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What happened in history on this day: May 15?
On May 15 in ...
- 392 - Valentinianus II, emperor of Rome (375-392), murdered at age 21.
- 756 - Abd-al-Rahman I becomes emir of Cordova Spain.
- 884 - Marinus I [Martinus II] dies, ending his reign as Catholic Pope (882-84).
- 1004 - Henry II the Saint crowned king of Italy.
- 1174 - Nur ad-Din Mahmud King of Syria, dies.
- 1213 - English king John names Stephen Langton Archbishop of Canterbury.
- 1248 - Archbishop Konrad von Hochstaden lays cornerstone for Köln (Cologne) cathedral.
- 1470 - King Karl Knutsson of Sweden dies.
- 1482 - Paolo Toscanelli Italian physician and mapmaker, dies.
- 1492 - Cheese and Bread rebellion: German mercenaries kills 232 Alkmaarse.
- 1525 - German boer army surrounded/slaughters 5,000; ends Boer war.
- 1565 - Birth of Henrick de Keyser architect/master builder of Amsterdam.
- 1567 - Birth of Claudio Giovanni Antonio Monteverdi Cremona Italy, composer (L'Orfeo).
- 1567 - Mary, Queen of Scots marries James Hepburn, Earl of Bothwell.
- 1572 - Louis van Nassau and huguenots occupy Valenciennes.
- 1591 - Dimitri Ivanovitch Russian son of czar Ivan IV, murdered at age 9.
- 1602 - Cape Cod discovered by English navigator Bartholomew Gosnold.
- 1610 - Parliament of Paris appoints Louis XIII (8) as French king.
- 1618 - Johannes Kepler announces his harmonics law.
- 1621 - Henrick de Keyser Amsterdam's master builder, dies at age 56.
- 1622 - Peter Plancius Flemish vicar/cartographer, dies at about age 69.
- 1625 - Sixteen rebellious farmers hanged in Vöcklamarkt Upper-Austria.
- 1648 - Treaty of Münster: Spain and Netherlands ratified.
- 1665 - Pope Alexander VII convicts Jansenisme.
- 1668 - A private bank is taken over by the Swedish State Government, becoming the Riksbank, the first national bank in the world.
- 1672 - First copyright law enacted by Massachusetts.
- 1702 - War of Spanish Succession, first American conflict between England and France.
- 1718 - James Puckle, a London lawyer, patents world's first machine gun.
- 1730 - Robert Walpole becomes England first prime minister (was chief minister).
- 1756 - 10,000 Hessians disembark at Southampton to serve as protection in event of French invasion.
- 1756 - Britain declares war on France (Seven Years' or French and Indian War).
- 1761 - Jacob Mossel Governor-General (Dutch East Indies), dies at age 56.
- 1773 - Birth of Clemens L Metternich Austrian prince.
- 1791 - Birth of Baron Floris A van Hall; Dutch minister of Justice/Finance.
- 1796 - France and Sardinia sign Peace treaty of Paris.
- 1796 - French troops occupy Milan.
- 1800 - King George III survives a second assassination attempt.
- 1800 - Pope Pius VII calls on French bishops to return to Gospel principles.
- 1802 - Birth of Isaac Ridgeway Trimble; Major General (Confederate Army) (dies 1888).
- 1817 - Ambonese uprising against Dutch authority, under T Matulesia.
- 1819 - Birth of Thomas Leonidas Crittenden; US Major General (Union volunteers).
- 1830 - Birth of Laurence Simmons Baker; Brigadier General (Confederate Army) (dies 1907).
- 1830 - Birth of Martinus W van der Aa; author/Dutch head-editor (The Time).
- 1833 - Edmund Kean, English actor (Shylock), dies at age 46.
- 1836 - Francis Baily observes "Baily's Beads" during annular solar eclipse.
- 1842 - Emanuel Count de las Cases, French historian (Napoleon), dies at age 76.
- 1845 - Birth of Ilja [Elias] Metsjnikov in Russia; zoologist/bacteriologist (Nobel Prize 1908).
- 1845 - Last of the epic horse races at the Union Course on Long Island, New York. Peytona of the South defeats Fashion of the North, twice.
- 1848 - Radicals invade the French Chamber of deputies.
- 1851 - Rama IV, [Phra Chomklao Chaoyuhua], king of Thai (1851-68), is crowned.
- 1855 - Birth of Eduard, earl of Keyserling; German writer (Dritte Stiege).
- 1856 - Birth of Lyman Frank Baum in Chittenango, New York, USA; children's book author (The Wizard of Oz) (dies 1919).
- 1858 - Royal Italian Opera opens in Covent Garden, London, England.
- 1859 - Birth of Pierre Curie in France; physicist (Nobel Prize 1903) (dies 1906).
- 1862 - Birth of Arthur Schnitzler in Austria; playwright/novelist (La Ronde).
- 1862 - US Department of Agriculture is created.
- 1862 - USA General Benjamin F Butler issues "Woman's Order" - women of New Orleans to be treated as whores as a result of their treatment of USA soldiers.
- 1862 - Union Grounds, in Brooklyn New York, the first baseball enclosure, opens.
- 1862 - Confederate cruiser The Alabama runs aground near London.
- 1865 - Birth of Albert Verwey; Dutch poet/literature historian (Motion).
- 1868 - Dutch Government of Zuylen van Nijevelt falls.
- 1869 - Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton form the National Woman's Suffrage Association in the USA.
- 1873 - Alexander J Cuza, monarch of Moldavia/Romania, dies at age 53.
- 1876 - Second Kentucky Derby: Bobby Swim aboard Vagrant wins in 2:38.25.
- 1879 - Congrés International d'Études du Canal Interocéanique convenes in Paris, France, attended by 136 delegates from 22 countries.
- 1880 - Birth of Otto Dibelius; German theologist/bishop (Confessional Church).
- 1882 - May Laws-Czar Alexander III bans Jews from living in rural Romania.
- 1883 - Italy signs military treaty with Austria-Hungary and Germany.
- 1885 - Canadian Méti insurgent Louis Riel is captured in Saskatchewan.
- 1889 - Alfred Potocki, premier Austrian/Governor/Viceroy of Galicia, dies.
- 1889 - Birth of Bessie Hillman; founder (Almalgamated Clothing Workers of America).
- 1890 - Birth of Katherine Anne Porter; US novelist (Ship of Fools).
- 1891 - Birth of Chief Nipo T Strongheart in Yakima, Washington, US; Indian actor (Pony Soldier).
- 1891 - Birth of David Vogel in Ukraine; author (Huwelijksleven).
- 1891 - Birth of Fritz Feigl in Austria; chemist (spot tests).
- 1891 - Birth of Mikhail Bulgakov in Russia; playwright/novelist (Black Snow) (dies 1940).
- 1891 - British Central African Protectorate (later Malawi) is established.
- 1891 - Pope Leo XIII publishes encyclical Rerum novarum.
- 1892 - Arthur Hodister, British ivory seller (Heart of Darkness), is murdered.
- 1893 - Birth of Stanley Lupino; English comic (Cheer Up, Over She Goes).
- 1894 - Birth of Alberto Francisco Pradeau; Mexican coinage expert and Pancho Villa's paymaster and currency printer.
- 1894 - 20th Kentucky Derby: Frank Goodale aboard Chant wins in 2:41.
- 1895 - Birth of Charles Lamont in San Francisco, California, USA; director (Abbott and Costello Go to Mars).
- 1895 - Joseph Whitaker, British publisher (Whitaker' Almanack), dies at age 75.
- 1898 - Birth of Arlette-Leonie Arletty [Bathiat] in Courbevoie, France; actress (Maxime).
- 1899 - Francisque Sarcey, French writer (Le Temps), dies at age 70.
- 1902 - Birth of Richard J Daley; American politician (Mayor-Democrat-Chicago).
- 1902 - Lyman Gilmore is first person to fly a powered craft.
- 1902 - Portugal bankrupt by revolt in Angola.
- 1903 - Birth of Anny Ondra in Czechoslovakia; actress (Blackmail, Manxman).
- 1904 - Birth of Clifton Fadiman in Brooklyn, New York, USA; TV host (Information Please, Quiz Kids).
- 1904 - Birth of Gustav-Adolf Boltenstein in Sweden; equestrian dressage (Olympics-gold-1952, 1956).
- 1905 - Birth of Joseph Cotten in Petersburg, Virginia, USA; actor (3rd Man, Airport 77, Hearse).
- 1905 - A land auction is held in the founding of Las Vegas, Nevada.
- 1908 - Birth of Lars-Eric Vilner Larsson in Akarp, Sweden; composer (Linden).
- 1909 - Birth of James Mason in England; actor (Lolita, Bloodline, The Boys From Brazil) (dies in 1984).
- 1910 - Birth of Constance [Halverstadt] Cummings in Seattle, Washington, USA; actress (John and Julie, Seven Sinners, Glamour).
- 1910 - Birth of Robert F Wagner; American politician (Mayor-Democrat-New York City, 1949-65).
- 1911 - Birth of Leo Fuchs; Polish/US Yiddish actor (Galitzianer Cowboy).
- 1911 - Birth of Max Frisch; Swiss architect/writer (Stiller, Biedermann).
- 1911 - British house of commons accepts Parliament Bill.
- 1911 - Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Indiana University, incorporates.
- 1911 - US Supreme Court dissolves Standard Oil (Sherman Antitrust Act).
- 1912 - 37th Preakness: Clarence Turner on Colonel Holloway wins in 1:56.6.
- 1912 - Birth of Alexis Nihon in Bahamas; wrestler (Olympics-1968).
- 1912 - Birth of Arthur Victor Berger in New York City, New York, USA; composer (Ideas of Order).
- 1915 - Birth of Maurice B Latey; commentator (BBC World Service).
- 1915 - Birth of Paul A Samuelson; economist (1970 Nobel Prize, 1947 John Bates Clark Medal).
- 1916 - Asiago Italy falls when Austrian troops attack the Italian front.
- 1916 - Birth of Bill Williams in Brooklyn, New York, USA; actor (Starlit Time, Date With the Angels).
- 1918 - The US Post Office Department begins the first regular airmail service (between New York, Philadelphia, and Washington DC).
- 1918 - 43rd Preakness (1st Division): Johnny Loftus aboard War Cloud wins in 1:53.6.
- 1918 - 44th Preakness (2nd Division): Charles Peak aboard Jack Hare Junior wins in 1:53.4.
- 1918 - Birth of Eddy Arnold in Henderson, Tennessee, USA; country singer ("Cattle Call", "Anytime").
- 1918 - Birth of Joseph Wiseman in Montréal, Quebec, Canada; actor (Dr No, Viva Zapata, Les Miserables).
- 1918 - Greek troops lands at Smyrna.
- 1918 - Washington Senators' Walter Johnson pitches 1-0, 18-inning game.
- 1918 - Hostilities cease in the Finish Civil War. About 37,000 Finns died.
- 1919 - Birth of Charles Palmer; cricket player (one Test 1955, later MCC president).
- 1919 - Brooklyn Dodgers score ten runs in 13th inning to beat Cincinnati Reds 10-0.
- 1920 - Soccer team ADO '20 forms in Heemskerk.
- 1921 - Birth of Erroll Garner in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; jazz pianist ("Misty").
- 1922 - Birth of Enrico Berlinguer; Italian communist/secretary-general (CPI).
- 1923 - Birth of Richard Avedon; US photographer (1957 ASMP award).
- 1924 - Birth of Andrea Gyarmati in Hungary; water polo player (Olympics, 1948-60).
- 1924 - Birth of Don Kenyon; cricket player (England batsman in 8 Tests 1951-55).
- 1924 - Birth of Ursula Thiess in Hamburg, Germany; actress (Monsoon, Bengal Brigade, Americano).
- 1924 - Paul d'Estornelles de Constant, French diplomat/pacifist, dies at age 71.
- 1925 - Birth of Jos Jacobs; Flemish director (Madonna of Nedermunster).
- 1926 - 52nd Kentucky Derby: Albert Johnson on Bubbling Over wins in 2:03.8.
- 1926 - Birth of Anthony Shaffer; twin brother playwright (Sleuth).
- 1926 - Birth of Peter Shaffer; twin brother playwright (5 Finger Exercise, Equus).
- 1926 - British general strike ends, but mine workers go on strike.
- 1928 - Walt Disney's first silent film featuring Mickey Mouse, Plane Crazy premieres as a sneak preview at a theatre on Sunset Boulevard, in Los Angeles, California.
- 1929 - Birth of Jack Flavell; cricket player (England pace bowler in four Tests 1961-64).
- 1929 - Birth of Peggy Pope in Montclair, New Jersey, USA; actress (Billy, Mrs David - Soap).
- 1929 - Fire in X-ray film stock kills 125 at Crile Clinic (Cleveland, Ohio, USA).
- 1930 - Birth of Jasper Johns in Augusta, Georgia, USA; painter/sculptor (Green Target).
- 1930 - Ellen Church becomes first airline stewardess, United Airlines (San Francisco to Cheyenne).
- 1931 - Birth of David Healy; actor (Supergirl, Doomsday Gun, Patton, Be My Guest).
- 1931 - Birth of F Korthals; Altes Dutch minister of Justice (VVD).
- 1931 - Birth of Joseph A. Califano, Junior; US Chairman of the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse.
- 1931 - Pope Pius XI publishes encyclical Quadragesimo anno.
- 1932 - Birth of John Glen in Thames, England; actor (Spy Who Loved Me, Backfire).
- 1932 - Peru officially suspends gold standard.
- 1932 - Ki Inukai, premier of Japan (1931-32), is murdered.
- 1933 - First voice amplification system to be used in US Senate.
- 1933 - Ernest Torrence, actor (I Cover the Waterfront), dies at age 54.
- 1934 - Birth of David Robin Francis Guy Greville; 8th Duke of Warwick.
- 1934 - Department of Justice offers $25,000 reward for John Dillinger, dead or alive.
- 1934 - Karlis Ulmanis names himself fascist dictator of Latvia.
- 1935 - Birth of Ted Dexter; cricket player (in Milan Superb England batsman of 1960s).
- 1935 - Pittsburgh Pirates beat Philadelphia Phillies 20-5.
- 1936 - Amy Johnson arrives in Croydon, England from South Africa in record 4 days 16 hours.
- 1936 - Birth of Anna Maria Alberghetti in Italy; actress/singer (Cinderfella).
- 1936 - Birth of Donald [Anthony] Moffitt; American sci-fi author (Jupiter Theft).
- 1936 - Birth of Paul Zindel; playwright (Effects of Gamma Rays on Marigolds).
- 1937 - 63rd Preakness: Charley Kurtsinger aboard War Admiral wins in 1 minute 58.4 seconds.
- 1937 - Birth of Trini Lopez in Trinidad; singer/guitarist ("If I Had a Hammer").
- 1938 - Birth of Lenny Welch in Asbury Park, New Jersey, USA; musician ("Breaking up is Hard to Do").
- 1938 - Paul-Henri Spak forms red coalition of Belgium.
- 1940 - First successful helicopter flight in US: Vought-Sikorsky US-300.
- 1940 - Birth of Mireille Darc in Toulon, France; actor (Week End, Hurried Man).
- 1940 - Birth of Paul Rudd in Boston, Massachusetts, USA; actor (A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court).
- 1940 - German armour division moves into Northern France.
- 1940 - (morning) French Premier Paul Reynaud phones British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, telling him, "We have been defeated; we have lost the battle".
- 1940 - (about 1130 hours) In Rijsoord, a suburb village of Rotterdam, Netherlands, Commander in Chief of Netherlands land and sea forces General Henri Winkelman signs formal capitulation of Netherlands armed forces to Germany.
- 1940 - Joseph Limburg, liberal second-Member of parliament (1905-19), dies at age 75.
- 1940 - Germans capture General Dutch Persbureau (ANP).
- 1940 - Nylon stockings go on sale for first time, in the USA.
- 1940 - Willem A Bonger, Dutch criminologist (Race and Crime), commits suicide at age 63.
- 1940 - McDonald's opens its first restaurant, in San Bernardino, California.
- 1941 - First British turbojet flies.
- 1941 - Birth of Cyril Cooray; cricket player (Sri Lankan Test umpire on international panel).
- 1941 - Birth of K T Oslin in Crossett, Arkansas, USA; country singer (1980s Ladies).
- 1941 - Birth of Lainie Kazan in Brooklyn, New York, USA; singer/actress (Lust in the Dust, Beaches).
- 1941 - British attack Halfaya-pass and Fort Capuzzo in Egypt and Libya.
- 1941 - German occupiers in Netherlands forbid Jewish music.
- 1942 - Birth of Anthony Wayne England in Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; PhD/astronaut (STS 51-F).
- 1942 - Gasoline first rationed in US (17 Eastern States).
- 1942 - German occupiers in Netherlands arrest 2,000 Dutch officers.
- 1943 - Birth of Harve Brosten comedy writer/producer/director (All in the Family).
- 1943 - Halifax bombers sink German submarine U-463.
- 1944 - 14,000 Jews of Munkacs, Hungary deported to Auschwitz.
- 1944 - Birth of Gunilla Hutton in Göteborg, Sweden; actress (Petticoat Junction).
- 1944 - Birth of Miruts Yifter in Ethiopia; 5000km/10,000km runner (Olympics-gold-1980).
- 1944 - Cincinnati Reds' Clyde Shoun no-hits Boston Braves, 1-0.
- 1944 - Dwight Eisenhower, Bernard Montgomery, Winston Churchill and King George VI discuss D-Day plan.
- 1944 - Sergei Aleksi becomes guardian of Patriarch Throne.
- 1945 - Major Courtney, US medal of honor marine, dies in battle of Sugar Loaf.
- 1946 - Birth of Chazz Palminteri in the Bronx, New York, USA; actor (Jade, Diabolique, Bronx Tale).
- 1947 - Birth of Graham Goble in Adelaide, Australia; rock guitarist (Little River Band).
- 1948 - 28-year-old British Mandate over Palestine ends.
- 1948 - 74th Preakness: Eddie Arcaro aboard Citation wins in 2:02.4.
- 1948 - Australia scores 721 runs in one day versus Essex, world record.
- 1948 - Birth of Brian Eno in Woodbridge, England; rock keyboardist/singer (On Land).
- 1948 - Donald Bradman scores 187 Australia versus Essex, 124 minutes, 33 fours 1 five.
- 1948 - Forces from Egypt, Transjordan, Syria, Lebanon, and Iraq attack and invade Israel.
- 1949 - Birth of Eric J Beekes; actor/singer (Hunk).
- 1949 - Birth of Frank L Culbertson Junior in Charleston, South Carolina, USA; Commander US Navy/astronaut (STS-38).
- 1949 - Birth of Wendy Pritchard; Australian women's field hockey team manager (Olympics-1996).
- 1951 - AT&T becomes first corporation to have one million stockholders.
- 1951 - Birth of Dennis Frederiksen; rocker (Toto - "Roseanna", "Africa").
- 1952 - Albert Basserman, actor (Madame Curie, Rhapsody in Blue), dies at age 84.
- 1952 - Birth of Rick Waits; baseball pitcher (Texas Rangers, Cleveland Indians, Minnesota Twins).
- 1952 - Detroit Tigers' pitcher Virgil Trucks no-hits Washington Senators, 1-0.
- 1952 - Johnny Longden becomes second jockey to ride 4,000 winners.
- 1953 - Birth of George Brett in Wheeling, West Virginia, USA; Kansas City Royals third baseman (1980 American League Most Valuable Player).
- 1953 - Birth of Mike Oldfield in England; composer ("Tubular Bells").
- 1953 - Heavyweight Rocky Marciano knocks out Joe Walcott in Chicago, Illinois for heavyweight boxing title.
- 1953 - Osip Zadkines monument to "The destroyed city" unveiled in Rotterdam, Netherlands.
- 1954 - Birth of Andrea Gyarmati in Hungary; water polo player (Olympics-1948-1960).
- 1954 - Birth of Bob Beauchemin in Winnipeg, Canada; golfer (West Coast Open-1982, 1983).
- 1955 - Birth of Lee Horsley in Muleshoe, Texas, USA; actor (Nero Wolfe, Matt Houston).
- 1955 - Building of space travel center at Baikonur, Kazachstan begins.
- 1955 - US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site.
- 1955 - Britain, France, US and USSR sign the Austrian State Treaty restore Austria's independence.
- 1956 - Birth of Alice Miller in Marysville, California, USA; LPGA golfer (1985 Nabisco Dinah Shore).
- 1957 - 18,000 people at Madison Square Garden-Billy Graham launches a crusade.
- 1957 - First British hydrogen bomb explosion (over Christmas Island).
- 1958 - Michael G the Boer, historian (Harbor of Amsterdam), dies at age 91.
- 1958 - USSR launches Sputnik III.
- 1959 - 100th anniversary of first college baseball game, between Amherst and Williams; Teams re-enact the original contest.
- 1959 - Birth of Andrew Eldritch; rocker (Sisters of Mercy - "Walk Away", "Black Planet").
- 1960 - Chicago Cubs' Don Cardwell no-hits Saint Louis Cardinals, 4-0.
- 1960 - Sputnik 4 launched into Earth orbit; later recovery failed.
- 1961 - Pope John XXIII publishes encyclical Mater et Magistra.
- 1962 - US marines arrive in Laos.
- 1963 - Birth of Grant Herslov in Los Angeles, California, USA; actor (Wayne - Spencer, Under One Roof).
- 1963 - The final Mercury mission is launched, with astronaut L. Gordon Cooper - who becomes the first American to spend more than a day in space.
- 1963 - NBC airs "The best on Record", the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences presentation of the 5th Annual Grammy Awards.
- Record of the Year: Tony Bennett for "I Left My Heart In San Francisco";
- Best Solo Vocal Performance, Female: Ella Fitzgerald for "Ella Swings Brightly With Nelson Riddle";
- Best Solo Vocal Performance, Male: Tony Bennett for "I Left My Heart In San Francisco";
- Best Rock and Roll Recording: Bent Fabric for "Alley Cat";
- Best Country and Western Recording: Burl Ives for "Funny Way Of Laughin'";
- Best Rhythm and Blues Recording: Ray Charles for "I Can't Stop Loving You";
- Best Folk Recording: Peter, Paul And Mary for "If I Had A Hammer";
- Lifetime Achievement Award: Bing Crosby.
- 1963 - Tottenham Hotspur wins third Europe Cup II at Rotterdam, Netherlands.
- 1964 - Birth of Pierre Trentin in France; 1000m time trials (Olympics-gold-1968).
- 1964 - Cornelis H Edelman, Dutch geologist, dies at age 61.
- 1964 - Sporting Portugal wins fourth Europe Cup II at Antwerp, Belgium.
- 1964 - US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site.
- 1965 - 91st Preakness: Ron Turcotte aboard Tom Rolfe wins in 1:56.2.
- 1965 - Adrian Schoevers, Dutch director (Schoevers Institution), dies.
- 1965 - Birth of Dan Stryzinski; NFL punter (Atlanta Falcons).
- 1965 - Birth of Glen Hnatiuk in Selkirk, Manitoba, Canada; Nike golfer (1992 Mississippi Gulf).
- 1965 - Birth of Jeff Rochlin in Brooklyn, New York, USA; actor (Cutting Class, Splitz, Taps).
- 1965 - Canadian Football Players Association organizes.
- 1966 - First day of Sunday play in County Cricket, Essex versus Somerset.
- 1966 - Birth of Paul Ysebaert in Sarnia, Ontario, Canada; NHL left wing (Tampa Bay Lightning).
- 1966 - Clifford Ann Creed wins LPGA Dallas Civitan Golf Invitational.
- 1966 - South Vietnamese army battle Buddhists, about 80 die.
- 1967 - Birth of John Smoltz in Detroit, Michigan, USA; pitcher (Atlanta Braves, 1996 Cy Young).
- 1967 - Birth of Omar Vizquel in Caracas, Venezuela; shortstop (Seattle Mariners, Cleveland Indians).
- 1967 - Edward Hopper, US painter (House by Railroad), dies at age 84.
- 1967 - Jo Ann Prentice wins LPGA Dallas Civitan Golf Open.
- 1967 - Paul McCartney meets his future wife Linda Eastman.
- 1968 - First American League game played in Milwaukee, is a 4-2 California Angels' win against Chicago Cubs.
- 1968 - A tornado strikes Jonesboro, Arkansas, USA, at 10 PM, killing 36.
- 1968 - Birth of James "Jim" Neil in Buffalo, New York, USA; rower (Olympics-1996).
- 1968 - Birth of Leroy Hoard; NFL running back (Cleveland Browns, Minnesota Vikings).
- 1968 - Birth of Todd Porter in Montclair, New Jersey, USA; actor (Hamilton - Whiz Kids).
- 1969 - Associate Justice Abe Fortas resigns from US Supreme Court.
- 1969 - Birth of Emmitt Smith; running back (Dallas Cowboys, three-time NFL rushing leader).
- 1969 - Birth of Holly McPeak in Manhattan Beach, California, USA; beach volleyball player (Olympics-1996).
- 1970 - Beatles' last record, "Let It Be" is released in US.
- 1970 - Birth of Artie Smith; NFL defensive end (Cincinnati Bengals).
- 1970 - Birth of Cory Philpot; Canadian Football League running back (British Columbia Lions).
- 1970 - Birth of Desmond Howard; NFL receiver (Jacksonville Jaguars, Oakland Raiders).
- 1970 - Birth of Frank de Boer; Dutch soccer star (Ajax).
- 1970 - Birth of Keith Tower; NBA center (Los Angeles Clippers).
- 1970 - Birth of Prince Be; rapper (PM Dawn).
- 1970 - Birth of Rod Smith; NFL wide reciever (Denver Broncos-Superbowl 32).
- 1970 - Birth of Ronald de Boer; Dutch soccer player (Ajax).
- 1970 - Birth of Tony Brown; NFL cornerback (Seattle Seahawks).
- 1970 - Elizabeth Hoisington and Anna Mae Mays named first female US generals.
- 1970 - France performs nuclear test at Muruora Island.
- 1970 - South Africa excluded from Olympic play.
- 1971 - 97th Preakness: Gustavo Avila aboard Canonero II wins in 1:54.
- 1971 - Birth of Scott Shipley in Bremerton, Washington, USA; slalom single kayak (Olympics-1996).
- 1972 - Okinawa island is reunified with Japan as American occupation ends.
- 1972 - Birth of David Charvet; actor (Melrose Place).
- 1972 - Birth of Patrick Pothuizen; soccer player (Vitesse).
- 1972 - Birth of Tirrell Greene; WLAF guard (Frankfurt Galaxy).
- 1972 - Birth of Troy Drake; NFL tackle (Philadelphia Eagles).
- 1972 - Bus plunges into Nile River killing 50 pilgrims (Minia, Egypt).
- 1972 - George Wallace is shot and left paralyzed by Arthur Bremer in Laurel, Maryland, USA.
- 1972 - Nigel Green, actor (Skull, Tobruk, Ipcress File), dies at age 47.
- 1972 - Ryukyu Island and Daito Island are returned to Japan after 27 years of US control. Ryukyu Islands cease issuance of postage stamps.
- 1973 - Birth of Suzannah Bianco in San Jose, California, USA; synchronized swimmer (alternate-Olympics-1996).
- 1973 - Nolan Ryan pitches his first no-hitter game, as the California Angels defeat the Kansas City Royals 3-0.
- 1973 - Willem H Rassers, Dutch cult anthropologist (Pandji-Novel), dies at age 95.
- 1974 - Birth of A J Hinch in Wavely, Iowa, USA; baseball catcher (Olympics-bronze-1996).
- 1974 - Birth of Addilson dos Santos; soccer player (Sparta).
- 1974 - Birth of Ahmet Rodan Zappa, son of Frank; rocker (Z, 2 Hip 4 TV).
- 1974 - Mail truck terrorists take school in Maälot, 30 killed.
- 1974 - Walter Scheel succeeds Heinemann as president of Germany.
- 1975 - 11th Mayor's Trophy Game, New York Yankees beat New York Mets 9-4.
- 1975 - Birth of Ray Lewis; linebacker (Baltimore Ravens).
- 1976 - 102nd Preakness: John Lively aboard Elocutionist wins in 1:55.
- 1976 - Birth of Eric DuBose in Bradenton, Florida; baseball pitcher (Olympics-bronze-1996).
- 1976 - Samuel Eliot Morison, American historian (Admiral of Ocean Sea), dies at age 88.
- 1977 - NBC airs the special 90-minute show The Father Knows Best Reunion.
- 1977 - Jane Blalock wins LPGA Greater Baltimore Golf Classic.
- 1978 - Students of the University of Tehran riot in Tabriz; the army stops the riot.
- 1978 - Birth of David Krumholtz in New York City, New York, USA; American actor (Billy Kulchak - Chicago Sons).
- 1978 - Birth of Amy Chow in San Jose, California; gymnast (Olympics-gold/silver-1996).
- 1979 - ABC airs the final episode of Starsky and Hutch TV show.
- 1980 - Shawn Weatherly, of Sumter, South Carolina, crowned 29th Miss USA/Miss Universe-1980.
- 1980 - Birth of Josh Beckett; Boston Red Sox pitcher.
- 1980 - First trans-US balloon crossing (Maxie Anderson and son Chris).
- 1980 - Philadelphia Flyers score 8 goals against New York Islanders in playoffs.
- 1981 - Birth of Zara Anne Elizabeth Phillips, daughter of Princess Anne-10th in succession to British throne.
- 1981 - Leonard Barker of Cleveland Indians pitches perfect game versus Toronto Blue Jays.
- 1981 - NBC debuts the Canadian TV show SCTV Network, a 90-minute variety/comedy show.
- 1981 - Soyuz 40 carries two cosmonauts (one Rumanian) to Salyut 6.
- 1981 - Birth of Justin Morneau; Canadian baseball player.
- 1981 - Donna Payant is murdered by serial killer Lemuel Smith - the first time a female prison officer has been killed on-duty in the United States.
- 1982 - Death of Gordon Smiley, American race car driver (racing accident) (born 1946).
- 1982 - 108th Preakness: 16-year-old Jack Kaenel aboard Aloma's Ruler wins in 1:55.4.
- 1982 - Birth of Jessica Sutta; singer (The Pussycat Dolls).
- 1983 - Lenore Muraoka wins LPGA United Virginia Bank Golf Classic.
- 1983 - Madison Hotel (Boston, Massachusetts) destroyed by implosion.
- 1985 - Everton wins 25th Europe Cup II at Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
- 1985 - An explosive device sent by the Unabomber injures John Hauser at University of California in Berkeley.
- 1985 - Jackie Curtis, playwright/actor (Underground USA), dies of a drug overdose at age 38.
- 1986 - Birth of Matías Fernández; Chilean football player.
- 1986 - Argentine ex-President Galtieri sentenced to 12 years.
- 1986 - Theodore H White, American journalist (Making of President, Pulitzer), dies at age 71 (born 1958).
- 1986 - Death of Elio de Angelis, Italian race car driver (born 1958).
- 1987 - The Soviet Union launches the Polyus prototype orbital weapons platform, which fails to reach orbit.
- 1987 - John Baur, museum director, dies at age 78.
- 1987 - Record archery score for a pair over 24 hours, is set.
- 1987 - Wynne Gibson, actor (Night After Night, Aggie Appleby), dies.
- 1988 - Second American Comedy Awards: Robin Williams and Tracey Ullman.
- 1988 - Andrew Duggan, actor (Jigsaw, Firehouse), dies of cancer at age 64.
- 1988 - Greta Nissen, actress (Ambassador Bill), dies.
- 1988 - Nancy Lopez wins LPGA Chrysler-Plymouth Golf Classic.
- 1988 - Soviets begin withdrawal from Afghanistan.
- 1989 - Toronto Blue Jays fire manager Jimy Williams and replace him with Cito Gaston.
- 1989 - Australia's first private tertiary institution, Bond University, opens on the Gold Coast.
- 1989 - US Basketball League cancels its summer schedule.
- 1990 - Portrait of Doctor Gachet painting by Vincent Van Gogh sells for record US$82.5 million.
- 1990 - Mona Grudt, 19, of Norway, crowned 39th Miss Universe.
- 1991 - Defense for Panama President Manuel Noriega releases documents claiming Noriega was "CIA's man in Panamá".
- 1991 - Édith Cresson becomes France's first female premier.
- 1991 - England's Queen Elizabeth II is President George Bush's guest at the Oakland Athletics - Baltimore Orioles game played at Baltimore's Memorial Stadium.
- 1991 - Manchester United wins 31th Europe Cup II at Rotterdam, Netherlands.
- 1991 - Nepal premier Bhattarai resigns.
- 1991 - Death of Andreas Floer, German mathematician (born 1956).
- 1991 - The Boston Red Sox and Chicago White Sox play a game for 4 hours and 11 minutes setting a new record for slowest game ever played in nine innings.
- 1991 - Ronald Lacey, actor (Raiders of the Lost Ark, Next Victim), dies at age 55.
- 1992 - Colombo 1992 World's Fair opens in Genoa, Italy.
- 1992 - New York department store chain Alexanders announces closing of all 11 stores.
- 1992 - Warner Bros. releases the film Lethal Weapon 3 to theaters.
- 1992 - In Uzbekistan, a magnitude 6.2 earthquake occurs. Three people killed, 5,500 houses completely destroyed and more than 4,000 houses damaged.
- 1992 - Robert Morris Page, US physicist (radar), dies at age 88.
- 1992 - Death of Barbara Lee at age 44; singer (The Chiffons - "He's So Fine" (1963)).
- 1993 - 119th Preakness: Mike Smith aboard Prairie Bayou wins in 1:56.6.
- 1993 - Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas opens.
- 1993 - Montreal Expos retire their first number, #10 for Rusty Staub.
- 1994 - 40th McDonald's LPGA Championship won by Laura Davies.
- 1994 - Death of Frederik baron van Pallandt murdered at age 61; Danish singer (Nina and F).
- 1994 - Gilbert Roland, Mexican/American actor (Armand in Camille), dies at age 88 (born 1905).
- 1994 - Royal Dano, actor (Ghoulies 2), dies of a heart attack at age 71.
- 1994 - [Henry] John Baker, resistance fighter/journalist (Slogan), dies at age 79.
- 1995 - People's Republic of China performs nuclear test at Lop Nor.
- 1995 - Edouard Dermit, actor (Testament of Orpheus), dies at age 69.
- 1995 - Eric Richard Porter, English actor (Crucible, Hennessy), dies at age 67 (born 1928).
- 1996 - Death of Virgil Ross; animator (Looney Tunes TV show, Merrie Melodies TV show).
- 1997 - ABC News and Starwave Corp launch ABCNEWS.com.
- 1997 - STS 84 (Atlantis 19), launches, 6th Shuttle-Mir Mission.
- 1998 - UNSCOM learns that an Iraqi delegation has travelled to Bucharest, to meet with scientists who can provide the country with missile guidance systems.
- 1999 - 125th Preakness: Chris Antley on Charismatic wins in 1:55.2.
- 2002 - The Netherlands holds elections for the Lower House.
- 2003 - Death of June Carter Cash at age 73 after heart valve replacement surgery; singer, songwriter ("Ring of Fire"), actress and comedian (Carter Family), second wife of singer Johnny Cash.
- 2003 - Warner Bros. releases the film The Matrix Reloaded to theaters.
- 2004 - Arsenal complete a whole English Premiership season unbeaten, 38 games.
- 2004 - South Africa is awarded the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
- 2004 - Ruslana wins the Eurovision Song Contest 2004 for Ukraine with the song "Wild Dances", in Istanbul, Turkey.
- 2005 - A passenger ferry capsizes and sinks in strong winds in the Bura Gauranga River in Bangladesh, leaving over 100 people missing.
- 2007 - Coalition government of Fatah and Hamas in Palestinian National Authority appears to break down, as massive fighting breaks out in Gaza Strip.
- 2007 - Death of Jerry Falwell, found dead in office of heart failure; American evangelist, co-founder of Moral Majority coalition of Christian conservative groups (born 1933).
- 2008 - CBS announces it will buy web media company CNET Networks for about US$1.8 billion.
- 2008 - An explosion along Nigeria's oil pipeline in Lagos, ruptured accidentally by a bulldozer, kills over 100.
- 2008 - In Egypt, Abdullah Kamel Mohammed is sentenced to 1,000 years in prison for defrauding hundreds of people out of about US$52 million since the 1980s.
- 2008 - California Supreme Court legalizes same-sex marriage.
- 2008 - Death of the former Emir of Kuwait, Sheikh Saad al-Abdullah al-Sabah.
- 2008 - Death of Willis Lamb, American physicist and Nobel Prize laureate (born 1913).
- 2008 - The Simpsons Ride officially opens at Universal Studios Orlando, in Florida, USA.
- 2008 - Vietnamese police seize a shipment of cannabis resin hidden with blue jeans in two trucks heading for the Chinese border. Value of the illegal drugs is estimated at US$90 million, the largest ever seizure in Vietnam.
- 2008 - A letter written by Albert Einstein in which he dismissed belief in God as a "product of human weaknesses" sells at auction for more than US$330,000 in London, England, to a private collector.
- 2009 - General Motors eliminates 1100 car dealerships in the US.
- 2010 - Lookin at Lucky racehorse finishes first at the 135th running of the Preakness Stakes in Pimlico, Maryland.
- 2013 - Death of Henrique Rosa, President of Guinea-Bissau (2003-2005) (born 1946).
- 2014 - Death of Jean-Luc Dehaene, 63rd Prime Minister of Belgium (born 1940).
- 2019 - Billionaire Steve Cohen buys Jeff Koons' 3-foot tall sculpture of an inflatable rabbit in New York for US$91 million.
- 2020 - Researchers announce a 2.5cm millipede fossil belonging to the Kampecaris genus, discovered on the island of Kerrera in the Scottish Inner Hebrides, is the world's oldest-known land animal, which lived 425 million years ago in the Silurian period.
- 2021 - Fighting between Israeli forces and Palestinian militants continues to escalate, as the death toll exceeds 150. An Israeli airstrike destroys a high-rise office building in Gaza occupied by Associated Press, Al Jazeera, and other media outlets.
- 2022 - Hassan Sheikh Mohamud is elected new president of Somalia.
- 2022 - Death of Kay Mellor at age 71; English screenwriter (Band of Gold TV show, Fat Friends TV show).
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