Events
Start of the May 2024 solar storms, the most powerful set of geomagnetic storms since the 2003 Halloween solar storms.
Queen Elizabeth II misses the State Opening of Parliament for the first time in 59 years. It was the first time that a new session of Parliament was opened by the Prince of Wales and the Duke of Cambridge acting as Counsellors of State.
Syrian civil war: The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) capture the last footholds of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) in Al-Tabqah, bringing the Battle of Tabqa to an end.
One World Trade Center becomes the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere.
The Damascus bombings are carried out using a pair of car bombs detonated by suicide bombers outside a military intelligence complex in Damascus, Syria, killing 55 people.
A hand grenade thrown by Vladimir Arutyunian lands about 20 m from U.S. President George W. Bush while he is giving a speech to a crowd in Tbilisi, Georgia, but it malfunctions and does not detonate.
FBI agent Robert Hanssen is sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole for selling United States secrets to Russia for $1.4 million in cash and diamonds.
The 7.3 Mw Qayen earthquake strikes Iran's Khorasan Province killing 1,567 people.
A blizzard strikes Mount Everest, killing eight climbers by the next day.
Nelson Mandela is inaugurated as South Africa's first black president.
In Thailand, a fire at the Kader Toy Factory kills over 200 workers.
Sony introduces the Betamax videocassette recorder.
Vietnam War: The Battle of Dong Ap Bia begins with an assault on Hill 937. It will ultimately become known as Hamburger Hill.
The Northrop M2-F2 crashes on landing, becoming the inspiration for the novel Cyborg and TV series The Six Million Dollar Man.
Marvel Comics publishes the first issue of The Incredible Hulk.
Air France Flight 406 is destroyed by a bomb over the Sahara, killing 78.
First successful launch of an American V-2 rocket at White Sands Proving Ground.
World War II: The Thai Phayap Army invades the Shan States during the Burma Campaign.
World War II: The House of Commons in London is damaged by the Luftwaffe in an air raid.
World War II: Rudolf Hess parachutes into Scotland to try to negotiate a peace deal between the United Kingdom and Nazi Germany.
World War II: German fighters accidentally bomb the German city of Freiburg.
World War II: Winston Churchill is appointed Prime Minister of the United Kingdom following the resignation of Neville Chamberlain. On the same day, Germany invades France, The Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg. Meanwhile, the United Kingdom occupies Iceland.
Censorship: In Germany, the Nazis stage massive public book burnings.
J. Edgar Hoover is appointed first Director of the United States' Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and remains so until his death in 1972.
The United States annexes the Kingman Reef.
Sailing in the lifeboat James Caird, Ernest Shackleton arrives at South Georgia after a journey of 800 nautical miles from Elephant Island.
Mother's Day is observed for the first time in the United States, in Grafton, West Virginia.
The Horch & Cir. Motorwagenwerke AG is founded. It would eventually become the Audi company.
Finnish farmworker Karl Emil Malmelin kills seven people with an axe at the Simola croft in the village of Klaukkala.
Carol I is crowned the King of the Romanian Kingdom.
The Centennial Exposition is opened in Philadelphia.
Victoria Woodhull becomes the first woman nominated for President of the United States.
The First transcontinental railroad, linking the eastern and western United States, is completed at Promontory Summit, Utah Territory with the golden spike.
American Civil War: In Kentucky, Union soldiers ambush and mortally wound Confederate raider William Quantrill, who lingers until his death on June 6.
Indian Rebellion of 1857: In India, the first war of Independence begins. Sepoys mutiny against their commanding officers at Meerut.
Astor Place Riot: A riot breaks out at the Astor Opera House in Manhattan, New York City over a dispute between actors Edwin Forrest and William Charles Macready, killing at least 22 and injuring over 120.
Panic of 1837: New York City banks suspend the payment of specie, triggering a national banking crisis and an economic depression whose severity was not surpassed until the Great Depression.
A revolt broke out in southern Vietnam against Emperor Minh Mang, who had desecrated the deceased mandarin Le Van Duyet.
The National Gallery in London opens to the public.
First Barbary War: The Barbary pirates of Tripoli declare war on the United States of America.
War of the First Coalition: Napoleon wins a victory against Austrian forces at Lodi bridge over the Adda River in Italy. The Austrians lose some 2,000 men.
American Revolutionary War: A small Colonial militia led by Ethan Allen and Colonel Benedict Arnold captures Fort Ticonderoga.
American Revolutionary War: The Second Continental Congress takes place in Philadelphia.
Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette become King and Queen of France.
The Parliament of Great Britain passes the Tea Act, designed to save the British East India Company by reducing taxes on its tea and granting it the right to sell tea directly to North America. The legislation leads to the Boston Tea Party.
Rioting occurs in London after John Wilkes is imprisoned for writing an article for The North Briton severely criticising King George III.
Great Northern War: The Russian Navy led by Admiral Fyodor Apraksin land both at Katajanokka and Hietalahti during the Battle of Helsinki.
King Narai nominates Phetracha as regent, leading to the revolution of 1688 in which Phetracha becomes king of the Ayutthaya Kingdom.
Elizabeth I is entertained by the Hermit's Welcome at Theobalds.
Jacques Cartier visits Newfoundland.
Christopher Columbus visits the Cayman Islands and names them Las Tortugas after the numerous turtles there.
Amerigo Vespucci allegedly leaves Cádiz for his first voyage to the New World.
Temür, Khagan of the Mongols, is enthroned as Emperor of the Yuan dynasty.
Scottish nobles recognize the authority of Edward I of England pending the selection of a king.
Alberic II of Spoleto arranges the election of pope Agapetus II following the death of Pope Marinus II.
A sunspot is observed by Han dynasty astronomers during the reign of Emperor Cheng of Han, one of the earliest dated sunspot observations in China.
Births
Bae Jin-young, South Korean singer
Brittany Broski, American comedian and singer
Richarlison, Brazilian footballer
Nicolas Aubé-Kubel, Canadian ice hockey player
Tyus Jones, American basketball player
Kateřina Siniaková, Czech tennis player
Alex Tuch, American ice hockey player
Andrew Anderson, American bowler
Missy Franklin, American swimmer
Gabriella Papadakis, French ice dancer
Jake Zyrus, Filipino singer
Salvador Pérez, Venezuelan baseball player
Ivana Španović, Serbian long jumper
Adam Lallana, English footballer
Ryan Getzlaf, Canadian ice hockey player
Farah Jacquet, Belgian politician
Jon Schofield, English canoe racer
Edward Mujica, Venezuelan baseball player
Adebayo Akinfenwa, English footballer
Humberto Suazo, Chilean footballer
Kenan Thompson, American actor and comedian
Adrian Morley, English rugby league player
Hazem Emam, Egyptian footballer and politician
Hélio Castroneves, Brazilian race car driver
Ueli Kestenholz, Swiss snowboarder (died 2026)
Sylvain Wiltord, French footballer
David Weir, Scottish footballer
Dennis Bergkamp, Dutch footballer and manager
John Scalzi, American author and blogger
Al Murray, English comedian and television host
William Regal, English wrestler
Eion Crossan, New Zealand rugby player
Jonathan Edwards, English triple jumper
Linda Evangelista, Canadian model
Greg Fasala, Australian swimmer
Paul Langmack, Australian rugby league player and coach
Lisa Nowak, American commander and astronaut
Robby Thompson, American baseball player and coach
Bono, Irish singer-songwriter, musician and activist
Dean Heller, American lawyer and politician, United States Senator from Nevada
Kerry Hemsley, Australian rugby league player
Merlene Ottey, Jamaican-Slovenian runner
Victoria Rowell, American actress
Cindy Hyde-Smith, American politician, United States Senator from Mississippi
Rick Santorum, American lawyer and politician, United States Senator from Pennsylvania
Sid Vicious, English singer and bass player (died 1979)
Mickey Faerch, Danish-Canadian burlesque dancer and actress
Vladislav Listyev, Russian journalist (died 1995)
Chris Berman, American sportscaster
Mark David Chapman, American murderer
Mike Hagerty, American actor (died 2022)
Sly Dunbar, Jamaican musician (died 2026)
Miuccia Prada, Italian fashion designer
Donovan, Scottish singer-songwriter
Biruté Galdikas, Canadian primatologist and conservationist (died 2026)
Graham Gouldman, English guitarist and songwriter
Dave Mason, English singer-songwriter and guitarist (died 2026)
Marie-France Pisier, French actress, director, and screenwriter (died 2011)
Raquel Blandón, Guatemalan lawyer and activist, First Lady of Guatemala (died 2024)
Judith Jamison, American dancer and choreographer (died 2024)
Jim Calhoun, American basketball player and coach
Arthur Alexander, American country-soul singer-songwriter (died 1993)
Manuel Santana, Spanish tennis player (died 2021)
Larry Williams, American singer-songwriter, pianist, and producer (died 1980)
Barbara Taylor Bradford, British novelist (died 2024)
Ettore Scola, Italian director and screenwriter (died 2016)
George E. Smith, American physicist and engineer, Nobel Prize laureate (died 2025)
George Coe, American actor and producer (died 2015)
Antonine Maillet, Canadian writer and scholar (died 2025)
Arnold Rüütel, Estonian agronomist and politician, President of Estonia (died 2024)
Lothar Schmid, German chess player (died 2013)
Denyse Émond, Canadian actress and comedian (died 2026)
Hugo Banzer, Bolivian general and politician, President of Bolivia (died 2002)
Heydar Aliyev, Azerbaijan general and politician, President of Azerbaijan (died 2003)
David Azrieli, Polish-Canadian businessman and philanthropist (died 2014)
Nancy Walker, American actress, singer, and director (died 1992)
Bert Weedon, English guitarist (died 2012)
Ella T. Grasso, Governor of Connecticut (died 1981)
Denis Thatcher, English businessman, Spouse of the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (died 2003)
Maybelle Carter, American autoharp player (died 1978)
Carl Albert, American lawyer and politician, 54th Speaker of the United States House of Representatives (died 2000)
Alex Schomburg, Puerto Rican artist and illustrator (died 1998)
Frieda Belinfante, Dutch musician and LGBT member of the Dutch resistance (died 1995)
Otto Bradfisch, German economist, jurist, and SS officer (died 1994)
David O. Selznick, American producer and screenwriter (died 1965)
John Desmond Bernal, Irish-English crystallographer and physicist (died 1971)
Cecilia Payne-Gaposchkin, English-American astronomer and astrophysicist (died 1979)
Fred Astaire, American actor, singer, and dancer (died 1987)
Ariel Durant, American historian and author (died 1981)
Einar Gerhardsen, Norwegian politician, Prime Minister of Norway (died 1987)
Joe Murphy, (Irish-American), died during the 1920 Cork hunger strike (died 1920)
Dimitri Tiomkin, Ukrainian-American composer and conductor (died 1979)
Tonita Peña, San Ildefonso Pueblo (Native American) artist (died 1949)
Mahmoud Mokhtar, Egyptian sculptor and academic (died 1934)
Alfred Jodl, German general (died 1946)
Max Steiner, Austrian-American composer and conductor (died 1971)
Karl Barth, Swiss theologian and author (died 1968)
Olaf Stapledon, English novelist and philosopher (died 1950)
Symon Petliura, Ukrainian journalist and politician (died 1926)
Konstantinos Parthenis, Greek painter (died 1967)
Gustav Stresemann, German journalist and politician, Chancellor of Germany, Nobel Prize laureate (died 1929)
Ivan Cankar, Slovenian poet and playwright (died 1918)
Marcel Mauss, French sociologist and anthropologist (died 1950)
Yukteswar Giri, Indian guru and educator (died 1936)
Wilhelm Killing, German mathematician and academic (died 1923)
Benito Pérez Galdós, Spanish author and playwright (died 1920)
James Gordon Bennett Jr., American publisher and broadcaster (died 1918)
John Wilkes Booth, American actor, assassin of Abraham Lincoln (died 1865)
Montgomery Blair, American lieutenant and politician, 20th United States Postmaster General (died 1883)
William Henry Barlow, English engineer (died 1902)
R. E. B. Baylor, American politician and jurist (died 1873)
Augustin-Jean Fresnel, French physicist and engineer (died 1827)
Louis-Nicolas Davout, French general and politician, French Minister of War (died 1823)
Johann Peter Hebel, German author and poet (died 1826)
Claude Joseph Rouget de Lisle, French captain, engineer, and composer (died 1836)
Robert Gray, American captain and explorer (died 1806)
Anne-Robert-Jacques Turgot, Baron de Laune, French economist and politician (died 1781)
Jean-Marie Leclair, French violinist and composer (died 1764)
Jean Mairet, French author and playwright (died 1686)
Suzanne, Duchess of Bourbon (died 1521)
Al-Aziz Billah, Fatimid caliph (died 996)
Meng Zhixiang, Chinese general and emperor (died 934)
Deaths
Sam Rubin, American journalist (born 1960)
Jim Simons, American hedge fund manager, mathematician, and philanthropist (born 1938)
Bob Lanier, American professional basketball player (born 1948)
Leonid Kravchuk, Ukrainian politician (born 1934)
Pauline Tinsley, British soprano (born 1928)
Betty Wright, American soul singer (born 1953)
Alfredo Pérez Rubalcaba, Spanish politician and chemist (born 1951)
David Goodall, Australian botanist and ecologist (born 1914)
Chris Burden, American sculptor, illustrator, and academic (born 1946)
Horst Faas, German photographer and journalist (born 1933)
Carroll Shelby, American race car driver and designer (born 1923)
Gunnar Sønsteby, Norwegian captain and author (born 1918)
Frank Frazetta, American illustrator and painter (born 1928)
Leyla Gencer, Turkish soprano (born 1928)
Soraya, Colombian-American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer (born 1969)
Milan Vukcevich, Serbian-American chemist and chess player (born 1937)
Kaifi Azmi, Indian poet and songwriter (born 1919)
Yves Robert, French actor, director, producer, and screenwriter (born 1920)
Sudhakarrao Naik, Indian politician, Governor of Himachal Pradesh (born 1934)
Jules Deschênes, Canadian lawyer and judge (born 1923)
Dick Sprang, American illustrator (born 1915)
Shel Silverstein, American poet, author, and illustrator (born 1930)
John Wayne Gacy, American serial killer (born 1942)
Walker Percy, American novelist and essayist (born 1916)
Dominik Tatarka, Slovak writer (born 1913)
Shen Congwen, Chinese author and academic (born 1902)
Peter Weiss, German playwright and painter (born 1916)
Joan Crawford, American actress (year of birth disputed)
Hal Mohr, American director and cinematographer (born 1894)
Scotty Beckett, American actor and singer (born 1929)
Hubertus van Mook, Dutch politician, Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies (born 1894)
Mikhail Larionov, Russian painter, illustrator, and set designer (born 1881)
Yury Olesha, Russian author, poet, and playwright (born 1899)
Belle da Costa Greene, American librarian and bibliographer (born 1883)
Richard Glücks, German SS officer (born 1889)
Konrad Henlein, Czech soldier and politician (born 1898)
Stanislao Cannizzaro, Italian chemist and academic (born 1826)
Andrés Bonifacio, Filipino soldier and politician, President of the Philippines (born 1863)
Carl Nägeli, Swiss botanist and mycologist (born 1817)
Peter Ward, New York politician (born 1827)
Mikhail Saltykov-Shchedrin, Russian journalist, author, and playwright (born 1826)
Henry Bennett, American lawyer and politician (born 1808)
William Armstrong, American lawyer, civil servant, politician, and businessperson (born 1782)
Stonewall Jackson, American general (born 1824)
Hokusai, Japanese painter and illustrator (born 1760)
Thomas Young, English physician and linguist (born 1773)
Paul Revere, American engraver and soldier (born 1735)
Jean-Baptiste Donatien de Vimeur, comte de Rochambeau, French general (born 1725)
George Vancouver, English navigator and explorer (born 1757)
Élisabeth of France, French princess and youngest sibling of Louis XVI (born 1764)
William Watson, English physician, physicist, and botanist (born 1715)
Louis XV, King of France (born 1710)
Charles Beauclerk, 1st Duke of St Albans, English soldier and politician, Lord Lieutenant of Berkshire (born 1670)
John Hathorne, American merchant and politician (born 1641)
Johan Banér, Swedish field marshal (born 1596)
John of Ávila, Spanish mystic and saint (born 1500)
Leonhart Fuchs, German physician and botanist (born 1501)
Sebastian Brant, German author (born 1457)
Colin Campbell, 1st Earl of Argyll, Scottish politician, Lord Chancellor of Scotland (born 1433)
Paolo dal Pozzo Toscanelli, Italian mathematician and astronomer (born 1397)
Katherine Swynford, widow of John of Gaunt
Theingapati, heir to the Pagan Kingdom