Prime Minister of Canada (d. 2014)
  • 1931 – Georgy Grechko, Russian engineer and astronaut (d. 2017)
  • 1931 – Irwin Winkler, American director and producer
  • 1932 – John Gregory Dunne, American novelist, screenwriter, and critic (d. 2003)
  • 1932 – K. C. Jones, American basketball player and coach
  • 1933 – Sarah Marshall, English-American actress (d. 2014)
  • 1933 – Basdeo Panday, Trinidadian lawyer and politician, 5th Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago
  • 1933 – Ray Spencer, English footballer (d. 2016)
  • 1933 – Jógvan Sundstein, Faroese accountant and politician, 7th Prime Minister of the Faroe Islands
  • 1935 – John Ffowcs Williams, Welsh engineer and academic
  • 1935 – Cookie Gilchrist, American football player (d. 2011)
  • 1935 – W. P. Kinsella, Canadian novelist and short story writer (d. 2016)
  • 1935 – Victoria Shaw, Australian-born American actress (d. 1988)
  • 1936 – Tom T. Hall, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1936 – Rusi Surti, Indian cricketer (d. 2013)
  • 1937 – Tom Phillips, English painter and academic
  • 1938 – Raymond Carver, American short story writer and poet (d. 1988)
  • 1938 – Margaret Forster, English historian, author, and critic (d. 2016)
  • 1938 – Geoffrey Robinson, English businessman and politician
  • 1939 – Dixie Carter, American actress and singer (d. 2010)
  • 1939 – Ian McKellen, English actor
  • 1940 – Nobuyoshi Araki, Japanese photographer
  • 1941 – Rudolf Adler, Czech filmmaker:88
  • 1941 – Uta Frith, German developmental psychologist
  • 1941 – Vladimir Voronin, Moldovan economist and politician, 3rd President of Moldova
  • 1943 – Jessi Colter, American singer-songwriter and pianist
  • 1943 – John Palmer, English keyboard player
  • 1943 – Leslie Uggams, American actress and singer
  • 1944 – Digby Anderson, English journalist and philosopher
  • 1944 – Pierre Bachelet, French singer-songwriter (d. 2005)
  • 1944 – Charlie Harper, English singer-songwriter and producer
  • 1944 – Robert MacPherson, American mathematician and academic
  • 1944 – Frank Oz, English-born American puppeteer, filmmaker, and actor
  • 1944 – Chris Ralston, English rugby player
  • 1946 – Bill Adam, Scottish-Canadian racing driver
  • 1946 – David A. Hargrave, American game designer, created Arduin (d. 1988)
  • 1947 – Karen Valentine, American actress
  • 1947 – Catherine G. Wolf, American psychologist and computer scientist
  • 1948 – Bülent Arınç, Turkish lawyer and politician, Deputy Prime Minister of Turkey
  • 1948 – Marianne Elliott, Northern Irish historian, author, and academic
  • 1948 – Klaus Meine, German rock singer-songwriter
  • 1949 – Jamaica Kincaid, Antiguan-American novelist, short story writer, and essayist
  • 1949 – Barry Windsor-Smith, English painter and illustrator
  • 1950 – Robby Steinhardt, American rock violinist and singer
  • 1951 – Bob Gale, American director, producer, and screenwriter
  • 1952 – Jeffrey Bewkes, American businessman
  • 1952 – Nick Fotiu, American ice hockey player and coach
  • 1952 – David Jenkins, Trinidadian-Scottish runner
  • 1952 – Al Sarrantonio, American author and publisher
  • 1952 – Gordon H. Smith, American businessman and politician
  • 1953 – Eve Ensler, American playwright and producer
  • 1953 – Daniel Passarella, Argentinian footballer, coach, and manager
  • 1953 – Stan Sakai, Japanese-American author and illustrator
  • 1953 – Gaetano Scirea, Italian footballer (d. 1989)
  • 1954 – John Beck, English footballer, midfielder and manager
  • 1954 – Murali, Indian actor, producer, and politician (d. 2009)
  • 1955 – Alistair Burt, English lawyer and politician
  • 1956 – Stavros Arnaoutakis, Greek politician
  • 1956 – Larry Hogan, American politician, 62nd Governor of Maryland
  • 1956 – David P. Sartor, American composer and conductor
  • 1957 – Alastair Campbell, English journalist and author
  • 1957 – Edward Lee, American author
  • 1957 – Robert Picard, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1958 – Dorothy Straight, American children’s author
  • 1958 – Paul Weller, English singer, songwriter and musician
  • 1959 – Julian Clary, English comedian, actor, and author
  • 1959 – Manolis Kefalogiannis, Greek politician
  • 1959 – Rick Wamsley, Canadian ice hockey player and coach
  • 1960 – Amy Klobuchar, American lawyer and politician
  • 1960 – Anthea Turner, English journalist and television host
  • 1962 – Ric Nattress, Canadian ice hockey player, coach, and manager
  • 1963 – George Hickenlooper, American director and producer (d. 2010)
  • 1963 – Mike Myers, Canadian-American actor, singer, producer, and screenwriter
  • 1963 – Ludovic Orban, Romanian engineer, and politician, 68th Prime Minister of Romania
  • 1964 – David Shaw, Canadian-American ice hockey player
  • 1965 – Yahya Jammeh, Gambian colonel and politician, President of the Gambia
  • 1967 – Luc Nilis, Belgian footballer and manager
  • 1967 – Mark Rosewater, Head designer of Magic: the Gathering
  • 1968 – Kendall Gill, American basketball player, boxer, and sportscaster
  • 1969 – Glen Drover, Canadian guitarist and songwriter
  • 1969 – Anne Heche, American actress
  • 1969 – Karen Bernstein, Canadian voice actress
  • 1969 – Stacy London, American journalist and author
  • 1970 – Robert Croft, Welsh-English cricketer and sportscaster
  • 1970 – Jamie Kennedy, American actor, producer, and screenwriter
  • 1971 – Stefano Baldini, Italian runner
  • 1971 – Marco Cappato, Italian politician
  • 1972 – Karan Johar, Indian actor, director, producer, and screenwriter
  • 1972 – Octavia Spencer, American actress and author
  • 1973 – Daz Dillinger, American rapper and producer
  • 1973 – Molly Sims, American model and actress
  • 1974 – Dougie Freedman, Scottish footballer and manager
  • 1974 – Frank Klepacki, American drummer and composer
  • 1974 – Miguel Tejada, Dominican-American baseball player
  • 1975 – Blaise Nkufo, Congolese-Swiss footballer
  • 1976 – Stefan Holm, Swedish high jumper
  • 1976 – Erki Pütsep, Estonian cyclist
  • 1976 – Ethan Suplee, American actor
  • 1976 – Cillian Murphy, Irish actor
  • 1976 – Miguel Zepeda, Mexican footballer
  • 1977 – Andre Anis, Estonian footballer
  • 1977 – Alberto Del Rio, Mexican-American mixed martial artist and wrestler
  • 1978 – Adam Gontier, Canadian singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1978 – Brian Urlacher, American football player
  • 1979 – Carlos Bocanegra, American international soccer player, defender and Sports Executive
  • 1979 – Sayed Moawad, Egyptian footballer
  • 1979 – Caroline Ouellette, Canadian ice hockey player and coach
  • 1979 – Sam Sodje, English-Nigerian footballer
  • 1979 – Jonny Wilkinson, English rugby player
  • 1979 – Chris Young, American baseball pitcher
  • 1980 – David Navarro, Spanish footballer
  • 1981 – Michalis Pelekanos, Greek basketball player
  • 1981 – Matt Utai, New Zealand rugby league player
  • 1982 – Adam Boyd, English footballer
  • 1982 – Daniel Braaten, Norwegian footballer
  • 1982 – Ryan Gallant, American skateboarder
  • 1982 – Roger Guerreiro, Polish footballer
  • 1982 – Justin Hodges, Australian rugby league player
  • 1982 – Ezekiel Kemboi, Kenyan runner
  • 1982 – Jason Kubel, American baseball player
  • 1982 – Stacey Pensgen, American figure skater and meteorologist
  • 1982 – Luke Webster, Australian footballer
  • 1984 – Luke Ball, Australian footballer
  • 1984 – Kyle Brodziak, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1984 – A. J. Foyt IV, American race car driver
  • 1984 – Shawne Merriman, American football player
  • 1985 – Luciana Abreu, Portuguese singer and actress
  • 1985 – Demba Ba, French footballer
  • 1985 – Gert Kams, Estonian footballer
  • 1985 – Roman Reigns, American football player and wrestler
  • 1986 – Edewin Fanini, Brazilian footballer
  • 1986 – Yoan Gouffran, French footballer
  • 1986 – Takahiro Hōjō, Japanese actor and musician
  • 1986 – Geraint Thomas, Welsh cyclist
  • 1987 – Timothy Derijck, Belgian footballer
  • 1987 – Yves De Winter, Belgian footballer
  • 1987 – Moritz Stehling, German footballer
  • 1987 – Kamil Stoch, Polish ski jumper
  • 1988 – Dávid Škutka, Slovak footballer
  • 1988 – Cameron van der Burgh, South African swimmer
  • 1990 – Bo Dallas, American wrestler
  • 1990 – Nikita Filatov, Russian ice hockey player
  • 1993 – James Porter, English cricketer
  • 1994 – Matt Murray, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1994 – Aly Raisman, American gymnast
  • 1995 – Kagiso Rabada, South African cricketer
  • 1996 – David Pastrňák, Czech ice hockey player

Deaths on May 25

  • 675 – Li Hong, Chinese prince (b. 652)
  • 709 – Aldhelm, English-Latin bishop, poet, and scholar (b. 639)
  • 803 – Higbald of Lindisfarne, English bishop
  • 912 – Xue Yiju, chancellor of Later Liang
  • 916 – Flann Sinna, king of Meath
  • 939 – Yao Yanzhang, general of Chu
  • 986 – Abd al-Rahman al-Sufi, Muslim astronomer (b. 903)
  • 992 – Mieszko I of Poland (b. 935)
  • 1085 – Pope Gregory VII (b. 1020)
  • 1261 – Pope Alexander IV (b. 1185)
  • 1452 – John Stafford, English archbishop and politician
  • 1555 – Gemma Frisius, Dutch physician, mathematician, and cartographer (b. 1508)
  • 1555 – Henry II of Navarre (b. 1503)
  • 1595 – Valens Acidalius, German poet and critic (b. 1567)
  • 1595 – Philip Neri, Italian priest and saint (b. 1515)
  • 1607 – Mary Magdalene de’ Pazzi, Italian Carmelite nun and mystic (b. 1566)
  • 1632 – Adam Tanner, Austrian mathematician and philosopher (b. 1572)
  • 1667 – Gustaf Bonde, Finnish-Swedish politician, 5th Lord High Treasurer of Sweden (b. 1620)
  • 1681 – Pedro Calderón de la Barca, Spanish poet and playwright (b. 1600)
  • 1741 – Daniel Ernst Jablonski, German bishop and theologian (b. 1660)
  • 1786 – Peter III of Portugal (b. 1717)
  • 1789 – Anders Dahl, Swedish botanist and physician (b. 1751)
  • 1797 – John Griffin, 4th Baron Howard de Walden, English field marshal and politician, Lord Lieutenant of Essex (b. 1719)
  • 1805 – William Paley, English priest and philosopher (b. 1743)
  • 1849 – Benjamin D’Urban, English general and politician, Governor of British Guiana (b. 1777)
  • 1895 – Ahmed Cevdet Pasha, Ottoman sociologist, historian, and jurist (b. 1822)
  • 1899 – Rosa Bonheur, French painter and sculptor (b. 1822)
  • 1912 – Austin Lane Crothers, American educator and politician, 46th Governor of Maryland (b. 1860)
  • 1917 – Maksim Bahdanovič, Belarusian poet and critic (b. 1891)
  • 1919 – Eliza Pollock, American archer (b. 1840)
  • 1919 – Madam C. J. Walker, American businesswoman and philanthropist, founded the Madame C.J. Walker Manufacturing Company (b. 1867)
  • 1924 – Lyubov Popova, Russian painter and illustrator (b. 1889)
  • 1926 – Symon Petliura, Ukrainian journalist and politician (b. 1879)
  • 1927 – Payne Whitney, American businessman and philanthropist (b. 1876)
  • 1930 – Randall Davidson, Scottish-English archbishop (b. 1848)
  • 1934 – Gustav Holst, English trombonist, composer, and educator (b. 1874)
  • 1937 – Henry Ossawa Tanner, American-French painter and illustrator (b. 1859)
  • 1939 – Frank Watson Dyson, English astronomer and academic (b. 1868)
  • 1942 – Emanuel Feuermann, Ukrainian-American cellist and educator (b. 1902)
  • 1943 – Nils von Dardel, Swedish painter (b. 1888)
  • 1948 – Witold Pilecki, Polish officer and Resistance leader (b. 1901)
  • 1951 – Paula von Preradović, Croatian poet and author (b. 1887)
  • 1954 – Robert Capa, Hungarian photographer and journalist (b. 1913)
  • 1957 – Leo Goodwin, American swimmer, diver, and water polo player (b. 1883)
  • 1968 – Georg von Küchler, German field marshal (b. 1881)
  • 1970 – Tom Patey, Scottish mountaineer and author (b. 1932)
  • 1977 – Yevgenia Ginzburg, Russian author (b. 1904)
  • 1979 – Itzhak Bentov, Czech-Israeli engineer, mystic, and author (b. 1923)
  • 1979 – Amédée Gordini, Italian-born French racing driver and sports car manufacturer (b. 1899)
  • 1981 – Ruby Payne-Scott, Australian physicist and astronomer (b. 1912)
  • 1981 – Fredric Warburg, English author and publisher (b. 1898)
  • 1983 – Necip Fazıl Kısakürek, Turkish author, poet, and playwright (b. 1904)
  • 1983 – Idris of Libya (b. 1889)
  • 1983 – Jack Stewart, Canadian-American ice hockey player (b. 1917)
  • 1986 – Chester Bowles, American journalist and politician, 22nd Under Secretary of State (b. 1901)
  • 1990 – Vic Tayback, American actor (b. 1930)
  • 1995 – Élie Bayol, French racing driver (b. 1914)
  • 1995 – Krešimir Ćosić, Croatian basketball player and coach, Naismith Basketball Hall of Famer 1996 (b. 1948)
  • 1995 – Dany Robin, French actress (b. 1927)
  • 1996 – Renzo De Felice, Italian historian and author (b. 1929)
  • 2003 – Sloan Wilson, American author and poet (b. 1920)
  • 2004 – Roger Williams Straus, Jr., American publisher, co-founded Farrar, Straus and Giroux Publishing Company (b. 1917)
  • 2005 – Sunil Dutt, Indian actor, director, producer, and politician (b. 1929)
  • 2005 – Robert Jankel, English businessman, founded Panther Westwinds (b. 1938)
  • 2005 – Graham Kennedy, Australian television host and actor (b. 1934)
  • 2005 – Ismail Merchant, Indian-born film producer and director (b. 1936)
  • 2005 – Zoran Mušič, Slovene painter and illustrator (b. 1909)
  • 2007 – Charles Nelson Reilly, American actor, comedian, and director (b. 1931)
  • 2008 – J. R. Simplot, American businessman, founded Simplot (b. 1909)
  • 2009 – Haakon Lie, Norwegian politician (b. 1905)
  • 2010 – Alexander Belostenny, Ukrainian basketball player (b. 1959)
  • 2010 – Michael H. Jordan, American businessman (b. 1936)
  • 2010 – Alan Hickinbotham, Australian footballer and coach (b. 1925)
  • 2010 – Gabriel Vargas, Mexican painter and illustrator (b. 1915)
  • 2010 – Jarvis Williams, American football player and coach (b. 1965)
  • 2011 – Terry Jenner, Australian cricketer and coach (b. 1944)
  • 2012 – William Hanley, American author and screenwriter (b. 1931)
  • 2012 – Peter D. Sieruta, American author and critic (b. 1958)
  • 2012 – Lou Watson, American basketball player and coach (b. 1924)
  • 2013 – Mahendra Karma, Indian politician (b. 1950)
  • 2013 – Nand Kumar Patel, Indian politician (b. 1953)
  • 2014 – David Allen, English cricketer (b. 1935)
  • 2014 – Marcel Côté, Canadian economist and politician (b. 1942)
  • 2014 – Wojciech Jaruzelski, Polish general and politician, 1st President of Poland (b. 1923)
  • 2014 – Herb Jeffries, American singer and actor (b. 1913)
  • 2014 – Toaripi Lauti, Tuvaluan educator and politician, 1st Prime Minister of Tuvalu (b. 1928)
  • 2014 – Matthew Saad Muhammad, American boxer and trainer (b. 1954)
  • 2015 – George Braden, Canadian lawyer and politician, 2nd Premier of the Northwest Territories (b. 1949)
  • 2015 – Robert Lebel, Canadian bishop (b. 1924)
  • 2019 – Claus von Bülow, Danish-British socialite (b.1926)

Holidays and observances on May 25

  • Africa Day (African Union)
  • African Liberation Day (African Union, Rastafari)
  • Christian feast day:
    • Aldhelm
    • Bede
    • Canius
    • Dionysius of Milan
    • Dúnchad mac Cinn Fáelad
    • Gerard of Lunel
    • Madeleine Sophie Barat
    • Mary Magdalene de Pazzi
    • Maximus (Mauxe) of Évreux
    • Pope Boniface IV
    • Pope Gregory VII
    • Pope Urban I
    • Zenobius of Florence
    • May 25 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
  • Earliest day on which Arbor Day can fall, while May 31 is the latest; celebrated on the last Sunday in May. (Venezuela)
  • Earliest day on which Children’s Day can fall, while May 31 is the latest; celebrated on the last Sunday in May. (Hungary)
  • Earliest day on which Holiday of Saint Etchmiadzin can fall, while July 27 is the latest; celebrated on the 64th day after Easter. (Armenia)
  • Earliest day on which Memorial Day can fall, while May 31 is the latest; celebrated on the last Monday in May. (United States)
  • Earliest day on which Mother’s Day can fall, while May 31 is the latest; celebrated on the last Sunday in May. (Algeria, Dominican Republic, France (First Sunday of June, if Pentecost occurs on this day), Haiti, Mauritius, Morocco, Sweden, Tunisia)
  • Earliest day on which Turkmen Carpet Day can fall, while May 31 is the latest; celebrated on the last Sunday in May. (Turkmenistan)
  • First National Government / National Day (Argentina)
  • Geek Pride Day (geek culture)
  • Independence Day, celebrates the independence of Jordan from the United Kingdom in 1946.
  • Last bell (Russia, post-Soviet countries)
  • Liberation Day (Lebanon)
  • International Missing Children’s Day and its related observances:
    • National Missing Children’s Day (United States),
  • National Tap Dance Day (United States)
  • Towel Day in honour of the work of the writer Douglas Adams

May 25 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day Read More »

On This Day

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

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

Births on May 13

1401 – Emperor Shōkō of Japan (d. 1428)

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

Deaths on May 12

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

Holidays and observances on May 12

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

May 12 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day Read More »

On This Day

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

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

Births on May 10

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

Deaths on May 10

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

Holidays and observances on May 10

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

May 10 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day Read More »

On This Day

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

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

Births on May 3

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

Deaths on May 3

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

Holidays and observances on May 3

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

May 3 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day Read More »

On This Day

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

On This Day /

May 2 in History

  • 1194 – King Richard I of England gives Portsmouth its first Royal Charter
  • 1230 – William de Braose is hanged by Prince Llywelyn the Great.
  • 1335 – Otto the Merry, Duke of Austria, becomes Duke of Carinthia.
  • 1536 – Anne Boleyn, Queen of England, is arrested and imprisoned on charges of adultery, incest, treason and witchcraft.
  • 1559 – John Knox returns from exile to Scotland to become the leader of the nascent Scottish Reformation.
  • 1568 – Mary, Queen of Scots, escapes from Loch Leven Castle.
  • 1611 – The King James Version of the Bible is published for the first time in London, England, by printer Robert Barker.
  • 1625 – Afonso Mendes, appointed by Pope Gregory XV as Latin Patriarch of Ethiopia, arrives at Beilul from Goa.
  • 1670 – King Charles II of England grants a permanent charter to the Hudson’s Bay Company to open up the fur trade in North America.
  • 1672 – John Maitland becomes Duke of Lauderdale and Earl of March.
  • 1808 – Outbreak of the Peninsular War: The people of Madrid rise up in rebellion against French occupation. Francisco de Goya later memorializes this event in his painting The Second of May 1808.
  • 1812 – The Siege of Cuautla during the Mexican War of Independence ends with both sides claiming victory after Mexican rebels under José María Morelos y Pavón abandon the city after 72 days under siege by royalist Spanish troops under Félix María Calleja.
  • 1816 – Marriage of Léopold of Saxe-Coburg and Princess Charlotte of Wales.
  • 1829 – After anchoring nearby, Captain Charles Fremantle of HMS Challenger, declares the Swan River Colony in Australia.
  • 1863 – American Civil War: Stonewall Jackson is wounded by friendly fire while returning to camp after reconnoitering during the Battle of Chancellorsville. He succumbs to pneumonia eight days later.
  • 1866 – Peruvian defenders fight off the Spanish fleet at the Battle of Callao.
  • 1876 – The April Uprising breaks out in Ottoman Bulgaria.
  • 1879 – The Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party is founded in Madrid by Pablo Iglesias.
  • 1885 – Cree and Assiniboine warriors win the Battle of Cut Knife, their largest victory over Canadian forces during the North-West Rebellion.
  • 1889 – Menelik II, Emperor of Ethiopia, signs the Treaty of Wuchale, giving Italy control over Eritrea.
  • 1906 – Closing ceremony of the Intercalated Games in Athens, Greece.
  • 1918 – General Motors acquires the Chevrolet Motor Company of Delaware.
  • 1920 – The first game of the Negro National League baseball is played in Indianapolis.
  • 1933 – Germany’s independent labor unions are replaced by the German Labour Front.
  • 1941 – Following the coup d’état against Iraq Crown Prince ‘Abd al-Ilah earlier that year, the United Kingdom launches the Anglo-Iraqi War to restore him to power.
  • 1945 – World War II: The Soviet Union announces the fall of Berlin.
  • 1945 – World War II: The surrender of Caserta comes into effect, by which German troops in Italy cease fighting.
  • 1945 – World War II: The US 82nd Airborne Division liberates Wöbbelin concentration camp finding 1000 dead prisoners, most of whom starved to death.
  • 1945 – World War II: A death march from Dachau to the Austrian border is halted by the segregated, all-Nisei 522nd Field Artillery Battalion of the U.S. Army in southern Bavaria, saving several hundred prisoners.
  • 1952 – A De Havilland Comet makes the first jetliner flight with fare-paying passengers, from London to Johannesburg.
  • 1955 – Tennessee Williams wins the Pulitzer Prize for Drama for Cat on a Hot Tin Roof.
  • 1963 – Berthold Seliger launches a rocket with three stages and a maximum flight altitude of more than 100 kilometres near Cuxhaven. It is the only sounding rocket developed in Germany.
  • 1964 – Vietnam War: An explosion sinks the American aircraft carrier USNS Card while it is docked at Saigon. Two Viet Cong combat swimmers had placed explosives on the ship’s hull. She is raised and returned to service less than seven months later.
  • 1964 – First ascent of Shishapangma, the fourteenth highest mountain in the world and the lowest of the Eight-thousanders.
  • 1969 – The British ocean liner Queen Elizabeth 2 departs on her maiden voyage to New York City.
  • 1972 – In the early morning hours a fire breaks out at the Sunshine Mine located between Kellogg and Wallace, Idaho, killing 91 workers.
  • 1982 – Falklands War: The British nuclear submarine HMS Conqueror sinks the Argentine cruiser ARA General Belgrano.
  • 1986 – Chernobyl disaster: The City of Chernobyl is evacuated six days after the disaster.
  • 1989 – Cold War: Hungary begins dismantling its border fence with Austria, which allows a number of East Germans to defect.
  • 1994 – A bus crashes in Gdańsk, Poland killing 32 people.
  • 1995 – During the Croatian War of Independence, the Army of the Republic of Serb Krajina fires cluster bombs at Zagreb, killing seven and wounding over 175 civilians.
  • 1998 – The European Central Bank is founded in Brussels in order to define and execute the European Union’s monetary policy.
  • 1999 – Panamanian general election, 1999: Mireya Moscoso becomes the first woman to be elected President of Panama.
  • 2000 – President Bill Clinton announces that accurate GPS access would no longer be restricted to the United States military.
  • 2004 – The Yelwa massacre concludes. It began on 4 February 2004 when armed Muslims killed 78 Christians at Yelwa. In response, about 630 Muslims were killed by Christians on May 2nd.
  • 2008 – Cyclone Nargis makes landfall in Burma killing over 138,000 people and leaving millions of people homeless.
  • 2008 – Chaitén Volcano begins erupting in Chile, forcing the evacuation of more than 4,500 people.
  • 2011 – Osama bin Laden, the suspected mastermind behind the September 11 attacks and the FBI’s most wanted man, is killed by the United States special forces in Abbottabad, Pakistan.
  • 2011 – An E. coli outbreak strikes Europe, mostly in Germany, leaving more than 30 people dead and many others sick from the bacteria outbreak.
  • 2012 – A pastel version of The Scream, by Norwegian painter Edvard Munch, sells for $120 million in a New York City auction, setting a new world record for a work of art at auction.
  • 2014 – Two mudslides in Badakhshan, Afghanistan, leave up to 2,500 people missing.

Births on May 2

  • 1360 – Yongle Emperor of China (d. 1424)
  • 1402 – Eleanor of Aragon, Queen of Portugal (d. 1445)
  • 1451 – René II, Duke of Lorraine (d. 1508)
  • 1458 – Eleanor of Viseu (d. 1525)
  • 1476 – Charles I, Duke of Münsterberg-Oels, Count of Kladsko, Governor of Bohemia and Silesia (d. 1536)
  • 1533 – Philip II, Duke of Brunswick-Grubenhagen (d. 1596)
  • 1551 – William Camden, English historian and topographer (d. 1623)
  • 1567 – Sebald de Weert, Dutch captain, vice-admiral of the Dutch East India Company (d. 1603)
  • 1579 – Tokugawa Hidetada, Japanese shōgun (d. 1632)
  • 1601 – Athanasius Kircher, German priest and scholar (d. 1680)
  • 1660 – Alessandro Scarlatti, Italian composer (d. 1725)
  • 1695 – Giovanni Niccolò Servandoni, Italian-French painter and architect (d. 1766)
  • 1702 – Friedrich Christoph Oetinger, German theologian and theosopher (d. 1782)
  • 1707 – Jean-Baptiste Barrière, French cellist and composer (d. 1747)
  • 1729 – Catherine the Great of Russia (d. 1796)
  • 1737 – William Petty, 2nd Earl of Shelburne, Irish-English politician, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (d. 1805)
  • 1740 – Elias Boudinot, American lawyer and politician, 10th President of the Continental Congress (d. 1821)
  • 1750 – John André, English soldier and spy (d. 1780)
  • 1752 – Ludwig August Lebrun, German oboe player and composer (d. 1790)
  • 1754 – Vicente Martín y Soler, Spanish composer (d. 1806)
  • 1772 – Novalis, German author and poet (d. 1801)
  • 1773 – Henrik Steffens, Norwegian philosopher and poet (d. 1845)
  • 1797 – Abraham Pineo Gesner, Canadian physician and geologist (d. 1864)
  • 1802 – Heinrich Gustav Magnus, German chemist and physicist (d. 1870)
  • 1806 – Catherine Labouré, French nun and saint (d. 1876)
  • 1810 – Hans Christian Lumbye, Danish composer and conductor (d. 1874)
  • 1813 – Caroline Leigh Gascoigne, English novelist and poet (d. 1883)
  • 1815 – William Buell Richards, Canadian lawyer and judge, 1st Chief Justice of Canada (d. 1889)
  • 1822 – Jane Miller Thengberg, Scottish-Swedish governess and educator (d. 1902)
  • 1828 – Désiré Charnay, French archaeologist and photographer (d. 1915)
  • 1830 – Otto Staudinger, German entomologist and author (d. 1900)
  • 1843 – Elijah McCoy, Canadian-American engineer (d. 1929)
  • 1859 – Jerome K. Jerome, English author and playwright (d. 1927)
  • 1860 – John Scott Haldane, Scottish physiologist, physician, and academic (d. 1936)
  • 1860 – Theodor Herzl, Austro-Hungarian Zionist philosopher, journalist and author (d. 1904)
  • 1865 – Clyde Fitch, American playwright (d. 1909)
  • 1867 – Giuseppe Morello, Italian-American mobster (d. 1930)
  • 1873 – Jurgis Baltrušaitis, Lithuanian poet, critic, and translator (d. 1944)
  • 1879 – James F. Byrnes, American stenographer and politician, 49th United States Secretary of State (d. 1972)
  • 1880 – Bill Horr, American football player, discus thrower, and coach (d. 1955)
  • 1882 – Isabel González, Puerto Rican activist who helped pave the way for Puerto Ricans’ American citizenship (d. 1971)
  • 1885 – Hedda Hopper, American actress and gossip columnist (d. 1966)
  • 1886 – Gottfried Benn, German author and poet (d. 1956)
  • 1887 – Vernon Castle, English-American dancer (d. 1918)
  • 1887 – Eddie Collins, American baseball player and manager (d. 1951)
  • 1889 – Ki Hajar Dewantara, Indonesian philosopher, academic, and politician (d. 1959)
  • 1890 – E. E. Smith, American engineer and author (d. 1965)
  • 1892 – Manfred von Richthofen, German captain and pilot (d. 1918)
  • 1894 – Norma Talmadge, leading US actress of the silent era (d. 1957)
  • 1894 – Joseph Henry Woodger, English biologist, philosopher, and academic (d. 1981)
  • 1895 – Lorenz Hart, American playwright and lyricist (d. 1943)
  • 1897 – John Frederick Coots, American songwriter (d. 1985)
  • 1898 – Henry Hall, English bandleader, composer, and actor (d. 1989)
  • 1901 – Bob Wyatt, English cricketer (d. 1995)
  • 1901 – Edouard Zeckendorf, Belgian doctor, army officer and mathematician (d. 1983)
  • 1901 – Willi Bredel, German writer (d. 1964)
  • 1902 – Brian Aherne, English actor (d. 1986)
  • 1902 – Werner Finck, German Kabarett comedian, actor and author (d. 1978)
  • 1903 – Benjamin Spock, American rower, pediatrician, and author (d. 1998)
  • 1904 – Bill Brandt, German-English photographer and journalist (d. 1983)
  • 1905 – Alan Rawsthorne, British composer (d. 1971)
  • 1905 – Charlotte Armstrong, American author (d. 1969)
  • 1906 – Philippe Halsman, Latvian-American photographer (d. 1979)
  • 1907 – Pinky Lee, American comedian and television host (d. 1993)
  • 1908 – Frank Rowlett, American cryptologist (d. 1998)
  • 1909 – Teddy Stauffer, Swiss bandleader, musician, and actor (d. 1991)
  • 1910 – Alexander Bonnyman, Jr., American lieutenant, Medal of Honor recipient (d. 1943)
  • 1910 – Edmund Bacon, American urban planner, architect, educator, and author (d. 2005)
  • 1912 – Axel Springer, German journalist and publisher, founded Axel Springer AG (d. 1985)
  • 1912 – Karl Adam, German rowing coaches (d. 1976)
  • 1912 – Marten Toonder, Dutch comic strip creator (d. 2005)
  • 1912 – Nigel Patrick, English actor and director (d. 1981)
  • 1913 – Pietro Frua, Italian coachbuilder and car designer (d. 1983)
  • 1913 – Aydın Sayılı, Turkish historian and academic (d. 1993)
  • 1915 – Doris Fisher, American singer-songwriter (d. 2003)
  • 1915 – Peggy Mount, English actress (d. 2001)
  • 1917 – Albert Castelyns, Belgian water polo player and bobsledder
  • 1917 – Văn Tiến Dũng, Vietnamese general and politician, 6th Minister of Defence for Vietnam (d. 2002)
  • 1920 – Jean-Marie Auberson, Swiss violinist and conductor (d. 2004)
  • 1920 – Otto Buchsbaum, Austrian-Brazilian journalist and activist (d. 2000)
  • 1920 – Vasantrao Deshpande, Indian singer and sitar player (d. 1983)
  • 1920 – Guinn Smith, American pole vaulter, soldier, and pilot (d. 2004)
  • 1920 – Jacob Gilboa, Israeli composer (d. 2007)
  • 1921 – B. B. Lal, Indian archaeologist
  • 1921 – Satyajit Ray, Indian director, producer, and screenwriter (d. 1992)
  • 1922 – Roscoe Lee Browne, American actor and director (d. 2007)
  • 1922 – A. M. Rosenthal, Canadian-born American journalist and author (d. 2006)
  • 1922 – Serge Reggiani, Italian-born French singer and actor (d. 2004)
  • 1923 – Patrick Hillery, Irish physician and politician, 6th President of Ireland (d. 2008)
  • 1923 – Albert Nordengen, Norwegian banker and politician (d. 2004)
  • 1924 – Jamal Abro, Pakistani lawyer and author (d. 2004)
  • 1924 – Theodore Bikel, Austrian-American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and actor (d. 2015)
  • 1924 – Arthur Clues, Australian rugby league player (d. 1998)
  • 1924 – Hugh Cortazzi, English soldier, historian, and diplomat, British Ambassador to Japan (d. 2018)
  • 1925 – John Neville, English-Canadian actor (d. 2011)
  • 1926 – Gérard D. Levesque, Canadian lawyer and politician, 5th Deputy Premier of Quebec (d. 1993)
  • 1927 – Ray Barrett, Australian actor and singer (d. 2009)
  • 1927 – Amos Kenan, Israeli columnist, painter, sculptor, playwright and novelist (d. 2009)
  • 1927 – Michael Broadbent, British wine critic and writer (d. 2020)
  • 1928 – Hans Trass, Estonian ecologist and botanist (d. 2017)
  • 1928 – Georges-Arthur Goldschmidt, French writer and translator of German origin
  • 1928 – Horst Stein, German conductor (d. 2008)
  • 1929 – Édouard Balladur, Turkish-French economist and politician, 162nd Prime Minister of France
  • 1929 – James Dillion, American discus thrower (d. 2010)
  • 1929 – Link Wray, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 2005)
  • 1929 – Jigme Dorji Wangchuck, Druk Gyalpo of Bhutan (d. 1972)
  • 1930 – Yoram Kaniuk, Israeli painter and critic (d. 2013)
  • 1930 – Marco Pannella, Italian journalist and politician (d. 2016)
  • 1931 – Phil Bruns, American actor and stuntman (d. 2012)
  • 1931 – Martha Grimes, American author and poet
  • 1932 – Maury Allen, American journalist, actor, and author (d. 2010)
  • 1933 – Bunk Gardner, American musician
  • 1933 – Harry Woolf, Baron Woolf, English lawyer and judge, Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales
  • 1934 – Manfred Durniok, German film producer, director and screenwriter (d. 2003)
  • 1935 – Luis Suárez Miramontes, Spanish footballer and manager
  • 1935 – Faisal II of Iraq, the last King of Iraq (d.1958)
  • 1936 – Norma Aleandro, Argentinian actress, director, and screenwriter
  • 1936 – Engelbert Humperdinck, English singer and pianist
  • 1936 – Michael Rabin, American violinist (d. 1972)
  • 1937 – Klaus Enders, German motorcycle sidecar racer (d. 2019)
  • 1937 – Lorenzo Music, American actor, producer, and screenwriter (d. 2001)
  • 1937 – Gisela Elsner, German writer (d. 1992)
  • 1938 – Moshoeshoe II of Lesotho (d. 1996)
  • 1939 – Sumio Iijima, Japanese physicist and engineer
  • 1939 – Ernesto Castano, Italian football player
  • 1940 – Jules Albert Wijdenbosch, Surinamese politician
  • 1941 – Tony Adamowicz, American race car driver (d. 2016)
  • 1941 – Bruce Cameron, Scottish bishop
  • 1941 – Clay Carroll, American baseball player
  • 1941 – Eddy Louiss, French jazz musician (d. 2015)
  • 1942 – Jacques Rogge, Belgian businessman
  • 1942 – Wojciech Pszoniak, Polish film and theater actor
  • 1944 – Robert G. W. Anderson, English chemist, historian, and curator
  • 1945 – Randy Cain, American soul singer (d. 2009)
  • 1945 – Judge Dread, English singer-songwriter (d. 1998)
  • 1945 – Bianca Jagger, Nicaraguan-American model, actress, and activist
  • 1945 – Goldy McJohn, Canadian keyboard player (d. 2017)
  • 1946 – Peter L. Benson, American psychologist and academic (d. 2011)
  • 1946 – Lesley Gore, American singer-songwriter (d. 2015)
  • 1946 – David Suchet, English actor
  • 1947 – James Dyson, English businessman, founded the Dyson Company
  • 1947 – Lynda Myles, English screenwriter and producer
  • 1947 – Philippe Herreweghe, Belgian conductor
  • 1948 – Larry Gatlin, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and actor
  • 1949 – Alan Titchmarsh, English gardener and author
  • 1949 – Alfons Schuhbeck, German celebrity chef, author and businessman
  • 1950 – Simon Gaskell, English chemist and academic
  • 1950 – Duncan Gay, Australian businessman and politician
  • 1950 – Lou Gramm, American singer-songwriter
  • 1950 – Richard Ground, English lawyer and judge (d. 2014)
  • 1950 – Fausto Silva, Brazilian television presenter
  • 1951 – John Glascock, English singer and bass player (d. 1979)
  • 1952 – Chris Anderson, Australian rugby league player and coach
  • 1952 – Christine Baranski, American actress and singer
  • 1952 – Isla St Clair, Scottish singer and actress
  • 1953 – Valery Gergiev, Russian conductor and director
  • 1953 – Jamaal Wilkes, American basketball player
  • 1954 – Elliot Goldenthal, American composer and conductor
  • 1954 – Dawn Primarolo, English politician
  • 1954 – Stephen Venables, English mountaineer and author
  • 1955 – Willie Miller, Scottish footballer
  • 1955 – Donatella Versace, Italian fashion designer
  • 1956 – Régis Labeaume, Canadian businessman and politician, 41st Mayor of Quebec City
  • 1958 – Yasushi Akimoto, Japanese songwriter and producer
  • 1958 – Stanislav Levý, Czech footballer and manager
  • 1958 – David O’Leary, English-Irish footballer and manager
  • 1959 – Alan Best, Canadian animator, director, and producer
  • 1959 – Tony Wakeford, English singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1960 – Stephen Daldry, English director and producer
  • 1961 – Steve James, English snooker player
  • 1961 – Sophie Thibault, Canadian journalist
  • 1961 – Phil Vickery, English chef and author
  • 1962 – Elizabeth Berridge, American actress
  • 1962 – Michael Grandage, English director and producer
  • 1962 – Jimmy White, English snooker player
  • 1965 – Félix José, Dominican-American baseball player
  • 1966 – Uwe Freiler, German footballer
  • 1966 – Margus Kolga, Estonian diplomat
  • 1966 – Belinda Stronach, Canadian businesswoman, philanthropist, and politician
  • 1967 – Bengt Åkerblom, Swedish ice hockey player (d. 1995)
  • 1967 – Mika Brzezinski, American journalist and author
  • 1967 – David Rocastle, English footballer (d. 2001)
  • 1968 – Jeff Agoos, Swiss-American soccer player, manager, and sportscaster
  • 1968 – Julia Hartley-Brewer, English broadcaster and columnist
  • 1968 – Ziana Zain, Malaysian singer-songwriter and actress
  • 1969 – Brian Lara, Trinidadian cricketer
  • 1970 – Marco Walker, Swiss footballer and coach
  • 1971 – Musashimaru Kōyō, Samoan-American sumo wrestler, the 67th Yokozuna
  • 1971 – Fatima Yusuf, Nigerian sprinter
  • 1972 – Paul Adcock, English footballer
  • 1972 – Ahti Heinla, Estonian programmer and businessman, co-developed Skype
  • 1972 – Dwayne Johnson, American-Canadian wrestler, actor, and producer
  • 1973 – Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck, German director and screenwriter
  • 1974 – Horacio Carbonari, Argentinian footballer and manager
  • 1974 – Andy Johnson, English-Welsh footballer
  • 1974 – Janek Meet, Estonian footballer
  • 1975 – David Beckham, English footballer, coach, and model
  • 1975 – Joe Wilkinson, English comedian, actor and writer
  • 1976 – Jeff Gutt, American singer-songwriter
  • 1977 – Brian Cardinal, American basketball player
  • 1977 – Jan Fitschen, German runner
  • 1977 – Luke Hudson, American baseball player
  • 1977 – Fredrik Malm, Swedish journalist and politician
  • 1977 – Jenna von Oÿ, American actress and singer
  • 1977 – Kalle Palander, Finnish skier
  • 1978 – Melvin Ely, American basketball player
  • 1978 – Mike Weaver, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1979 – Jason Chimera, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1979 – Ioannis Kanotidis, Greek footballer
  • 1979 – Defne Joy Foster, Turkish-American actress, presenter and VJ (d. 2011)
  • 1980 – Tim Borowski, German footballer
  • 1980 – Pierre-Luc Gagnon, Canadian skateboarder
  • 1980 – Ellie Kemper, American actress, comedian and writer
  • 1980 – Zat Knight, English footballer
  • 1980 – Artūras Masiulis, Lithuanian basketball player
  • 1980 – Troy Murphy, American basketball player
  • 1980 – Lassaâd Ouertani, Tunisian footballer (d. 2013)
  • 1980 – Brad Richards, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1980 – Vincent Tong, Canadian actor, singer, voice actor and director
  • 1981 – Robert Buckley, American actor
  • 1981 – Chris Kirkland, English footballer
  • 1981 – Tiago Mendes, Portuguese footballer
  • 1981 – Matt Murray, English footballer
  • 1981 – Rina Satō, Japanese voice actress and singer
  • 1982 – Timothy Benjamin, Welsh sprinter
  • 1982 – Johan Botha, South African cricketer
  • 1983 – Alessandro Diamanti, Italian footballer
  • 1983 – Maynor Figueroa, Honduran footballer
  • 1983 – Tina Maze, Slovenian skier
  • 1983 – Daniel Sordo, Spanish race car driver
  • 1983 – Ove Vanebo, Norwegian politician
  • 1984 – Saulius Mikoliūnas, Lithuanian footballer
  • 1984 – Thabo Sefolosha, Swiss basketball player
  • 1985 – Lily Allen, English singer-songwriter and actress
  • 1985 – Kyle Busch, American race car driver
  • 1985 – Ashley Harkleroad, American tennis player
  • 1985 – Sarah Hughes, American figure skater
  • 1987 – Saara Aalto, Finnish singer and actress
  • 1987 – Nana Kitade, Japanese singer-songwriter and actress
  • 1987 – Pat McAfee, American football player
  • 1987 – Kris Russell, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1987 – Justin Young, English singer and songwriter
  • 1988 – Neftalí Feliz, Dominican baseball player
  • 1988 – Stephen Henderson, Irish footballer
  • 1989 – Jeanette Pohlen, American basketball player
  • 1990 – Kay Panabaker, American actress
  • 1990 – Paul George, American basketball player
  • 1991 – Jeong Jinwoon, South Korean actor and singer
  • 1992 – Sunmi, South Korean singer
  • 1992 – María Teresa Torró Flor, Spanish tennis player
  • 1993 – Owain Doull, Welsh track cyclist
  • 1993 – Isyana Sarasvati, Indonesian singer
  • 1993 – Huang Zitao, Chinese singer and rapper
  • 1996 – Cherprang Areekul, Thai singer
  • 1996 – Julian Brandt, German footballer
  • 1996 – Schuyler Bailar, American swimmer
  • 2015 – Princess Charlotte of Cambridge, British royal, and fourth in line to the British throne

Deaths on May 2

  • 373 – Athanasius of Alexandria, Egyptian bishop and saint (b. 298)
  • 649 – Marutha of Tikrit, Persian theologian of the Syriac Orthodox Church (b. 565)
  • 821 – Liu Zong, general of the Tang Dynasty
  • 907 – Boris I of Bulgaria
  • 1219 – Leo I, King of Armenia (b. 1150)
  • 1230 – William de Braose, English son of Reginald de Braose (b. 1197)
  • 1293 – Meir of Rothenburg, German rabbi (b. c.1215)
  • 1300 – Blanche of Artois (b. 1248)
  • 1450 – William de la Pole, 1st Duke of Suffolk, English admiral (b. 1396)
  • 1519 – Leonardo da Vinci, Italian painter, sculptor, and architect (b. 1452)
  • 1564 – Rodolfo Pio da Carpi, Italian cardinal (b. 1500)
  • 1627 – Lodovico Grossi da Viadana, Italian composer and educator (b. 1560)
  • 1667 – George Wither, English poet and author (b. 1588)
  • 1683 – Stjepan Gradić, Croatian philosopher and mathematician (b. 1613)
  • 1711 – Laurence Hyde, 1st Earl of Rochester, English politician, First Lord of the Treasury (b. 1641)
  • 1799 – Juan Vicente de Güemes, 2nd Count of Revillagigedo (b. 1740)
  • 1802 – Herman Willem Daendels, Dutch general and politician, Governor-General of the Dutch Gold Coast (b. 1762)
  • 1810 – Henry Jerome de Salis, English priest (b. 1740)
  • 1819 – Mary Moser, English painter and academic (b. 1744)
  • 1857 – Alfred de Musset, French dramatist, poet, and novelist (b. 1810)
  • 1864 – Giacomo Meyerbeer, German composer and educator (b. 1791)
  • 1880 – Eberhard Anheuser, German-American businessman, co-founded Anheuser-Busch (b. 1805)
  • 1880 – Tom Wills, Australian cricketer, co-created Australian rules football (b. 1835)
  • 1885 – Terézia Zakoucs, Hungarian-Slovene author (b. 1817)
  • 1915 – Clara Immerwahr, German chemist (b. 1870)
  • 1918 – Jüri Vilms, Estonian lawyer and politician (b. 1889)
  • 1925 – Antun Branko Šimić, Croatian and Bosnian-Herzegovinian poet (b. 1898)
  • 1927 – Ernest Starling, English physiologist and academic (b. 1866)
  • 1929 – Charalambos Tseroulis, Greek general and politician, Greek Minister for Military Affairs (b. 1879)
  • 1941 – Penelope Delta, Greek author (b. 1874)
  • 1945 – Martin Bormann, German politician (b. 1900)
  • 1945 – Joe Corbett, American baseball player and journalist (b. 1875)
  • 1947 – Dorothea Binz, German SS officer (b. 1920)
  • 1953 – Wallace Bryant, American archer (b. 1863)
  • 1957 – Joseph McCarthy, American captain, lawyer, judge, and politician (b. 1908)
  • 1963 – Ronald Barnes, 3rd Baron Gorell, English cricketer, peer, politician, poet, author and newspaper editor (b. 1884)
  • 1964 – Nancy Astor, Viscountess Astor, American-English politician (b. 1879)
  • 1969 – Franz von Papen, German general and politician, Chancellor of Germany (b. 1879)
  • 1972 – J. Edgar Hoover, American 1st director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (b. 1895)
  • 1974 – James O. Richardson, American admiral (b. 1878)
  • 1977 – Nicholas Magallanes, American principal dancer and charter member of the New York City Ballet (b. 1922)
  • 1979 – Giulio Natta, Italian chemist and engineer, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1903)
  • 1980 – Clarrie Grimmett, New Zealand-Australian cricketer (b. 1891)
  • 1980 – George Pal, Hungarian-American animator and producer (b. 1908)
  • 1983 – Norm Van Brocklin, American football player and coach (b. 1926)
  • 1984 – Jack Barry, American game show host and producer, co-founded Barry & Enright Productions (b. 1918)
  • 1984 – Bob Clampett, American animator, director, and producer (b. 1913)
  • 1985 – Attilio Bettega, Italian race car driver (b. 1951)
  • 1985 – Larry Clinton, American trumpet player and bandleader (b. 1909)
  • 1986 – Sergio Cresto, American race car driver (b. 1956)
  • 1986 – Henri Toivonen, Finnish race car driver (b. 1956)
  • 1989 – Veniamin Kaverin, Russian author (b. 1902)
  • 1989 – Giuseppe Siri, Italian cardinal (b. 1906)
  • 1990 – David Rappaport, English-American actor (b. 1951)
  • 1991 – Gauri Shankar Rai, Indian Politician(b.1924)
  • 1991 – Ronald McKie, Australian journalist and author (b. 1909)
  • 1992 – Wilbur Mills, American lawyer and politician (b. 1909)
  • 1993 – André Moynet, French race car driver, pilot, and politician (b. 1921)
  • 1994 – Dorothy Marie Donnelly, American poet and author (b. 1903)
  • 1995 – John Bunting, Australian public servant and diplomat, (b. 1918)
  • 1995 – Michael Hordern, English actor (b. 1911)
  • 1997 – John Eccles, Australian neurophysiologist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1903)
  • 1997 – Paulo Freire, Brazilian philosopher and academic (b. 1921)
  • 1998 – hide, Japanese singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer (b. 1964)
  • 1998 – Justin Fashanu, English footballer (b. 1961)
  • 1998 – Gene Raymond, American actor (b. 1908)
  • 1998 – Lord Voldemort, English wizard and terrorist (b. 1926)
  • 1999 – Douglas Harkness, Canadian colonel and politician (b. 1903)
  • 1999 – Oliver Reed, English actor (b. 1938)
  • 2000 – Sundar Popo, Indo-Trinidadian musician (b. 1943)
  • 2002 – W. T. Tutte, English-Canadian mathematician and academic (b. 1917)
  • 2005 – Wee Kim Wee, Singaporean journalist and politician, 4th President of Singapore (b. 1915)
  • 2006 – Louis Rukeyser, American journalist and author (b. 1933)
  • 2007 – Brad McGann, New Zealand director and screenwriter (b. 1964)
  • 2008 – Beverlee McKinsey, American actress (b. 1940)
  • 2008 – Izold Pustõlnik, Ukrainian-Estonian astronomer and academic (b. 1938)
  • 2009 – Marilyn French, American author and academic (b. 1929)
  • 2009 – Kiyoshiro Imawano, Japanese singer-songwriter, producer, and actor (b. 1951)
  • 2009 – Jack Kemp, American football player and politician, 9th United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (b. 1935)
  • 2010 – Lynn Redgrave, English-American actress and singer (b. 1943)
  • 2011 – Osama bin Laden, Saudi Arabian terrorist, founder of Al-Qaeda (b. 1957)
  • 2012 – Fernando Lopes, Portuguese director and screenwriter (b. 1935)
  • 2012 – Zenaida Manfugás, Cuban-born American-naturalized pianist (b. 1932)
  • 2012 – Tufan Miñnullin, Russian playwright and politician (b. 1936)
  • 2012 – Endang Rahayu Sedyaningsih, Indonesian physician and politician, Indonesian Minister of Health (b. 1955)
  • 2012 – Akira Tonomura, Japanese physicist, author, and academic (b. 1942)
  • 2013 – Ernie Field, English boxer (b. 1943)
  • 2013 – Jeff Hanneman, American guitarist and songwriter (b. 1964)
  • 2013 – Joseph P. McFadden, American bishop (b. 1947)
  • 2013 – Dvora Omer, Israeli author and educator (b. 1932)
  • 2013 – Ivan Turina, Croatian footballer (b. 1980)
  • 2013 – Charles Banks Wilson, American painter and illustrator (b. 1918)
  • 2014 – Tomás Balduino, Brazilian bishop (b. 1922)
  • 2014 – Žarko Petan, Slovenian director, playwright, and screenwriter (b. 1929)
  • 2014 – Efrem Zimbalist, Jr., American actor (b. 1918)
  • 2015 – Stuart Archer, English colonel and architect (b. 1915)
  • 2015 – Michael Blake, American author and screenwriter (b. 1945)
  • 2015 – Guy Carawan, American singer and musicologist (b. 1927)
  • 2015 – Maya Plisetskaya, Russian-Lithuanian ballerina, choreographer, actress, and director (b. 1925)
  • 2015 – Ruth Rendell, English author (b. 1930)
  • 2016 – Afeni Shakur, American music businesswoman, activist, and Black Panther (b. 1947)
  • 2020 – Arif Wazir, Pakistani politician, leader of the Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (b. 1982)

Holidays and observances on May 2

  • Christian feast day:
    • Athanasius of Alexandria (Western Christianity)
    • Boris I of Bulgaria (Bulgarian Orthodox Church)
    • Germanus of Normandy
    • May 2 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
  • International Harry Potter Day
  • The last day of the Festival of Ridván (Bahá’í Faith) (Note that this date is non-Gregorian and may change according to the March equinox, see List of observances set by the Baháʼí calendar)
  • Anniversary of the Dos de Mayo Uprising (Community of Madrid, Spain)
  • Birth Anniversary of Third Druk Gyalpo (Bhutan)
  • Flag Day (Poland)
  • Indonesia National Education Day
  • Teachers’ Day (Iran) (Note that this date is non-Gregorian and may change according to the March Equinox, see List of observances set by the Solar Hijri calendar)

May 2 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day Read More »

On This Day

May 1 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day

On This Day /
  • 475 BC – Roman consul Publius Valerius Poplicola celebrates a Roman triumph for his victory over Veii and the Sabines.
  • 305 – Diocletian and Maximian retire from the office of Roman emperor.
  • 524 – King Sigismund of Burgundy is executed at Orléans after an eight-year reign and is succeeded by his brother Godomar.
  • 880 – The Nea Ekklesia is inaugurated in Constantinople, setting the model for all later cross-in-square Orthodox churches.
  • 1169 – Norman mercenaries land at Bannow Bay in Leinster, marking the beginning of the Norman invasion of Ireland.
  • 1328 – Wars of Scottish Independence end: By the Treaty of Edinburgh–Northampton, England recognises Scotland as an independent state.
  • 1455 – Battle of Arkinholm, Royal forces end the Black Douglas hegemony in Scotland.
  • 1576 – Stephen Báthory, the reigning Prince of Transylvania, marries Anna Jagiellon and they become co-rulers of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth.
  • 1707 – The Act of Union joining England and Scotland to form the Kingdom of Great Britain takes effect.
  • 1753 – Publication of Species Plantarum by Linnaeus, and the formal start date of plant taxonomy adopted by the International Code of Botanical Nomenclature.
  • 1759 – Josiah Wedgwood founds the Wedgwood pottery company in Great Britain
  • 1776 – Establishment of the Illuminati in Ingolstadt, Upper Bavaria, by Jesuit-taught Adam Weishaupt.
  • 1778 – American Revolution: The Battle of Crooked Billet begins in Hatboro, Pennsylvania.
  • 1786 – In Vienna, Austria, Mozart’s opera The Marriage of Figaro is performed for the first time.
  • 1794 – War of the Pyrenees: The Battle of Boulou ends, in which French forces defeat the Spanish and regain nearly all the land they lost to Spain in 1793.
  • 1820 – Execution of the Cato Street Conspirators, who plotted to kill the British Cabinet and Prime Minister Lord Liverpool.
  • 1840 – The Penny Black, the first official adhesive postage stamp, is issued in the United Kingdom.
  • 1844 – Hong Kong Police Force, the world’s second modern police force and Asia’s first, is established.
  • 1846 – The few remaining Mormons left in Nauvoo, Illinois, formally dedicate the Nauvoo Temple.
  • 1851 – Queen Victoria opens The Great Exhibition at The Crystal Palace in London.
  • 1856 – The Province of Isabela was created in the Philippines in honor of Queen Isabela II.
  • 1862 – American Civil War: The Union Army completes its capture of New Orleans.
  • 1863 – American Civil War: The Battle of Chancellorsville begins.
  • 1865 – The Empire of Brazil, Argentina, and Uruguay sign the Treaty of the Triple Alliance.
  • 1866 – The Memphis Race Riots begin. In three days time, 46 blacks and two whites were killed. Reports of the atrocities influenced passage of the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution.
  • 1875 – Alexandra Palace reopens after being burned down in a fire in 1873.
  • 1884 – The Federation of Organized Trades and Labor Unions demands the eight-hour work day in the United States.
  • 1884 – Moses Fleetwood Walker becomes the first black person to play in a professional baseball game in the United States.
  • 1885 – The original Chicago Board of Trade Building opens for business.
  • 1886 – Rallies are held throughout the United States demanding the eight-hour work day, culminating in the Haymarket affair in Chicago, in commemoration of which May 1 is celebrated as International Workers’ Day in many countries.
  • 1893 – The World’s Columbian Exposition opens in Chicago.
  • 1894 – Coxey’s Army, the first significant American protest march, arrives in Washington, D.C.
  • 1898 – Spanish–American War: Battle of Manila Bay: The Asiatic Squadron of the United States Navy destroys the Pacific Squadron of the Spanish Navy after a seven-hour battle. Spain loses all seven of its ships, and 381 Spanish sailors die. There are no American vessel losses or combat deaths.
  • 1900 – The Scofield Mine disaster kills over 200 men in Scofield, Utah in what is to date the fifth-worst mining accident in United States history.
  • 1915 – The RMS Lusitania departs from New York City on her 202nd, and final, crossing of the North Atlantic. Six days later, the ship is torpedoed off the coast of Ireland with the loss of 1,198 lives.
  • 1919 – German troops enter Munich to suppress the Bavarian Soviet Republic.
  • 1925 – The All-China Federation of Trade Unions is officially founded. Today it is the largest trade union in the world, with 134 million members.
  • 1927 – The Union Labor Life Insurance Company is founded by the American Federation of Labor.
  • 1929 – The 7.2 Mw  Kopet Dag earthquake shakes the Iran–Turkmenistan border region with a maximum Mercalli intensity of IX (Violent), killing up to 3,800 and injuring 1,121.
  • 1930 – “Pluto” is officially proposed for the name of the newly-discovered dwarf planet Pluto by Vesto Slipher in the Lowell Observatory Observation Circular. The name quickly catches on.
  • 1931 – The Empire State Building is dedicated in New York City.
  • 1941 – World War II: German forces launch a major attack during the siege of Tobruk.
  • 1944 – World War II: Two hundred Communist prisoners are shot by the Germans at Kaisariani, Athens in reprisal for the killing of General Franz Krech by partisans at Molaoi.
  • 1945 – World War II: A German newsreader officially announces that Adolf Hitler has “fallen at his command post in the Reich Chancellery fighting to the last breath against Bolshevism and for Germany”. The Soviet flag is raised over the Reich Chancellery, by order of Stalin.
  • 1945 – World War II: Nazi propaganda minister Joseph Goebbels and his wife Magda commit suicide in the Reich Garden outside the Führerbunker. Their children are also killed by having cyanide pills inserted into their mouths by their mother, Magda.
  • 1945 – World War II: Forces of the Soviet Red Army liberate Allied prisoners of war imprisoned at Stalag Luft I near Barth, Germany.
  • 1945 – World War II: Up to 2,500 people die in a mass suicide in Demmin following the advance of the Red Army.
  • 1945 – World War II: Yugoslav Partisans liberate Trieste.
  • 1946 – Start of three-year Pilbara strike of Indigenous Australians.
  • 1946 – The Paris Peace Conference concludes that the islands of the Dodecanese should be returned to Greece by Italy.
  • 1947 – Portella della Ginestra massacre against May Day celebrations in Sicily by the bandit and separatist leader Salvatore Giuliano where 11 persons are killed and 33 wounded.
  • 1956 – The polio vaccine developed by Jonas Salk is made available to the public.
  • 1956 – A doctor in Japan reports an “epidemic of an unknown disease of the central nervous system”, marking the official discovery of Minamata disease.
  • 1957 – Thirty-four people are killed when a Vickers Viking airliner crashes in Hampshire, England.
  • 1960 – Formation of the western Indian states of Gujarat and Maharashtra; also known as “Maharashtra Day”.
  • 1960 – Cold War: U-2 incident: Francis Gary Powers, in a Lockheed U-2 spyplane, is shot down over the Sverdlovsk Oblast, Soviet Union, sparking a diplomatic crisis.
  • 1961 – The Prime Minister of Cuba, Fidel Castro, proclaims Cuba a socialist nation and abolishes elections.
  • 1965 – Cross-Strait relations: Battle of Dong-Yin, a naval conflict between the Republic of China and the People’s Republic of China, takes place.
  • 1967 – Elvis Presley and Priscilla Beaulieu are married in Las Vegas.
  • 1970 – Vietnam War: Protests erupt following the announcement by Richard Nixon that the U.S. and South Vietnamese forces would attack Vietnamese communists in a Cambodian Campaign.
  • 1971 – Amtrak (the National Railroad Passenger Corporation) takes over operation of U.S. passenger rail service.
  • 1974 – The Argentine terrorist organization Montoneros is expelled from Plaza de Mayo by president Juan Perón.
  • 1977 – Thirty-six people are killed in Taksim Square, Istanbul, during the Labour Day celebrations.
  • 1978 – Japan’s Naomi Uemura, travelling by dog sled, becomes the first person to reach the North Pole alone.
  • 1982 – Operation Black Buck: The Royal Air Force attacks the Argentine Air Force during Falklands War.
  • 1983 – The Sydney Entertainment Centre is opened.
  • 1987 – Pope John Paul II beatifies Edith Stein, a Jewish-born Carmelite nun who was gassed in the Nazi concentration camp at Auschwitz.
  • 1989 – Disney-MGM Studios opens at Walt Disney World near Orlando, Florida, United States.
  • 1990 – The former Philippine Episcopal Church (supervised by the Episcopal Church of the United States of America) is granted full autonomy and raised to the status of an Autocephalous Anglican Province and renamed the Episcopal Church in the Philippines.
  • 1993 – Dingiri Banda Wijetunga became president of Sri Lanka automatically after killing of R Premadasa in LTTE bomb explosion.
  • 1994 – Three-time Formula One world champion Ayrton Senna is killed in an accident whilst leading the San Marino Grand Prix at Imola.
  • 1995 – Croatian War of Independence: Croatian forces launch Operation Flash.
  • 1999 – The body of British climber George Mallory is found on Mount Everest, 75 years after his disappearance in 1924
  • 1999 – SpongeBob SquarePants premieres on Nickelodeon.
  • 2001 – Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo declares the existence of “a state of rebellion”, hours after thousands of supporters of her arrested predecessor, Joseph Estrada, storm towards the presidential palace at the height of the EDSA III rebellion.
  • 2002 – OpenOffice.org released version 1.0, the first stable version of the software.
  • 2003 – Invasion of Iraq: In what becomes known as the “Mission Accomplished” speech, on board the USS Abraham Lincoln (off the coast of California), U.S. President George W. Bush declares that “major combat operations in Iraq have ended”.
  • 2004 – Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia, and Slovenia join the European Union, celebrated at the residence of the Irish President in Dublin.
  • 2009 – Same-sex marriage is legalized in Sweden.
  • 2011 – Pope John Paul II is beatified by his successor, Pope Benedict XVI.
  • 2019 – Naxalite attack in Gadchiroli district of India: Sixteen army soldiers, including a driver, killed in an IED blast. Naxals targeted an anti-Naxal operations team.

Births on May 1

  • 1218 – John I, Count of Hainaut (d. 1257)
  • 1218 – Rudolf I of Germany (d. 1291)
  • 1285 – Edmund FitzAlan, 9th Earl of Arundel, English politician (d. 1326)
  • 1326 – Rinchinbal Khan, Mongolian emperor (d. 1332)
  • 1488 – Sidonie of Bavaria, eldest daughter of Duke Albrecht IV of Bavaria-Munich (d. 1505)
  • 1527 – Johannes Stadius, German astronomer, astrologer, mathematician (d. 1579)
  • 1545 – Franciscus Junius, French theologian (d. 1602)
  • 1579 – Wolphert Gerretse, Dutch-American farmer, co-founded New Netherland (d. 1662)
  • 1582 – Marco da Gagliano, Italian composer (d. 1643)
  • 1585 – Sophia Olelkovich Radziwill, Belarusian saint (d. 1612)
  • 1591 – Johann Adam Schall von Bell, German missionary and astronomer (d. 1666)
  • 1594 – John Haynes, English-American politician, 1st Governor of the Colony of Connecticut (d. 1653)
  • 1602 – William Lilly, English astrologer (d. 1681)
  • 1672 – Joseph Addison, English essayist, poet, playwright, and politician (d. 1719)
  • 1730 – Joshua Rowley, English admiral (d. 1790)
  • 1735 – Jan Hendrik van Kinsbergen, Dutch admiral and philanthropist (d. 1819)
  • 1751 – Judith Sargent Murray, American poet and playwright (d. 1820)
  • 1764 – Benjamin Henry Latrobe, English-American architect, designed the United States Capitol (d. 1820)
  • 1769 – Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, Irish-English field marshal and politician, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (d. 1852)
  • 1783 – Phoebe Hinsdale Brown, American hymnwriter (d. 1861)
  • 1803 – James Clarence Mangan, Irish poet and author (d. 1849)
  • 1821 – Henry Ayers, English-Australian politician, 8th Premier of South Australia (d. 1897)
  • 1824 – Alexander William Williamson, English chemist and academic (d. 1904)
  • 1825 – Johann Jakob Balmer, Swiss mathematician and physicist (d. 1898)
  • 1825 – George Inness, American painter and educator (d. 1894)
  • 1827 – Jules Breton, French painter (d. 1906)
  • 1829 – José de Alencar, Brazilian author and playwright (d. 1877)
  • 1829 – Frederick Sandys, English painter and illustrator (d. 1904)
  • 1830 – Guido Gezelle, Belgian priest and poet (d. 1899)
  • 1831 – Emily Stowe, Canadian physician and activist (d. 1903)
  • 1847 – Henry Demarest Lloyd, American journalist and politician (d. 1903)
  • 1848 – Adelsteen Normann, Norwegian painter (d. 1919)
  • 1850 – Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught and Strathearn (d. 1942)
  • 1851 – Laza Lazarević, Serbian psychiatrist and neurologist (d. 1891)
  • 1852 – Calamity Jane, American frontierswoman and professional scout (d. 1903)
  • 1852 – Santiago Ramón y Cajal, Spanish neuroscientist and pathologist, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1934)
  • 1853 – Jacob Mikhailovich Gordin, Jewish Ukrainian-American journalist, actor, and playwright (d. 1909)
  • 1855 – Cecilia Beaux, American painter and academic (d. 1942)
  • 1857 – Theo van Gogh, Dutch art dealer (d. 1891)
  • 1859 – Jacqueline Comerre-Paton, French painter and sculptor (d. 1955)
  • 1862 – Marcel Prévost, French novelist and playwright (d. 1941)
  • 1864 – Anna Jarvis, American founder of Mother’s Day (d. 1948)
  • 1871 – Seakle Greijdanus, Dutch theologian and scholar (d. 1948)
  • 1871 – Emiliano Chamorro Vargas, President of Nicaragua (d. 1966)
  • 1872 – Hugo Alfvén, Swedish composer, conductor, violinist, and painter (d. 1960)
  • 1872 – Sidónio Pais, Portuguese soldier and politician, 4th President of Portugal (d. 1918)
  • 1874 – Romaine Brooks, American-French painter and illustrator (d. 1970)
  • 1874 – Paul Van Asbroeck, Belgian target shooter (d. 1959)
  • 1875 – Dave Hall, American runner (d. 1972)
  • 1881 – Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, French priest, palaeontologist, and philosopher (d. 1955)
  • 1884 – Francis Curzon, 5th Earl Howe, English race car driver and politician (d. 1964)
  • 1885 – Clément Pansaers, Belgian poet (d. 1922)
  • 1885 – Ralph Stackpole, American sculptor and painter (d. 1973)
  • 1887 – Alan Cunningham, Anglo-Irish general and diplomat, High Commissioners for Palestine and Transjordan (d. 1983)
  • 1890 – Clelia Lollini, Italian physician (d. 1963 or 1964)
  • 1891 – Lillian Estelle Fisher, American historian of Spanish America (d. 1988)
  • 1895 – Nikolai Yezhov, Soviet secret police official, head of the NKVD (d. 1940)
  • 1895 – May Hollinworth, Australian theatre producer and director (d. 1968)
  • 1896 – Herbert Backe, German agronomist and politician (d. 1947)
  • 1896 – Mark W. Clark, American general (d. 1984)
  • 1896 – J. Lawton Collins, American general (d. 1987)
  • 1898 – Alfred Schmidt, Estonian weightlifter (d. 1972)
  • 1900 – Ignazio Silone, Italian journalist and politician (d. 1978)
  • 1900 – Aleksander Wat, Polish poet and writer (d. 1967)
  • 1901 – Sterling Allen Brown, American poet, academic, and critic (d. 1989)
  • 1901 – Heinz Eric Roemheld, American pianist, composer, and conductor (d. 1985)
  • 1901 – Antal Szerb, Hungarian scholar and author (d. 1945)
  • 1905 – Henry Koster, German-American director, producer, and screenwriter (d. 1988)
  • 1906 – Horst Schumann, German SS officer and physician (d. 1983)
  • 1907 – Hayes Alvis, American bassist (d. 1972)
  • 1907 – Kate Smith, American singer and actress (d. 1986)
  • 1908 – Giovannino Guareschi, Italian journalist and author (d. 1968)
  • 1908 – Morris Kline, American mathematician and academic (d. 1992)
  • 1909 – Endel Puusepp, Estonian-Soviet military pilot and politician (d. 1996)
  • 1909 – Yiannis Ritsos, Greek poet and playwright (d. 1990)
  • 1910 – Behice Boran, Turkish sociologist and politician (d. 1987)
  • 1910 – Raya Dunayevskaya, Ukrainian-American philosopher and activist (d. 1987)
  • 1910 – Dirk Andries Flentrop, Dutch organ builder (d. 2003)
  • 1910 – J. Allen Hynek, American astronomer and ufologist (d. 1986)
  • 1910 – Nejdet Sançar, Turkish literature teacher (d. 1975)
  • 1911 – Wilfred Watson, English-Canadian poet, playwright and educator (d. 1998)
  • 1912 – Otto Kretschmer, German admiral (d. 1998)
  • 1913 – Louis Nye, American actor (d. 2005)
  • 1913 – Walter Susskind, Czech-English pianist, conductor, and educator (d. 1980)
  • 1914 – Jaap van der Poll, Dutch javelin thrower (d. 2010)
  • 1915 – Hanns Martin Schleyer, German businessman (d. 1977)
  • 1916 – Antoni Bazaniak, Polish sprint canoeist (d. 1979)
  • 1916 – Glenn Ford, Canadian-American actor and producer (d. 2006)
  • 1917 – John Beradino, American baseball player and actor (d. 1996)
  • 1917 – Ulric Cross, Trinidadian navigator, judge, and diplomat (d. 2013)
  • 1917 – Danielle Darrieux, French actress and singer (d. 2017)
  • 1917 – Ahron Soloveichik, Russian rabbi and scholar (d. 2001)
  • 1918 – Gersh Budker, Ukrainian-Russian physicist and academic (d. 1977)
  • 1918 – Jack Paar, American comedian, author and talk show host (d. 2004)
  • 1919 – Manna Dey, Indian singer and composer (d. 2013)
  • 1919 – Mohammed Karim Lamrani, Moroccan businessman and politician, 7th Prime Minister of Morocco (d. 2018)
  • 1919 – Dan O’Herlihy, Irish-American actor (d. 2005)
  • 1921 – Vladimir Colin, Romanian journalist and author (d. 1991)
  • 1922 – Alastair Gillespie, Canadian scholar and politician (d. 2018)
  • 1923 – Joseph Heller, American novelist, short story writer, and playwright (d. 1999)
  • 1923 – Antônio Maria Mucciolo, Italian-Brazilian archbishop (d. 2012)
  • 1923 – Marcel Rayman, Polish soldier (d. 1944)
  • 1924 – Evelyn Boyd Granville, American mathematician, computer scientist, and academic
  • 1924 – Karel Kachyňa, Czech director and screenwriter (d. 2004)
  • 1924 – Terry Southern, American novelist, essayist, and screenwriter (d. 1995)
  • 1925 – Chuck Bednarik, American lieutenant and football player (d. 2015)
  • 1925 – Scott Carpenter, American commander, pilot, and astronaut (d. 2013)
  • 1925 – Sardar Fazlul Karim, Bangladeshi philosopher, scholar, and academic (d. 2014)
  • 1926 – Peter Lax, Hungarian-American mathematician and academic
  • 1927 – Gary Bertini, Israeli conductor and composer (d. 2005)
  • 1927 – Laura Betti, Italian actress (d. 2004)
  • 1927 – Albert Zafy, Malagasy politician, 3rd President of Madagascar (d. 2017)
  • 1927 – Bernard Vukas, Yugoslav-Croatian footballer (d. 1983)
  • 1928 – Sonny James, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 2016)
  • 1928 – Delfim Netto, Brazilian economist
  • 1929 – Ralf Dahrendorf, German-English sociologist and politician (d. 2009)
  • 1929 – Sonny Ramadhin, Trinidadian cricketer
  • 1930 – Ollie Matson, American sprinter and football player (d. 2011)
  • 1930 – Richard Riordan, American lieutenant and politician, 39th Mayor of Los Angeles and publisher
  • 1930 – Little Walter Jacobs, American blues harp player and singer (d. 1968)
  • 1931 – Naim Attallah, Palestinian author
  • 1932 – Sandy Woodward, English admiral (d. 2013)
  • 1932 – Tabibar Rahman Sarder, Bangladeshi politician. (d. 2010)
  • 1934 – Cuauhtémoc Cárdenas, Mexican politician
  • 1934 – Tang Chang, Thai artist (d. 1990)
  • 1934 – Shirley Horn, American singer and pianist (d. 2005)
  • 1934 – Phillip King, Tunisian-English sculptor
  • 1934 – John Meillon, Australian actor (d. 1989)
  • 1936 – Danièle Huillet, French filmmaker (d. 2006)
  • 1936 – Hans E. Wallman, Swedish director, producer, and composer (d. 2014)
  • 1937 – Una Stubbs, English actress and dancer
  • 1939 – Judy Collins, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1939 – Wilhelmina Cooper, Dutch model (d. 1980)
  • 1939 – Victor Davies, Canadian pianist, composer, and conductor
  • 1943 – Vassal Gadoengin, Nauruan politician (d. 2004)
  • 1943 – Joe Walsh, Irish politician, Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine (d. 2014)
  • 1945 – Rita Coolidge, American singer-songwriter
  • 1945 – Carson Whitsett, American keyboard player, songwriter, and producer (d. 2007)
  • 1946 – Joanna Lumley, English actress, voice-over artist, author, and activist
  • 1946 – John Woo, Hong Kong director, producer, and screenwriter
  • 1947 – Jacob Bekenstein, Mexican-born Israeli-American theoretical physicist (d. 2015)
  • 1947 – Sergio Infante, Chilean-Swedish poet and author
  • 1948 – Györgyi Balogh, Hungarian sprinter
  • 1948 – Patricia Hill Collins, American sociologist and scholar
  • 1949 – Jim Clench, Canadian bass player (d. 2010)
  • 1949 – Tim Hodgkinson, English saxophonist, clarinet player, and composer
  • 1949 – Paul Teutul, Sr., American motorcycle designer, co-founded Orange County Choppers
  • 1950 – Dann Florek, American actor and director
  • 1950 – Danny McGrain, Scottish footballer and coach
  • 1951 – Gordon Greenidge, Barbadian cricketer and coach
  • 1951 – Geoff Lees, English race car driver
  • 1951 – Sally Mann, American photographer
  • 1952 – Richard Blundell, English economist and academic
  • 1952 – Kim Lewison, English lawyer and judge
  • 1952 – Peter Smith, Malaysian-born English academic and judge
  • 1953 – Glen Ballard, American songwriter and producer
  • 1954 – Ray Parker, Jr., American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer
  • 1954 – Joel Rosenberg, Canadian-American author and activist (d. 2011)
  • 1955 – Alex Cunningham, Scottish politician
  • 1955 – Martin O’Donnell, American composer
  • 1955 – Ray Searage, American baseball player and coach
  • 1956 – Catherine Frot, French actress
  • 1956 – Phil Foglio, American illustrator
  • 1957 – Rick Darling, Australian cricketer
  • 1957 – Uberto Pasolini, Italian banker, director, and producer
  • 1959 – Yasmina Reza, French actress and playwright
  • 1959 – Lawrence Seeff, South African cricketer and basket weaver
  • 1960 – Steve Cauthen, American jockey and sportscaster
  • 1961 – Sultan Günal-Gezer, Dutch politician
  • 1961 – Clint Malarchuk, Canadian ice hockey player and coach
  • 1961 – Marilyn Milian, American judge
  • 1961 – Vasiliy Sidorenko, Russian hammer thrower
  • 1962 – Maia Morgenstern, Romanian actress
  • 1962 – Ted Sundquist, American football player, coach, and manager
  • 1964 – Yvonne van Gennip, Dutch speed skater
  • 1966 – Olaf Thon, German footballer and manager
  • 1967 – Tim McGraw, American singer-songwriter and actor
  • 1968 – Oliver Bierhoff, German footballer and manager
  • 1968 – D’arcy Wretzky, American bass player and singer
  • 1969 – Wes Anderson, American director, producer, and screenwriter
  • 1969 – Mary Lou McDonald, Irish politician
  • 1969 – Billy Owens, American basketball player
  • 1970 – Bernard Butler, English singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer
  • 1971 – Ethan Albright, American football player
  • 1971 – Stuart Appleby, Australian golfer
  • 1971 – Kim Grant, South African tennis player
  • 1971 – Artur Kohutek, Polish hurdler and soldier
  • 1971 – Ajith Kumar, Indian film actor in Tamil cinema and race car driver
  • 1972 – Ramzi bin al-Shibh, Yemeni terrorist
  • 1972 – Julie Benz, American actress
  • 1972 – Yoon Hae-young, South Korean actress
  • 1973 – Peter Baah, English footballer and manager
  • 1973 – Mike Jesse, German footballer
  • 1973 – Curtis Martin, American football player
  • 1973 – Oliver Neuville, German footballer
  • 1975 – Austin Croshere, American basketball player and sportscaster
  • 1975 – Marc-Vivien Foé, Cameroonian footballer (d. 2003)
  • 1975 – Nina Hossain, English journalist
  • 1975 – Alexey Smertin, Russian international footballer
  • 1976 – Patricia Stokkers, Dutch swimmer
  • 1977 – Vera Lischka, Austrian swimmer and politician
  • 1978 – James Badge Dale, American actor
  • 1979 – Mauro Bergamasco, Italian rugby player
  • 1979 – Roman Lyashenko, Russian ice hockey player (d. 2003)
  • 1980 – Marvin Cabrera, Mexican footballer
  • 1980 – Rob Davison, Canadian ice hockey player and coach
  • 1980 – Inês Henriques, Portuguese race walker
  • 1980 – Jan Heylen, Belgian race car driver
  • 1980 – Jay Reatard, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 2010)
  • 1980 – Yuliya Tabakova, Russian athlete
  • 1981 – Manny Acosta, Panamanian baseball player
  • 1981 – Derek Asamoah, Ghanaian footballer
  • 1981 – Alexander Hleb, Belarusian footballer
  • 1981 – Wes Welker, American football player
  • 1982 – Beto, Portuguese footballer
  • 1982 – Jamie Dornan, Northern Irish model and actor
  • 1982 – Mark Farren, Irish footballer (d. 2016)
  • 1982 – Katya Zamolodchikova, American drag queen
  • 1982 – Tommy Robredo, Spanish tennis player
  • 1982 – Darijo Srna, Croatian footballer
  • 1983 – Alain Bernard, French swimmer
  • 1983 – Human Tornado, American wrestler
  • 1983 – Park Hae-jin, South Korean actor
  • 1984 – David Backes, American ice hockey player
  • 1984 – Mišo Brečko, Slovenian footballer
  • 1984 – Patrick Eaves, American ice hockey player
  • 1984 – Alexander Farnerud, Swedish footballer
  • 1984 – Farah Fath, American actress
  • 1984 – Keiichiro Koyama, Japanese singer and actor
  • 1984 – Víctor Montaño, Colombian footballer
  • 1984 – Mark Seaby, Australian footballer
  • 1985 – Shahriar Nafees, Bangladeshi cricketer
  • 1986 – Christian Benítez, Ecuadorian footballer (d. 2013)
  • 1986 – Adam Casey, Australian footballer
  • 1986 – Cassie Jaye, American actress and film director
  • 1986 – Jesse Klaver, Dutch politician
  • 1986 – Lee Chang-min, South Korean singer
  • 1986 – Brent Stanton, Australian footballer
  • 1987 – Leonardo Bonucci, Italian footballer
  • 1987 – Glen Coffee, American football player
  • 1987 – Iván DeJesús Jr., Puerto Rican baseball player
  • 1987 – Marcus Drum, Australian footballer
  • 1987 – Amir Johnson, American basketball player
  • 1987 – Ryan Mathews, American football player
  • 1987 – Saidi Ntibazonkiza, Burundian footballer
  • 1987 – Shahar Pe’er, Israeli tennis player
  • 1988 – Maria Balaba, Latvian figure skater
  • 1988 – Maxim Gustik, Belarusian freestyle skier
  • 1988 – Teodor Peterson, Swedish cross-country skier
  • 1989 – Alejandro Arribas, Spanish footballer
  • 1989 – Poļina Jeļizarova, Latvian runner
  • 1990 – Uriel Álvarez, Mexican footballer
  • 1990 – Caitlin Stasey, Australian actress
  • 1990 – Diego Contento, German footballer
  • 1990 – Scooter Gennett, American baseball player
  • 1991 – Marcus Stroman, American baseball player
  • 1991 – Daniel Talbot, British sprinter
  • 1992 – Trevor Philp, Canadian alpine skier
  • 1992 – Bradley Roby, American football player
  • 1993 – Jean-Christophe Bahebeck, French footballer
  • 1993 – Ifeoma Nwoye, Nigerian wrestler
  • 1994 – Wallace Oliveira, Brazilian footballer
  • 1995 – Collin Seedorf, Dutch footballer
  • 1996 – Christopher J. Alexis Jr., Grenadian road cyclist
  • 1996 – Daniel Saifiti, Australian-Fijian rugby league player
  • 1996 – Jacob Saifiti, Australian-Fijian rugby league player
  • 1996 – Michael Seaton, Jamaican footballer
  • 2004 – Charli D’Amelio, American social media influencer and dancer

Deaths on May 1

  • 408 – Arcadius, Byzantine emperor (b. 377)
  • 558 – Marcouf, missionary and saint
  • 908 – Wang Zongji, Chinese prince and pretender
  • 1118 – Matilda of Scotland (b. 1080)
  • 1171 – Diarmait Mac Murchada, King of Leinster (b. 1110)
  • 1187 – Roger de Moulins, Grand Master of the Knights Hospitaller
  • 1255 – Walter de Gray, English prelate and statesman
  • 1277 – Stefan Uroš I of Serbia (b. 1223)
  • 1278 – William II of Villehardouin
  • 1308 – Albert I of Germany (b. 1255)
  • 1312 – Paul I Šubić of Bribir
  • 1539 – Isabella of Portugal (b. 1503)
  • 1555 – Pope Marcellus II (b. 1501)
  • 1572 – Pope Pius V (b. 1504)
  • 1668 – Frans Luycx, Flemish painter (b. 1604)
  • 1730 – François de Troy, French painter and engraver (b. 1645)
  • 1731 – Johann Ludwig Bach, German violinist and composer (b. 1677)
  • 1738 – Charles Howard, 3rd Earl of Carlisle, English politician, First Lord of the Treasury (b. 1669)
  • 1772 – Gottfried Achenwall, Polish-German historian, economist, and jurist (b. 1719)
  • 1813 – Jean-Baptiste Bessières, French general (b. 1768)
  • 1838 – Antoine Louis Dugès, French obstetrician and naturalist (b. 1797)
  • 1856 – John Wilbur, American minister and theologian (b. 1774)
  • 1873 – David Livingstone, Scottish-English missionary and explorer (b. 1813)
  • 1899 – Ludwig Büchner, German physiologist and physician (b. 1824)
  • 1904 – Antonín Dvořák, Czech composer and academic (b. 1841)
  • 1913 – John Barclay Armstrong, American lieutenant (b. 1850)
  • 1920 – Princess Margaret of Connaught (b. 1882)
  • 1935 – Henri Pélissier, French cyclist (b. 1889)
  • 1943 – Johan Oscar Smith, Norwegian religious leader, founded the Brunstad Christian Church (b. 1871)
  • 1945 – Joseph Goebbels, German lawyer and politician, Chancellor of Germany (b. 1897)
  • 1945 – Magda Goebbels, German wife of Joseph Goebbels (b. 1901)
  • 1953 – Everett Shinn, American painter and illustrator (b. 1876)
  • 1956 – LeRoy Samse, American pole vaulter (b. 1883)
  • 1960 – Charles Holden, English architect, designed the Bristol Central Library (b. 1875)
  • 1963 – Lope K. Santos, Filipino lawyer and politician (b. 1879)
  • 1965 – Spike Jones, American singer and bandleader (b. 1911)
  • 1968 – Jack Adams, Canadian-American ice hockey player, coach, and manager (b. 1895)
  • 1968 – Harold Nicolson, English author and politician (b. 1886)
  • 1970 – Yi Un, Korean prince (b. 1897)
  • 1973 – Asger Jorn, Danish painter and sculptor (b. 1914)
  • 1976 – T. R. M. Howard, American surgeon and activist (b. 1908)
  • 1976 – Alexandros Panagoulis, Greek poet and politician (b. 1939)
  • 1978 – Aram Khachaturian, Armenian composer and conductor (b. 1903)
  • 1982 – William Primrose, Scottish viola player and educator (b. 1903)
  • 1984 – Jüri Lossmann, Estonian-Swedish runner (b. 1891)
  • 1985 – Denise Robins, English journalist and author (b. 1897)
  • 1986 – Hylda Baker, English comedian, actress and music hall performer (b. 1905)
  • 1986 – Hugo Peretti, American songwriter and producer (b. 1916)
  • 1988 – Ben Lexcen, Australian sailor and architect (b. 1936)
  • 1989 – Sally Kirkland, American journalist (b. 1912)
  • 1989 – V. M. Panchalingam, Sri Lankan civil servant (b. 1930)
  • 1989 – Patrice Tardif, Canadian farmer and politician (b. 1904)
  • 1990 – Sergio Franchi, Italian-American tenor and actor (b. 1926)
  • 1991 – Richard Thorpe, American director and screenwriter (b. 1896)
  • 1993 – Pierre Bérégovoy, French metallurgist and politician, Prime Minister of France (b. 1925)
  • 1993 – Ranasinghe Premadasa, Sri Lankan politician, 3rd President of Sri Lanka (b. 1924)
  • 1994 – Ayrton Senna, Brazilian race car driver (b. 1960)
  • 1995 – Antonio Salemme, Italian-American painter (b. 1892)
  • 1997 – Fernand Dumont, Canadian sociologist, philosopher, and poet (b. 1927)
  • 1998 – Eldridge Cleaver, American author and activist (b. 1935)
  • 2000 – Steve Reeves, American bodybuilder and actor (b. 1926)
  • 2002 – Ebrahim Al-Arrayedh, Indian poet and author (b. 1908)
  • 2003 – Miss Elizabeth, American wrestler and manager (b. 1960)
  • 2003 – Wim van Est, Dutch cyclist (b. 1923)
  • 2005 – Kenneth Clark, American psychologist and academic (b. 1914)
  • 2008 – Anthony Mamo, Maltese judge and politician, 1st President of Malta (b. 1909)
  • 2008 – Philipp von Boeselager, German soldier and economist (b. 1917)
  • 2010 – Helen Wagner, American actress (b. 1918)
  • 2011 – Henry Cooper, English boxer (b. 1934)
  • 2011 – Ted Lowe, English sportscaster (b. 1920)
  • 2012 – James Kinley, Canadian engineer and politician, 29th Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia (b. 1925)
  • 2012 – Mordechai Virshubski, German-Israeli lawyer and politician (b. 1930)
  • 2013 – Chris Kelly, American rapper (b. 1978)
  • 2013 – Pierre Pleimelding, French footballer and manager (b. 1952)
  • 2014 – Adamu Atta, Nigerian lawyer and politician, 5th Governor of Kwara State (b. 1927)
  • 2014 – Radhia Cousot, Tunisian-American computer scientist and academic (b. 1947)
  • 2014 – Assi Dayan, Israeli actor, director, and screenwriter (b. 1945)
  • 2014 – Juan de Dios Castillo, Mexican footballer and coach (b. 1951)
  • 2015 – Geoff Duke, English-Manx motorcycle racer (b. 1923)
  • 2015 – Vafa Guluzade, Azerbaijani political scientist, academic, and diplomat (b. 1940)
  • 2015 – María Elena Velasco, Mexican actress, singer, director, and screenwriter (b. 1940)
  • 2015 – Grace Lee Whitney, American actress (b. 1930)

Holidays and observances on May 1

  • Christian feast day:
    • Andeolus
    • Augustin Schoeffler, Jean-Louis Bonnard (part of Vietnamese Martyrs)
    • Benedict of Szkalka
    • Brioc
    • James the Less (Anglican Communion)
    • Joseph the Worker (Roman Catholic)
    • Blessed Klymentiy Sheptytsky (Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church
    • Marcouf
    • Philip the Apostle (Anglican Communion, Lutheran Church)
    • Richard Pampuri
    • Sigismund of Burgundy
    • Ultan
    • May 1 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
  • Earliest day on which Mother’s Day can fall, while May 7 is the latest; celebrated on the first Monday in May. (Samoa)
  • Earliest day on which Mother’s Day can fall, while May 7 is the latest; celebrated on the first Sunday in May. (Hong Kong, Hungary, Lithuania, Mozambique, Portugal, Spain, Romania)
  • Earliest day on which National Day of Prayer can fall, while May 7 is the latest; celebrated on the first Thursday in May. (United States)
  • Earliest day on which World Asthma Day can fall, while May 7 is the latest; celebrated on the first Tuesday in May. (International)
  • Armed Forces Day (Mauritania)
  • Constitution Day (Argentina, Latvia, Marshall Islands)
  • Commemoration of the states of Maharashtra and Gujarat following the foundation of Samyukta Maharashtra Samiti (India):
    • Maharashtra Day
  • International Sunflower Guerrilla Gardening Day
  • Lei Day (Hawaii)
  • International Workers’ Day or Labour Day (International), and its related observances:
    • Earliest day on which Labour Day can fall, while May 7 is the latest; celebrated on the first Monday of May. (Barbados, Dominica)
    • Law Day (United States), formerly intended to counterbalance the celebration of Labour Day. (United States)
    • Loyalty Day, formerly intended to counterbalance the celebration of Labour Day. (United States)
  • May Day (beginning of Summer) observances in the Northern hemisphere (see April 30):
    • Beltane (Ireland, Scotland, Isle of Man, Celtic neopagans and Wiccans in the Northern hemisphere)
    • Earliest day on which Beltane can fall, while May 7 is the latest; celebrated on the first Monday in May. (Ireland, Scotland)
    • Calan Mai (Wales)
  • Samhain (Celtic neopagans and Wiccans in the Southern Hemisphere)

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