American boxer

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

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

Births on June 2 

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

Deaths on June 2 

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

Holidays and observances on June 2 

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

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

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

Births on May 31

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

Deaths on May 31

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

Holidays and observances on May 31

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

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

by
  • 363 – The Roman emperor Julian defeats the Sasanian army in the Battle of Ctesiphon, under the walls of the Sasanian capital, but is unable to take the city.
  • 1108 – Battle of Uclés: Almoravid troops under the command of Tamim ibn Yusuf defeat a Castile and León alliance under the command of Prince Sancho Alfónsez.
  • 1167 – Battle of Monte Porzio: A Roman army supporting Pope Alexander III is defeated by Christian of Buch and Rainald of Dassel.
  • 1176 – Battle of Legnano: The Lombard League defeats Emperor Frederick I.
  • 1328 – Philip VI is crowned King of France.
  • 1416 – Battle of Gallipoli: The Venetians under Pietro Loredan defeat a much larger Ottoman fleet off Gallipoli.
  • 1453 – Fall of Constantinople: Ottoman armies under Sultan Mehmed II Fatih capture Constantinople after a 53-day siege, ending the Byzantine Empire.
  • 1658 – Battle of Samugarh: decisive battle in the struggle for the throne during the Mughal war of succession (1658–1659).
  • 1660 – English Restoration: Charles II is restored to the throne of England, Scotland and Ireland.
  • 1733 – The right of settlers in New France to enslave natives is upheld at Quebec City.
  • 1780 – American Revolutionary War: At the Battle of Waxhaws, the British continue attacking after the Continentals lay down their arms, killing 113 and critically wounding all but 53 that remained.
  • 1790 – Rhode Island becomes the last of North America’s original Thirteen Colonies to ratify the Constitution and become one of the United States.
  • 1798 – United Irishmen Rebellion: Between 300 and 500 United Irishmen are executed as rebels by the British Army in County Kildare, Ireland.
  • 1807 – Mustafa IV became Sultan of the Ottoman Empire and Caliph of Islam.
  • 1848 – Wisconsin is admitted as the 30th U.S. state.
  • 1852 – Jenny Lind leaves New York after her two-year American tour.
  • 1861 – The Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce is founded, in Hong Kong.
  • 1864 – Emperor Maximilian I of Mexico arrives in Mexico for the first time.
  • 1867 – The Austro-Hungarian Compromise of 1867 (“the Compromise”) is born through Act 12, which establishes the Austro-Hungarian Empire.
  • 1868 – Mihailo Obrenović III, Prince of Serbia is assassinated.
  • 1886 – The pharmacist John Pemberton places his first advertisement for Coca-Cola, which appeared in The Atlanta Journal.
  • 1900 – N’Djamena is founded as Fort-Lamy by the French commander Émile Gentil.
  • 1903 – In the May Coup, Alexander I, King of Serbia, and Queen Draga, are assassinated in Belgrade by the Black Hand (Crna Ruka) organization.
  • 1913 – Igor Stravinsky’s ballet score The Rite of Spring receives its premiere performance in Paris, France, provoking a riot.
  • 1914 – The Ocean liner RMS Empress of Ireland sinks in the Gulf of Saint Lawrence with the loss of 1,012 lives.
  • 1918 – Armenia defeats the Ottoman Army in the Battle of Sardarabad.
  • 1919 – Albert Einstein’s theory of general relativity is tested (later confirmed) by Arthur Eddington and Andrew Claude de la Cherois Crommelin
  • 1920 – The Louth flood of 1920 was a severe flash flooding in the Lincolnshire market town of Louth which occurred 29 May 1920, resulting in 23 fatalities in 20 minutes. It has been described as one of the most significant flood disasters in Britain during the 20th century.
  • 1931 – Michele Schirru, a citizen of the United States, is executed by Italian military firing squad for intent to kill Benito Mussolini.
  • 1932 – World War I veterans begin to assemble in Washington, D.C., in the Bonus Army to request cash bonuses promised to them to be paid in 1945.
  • 1935 – First flight of the Messerschmitt Bf 109 fighter aeroplane.
  • 1945 – First combat mission of the Consolidated B-32 Dominator heavy bomber.
  • 1948 – United Nations Truce Supervision Organization is founded.
  • 1950 – The St. Roch, the first ship to circumnavigate North America, arrives in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.
  • 1953 – Edmund Hillary and Sherpa Tenzing Norgay become the first people to reach the summit of Mount Everest, on Tenzing Norgay’s (adopted) 39th birthday.
  • 1964 – The Arab League meets in East Jerusalem to discuss the Palestinian question, leading to the formation of the Palestine Liberation Organization.
  • 1973 – Tom Bradley is elected the first black mayor of Los Angeles, California.
  • 1982 – Pope John Paul II becomes the first pontiff to visit Canterbury Cathedral.
  • 1982 – Falklands War: British forces defeat the Argentines at the Battle of Goose Green.
  • 1985 – Heysel Stadium disaster: Thirty-nine association football fans die and hundreds are injured when a dilapidated retaining wall collapses.
  • 1985 – Amputee Steve Fonyo completes cross-Canada marathon at Victoria, British Columbia, after 14 months.
  • 1988 – The U.S. President Ronald Reagan begins his first visit to the Soviet Union when he arrives in Moscow for a superpower summit with the Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev.
  • 1989 – Signing of an agreement between Egypt and the United States, allowing the manufacture of parts of the F-16 jet fighter plane in Egypt.
  • 1990 – The Russian parliament elects Boris Yeltsin as president of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic.
  • 1993 – The Miss Sarajevo beauty pageant is held in war-torn Sarajevo drawing global attention to the plight of its citizens.
  • 1999 – Olusegun Obasanjo takes office as President of Nigeria, the first elected and civilian head of state in Nigeria after 16 years of military rule.
  • 1999 – Space Shuttle Discovery completes the first docking with the International Space Station.
  • 2001 – The U.S. Supreme Court rules that the disabled golfer Casey Martin can use a cart to ride in tournaments.
  • 2004 – The National World War II Memorial is dedicated in Washington, D.C.
  • 2008 – A doublet earthquake, of combined magnitude 6.1, strikes Iceland near the town of Selfoss, injuring 30 people.
  • 2012 – A 5.8-magnitude earthquake hits northern Italy near Bologna, killing at least 24 people.
  • 2015 – One World Observatory at One World Trade Center opens.

Births on May 29

  • 1421 – Charles, Prince of Viana (d. 1461)
  • 1439 – Pope Pius III (d. 1503)
  • 1443 – Victor, Duke of Münsterberg, Reichsgraf, Duke of Münsterberg and Opava, Count of Glatz (d. 1500)
  • 1504 – Antun Vrančić, Croatian archbishop (d. 1573)
  • 1555 – George Carew, 1st Earl of Totnes, English Earl, general and administrator (d. 1629)
  • 1568 – Virginia de’ Medici, Italian princess (d. 1615)
  • 1594 – Gottfried Heinrich Graf zu Pappenheim, Bavarian field marshal (d. 1632)
  • 1627 – Anne, Duchess of Montpensier, French princess (d. 1693)
  • 1630 – Charles II of England (d. 1685)
  • 1675 – Humphry Ditton, English mathematician and philosopher (d. 1715)
  • 1716 – Louis-Jean-Marie Daubenton, French zoologist and mineralogist (d. 1800)
  • 1722 – James FitzGerald, 1st Duke of Leinster, Irish soldier and politician (d. 1773)
  • 1730 – Jackson of Exeter, English organist and composer (d. 1803)
  • 1736 – Patrick Henry, American lawyer and politician, 1st Governor of Virginia (d. 1799)
  • 1780 – Henri Braconnot, French chemist and pharmacist (d. 1855)
  • 1794 – Johann Heinrich von Mädler, German astronomer and selenographer (d. 1874)
  • 1797 – Louise-Adéone Drölling, French painter (d. 1836)
  • 1823 – John H. Balsley, American carpenter and inventor (d. 1895)
  • 1860 – Isaac Albéniz, Spanish pianist and composer (d. 1909)
  • 1871 – Clark Voorhees, American painter (d. 1933)
  • 1873 – Rudolf Tobias, Estonian organist and composer (d. 1918)
  • 1874 – G. K. Chesterton, English essayist, poet, and playwright (d. 1936)
  • 1880 – Oswald Spengler, German historian and philosopher (d. 1936)
  • 1892 – Alfonsina Storni, Swiss-Argentinian poet and author (d. 1938)
  • 1893 – Max Brand, American journalist and author (d. 1944)
  • 1894 – Beatrice Lillie, Canadian-English actress, singer and writer (d. 1989)
  • 1894 – Josef von Sternberg, Austrian-American director, producer, and screenwriter (d. 1969)
  • 1897 – Erich Wolfgang Korngold, Czech-American pianist, composer, and conductor (d. 1957)
  • 1899 – Douglas Abbott, Canadian lawyer and politician, 10th Canadian Minister of Defence (d. 1987)
  • 1902 – Harry Kadwell, Australian rugby league player and coach (d. 1999)
  • 1903 – Bob Hope, English-American actor, singer, and producer (d. 2003)
  • 1904 – Hubert Opperman, Australian cyclist and politician (d. 1996)
  • 1905 – Sebastian Shaw, English actor, director, and playwright (d. 1994)
  • 1906 – T. H. White, Indian-English author (d. 1964)
  • 1907 – Hartland Molson, Canadian captain and politician (d. 2002)
  • 1908 – Diana Morgan, Welsh-English playwright and screenwriter (d. 1996)
  • 1910 – Ralph Metcalfe, American sprinter and politician (d. 1978)
  • 1913 – Tony Zale, American boxer (d. 1997)
  • 1914 – Stacy Keach Sr., American actor (d. 2003)
  • 1914 – Tenzing Norgay, Nepalese-Indian mountaineer (d. 1986)
  • 1915 – Karl Münchinger, German conductor and composer (d. 1990)
  • 1917 – John F. Kennedy, 35th President of the United States (d. 1963)
  • 1917 – Marcel Trudel, Canadian historian, author, and academic (d. 2011)
  • 1919 – Jacques Genest, Canadian physician and academic (d. 2018)
  • 1920 – John Harsanyi, Hungarian-American economist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 2000)
  • 1920 – Clifton James, American actor (d. 2017)
  • 1921 – Norman Hetherington, Australian cartoonist and puppeteer (d. 2010)
  • 1922 – Joe Weatherly, American race car driver (d. 1964)
  • 1922 – Iannis Xenakis, Greek-French composer, engineer, and theorist (d. 2001)
  • 1923 – Bernard Clavel, French author (d. 2010)
  • 1923 – John Parker, 6th Earl of Morley, English colonel and politician, Lord Lieutenant of Devon (d. 2015)
  • 1923 – Eugene Wright, American jazz bassist
  • 1924 – Lars Bo, Danish author and illustrator (d. 1999)
  • 1924 – Miloslav Kříž, Czech basketball player and coach (d. 2013)
  • 1924 – Pepper Paire, American baseball player (d. 2013)
  • 1926 – Katie Boyle, Italian-English actress and television host (d. 2018)
  • 1926 – Halaevalu Mataʻaho ʻAhomeʻe, Queen Consort of Tonga (d. 2017)
  • 1926 – Abdoulaye Wade, Senegalese academic and politician, 3rd President of Senegal
  • 1927 – Jean Coutu, Canadian pharmacist and businessman, founded the Jean Coutu Group
  • 1929 – Harry Frankfurt, American philosopher and academic
  • 1929 – Peter Higgs, English-Scottish physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate
  • 1929 – Roberto Vargas, Puerto Rican-American baseball player, coach, and manager (d. 2014)
  • 1932 – Paul R. Ehrlich, American biologist and author
  • 1932 – Richie Guerin, American basketball player and coach
  • 1933 – Helmuth Rilling, German conductor and educator
  • 1933 – Tarquinio Provini, Italian motorcycle racer (d. 2005)
  • 1934 – Bill Vander Zalm, Dutch-Canadian businessman and politician, 28th Premier of British Columbia
  • 1935 – André Brink, South African author and playwright (d. 2015)
  • 1935 – Sylvia Robinson, American singer and producer (d. 2011)
  • 1937 – Charles W. Pickering, American lawyer and judge
  • 1937 – Irmin Schmidt, German keyboard player and composer
  • 1937 – Alwin Schockemöhle, German show-jumper
  • 1937 – Harry Statham, American basketball player and coach
  • 1938 – Christopher Bland, English businessman and politician (d. 2017)
  • 1938 – Fay Vincent, American lawyer and businessman
  • 1939 – Pete Smith, Australian radio and television announcer
  • 1939 – Al Unser, American race car driver
  • 1940 – Taihō Kōki, Japanese sumo wrestler, the 48th Yokozuna (d. 2013)
  • 1940 – Farooq Leghari, Pakistani politician, 8th President of Pakistan (d. 2010)
  • 1941 – Doug Scott, English mountaineer and author
  • 1941 – Bob Simon, American journalist (d. 2015)
  • 1942 – Pierre Bourque, Canadian businessman and politician, 40th Mayor of Montreal
  • 1942 – Kevin Conway, American actor and director (d. 2020)
  • 1943 – Robert W. Edgar, American educator and politician (d. 2013)
  • 1944 – Bob Benmosche, American businessman (d. 2015)
  • 1944 – Quentin Davies, English soldier and politician, Shadow Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
  • 1945 – Gary Brooker, English singer-songwriter and pianist
  • 1945 – Peter Fraser, Baron Fraser of Carmyllie, Scottish lawyer and politician, Solicitor General for Scotland (d. 2013)
  • 1945 – Julian Le Grand, English economist and author
  • 1945 – Martin Pipe, English jockey and trainer
  • 1945 – Joyce Tenneson, American photographer
  • 1945 – Jean-Pierre Van Rossem, Belgian scholar and author (d. 2018)
  • 1946 – Fernando Buesa, Spanish politician (d. 2000)
  • 1947 – Anthony Geary, American actor
  • 1948 – Michael Berkeley, English composer and radio host
  • 1948 – Keith Gull, English microbiologist and academic
  • 1949 – Robert Axelrod, American actor and screenwriter (d. 2019)
  • 1949 – Brian Kidd, English footballer and manager
  • 1949 – Francis Rossi, English singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1950 – Rebbie Jackson, American singer and actress
  • 1953 – Danny Elfman, American singer-songwriter, producer, and actor
  • 1954 – Robert Beaser, American composer and educator
  • 1954 – Jerry Moran, American lawyer and politician
  • 1955 – Frank Baumgartl, German runner (d. 2010)
  • 1955 – John Hinckley Jr., American attempted assassin of Ronald Reagan
  • 1955 – David Kirschner, American animator, producer, and author
  • 1955 – Gordon Rintoul, Scottish historian and curator
  • 1955 – Ken Schrader, American race car driver and sportscaster
  • 1956 – Mark Lyall Grant, English diplomat, British Ambassador to the United Nations
  • 1956 – La Toya Jackson, American singer-songwriter and actress
  • 1957 – Steven Croft, English bishop and theologian
  • 1957 – Jeb Hensarling, American lawyer and politician
  • 1957 – Mohsen Makhmalbaf, Iranian film director
  • 1958 – Annette Bening, American actress
  • 1958 – Juliano Mer-Khamis, Israeli actor, director, and activist (d. 2011)
  • 1958 – Uwe Rapolder, German footballer and coach
  • 1958 – Mike Stenhouse, American baseball player and sportscaster
  • 1959 – Rupert Everett, English actor and novelist
  • 1959 – Mel Gaynor, English drummer
  • 1959 – Steve Hanley, Irish-English bass player and songwriter
  • 1960 – Thomas Baumer, Swiss economist and academic
  • 1960 – Mike Freer, English politician
  • 1961 – Melissa Etheridge, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and activist
  • 1961 – John Miceli, American drummer
  • 1962 – Fandi Ahmad, Singaporean footballer, coach, and manager
  • 1962 – Eric Davis, American baseball player
  • 1962 – Carol Kirkwood, Scottish journalist
  • 1962 – Chloé Sainte-Marie, Canadian actress and singer
  • 1963 – Blaze Bayley, English singer-songwriter
  • 1963 – Zhu Jianhua, Chinese high jumper
  • 1963 – Ukyo Katayama, Japanese race car driver
  • 1963 – Claude Loiselle, Canadian ice hockey player and manager
  • 1964 – Howard Mills III, American academic and politician
  • 1964 – Oswaldo Negri Jr., Brazilian race car driver
  • 1966 – Natalie Nougayrède, French journalist
  • 1967 – Noel Gallagher, English singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1967 – Mike Keane, Canadian ice hockey player and coach
  • 1967 – Steven Levitt, American economist, author, and academic
  • 1968 – Torquhil Campbell, 13th Duke of Argyll, Scottish politician
  • 1968 – Tate George, American basketball player
  • 1968 – Jessica Morden, English politician
  • 1968 – Hida Viloria, American activist
  • 1970 – Natarsha Belling, Australian journalist
  • 1970 – Roberto Di Matteo, Italian footballer and manager
  • 1971 – Éric Lucas, Canadian boxer
  • 1971 – Bernd Mayländer, German race car driver
  • 1971 – Jo Beth Taylor, Australian television host and actress
  • 1971 – Rob Womack, English shot putter and discus thrower
  • 1972 – Bill Curley, American basketball player and coach
  • 1972 – Simon Jones, English singer and bass player
  • 1973 – Tomoko Kaneda, Japanese voice actress, singer, and radio personality
  • 1973 – Mark Lee, American guitarist and songwriter
  • 1973 – Alpay Özalan, Turkish footballer
  • 1974 – Steve Cardenas, American martial artist and retired actor
  • 1974 – Stephen Larkham, Australian rugby player and coach
  • 1974 – Aaron McGruder, American author and cartoonist
  • 1974 – Myf Warhurst, Australian radio and television host
  • 1974 – Jenny Willott, English politician
  • 1975 – Jason Allison, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1975 – Mel B, English singer-songwriter, dancer, and actress
  • 1975 – Sven Kubis, German footballer
  • 1975 – Sarah Millican, English comedian
  • 1975 – Anthony Wall, English golfer
  • 1975 – Daniel Tosh, American comedian, television host, actor, writer, and executive producer
  • 1976 – Caçapa, Brazilian footballer and manager
  • 1976 – Jerry Hairston Jr., American baseball player and sportscaster
  • 1976 – Raef LaFrentz, American basketball player
  • 1976 – Yegor Titov, Russian footballer
  • 1977 – Massimo Ambrosini, Italian footballer
  • 1977 – Marco Cassetti, Italian footballer
  • 1977 – António Lebo Lebo, Angolan footballer
  • 1978 – Pelle Almqvist, Swedish singer-songwriter
  • 1978 – Sébastien Grosjean, French tennis player
  • 1978 – Lorenzo Odone, Italian-American adrenoleukodystrophy patient who inspired the 1992 film, Lorenzo’s Oil (d. 2008)
  • 1978 – Adam Rickitt, English singer
  • 1979 – Arne Friedrich, German footballer
  • 1979 – Brian Kendrick, American wrestler
  • 1979 – John Rheinecker, American baseball player (d. 2017)
  • 1980 – Ernesto Farías, Argentinian footballer
  • 1981 – Andrey Arshavin, Russian footballer
  • 1982 – Nataliya Dobrynska, Ukrainian heptathlete
  • 1982 – Matt Macri, American baseball player
  • 1982 – Kim Tae-kyun, South Korean baseball player
  • 1984 – Carmelo Anthony, American basketball player
  • 1984 – Nia Jax, Australian-American professional wrestler
  • 1984 – Funmi Jimoh, American long jumper
  • 1984 – Andreas Schäffer, German footballer
  • 1984 – Ina Wroldsen, Norwegian singer and songwriter
  • 1985 – Nathan Horton, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1987 – Lina Andrijauskaitė, Lithuanian long jumper
  • 1987 – Issac Luke, New Zealand rugby league player
  • 1987 – Kelvin Maynard, Dutch footballer (d. 2019)
  • 1987 – Noah Reid, Canadian actor, producer, and screenwriter
  • 1987 – Rui Sampaio, Portuguese footballer
  • 1988 – Muath Al-Kasasbeh, Jordanian captain and pilot (d. 2015)
  • 1988 – Cheng Fei, Chinese gymnast
  • 1988 – Steve Mason, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1989 – Ezekiel Ansah, Ghanaian-American football player
  • 1989 – Diego Barisone, Argentinian footballer (d. 2015)
  • 1989 – Riley Keough, American model and actress
  • 1990 – Joe Biagini, American baseball pitcher
  • 1992 – Sarah Moundir, Swiss tennis player
  • 1993 – Jana Čepelová, Slovak tennis player
  • 1993 – Maika Monroe, American actress and kiteboarder
  • 1993 – Grete Šadeiko, Estonian heptathlete
  • 1998 – Markelle Fultz, American basketball player
  • 1999 – Park Ji-hoon, South Korean singer and actor

Deaths on May 29

  • 931 – Jimeno Garcés of Pamplona
  • 1040 – Renauld I, Count of Nevers
  • 1259 – Christopher I of Denmark (b. 1219)
  • 1311 – James II of Majorca (b. 1243)
  • 1320 – Pope John VIII of Alexandria, Coptic pope
  • 1327 – Jens Grand, Danish archbishop (b. c. 1260)
  • 1379 – Henry II of Castile (b. 1334)
  • 1405 – Philippe de Mézières, French soldier and author (b. 1327)
  • 1425 – Hongxi Emperor of China (b. 1378)
  • 1453 – Ulubatlı Hasan, Ottoman commander (b. 1428)
  • 1453 – Constantine XI Palaiologos, Byzantine emperor (b. 1404)
  • 1500 – Bartolomeu Dias, Portuguese explorer and navigator (b. 1451)
  • 1500 – Thomas Rotherham, English cleric and minister (b. 1423)
  • 1546 – David Beaton, Scottish cardinal and politician, Lord Chancellor of Scotland (b. 1494)
  • 1593 – John Penry, Welsh martyr (b. 1559)
  • 1660 – Frans van Schooten, Dutch mathematician and academic (b. 1615)
  • 1691 – Cornelis Tromp, Dutch admiral (b. 1629)
  • 1790 – Israel Putnam, American general (b. 1718)
  • 1796 – Carl Fredrik Pechlin, Swedish general and politician (b. 1720)
  • 1814 – Joséphine de Beauharnais, first wife of Napoleon Bonaparte (b. 1763)
  • 1829 – Humphry Davy, English-Swiss chemist and academic (b. 1778)
  • 1847 – Emmanuel de Grouchy, Marquis de Grouchy, French general (b. 1766)
  • 1862 – Franz Mirecki, Polish composer, music conductor, and music teacher (b. 1791)
  • 1866 – Winfield Scott, American general, lawyer, and politician (b. 1786)
  • 1873 – Prince Friedrich of Hesse and by Rhine (b. 1870)
  • 1892 – Bahá’u’lláh, Persian religious leader, founded the Bahá’í Faith (b. 1817)
  • 1896 – Gabriel Auguste Daubrée, French geologist and academic (b. 1814)
  • 1903 – Bruce Price, American architect, designed the Château Frontenac and American Surety Building (b. 1845)
  • 1910 – Mily Balakirev, Russian pianist, composer, and conductor (b. 1837)
  • 1911 – W. S. Gilbert, English playwright and poet (b. 1836)
  • 1914 – Laurence Sydney Brodribb Irving, English author and playwright (b. 1871)
  • 1914 – Henry Seton-Karr, English explorer, hunter, and author (b. 1853)
  • 1917 – Kate Harrington, American poet and educator (b. 1831)
  • 1919 – Robert Bacon, American colonel and politician, 39th United States Secretary of State (b. 1860)
  • 1920 – Carlos Deltour, French rower (b. 1864)
  • 1921 – Abbott Handerson Thayer, American painter and educator (b. 1849)
  • 1935 – Josef Suk, Czech violinist and composer (b. 1874)
  • 1939 – Ursula Ledóchowska, Austrian-Polish nun and saint, founded the Congregation of the Ursulines of the Agonizing Heart of Jesus (b. 1865)
  • 1941 – Léo-Pol Morin, Canadian pianist, composer, and educator (b. 1892)
  • 1942 – John Barrymore, American actor (b. 1882)
  • 1946 – Martin Gottfried Weiss, German SS officer (b. 1905)
  • 1948 – May Whitty, English actress (b. 1865)
  • 1951 – Fanny Brice, American singer and comedian (b. 1891)
  • 1951 – Dimitrios Levidis, Greek-French soldier and composer (b. 1885)
  • 1953 – Morgan Russell, American painter and educator (b. 1886)
  • 1957 – James Whale, English director (b. 1889)
  • 1958 – Juan Ramón Jiménez, Spanish poet and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1881)
  • 1963 – Netta Muskett, English author (b. 1887)
  • 1966 – Ignace Lepp, Estonian-French priest and psychologist (b. 1909)
  • 1968 – Arnold Susi, Estonian lawyer and politician, Estonian Minister of Education (b. 1896)
  • 1970 – John Gunther, American journalist and author (b. 1901)
  • 1970 – Eva Hesse, American artist (b. 1936)
  • 1972 – Moe Berg, American baseball player, coach, and spy (b. 1902)
  • 1972 – Stephen Timoshenko, Ukrainian-American engineer and academic (b. 1878)
  • 1973 – George Harriman, English businessman (b. 1908)
  • 1977 – Ba Maw, Burmese politician, Prime Minister of Burma (b. 1893)
  • 1979 – Mary Pickford, Canadian-American actress, producer, and screenwriter, co-founded United Artists (b. 1892)
  • 1979 – John H. Wood Jr., American lawyer and judge (b. 1916)
  • 1982 – Romy Schneider, Austrian actress (b. 1938)
  • 1983 – Arvīds Pelše, Latvian-Russian historian and politician (b. 1899)
  • 1987 – Charan Singh, Indian politician, 5th Prime Minister of India (b. 1902)
  • 1988 – Salem bin Laden, Saudi Arabian businessman (b. 1946)
  • 1989 – George C. Homans, American sociologist and academic (b. 1910)
  • 1991 – Margaret Barr (choreographer), Australian choreographer and teacher of dance-drama (b. 1904)
  • 1993 – Billy Conn, American boxer (b. 1917)
  • 1994 – Erich Honecker, German lawyer and politician (b. 1912)
  • 1994- Lady May Abel Smith, member of the British Royal Family (b. 1906)
  • 1996 – Tamara Toumanova, American ballerina and actress (b. 1919)
  • 1997 – Jeff Buckley, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (b. 1966)
  • 1998 – Barry Goldwater, American general, activist, and politician (b. 1909)
  • 2003 – David Jefferies, English motorcycle racer (b. 1972)
  • 2004 – Archibald Cox, American lawyer and politician, 31st United States Solicitor General (b. 1912)
  • 2004 – Samuel Dash, American academic and politician (b. 1925)
  • 2005 – John D’Amico, Canadian ice hockey player and referee (b. 1937)
  • 2005 – Hamilton Naki, South African surgeon (b. 1926)
  • 2005 – George Rochberg, American soldier and composer (b. 1918)
  • 2006 – Jacques Bouchard, Canadian businessman (b. 1930)
  • 2007 – Dave Balon, Canadian ice hockey player and coach (b. 1938)
  • 2007 – Lois Browne-Evans, Bermudian lawyer and politician (b. 1927)
  • 2008 – Paula Gunn Allen, Native American writer (b. 1939)
  • 2008 – Luc Bourdon, Canadian ice hockey player (b. 1987)
  • 2008 – Harvey Korman, American actor and comedian (b. 1927)
  • 2010 – Dennis Hopper, American actor, director, and screenwriter (b. 1936)
  • 2011 – Sergei Bagapsh, Abkhazian politician, 2nd President of Abkhazia (b. 1949)
  • 2011 – Bill Clements, American soldier and politician, 42nd Governor of Texas (b. 1917)
  • 2011 – Ferenc Mádl, Hungarian academic and politician, 14th President of Hungary (b. 1931)
  • 2012 – Mark Minkov, Russian composer (b. 1944)
  • 2012 – Kaneto Shindo, Japanese director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1912)
  • 2012 – Doc Watson, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (b. 1923)
  • 2013 – Richard Ballantine, American-English journalist and author (b. 1940)
  • 2013 – Françoise Blanchard, French actress (b. 1954)
  • 2013 – Andrew Greeley, American priest, sociologist, and author (b. 1928)
  • 2013 – Mulgrew Miller, American pianist and composer (b. 1955)
  • 2013 – Henry Morgentaler, Polish-Canadian physician and activist (b. 1923)
  • 2013 – Franca Rame, Italian actress and playwright (b. 1928)
  • 2013 – Ludwig G. Strauss, German physician and academic (b. 1949)
  • 2013 – Wali-ur-Rehman, Pakistani commander (b. 1970)
  • 2014 – Christine Charbonneau, Canadian singer-songwriter (b. 1943)
  • 2014 – Walter Jakob Gehring, Swiss biologist and academic (b. 1939)
  • 2014 – Peter Glaser, Czech-American scientist and engineer (b. 1923)
  • 2014 – Miljenko Prohaska, Croatian composer and conductor (b. 1925)
  • 2014 – William M. Roth, American businessman (b. 1916)
  • 2015 – Henry Carr, American football player and sprinter (b. 1942)
  • 2015 – Doris Hart, American tennis player (b. 1925)
  • 2015 – Betsy Palmer, American actress (b. 1926)
  • 2017 – Manuel Noriega, Panamanian general and politician, Military Leader of Panama (b. 1934)
  • 2017 – Mordechai Tzipori, Israeli Lieutenant General and minister (b. 1924)
  • 2017 – Konstantinos Mitsotakis, Greek politician and prime minister (b. 1918)
  • 2020 – Maikanti Baru, Nigerian engineer, former chief of state oil firm. (b. 1959)

Holidays and observances on May 29

  • Army Day (Argentina)
  • Ascension of Bahá’u’lláh (Bahá’í Faith) (Only if Bahá’í Naw-Rúz falls on March 21 of the Gregorian calendar)
  • Christian feast day:
    • Bona of Pisa
    • Hypomone (Eastern Orthodox Church)
    • Maximin of Trier
    • Pope Alexander of Alexandria (Eastern Orthodox Church)
    • Theodosia of Constantinople (Eastern Orthodox Church)
    • Ursula Ledóchowska
    • May 29 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
  • Earliest day on which Feast of the Sacred Heart can fall, while July 2 is the latest; celebrated 19 days after Pentecost. (Catholic Church)
  • International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers (International)
  • National Elderly Day (Indonesia)
  • Oak Apple Day (England), and its related observance:
    • Castleton Garland Day (Castleton)
  • Statehood Day (Rhode Island and Wisconsin)
  • Veterans Day (Sweden)
  • World Digestive Health Day

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

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

Births on May 28

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

Deaths on May 28

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

Holidays and observances on May 28

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

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

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

Births on May 25

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

Deaths on May 25

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

Holidays and observances on May 25

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

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

by
  • 919 – The nobles of Franconia and Saxony elect Henry the Fowler at the Imperial Diet in Fritzlar as king of the East Frankish Kingdom.
  • 1218 – The Fifth Crusade leaves Acre for Egypt.
  • 1276 – Magnus Ladulås is crowned King of Sweden in Uppsala Cathedral.
  • 1487 – The ten-year-old Lambert Simnel is crowned in Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin, Ireland, with the name of Edward VI in a bid to threaten King Henry VII’s reign.
  • 1567 – Erik XIV of Sweden and his guards murder five incarcerated Swedish nobles.
  • 1595 – Nomenclator of Leiden University Library appears, the first printed catalog of an institutional library.
  • 1607 – One hundred English settlers disembark in Jamestown, the first permanent English colony in America.
  • 1621 – The Protestant Union is formally dissolved.
  • 1626 – Peter Minuit buys Manhattan.
  • 1667 – The French Royal Army crosses the border into the Spanish Netherlands, starting the War of Devolution opposing France to the Spanish Empire and the Triple Alliance.
  • 1683 – The Ashmolean Museum in Oxford, England, opens as the world’s first university museum.
  • 1689 – The English Parliament passes the Act of Toleration protecting dissenting Protestants but excluding Roman Catholics.
  • 1738 – John Wesley is converted, essentially launching the Methodist movement; the day is celebrated annually by Methodists as Aldersgate Day and a church service is generally held on the preceding Sunday.
  • 1798 – The Irish Rebellion of 1798 led by the United Irishmen against British rule begins.
  • 1813 – South American independence leader Simón Bolívar enters Mérida, leading the invasion of Venezuela, and is proclaimed El Libertador (“The Liberator”).
  • 1822 – Battle of Pichincha: Antonio José de Sucre secures the independence of the Presidency of Quito.
  • 1832 – The First Kingdom of Greece is declared in the London Conference.
  • 1844 – Samuel Morse sends the message “What hath God wrought” (a biblical quotation, Numbers 23:23) from a committee room in the United States Capitol to his assistant, Alfred Vail, in Baltimore, Maryland, to inaugurate a commercial telegraph line between Baltimore and Washington D.C.
  • 1856 – John Brown and his men kill five slavery supporters at Pottawatomie Creek, Kansas.
  • 1861 – American Civil War: Union troops occupy Alexandria, Virginia.
  • 1883 – The Brooklyn Bridge in New York City is opened to traffic after 14 years of construction.
  • 1900 – Second Boer War: The United Kingdom annexes the Orange Free State.
  • 1915 – World War I: Italy declares war on Austria-Hungary, joining the conflict on the side of the Allies.
  • 1930 – Amy Johnson lands in Darwin, Northern Territory, becoming the first woman to fly solo from England to Australia (she left on May 5 for the 11,000 mile flight).
  • 1935 – The first night game in Major League Baseball history is played in Cincinnati, Ohio, with the Cincinnati Reds beating the Philadelphia Phillies 2–1 at Crosley Field.
  • 1940 – Igor Sikorsky performs the first successful single-rotor helicopter flight.
  • 1940 – Acting on the orders of Soviet leader Joseph Stalin, NKVD agent Iosif Grigulevich orchestrates an unsuccessful assassination attempt on exiled Russian revolutionary Leon Trotsky in Coyoacán, Mexico.
  • 1941 – World War II: In the Battle of the Atlantic, the German Battleship Bismarck sinks then-pride of the Royal Navy, HMS Hood, killing all but three crewmen.
  • 1948 – Arab–Israeli War: Egypt captures the Israeli kibbutz of Yad Mordechai, but the five-day effort gives Israeli forces time to prepare enough to stop the Egyptian advance a week later.
  • 1956 – The first Eurovision Song Contest is held in Lugano, Switzerland.
  • 1958 – United Press International is formed through a merger of the United Press and the International News Service.
  • 1960 – Following the 1960 Valdivia earthquake, the largest ever recorded earthquake, Cordón Caulle begins to erupt.
  • 1961 – American civil rights movement: Freedom Riders are arrested in Jackson, Mississippi, for “disturbing the peace” after disembarking from their bus.
  • 1962 – Project Mercury: American astronaut Scott Carpenter orbits the Earth three times in the Aurora 7 space capsule.
  • 1967 – Egypt imposes a blockade and siege of the Red Sea coast of Israel.
  • 1976 – The Judgment of Paris takes place in France, launching California as a worldwide force in the production of quality wine.
  • 1981 – Ecuadorian president Jaime Roldós Aguilera, his wife, and his presidential committee die in an aircraft accident while travelling from Quito to Zapotillo minutes after the president gave a famous speech regarding the 24 de mayo anniversary of the Battle of Pichincha.
  • 1982 – Liberation of Khorramshahr: Iranians recapture of the port city of Khorramshahr from the Iraqis during the Iran–Iraq War.
  • 1988 – Section 28 of the United Kingdom’s Local Government Act 1988, a controversial amendment stating that a local authority cannot intentionally promote homosexuality, is enacted.
  • 1991 – Israel conducts Operation Solomon, evacuating Ethiopian Jews to Israel.
  • 1992 – The last Thai dictator, General Suchinda Kraprayoon, resigns following pro-democracy protests.
  • 1992 – The ethnic cleansing in Kozarac, Bosnia and Herzegovina begins when Serbian militia and police forces enter the town.
  • 1993 – Eritrea gains its independence from Ethiopia.
  • 1993 – Roman Catholic Cardinal Juan Jesús Posadas Ocampo and five other people are assassinated in a shootout at Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla Guadalajara International Airport in Mexico.
  • 1994 – Four men convicted of bombing the World Trade Center in New York in 1993 are each sentenced to 240 years in prison.
  • 1995 – While attempting to return to Leeds Bradford Airport in the United Kingdom, Knight Air Flight 816 crashes in Harewood, North Yorkshire, killing all 12 people on board.
  • 1999 – The International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia in The Hague, Netherlands indicts Slobodan Milošević and four others for war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in Kosovo.
  • 2000 – Israeli troops withdraw from southern Lebanon after 22 years of occupation.
  • 2002 – Russia and the United States sign the Moscow Treaty.
  • 2014 – A 6.4 magnitude earthquake occurs in the Aegean Sea between Greece and Turkey, injuring 324 people.
  • 2014 – At least three people are killed in a shooting at Brussels’ Jewish Museum of Belgium.
  • 2019 – Twenty-two students die in a fire in Surat (India).
  • 2019 – Under pressure over her handling of Brexit, British Prime Minister Theresa May announces her resignation as Leader of the Conservative Party, effective as of June 7.

Births on May 24

  • 15 BC – Germanicus, Roman general (d. 19)
  • 1335 – Margaret of Bohemia, Queen of Hungary (d. 1349)
  • 1494 – Pontormo, Italian painter (d. 1557)
  • 1522 – John Jewel, English bishop (d. 1571)
  • 1544 – William Gilbert, English physician, physicist, and astronomer (d. 1603)
  • 1576 – Elizabeth Carey, Lady Berkeley, English courtier (d. 1635)
  • 1616 – John Maitland, 1st Duke of Lauderdale, Scottish politician, Secretary of State, Scotland (d. 1682)
  • 1628 – Marek Sobieski, Polish noble (d. 1652)
  • 1669 – Emerentia von Düben, Swedish royal favorite (d. 1743)
  • 1671 – Gian Gastone de’ Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany (d. 1737)
  • 1686 – Daniel Gabriel Fahrenheit, Polish-German physicist and engineer, developed the Fahrenheit scale (d. 1736)
  • 1689 – Daniel Finch, 8th Earl of Winchilsea, English politician, Lord President of the Council (d. 1769)
  • 1743 – Jean-Paul Marat, Swiss-French physician, journalist, and politician (d. 1793)
  • 1789 – Cathinka Buchwieser, German operatic singer and actress (d.1828)
  • 1794 – William Whewell, English priest and philosopher (d. 1866)
  • 1803 – Alexander von Nordmann, Finnish biologist and paleontologist (d. 1866)
  • 1810 – Abraham Geiger, German rabbi and scholar (d. 1874)
  • 1816 – Emanuel Leutze, German-American painter (d. 1868)
  • 1819 – Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom (d. 1901)
  • 1830 – Alexei Savrasov, Russian painter and academic (d. 1897)
  • 1855 – Arthur Wing Pinero, English actor, director, and playwright (d. 1934)
  • 1861 – Gerald Strickland, 1st Baron Strickland, Maltese lawyer and politician, 4th Prime Minister of Malta (d. 1940)
  • 1863 – George Grey Barnard, American sculptor (d. 1938)
  • 1868 – Charlie Taylor, American engineer and mechanic (d. 1956)
  • 1870 – Benjamin N. Cardozo, American lawyer and judge (d. 1938)
  • 1870 – Jan Smuts, South African lawyer and politician, 2nd Prime Minister of South Africa (d. 1950)
  • 1874 – Princess Marie of Hesse and by Rhine (d. 1878)
  • 1875 – Robert Garrett, American discus thrower and shot putter (d. 1961)
  • 1878 – Lillian Moller Gilbreth, American psychologist and engineer (d. 1972)
  • 1879 – H. B. Reese, American candy maker, created Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups (d. 1956)
  • 1886 – Paul Paray, French organist, composer, and conductor (d. 1979)
  • 1887 – Mick Mannock, Irish soldier and pilot, Victoria Cross recipient (d. 1918)
  • 1891 – William F. Albright, American archaeologist, philologist, and scholar (d. 1971)
  • 1895 – Samuel Irving Newhouse Sr., American publisher, founded Advance Publications (d. 1979)
  • 1899 – Suzanne Lenglen, French tennis player (d. 1938)
  • 1899 – Henri Michaux, Belgian-French poet and painter (d. 1984)
  • 1900 – Eduardo De Filippo, Italian actor and screenwriter (d. 1984)
  • 1901 – José Nasazzi, Uruguayan footballer and manager (d. 1968)
  • 1902 – Lionel Conacher, Canadian football player and politician (d. 1954)
  • 1902 – Sylvia Daoust, Canadian sculptor (d. 2004)
  • 1905 – George Nakashima, American woodworker and architect(d. 1990)
  • 1905 – Mikhail Sholokhov, Russian novelist and short story writer, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1984)
  • 1909 – Wilbur Mills, American banker and politician (d. 1992)
  • 1910 – Jimmy Demaret, American golfer (d. 1983)
  • 1913 – Joe Abreu, American baseball player and soldier (d. 1993)
  • 1914 – Lilli Palmer, German-American actress (d. 1986)
  • 1916 – Roden Cutler, Australian lieutenant and politician, 32nd Governor of New South Wales (d. 2002)
  • 1917 – Alan Campbell, Baron Campbell of Alloway, English lawyer and judge (d. 2013)
  • 1918 – Coleman Young, American politician, 66th Mayor of Detroit (d. 1997)
  • 1923 – Siobhán McKenna, Irish actress (d. 1986)
  • 1924 – Philip Pearlstein, American soldier and painter
  • 1925 – Carmine Infantino, American illustrator and educator (d. 2013)
  • 1925 – Mai Zetterling, Swedish actress and director (d. 1994)
  • 1926 – Stanley Baxter, Scottish actor and screenwriter
  • 1928 – William Trevor, Irish novelist, playwright and short story writer (d. 2016)
  • 1932 – Arnold Wesker, English playwright and producer (d. 2016)
  • 1933 – Jane Byrne, American lawyer and politician, 50th Mayor of Chicago (d. 2014)
  • 1933 – Réal Giguère, Canadian television host and actor
  • 1933 – Aharon Lichtenstein, French-Israeli rabbi and author (d. 2015)
  • 1935 – Joan Micklin Silver, American director and screenwriter
  • 1936 – Harold Budd, American composer and poet
  • 1937 – Maryvonne Dupureur, French runner and educator (d. 2008)
  • 1937 – Archie Shepp, American saxophonist and composer
  • 1938 – Prince Buster, Jamaican singer-songwriter and producer (d. 2016)
  • 1938 – Tommy Chong, Canadian-American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter
  • 1940 – Joseph Brodsky, Russian-American poet and essayist, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1996)
  • 1941 – Bob Dylan, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, artist, writer, and producer; Nobel Prize laureate
  • 1941 – Patricia Hollis, Baroness Hollis of Heigham, English academic and politician
  • 1942 – Ali Bacher, South African cricketer and manager
  • 1942 – Hannu Mikkola, Finnish race car driver
  • 1942 – Ichirō Ozawa, Japanese lawyer and politician, Japanese Minister of Home Affairs
  • 1943 – Gary Burghoff, American actor
  • 1944 – Patti LaBelle, American singer-songwriter and actress
  • 1944 – Dominique Lavanant, French actress
  • 1945 – Terry Callier, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 2012)
  • 1945 – Steven Norris, English engineer and politician
  • 1945 – Richard Ottaway, English lieutenant and politician, Shadow Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
  • 1945 – Priscilla Presley, American actress and businesswoman
  • 1946 – Tansu Çiller, Turkish economist and politician, 22nd Prime Minister of Turkey
  • 1946 – Jesualdo Ferreira, Portuguese footballer and manager
  • 1946 – Irena Szewińska, Russian-Polish sprinter
  • 1947 – Albert Bouchard, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and drummer
  • 1947 – Mike De Leon, Filipino director, producer, screenwriter and cinematographer
  • 1947 – Mike Reid, American singer-songwriter, pianist, and American football player
  • 1947 – Waddy Wachtel, American guitarist, singer-songwriter, and record producer
  • 1947 – Martin Winterkorn, German businessman
  • 1948 – Richard Dembo, French director and screenwriter (d. 2004)
  • 1949 – Jim Broadbent, English actor
  • 1949 – Roger Deakins , English cinematographer
  • 1953 – Alfred Molina, English actor
  • 1955 – Rosanne Cash, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1955 – Philippe Lafontaine, Belgian singer and songwriter
  • 1955 – Rajesh Roshan, Indian composer
  • 1956 – R. B. Bernstein, American constitutional historian
  • 1956 – Larry Blackmon, American singer-songwriter and producer
  • 1956 – Dominic Grieve, English lawyer and politician, Attorney General for England and Wales
  • 1956 – Michael Jackson, Irish archbishop
  • 1958 – Chip Ganassi, American race car driver, team owner and businessman
  • 1959 – Pelle Lindbergh, Swedish-American ice hockey player (d. 1985)
  • 1959 – Barry O’Farrell, Australian politician, 43rd Premier of New South Wales
  • 1960 – Guy Fletcher, English keyboard player, guitarist, and producer
  • 1960 – Bill Harrigan, Australian rugby league referee and sportscaster
  • 1960 – Kristin Scott Thomas, English actress
  • 1961 – Lorella Cedroni, Italian philosopher and theorist (d. 2013)
  • 1961 – Alain Lemieux, Canadian-American ice hockey player and coach
  • 1962 – Héctor Camacho, Puerto Rican-American boxer (d. 2012)
  • 1962 – Gene Anthony Ray, American actor, dancer, and choreographer (d. 2003)
  • 1963 – Ivan Capelli, Italian race car driver and sportscaster
  • 1963 – Michael Chabon, American novelist, short story writer, and screenwriter
  • 1963 – Joe Dumars, American basketball player
  • 1963 – Rich Rodriguez, American football player and coach
  • 1963 – Valerie Taylor, American computer scientist and educator
  • 1964 – Liz McColgan, Scottish educator and runner
  • 1964 – Adrian Moorhouse, English swimmer
  • 1964 – Isidro Pérez, Mexican boxer (d. 2013)
  • 1964 – Pat Verbeek, Canadian ice hockey player and manager
  • 1965 – John C. Reilly, American actor
  • 1965 – Shinichirō Watanabe, Japanese director, producer, and screenwriter
  • 1966 – Éric Cantona, French footballer, manager, and actor
  • 1966 – Ricky Craven, American race car driver and sportscaster
  • 1967 – Tamer Karadağlı, Turkish actor
  • 1967 – Andrey Borodin, Russian-English economist and businessman
  • 1967 – Eric Close, American actor
  • 1967 – Heavy D, Jamaican-American rapper, producer, and actor (d. 2011)
  • 1967 – Carlos Hernández, Venezuelan-American baseball player and manager
  • 1969 – Martin McCague, Northern Irish-English cricketer
  • 1969 – Jacob Rees-Mogg, English politician
  • 1969 – Rich Robinson, American guitarist and songwriter
  • 1971 – Kris Draper, Canadian ice hockey player and manager
  • 1972 – Greg Berlanti, American director, producer, and screenwriter
  • 1973 – Rodrigo, Argentinian singer-songwriter (d. 2000)
  • 1973 – Bartolo Colón, Dominican-American baseball player
  • 1973 – Shirish Kunder, Indian director, producer, and screenwriter
  • 1973 – Vladimír Šmicer, Czech footballer and manager
  • 1974 – Sébastien Foucan, French runner and actor
  • 1974 – Masahide Kobayashi, Japanese baseball player and coach
  • 1974 – Magnus Manske, German biochemist and computer programmer, developed MediaWiki
  • 1975 – Will Sasso, Canadian actor and comedian
  • 1975 – Marc Gagnon, Canadian speed skater
  • 1975 – Giannis Goumas, Greek footballer and coach
  • 1975 – Maria Lawson, English singer-songwriter
  • 1976 – Alessandro Cortini, Italian-American singer and keyboard player
  • 1976 – Catherine Cox, New Zealand-Australian netball player
  • 1976 – Silje Vige, Norwegian singer
  • 1977 – Jeet Gannguli, Indian score composer, music director and singer
  • 1978 – Elijah Burke, American wrestler
  • 1978 – Johan Holmqvist, Swedish ice hockey player
  • 1978 – Brad Penny, American baseball player
  • 1978 – Rose, French singer, songwriter and composer
  • 1979 – Tracy McGrady, American basketball player
  • 1979 – Kareem McKenzie, American football player
  • 1980 – Jason Babin, American football player
  • 1980 – Anthony Minichiello, Australian rugby league player
  • 1981 – Andy Lee, Australian comedian, actor, and screenwriter
  • 1982 – Issah Gabriel Ahmed, Ghanaian footballer
  • 1982 – Rian Wallace, American football player
  • 1983 – Custódio Castro, Portuguese footballer
  • 1983 – Pedram Javaheri, Iranian-American meteorologist and journalist
  • 1983 – Woo Seung-yeon, South Korean model and actress (d. 2009)
  • 1984 – Sarah Hagan, American actress
  • 1984 – Dmitri Kruglov, Estonian footballer
  • 1985 – Tim Bridgman, English race car driver
  • 1986 – Mark Ballas, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, dancer, and actor
  • 1986 – Giannis Kontoes, Greek footballer
  • 1987 – Guillaume Latendresse, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1988 – Artem Anisimov, Russian ice hockey player
  • 1988 – Monica Lin Brown, American sergeant
  • 1988 – Billy Gilman, American musician
  • 1988 – Lucian Wintrich, American political artist and White House correspondent
  • 1989 – G-Eazy, American rapper
  • 1989 – Andrew Jordan, English race car driver
  • 1990 – Mattias Ekholm, Swedish ice hockey player
  • 1991 – Aled Davies, Welsh discus thrower
  • 1991 – Cody Eakin, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1992 – Marcus Bettinelli, English footballer, goalkeeper
  • 1994 – Daiya Seto, Japanese swimmer
  • 1994 – Emily Nicholl, Scottish netball player
  • 1994 – Daiya Seto, Japanese swimmer
  • 1994 – Emily Temple Wood, American 2016 Wikipedian of the Year award
  • 1999 – Tarjei Sandvik Moe, Norwegian actor

Deaths on May 24

  • 688 – Ségéne, bishop of Armagh (b. c. 610)
  • 1089 – Lanfranc, Archbishop of Canterbury
  • 1136 – Hugues de Payens, first Grand Master of the Knights Templar (b. c. 1070)
  • 1153 – David I of Scotland (b. 1083)
  • 1201 – Theobald III, Count of Champagne (b. 1179)
  • 1351 – Abu al-Hasan Ali ibn Othman, Moroccan sultan (b. 1297)
  • 1408 – Taejo of Joseon (b. 1335)
  • 1425 – Murdoch Stewart, 2nd Duke of Albany, Scottish politician (b. 1362)
  • 1456 – Ambroise de Loré, French commander (b. 1396)
  • 1543 – Nicolaus Copernicus, Polish mathematician and astronomer (b. 1473)
  • 1612 – Robert Cecil, 1st Earl of Salisbury, English politician, Lord High Treasurer (b. 1563)
  • 1627 – Luis de Góngora, Spanish poet and cleric (b. 1561)
  • 1632 – Robert Hues, English mathematician and geographer (b. 1553)
  • 1665 – Mary of Jesus of Ágreda, Spanish Franciscan abbess and mystic (b. 1602)
  • 1734 – Georg Ernst Stahl, German physician and chemist (b. 1660)
  • 1792 – George Brydges Rodney, 1st Baron Rodney, English admiral and politician, 16th Governor of Newfoundland (b. 1718)
  • 1806 – John Campbell, 5th Duke of Argyll, Scottish field marshal and politician, Lord Lieutenant of Argyllshire (b. 1723)
  • 1843 – Sylvestre François Lacroix, French mathematician and academic (b. 1765)
  • 1848 – Annette von Droste-Hülshoff, German author and composer (b. 1797)
  • 1861 – Elmer E. Ellsworth, American colonel (b. 1837)
  • 1872 – Julius Schnorr von Carolsfeld, German painter and illustrator (b. 1794)
  • 1879 – William Lloyd Garrison, American journalist and activist (b. 1805)
  • 1881 – Samuel Palmer, English painter and illustrator (b. 1805)
  • 1901 – Louis-Zéphirin Moreau, Canadian bishop (b. 1824)
  • 1908 – Old Tom Morris, Scottish golfer and architect (b. 1821)
  • 1915 – John Condon, Irish-English soldier (b. 1896)
  • 1919 – Amado Nervo, Mexican poet, journalist, and educator (b. 1870)
  • 1929 – Nikolai von Meck, Russian engineer (b. 1863)
  • 1941 – Lancelot Holland, English admiral (b. 1887)
  • 1945 – Robert Ritter von Greim, German field marshal and pilot (b. 1892)
  • 1948 – Jacques Feyder, Belgian actor, director, and screenwriter (b. 1885)
  • 1949 – Alexey Shchusev, Russian architect, designed Lenin’s Mausoleum and Moscow Kazanskaya railway station (b. 1873)
  • 1950 – Archibald Wavell, 1st Earl Wavell, English field marshal and politician, 43rd Governor-General of India (b. 1883)
  • 1951 – Thomas N. Heffron, American actor, director, screenwriter (b. 1872)
  • 1956 – Martha Annie Whiteley, English chemist and mathematician (b. 1866)
  • 1958 – Frank Rowe, Australian public servant (b. 1895)
  • 1959 – John Foster Dulles, American soldier, lawyer, and politician, 52nd United States Secretary of State (b. 1888)
  • 1963 – Elmore James, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (b. 1918)
  • 1965 – Sonny Boy Williamson II, American singer-songwriter and harmonica player (b. 1908)
  • 1974 – Duke Ellington, American pianist and composer (b. 1899)
  • 1976 – Denise Pelletier, Canadian actress (b. 1923)
  • 1979 – Ernest Bullock, English organist, composer, and educator (b. 1890)
  • 1981 – Herbert Müller, Swiss race car driver (b. 1940)
  • 1984 – Vince McMahon Sr., American wrestling promoter and businessman, founded WWE (b. 1914)
  • 1988 – Freddie Frith, English motorcycle road racer (b. 1909)
  • 1990 – Arthur Villeneuve, Canadian painter (b. 1910)
  • 1991 – Gene Clark, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (b. 1944)
  • 1992 – Hitoshi Ogawa, Japanese race car driver (b. 1956)
  • 1995 – Harold Wilson, English academic and politician, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (b. 1916)
  • 1996 – Enrique Álvarez Félix, Mexican actor (b. 1934)
  • 1996 – Joseph Mitchell, American journalist and author (b. 1908)
  • 1997 – Edward Mulhare, Irish actor (b. 1923)
  • 2000 – Kurt Schork, American journalist and scholar (b. 1947)
  • 2000 – Majrooh Sultanpuri, Indian poet and songwriter (b. 1919)
  • 2002 – Wallace Markfield, American author (b. 1926)
  • 2003 – Rachel Kempson, English actress (b. 1910)
  • 2004 – Henry Ries, German-American photographer (b. 1917)
  • 2004 – Milton Shulman, Canadian author and critic (b. 1913)
  • 2004 – Edward Wagenknecht, American critic and educator (b. 1900)
  • 2005 – Carl Amery, German activist and author (b. 1922)
  • 2005 – Arthur Haulot, Belgian journalist and poet (b. 1913)
  • 2005 – Guy Tardif, Canadian academic and politician (b. 1935)
  • 2006 – Henry Bumstead, American art director and production designer (b. 1915)
  • 2006 – Claude Piéplu, French actor (b. 1923)
  • 2006 – Michał Życzkowski, Polish technician and educator (b. 1930)
  • 2008 – Dick Martin, American actor, comedian, and director (b. 1922)
  • 2008 – Jimmy McGriff, American organist and bandleader (b. 1936)
  • 2009 – Jay Bennett, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer (b. 1963)
  • 2010 – Ray Alan, English ventriloquist, actor, and screenwriter (b. 1930)
  • 2010 – Paul Gray, American bass player and songwriter (b. 1972)
  • 2010 – Raymond V. Haysbert, American businessman and activist (b. 1920)
  • 2010 – Petr Muk, Czech singer-songwriter and guitarist (b. 1965)
  • 2010 – Anneliese Rothenberger, German soprano and actress (b. 1926)
  • 2011 – Huguette Clark, American heiress, painter, and philanthropist (b. 1906)
  • 2011 – Hakim Ali Zardari, Indian-Pakistani businessman and politician (b. 1930)
  • 2012 – Klaas Carel Faber, Dutch-German SS officer (b. 1922)
  • 2012 – Kathi Kamen Goldmark, American journalist and author (b. 1948)
  • 2012 – Jacqueline Harpman, Belgian psychoanalyst and author (b. 1929)
  • 2012 – Juan Francisco Lombardo, Argentinian footballer (b. 1925)
  • 2012 – Lee Rich, American production manager and producer (b. 1918)
  • 2013 – Helmut Braunlich, German-American violinist and composer (b. 1929)
  • 2013 – Ron Davies, Welsh footballer (b. 1942)
  • 2013 – Gotthard Graubner, German painter (b. 1930)
  • 2013 – Haynes Johnson, American journalist and author (b. 1931)
  • 2013 – Pyotr Todorovsky, Ukrainian-Russian director and screenwriter (b. 1925)
  • 2014 – David Allen, English cricketer (b. 1935)
  • 2014 – Stormé DeLarverie, known as the “Rosa Parks of the lesbian community” (b. 1920)
  • 2014 – Mahafarid Amir Khosravi, Iranian businessman (b. 1969)
  • 2014 – Knowlton Nash, Canadian journalist and author (b. 1927)
  • 2014 – John Vasconcellos, American lieutenant, lawyer, and politician (b. 1932)
  • 2015 – Dean Carroll, English rugby player (b. 1962)
  • 2015 – Kenneth Jacobs, Australian lawyer and judge (b. 1917)
  • 2015 – Tanith Lee, English author (b. 1947)
  • 2018 – Gudrun Burwitz, daughter of Margarete Himmler and Heinrich Himmler (b. 1929)
  • 2018 – John Bain (TotalBiscuit), English gaming commentator and critic (b. 1984)

Holidays and observances on May 24

  • Aldersgate Day/Wesley Day (Methodism)
  • Battle of Pichincha Day (Ecuador)
  • Bermuda Day (Bermuda), celebrated on the nearest weekday if May 24 falls on the weekend.
  • Christian feast day:
    • Anna Pak Agi (one of The Korean Martyrs)
    • Donatian and Rogatian
    • Jackson Kemper (Episcopal Church)
    • Joanna
    • Mary, Help of Christians
    • Sarah (celebrated by the Romani people of Camargue)
    • Vincent of Lérins
    • May 24 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
  • Commonwealth Day (Belize)
  • Earliest day on which El Colacho tradition can fall, while June 27 is the latest; celebrated on Sunday after Corpus Christi. (Castrillo de Murcia, near Burgos)
  • Independence Day (Eritrea), celebrates the independence of Eritrea from Ethiopia in 1993.
  • Lubiri Memorial Day (Buganda)
  • Saints Cyril and Methodius Day (Eastern Orthodox Church, Julian Calendar) and its related observance:
    • Bulgarian Education and Culture and Slavonic Literature Day (Bulgaria)
    • Saints Cyril and Methodius, Slavonic Enlighteners’ Day (North Macedonia)
  • Victoria Day; celebrated on Monday on or before May 24. (Canada), and its related observance:
    • National Patriots’ Day or Journée nationale des patriotes (Quebec)

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

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

Births on May 23

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

Deaths on May 23

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

Holidays and observances on May 23

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

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

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

Births on May 22

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

Deaths on May 22

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

Holidays and observances on May 22

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

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

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

Births on May 17

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

Deaths on May 17

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

Holidays and observances on May 17

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

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

by
  • 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)