American astronomer

  • May 26 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day

    • 17 – Germanicus celebrates a triumph in Rome for his victories over the Cherusci, Chatti, and other German tribes west of the Elbe.
    • 451 – Battle of Avarayr between Armenian rebels and the Sasanian Empire takes place. The Sasanids defeat the Armenians militarily but guarantee them freedom to openly practice Christianity.
    • 946 – King Edmund I of England is murdered by a thief whom he personally attacks while celebrating St Augustine’s Mass Day.
    • 961 – King Otto I elects his 6-year-old son Otto II as heir apparent and co-ruler of the East Frankish Kingdom. He is crowned at Aachen, and placed under the tutelage of his grandmother Matilda.
    • 1135 – Alfonso VII of León and Castile is crowned in León Cathedral as Imperator totius Hispaniae (Emperor of all of Spain).
    • 1293 – An earthquake strikes Kamakura, Kanagawa, Japan, killing about 23,000.
    • 1328 – William of Ockham, the Franciscan Minister-General Michael of Cesena, and two other Franciscan leaders secretly leave Avignon, fearing a death sentence from Pope John XXII.
    • 1538 – Geneva expels John Calvin and his followers from the city. Calvin lives in exile in Strasbourg for the next three years.
    • 1573 – The Battle of Haarlemmermeer, a naval engagement in the Dutch War of Independence.
    • 1637 – Pequot War: A combined English and Mohegan force under John Mason attacks a village in Connecticut, massacring approximately 500 Pequots.
    • 1644 – Portuguese Restoration War: Portuguese and Spanish forces both claim victory in the Battle of Montijo.
    • 1736 – The Battle of Ackia was fought near the present site of Tupelo, Mississippi. British and Chickasaw soldiers repelled a French and Choctaw attack on the then-Chickasaw village of Ackia.
    • 1770 – The Orlov Revolt, an attempt to revolt against the Ottoman Empire before the Greek War of Independence, ends in disaster for the Greeks.
    • 1783 – A Great Jubilee Day held at North Stratford, Connecticut, celebrated the end of fighting in the American Revolution.
    • 1805 – Napoléon Bonaparte assumes the title of King of Italy and is crowned with the Iron Crown of Lombardy in Milan Cathedral, the gothic cathedral in Milan.
    • 1821 – Establishment of the Peloponnesian Senate by the Greek rebels.
    • 1822 – One hundred sixteen people die in the Grue Church fire, the biggest fire disaster in Norway’s history.
    • 1857 – Dred Scott is emancipated by the Blow family, his original owners.
    • 1864 – Montana is organized as a United States territory.
    • 1865 – American Civil War: The Confederate General Edmund Kirby Smith, commander of the Confederate Trans-Mississippi division, is the last full general of the Confederate Army to surrender, at Galveston, Texas.
    • 1868 – The Impeachment of Andrew Johnson ends with his acquittal by one vote.
    • 1869 – Boston University is chartered by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
    • 1879 – Russia and the United Kingdom sign the Treaty of Gandamak establishing an Afghan state.
    • 1896 – Nicholas II becomes the last Tsar of Imperial Russia.
    • 1896 – Charles Dow publishes the first edition of the Dow Jones Industrial Average.
    • 1897 – Dracula, a Gothic horror novel by Irish author Bram Stoker, is published.
    • 1897 – The original manuscript of William Bradford’s history, “Of Plymouth Plantation” is returned to the Governor of Massachusetts by the Bishop of London after being taken during the American Revolutionary War.
    • 1900 – Thousand Days’ War: The Colombian Conservative Party turns the tide of war in their favor with victory against the Colombian Liberal Party in the Battle of Palonegro.
    • 1908 – The first major commercial oil strike in the Middle East was made at Masjed Soleyman in southwest Persia. The rights to the resource were quickly acquired by the Anglo-Persian Oil Company.
    • 1917 – Several powerful tornadoes rip through Illinois, including the city of Mattoon.
    • 1918 – The Democratic Republic of Georgia is established.
    • 1923 – The first 24 Hours of Le Mans was held and has since been run annually in June.
    • 1927 – The last Ford Model T rolls off the assembly line after a production run of 15,007,003 vehicles.
    • 1936 – In the House of Commons of Northern Ireland, Tommy Henderson begins speaking on the Appropriation Bill. By the time he sits down in the early hours of the following morning, he had spoken for ten hours.
    • 1937 – Walter Reuther and members of the United Auto Workers (UAW) clashed with Ford Motor Company security guards at the River Rouge Complex complex in Dearborn, Michigan, during the Battle of the Overpass.
    • 1938 – In the United States, the House Un-American Activities Committee begins its first session.
    • 1940 – World War II: Operation Dynamo: In northern France, Allied forces begin a massive evacuation from Dunkirk, France.
    • 1940 – World War II: The Siege of Calais ends with the surrender of the British and French garrison.
    • 1942 – World War II: The Battle of Gazala takes place.
    • 1948 – The U.S. Congress passes Public Law 80-557, which permanently establishes the Civil Air Patrol as an auxiliary of the United States Air Force.
    • 1966 – British Guiana gains independence, becoming Guyana.
    • 1967 – The Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band is released.
    • 1968 – H-dagurinn in Iceland: Traffic changes from driving on the left to driving on the right overnight
    • 1969 – Apollo program: Apollo 10 returns to Earth after a successful eight-day test of all the components needed for the forthcoming first manned moon landing.
    • 1970 – The Soviet Tupolev Tu-144 becomes the first commercial transport to exceed Mach 2.
    • 1971 – Bangladesh Liberation War: The Pakistan Army slaughters at least 71 Hindus in Burunga, Sylhet, Bangladesh.
    • 1972 – The United States and the Soviet Union sign the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty.
    • 1981 – Italian Prime Minister Arnaldo Forlani and his coalition cabinet resign following a scandal over membership of the pseudo-masonic lodge P2 (Propaganda Due).
    • 1981 – An EA-6B Prowler crashes on the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz, killing 14 crewmen and injuring 45 others.
    • 1983 – The 7.8 Mw  Sea of Japan earthquake shakes northern Honshu with a maximum Mercalli intensity of VIII (Severe). A destructive tsunami is generated that leaves about 100 people dead.
    • 1986 – The European Community adopts the European flag.
    • 1991 – Zviad Gamsakhurdia becomes the first elected President of the Republic of Georgia in the post-Soviet era.
    • 1991 – Lauda Air Flight 004 breaks apart in mid-air and crashes in the Phu Toei National Park in Thailand, killing all 223 people on board.
    • 1998 – The Supreme Court of the United States rules in New Jersey v. New York that Ellis Island, the historic gateway for millions of immigrants, is mainly in the state of New Jersey, not New York.
    • 1998 – The first “National Sorry Day” was held in Australia, and reconciliation events were held nationally, and attended by over a million people.
    • 2002 – The tugboat Robert Y. Love collides with a support pier of Interstate 40 on the Arkansas River near Webbers Falls, Oklahoma, resulting in 14 deaths and 11 others injured.
    • 2004 – United States Army veteran Terry Nichols is found guilty of 161 state murder charges for helping carry out the Oklahoma City bombing.
    • 2008 – Severe flooding begins in eastern and southern China that will ultimately cause 148 deaths and force the evacuation of 1.3 million.

    Births on May 26

    • 1264 – Koreyasu, Japanese prince and shōgun (d. 1326)
    • 1478 – Clement VII, pope of the Catholic Church (d. 1534)
    • 1562 – James III, margrave of Baden-Hachberg (d. 1590)
    • 1566 – Mehmed III, Ottoman sultan (d. 1603)
    • 1602 – Philippe de Champaigne, Dutch-French painter (d. 1674)
    • 1623 – William Petty, English economist and philosopher (d. 1687)
    • 1650 – John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough, English general and politician, Lord Lieutenant of Oxfordshire (d. 1722)
    • 1667 – Abraham de Moivre, French-English mathematician and theorist (d. 1754)
    • 1669 – Sébastien Vaillant, French botanist and mycologist (d. 1722)
    • 1700 – Nicolaus Zinzendorf, German bishop and saint (d. 1760)
    • 1799 – August Kopisch, German poet and painter (d. 1853)
    • 1822 – Edmond de Goncourt, French author and critic, founded the Académie Goncourt (d. 1896)
    • 1863 – Bob Fitzsimmons, English-New Zealand boxer (d. 1917)
    • 1865 – Robert W. Chambers, American author and illustrator (d. 1933)
    • 1867 – Mary of Teck, English-born queen consort of the United Kingdom (d. 1953)
    • 1873 – Olaf Gulbransson, Norwegian painter and illustrator (d. 1958)
    • 1876 – Percy Perrin, English cricketer (d. 1945)
    • 1880 – W. Otto Miessner, American composer and educator (d. 1967)
    • 1881 – Adolfo de la Huerta, Mexican politician and provisional president, 1920 (d. 1955)
    • 1883 – Mamie Smith, American singer, actress, dancer, and pianist (d. 1946)
    • 1886 – Al Jolson, American singer and actor (d. 1950)
    • 1887 – Ba U, 2nd President of Burma (d. 1963)
    • 1893 – Eugene Aynsley Goossens, English conductor and composer (d. 1962)
    • 1895 – Dorothea Lange, American photographer and journalist (d. 1965)
    • 1895 – Paul Lukas, Hungarian-American actor and singer (d. 1971)
    • 1898 – Ernst Bacon, American pianist, composer, and conductor (d. 1990)
    • 1898 – Christfried Burmeister, Estonian speed skater (d. 1965)
    • 1899 – Antonio Barrette, Canadian lawyer and politician, 18th Premier of Quebec (d. 1968)
    • 1899 – Muriel McQueen Fergusson, Canadian lawyer and politician, Canadian Speaker of the Senate (d. 1997)
    • 1900 – Karin Juel, Swedish singer, actor, and writer (d. 1976)
    • 1904 – George Formby, English singer-songwriter and actor (d. 1961)
    • 1904 – Necip Fazıl Kısakürek, Turkish author, poet, and playwright (d. 1983)
    • 1904 – Vlado Perlemuter, Lithuanian-French pianist and educator (d. 2002)
    • 1907 – Jean Bernard, French physician and haematologist (d. 2006)
    • 1907 – John Wayne, American actor, director, and producer (d. 1979)
    • 1908 – Robert Morley, English actor (d. 1992)
    • 1908 – Nguyễn Ngọc Thơ, Vietnamese politician, 1st Prime Minister of the Republic of Vietnam (d. 1976)
    • 1909 – Matt Busby, Scottish footballer and manager (d. 1994)
    • 1909 – Adolfo López Mateos, Mexican politician, 48th President of Mexico (d. 1969)
    • 1910 – Imi Lichtenfeld, Hungarian-Israeli martial artist, boxer, and gymnast (d. 1998)
    • 1911 – Maurice Baquet, French actor and cellist (d. 2005)
    • 1911 – Henry Ephron, American playwright, screenwriter, and producer (d. 1992)
    • 1912 – János Kádár, Hungarian mechanic and politician, 46th Prime Minister of Hungary (d. 1989)
    • 1912 – Jay Silverheels, Canadian-American actor (d. 1980)
    • 1913 – Peter Cushing, English actor (d. 1994)
    • 1913 – Pierre Daninos, French author (d. 2005)
    • 1913 – Karin Ekelund, Swedish actress (d. 1976)
    • 1913 – Josef Manger, German weightlifter (d. 1991)
    • 1914 – Frankie Manning, American dancer and choreographer (d. 2009)
    • 1915 – Vernon Alley, American bassist (d. 2004)
    • 1915 – Antonia Forest, English author (d. 2003)
    • 1916 – Henriette Roosenburg, Dutch journalist and author (d. 1972)
    • 1919 – Rubén González, Cuban pianist (d. 2003)
    • 1920 – Jack Cheetham, South African cricketer (d. 1980)
    • 1920 – Peggy Lee, American singer-songwriter and actress (d. 2002)
    • 1921 – Inge Borkh, German soprano (d. 2018)
    • 1922 – Troy Smith, American businessman, founded Sonic Drive-In (d. 2009)
    • 1923 – James Arness, American actor (d. 2011)
    • 1923 – Roy Dotrice, English actor (d. 2017)
    • 1925 – Carmen Montejo, Cuban-Mexican actress (d. 2013)
    • 1925 – Alec McCowen, English actor (d. 2017)
    • 1926 – Miles Davis, American trumpet player, composer, and bandleader (d. 1991)
    • 1927 – Jacques Bergerac, French actor and businessman (d. 2014)
    • 1928 – Jack Kevorkian, American pathologist, author, and assisted suicide activist (d. 2011)
    • 1929 – J. F. Ade Ajayi, Nigerian historian and academic (d. 2014)
    • 1929 – Ernie Carroll, Australian television personality and producer
    • 1929 – Hans Freeman, Australian bioinorganic chemist and protein crystallographer (d. 2008)
    • 1929 – John Jackson, English lawyer and businessman
    • 1929 – Catherine Sauvage, French singer and actress (d. 1998)
    • 1930 – Karim Emami, Indian-Iranian lexicographer and critic (d. 2005)
    • 1933 – Edward Whittemore, American soldier and author (d. 1995)
    • 1935 – Eero Loone, Estonian philosopher and academic
    • 1936 – David Stevens, Baron Stevens of Ludgate, English politician
    • 1937 – Manorama, Indian actress and singer (d. 2015)
    • 1937 – Paul E. Patton, American politician, 59th Governor of Kentucky
    • 1938 – William Bolcom, American pianist and composer
    • 1938 – Lyudmila Petrushevskaya, Russian author and playwright
    • 1938 – K. Bikram Singh, Indian director and producer (d. 2013)
    • 1938 – Teresa Stratas, Canadian soprano and actress
    • 1939 – Brent Musburger, American sportscaster
    • 1939 – Herb Trimpe, American author and illustrator (d. 2015)
    • 1940 – Monique Gagnon-Tremblay, Canadian academic and politician, Deputy Premier of Quebec
    • 1940 – Levon Helm, American singer-songwriter, drummer, producer, and actor (d. 2012)
    • 1941 – Aldrich Ames, American CIA officer and criminal
    • 1941 – Jim Dobbin, Scottish microbiologist and politician (d. 2014)
    • 1941 – Cliff Drysdale, South African tennis player and sportscaster
    • 1941 – Imants Kalniņš, Latvian composer
    • 1943 – Erica Terpstra, Dutch swimmer, journalist, and politician
    • 1944 – Phil Edmonston, American-Canadian journalist and politician
    • 1944 – Jan Kinder, Norwegian ice hockey player (d. 2013)
    • 1944 – Sam Posey, American race car driver and journalist
    • 1945 – Vilasrao Deshmukh, Indian lawyer and politician, 17th Chief Minister of Maharashtra (d. 2012)
    • 1945 – Alistair MacDuff, English lawyer and judge
    • 1945 – Garry Peterson, Canadian-American drummer
    • 1946 – Neshka Robeva, Bulgarian gymnast and coach
    • 1946 – Mick Ronson, English guitarist, songwriter, and producer (d. 1993)
    • 1947 – Carol O’Connell, American author and painter
    • 1947 – Glenn Turner, New Zealand cricketer
    • 1948 – Stevie Nicks, American singer-songwriter
    • 1949 – Jeremy Corbyn, British journalist and politician
    • 1949 – Ward Cunningham, American computer programmer, developed the first wiki
    • 1949 – Pam Grier, American actress
    • 1949 – Anne McGuire, Scottish educator and politician
    • 1949 – Philip Michael Thomas, American actor
    • 1949 – Hank Williams Jr., American singer-songwriter and guitarist
    • 1951 – Ramón Calderón, Spanish lawyer and businessman
    • 1951 – Lou van den Dries, Dutch mathematician
    • 1951 – Sally Ride, American physicist and astronaut, founded Sally Ride Science (d. 2012)
    • 1951 – Madeleine Taylor-Quinn, Irish educator and politician
    • 1952 – David Meece, American singer-songwriter and pianist
    • 1953 – Kay Hagan, American lawyer and politician (d. 2019)
    • 1953 – Don McAllister, English footballer and manager
    • 1953 – Michael Portillo, English journalist and politician, Secretary of State for Defence
    • 1953 – Dan Roundfield, American basketball player (d. 2012)
    • 1954 – Alan Hollinghurst, English novelist, poet, short story writer, and translator
    • 1954 – Denis Lebel, Canadian businessman and politician, 29th Canadian Minister of Transport
    • 1955 – Masaharu Morimoto, Japanese-American chef
    • 1955 – Paul Stoddart, Australian businessman
    • 1955 – Wesley Walker, American football player and educator
    • 1956 – Neil Parish, English politician
    • 1956 – Fiona Shackleton, English lawyer
    • 1957 – Diomedes Díaz, Colombian singer-songwriter (d. 2013)
    • 1957 – François Legault, Canadian businessman and politician
    • 1957 – Roberto Ravaglia, Italian race car driver
    • 1958 – Ronnie Black, American golfer
    • 1958 – Arto Bryggare, Finnish hurdler and politician
    • 1958 – Margaret Colin, American actress
    • 1959 – Ole Bornedal, Danish actor, director, and producer
    • 1960 – Doug Hutchison, American actor
    • 1960 – Dean Lukin, Australian weightlifter
    • 1960 – Masahiro Matsunaga, Japanese race car driver
    • 1960 – Rob Murphy, American baseball player
    • 1960 – Romas Ubartas, Lithuanian discus thrower
    • 1961 – Steve Pate, American golfer
    • 1961 – Tarsem Singh, Indian-American director, producer, and screenwriter
    • 1962 – Black, English singer-songwriter (d. 2016)
    • 1962 – Genie Francis, Canadian-American actress
    • 1962 – Bobcat Goldthwait, American actor, director, and screenwriter
    • 1963 – Simon Armitage, English poet, playwright and novelist
    • 1963 – Claude Legault, Canadian actor and screenwriter
    • 1963 – Mary Nightingale, English journalist
    • 1963 – Jamie Spence, English golfer
    • 1964 – Caitlín R. Kiernan, Irish-American paleontologist and author
    • 1964 – Lenny Kravitz, American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, producer, and actor
    • 1964 – Argiris Pedoulakis, Greek basketball player and coach
    • 1965 – Hazel Irvine, Scottish sportscaster and journalist
    • 1966 – Helena Bonham Carter, English actress
    • 1966 – Zola Budd, South African runner
    • 1967 – Philip Treacy, Irish milliner, hat designer
    • 1967 – Mika Yamamoto, Japanese journalist (d. 2012)
    • 1968 – Fernando León de Aranoa, Spanish director, producer, and screenwriter
    • 1968 – Frederik, Crown Prince of Denmark
    • 1968 – Steve Sedgley, English footballer and manager
    • 1969 – John Baird, Canadian politician, 10th Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs
    • 1969 – Siri Lindley, American triathlete and coach
    • 1969 – Dominic Mohan, English journalist
    • 1970 – Nobuhiro Watsuki, Japanese illustrator
    • 1971 – Zaher Andary, Lebanese footballer
    • 1971 – Matt Stone, American actor, animator, screenwriter, producer, and composer
    • 1973 – Naomi Harris, Canadian-American photographer
    • 1974 – Lars Frölander, Swedish swimmer
    • 1975 – Lauryn Hill, American singer-songwriter, producer, and actress
    • 1976 – Paul Collingwood, English cricketer and coach
    • 1976 – Stephen Curry, Australian comedian and actor
    • 1976 – Kenny Florian, American mixed martial artist and sportscaster
    • 1976 – Justin Pierre, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer
    • 1977 – Nikos Chatzivrettas, Greek basketball player
    • 1977 – Raina Telgemeier, American author and cartoonist
    • 1977 – Luca Toni, Italian footballer
    • 1977 – Misaki Ito, Japanese actress and model
    • 1978 – Phil Elvrum, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
    • 1978 – Fabio Firmani, Italian footballer
    • 1978 – Dan Parks, Australian-Scottish rugby player
    • 1979 – Amanda Bauer, American astronomer and academic
    • 1979 – Natalya Nazarova, Russian sprinter
    • 1979 – Elisabeth Harnois, American actress
    • 1979 – Mehmet Okur, Turkish basketball player
    • 1980 – Louis-Jean Cormier, Canadian singer and songwriter
    • 1981 – Robert Copeland, Australian footballer
    • 1981 – Anthony Ervin, American swimmer
    • 1981 – Jason Manford, English actor, screenwriter, and television host
    • 1981 – Isaac Slade, American singer-songwriter and pianist
    • 1981 – Ben Zobrist, American baseball player
    • 1982 – Sten Lassmann, Estonian pianist
    • 1982 – Hasan Kabze, Turkish footballer
    • 1983 – Demy de Zeeuw, Dutch footballer
    • 1983 – Henry Holland, English fashion designer
    • 1983 – Nathan Merritt, Australian rugby league player
    • 1985 – Monika Christodoulou, Greek singer-songwriter and guitarist
    • 1985 – Ashley Vincent, English footballer
    • 1986 – Michel Tornéus, Swedish long jumper
    • 1987 – Olcay Şahan, Turkish footballer
    • 1987 – Josh Thomas, Australian comedian and actor
    • 1988 – Andrea Catellani, Italian footballer
    • 1988 – Will Chambers, Australian rugby league player
    • 1988 – Juan Guillermo Cuadrado, Colombian footballer
    • 1988 – Dani Samuels, Australian discus thrower
    • 1988 – Joel Selwood, Australian footballer
    • 1988 – Damian Williams, American football player
    • 1989 – Paula Findlay, Canadian triathlete
    • 1991 – Ah Young, South Korean singer and actress
    • 1992 – Curtis Rona, New Zealand rugby league player
    • 1993 – Jason Adesanya, Belgian footballer
    • 1993 – Dan Sarginson, Australian-English rugby league player
    • 1993 – Katerine Savard, Canadian swimmer
    • 1993 – Jimmy Vesey, American ice hockey player
    • 1996 – Lara Goodall, South African cricketer

    Deaths on May 26

    • 604 – Augustine of Canterbury, Benedictine monk and archbishop
    • 735 – Bede, English monk, historian, and theologian
    • 818 – Ali al-Ridha, Saudi Arabian 8th of The Twelve Imams
    • 926 – Yuan Xingqin, Chinese general and governor
    • 946 – Edmund I, king of England (b. 921)
    • 1035 – Berenguer Ramon I, Spanish nobleman (b. 1005)
    • 1055 – Adalbert, margrave of Austria
    • 1250 – Peter I, duke of Brittany
    • 1339 – Aldona Ona, queen of Poland
    • 1362 – Louis I, king of Naples (b. 1320)
    • 1421 – Mehmed I, Ottoman sultan (b. 1389)
    • 1512 – Bayezid II, Ottoman sultan (b. 1447)
    • 1536 – Francesco Berni, Italian poet (b. 1498)
    • 1552 – Sebastian Münster, German cartographer and cosmographer (b. 1488)
    • 1648 – Vincent Voiture, French poet and author (b. 1597)
    • 1653 – Robert Filmer, English theorist and author (b. 1588)
    • 1679 – Ferdinand Maria, Elector of Bavaria (b. 1636)
    • 1685 – Charles II, German elector palatine (b. 1651)
    • 1703 – Samuel Pepys, English politician (b. 1633)
    • 1742 – Pylyp Orlyk, Ukrainian diplomat (b. 1672)
    • 1746 – Thomas Southerne, Irish playwright (b. 1660)
    • 1762 – Alexander Gottlieb Baumgarten, German philosopher and academic (b. 1714)
    • 1799 – James Burnett, Lord Monboddo, Scottish linguist, biologist, and judge (b. 1714)
    • 1818 – Michael Andreas Barclay de Tolly, Russian field marshal and politician, Governor-General of Finland (b. 1761)
    • 1818 – Manuel Rodríguez Erdoíza, Chilean lawyer and guerrilla leader (b. 1785)
    • 1824 – Capel Lofft, English lawyer (b. 1751)
    • 1840 – Sidney Smith, English admiral and politician (b. 1764)
    • 1881 – Jakob Bernays, German philologist and academic (b. 1824)
    • 1883 – Abdelkader El Djezairi, Algerian ruler (b. 1808)
    • 1902 – Almon Brown Strowger, American soldier and inventor (b. 1839)
    • 1904 – Georges Gilles de la Tourette, French physician and neurologist (b. 1857)
    • 1908 – Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, Indian religious leader, founded the Ahmadiyya movement (b. 1835)
    • 1914 – Jacob August Riis, Danish-American journalist, photographer, and reformer (b. 1849)
    • 1924 – Victor Herbert, Irish-American cellist, composer, and conductor, founded the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (b. 1859)
    • 1926 – Srečko Kosovel, Slovenian poet (b. 1904)
    • 1933 – Horatio Bottomley, English financier, journalist, and politician (b. 1860)
    • 1933 – Jimmie Rodgers, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (b. 1897)
    • 1939 – Charles Horace Mayo, American physician, co-founded Mayo Clinic (b. 1865)
    • 1943 – Edsel Ford, American businessman (b. 1893)
    • 1943 – Alice Tegnér, Swedish organist, composer, and educator (b. 1864)
    • 1944 – Christian Wirth, German SS officer (b. 1885)
    • 1948 – Torsten Bergström, Swedish actor and director (b. 1896)
    • 1951 – Lincoln Ellsworth, American explorer (b. 1880)
    • 1954 – Lionel Conacher, Canadian football player and politician (b. 1900)
    • 1955 – Alberto Ascari, Italian race car driver (b. 1918)
    • 1956 – Al Simmons, American baseball player and coach (b. 1902)
    • 1959 – Philip Kassel, American gymnast (b. 1876)
    • 1966 – Elizabeth Dilling, American author and activist (b. 1894)
    • 1969 – Paul Hawkins, Australian race car driver (b. 1937)
    • 1969 – Allan Haines Loughead, American engineer, co-founded the Lockheed Corporation (b. 1889)
    • 1974 – Silvio Moser, Swiss race car driver (b. 1941)
    • 1976 – Martin Heidegger, German philosopher and academic (b. 1889)
    • 1978 – Cybele Andrianou, Greek actress (b. 1887)
    • 1979 – George Brent, Irish-American actor (b. 1904)
    • 1984 – Elizabeth Peer, American journalist (b. 1936)
    • 1989 – Don Revie, English footballer and manager (b. 1927)
    • 1994 – Sonny Sharrock, American guitarist (b. 1940)
    • 1995 – Friz Freleng, American animator, director, and producer (b. 1906)
    • 1997 – Ralph Horween, American football player and coach (b. 1896)
    • 1999 – Paul Sacher, Swiss conductor and philanthropist (b. 1906)
    • 1999 – Waldo Semon, American chemist and engineer (b. 1898)
    • 2001 – Vittorio Brambilla, Italian race car driver (b. 1937)
    • 2001 – Anne Haney, American actress (b. 1934)
    • 2001 – Moven Mahachi, Zimbabwean soldier and politician, Zimbabwean Minister of Defence (b. 1952)
    • 2001 – Dona Massin, Canadian actress and choreographer (b. 1917)
    • 2002 – Mamo Wolde, Ethiopian runner (b. 1932)
    • 2003 – Kathleen Winsor, American journalist and author (b. 1919)
    • 2004 – Nikolai Chernykh, Russian astronomer (b. 1931)
    • 2005 – Eddie Albert, American actor (b. 1906)
    • 2005 – Chico Carrasquel, Venezuelan baseball player and manager (b. 1928)
    • 2005 – Ruth Laredo, American pianist and educator (b. 1937)
    • 2005 – Leslie Smith, English businessman, co-founded Lesney Products (b. 1918)
    • 2006 – Édouard Michelin, French businessman (b. 1963)
    • 2006 – Kevin O’Flanagan, Irish footballer and physician (b. 1919)
    • 2007 – Jack Edward Oliver, English illustrator (b. 1942)
    • 2007 – Howard Porter, American basketball player (b. 1948)
    • 2008 – Sydney Pollack, American actor, director, and screenwriter (b. 1934)
    • 2008 – Zita Urbonaitė, Lithuanian cyclist (b. 1973)
    • 2009 – Mihalis Papagiannakis, Greek journalist and politician (b. 1941)
    • 2009 – Peter Zezel, Canadian ice hockey and soccer player (b. 1965)
    • 2010 – Art Linkletter, Canadian-American radio and television host (b. 1912)
    • 2010 – Chris Moran, English air marshal and pilot (b. 1956)
    • 2010 – Kieran Phelan, Irish politician (b. 1949)
    • 2011 – Arisen Ahubudu, Sri Lankan scholar, author, and playwright (b. 1920)
    • 2012 – Arthur Decabooter, Belgian cyclist (b. 1936)
    • 2012 – Leo Dillon, American illustrator (b. 1933)
    • 2012 – Stephen Healey, Welsh captain and footballer (b. 1982)
    • 2012 – Hiroshi Miyazawa, Japanese politician (b. 1921)
    • 2012 – Hans Schmidt, Canadian wrestler (b. 1925)
    • 2012 – Jim Unger, English-Canadian illustrator (b. 1937)
    • 2013 – Ray Barnhart, American businessman and politician (b. 1928)
    • 2013 – John Bierwirth, American lawyer and businessman (b. 1924)
    • 2013 – Roberto Civita, Italian-Brazilian businessman (b. 1936)
    • 2013 – Tom Lichtenberg, American football player and coach (b. 1940)
    • 2013 – Otto Muehl, Austrian painter (b. 1925)
    • 2013 – Jack Vance, American author (b. 1916)
    • 2014 – Baselios Thoma Didymos I, Indian metropolitan (b. 1921)
    • 2014 – Miodrag Radulovacki, Serbian-American academic and neuropharmacologist (b. 1933)
    • 2014 – William R. Roy, American physician, journalist, and politician (b. 1926)
    • 2014 – Hooshang Seyhoun, Iranian-Canadian architect, sculptor, and painter (b. 1920)
    • 2015 – Vicente Aranda, Spanish director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1926)
    • 2015 – Les Johnson, Australian politician and diplomat, Australian High Commissioner to New Zealand (b. 1924)
    • 2015 – Robert Kraft, American astronomer and academic (b. 1927)
    • 2015 – João Lucas, Portuguese footballer (b. 1979)
    • 2015 – Dayton Waller, American soldier and politician (b. 1925)
    • 2016 – Hedy Epstein, German-born American human rights activist and Holocaust survivor (b. 1924)
    • 2017 – Zbigniew Brzezinski, Polish-born American politician (b. 1928)

    Holidays and observances on May 26

    • Christian feast day:
      • Augustine of Canterbury (Anglican Communion and Eastern Orthodox)
      • Lambert of Vence
      • Peter Sanz (one of Martyr Saints of China)
      • Philip Neri
      • Pope Eleuterus
      • Quadratus of Athens
      • Zachary, Bishop of Vienne
      • May 26 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
    • Independence Day, commemorates the day of the First Republic in 1918 (Georgia)
    • Independence Day, celebrates the independence of Guyana from the United Kingdom in 1966.
    • Mother’s Day (Poland)
    • National Paper Airplane Day (United States)
    • National Sorry Day (Australia)

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

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

    Births on May 21

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

    Deaths on May 21

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

    Holidays and observances on May 21

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

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

    • 946 – Emperor Suzaku abdicates the throne in favor of his brother Murakami who becomes the 62nd emperor of Japan.
    • 1204 – Having been elected on May 9, Baldwin IX, Count of Flanders is crowned as the first Emperor of the Latin Empire.
    • 1426 – Gov. Thado of Mohnyin becomes king of Ava.
    • 1527 – The Florentines drive out the Medici for a second time and Florence re-establishes itself as a republic.
    • 1532 – Sir Thomas More resigns as Lord Chancellor of England.
    • 1568 – Mary, Queen of Scots, flees to England.
    • 1584 – Santiago de Vera becomes sixth Governor-General of the Spanish colony of the Philippines.
    • 1739 – The Battle of Vasai concludes as the Marathas defeat the Portuguese army.
    • 1770 – The 14-year-old Marie Antoinette marries 15-year-old Louis-Auguste, who later becomes king of France.
    • 1771 – The Battle of Alamance, a pre-American Revolutionary War battle between local militia and a group of rebels called The “Regulators”, occurs in present-day Alamance County, North Carolina.
    • 1811 – Peninsular War: The allies Spain, Portugal and United Kingdom, defeat the French at the Battle of Albuera.
    • 1812 – Imperial Russia signs the Treaty of Bucharest, ending the Russo-Turkish War. The Ottoman Empire cedes Bessarabia to Russia.
    • 1822 – Greek War of Independence: The Turks capture the Greek town of Souli.
    • 1832 – Juan Godoy discovers the rich silver outcrops of Chañarcillo sparking the Chilean silver rush.
    • 1834 – The Battle of Asseiceira is fought, the last and decisive engagement of the Liberal Wars in Portugal.
    • 1842 – The first major wagon train heading for the Pacific Northwest sets out on the Oregon Trail from Elm Grove, Missouri, with 100 pioneers.
    • 1866 – The United States Congress establishes the nickel.
    • 1868 – The United States Senate fails to convict President Andrew Johnson by one vote.
    • 1874 – A flood on the Mill River in Massachusetts destroys much of four villages and kills 139 people.
    • 1877 – The 16 May 1877 crisis occurs in France, ending with the dissolution of the National Assembly 22 June and affirming the interpretation of the Constitution of 1875 as a parliamentary rather than presidential system. The elections held in October 1877 led to the defeat of the royalists as a formal political movement in France.
    • 1888 – Nikola Tesla delivers a lecture describing the equipment which will allow efficient generation and use of alternating currents to transmit electric power over long distances.
    • 1891 – The International Electrotechnical Exhibition opens in Frankfurt, Germany, and will feature the world’s first long-distance transmission of high-power, three-phase electric current (the most common form today).
    • 1916 – The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and the French Third Republic sign the secret wartime Sykes-Picot Agreement partitioning former Ottoman territories such as Iraq and Syria.
    • 1918 – The Sedition Act of 1918 is passed by the U.S. Congress, making criticism of the government during wartime an imprisonable offense. It will be repealed less than two years later.
    • 1919 – A naval Curtiss NC-4 aircraft commanded by Albert Cushing Read leaves Trepassey, Newfoundland, for Lisbon via the Azores on the first transatlantic flight.
    • 1920 – In Rome, Pope Benedict XV canonizes Joan of Arc.
    • 1929 – In Hollywood, the first Academy Awards ceremony takes place.
    • 1943 – The Holocaust: The Warsaw Ghetto Uprising ends.
    • 1951 – The first regularly scheduled transatlantic flights begin between Idlewild Airport (now John F Kennedy International Airport) in New York City and Heathrow Airport in London, operated by El Al Israel Airlines.
    • 1959 – The Triton Fountain in Valletta, Malta is turned on for the first time.
    • 1960 – Theodore Maiman operates the first optical laser (a ruby laser), at Hughes Research Laboratories in Malibu, California.
    • 1961 – Park Chung-hee leads a coup d’état to overthrow the Second Republic of South Korea.
    • 1966 – The Communist Party of China issues the “May 16 Notice”, marking the beginning of the Cultural Revolution.
    • 1969 – Venera program: Venera 5, a Soviet space probe, lands on Venus.
    • 1974 – Josip Broz Tito is elected president for life of Yugoslavia.
    • 1988 – A report by the Surgeon General of the United States C. Everett Koop states that the addictive properties of nicotine are similar to those of heroin and cocaine.
    • 1991 – Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom addresses a joint session of the United States Congress. She is the first British monarch to address the U.S. Congress.
    • 1997 – Mobutu Sese Seko, the President of Zaire, flees the country.
    • 2003 – In Morocco, 33 civilians are killed and more than 100 people are injured in the Casablanca terrorist attacks.
    • 2005 – Kuwait permits women’s suffrage in a 35–23 National Assembly vote.
    • 2011 – STS-134 (ISS assembly flight ULF6), launched from the Kennedy Space Center on the 25th and final flight for Space Shuttle Endeavour.
    • 2014 – Twelve people are killed in two explosions in the Gikomba market area of Nairobi, Kenya.

    Births on May 16

    • 1418 – John II of Cyprus, King of Cyprus and Armenia and also titular King of Jerusalem from 1432 to 1458 (probable; d. 1458)
    • 1455 – Wolfgang I of Oettingen, German count (d. 1522)
    • 1542 – Anna Sibylle of Hanau-Lichtenberg, German noblewoman (d. 1580)
    • 1606 – John Bulwer, British doctor (d. 1656)
    • 1611 – Pope Innocent XI (d. 1689)
    • 1641 – Dudley North, English economist and politician (d. 1691)
    • 1710 – William Talbot, 1st Earl Talbot, English politician, Lord Steward of the Household (d. 1782)
    • 1718 – Maria Gaetana Agnesi, Italian mathematician and philosopher (d. 1799)
    • 1763 – Louis Nicolas Vauquelin, French pharmacist and chemist (d. 1829)
    • 1788 – Friedrich Rückert, German poet and translator (d. 1866)
    • 1801 – William H. Seward, American lawyer and politician, 24th United States Secretary of State (d. 1872)
    • 1804 – Elizabeth Palmer Peabody, American educator who founded the first U.S. kindergarten (d. 1894)
    • 1819 – Johann Voldemar Jannsen, Estonian journalist and poet (d. 1890)
    • 1821 – Pafnuty Chebyshev, Russian mathematician and statistician (d. 1894)
    • 1824 – Levi P. Morton, American banker and politician, 22nd United States Vice President (d. 1920)
    • 1824 – Edmund Kirby Smith, American general (d. 1893)
    • 1827 – Pierre Cuypers, Dutch architect, designed the Amsterdam Centraal railway station and Rijksmuseum (d. 1921)
    • 1831 – David Edward Hughes, Welsh-American physicist, co-invented the microphone (d. 1900)
    • 1862 – Margaret Fountaine, English lepidopterist and diarist (d.1940)
    • 1876 – Fred Conrad Koch, American biochemist and endocrinologist (d. 1948)
    • 1879 – Pierre Gilliard, Swiss author and academic (d. 1962)
    • 1882 – Simeon Price, American golfer (d. 1945)
    • 1883 – Celâl Bayar, Turkish politician, 3rd President of Turkey (d. 1986)
    • 1888 – Royal Rife, American microbiologist and instrument maker (d. 1971)
    • 1890 – Edith Grace White, American ichthyologist (d. 1975)
    • 1892 – Osgood Perkins, American actor (d. 1937)
    • 1894 – Walter Yust, American journalist and writer (d. 1960)
    • 1897 – Zvi Sliternik, Israeli entomologist and academic (d. 1994)
    • 1898 – Tamara de Lempicka, Polish-American painter (d. 1980)
    • 1898 – Desanka Maksimović, Serbian poet and academic (d. 1993)
    • 1898 – Kenji Mizoguchi, Japanese director and screenwriter (d. 1956)
    • 1903 – Charles F. Brannock, American inventor and manufacturer (d. 1992)
    • 1905 – Henry Fonda, American actor (d. 1982)
    • 1906 – Ernie McCormick, Australian cricketer (d. 1991)
    • 1906 – Alfred Pellan, Canadian painter and educator (d. 1988)
    • 1906 – Arturo Uslar Pietri, Venezuelan lawyer, journalist, and author (d. 2001)
    • 1906 – Margret Rey, German author and illustrator (d. 1996)
    • 1907 – Bob Tisdall, Irish hurdler (d. 2004)
    • 1909 – Margaret Sullavan, American actress and singer (d. 1960)
    • 1909 – Luigi Villoresi, Italian race car driver (d. 1997)
    • 1910 – Olga Bergholz, Russian poet and author (d. 1975)
    • 1910 – Higashifushimi Kunihide, Japanese monk and educator (d. 2014)
    • 1910 – Aleksandr Ivanovich Laktionov, Russian painter and educator (d. 1972)
    • 1912 – Studs Terkel, American historian and author (d. 2008)
    • 1913 – Gordon Chalk, Australian politician, 30th Premier of Queensland (d. 1991)
    • 1913 – Woody Herman, American singer, saxophonist, and clarinet player (d. 1987)
    • 1914 – Edward T. Hall, American anthropologist and author (d. 2009)
    • 1915 – Mario Monicelli, Italian director and screenwriter (d. 2010)
    • 1916 – Ephraim Katzir, Israeli biophysicist and politician, 4th President of Israel (d. 2009)
    • 1917 – Ben Kuroki, American sergeant and pilot (d. 2015)
    • 1917 – James C. Murray, American lawyer and politician (d. 1999)
    • 1917 – Juan Rulfo, Mexican author and photographer (d. 1986)
    • 1918 – Wilf Mannion, English footballer and manager (d. 2000)
    • 1919 – Liberace, American pianist and entertainer (d. 1987)
    • 1919 – Ramon Margalef, Spanish ecologist and biologist (d. 2004)
    • 1920 – Martine Carol, French actress (d. 1967)
    • 1921 – Harry Carey, Jr., American actor, producer, and screenwriter (d. 2012)
    • 1923 – Victoria Fromkin, American linguist and academic (d. 2000)
    • 1923 – Merton Miller, American economist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 2000)
    • 1923 – Peter Underwood, English parapsychologist and author (d. 2014)
    • 1924 – Dawda Jawara, 1st President of the Gambia (d. 2019)
    • 1925 – Nancy Roman, American astronomer (d. 2018)
    • 1925 – Ola Vincent, Nigerian banker and economist (d. 2012)
    • 1925 – Nílton Santos, Brazilian footballer (d. 2013)
    • 1928 – Billy Martin, American baseball player and coach (d. 1989)
    • 1929 – Betty Carter, American singer-songwriter (d. 1998)
    • 1929 – John Conyers, American lawyer and politician (d. 2019)
    • 1929 – Claude Morin, Canadian academic and politician
    • 1929 – Adrienne Rich, American poet, essayist, and feminist (d. 2012)
    • 1930 – Friedrich Gulda, Austrian pianist and composer (d. 2000)
    • 1931 – Vujadin Boškov, Serbian footballer, coach, and manager (d. 2014)
    • 1931 – Hana Brady, Jewish-Czech Holocaust victim (d.1944)
    • 1931 – K. Natwar Singh, Indian scholar and politician, Indian Minister of External Affairs
    • 1931 – Lowell P. Weicker, Jr., American soldier and politician, 85th Governor of Connecticut
    • 1934 – Kenneth O. Morgan, Welsh historian and author
    • 1934 – Antony Walker, English general
    • 1935 – Floyd Smith, Canadian ice hockey player and coach
    • 1936 – Karl Lehmann, German cardinal (d. 2018)
    • 1937 – Yvonne Craig, American ballet dancer and actress (d. 2015)
    • 1938 – Stuart Bell, English lawyer and politician (d. 2012)
    • 1938 – Ivan Sutherland, American computer scientist and academic
    • 1938 – Marco Aurelio Denegri, Peruvian television host and sexologist (d. 2018)
    • 1941 – Denis Hart, Australian archbishop
    • 1942 – David Penry-Davey, English lawyer and judge (d. 2015)
    • 1943 – Kay Andrews, Baroness Andrews, English politician
    • 1943 – Dan Coats, American politician and diplomat, 29th United States Ambassador to Germany
    • 1943 – Wieteke van Dort, Dutch actress, comedian, singer, writer and artist
    • 1944 – Billy Cobham, Panamanian-American drummer, composer, and bandleader
    • 1944 – Antal Nagy, Hungarian footballer
    • 1944 – Danny Trejo, American actor
    • 1946 – John Law, English sociologist and academic
    • 1946 – Robert Fripp, English guitarist, songwriter and producer
    • 1947 – Cheryl Clarke, American writer
    • 1947 – Darrell Sweet, Scottish drummer (d. 1999)
    • 1947 – Roch Thériault, Canadian religious leader (d. 2011)
    • 1948 – Jesper Christensen, Danish actor, director, and producer
    • 1948 – Judy Finnigan, English talk show host and author
    • 1948 – Enrico Fumia, Italian automobile and product designer
    • 1948 – Emma Georgina Rothschild, English historian and academic
    • 1948 – Staf Van Roosbroeck, Belgian cyclist
    • 1949 – Rick Reuschel, American baseball player
    • 1950 – Georg Bednorz, German physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate
    • 1950 – Ray Condo, Canadian singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 2004)
    • 1950 – Bruce Coville, American author
    • 1951 – Christian Lacroix, French fashion designer
    • 1951 – Jonathan Richman, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
    • 1951 – Janet Soskice, Canadian philosopher and theologian
    • 1952 – James Herndon, American psychologist and academic
    • 1953 – Pierce Brosnan, Irish-American actor and producer
    • 1953 – Peter Onorati, American actor
    • 1953 – Richard Page, American singer-songwriter and bass player
    • 1953 – Kitanoumi Toshimitsu, Japanese sumo wrestler, the 55th Yokozuna (d. 2015)
    • 1953 – David Maclean, Scottish politician
    • 1953 – Stephen Woolman, Lord Woolman, Scottish judge and academic
    • 1954 – Dafydd Williams, Canadian physician and astronaut
    • 1955 – Olga Korbut, Soviet gymnast
    • 1955 – Jack Morris, American baseball player and sportscaster
    • 1955 – Hazel O’Connor, English-born Irish singer-songwriter and actress
    • 1955 – Páidí Ó Sé, Irish footballer and manager (d. 2012)
    • 1955 – Debra Winger, American actress
    • 1956 – Loretta Schrijver, Dutch television host, news anchor
    • 1957 – Joan Benoit, American runner
    • 1957 – Benjamin Mancroft, 3rd Baron Mancroft, English politician
    • 1957 – Yuri Shevchuk, Russian singer-songwriter and guitarist
    • 1957 – Anthony St John, 22nd Baron St John of Bletso, English lawyer and businessman
    • 1957 – Bob Suter, American ice hockey player and coach (d. 2014)
    • 1959 – Mitch Webster, American baseball player
    • 1959 – Mare Winningham, American actress and singer-songwriter
    • 1960 – Landon Deireragea, Nauruan politician, Nauruan Speaker of Parliament
    • 1960 – S. Shanmuganathan, Sri Lankan commander and politician (d. 1998)
    • 1961 – Kevin McDonald, Canadian actor and screenwriter
    • 1961 – Charles Wright, American wrestler
    • 1962 – Jimmy Hood, Scottish engineer and politician (d. 2017)
    • 1962 – Helga Radtke, German long jumper
    • 1963 – Rachel Griffith, Anglo-American economist
    • 1963 – David Wilkinson, English theologian and academic
    • 1964 – John Salley, American basketball player and actor
    • 1964 – Boyd Tinsley, American singer-songwriter and violinist
    • 1964 – Milton Jones, English comedian, actor, and screenwriter
    • 1965 – Krist Novoselic, American bass player, songwriter, author, and activist
    • 1965 – Tanel Tammet, Estonian computer scientist, engineer, and academic
    • 1966 – Janet Jackson, American singer-songwriter, producer, dancer, and actress
    • 1966 – Scott Reeves, American singer-songwriter and actor
    • 1966 – Thurman Thomas, American football player
    • 1967 – Doug Brocail, American baseball player and coach
    • 1967 – Susan Williams, Baroness Williams of Trafford, British politician
    • 1968 – Ralph Tresvant, American singer and producer
    • 1969 – David Boreanaz, American actor
    • 1969 – Tucker Carlson, American journalist, co-founded The Daily Caller
    • 1969 – Steve Lewis, American sprinter
    • 1970 – Gabriela Sabatini, Argentinian tennis player
    • 1970 – Danielle Spencer, Australian singer-songwriter and actress
    • 1971 – Phil Clarke, English rugby league player and sportscaster
    • 1971 – Rachel Goswell, English singer-songwriter and guitarist
    • 1972 – Christian Califano, French rugby player
    • 1972 – Matthew Hart, New Zealand cricketer
    • 1973 – Tori Spelling, American actress, reality television personality, and author
    • 1974 – Laura Pausini, Italian singer-songwriter and producer
    • 1974 – Sonny Sandoval, American singer-songwriter and rapper
    • 1975 – Tony Kakko, Finnish musician, composer, and vocalist
    • 1975 – Simon Whitfield, Canadian triathlete
    • 1976 – Dirk Nannes, Australian-Dutch cricketer
    • 1977 – Melanie Lynskey, New Zealand actress
    • 1977 – Emilíana Torrini, Icelandic singer-songwriter
    • 1978 – Scott Nicholls, English motorcycle racer
    • 1978 – Lionel Scaloni, Argentinian footballer
    • 1980 – Nuria Llagostera Vives, Spanish tennis player
    • 1981 – Ricardo Costa, Portuguese footballer
    • 1982 – Łukasz Kubot, Polish tennis player
    • 1983 – Daniel Kerr, Australian footballer
    • 1983 – Kyle Wellwood, Canadian ice hockey player
    • 1984 – Darío Cvitanich, Argentinian footballer
    • 1984 – Tomáš Fleischmann, Czech ice hockey player
    • 1984 – Jensen Lewis, American baseball player
    • 1984 – Rick Rypien, Canadian ice hockey player (d. 2011)
    • 1985 – Anja Mittag, German footballer
    • 1985 – Rodrigo Peters Marques, Brazilian footballer
    • 1985 – Corey Perry, Canadian ice hockey player
    • 1986 – Megan Fox, American actress
    • 1986 – Andy Keogh, Irish footballer
    • 1986 – Shamcey Supsup, Filipino model and architect
    • 1987 – Tom Onslow-Cole, English race car driver
    • 1988 – Jesús Castillo, Mexican footballer
    • 1988 – Martynas Gecevičius, Lithuanian basketball player
    • 1988 – Jaak Põldma, Estonian tennis player
    • 1989 – Behati Prinsloo, Namibian model
    • 1990 – Amanda Carreras, Gibraltarian tennis player
    • 1990 – Thomas Brodie-Sangster, English actor
    • 1990 – Darko Šarović, Serbian sprinter
    • 1990 – Omar Strong, American basketball player
    • 1991 – Grigor Dimitrov, Bulgarian tennis player
    • 1991 – Joey Graceffa, American internet celebrity
    • 1991 – Ashley Wagner, American figure skater
    • 1992 – Jeff Skinner, Canadian ice hockey player
    • 1992 – Kirstin Maldonado, American singer and songwriter
    • 1993 – Johannes Thingnes Bø, Norwegian biathlete
    • 1993 – Karol Mets, Estonian footballer
    • 1993 – IU, Korean singer-songwriter and actress
    • 1995 – Elizabeth Ralston, Australian footballer
    • 1996 – Louisa Chirico, an American tennis player

    Deaths on May 16

    • 290 – Emperor Wu of Jin, Chinese emperor (b. 236)
    • 895 – Qian Kuan, Chinese nobleman
    • 934 – Meng Hanqiong, eunuch official of Later Tang
    • 995 – Fujiwara no Michitaka, Japanese nobleman (b. 953)
    • 1182 – John Komnenos Vatatzes, Byzantine general (b. 1132)
    • 1265 – Simon Stock, English-French saint (b. 1165)
    • 1375 – Liu Bowen, Chinese military strategist, officer, statesman and poet (b. 1311)
    • 1412 – Gian Maria Visconti, Duke of Milan (b. 1388)
    • 1561 – Jan Tarnowski, Polish noble and statesman (b. 1488)
    • 1620 – William Adams, English sailor and navigator (b. 1564)
    • 1657 – Andrew Bobola, Polish missionary and martyr (b. 1591)
    • 1667 – Thomas Wriothesley, 4th Earl of Southampton, English politician, Lord High Treasurer (b. 1607)
    • 1669 – Pietro da Cortona, Italian painter and architect, designed the Santi Luca e Martina (b. 1596)
    • 1691 – Jacob Leisler, German-American politician, 8th Colonial Governor of New York (b. 1640)
    • 1696 – Mariana of Austria, Queen consort of Spain (b. 1634)
    • 1703 – Charles Perrault, French author and academic (b. 1628)
    • 1778 – Robert Darcy, 4th Earl of Holderness, English politician, Secretary of State for the Southern Department (b. 1718)
    • 1790 – Philip Yorke, 2nd Earl of Hardwicke, English politician, Lord Lieutenant of Cambridgeshire (b. 1720)
    • 1818 – Matthew Lewis, English author and playwright (b. 1775)
    • 1823 – Grace Elliott, Scottish courtesan and spy (b. c.1754)
    • 1830 – Joseph Fourier, French mathematician and physicist (b. 1768)
    • 1862 – Edward Gibbon Wakefield, English politician (b. 1796)
    • 1882 – Reuben Chapman, American lawyer and politician, 13th Governor of Alabama (b. 1799)
    • 1890 – Mihkel Veske, Estonian poet, linguist and theologist (b. 1843)
    • 1891 – Ion C. Brătianu, Romanian politician, 14th Prime Minister of Romania (b. 1821)
    • 1910 – Henri-Edmond Cross, French Neo-Impressionist painter (b. 1856)
    • 1913 – Louis Perrier, Swiss architect and politician (b. 1849)
    • 1920 – Levi P. Morton, American politician, 22nd United States Vice President (b. 1824)
    • 1926 – Mehmed VI, Ottoman sultan (b. 1861)
    • 1936 – Leonidas Paraskevopoulos, Greek general and politician (b. 1860)
    • 1938 – Joseph Strauss, American engineer, co designed The Golden Gate Bridge (b. 1870)
    • 1943 – Alfred Hoche, German psychiatrist and academic (b. 1865)
    • 1944 – George Ade, American journalist, author, and playwright (b. 1866)
    • 1946 – Bruno Tesch, German chemist and businessman (b. 1890)
    • 1947 – Frederick Gowland Hopkins, English biochemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1861)
    • 1947 – Zhang Lingfu, Chinese general (b. 1903)
    • 1953 – Django Reinhardt, Belgian guitarist and composer (b. 1910)
    • 1954 – Clemens Krauss, Austrian conductor and manager (b. 1893)
    • 1955 – James Agee, American novelist, screenwriter, and critic(b. 1909)
    • 1955 – Manny Ayulo, American race car driver (b. 1921)
    • 1956 – H. B. Reese, American candy-maker and businessman, created Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups (b. 1876)
    • 1957 – Eliot Ness, American federal agent (b. 1903)
    • 1961 – George A. Malcolm, American lawyer and jurist (b. 1881)
    • 1973 – Jacques Lipchitz, Lithuanian-American sculptor (b. 1891)
    • 1977 – Modibo Keïta, Malian politician, 1st President of Mali (b. 1915)
    • 1979 – A. Philip Randolph, American union leader and activist (b. 1889)
    • 1981 – Ernie Freeman, American pianist, composer, and bandleader (b. 1922)
    • 1981 – Willy Hartner, German physician and academic (b. 1905)
    • 1984 – Andy Kaufman, American actor, comedian, and screenwriter (b. 1949)
    • 1984 – Irwin Shaw, American playwright, screenwriter, novelist, and short story writer (b. 1913)
    • 1985 – Margaret Hamilton, American actress (b. 1902)
    • 1989 – Leila Kasra, Iranian poet and songwriter (b. 1939)
    • 1990 – Sammy Davis Jr., American singer, dancer, and actor (b. 1925)
    • 1990 – Jim Henson, American puppeteer, director, producer, and screenwriter, created The Muppets (b. 1936)
    • 1993 – Marv Johnson, American singer-songwriter and pianist (b. 1938)
    • 1994 – Alain Cuny, French actor (b. 1908)
    • 1996 – Jeremy Michael Boorda, American admiral (b. 1939)
    • 1997 – Elbridge Durbrow, American diplomat (b. 1903)
    • 2002 – Alec Campbell, Australian soldier (b. 1899)
    • 2003 – Mark McCormack, American lawyer and sports agent, founded IMG (b. 1930)
    • 2005 – Andrew Goodpaster, American general (b. 1915)
    • 2008 – Robert Mondavi, American winemaker, co-founded the Opus One Winery (b. 1913)
    • 2010 – Ronnie James Dio, American singer-songwriter and producer (b. 1942)
    • 2010 – Hank Jones, American pianist, composer, and bandleader (b. 1918)
    • 2011 – Ralph Barker, English author (b. 1917)
    • 2011 – Bob Davis, Australian footballer and coach (b. 1928)
    • 2011 – Edward Hardwicke, English actor (b. 1932)
    • 2011 – Kiyoshi Kodama, Japanese actor (b. 1934)
    • 2012 – Patricia Aakhus, American author and academic (b. 1952)
    • 2012 – James Abdnor, American soldier and politician, 30th Lieutenant Governor of South Dakota (b. 1923)
    • 2012 – Chuck Brown, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer (b. 1936)
    • 2012 – Ernie Chan, Filipino-American illustrator (b. 1940)
    • 2012 – Kevin Hickey, American baseball player (b. 1956)
    • 2013 – Angelo Errichetti, American politician (b. 1928)
    • 2013 – Bryan Illerbrun, Canadian football player (b. 1957)
    • 2013 – Frankie Librán, Puerto Rican-American baseball player (b. 1948)
    • 2013 – Heinrich Rohrer, Swiss physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1933)
    • 2013 – Dick Trickle, American race car driver (b. 1941)
    • 2013 – Bernard Waber, American author and illustrator (b. 1921)
    • 2014 – Chris Duckworth, Zimbabwean-South African cricketer (b. 1933)
    • 2014 – Vito Favero, Italian cyclist (b. 1932)
    • 2014 – Bud Hollowell, American baseball player and manager (b. 1943)
    • 2014 – Clyde Snow, American anthropologist and author (b. 1928)
    • 2015 – Prashant Bhargava, American director and producer (b. 1973)
    • 2015 – Moshe Levinger, Israeli rabbi and author (b. 1935)
    • 2015 – Flora MacNeil, Scottish Gaelic singer (b. 1928)
    • 2019 – Piet Blauw, Dutch politician (b. 1937)
    • 2019 – Bob Hawke, Australian politician, 23rd Prime Minister of Australia (b. 1929)
    • 2019 – I. M. Pei, Chinese-American architect (b. 1917)

    Holidays and observances on May 16

    • Christian feast day:
      • Aaron (Coptic Church)
      • Abda and Abdjesus, and companions:
        • Abdas of Susa
      • Andrew Bobola
      • Brendan the Navigator (Roman Catholic Church, Anglican Communion, Eastern Orthodox Church)
      • Caroline Chisholm (Church of England)
      • Gemma Galgani (Passionists Calendar)
      • Germerius
      • Honoratus of Amiens
      • John of Nepomuk
      • Margaret of Cortona
      • Peregrine of Auxerre
      • Simon Stock
      • Ubald (see Saint Ubaldo Day)
    • Martyrs of Sudan (Episcopal Church (USA))
    • Mass Graves Day (Iraq)
    • National Day, declared by Salva Kiir Mayardit (South Sudan)
    • Teachers’ Day (Malaysia)

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

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

    Births on May 15

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

    Deaths on May 15

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

    Holidays and observances on May 15

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

  • May 11 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day

    • 330 – Constantinople is consecrated.
    • 868 – A copy of the Diamond Sutra is printed in China, making it the oldest known dated printed book.
    • 912 – Alexander becomes Emperor of the Byzantine Empire.
    • 1745 – War of the Austrian Succession: French forces defeat an Anglo-Dutch–Hanoverian army.
    • 1792 – Robert Gray commands the first expedition to sail into the Columbia River.
    • 1812 – Prime Minister Spencer Perceval is assassinated by John Bellingham in the lobby of the British House of Commons.
    • 1813 – William Lawson, Gregory Blaxland and William Wentworth discover a route across the Blue Mountains, opening up inland Australia to settlement.
    • 1833 – The Lady of the Lake strikes an iceberg off Newfoundland and sinks with the loss of up to 265 passengers and crew.
    • 1846 – President James K. Polk asked for a Declaration of War against Mexico, starting the Mexican–American War.
    • 1857 – Indian Rebellion of 1857: Indian rebels seize Delhi from the British.
    • 1858 – Minnesota is admitted as the 32nd state of the United States.
    • 1880 – Seven people are killed in the Mussel Slough Tragedy, a gun battle in California.
    • 1889 – An attack upon a U.S. Army paymaster and escort results in the theft of over $28,000 and the award of two Medals of Honor.
    • 1894 – Four thousand Pullman Palace Car Company workers go on a wildcat strike.
    • 1910 – An act of the U.S. Congress establishes Glacier National Park in Montana.
    • 1943 – World War II: American troops invade Attu Island in the Aleutian Islands in an attempt to expel occupying Japanese forces.
    • 1945 – World War II: Off the coast of Okinawa, the aircraft carrier USS Bunker Hill is hit by two kamikazes.
    • 1960 – Adolf Eichmann is captured by the Mossad in Argentina.
    • 1963 – Racist bombings in Birmingham, Alabama, disrupt nonviolence in the Birmingham campaign and precipitate a crisis involving federal troops.
    • 1970 – The 1970 Lubbock tornado kills 26 and causes $250 million in damage.
    • 1973 – Citing government misconduct, Daniel Ellsberg’s charges for his involvement in releasing the Pentagon Papers to The New York Times are dismissed.
    • 1985 – Fifty-six spectators die and more than 200 are injured in the Bradford City stadium fire.
    • 1987 – Klaus Barbie goes on trial in Lyon for war crimes committed during World War II.
    • 1996 – After the aircraft’s departure from Miami, a fire started by improperly handled chemical oxygen generators in the cargo hold of Atlanta-bound ValuJet Flight 592 causes the Douglas DC-9 to crash in the Florida Everglades, killing all 110 on board.
    • 1997 – Deep Blue, a chess-playing supercomputer, defeats Garry Kasparov in the last game of the rematch, becoming the first computer to beat a world-champion chess player in a classic match format.
    • 1998 – India conducts three underground atomic tests in Pokhran.
    • 2000 – Second Chechen War: Chechen separatists ambush Russian paramilitary forces in the Republic of Ingushetia.
    • 2010 – David Cameron takes office as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom as the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats form the country’s first coalition government since the Second World War.
    • 2011 – An earthquake of magnitude 5.1 hits Lorca, Spain.
    • 2013 – Fifty-two people are killed in a bombing in Reyhanlı, Turkey.
    • 2014 – Fifteen people are killed and 46 injured in Kinshasa in a stampede caused by tear gas being thrown into soccer stands by police officers.
    • 2016 – One hundred and ten people are killed in an ISIL bombing in Baghdad.

    Births on May 11

    • 1571 – Niwa Nagashige, Japanese daimyō (d. 1637)
    • 1715 – Johann Gottfried Bernhard Bach, German organist (d. 1739)
    • 1752 – Johann Friedrich Blumenbach, German physician, physiologist, and anthropologist (d. 1840)
    • 1797 – José Mariano Salas, Mexican general and politician (d. 1867)
    • 1811 – Jean-Jacques Challet-Venel, Swiss politician (d. 1893)
    • 1852 – Charles W. Fairbanks, American journalist and politician, 26th United States Vice President (d. 1918)
    • 1854 – Jack Blackham, Australian cricketer (d. 1932)
    • 1869 – Archibald Warden, English tennis player (d. 1943)
    • 1871 – Frank Schlesinger, American astronomer and author (d. 1943)
    • 1875 – Harriet Quimby, American pilot and screenwriter (d. 1912)
    • 1881 – Al Cabrera, Spanish-Cuban baseball player and manager (d. 1964)
    • 1881 – Jan van Gilse, Dutch composer and conductor (d. 1944)
    • 1881 – Theodore von Kármán, Hungarian-American mathematician, physicist, and engineer (d. 1963)
    • 1888 – Irving Berlin, Belarusian-American pianist and composer (d. 1989)
    • 1888 – Willis Augustus Lee, American admiral (d. 1945)
    • 1889 – Paul Nash, British painter (d. 1946)
    • 1890 – Willie Applegarth, English-American sprinter (d. 1958)
    • 1890 – Helge Løvland, Norwegian decathlete (d. 1984)
    • 1894 – Martha Graham, American dancer and choreographer (d. 1991)
    • 1895 – Jacques Brugnon, French tennis player (d. 1978)
    • 1895 – William Grant Still, American composer and conductor (d. 1978)
    • 1896 – Josip Štolcer-Slavenski, Croatian composer and academic (d. 1955)
    • 1897 – Robert E. Gross, American businessman (d. 1961)
    • 1901 – Rose Ausländer, Ukrainian-English poet and author (d. 1988):7
    • 1901 – Gladys Rockmore Davis, American painter (d. 1967)
    • 1902 – Edna Ernestine Kramer, American mathematician (d. 1984)
    • 1903 – Charlie Gehringer, American baseball player and manager (d. 1993)
    • 1904 – Salvador Dalí, Spanish artist (d. 1989)
    • 1905 – Lise de Baissac, Mauritian-born SOE agent, war hero (d. 2004)
    • 1905 – Catherine Bauer Wurster, American architect and public housing advocate (d. 1964)
    • 1907 – Rip Sewell, American baseball player and coach (d. 1989
    • 1911 – Mitchell Sharp, Canadian economist and politician, 23rd Canadian Minister of Finance (d. 2004)
    • 1911 – Phil Silvers, American actor and comedian (d. 1985)
    • 1912 – Saadat Hasan Manto, Indian-Pakistani author and screenwriter (d. 1955)
    • 1916 – Camilo José Cela, Spanish author and politician, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 2002)
    • 1918 – Richard Feynman, American physicist and engineer, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1988)
    • 1921 – Robin Barbour, Scottish minister and author (d. 2014)
    • 1921 – Hildegard Hamm-Brücher, German politician (d. 2016)
    • 1924 – Antony Hewish, English astronomer and academic, Nobel Prize laureate
    • 1925 – Edward J. King, American football player and politician, 66th Governor of Massachusetts (d. 2006)
    • 1927 – Bernard Fox, British actor (d. 2016)
    • 1927 – Gene Savoy, American explorer, author, and scholar (d. 2007)
    • 1930 – Edsger W. Dijkstra, Dutch computer scientist and academic (d. 2002)
    • 1930 – Stanley Elkin, American novelist, short story writer, and essayist (d. 1995)
    • 1932 – Valentino Garavani, Italian fashion designer
    • 1933 – Louis Farrakhan, American religious leader
    • 1934 – Jim Jeffords, American captain, lawyer, and politician (d. 2014)
    • 1934 – Jack Twyman, American basketball player (d. 2012)
    • 1935 – Francisco Umbral, Spanish journalist and author (d. 2007)
    • 1937 – Ildikó Újlaky-Rejtő, Hungarian Olympic and world champion foil fencer
    • 1938 – Narendra Patel, Baron Patel, Tanzanian-English obstetrician, academic, and politician
    • 1941 – Eric Burdon, English musician
    • 1941 – Ian Redpath, Australian cricketer and coach
    • 1943 – Nancy Greene, Canadian skier and politician
    • 1944 – John Benaud, Australian cricketer
    • 1948 – Jack Cantoni, French rugby player (d. 2013)
    • 1948 – Nirj Deva, Sri Lankan-English politician
    • 1950 – Jeremy Paxman, English journalist and author
    • 1950 – Sadashiv Amrapurkar, Indian actor (d. 2014)
    • 1951 – Ed Stelmach, Canadian farmer and politician, 13th Premier of Alberta
    • 1954 – John Gregory, English footballer and manager
    • 1955 – John DeStefano, Jr., American politician, 49th Mayor of New Haven
    • 1957 – Mike Nesbitt, Northern Irish journalist and politician
    • 1962 – Steve Bono, American football player
    • 1964 – Bobby Witt, American baseball player
    • 1964 – Floyd Youmans, American baseball player, coach, and manager
    • 1967 – Alberto García Aspe, Mexican footballer and manager
    • 1969 – Mitch Healey, Australian rugby league player and coach
    • 1969 – Simon Vroemen, Dutch runner
    • 1970 – Harold Ford, Jr., American lawyer and politician
    • 1970 – Jason Queally, English cyclist
    • 1972 – Tomáš Dvořák, Czech decathlete and coach
    • 1973 – Tsuyoshi Ogata, Japanese runner
    • 1974 – Darren Ward, English-Welsh footballer and coach
    • 1974 – Tony Warner, English born Trinidadian international footballer and coach
    • 1975 – Francisco Cordero, Dominican-American baseball player
    • 1976 – Kardinal Offishall, American rapper and record producer/executive
    • 1977 – Pablo Gabriel García, Uruguayan footballer
    • 1977 – Victor Matfield, South African rugby player, coach, and sportscaster
    • 1977 – Bobby Roode, Canadian professional wrestler
    • 1978 – Laetitia Casta, French model and actress
    • 1982 – Cory Monteith, Canadian actor and singer (d. 2013)
    • 1983 – Matt Leinart, American football player
    • 1983 – Steven Sotloff, American-Israeli journalist (d. 2014)
    • 1983 – Holly Valance, Australian actress, singer and model
    • 1984 – Andrés Iniesta, Spanish footballer
    • 1986 – Abou Diaby, French footballer
    • 1986 – Miguel Veloso, Portuguese footballer
    • 1987 – Lim Seul-ong, South Korean singer and actor
    • 1987 – Monica Roșu, Romanian gymnast
    • 1988 – Jeremy Maclin, American football player
    • 1988 – Brad Marchand, Canadian ice hockey player
    • 1989 – Alyssa Brown, Canadian artistic gymnast
    • 1989 – Giovani dos Santos, Mexican international footballer
    • 1989 – Cam Newton, American football player
    • 1992 – Thibaut Courtois, Belgian footballer
    • 1992 – Pablo Sarabia, Spanish footballer
    • 1993 – Maurice Harkless, American-Puerto Rican basketball player
    • 1994 – Hagos Gebrhiwet, Ethiopian runner
    • 1995 – Gelson Martins, Portuguese footballer
    • 1999 – Sabrina Carpenter, American singer and actress
    • 1999 – Kaitlyn Dias, American actress and voice artist

    Deaths on May 11

    • 1610 – Matteo Ricci, Italian priest and mathematician (b. 1552)
    • 1686 – Otto von Guericke, German physicist and politician (b. 1602)
    • 1778 – William Pitt, 1st Earl of Chatham, English soldier and politician, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (b. 1708)
    • 1779 – John Hart, American lawyer and politician (b. 1711)
    • 1812 – Spencer Perceval, English lawyer and politician, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (b. 1762)
    • 1848 – Tom Cribb, English boxer (b. 1781)
    • 1849 – Juliette Récamier, French businesswoman (b. 1777)
    • 1882 – Frederick Innes, Scottish-Australian politician, 9th Premier of Tasmania (b. 1816)
    • 1889 – John Cadbury, English businessman and philanthropist, founded the Cadbury Company (b. 1801)
    • 1908 – Charles Kingston, Australian politician, 20th Premier of South Australia (b. 1850)
    • 1916 – Karl Schwarzschild, German astronomer and physicist (b. 1873):xix
    • 1918 – George Elmslie, Australian politician, 25th Premier of Victoria (b. 1861)
    • 1920 – James Colosimo, Italian-American mob boss (b. 1878)
    • 1920 – William Dean Howells, American novelist, literary critic, and playwright (b. 1837)
    • 1927 – Juan Gris, Spanish painter and sculptor (b. 1887)
    • 1929 – Jozef Murgaš, Slovak-American priest, architect, botanist, and painter (b. 1864)
    • 1938 – George Lyon, Canadian golfer and cricketer (b. 1858)
    • 1955 – Gilbert Jessop, English cricketer (b. 1874)
    • 1960 – John D. Rockefeller Jr., American businessman and philanthropist (b. 1874)
    • 1963 – Herbert Spencer Gasser, American physiologist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1888):169
    • 1967 – James E. Brewton, American painter (b. 1930)
    • 1979 – Lester Flatt, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (b. 1914)
    • 1981 – Odd Hassel, Norwegian chemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1897)
    • 1981 – Bob Marley, Jamaican singer-songwriter and guitarist (b. 1945)
    • 1983 – Zenna Henderson, American writer (b. 1917)
    • 1985 – Chester Gould, American cartoonist, created Dick Tracy (b. 1900)
    • 1986 – Fritz Pollard, American football player and coach (b. 1894)
    • 1988 – Kim Philby, British-Soviet double agent (b. 1912)
    • 1994 – Timothy Carey, American actor, director, and producer (b. 1928)
    • 2001 – Douglas Adams, English novelist and screenwriter (b. 1952)
    • 2002 – Renaude Lapointe, Canadian journalist and politician (b. 1912)
    • 2002 – Bill Peet, American animator and screenwriter (b. 1915)
    • 2003 – Noel Redding, English bass player (b. 1945)
    • 2005 – Léo Cadieux, Canadian politician, 17th Canadian Minister of National Defence (b. 1908)
    • 2006 – Floyd Patterson, American boxer and actor (b. 1935)
    • 2007 – Malietoa Tanumafili II, Samoan ruler (b. 1913)
    • 2008 – John Rutsey, Canadian drummer (b. 1953)
    • 2009 – Abel Goumba, Central African physician and politician, Prime Minister of the Central African Republic (b. 1926)
    • 2009 – Claudio Huepe, Chilean economist and politician, Chilean Minister Secretary-General of Government (b. 1939)
    • 2009 – Sardarilal Mathradas Nanda, Indian admiral (b. 1915)
    • 2010 – Doris Eaton Travis, American dancer and vaudevillian (b. 1904)
    • 2011 – Robert Traylor, American basketball player (b. 1977)

    Holidays and observances on May 11

    • Christian feast day:
      • Anthimus of Rome
      • Gangulphus of Burgundy
      • Majolus of Cluny
      • Mamertus, the first of the Ice Saints
      • May 11 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
    • National Technology Day (India)
    • Statehood Day (Minnesota)
    • Vietnam Human Rights Day (Vietnam)

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

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

    Births on May 10

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

    Deaths on May 10

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

    Holidays and observances on May 10

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

  • May 1 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances 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)

  • April 29 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day

    • 1091 – Battle of Levounion: The Pechenegs are defeated by Byzantine Emperor Alexios I Komnenos.
    • 1386 – Battle of the Vikhra River: The Principality of Smolensk is defeated by the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and becomes its vassal.
    • 1429 – Joan of Arc arrives to relieve the Siege of Orléans.
    • 1483 – Gran Canaria, the main island of the Canary Islands, is conquered by the Kingdom of Castile.
    • 1521 – Swedish War of Liberation: Swedish troops defeat a Danish force in the Battle of Västerås.
    • 1770 – James Cook arrives in Australia at Botany Bay, which he names.
    • 1781 – American Revolutionary War: British and French ships clash in the Battle of Fort Royal off the coast of Martinique.
    • 1861 – American Civil War: Maryland’s House of Delegates votes not to secede from the Union.
    • 1862 – American Civil War: The Capture of New Orleans by Union forces under David Farragut.
    • 1864 – Theta Xi fraternity is founded at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, the only fraternity to be founded during the American Civil War.
    • 1903 – A landslide kills 70 people in Frank, in the District of Alberta, Canada.
    • 1910 – The Parliament of the United Kingdom passes the People’s Budget, the first budget in British history with the expressed intent of redistributing wealth among the British public.
    • 1911 – Tsinghua University, one of mainland China’s leading universities, is founded.
    • 1916 – World War I: The UK’s 6th Indian Division surrenders to Ottoman Forces at the Siege of Kut in one of the largest surrenders of British forces up to that point.
    • 1916 – Easter Rising: After six days of fighting, Irish rebel leaders surrender to British forces in Dublin, bringing the Easter Rising to an end.
    • 1944 – World War II: British agent Nancy Wake, a leading figure in the French Resistance and the Gestapo’s most wanted person, parachutes back into France to be a liaison between London and the local maquis group.
    • 1945 – World War II: The Surrender of Caserta is signed by the commander of German forces in Italy.
    • 1945 – World War II: Airdrops of food begin over German-occupied regions of the Netherlands.
    • 1945 – World War II: The Captain-class frigate HMS Goodall (K479) is torpedoed by U-286 outside the Kola Inlet becoming the last Royal Navy ship to be sunk in the European theatre of World War II.
    • 1945 – World War II: Führerbunker: Adolf Hitler marries his longtime partner Eva Braun in a Berlin bunker and designates Admiral Karl Dönitz as his successor; Hitler and Braun both commit suicide the following day.
    • 1945 – Dachau concentration camp is liberated by United States troops.
    • 1945 – The Italian commune of Fornovo di Taro is liberated from German forces by Brazilian forces.
    • 1946 – The International Military Tribunal for the Far East convenes and indicts former Prime Minister of Japan Hideki Tojo and 28 former Japanese leaders for war crimes.
    • 1951 – Tibetan delegates to the Central People’s Government arrive in Beijing and draft a Seventeen Point Agreement for Chinese sovereignty and Tibetan autonomy.
    • 1953 – The first U.S. experimental 3D television broadcast showed an episode of Space Patrol on Los Angeles ABC affiliate KECA-TV.
    • 1965 – Pakistan’s Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO) successfully launches its seventh rocket in its Rehber series.
    • 1967 – After refusing induction into the United States Army the previous day, Muhammad Ali is stripped of his boxing title.
    • 1968 – The controversial musical Hair, a product of the hippie counter-culture and sexual revolution of the 1960s, opens at the Biltmore Theatre on Broadway, with some of its songs becoming anthems of the anti-Vietnam War movement.
    • 1970 – Vietnam War: United States and South Vietnamese forces invade Cambodia to hunt Viet Cong.
    • 1974 – Watergate scandal: United States President Richard Nixon announces the release of edited transcripts of White House tape recordings relating to the scandal.
    • 1975 – Vietnam War: Operation Frequent Wind: The U.S. begins to evacuate U.S. citizens from Saigon before an expected North Vietnamese takeover. U.S. involvement in the war comes to an end.
    • 1975 – Vietnam War: The North Vietnamese army completes its capture of all parts of South Vietnamese-held Trường Sa Islands.
    • 1986 – A fire at the Central library of the City of Los Angeles Public Library damages or destroys 400,000 books and other items.
    • 1986 – Chernobyl disaster: American and European spy satellites capture the ruins of the 4th Reactor at the Chernobyl Power Plant.
    • 1991 – A cyclone strikes the Chittagong district of southeastern Bangladesh with winds of around 155 miles per hour (249 km/h), killing at least 138,000 people and leaving as many as ten million homeless.
    • 1991 – The 7.0 Mw  Racha earthquake affects Georgia with a maximum MSK intensity of IX (Destructive), killing 270 people.
    • 1992 – Riots in Los Angeles, following the acquittal of police officers charged with excessive force in the beating of Rodney King. Over the next three days 63 people are killed and hundreds of buildings are destroyed.
    • 1997 – The Chemical Weapons Convention of 1993 enters into force, outlawing the production, stockpiling and use of chemical weapons by its signatories.
    • 2011 – The Wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton takes place at Westminster Abbey in London.
    • 2013 – A powerful explosion occurs in an office building in Prague, believed to have been caused by natural gas, injures 43 people.
    • 2013 – National Airlines Flight 102, a Boeing 747-400 freighter aircraft, crashes during takeoff from Bagram Airfield in Parwan Province, Afghanistan, killing seven people.
    • 2015 – A baseball game between the Baltimore Orioles and the Chicago White Sox sets the all-time low attendance mark for Major League Baseball. Zero fans were in attendance for the game, as the stadium was officially closed to the public due to the 2015 Baltimore protests.

    Births on April 29

    • 912 – Minamoto no Mitsunaka, Japanese samurai (d. 997)
    • 1469 – William II, Landgrave of Hesse (d. 1509)
    • 1587 – Sophie of Saxony, Duchess of Pomerania (d. 1635)
    • 1636 – Esaias Reusner, German lute player and composer (d. 1679)
    • 1665 – James Butler, 2nd Duke of Ormonde, Irish general and politician, Lord Lieutenant of Ireland (d. 1745)
    • 1667 – John Arbuthnot, Scottish-English physician and polymath (d. 1735)
    • 1686 – Peregrine Bertie, 2nd Duke of Ancaster and Kesteven, English politician, Lord Great Chamberlain (d. 1742)
    • 1727 – Jean-Georges Noverre, French actor and dancer (d. 1810)
    • 1745 – Oliver Ellsworth, American lawyer and politician, 3rd Chief Justice of the United States (d. 1807)
    • 1758 – Georg Carl von Döbeln, Swedish general (d. 1820)
    • 1762 – Jean-Baptiste Jourdan, French general and politician, French Minister of Foreign Affairs (d. 1833)
    • 1780 – Charles Nodier, French librarian and author (d. 1844)
    • 1783 – David Cox, English landscape painter (d. 1859)
    • 1784 – Samuel Turell Armstrong, American publisher and politician, 14th Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts (d. 1850)
    • 1810 – Thomas Adolphus Trollope, English journalist and author (d. 1892)
    • 1814 – Sadok Barącz, Galician religious leader, historian, folklorist, archivist (d. 1892)
    • 1818 – Alexander II of Russia (d. 1881)
    • 1837 – Georges Ernest Boulanger, French general and politician, French Minister of War (d. 1891)
    • 1842 – Carl Millöcker, Austrian composer and conductor (d. 1899)
    • 1847 – Joachim Andersen, Danish flautist, composer, conductor, and co-founder of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra (d. 1907)
    • 1848 – Raja Ravi Varma, Indian painter and academic (d. 1906)
    • 1854 – Henri Poincaré, French mathematician, physicist, and engineer (d. 1912)
    • 1858 – Georgia Hopley, American journalist, temperance advocate, and the first woman prohibition agent (d. 1944)
    • 1863 – Constantine P. Cavafy, Egyptian-Greek journalist and poet (d. 1933)
    • 1863 – William Randolph Hearst, American publisher and politician, founded the Hearst Corporation (d. 1951)
    • 1863 – Maria Teresia Ledóchowska, Austrian nun and missionary (d. 1922)
    • 1872 – Harry Payne Whitney, American businessman and lawyer (d. 1930)
    • 1872 – Forest Ray Moulton, American astronomer and academic (d. 1952)
    • 1875 – Rafael Sabatini, Italian-English novelist and short story writer (d. 1950)
    • 1878 – Friedrich Adler, Jewish-German academic, artist and designer (d.1945)
    • 1879 – Thomas Beecham, English conductor (d. 1961, March 8)
    • 1880 – Fethi Okyar, Turkish military officer, diplomat and politician (d. 1943)
    • 1882 – Auguste Herbin, French painter (d. 1960)
    • 1882 – Hendrik Nicolaas Werkman, Dutch printer, typographer, and Nazi resister (d. 1945)
    • 1891 – Bharathidasan, Indian poet and activist (d. 1964)
    • 1894 – Marietta Blau, Austrian physicist and academic (d. 1970)
    • 1885 – Egon Erwin Kisch, Czech journalist and author (d. 1948)
    • 1887 – Raymond Thorne, American swimmer (d. 1921)
    • 1893 – Harold Urey, American chemist and astronomer, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1981)
    • 1895 – Vladimir Propp, Russian scholar and critic (d. 1970)
    • 1895 – Malcolm Sargent, English organist, composer, and conductor (d. 1967)
    • 1899 – Duke Ellington, American pianist, composer, and bandleader (d. 1974)
    • 1899 – Mary Petty, American illustrator (d. 1976)
    • 1900 – Concha de Albornoz, Spanish feminist and intellectual, exiled during the Spanish Civil War (d. 1972)
    • 1900 – Amelia Best, Australian politician, one of the first women elected to the Tasmanian House of Assembly (d. 1979)
    • 1901 – Hirohito, Japanese emperor (d. 1989)
    • 1907 – Fred Zinnemann, Austrian-American director and producer (d. 1997)
    • 1908 – Jack Williamson, American author and academic (d. 2006)
    • 1909 – Tom Ewell, American actor (d. 1994)
    • 1912 – Richard Carlson, American actor, director, and screenwriter (d. 1977)
    • 1915 – Henry H. Barschall, German-American physicist and academic (d. 1997)
    • 1917 – Maya Deren, Ukrainian-American director, poet, and photographer (d. 1961)
    • 1917 – Celeste Holm, American actress and singer (d. 2012)
    • 1918 – George Allen, American football player and coach (d. 1990)
    • 1919 – Gérard Oury, French actor, director, and screenwriter (d. 2006)
    • 1920 – Edward Blishen, English author and radio host (d. 1996)
    • 1920 – Harold Shapero, American composer (d. 2013)
    • 1922 – Helmut Krackowizer, Austrian motorcycle racer and journalist (d. 2001)
    • 1922 – Toots Thielemans, Belgian guitarist and harmonica player (d. 2016)
    • 1923 – Irvin Kershner, American actor, director, and producer (d. 2010)
    • 1924 – Al Balding, Canadian golfer (d. 2006)
    • 1924 – Zizi Jeanmaire, French ballerina and actress
    • 1925 – John Compton, Saint Lucian lawyer and politician, 1st Prime Minister of Saint Lucia (d. 2007)
    • 1925 – Iwao Takamoto, American animator, director, and producer (d. 2007)
    • 1926 – Elmer Kelton, American journalist and author (d. 2009)
    • 1927 – Dorothy Manley, English sprinter
    • 1927 – Bill Slater, English footballer (d. 2018)
    • 1928 – Carl Gardner, American singer (d. 2011)
    • 1928 – Heinz Wolff, German-English physiologist, engineer, and academic (d. 2017)
    • 1929 – Walter Kempowski, German author and academic (d. 2007)
    • 1929 – Mickey McDermott, American baseball player and coach (d. 2003)
    • 1929 – Peter Sculthorpe, Australian composer and conductor (d. 2014)
    • 1929 – Maurice Strong, Canadian businessman and diplomat (d. 2015)
    • 1929 – Jeremy Thorpe, English lawyer and politician (d. 2014)
    • 1930 – Jean Rochefort, French actor and director (d. 2017)
    • 1931 – Frank Auerbach, British-German painter
    • 1931 – Lonnie Donegan, Scottish-English singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 2002)
    • 1931 – Chris Pearson, Canadian politician, 1st Premier of Yukon (d. 2014)
    • 1932 – Joy Clements, American soprano and actress (d. 2005)
    • 1932 – David Tindle, English painter and educator
    • 1933 – Ed Charles, American baseball player and coach (d. 2018)
    • 1933 – Mark Eyskens, Belgian economist and politician, 61st Prime Minister of Belgium
    • 1933 – Rod McKuen, American singer-songwriter and poet (d. 2015)
    • 1933 – Willie Nelson, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, producer, and actor
    • 1934 – Luis Aparicio, Venezuelan-American baseball player
    • 1934 – Peter de la Billière, English general
    • 1934 – Erika Fisch, German sprinter and hurdler
    • 1934 – Pedro Pires, Cape Verdean politician, 3rd President of Cape Verde
    • 1935 – Otis Rush, American blues singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 2018)
    • 1936 – Zubin Mehta, Indian bassist and conductor
    • 1936 – Adolfo Nicolás, Spanish priest, 13th Superior General of the Society of Jesus
    • 1936 – Jacob Rothschild, 4th Baron Rothschild, English banker and philanthropist
    • 1936 – April Stevens, American pop singer
    • 1937 – Arvo Mets, Estonian-Russian poet and translator (d. 1997)
    • 1937 – Jill Paton Walsh, English author
    • 1938 – Bernard Madoff, American businessman, financier and convicted felon
    • 1938 – Klaus Voormann, German artist, bass player, and producer
    • 1940 – Stephanos of Tallinn, Estonian metropolitan
    • 1940 – Brian Taber, Australian cricketer
    • 1941 – Jonah Barrington, English-Irish squash player
    • 1941 – Dorothy Edgington, British philosopher
    • 1941 – Hanne Darboven, German painter (d. 2009)
    • 1942 – Lynda Chalker, Baroness Chalker of Wallasey, English politician, Minister of State for Europe
    • 1942 – Rennie Fritchie, Baroness Fritchie, English civil servant and academic
    • 1942 – Galina Kulakova, Russian skier
    • 1943 – Duane Allen, American country singer
    • 1943 – Brenda Dean, Baroness Dean of Thornton-le-Fylde, English union leader and politician (d. 2018)
    • 1943 – Ruth Deech, Baroness Deech, English lawyer and academic
    • 1944 – Francis Lee, English footballer and businessman
    • 1945 – Brian Charlesworth, English biologist, geneticist, and academic
    • 1945 – Hugh Hopper, English bass guitarist (d. 2009)
    • 1945 – Catherine Lara, French singer-songwriter and violinist
    • 1945 – Tammi Terrell, American soul singer-songwriter (d. 1970)
    • 1946 – Aleksander Wolszczan, Polish astronomer
    • 1947 – Serge Bernier, Canadian ice hockey player
    • 1947 – Tommy James, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer
    • 1947 – Johnny Miller, American golfer and sportscaster
    • 1947 – Jim Ryun, American runner and politician
    • 1948 – Bruce Cutler, American lawyer
    • 1950 – Paul Holmes, New Zealand journalist (d. 2013)
    • 1950 – Phillip Noyce, Australian director and producer
    • 1950 – Debbie Stabenow, American social worker and politician
    • 1951 – Rick Burleson, American baseball player
    • 1951 – Dale Earnhardt, American race car driver (d. 2001)
    • 1951 – John Holmes, English diplomat, British Ambassador to France
    • 1952 – Nora Dunn, American actress and comedian
    • 1952 – David Icke, English footballer and sportscaster
    • 1952 – Bob McClure, American baseball player and coach
    • 1952 – Rob Nicholson, Canadian lawyer and politician, 11th Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs
    • 1952 – Ron Washington, American baseball player and manager
    • 1954 – Jake Burton Carpenter, American snowboarder and businessman, founded Burton Snowboards
    • 1954 – Jerry Seinfeld, American comedian, actor, and producer
    • 1955 – Don McKinnon, Australian rugby league player
    • 1955 – Kate Mulgrew, American actress
    • 1956 – Karen Barad, American physicist and philosopher
    • 1957 – Daniel Day-Lewis, British-Irish actor
    • 1957 – Mark Kendall, American guitarist and songwriter
    • 1958 – Michelle Pfeiffer, American actress
    • 1958 – Eve Plumb, American actress
    • 1958 – Gary Cohen, American baseball play-by-play announcer
    • 1958 – Kevin Moore, English footballer (d. 2013)
    • 1960 – Bill Glasson, American golfer
    • 1960 – Robert J. Sawyer, Canadian author and academic
    • 1962 – Bruce Driver, Canadian ice hockey player and coach
    • 1962 – Rob Druppers, Dutch runner
    • 1962 – Stephan Burger, German Catholic archbishop
    • 1963 – Mike Babcock, Canadian ice hockey player and coach
    • 1964 – Federico Castelluccio, Italian-American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter
    • 1964 – Radek Jaroš, Czech mountaineer and author
    • 1965 – Michel Bussi, French geographer, author, and academic
    • 1965 – Peter Rauhofer, Austrian-American disc jockey and producer (d. 2013)
    • 1965 – Larisa Turchinskaya, Russian-Australian heptathlete and coach
    • 1965 – Brendon Tuuta, New Zealand rugby league player
    • 1966 – Christian Tetzlaff, German violinist
    • 1966 – Phil Tufnell, English cricketer and radio host
    • 1967 – Marcel Albers, Dutch race car driver (d. 1992)
    • 1967 – Curtis Joseph, Canadian ice hockey player and coach
    • 1968 – Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović, 4th President of Croatia
    • 1968 – Carnie Wilson, American singer-songwriter
    • 1969 – Jack Mackenroth, American swimmer, model, and fashion designer
    • 1970 – Andre Agassi, American tennis player
    • 1970 – Uma Thurman, American actress
    • 1972 – Dustin McDaniel, American lawyer and politician, 55th Arkansas Attorney General
    • 1974 – Jasper Wood, Canadian violinist and educator
    • 1974 – Anggun, Diva Indonesia
    • 1975 – Rafael Betancourt, Venezuelan baseball player
    • 1975 – Artem Yashkin, Ukrainian footballer
    • 1976 – Fabio Liverani, Italian footballer and manager
    • 1976 – Chiyotaikai Ryūji, Japanese sumo wrestler
    • 1977 – Zuzana Hejdová, Czech tennis player
    • 1977 – Claus Jensen, Danish international footballer and manager
    • 1977 – Titus O’Neil, American football player and wrestler
    • 1977 – Attila Zsivoczky, Hungarian decathlete and high jumper
    • 1978 – Tony Armas, Jr., Venezuelan baseball player
    • 1978 – Bob Bryan, American tennis player
    • 1978 – Mike Bryan, American tennis player
    • 1978 – Javier Colon, American singer-songwriter and musician
    • 1978 – Craig Gower, Australian rugby player
    • 1978 – Tyler Labine, Canadian actor and comedian
    • 1979 – Lee Dong-gook, South Korean footballer
    • 1979 – Ryan Sharp, Scottish race car driver and manager
    • 1980 – Mathieu Biron, Canadian ice hockey player
    • 1980 – Kelly Shoppach, American baseball player
    • 1981 – Lisa Allen, English chef
    • 1981 – George McCartney, Northern Irish footballer
    • 1981 – Émilie Mondor, Canadian runner (d. 2006)
    • 1983 – Jay Cutler, American football player
    • 1983 – Tommie Harris, American football player
    • 1983 – David Lee, American basketball player
    • 1984 – Kirby Cote, Canadian swimmer
    • 1984 – Paulius Jankūnas, Lithuanian basketball player
    • 1984 – Lina Krasnoroutskaya, Russian tennis player
    • 1984 – Vassilis Xanthopoulos, Greek basketball player
    • 1985 – Jean-François Jacques, Canadian ice hockey player
    • 1986 – Byun Yo-han, South Korean actor
    • 1986 – Lee Chae-young, South Korean actress
    • 1986 – Viljar Veski, Estonian basketball player
    • 1986 – Sisa Waqa, Fijian rugby league player
    • 1986 – Monique Alfradique, Brazilian actress
    • 1987 – Knut Børsheim, Norwegian golfer
    • 1987 – Sara Errani, Italian tennis player
    • 1988 – Elías Hernández, Mexican footballer
    • 1988 – Alfred Hui, Hong Kong singer
    • 1988 – Jovan Leacock, American football player
    • 1988 – Taoufik Makhloufi, Algerian athlete
    • 1988 – Jonathan Toews, Canadian ice hockey player
    • 1988 – Younha, South Korean singer-songwriter and record producer
    • 1991 – Adam Smith, English footballer
    • 1991 – Jung Hye-sung, South Korean actress
    • 1992 – Emilio Orozco, American soccer player
    • 1992 – Alina Rosenberg, German Paralympic equestrian
    • 1994 – Christina Shakovets, German tennis player
    • 1995 – Victoria Sinitsina, Russian ice dancer
    • 1996 – Katherine Langford, Australian actress
    • 1998 – Kimberly Birrell, Australian tennis player
    • 2007 – Infanta Sofía of Spain, Spanish princess

    Deaths on April 29

    • 643 – Hou Junji, Chinese general and politician, Chancellor of the Tang dynasty
    • 926 – Burchard II, Duke of Swabia (b. 883)
    • 1380 – Catherine of Siena, Italian mystic, philosopher, and saint (b. 1347)
    • 1417 – Louis II of Anjou (b. 1377)
    • 1594 – Thomas Cooper, English bishop, lexicographer, and theologian (b. 1517)
    • 1630 – Agrippa d’Aubigné, French soldier and poet (b. 1552)
    • 1658 – John Cleveland, English poet and author (b. 1613)
    • 1676 – Michiel de Ruyter, Dutch admiral (b. 1607)
    • 1688 – Frederick William, Elector of Brandenburg (b. 1620)
    • 1698 – Charles Cornwallis, 3rd Baron Cornwallis, English politician, Lord Lieutenant of Suffolk (b. 1655)
    • 1707 – George Farquhar, Irish-English actor and playwright (b. 1678)
    • 1743 – Charles-Irénée Castel de Saint-Pierre, French theorist and author (b. 1658)
    • 1768 – Georg Brandt, Swedish chemist and mineralogist (b. 1694)
    • 1771 – Francesco Bartolomeo Rastrelli, French-Italian architect, designed Winter Palace and Catherine Palace (b. 1700)
    • 1776 – Edward Wortley Montagu, English explorer and author (b. 1713)
    • 1793 – John Michell, English geologist and astronomer (b. 1724)
    • 1798 – Nikolaus Poda von Neuhaus, Austrian entomologist and author (b. 1723)
    • 1833 – William Babington, Anglo-Irish physician and mineralogist (b. 1756)
    • 1854 – Henry Paget, 1st Marquess of Anglesey, English field marshal and politician, Lord Lieutenant of Ireland (b. 1768)
    • 1903 – Paul Du Chaillu, French-American anthropologist and zoologist (b. 1835)
    • 1905 – Ignacio Cervantes, Cuban pianist and composer (b. 1847)
    • 1916 – Jørgen Pedersen Gram, Danish mathematician and academic (b. 1850)
    • 1920 – William H. Seward Jr., American general and banker (b. 1839)
    • 1921 – Arthur Mold, English cricketer (b. 1863)
    • 1933 – Constantine P. Cavafy, Greek poet and journalist (b. 1863)
    • 1937 – William Gillette, American actor and playwright (b. 1853)
    • 1944 – Bernardino Machado, Portuguese academic and politician, 3rd President of Portugal (b. 1851)
    • 1945 – Matthias Kleinheisterkamp, German SS officer (b. 1893)
    • 1947 – Irving Fisher, American economist and statistician (b. 1867)
    • 1951 – Ludwig Wittgenstein, Austrian-English philosopher and academic (b. 1889)
    • 1954 – Kathleen Clarice Groom, Australian-English author and screenwriter (b. 1872)
    • 1956 – Harold Bride, English soldier and operator (b. 1890)
    • 1956 – Wilhelm Ritter von Leeb, German field marshal (b. 1876)
    • 1959 – Kenneth Arthur Noel Anderson, India-born English soldier and Governor of Gibraltar (b. 1891)
    • 1964 – Rae Johnstone, Australian jockey (b. 1905)
    • 1966 – William Eccles, English physicist and engineer (b. 1875)
    • 1966 – Paula Strasberg, American actress, acting coach, and member of the Communist Party (b. 1909)
    • 1967 – J. B. Lenoir, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (b. 1929)
    • 1968 – Lin Zhao, Chinese dissident and Christian executed during the Cultural Revolution (b. 1932)
    • 1976 – Edvard Drabløs, Norwegian actor and director (b. 1883)
    • 1978 – Theo Helfrich, German race car driver (b. 1913)
    • 1979 – Muhsin Ertuğrul, Turkish actor and director (b. 1892)
    • 1979 – Hardie Gramatky, American author and illustrator (b. 1907)
    • 1980 – Alfred Hitchcock, English-American director and producer (b. 1899)
    • 1982 – Raymond Bussières, French actor, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1907)
    • 1992 – Mae Clarke, American actress (b. 1910)
    • 1993 – Michael Gordon, American actor and director (b. 1909)
    • 1993 – Mick Ronson, English guitarist, songwriter, and producer (b. 1946)
    • 1997 – Mike Royko, American journalist and author (b. 1932)
    • 1998 – Hal Laycoe, Canadian ice hockey player and coach (b. 1922)
    • 2000 – Phạm Văn Đồng, Vietnamese lieutenant and politician, 2nd Prime Minister of Vietnam (b. 1906)
    • 2001 – Arthur B. C. Walker, Jr., American physicist and academic (b. 1936)
    • 2002 – Bob Akin, American race car driver and journalist (b. 1936)
    • 2003 – Janko Bobetko, Croatian Army general and Chief of the General Staff (b. 1919)
    • 2004 – Sid Smith, Canadian ice hockey player and coach (b. 1925)
    • 2005 – William J. Bell, American screenwriter and producer (b. 1927)
    • 2005 – Louis Leithold, American mathematician and academic (b. 1924)
    • 2006 – John Kenneth Galbraith, Canadian-American economist and diplomat, United States Ambassador to India (b. 1908)
    • 2007 – Milt Bocek, American baseball player and soldier (b. 1912)
    • 2007 – Josh Hancock, American baseball player (b. 1978)
    • 2007 – Dick Motz, New Zealand cricketer and rugby player (b. 1940)
    • 2007 – Ivica Račan, Croatian politician, 7th Prime Minister of Croatia (b. 1944)
    • 2008 – Chuck Daigh, American race car driver (b. 1923)
    • 2008 – Albert Hofmann, Swiss chemist and academic (b. 1906)
    • 2010 – Sandy Douglas, English computer scientist and academic, designed OXO (b. 1921)
    • 2011 – Siamak Pourzand, Iranian journalist and critic (b. 1931)
    • 2011 – Joanna Russ, American writer, academic and radical feminist (b. 1937)
    • 2012 – Shukri Ghanem, Libyan politician, Prime Minister of Libya (b. 1942)
    • 2012 – Joel Goldsmith, American composer and conductor (b. 1957)
    • 2012 – Roland Moreno. French engineer, invented the smart card (b. 1945)
    • 2012 – Kenny Roberts, American singer-songwriter (b. 1926)
    • 2013 – Alex Elisala, New Zealand-Australian rugby player (b. 1992)
    • 2013 – Pesah Grupper, Israeli politician, 13th Israel Minister of Agriculture (b. 1924)
    • 2013 – Parekura Horomia, New Zealand politician, 40th Minister of Māori Affairs (b. 1950)
    • 2013 – John La Montaine, American pianist and composer (b. 1920)
    • 2013 – Ernest Michael, American mathematician and scholar (b. 1925)
    • 2013 – Kevin Moore, English footballer (b. 1958)
    • 2013 – Marianna Zachariadi, Greek pole vaulter (b. 1990)
    • 2014 – Iveta Bartošová, Czech singer and actress (b. 1966)
    • 2014 – Al Feldstein, American author and illustrator (b. 1925)
    • 2014 – Bob Hoskins, English actor (b. 1942)
    • 2014 – Michael Kadosh, Israeli footballer and manager (b. 1940)
    • 2015 – François Michelin, French businessman (b. 1926)
    • 2015 – Jean Nidetch, American businesswoman, co-founded Weight Watchers (b. 1923)
    • 2015 – Calvin Peete, American golfer (b. 1943)
    • 2015 – Dan Walker, American lawyer and politician, 36th Governor of Illinois (b. 1922)
    • 2016 – Renato Corona, Filipino lawyer and jurist, 23rd Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines (b. 1948)
    • 2019 – Josef Šural, Czech footballer (b. 1990)
    • 2020 – Irrfan Khan, Indian film actor (b. 1967)

    Holidays and observances on April 29

    • Christian feast day:
      • Catherine of Siena (Catholic, Lutheran and Anglican Church)
      • Endelienta
      • Hugh of Cluny
      • Robert of Molesme
      • Torpes of Pisa
      • April 29 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
    • Day of Remembrance for all Victims of Chemical Warfare (United Nations)
    • International Dance Day (UNESCO)
    • Shōwa Day, traditionally the start of the Golden Week holiday period, which is April 29 and May 3–5. (Japan)

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

    • 404 BC – Admiral Lysander and King Pausanias of Sparta blockade Athens and bring the Peloponnesian War to a successful conclusion.
    • 775 – The Battle of Bagrevand puts an end to an Armenian rebellion against the Abbasid Caliphate. Muslim control over Transcaucasia is solidified and its Islamization begins, while several major Armenian nakharar families lose power and their remnants flee to the Byzantine Empire.
    • 799 – After mistreatment and disfigurement by the citizens of Rome, pope Leo III flees to the Frankish court of king Charlemagne at Paderborn for protection.
    • 1134 – The name Zagreb was mentioned for the first time in the Felician Charter relating to the establishment of the Zagreb Bishopric around 1094.
    • 1607 – Eighty Years’ War: The Dutch fleet destroys the anchored Spanish fleet at Gibraltar.
    • 1644 – The Chongzhen Emperor, the last Emperor of Ming dynasty China, commits suicide during a peasant rebellion led by Li Zicheng.
    • 1707 – A coalition of Britain, the Netherlands and Portugal is defeated by a Franco-Spanish army at Almansa (Spain) in the War of the Spanish Succession.
    • 1792 – Highwayman Nicolas J. Pelletier becomes the first person executed by guillotine.
    • 1792 – “La Marseillaise” (the French national anthem) is composed by Claude Joseph Rouget de Lisle.
    • 1804 – The western Georgian kingdom of Imereti accepts the suzerainty of the Russian Empire.
    • 1829 – Charles Fremantle arrives in HMS Challenger off the coast of modern-day Western Australia prior to declaring the Swan River Colony for the United Kingdom.
    • 1846 – Thornton Affair: Open conflict begins over the disputed border of Texas, triggering the Mexican–American War.
    • 1849 – The Governor General of Canada, Lord Elgin, signs the Rebellion Losses Bill, outraging Montreal’s English population and triggering the Montreal Riots.
    • 1859 – British and French engineers break ground for the Suez Canal.
    • 1862 – American Civil War: Forces under U.S. Admiral David Farragut demand the surrender of the Confederate city of New Orleans, Louisiana.
    • 1864 – American Civil War: The Battle of Marks’ Mills.
    • 1882 – French and Vietnamese troops clashed in Tonkin, when Commandant Henri Rivière seized the citadel of Hanoi with a small force of marine infantry.
    • 1898 – Spanish–American War: The United States declares war on Spain.
    • 1901 – New York becomes the first U.S. state to require automobile license plates.
    • 1915 – World War I: The Battle of Gallipoli begins: The invasion of the Turkish Gallipoli Peninsula by British, French, Indian, Newfoundland, Australian and New Zealand troops, begins with landings at Anzac Cove and Cape Helles.
    • 1916 – Anzac Day is commemorated for the first time on the first anniversary of the landing at ANZAC Cove.
    • 1920 – At the San Remo conference, the principal Allied Powers of World War I adopt a resolution to determine the allocation of Class “A” League of Nations mandates for administration of the former Ottoman-ruled lands of the Middle East.
    • 1938 – U.S. Supreme Court delivers its opinion in Erie Railroad Co. v. Tompkins and overturns a century of federal common law.
    • 1940 – Merkið, the flag of the Faroe Islands is approved by the British occupation government.
    • 1944 – The United Negro College Fund is incorporated.
    • 1945 – Elbe Day: United States and Soviet troops meet in Torgau along the River Elbe, cutting the Wehrmacht of Nazi Germany in two.
    • 1945 – Liberation Day (Italy): The Nazi occupation army surrenders and leaves Northern Italy after a general partisan insurrection by the Italian resistance movement; the puppet fascist regime dissolves and Benito Mussolini is captured after trying to escape. This day was set as a public holiday to celebrate the Liberation of Italy.
    • 1945 – United Nations Conference on International Organization: Founding negotiations for the United Nations begin in San Francisco.
    • 1945 – The last German troops retreat from Finland’s soil in Lapland, ending the Lapland War. Military acts of Second World War end in Finland.
    • 1951 – Korean War: Assaulting Chinese forces are forced to withdraw after heavy fighting with UN forces, primarily made up of Australian and Canadian troops, at the Battle of Kapyong.
    • 1953 – Francis Crick and James Watson publish “Molecular Structure of Nucleic Acids: A Structure for Deoxyribose Nucleic Acid” describing the double helix structure of DNA.
    • 1954 – The first practical solar cell is publicly demonstrated by Bell Telephone Laboratories.
    • 1959 – The Saint Lawrence Seaway, linking the North American Great Lakes and the Atlantic Ocean, officially opens to shipping.
    • 1960 – The United States Navy submarine USS Triton completes the first submerged circumnavigation of the globe.
    • 1961 – Robert Noyce is granted a patent for an integrated circuit.
    • 1972 – Vietnam War: Nguyen Hue Offensive: The North Vietnamese 320th Division forces 5,000 South Vietnamese troops to retreat and traps about 2,500 others northwest of Kontum.
    • 1974 – Carnation Revolution: A leftist military coup in Portugal overthrows the authoritarian-conservative Estado Novo regime and establishes a democratic government.
    • 1975 – As North Vietnamese forces close in on the South Vietnamese capital Saigon, the Australian Embassy is closed and evacuated, almost ten years to the day since the first Australian troop commitment to South Vietnam.
    • 1981 – More than 100 workers are exposed to radiation during repairs of at the Tsuruga Nuclear Power Plant in Japan.
    • 1982 – Israel completes its withdrawal from the Sinai Peninsula per the Camp David Accords.
    • 1983 – Cold War: American schoolgirl Samantha Smith is invited to visit the Soviet Union by its leader Yuri Andropov after he read her letter in which she expressed fears about nuclear war.
    • 1983 – Pioneer 10 travels beyond Pluto’s orbit.
    • 1986 – Mswati III is crowned King of Swaziland, succeeding his father Sobhuza II.
    • 1988 – In Israel, John Demjanjuk is sentenced to death for war crimes committed in World War II.
    • 1990 – Violeta Chamorro takes office as the President of Nicaragua, the first woman to hold the position.
    • 2001 – Michele Alboreto is killed while testing an Audi R8 at the Lausitzring in Germany.
    • 2004 – The March for Women’s Lives brings between 500,000 and 800,000 protesters, mostly pro-choice, to Washington D.C. to protest the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act of 2003, and other restrictions on abortion.
    • 2005 – The final piece of the Obelisk of Axum is returned to Ethiopia after being stolen by the invading Italian army in 1937.
    • 2005 – Bulgaria and Romania sign accession treaties to join the European Union.
    • 2007 – Boris Yeltsin’s funeral: The first to be sanctioned by the Russian Orthodox Church for a head of state since the funeral of Emperor Alexander III in 1894.
    • 2015 – Nearly 9,100 are killed after a massive 7.8 magnitude earthquake strikes Nepal.

    Births on April 25

    • 1214 – Louis IX of France (d. 1270)
    • 1228 – Conrad IV of Germany (d. 1254)
    • 1284 – Edward II of England (d. 1327)
    • 1287 – Roger Mortimer, 1st Earl of March, English politician, Lord Lieutenant of Ireland (d. 1330)
    • 1502 – Georg Major, German theologian and academic (d. 1574)
    • 1529 – Francesco Patrizi, Italian philosopher and scientist (d. 1597)
    • 1599 – Oliver Cromwell, English general and politician, Lord Protector of Great Britain (d. 1658)
    • 1621 – Roger Boyle, 1st Earl of Orrery, English soldier and politician (d. 1679)
    • 1666 – Johann Heinrich Buttstett, German organist and composer (d. 1727)
    • 1694 – Richard Boyle, 3rd Earl of Burlington, English architect and politician, Lord High Treasurer of Ireland (d. 1753)
    • 1710 – James Ferguson, Scottish astronomer and author (d. 1776)
    • 1723 – Giovanni Marco Rutini, Italian composer (d. 1797)
    • 1725 – Augustus Keppel, 1st Viscount Keppel, English admiral and politician (d. 1786)
    • 1767 – Nicolas Oudinot, French general (d. 1847)
    • 1770 – Georg Sverdrup, Norwegian philologist and academic (d. 1850)
    • 1776 – Princess Mary, Duchess of Gloucester and Edinburgh (d. 1857)
    • 1843 – Princess Alice of the United Kingdom (d. 1878)
    • 1849 – Felix Klein, German mathematician and academic (d. 1925)
    • 1850 – Luise Adolpha Le Beau, German composer and educator (d. 1927)
    • 1851 – Leopoldo Alas, Spanish author, critic, and academic (d. 1901)
    • 1854 – Charles Sumner Tainter, American engineer and inventor (d. 1940)
    • 1862 – Edward Grey, 1st Viscount Grey of Fallodon, English ornithologist and politician, Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (d. 1933)
    • 1868 – John Moisant, American pilot and engineer (d. 1910)
    • 1871 – Lorne Currie, French-English sailor (d. 1926)
    • 1872 – C. B. Fry, English cricketer, footballer, educator, and politician (d. 1956)
    • 1873 – Walter de la Mare, English poet, short story writer, and novelist (d. 1956)
    • 1873 – Howard Garis, American author, creator of the Uncle Wiggily series of children’s stories (d. 1962)
    • 1874 – Guglielmo Marconi, Italian businessman and inventor, developed Marconi’s law, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1937)
    • 1874 – Ernest Webb, English-Canadian race walker (d. 1937)
    • 1876 – Jacob Nicol, Canadian publisher, lawyer, and politician (d. 1958)
    • 1878 – William Merz, American gymnast and triathlete (d. 1946)
    • 1882 – Fred McLeod, Scottish golfer (d. 1976)
    • 1887 – Kojo Tovalou Houénou, Beninese lawyer and critic (d. 1936)
    • 1892 – Maud Hart Lovelace, American author (d. 1980)
    • 1896 – Fred Haney, American baseball player, coach, and manager (d. 1977)
    • 1897 – Mary, Princess Royal and Countess of Harewood (d. 1965)
    • 1900 – Gladwyn Jebb, English politician and diplomat, Secretary-General of the United Nations (d. 1996)
    • 1900 – Wolfgang Pauli, Austrian-Swiss-American physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1958)
    • 1902 – Werner Heyde, German psychiatrist and academic (d. 1964)
    • 1902 – Mary Miles Minter, American actress (d. 1984)
    • 1903 – Andrey Kolmogorov, Russian mathematician and academic (d. 1987)
    • 1905 – George Nepia, New Zealand rugby player and referee (d. 1986)
    • 1906 – William J. Brennan Jr., American colonel and Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court (d. 1997)
    • 1908 – Edward R. Murrow, American journalist (d. 1965)
    • 1909 – William Pereira, American architect, designed the Transamerica Pyramid (d. 1985)
    • 1910 – Arapeta Awatere, New Zealand interpreter, military leader, politician, and murderer (d. 1976)
    • 1911 – Connie Marrero, Cuban baseball player and coach (d. 2014)
    • 1912 – Earl Bostic, African-American saxophonist (d. 1965)
    • 1913 – Nikolaos Roussen, Greek captain (d. 1944)
    • 1914 – Ross Lockridge Jr., American author and academic (d. 1948)
    • 1915 – Mort Weisinger, American journalist and author (d. 1978)
    • 1916 – Jerry Barber, American golfer (d. 1994)
    • 1917 – Ella Fitzgerald, American singer (d. 1996)
    • 1917 – Jean Lucas, French racing driver (d. 2003)
    • 1918 – Graham Payn, South African-born English actor and singer (d. 2005)
    • 1918 – Gérard de Vaucouleurs, French-American astronomer and academic (d. 1995)
    • 1918 – Astrid Varnay, Swedish-American soprano and actress (d. 2006)
    • 1919 – Finn Helgesen, Norwegian speed skater (d. 2011)
    • 1921 – Karel Appel, Dutch painter and sculptor (d. 2006)
    • 1923 – Francis Graham-Smith, English astronomer and academic
    • 1923 – Melissa Hayden, Canadian ballerina (d. 2006)
    • 1923 – Albert King, African-American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer (d. 1992)
    • 1924 – Ingemar Johansson, Swedish race walker (d. 2009)
    • 1924 – Franco Mannino, Italian pianist, composer, director, and playwright (d. 2005)
    • 1924 – Paulo Vanzolini, Brazilian singer-songwriter and zoologist (d. 2013)
    • 1925 – Tony Christopher, Baron Christopher, English trade union leader and businessman
    • 1925 – Sammy Drechsel, German comedian and journalist (d. 1986)
    • 1925 – Louis O’Neil, Canadian academic and politician (d. 2018)
    • 1926 – Johnny Craig, American author and illustrator (d. 2001)
    • 1926 – Gertrude Fröhlich-Sandner, Austrian politician (d. 2008)
    • 1926 – Patricia Castell, Argentine actress (d. 2013)
    • 1927 – Corín Tellado, Spanish author (d. 2009)
    • 1927 – Albert Uderzo, French author and illustrator (d. 2020)
    • 1928 – Cy Twombly, American-Italian painter and sculptor (d. 2011)
    • 1929 – Yvette Williams, New Zealand long jumper, shot putter, and discus thrower (d. 2019)
    • 1930 – Paul Mazursky, American actor, director, and screenwriter (d. 2014)
    • 1930 – Godfrey Milton-Thompson, English admiral and surgeon (d. 2012)
    • 1930 – Peter Schulz, German lawyer and politician, Mayor of Hamburg (d. 2013)
    • 1931 – Felix Berezin, Russian mathematician and physicist (d. 1980)
    • 1931 – David Shepherd, English painter and author (d. 2017)
    • 1932 – Nikolai Kardashev, Russian astrophysicist (d. 2019)
    • 1932 – Meadowlark Lemon, African-American basketball player and minister (d. 2015)
    • 1932 – Lia Manoliu, Romanian discus thrower and politician (d. 1998)
    • 1933 – Jerry Leiber, American songwriter and producer (d. 2011)
    • 1933 – Joyce Ricketts, American baseball player (d. 1992)
    • 1934 – Peter McParland, Northern Irish footballer and manager
    • 1935 – Bob Gutowski, American pole vaulter (d. 1960)
    • 1935 – Reinier Kreijermaat, Dutch footballer (d. 2018)
    • 1936 – Henck Arron, Surinamese banker and politician, 1st Prime Minister of the Republic of Suriname (d. 2000)
    • 1938 – Roger Boisjoly, American aerodynamicist and engineer (d. 2012)
    • 1938 – Ton Schulten, Dutch painter and graphic designer
    • 1939 – Tarcisio Burgnich, Italian footballer and manager
    • 1939 – Michael Llewellyn-Smith, English academic and diplomat
    • 1939 – Robert Skidelsky, Baron Skidelsky, English historian and academic
    • 1939 – Veronica Sutherland, English academic and British diplomat
    • 1940 – Al Pacino, American actor and director
    • 1941 – Bertrand Tavernier, French actor, director, producer, and screenwriter
    • 1942 – Jon Kyl, American lawyer and politician
    • 1943 – Tony Christie, English singer-songwriter and actor
    • 1944 – Len Goodman, English dancer
    • 1944 – Mike Kogel, German singer-songwriter
    • 1944 – Stephen Nickell, English economist and academic
    • 1944 – Bruce Ponder, English geneticist and cancer researcher
    • 1945 – Stu Cook, American bass player, songwriter, and producer
    • 1945 – Richard C. Hoagland, American theorist and author
    • 1945 – Björn Ulvaeus, Swedish singer-songwriter and producer
    • 1946 – Talia Shire, American actress
    • 1946 – Peter Sutherland, Irish lawyer and politician, Attorney General of Ireland
    • 1946 – Vladimir Zhirinovsky, Russian colonel, lawyer, and politician
    • 1947 – Johan Cruyff, Dutch footballer and manager (d. 2016)
    • 1947 – Jeffrey DeMunn, American actor
    • 1948 – Mike Selvey, English cricketer and sportscaster
    • 1948 – Yu Shyi-kun, Taiwanese politician, 39th Premier of the Republic of China
    • 1949 – Vicente Pernía, Argentinian footballer and race car driver
    • 1949 – Dominique Strauss-Kahn, French economist, lawyer, and politician, French Minister of Finance
    • 1949 – James Fenton, English poet, journalist and literary critic
    • 1950 – Donnell Deeny, Northern Irish lawyer and judge
    • 1950 – Steve Ferrone, English drummer
    • 1950 – Peter Hintze, German politician (d. 2016)
    • 1950 – Valentyna Kozyr, Ukrainian high jumper
    • 1951 – Ian McCartney, Scottish politician, Minister of State for Trade
    • 1952 – Ketil Bjørnstad, Norwegian pianist and composer
    • 1952 – Vladislav Tretiak, Russian ice hockey player and coach
    • 1952 – Jacques Santini, French footballer and coach
    • 1953 – Ron Clements, American animator, producer, and screenwriter
    • 1953 – Gary Cosier, Australian cricketer
    • 1953 – Anthony Venables, English economist, author, and academic
    • 1954 – Melvin Burgess, English author
    • 1954 – Randy Cross, American football player and sportscaster
    • 1954 – Róisín Shortall, Irish educator and politician
    • 1955 – Américo Gallego, Argentinian footballer and coach
    • 1955 – Parviz Parastui, Iranian actor and singer
    • 1955 – Zev Siegl, American businessman, co-founded Starbucks
    • 1956 – Dominique Blanc, French actress, director, and screenwriter
    • 1956 – Abdalla Uba Adamu, Nigerian professor, media scholar
    • 1957 – Theo de Rooij, Dutch cyclist and manager
    • 1958 – Fish, Scottish singer-songwriter
    • 1958 – Misha Glenny, British journalist
    • 1959 – Paul Madden, English diplomat, British High Commissioner to Australia
    • 1959 – Daniel Kash, Canadian actor and director
    • 1959 – Tony Phillips, American baseball player (d. 2016)
    • 1960 – Paul Baloff, American singer (d. 2002)
    • 1960 – Robert Peston, English journalist
    • 1960 – Bruce Redman, Australian director, producer, and critic
    • 1961 – Dinesh D’Souza, Indian-American journalist and author
    • 1961 – Miran Tepeš, Slovenian ski jumper
    • 1962 – Foeke Booy, Dutch footballer and manager
    • 1963 – Joy Covey, American businesswoman (d. 2013)
    • 1963 – Dave Martin, English footballer
    • 1963 – David Moyes, Scottish footballer and manager
    • 1963 – Bernd Müller, German footballer and manager
    • 1963 – Paul Wassif, English singer-songwriter and guitarist
    • 1964 – Hank Azaria, American actor, voice artist, comedian and producer
    • 1964 – Andy Bell, English singer-songwriter
    • 1965 – Eric Avery, American bass player and songwriter
    • 1965 – Mark Bryant, American basketball player and coach
    • 1965 – John Henson, American puppeteer and voice actor (d. 2014)
    • 1966 – Diego Domínguez, Argentinian-Italian rugby player
    • 1966 – Femke Halsema, Dutch sociologist, academic, and politician
    • 1966 – Darren Holmes, American baseball player and coach
    • 1966 – Erik Pappas, American baseball player and coach
    • 1967 – Angel Martino, American swimmer
    • 1968 – Vitaliy Kyrylenko, Ukrainian long jumper
    • 1968 – Thomas Strunz, German footballer
    • 1969 – Joe Buck, American sportscaster
    • 1969 – Martin Koolhoven, Dutch director and screenwriter
    • 1969 – Jon Olsen, American swimmer
    • 1969 – Darren Woodson, American football player and sportscaster
    • 1969 – Renée Zellweger, American actress and producer
    • 1970 – Jason Lee, American skateboarder, actor, comedian and producer
    • 1971 – Sara Baras, Spanish dancer
    • 1971 – Brad Clontz, American baseball player
    • 1973 – Carlota Castrejana, Spanish triple jumper
    • 1973 – Fredrik Larzon, Swedish drummer
    • 1973 – Barbara Rittner, German tennis player
    • 1975 – Jacque Jones, American baseball player and coach
    • 1976 – Gilberto da Silva Melo, Brazilian footballer
    • 1976 – Tim Duncan, American basketball player
    • 1976 – Breyton Paulse, South African rugby player
    • 1976 – Rainer Schüttler, German tennis player and coach
    • 1977 – Constantinos Christoforou, Cypriot singer-songwriter
    • 1977 – Ilias Kotsios, Greek footballer
    • 1977 – Marguerite Moreau, American actress and producer
    • 1977 – Matthew West, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and actor
    • 1978 – Matt Walker, English swimmer
    • 1980 – Ben Johnston, Scottish drummer and songwriter
    • 1980 – James Johnston, Scottish bass player and songwriter
    • 1980 – Daniel MacPherson, Australian actor and television host
    • 1980 – Bruce Martin, New Zealand cricketer
    • 1980 – Kazuhito Tadano, Japanese baseball player
    • 1980 – Alejandro Valverde, Spanish cyclist
    • 1981 – Dwone Hicks, American football player
    • 1981 – Felipe Massa, Brazilian racing driver
    • 1981 – John McFall, English sprinter
    • 1981 – Anja Pärson, Swedish skier
    • 1982 – Brian Barton, American baseball player
    • 1982 – Monty Panesar, English cricketer
    • 1982 – Marco Russo, Italian footballer
    • 1983 – Johnathan Thurston, Australian rugby league player
    • 1983 – DeAngelo Williams, American football player
    • 1984 – Robert Andino, American baseball player
    • 1984 – Isaac Kiprono Songok, Kenyan runner
    • 1985 – Giedo van der Garde, Dutch racing driver
    • 1986 – Alexei Emelin, Russian ice hockey player
    • 1986 – Thin Seng Hon, Cambodian Paralympic athlete
    • 1986 – Gwen Jorgensen, American triathlete
    • 1986 – Claudia Rath, German heptathlete
    • 1987 – Razak Boukari, Togolese footballer
    • 1987 – Jay Park, American-South Korean singer-songwriter and dancer
    • 1987 – Johann Smith, American soccer player
    • 1988 – James Sheppard, Canadian ice hockey player
    • 1989 – Marie-Michèle Gagnon, Canadian skier
    • 1989 – Michael van Gerwen, Dutch darts player
    • 1989 – Gedhun Choekyi Nyima, the 11th Panchen Lama, one of the highest-ranking spiritual leaders in Tibet
    • 1990 – Jean-Éric Vergne, French racing driver
    • 1990 – Taylor Walker, Australian footballer
    • 1991 – Alex Shibutani, American ice dancer
    • 1993 – Alex Bowman, American race car driver
    • 1993 – Daniel Norris, American baseball player
    • 1994 – Omar McLeod, Jamaican hurdler
    • 1995 – Lewis Baker, English footballer
    • 1996 – Mack Horton, Australian swimmer
    • 1997 – Julius Ertlthaler, Austrian footballer

    Deaths on April 25

    • 501 – Rusticus, saint and archbishop of Lyon (b. 455)
    • 775 – Smbat VII Bagratuni, Armenian prince
    • 775 – Mushegh VI Mamikonian, Armenian prince
    • 908 – Zhang Wenwei, Chinese chancellor
    • 1074 – Herman I, Margrave of Baden
    • 1077 – Géza I of Hungary (b. 1040)
    • 1185 – Emperor Antoku of Japan (b. 1178)
    • 1217 – Hermann I, Landgrave of Thuringia
    • 1228 – Queen Isabella II of Jerusalem (b. 1212)
    • 1243 – Boniface of Valperga, Bishop of Aosta
    • 1264 – Roger de Quincy, 2nd Earl of Winchester, medieval English nobleman; Earl of Winchester (b. 1195)
    • 1295 – Sancho IV of Castile (b. 1258)
    • 1342 – Pope Benedict XII (b. 1285)
    • 1397 – Thomas Holland, 2nd Earl of Kent, English nobleman
    • 1472 – Leon Battista Alberti, Italian author, poet, and philosopher (b. 1404)
    • 1516 – John Yonge, English diplomat (b. 1467)
    • 1566 – Louise Labé, French poet and author (b. 1520)
    • 1566 – Diane de Poitiers, mistress of King Henry II of France (b. 1499)
    • 1595 – Torquato Tasso, Italian poet and songwriter (b. 1544)
    • 1605 – Naresuan, Siamese King of Ayutthaya Kingdom (b. c. 1555)
    • 1644 – Chongzhen Emperor of China (b. 1611)
    • 1660 – Henry Hammond, English cleric and theologian (b. 1605)
    • 1690 – David Teniers the Younger, Flemish painter and educator (b. 1610)
    • 1744 – Anders Celsius, Swedish astronomer, physicist, and mathematician (b. 1701)
    • 1770 – Jean-Antoine Nollet, French minister, physicist, and academic (b. 1700)
    • 1800 – William Cowper, English poet (b. 1731)
    • 1840 – Siméon Denis Poisson, French mathematician and physicist (b. 1781)
    • 1873 – Fyodor Petrovich Tolstoy, Russian painter and sculptor (b. 1783)
    • 1875 – 12th Dalai Lama (b. 1857)
    • 1878 – Anna Sewell, English author (b. 1820)
    • 1890 – Crowfoot, Canadian tribal chief (b. 1830)
    • 1891 – Nathaniel Woodard, English priest and educator (b. 1811)
    • 1892 – Henri Duveyrier, French explorer (b. 1840)
    • 1892 – Karl von Ditmar, Estonian-German geologist and explorer (b. 1822)
    • 1906 – John Knowles Paine, American composer and educator (b. 1839)
    • 1911 – Emilio Salgari, Italian journalist and author (b. 1862)
    • 1913 – Joseph-Alfred Archambeault, Canadian bishop (b. 1859)
    • 1915 – Frederick W. Seward, American journalist, lawyer, and politician, 6th United States Assistant Secretary of State (b. 1830)
    • 1919 – Augustus D. Juilliard, American businessman and philanthropist (b. 1836)
    • 1923 – Louis-Olivier Taillon, Canadian lawyer and politician, 8th Premier of Quebec (b. 1840)
    • 1928 – Pyotr Nikolayevich Wrangel, Russian general (b. 1878)
    • 1941 – Salih Bozok, Turkish commander and politician (b. 1881)
    • 1943 – Vladimir Nemirovich-Danchenko, Russian director, producer, and playwright (b. 1858)
    • 1944 – George Herriman, American cartoonist (b. 1880)
    • 1944 – Tony Mullane, Irish-American baseball player (b. 1859)
    • 1944 – William Stephens, American engineer and politician, 24th Governor of California (b. 1859)
    • 1945 – Huldreich Georg Früh, Swiss composer (b. 1903)
    • 1961 – Robert Garrett, American discus thrower and shot putter (b. 1875)
    • 1970 – Anita Louise, American actress (b. 1915)
    • 1972 – George Sanders, English actor (b. 1906)
    • 1973 – Olga Grey, Hungarian-American actress (b. 1896)
    • 1974 – Gustavo R. Vincenti, Maltese architect and developer (b. 1888)
    • 1975 – Mike Brant, Israeli singer and songwriter (b.1947)
    • 1976 – Carol Reed, English director and producer (b. 1906)
    • 1976 – Markus Reiner, Israeli engineer and educator (b. 1886)
    • 1982 – John Cody, American cardinal (b. 1907)
    • 1983 – William S. Bowdern, American priest and author (b. 1897)
    • 1988 – Carolyn Franklin, American singer-songwriter (b. 1944)
    • 1988 – Clifford D. Simak, American journalist and author (b. 1904)
    • 1990 – Dexter Gordon, American saxophonist, composer, and actor (b. 1923)
    • 1992 – Yutaka Ozaki, Japanese singer-songwriter (b. 1965)
    • 1995 – Art Fleming, American game show host (b. 1925)
    • 1995 – Ginger Rogers, American actress, singer, and dancer (b. 1911)
    • 1995 – Lev Shankovsky, Ukrainian military historian (b. 1903)
    • 1996 – Saul Bass, American graphic designer and director (b. 1920)
    • 1998 – Wright Morris, American author and photographer (b. 1910)
    • 1999 – Michael Morris, 3rd Baron Killanin, Irish journalist and author (b. 1914)
    • 1999 – Roger Troutman, American singer-songwriter and producer (b. 1951)
    • 2000 – Lucien Le Cam, French mathematician and statistician (b. 1924)
    • 2000 – David Merrick, American director and producer (b. 1911)
    • 2001 – Michele Alboreto, Italian racing driver (b. 1956)
    • 2002 – Lisa Lopes, American rapper and dancer (b. 1971)
    • 2003 – Samson Kitur, Kenyan runner (b. 1966)
    • 2004 – Thom Gunn, English-American poet and academic (b. 1929)
    • 2005 – Jim Barker, American politician (b. 1935)
    • 2005 – Swami Ranganathananda, Indian monk and educator (b. 1908)
    • 2006 – Jane Jacobs, American-Canadian journalist, author, and activist (b. 1916)
    • 2006 – Peter Law, Welsh politician and independent member of parliament (b. 1948)
    • 2007 – Alan Ball Jr., English footballer and manager (b. 1945)
    • 2007 – Arthur Milton, English footballer and cricketer (b. 1928)
    • 2007 – Bobby Pickett, American singer-songwriter (b. 1938)
    • 2008 – Humphrey Lyttelton, English trumpet player, composer, and radio host (b. 1921)
    • 2009 – Bea Arthur, American actress and singer (b. 1922)
    • 2010 – Dorothy Provine, American actress and singer (b. 1935)
    • 2010 – Alan Sillitoe, English novelist, short story writer, essayist, and poet (b. 1928)
    • 2011 – Poly Styrene, British musician (b. 1957)
    • 2012 – Gerry Bahen, Australian footballer (b. 1929)
    • 2012 – Denny Jones, American rancher and politician (b. 1910)
    • 2012 – Moscelyne Larkin, American ballerina and educator (b. 1925)
    • 2012 – Louis le Brocquy, Irish painter and illustrator (b. 1916)
    • 2013 – Brian Adam, Scottish biochemist and politician (b. 1948)
    • 2013 – Jacob Avshalomov, American composer and conductor (b. 1919)
    • 2013 – György Berencsi, Hungarian virologist and academic (b. 1941)
    • 2013 – Rick Camp, American baseball player (b. 1953)
    • 2014 – Dan Heap, Canadian priest and politician (b. 1925)
    • 2014 – William Judson Holloway Jr., American soldier, lawyer, and judge (b. 1923)
    • 2014 – Earl Morrall, American football player and coach (b. 1934)
    • 2014 – Tito Vilanova, Spanish footballer and manager (b. 1968)
    • 2014 – Stefanie Zweig, German journalist and author (b. 1932)
    • 2015 – Jim Fanning, American-Canadian baseball player and manager (b. 1927)
    • 2015 – Matthias Kuhle, German geographer and academic (b. 1948)
    • 2015 – Don Mankiewicz, American screenwriter and novelist (b. 1922)
    • 2015 – Mike Phillips, American basketball player (b. 1956)
    • 2016 – Tom Lewis, Australian politician, 33rd Premier of New South Wales (b. 1922)
    • 2018 – Madeeha Gauhar, Pakistani actress, playwright and director of social theater, and women’s rights activist (b. 1956)
    • 2019 – John Havlicek, American basketball player (b. 1940)

    Holidays and observances on April 25

    • Anniversary of the First Cabinet of Kurdish Government (Iraqi Kurdistan)
    • Anzac Day (Australia, New Zealand)
    • Arbor Day (Germany)
    • Christian feast day:
      • Giovanni Battista Piamarta
      • Major Rogation (Western Christianity)
      • Mark the Evangelist
      • Maughold
      • Philo and Agathopodes
      • Anianus of Alexandria
      • April 25 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
    • DNA Day
    • Flag Day (Faroe Islands)
    • Freedom Day (Portugal)
    • Liberation Day (Italy)
    • Liberation Day (South Georgia)
    • Military Foundation Day (North Korea)
    • Parental Alienation Awareness Day
    • Red Hat Society Day
    • Sinai Liberation Day (Egypt)
    • World Malaria Day

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

    • AD 73 – Masada, a Jewish fortress, falls to the Romans after several months of siege, ending the First Jewish–Roman War.
    • 1346 – Stefan Dušan, “the Mighty”, is crowned Emperor of the Serbs at Skopje, his empire occupying much of the Balkans.
    • 1520 – The Revolt of the Comuneros begins in Spain against the rule of Charles V.
    • 1582 – Spanish conquistador Hernando de Lerma founds the settlement of Salta, Argentina.
    • 1746 – The Battle of Culloden is fought between the French-supported Jacobites and the British Hanoverian forces commanded by William Augustus, Duke of Cumberland, in Scotland.After the battle many highland traditions were banned and the Highlands of Scotland were cleared of inhabitants.
    • 1780 – Franz Friedrich Wilhelm von Fürstenberg founds the University of Münster.
    • 1799 – French Revolutionary Wars: The Battle of Mount Tabor: Napoleon drives Ottoman Turks across the River Jordan near Acre.
    • 1818 – The United States Senate ratifies the Rush–Bagot Treaty, limiting naval armaments on the Great Lakes and Lake Champlain.
    • 1847 – Shooting of a Māori by an English sailor results in the opening of the Wanganui Campaign of the New Zealand Wars.
    • 1853 – The Great Indian Peninsula Railway opens the first passenger rail in India, from Bori Bunder to Thane.
    • 1858 – The Wernerian Natural History Society, a former Scottish learned society, is wound up.
    • 1862 – American Civil War: Battle at Lee’s Mills in Virginia.
    • 1862 – American Civil War: The District of Columbia Compensated Emancipation Act, a bill ending slavery in the District of Columbia, becomes law.
    • 1863 – American Civil War: During the Vicksburg Campaign, gunboats commanded by acting Rear Admiral David Dixon Porter run downriver past Confederate artillery batteries at Vicksburg.
    • 1881 – In Dodge City, Kansas, Bat Masterson fights his last gun battle.
    • 1908 – Natural Bridges National Monument is established in Utah.
    • 1910 – The oldest existing indoor ice hockey arena still used for the sport in the 21st century, Boston Arena, opens for the first time.
    • 1912 – Harriet Quimby becomes the first woman to fly an airplane across the English Channel.
    • 1917 – Vladimir Lenin returns to Petrograd, Russia, from exile in Switzerland.
    • 1919 – Mohandas Gandhi organizes a day of “prayer and fasting” in response to the killing of Indian protesters in the Jallianwala Bagh massacre by the British colonial troops three days earlier.
    • 1919 – Polish–Soviet War: The Polish army launches the Vilna offensive to capture Vilnius in modern Lithuania.
    • 1922 – The Treaty of Rapallo, pursuant to which Germany and the Soviet Union re-establish diplomatic relations, is signed.
    • 1925 – During the Communist St Nedelya Church assault in Sofia, Bulgaria, 150 are killed and 500 are wounded.
    • 1941 – World War II: The Italian-German Tarigo convoy is attacked and destroyed by British ships.
    • 1941 – World War II: The Nazi-affiliated Ustaše is put in charge of the Independent State of Croatia by the Axis powers after Operation 25 is effected.
    • 1943 – Albert Hofmann accidentally discovers the hallucinogenic effects of the research drug LSD. He intentionally takes the drug three days later on April 19.
    • 1944 – World War II: Allied forces start bombing Belgrade, killing about 1,100 people. This bombing fell on the Orthodox Christian Easter.
    • 1945 – World War II: The Red Army begins the final assault on German forces around Berlin, with nearly one million troops fighting in the Battle of the Seelow Heights.
    • 1945 – The United States Army liberates Nazi Sonderlager (high security) prisoner-of-war camp Oflag IV-C (better known as Colditz).
    • 1945 – More than 7,000 die when the German refugee ship Goya is sunk by a Soviet submarine.
    • 1947 – An explosion on board a freighter in port causes the city of Texas City, Texas, to catch fire, killing almost 600.
    • 1947 – Bernard Baruch first applies the term “Cold War” to describe the relationship between the United States and the Soviet Union.
    • 1961 – In a nationally broadcast speech, Cuban leader Fidel Castro declares that he is a Marxist–Leninist and that Cuba is going to adopt Communism.
    • 1963 – Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. pens his Letter from Birmingham Jail while incarcerated in Birmingham, Alabama for protesting against segregation.
    • 1972 – Apollo program: The launch of Apollo 16 from Cape Canaveral, Florida.
    • 1990 – “Doctor Death”, Jack Kevorkian, participates in his first assisted suicide.
    • 2001 – India and Bangladesh begin a five-day border conflict, but are unable to resolve the disputes about their border.
    • 2003 – The Treaty of Accession is signed in Athens admitting ten new member states to the European Union.
    • 2007 – Virginia Tech shooting: Seung-Hui Cho guns down 32 people and injures 17 before committing suicide.
    • 2012 – The trial for Anders Behring Breivik, the perpetrator of the 2011 Norway attacks, begins in Oslo, Norway.
    • 2012 – The Pulitzer Prize winners were announced, it was the first time since 1977 that no book won the Fiction Prize.
    • 2013 – A 7.8-magnitude earthquake strikes Sistan and Baluchestan Province, Iran, killing at least 35 people and injuring 117 others.
    • 2013 – The 2013 Baga massacre is started when Boko Haram militants engage government soldiers in Baga.
    • 2014 – The South Korean ferry MV Sewol capsizes and sinks near Jindo Island, killing 304 passengers and crew and leading to widespread criticism of the South Korean government, media, and shipping authorities.

    Births on April 16

    • 1435 – Jan II the Mad, Duke of Żagań (1439–1449 and 1461–1468 and again in 1472) (d. 1504)
    • 1488 – Jungjong of Joseon (d. 1544)
    • 1495 – Petrus Apianus, German mathematician and astronomer (d. 1557)
    • 1516 – Tabinshwehti, Burmese king (d. 1550)
    • 1569 – John Davies, English poet and lawyer (d. 1626)
    • 1635 – Frans van Mieris the Elder, Dutch painter (d. 1681)
    • 1646 – Jules Hardouin-Mansart, French architect, designed the Château de Dampierre and Grand Trianon (d. 1708)
    • 1660 – Hans Sloane, Irish-English physician and academic (d. 1753)
    • 1661 – Charles Montagu, 1st Earl of Halifax, English poet and politician, First Lord of the Treasury (d. 1715)
    • 1682 – John Hadley, English mathematician, invented the octant (d. 1744)
    • 1697 – Johann Gottlieb Görner, German organist and composer (d. 1778)
    • 1728 – Joseph Black, French-Scottish physician and chemist (d. 1799)
    • 1730 – Henry Clinton, English general and politician (d. 1795)
    • 1755 – Louise Élisabeth Vigée Le Brun, French painter (d. 1842)
    • 1786 – John Franklin, English admiral and politician, 4th Lieutenant Governor of Van Diemen’s Land (d. 1847)
    • 1800 – George Bingham, 3rd Earl of Lucan, English field marshal and politician (d. 1888)
    • 1808 – Caleb Blood Smith, American journalist, lawyer, and politician, 6th United States Secretary of the Interior (d. 1864)
    • 1821 – Ford Madox Brown, French-English soldier and painter (d. 1893)
    • 1823 – Gotthold Eisenstein, German mathematician and academic (d. 1852)
    • 1826 – Sir James Corry, 1st Baronet, British politician (d. 1891)
    • 1827 – Octave Crémazie, Canadian poet and bookseller (d. 1879)
    • 1839 – Antonio Starabba, Marchese di Rudinì, Italian politician, 12th Prime Minister of Italy (d. 1908)
    • 1834 – Charles Lennox Richardson, English merchant (d. 1862)
    • 1844 – Anatole France, French journalist, novelist, and poet, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1924)
    • 1847 – Hans Auer, Swiss-Austrian architect, designed the Federal Palace of Switzerland (d. 1906)
    • 1848 – Kandukuri Veeresalingam, Indian author and activist (d. 1919)
    • 1851 – Ponnambalam Ramanathan, Sri Lankan lawyer and politician, 3rd Solicitor General of Sri Lanka (d. 1930)
    • 1864 – Rose Talbot Bullard, American medical doctor and professor (d. 1915)
    • 1865 – Harry Chauvel, Australian general (d. 1945)
    • 1866 – José de Diego, Puerto Rican journalist, lawyer, and politician (d. 1918)
    • 1867 – Wilbur Wright, American inventor (d. 1912)
    • 1871 – John Millington Synge, Irish author, poet, and playwright (d. 1909)
    • 1874 – Jōtarō Watanabe, Japanese general (d. 1936)
    • 1878 – R. E. Foster, English cricketer and footballer (d. 1914)
    • 1882 – Seth Bingham, American organist and composer (d. 1972)
    • 1884 – Ronald Barnes, 3rd Baron Gorell, English cricketer, journalist, and politician (d. 1963)
    • 1885 – Leó Weiner, Hungarian composer and educator (d. 1960)
    • 1886 – Michalis Dorizas, Greek-American football player and javelin thrower (d. 1957)
    • 1886 – Ernst Thälmann, German politician (d. 1944)
    • 1888 – Billy Minter, English footballer and manager (d. 1940)
    • 1889 – Charlie Chaplin, English actor, director, producer, screenwriter, and composer (d. 1977)
    • 1890 – Fred Root, English cricketer and umpire (d. 1954)
    • 1890 – Gertrude Chandler Warner, American author and educator (d. 1979)
    • 1891 – Dorothy P. Lathrop, American author and illustrator (d. 1980)
    • 1892 – Howard Mumford Jones, American author, critic, and academic (d. 1980)
    • 1893 – Germaine Guèvremont, Canadian journalist and author (d. 1968)
    • 1893 – John Norton, American hurdler (d. 1979)
    • 1895 – Ove Arup, English-Danish engineer and businessman, founded Arup (d. 1988)
    • 1896 – Robert Henry Best, American journalist (d. 1952)
    • 1896 – Árpád Weisz, Hungarian footballer (d. 1944)
    • 1899 – Osman Achmatowicz, Polish chemist and academic (d. 1988)
    • 1900 – Polly Adler, Russian-American madam and author (d. 1962)
    • 1903 – Paul Waner, American baseball player and manager (d. 1965)
    • 1904 – Fifi D’Orsay, Canadian-American vaudevillian, actress, and singer (d. 1983)
    • 1905 – Frits Philips, Dutch businessman (d. 2005)
    • 1907 – Joseph-Armand Bombardier, Canadian inventor and businessman, founded Bombardier Inc. (d. 1964)
    • 1907 – August Eigruber, Austrian-German politician (d. 1947)
    • 1908 – Ellis Marsalis, Sr., American businessman and activist (d. 2004)
    • 1908 – Ray Ventura, French jazz bandleader (d. 1979)
    • 1910 – Berton Roueché, American journalist and author (d. 1994)
    • 1911 – Guy Burgess, English-Russian spy (d. 1963)
    • 1913 – Les Tremayne, English actor (d. 2003)
    • 1914 – John Hodiak, American actor (d. 1955)
    • 1915 – Robert Speck, Canadian politician, 1st Mayor of Mississauga (d. 1972)
    • 1916 – Behçet Necatigil, Turkish author, poet, and translator (d. 1979)
    • 1917 – Victoria Eugenia Fernández de Córdoba, 18th Duchess of Medinaceli (d. 2013)
    • 1917 – Barry Nelson, American actor (d. 2007)
    • 1918 – Dick Gibson, English racing driver (d. 2010)
    • 1918 – Hsuan Hua, Chinese-American monk and author (d. 1995)
    • 1918 – Juozas Kazickas, Lithuanian-American businessman and philanthropist (d. 2014)
    • 1918 – Spike Milligan, Irish actor, comedian, and writer (d. 2002)
    • 1919 – Merce Cunningham, American dancer and choreographer (d. 2009)
    • 1919 – Nilla Pizzi, Italian singer (d. 2011)
    • 1919 – Pedro Ramírez Vázquez, Mexican architect, designed the Tijuana Cultural Center and National Museum of Anthropology (d. 2013)
    • 1919 – Thomas Willmore, English geometer and academic (d. 2005)
    • 1920 – Ananda Dassanayake, Sri Lankan politician (d. 2012)
    • 1920 – Prince George Valdemar of Denmark (d. 1986)
    • 1921 – Arlin M. Adams, American lawyer and judge (d. 2015)
    • 1921 – Wolfgang Leonhard, German historian and author (d. 2014)
    • 1921 – Peter Ustinov, English actor, director, producer, and screenwriter (d. 2004)
    • 1922 – Kingsley Amis, English novelist, poet, and critic (d. 1995)
    • 1922 – John Christopher, English author (d. 2012)
    • 1922 – Lawrence N. Guarino, American colonel (d. 2014)
    • 1922 – Leo Tindemans, Belgian politician, 43rd Prime Minister of Belgium (d. 2014)
    • 1923 – Warren Barker, American composer (d. 2006)
    • 1923 – Arch A. Moore Jr., American sergeant, lawyer, and politician, 28th Governor of West Virginia (d. 2015)
    • 1924 – John Harvey-Jones, English academic and businessman (d. 2008)
    • 1924 – Henry Mancini, American composer and conductor (d. 1994)
    • 1924 – Rudy Pompilli, American saxophonist (d. 1976)
    • 1924 – Madanjeet Singh, Indian diplomat, author, and philanthropist (d. 2013)
    • 1926 – Pierre Fabre, French pharmacist, founded Laboratoires Pierre Fabre (d. 2013)
    • 1927 – Edie Adams, American actress and singer (d. 2008)
    • 1927 – Pope Benedict XVI
    • 1927 – Rolf Schult, German actor (d. 2013)
    • 1928 – Dick Lane, American football player and soldier (d. 2002)
    • 1929 – Roy Hamilton, American singer (d. 1969)
    • 1929 – Ralph Slatyer, Australian biologist and ecologist (d. 2012)
    • 1929 – Ed Townsend, American singer-songwriter and producer (d. 2003)
    • 1930 – Doug Beasy, Australian footballer and educator (d. 2013)
    • 1930 – Herbie Mann, American flute player and composer (d. 2003)
    • 1932 – Maury Meyers, American lawyer and politician (d. 2014)
    • 1933 – Marcos Alonso Imaz, Spanish footballer (d. 2012)
    • 1933 – Joan Bakewell, English journalist and author
    • 1933 – Perry Botkin Jr., American composer, arranger and musician
    • 1933 – Vera Krepkina, Russian long jumper
    • 1933 – Ike Pappas, American journalist and actor (d. 2008)
    • 1934 – Vince Hill, English singer-songwriter
    • 1934 – Robert Stigwood, Australian producer and manager (d. 2016)
    • 1934 – Barrie Unsworth, Australian politician, 36th Premier of New South Wales
    • 1934 – Vicar, Chilean cartoonist (d. 2012)
    • 1935 – Marcel Carrière, Canadian director and screenwriter
    • 1935 – Sarah Kirsch, German poet and author (d. 2013)
    • 1935 – Lennart Risberg, Swedish boxer (d. 2013)
    • 1935 – Dominique Venner, French journalist and historian (d. 2013)
    • 1935 – Bobby Vinton, American singer
    • 1936 – Vadim Kuzmin, Russian physicist and academic (d. 2015)
    • 1937 – Gert Potgieter, South African hurdler and coach
    • 1938 – Rich Rollins, American baseball player
    • 1938 – Gordon Wilson, Scottish lawyer and politician (d. 2017)
    • 1939 – John Amabile, American football player and coach (d. 2012)
    • 1939 – Dusty Springfield, English singer and record producer (d. 1999)
    • 1940 – Benoît Bouchard, Canadian academic and politician, 18th Canadian Minister of Transport
    • 1940 – David Holford, Barbadian cricketer
    • 1940 – Queen Margrethe II of Denmark
    • 1940 – Joan Snyder, American painter
    • 1940 – Thomas Stonor, 7th Baron Camoys, English banker and politician, Lord Chamberlain of the United Kingdom
    • 1941 – Allan Segal, American director and producer (d. 2012)
    • 1942 – Jim Lonborg, American baseball pitcher
    • 1942 – Sir Frank Williams, English businessman, founded the Williams F1 Racing Team
    • 1943 – Lonesome Dave Peverett, English singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 2000)
    • 1943 – Petro Tyschtschenko, Austrian-German businessman
    • 1943 – John Watkins, Australian cricketer
    • 1945 – Tom Allen, American lawyer and politician
    • 1946 – Margot Adler, American journalist and author (d. 2014)
    • 1946 – Ernst Bakker, Dutch politician (d. 2014)
    • 1946 – Johnnie Lewis, Liberian lawyer and politician, 18th Chief Justice of Liberia (d. 2015)
    • 1946 – R. Carlos Nakai, American flute player
    • 1947 – Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, American basketball player and coach
    • 1947 – Gerry Rafferty, Scottish singer-songwriter (d. 2011)
    • 1948 – Reg Alcock, Canadian businessman and politician, 17th Canadian President of the Treasury Board (d. 2011)
    • 1950 – David Graf, American actor (d. 2001)
    • 1950 – Colleen Hewett, Australian singer and actress
    • 1951 – Ioan Mihai Cochinescu, Romanian author and photographer
    • 1951 – David Nutt, English psychiatrist and academic
    • 1952 – Bill Belichick, American football player and coach
    • 1952 – Michel Blanc, French actor and director
    • 1952 – Esther Roth-Shahamorov, Israeli sprinter and hurdler
    • 1952 – Billy West, American voice actor, singer-songwriter, and comedian
    • 1953 – Peter Garrett, Australian singer-songwriter and politician
    • 1953 – Jay O. Sanders, American actor
    • 1954 – Ellen Barkin, American actress
    • 1954 – John Bowe, Australian racing driver
    • 1954 – Mike Zuke, Canadian ice hockey player
    • 1955 – Bruce Bochy, American baseball player and manager
    • 1955 – Henri, Grand Duke of Luxembourg
    • 1956 – David M. Brown, American captain, pilot, and astronaut (d. 2003)
    • 1956 – T Lavitz, American keyboard player, composer, and producer (d. 2010)
    • 1956 – Lise-Marie Morerod, Swiss skier
    • 1957 – Patricia De Martelaere, Belgian philosopher, author, and academic (d. 2009)
    • 1958 – Tim Flach, English photographer and director
    • 1958 – Ulf Wakenius, Swedish guitarist
    • 1959 – Alison Ramsay, English-Scottish field hockey player and lawyer
    • 1960 – Wahab Akbar, Filipino politician (d. 2007)
    • 1960 – Rafael Benítez, Spanish footballer and manager
    • 1960 – Pierre Littbarski, German footballer and manager
    • 1961 – Jarbom Gamlin, Indian lawyer and politician, 7th Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh (d. 2014)
    • 1961 – Linda Ruth Williams, British film studies academic
    • 1962 – Anna Dello Russo, Italian journalist
    • 1962 – Douglas Elmendorf, American economist and politician
    • 1962 – Ian MacKaye, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer
    • 1963 – Saleem Malik, Pakistani cricketer
    • 1963 – Jimmy Osmond, American singer
    • 1964 – David Kohan, American screenwriter and producer
    • 1964 – Dave Pirner, American singer, songwriter and producer
    • 1964 – Esbjörn Svensson, Swedish pianist (d. 2008)
    • 1965 – Yves-François Blanchet, Canadian politician
    • 1965 – Jon Cryer, American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter
    • 1965 – Martin Lawrence, American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter
    • 1966 – Jarle Vespestad, Norwegian drummer
    • 1966 – Jeff Varner, American newscaster and reality television personality
    • 1968 – Vickie Guerrero, American wrestler and manager
    • 1968 – Rüdiger Stenzel, German runner
    • 1969 – Patrik Järbyn, Swedish skier
    • 1969 – Fernando Viña, American baseball player and sportscaster
    • 1970 – Dero Goi, German singer-songwriter and drummer
    • 1970 – Walt Williams, American basketball player
    • 1971 – Cameron Blades, Australian rugby player
    • 1971 – Selena, American singer-songwriter, actress, and fashion designer (d. 1995)
    • 1971 – Seigo Yamamoto, Japanese racing driver
    • 1971 – Natasha Zvereva, Belarusian tennis player
    • 1972 – Conchita Martínez, Spanish-American tennis player
    • 1972 – Tracy K. Smith, American poet and educator
    • 1973 – Akon, Senegalese-American singer, rapper and songwriter
    • 1973 – Charlotta Sörenstam, Swedish golfer
    • 1973 – Teddy Cobeña, Spanish-Ecuadorian expressionist and representational sculptor
    • 1975 – Keon Clark, American basketball player
    • 1976 – Lukas Haas, American actor and musician
    • 1976 – Kelli O’Hara, American actress and singer
    • 1977 – Freddie Ljungberg, Swedish footballer
    • 1979 – Christijan Albers, Dutch racing driver
    • 1979 – Lars Börgeling, German pole vaulter
    • 1979 – Daniel Browne, New Zealand rugby player
    • 1981 – Anestis Agritis, Greek footballer
    • 1981 – Maya Dunietz, Israeli singer-songwriter and pianist
    • 1981 – Matthieu Proulx, Canadian football player
    • 1982 – Gina Carano, American mixed martial artist and actress
    • 1982 – Boris Diaw, French basketball player
    • 1982 – Jonathan Vilma, American football player
    • 1983 – Marié Digby, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and actress
    • 1983 – Cat Osterman, American softball player
    • 1984 – Teddy Blass, American composer and producer
    • 1984 – Claire Foy, English actress
    • 1984 – Tucker Fredricks, American speed skater
    • 1984 – Paweł Kieszek, Polish footballer
    • 1984 – Kerron Stewart, Jamaican sprinter
    • 1985 – Luol Deng, Sudanese-English basketball player
    • 1985 – Brendon Leonard, New Zealand rugby player
    • 1985 – Benjamín Rojas, Argentinian singer-songwriter and actor
    • 1985 – Taye Taiwo, Nigerian footballer
    • 1986 – Paul di Resta, Scottish racing driver
    • 1986 – Shinji Okazaki, Japanese footballer
    • 1986 – Peter Regin, Danish ice hockey player
    • 1986 – Epke Zonderland, Dutch gymnast
    • 1987 – Cenk Akyol, Turkish basketball player
    • 1987 – Aaron Lennon, English international footballer
    • 1988 – Kyle Okposo, American ice hockey player
    • 1990 – Reggie Jackson, American basketball player
    • 1990 – Vangelis Mantzaris, Greek basketball player
    • 1990 – Tony McQuay, American sprinter
    • 1990 – Travis Shaw, American baseball player
    • 1991 – Nolan Arenado, American baseball player
    • 1991 – Kim Kyung-jung, South Korean footballer
    • 1993 – Mirai Nagasu, American figure skater
    • 1993 – Chance the Rapper, American rapper
    • 1994 – Albert Almora, American baseball player
    • 1994 – Will Fuller, American football player
    • 2002 – Sadie Sink, American actress

    Deaths on April 16

    • AD 69 – Otho, Roman emperor (b. AD 32)
    • 665 – Fructuosus of Braga, French archbishop and saint
    • 1090 – Sikelgaita, duchess of Apulia (b. c. 1040)
    • 1113 – Sviatopolk II of Kiev (b. 1050)
    • 1118 – Adelaide del Vasto, regent of Sicily, mother of Roger II of Sicily, queen of Baldwin I of Jerusalem
    • 1198 – Frederick I, Duke of Austria (b. 1175)
    • 1234 – Richard Marshal, 3rd Earl of Pembroke (b. 1191)
    • 1375 – John Hastings, 2nd Earl of Pembroke, English nobleman and soldier (b. 1347)
    • 1496 – Charles II, Duke of Savoy (b. 1489)
    • 1587 – Anne Seymour, Duchess of Somerset (b. 1497)
    • 1640 – Countess Charlotte Flandrina of Nassau (b. 1579)
    • 1645 – Tobias Hume, Scottish soldier, viol player, and composer (b. 1569)
    • 1687 – George Villiers, 2nd Duke of Buckingham, English poet and politician, Lord Lieutenant of the West Riding of Yorkshire (b. 1628)
    • 1689 – Aphra Behn, English author and playwright (b. 1640)
    • 1742 – Stefano Benedetto Pallavicino, Italian poet and translator (b. 1672)
    • 1756 – Jacques Cassini, French astronomer (b. 1677)
    • 1783 – Christian Mayer, Czech astronomer and educator (b. 1719)
    • 1788 – Georges-Louis Leclerc, Comte de Buffon, French mathematician, cosmologist, and author (b. 1707)
    • 1828 – Francisco Goya, Spanish-French painter and illustrator (b. 1746)
    • 1846 – Domenico Dragonetti, Italian bassist and composer (b. 1763)
    • 1850 – Marie Tussaud, French-English sculptor, founded the Madame Tussauds Wax Museum (b. 1761)
    • 1859 – Alexis de Tocqueville, French historian and philosopher, French Minister of Foreign Affairs (b. 1805)
    • 1879 – Bernadette Soubirous, French nun and saint (b. 1844)
    • 1888 – Zygmunt Florenty Wróblewski, Polish physicist and chemist (b. 1845)
    • 1899 – Emilio Jacinto, Filipino journalist and activist (b. 1875)
    • 1904 – Maximilian Kronberger, German poet and author (b. 1888)
    • 1904 – Samuel Smiles, Scottish-English author (b. 1812)
    • 1914 – George William Hill, American astronomer and mathematician (b. 1838)
    • 1915 – Nelson W. Aldrich, American businessman and politician (b. 1841)
    • 1925 – Stefan Nerezov, Bulgarian general (b. 1867)
    • 1928 – Henry Birks, Canadian businessman, founded Henry Birks and Sons (b. 1840)
    • 1928 – Roman Steinberg, Estonian wrestler (b. 1900)
    • 1930 – José Carlos Mariátegui, Peruvian journalist, philosopher, and activist (b. 1894)
    • 1935 – Panait Istrati, Romanian journalist and author (b. 1884)
    • 1937 – Jay Johnson Morrow, American military engineer and politician, 3rd Governor of the Panama Canal Zone (b. 1870)
    • 1938 – Steve Bloomer, English footballer and manager (b. 1874)
    • 1941 – Josiah Stamp, 1st Baron Stamp, English economist and civil servant (b. 1880)
    • 1942 – Princess Alexandra of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (b. 1878)
    • 1942 – Denis St. George Daly, Irish polo player (b. 1862)
    • 1946 – Arthur Chevrolet, Swiss-American race car driver and engineer (b. 1884)
    • 1947 – Rudolf Höss, German SS officer (b. 1900)
    • 1950 – Eduard Oja, Estonian composer, conductor, and critic (b. 1905)
    • 1950 – Anders Peter Nielsen, Danish target shooter (b. 1867)
    • 1955 – David Kirkwood, Scottish engineer and politician (b. 1872)
    • 1958 – Rosalind Franklin, English biophysicist and academic (b. 1920)
    • 1960 – Mihály Fekete, Hungarian actor, screenwriter and film director (b. 1884)
    • 1961 – Carl Hovland, American psychologist and academic (b. 1912)
    • 1965 – Francis Balfour, English soldier and colonial administrator (b. 1884)
    • 1965 – Sydney Chaplin, English actor, comedian, brother of Charlie Chaplin (b. 1885)
    • 1966 – Eric Lambert, Australian author (b. 1918)
    • 1968 – Fay Bainter, American actress (b. 1893)
    • 1968 – Edna Ferber, American novelist, short story writer, and playwright (b. 1885)
    • 1969 – Hem Vejakorn, Thai illustrator and painter (b. 1904)
    • 1970 – Richard Neutra, Austrian-American architect, designed the Los Angeles County Hall of Records (b. 1892)
    • 1970 – Péter Veres, Hungarian politician, Hungarian Minister of Defence (b. 1897)
    • 1972 – Yasunari Kawabata, Japanese novelist and short story writer, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1899)
    • 1972 – Frank O’Connor, Australian public servant (b. 1894)
    • 1973 – István Kertész, Hungarian conductor and educator (b. 1929)
    • 1978 – Lucius D. Clay, American officer and military governor in occupied Germany (b. 1898)
    • 1980 – Morris Stoloff, American composer (b. 1898)
    • 1985 – Scott Brady, American actor (b. 1924)
    • 1988 – Khalil al-Wazir, Palestinian commander, founded Fatah (b. 1935)
    • 1988 – Youri Egorov, Russian pianist (b. 1954)
    • 1989 – Jocko Conlan, American baseball player and umpire (b. 1899)
    • 1989 – Kaoru Ishikawa Japanese author and educator (b. 1915)
    • 1989 – Miles Lawrence, English cricketer (b. 1940)
    • 1989 – Hakkı Yeten, Turkish footballer and manager (b. 1910)
    • 1991 – David Lean, English director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1908)
    • 1992 – Neville Brand, American actor (b. 1920)
    • 1992 – Alexandru Nicolschi, Romanian spy and activist (b. 1915)
    • 1992 – Andy Russell, American singer and actor (b. 1919)
    • 1994 – Paul-Émilien Dalpé, Canadian labor unionist (b. 1919)
    • 1994 – Ralph Ellison, American novelist and critic (b. 1913)
    • 1996 – Lucille Bremer, American actress and dancer (b. 1917)
    • 1996 – Stavros Niarchos, Greek-Swiss businessman (b. 1909)
    • 1997 – Esmeralda Arboleda Cadavid, Colombian politician (b. 1921)
    • 1997 – Roland Topor, French actor, director, and painter (b. 1938)
    • 1998 – Alberto Calderón, Argentinian-American mathematician and academic (b. 1920)
    • 1998 – Fred Davis, English snooker player (b. 1913)
    • 1998 – Marie-Louise Meilleur, Canadian super-centenarian (b. 1880)
    • 1999 – Skip Spence, Canadian-American singer-songwriter and guitarist (b. 1946)
    • 2001 – Robert Osterloh, American actor (b. 1918)
    • 2001 – Michael Ritchie, American director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1938)
    • 2001 – Alec Stock, English footballer and manager (b. 1917)
    • 2002 – Billy Ayre, English footballer and manager (b. 1952)
    • 2002 – Ruth Fertel, American businesswoman, founded Ruth’s Chris Steak House (b. 1927)
    • 2002 – Robert Urich, American actor (b. 1946)
    • 2003 – Graham Jarvis, Canadian actor (b. 1930)
    • 2003 – Graham Stuart Thomas, English horticulturalist and author (b. 1909)
    • 2005 – Kay Walsh, English actress, singer, and dancer (b. 1911)
    • 2007 – Frank Bateson, New Zealand astronomer (b. 1909)
    • 2007 – Gaétan Duchesne, Canadian ice hockey player (b. 1962)
    • 2007 – Maria Lenk, Brazilian swimmer (b. 1915)
    • 2007 – Chandrabose Suthaharan, Sri Lankan journalist
    • 2008 – Edward Norton Lorenz, American mathematician and meteorologist (b. 1917)
    • 2010 – Rasim Delić, Bosnian general and convicted war criminal (b. 1949)
    • 2010 – Daryl Gates, American police officer, created the D.A.R.E. Program (b. 1926)
    • 2011 – Gerry Alexander, Jamaican cricketer and veterinarian (b. 1928)
    • 2011 – Allan Blakeney, Canadian scholar and politician, 10th Premier of Saskatchewan (b. 1925)
    • 2011 – Sol Saks, American screenwriter and producer (b. 1910)
    • 2012 – Sári Barabás, Hungarian soprano (b. 1914)
    • 2012 – Marian Biskup, Polish author and academic (b. 1922)
    • 2012 – Alan Hacker, English clarinet player and conductor (b. 1938)
    • 2012 – George Kunda, Zambian lawyer and politician, 11th Vice-President of Zambia (b. 1956)
    • 2012 – Mærsk Mc-Kinney Møller, Danish businessman (b. 1913)
    • 2012 – Carlo Petrini, Italian footballer and coach (b. 1948)
    • 2013 – Charles Bruzon, Gibraltarian politician (b. 1938)
    • 2013 – Ali Kafi, Algerian colonel and politician (b. 1928)
    • 2013 – Siegfried Ludwig, Austrian politician, 18th Governor of Lower Austria (b. 1926)
    • 2013 – Pentti Lund, Finnish-Canadian ice hockey player (b. 1925)
    • 2013 – George Beverly Shea, Canadian-American singer-songwriter (b. 1909)
    • 2013 – Pat Summerall, American football player and sportscaster (b. 1930)
    • 2013 – Pedro Ramírez Vázquez, Mexican architect, designed the Tijuana Cultural Center and National Museum of Anthropology (b. 1919)
    • 2014 – Gyude Bryant, Liberian businessman and politician (b. 1949)
    • 2014 – Aulis Rytkönen, Finnish footballer and manager (b. 1929)
    • 2014 – Ernst Florian Winter, Austrian-American historian and political scientist (b. 1923)
    • 2015 – Valery Belousov, Russian ice hockey player and coach (b. 1948)
    • 2015 – Attaphol Buspakom, Thai footballer and manager (b. 1962)
    • 2015 – Oles Buzina, Ukrainian journalist and author (b. 1969)
    • 2015 – Stanislav Gross, Czech lawyer and politician, 5th Prime Minister of the Czech Republic (b. 1969)
    • 2016 – Charlie Hodge, Canadian ice hockey player (b. 1933)
    • 2018 – Harry Anderson, American actor and magician (b. 1952)
    • 2018 – Jim Caine, British jazz pianist (b. 1926)

    Holidays and observances on April 16

    • Christian feast day:
      • Benedict Joseph Labre
      • Bernadette Soubirous
      • Drogo
      • Fructuosus of Braga
      • Isabella Gilmore (Church of England)
      • Martyrs of Zaragoza
      • Molly Brant (Konwatsijayenni) (Anglican Church of Canada, Episcopal Church)
      • Turibius of Astorga
      • April 16 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
    • Birthday of José de Diego (Puerto Rico, United States)
    • Birthday of Queen Margrethe II (Denmark)
    • Emancipation Day (Washington, D.C., United States)
    • Foursquare Day (International observance)
    • Memorial Day for the Victims of the Holocaust (Hungary)
    • National Healthcare Decisions Day (United States)
    • Remembrance of Chemical Attack on Balisan and Sheikh Wasan (Iraqi Kurdistan)
    • World Voice Day