Today in History

This day in History May 3rd

1920 Northern Ireland Sinn Feinn

Sinn Feinn staged a protest in Belfast a number of windows were smashed during the protest of local protestant churches.

1926 England General Strike
A General Strike is called by the General Council of the Trades Union Congress (TUC) in an attempt to force the government to act to prevent wage reduction and worsening conditions for coal miners. The strike lasted 9 days.

1930 Germany Graf Zeppelin Airship

Preparations are being made for the first flight across the South Atlantic From Germany to Brazil of the Graf Zeppelin Airship later this month via Spain, and it is hoped this will then be a long-term flight destination.

1946 Japan War Crimes Trials
The International Military Tribunals for the Far East starts conducting trials for those military and government officials accused of committing war crimes and crimes against humanity during World War II. At the end of the trial seven are sentenced to death including General Hideki Tojo ( Japanese premiere during the war) Iwane Matsui ( who organized the Rape of Nanking ), and Heitaro Kimura ( Who brutalized Allied prisoners of war ) sixteen others are sentenced to life imprisonment.

1948 U.S.A. Sale Of Property Covenants
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that covenants prohibiting the sale of real estate to blacks and other minorities were legally unenforceable.
 

1802
Washington,DC incorporated as a city
1937
author,Margaret Mitchell awarded Pulitzer Prize for her novel'Gone With the Wind'
1945
WWII German ship'Cap Arconia' was sunk by Royal Air Force in East Sea 5,800 aboard mostly prisoners.They all died,its the worst maritime loss of life in history
1960
musical'The Fantasticks' debuts in NYC,becomes the longest running musical, music by Harvey Schmidt,lyrics by Tom Jones.The original Off-Broadway production ran for 42 yrs,ended in 2002.One of the songs from the show is'Try To Remember'
2003
New Hampshire's famous'Old Man in the Mountain" rock formation collapses
 
This day in History May 4th

1886 - U.S.A. Haymarket Square Riot

A labor rally held in protest of the killing of a striker by the Chicago police the day before at Haymarket Square in Chicago, Illinois, ends with more violence as a bomb is thrown by the protesters and at the police and police responded with wild gunfire, killing several people in the crowd and injuring dozens more.

1920 - Paris Opera House
The Symphony Society of New York presented a concert at the Paris Opera House. This was the first time an American orchestra made a tour abroad to Europe.

1926 - Great Britain General Strike
At the end of the second day of Great Britain General Strike the government has asked for approval of A State of Emergency with powers for the armed forces to take over important industries including transport and power supply, currently there are a number of major cities running on 1/3 of power and with food rotting in docks around the country.

1932 - U.S.A. Al Capone
Al Capone begins life as convict 40886 in Atlanta Federal Penitentiary serving 11 years for Income Tax Evasion.

1970 - U.S.A. Kent State University Shootings
After a number of days of protest against the US invasion of Cambodia, the National Guards fired on protesters at Kent State University and 4 were killed and a further 10 were injured. Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young sang about it with the song "Ohio"
 

4th May

1896 The first British halfpenny newspaper, the Daily Mail, was published. It was the first newspaper to sell more than one million copies and was heralded as the birth of modern journalism.

1953 The Duke of Edinburgh was awarded his 'wings' during a private ceremony at Buckingham Palace.

1979 The Conservative Party won the general election, making Margaret Thatcher Britain's first woman prime minister.

1982 20 sailors were killed when the destroyer HMS Sheffield was hit by an Argentinian Exocet missile during the Falklands War.
 
4th May

1896 The first British halfpenny newspaper, the Daily Mail, was published. It was the first newspaper to sell more than one million copies and was heralded as the birth of modern journalism.

1953 The Duke of Edinburgh was awarded his 'wings' during a private ceremony at Buckingham Palace.

1979 The Conservative Party won the general election, making Margaret Thatcher Britain's first woman prime minister.

1982 20 sailors were killed when the destroyer HMS Sheffield was hit by an Argentinian Exocet missile during the Falklands War.
You forgot May 4th 1968 Pam. Christina & Robert tied the knot in the church of Saint Anthony in Forest Gate London. 53 years ago.
 
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1932
gangster,Al Capone sent to prison convicted of income tax evasion
1959
The 1st Grammy Awards debuted,Ella Fitzgerald wins 'Best Jazz Performance' for Duke Ellington Songbook' Perry Como wins Best Pop Vocal for'Catch a Falling Star'
1970
National Guard kills 4 students wounding 9 others at a peaceful rally opposing Vietnam War at Kent State in Ohio
1998
The 'Unabomber",Ted Kaczynski agrees to a plea agreement when he accepts 4 life sentences plus 30 yrs in prison sparing him death sentence
 
This Day in History May 5th

1821 Napoleon dies on Saint Helena

Napoleon Bonaparte dies on Saint Helena in the South Atlantic. He was kept there from October 1815 until May 5th, 1821.

1924 Hong Kong Pirates Captured or Killed
38 pirates who have been seizing ships for the cargo in Hong Kong waters have been captured and shot by Chinese authorities, this is part of the ongoing crackdown on pirates operating in Chinese waters.

1951 Israel Border Fighting
Fighting increased along the Israel-Syrian border with continued artillery, Mortar fire, and Infantry attacks across the border between the two sides.

1961 U.S.A. Alan B. Shepard Jr
Alan B. Shepard Jr became the first American in space today after soaring 115 miles above the earth in a spacecraft named Freedom 7.

1968 Gibraltar Spain Closes Border
Following the referendum in Gibraltar in which Gibraltar's voters were asked whether they wished to become part of Spain and voted with a resounding no vote. Spain closes the border with Gibraltar and severed all communication.
 
1847
American Medical Association{AMA} organizes in Philadelphia
1921
fashion designer,Coco Chanel releases her perfume Chanel No.5
1947
Robert Penn Warren wins Pulitzer Prize for'All The King's Men'
1962
movie soundtrack,'West Side Story' goes to #1 on music charts,stays there for 54 weeks,longest run in history
1986
The Rock &Roll Hall of Fame Foundation selects Cleveland,Ohio to become the site for their museum
 
This day in History May 6th

1882 U.S.A. Chinese Exclusion Act

Congress passed the Chinese Exclusion Act, which barred Chinese immigrants from the United States for 10 years.

1910 England King Edward VII Dies
King Edward VII dies after being Britain's King for 9 years following the death of his mother Queen Victoria died. You will often see him referred as Bertie which was the name the royal family used for him.

1924 China Japanese Warships

Japanese warships have entered Chinese waters and Chinese troops are being rushed to coastal areas to fend off possible attacks.

1928 St. Francis Dam
Construction of the St. Francis Dam Completed.

1936 Airship Hindenburg
The Airship Hindenburg on its first flight from Europe to New York in the United States is near the Azores, the Hindenburg is like an ocean liner with an elegant interior and 15 of the passengers are Americans.
 
6th May

1536 Henry VIII ordered that English language bibles be placed in every church.

1840 The first postage stamps, the 'Penny Black' and two-penny 'blues' which were the brainchild of Roland Hill, became valid for postage.

1960 Princess Margaret married Anthony Armstrong-Jones at Westminster Abbey.

1994 The Queen and France's President Francois Mitterand formally opened the Channel Tunnel during two elaborate cermonies in France and Britain.
 
1837
U.S.blacksmith,John Deere creates 1st steel plough in Grand Detour,Ill
1851
Linus Yale patents the Yale lock
1954
25 yr old med student,Roger Bannister becomes the 1st person to run sub 4 minute mile in Oxford,England His time was 3 min 59.4 secs
2002
Space X{Space Exploration Technologies Corp} was founded by Elon Musk in Hawthorne,Calif.The companies goal is to reduce space transportation costs.The company manufactures several rocket engines.It was the 1st private company to send 2 NASA astronauts,Doug Hurley,Bob Behneken to the International Space Station in May 2020.They returned on Aug 8th 2020
 
This day in History May 7th

1915 World War I Lusitania Sunk By Torpedo

A German torpedo sinks the British Ocean liner Lusitania off the Irish coast, killing nearly 1,200 people.

1921 Ireland Starving

Over 5000 people have already starved to death in Ireland in 1921 and it is feared many more will follow.

1934 Philippines World's largest Pearl Found
The 9.45-inch, 14.1 lb "Pearl of Lao Tzu" is found by a diver in a giant clam in the Palawan Sea. Gemologists do not consider this to be a true pearl as it does not have the mother of pearl.

1941 Germany Bombing UK Cities
Germany continues to send large numbers of Bombers laden with bombs targeting Liverpool, North East, North West, Bristol, and London, and each night British fighters go out trying to stop the destruction to towns and cities around the country, during last nights raids some 40 + German bombers were downed by British fighter pilots.

1945 Germany Surrenders

Germany signs unconditional surrender at Rheims in France bringing to an end six years of war in Europe
 
1660
Isaak B Fubine patents macaroni
1718
city of New Orleans,Louisana is founded by Jean-Baptise Le Moyne de Bienville
1867
Swedish chemist,Alfred Nobel patents dynamite in England.This was the 1st of 3 patents he would receive for the explosive material
1946
Tokyo Telecommunications Engineering was founded by 20 employees. The name was later changed to SONY
1970
"The Long&Winding Road' was The Beatles last U.S. release
 
This day in History May 8th

1927 U.S.A. Mississippi Floods

The Mississippi floods are continuing the path of destruction. The Mississippi has seen many floods in previous years and thankfully most residents heeded the flood warnings saving many lives but this flood will be the most costly in many years.

1929 U.S.A. Gangsters Murdered
Three gangsters from Chicago were found murdered today and riddled with bullets in retaliation for the "St Valentines Day Massacre" earlier in the year, so far 2 have been identified as 2 of Scarface Al Capone's henchmen.

1939 Europe On the Brink Of War

Calls for peace continue with Europe on the brink of war including Pope Pius XII who asks the nations involved to try to come to a peaceful settlement, Currently, Britain is worried as if the Soviets and Nazis do make a pact to join forces, war could be that much closer and will involve all the countries in Europe.

1945 VE Day / Victory In Europe Declared

President Truman and Prime minister Churchill declared victory in Europe today, celebrating the defeat of Nazi Germany. Following the announcement huge crowds, many dressed in red, white, and blue, gathered outside Buckingham Palace in London and were cheered as the King, Queen and two Princesses came out onto the balcony.

1959 Egypt Pleasure Boat Sinks On The Nile
A 200-ton pleasure boat carrying some of Egypt's top agriculture engineers and their families on a picnic sank with the loss of 200 lives on the Nile.
 
1877
The 1st Westminster Dog Show was held
1912
Paramount Pictures with film&TV productions was founded
1945
V-E Day, end of WWII German General,Wilhelm Keitel signs formal unconditional papers in Berlin with representatives from England,United States,France,Soviet Union in attendance
1970
Beatles 12th&final studio album'Let It Be' is released
1999
Nancy Mace becomes the 1st female cadet to graduate from The Citadel,military college
 
Today in History May 9th

1925 U.S.A. Rum Runners

Rumrunners were chased today by the Coast Guard and were forced to dump 100 cases of Liquor in the Delaware River as part of the Rum War between smugglers and Coast Guard, after dumping the booze the smugglers managed to escape the Coast Guard.

1926 U.S.A. North Pole

Commander Richard Byrd and his companion the first to fly an airplane to the North Pole ( Later Disputed ).

1944 U.S.A. War Rationing

Like most of the countries throughout the world, war rationing is in effect for everything from tires to Red Meat.

1955 Germany NATO

West Germany Joins NATO.

1956 England Frogman Disappears
A British naval diver ( Commander Lionel "Buster" Crabb ) goes missing and is later found dead during a Goodwill Visit by a Soviet cruiser carrying Soviet leaders Nikita Khruschev and Marshal Nikolai Bulganin. At the time no one would admit that he was spying on the Russian Cruiser on a spying mission for MI6 and had dived under the cruiser to check out the hull and any other information he could find. And it still remains a mystery of how he died.
 
May 9th

1662 The first recorded Punch and Judy in Britain took place at Covent Garden in London.

1887 Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show opened in London.

1896 The first 'Horseless Carriage' Show opened at the Imperial Institute in London, when ten engine-powered models went on show to the public.

1945 The Channel Islands were liberated by the British after five years of German occupation.

1960 The start of the sexual revolution of the 1960s when the birth control pill went on the market.
 
1785
British inventor,Joseph Bramah patents beer-pump handle
1941
British intelligence at Betchely Park breaks German spy codes after capturing Enigma machines aboard weather ship,'Muenchen'
1974
U.S House of Rep's Judicary Committee begins formal hearings on Pres Nixon's impeachment
2019
French adventurer,Jean-Jacques Savin,age 72 successfully crosses Atlantic Ocean in giant orange barrel.He started out late Dec '18 from Spain's Canary Island using ocean's currents to propel capsule.He landed on island of Martinque,took him 4 months
 
This day in History May 10th

1924 U.S.A. J. Edgar Hoover

J. Edgar Hoover is appointed by President Calvin Coolidge to be the Sixth director of the Bureau of Investigation (BOI), the name is changed in 1936 and J. Edgar Hoover becomes the first director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and served until 1972.

1926 Great Britain General Strike
With the general strike in England bringing the country to a standstill many believe that the Bolshevists are behind the strike and have infiltrated British trade unions, the general strike is now on its 8th day and many are hoping a compromise can be reached.

1929 U.S.A. Graf Zeppelin Airship

Following the success of the Graf Zeppelin Airship more are planned for purchase as a passenger line between Honolulu and Los Angeles at a cost of $1,000,000.

1933 Germany Book Burning

In Germany, Nazis start burning books considered to be un-German.

1937 Great Britain King George Coronation
With the forthcoming coronation of King George in 2 days' time as the King of England, the government and the royal family clash over royal representation at the forthcoming Duke of Windsor's marriage to Mrs. Warfield now that her decree absolute is final.

1940 Battle of France Begins
Germany and Italy begin the battle for France beginning on 10th May and ending on June 25th, at which point Germany put the non-democratic government collaborating with Germany, Vichy Government in control of the country.
 
1503
Christopher Columbus discovers Cayman Islands
1872
Victoria Woodhall becomes 1st woman nominated for President of U.S by the Equal Rights Party in NYC even though she couldn't vote. She began her campaign in 1870 earned favor among woman's suffrage groups for her advocacy of women's rights. She endorsed the 'free love'movement,women could have the freedom to choose who they marry, to divorce their husbands
1968
Vietnam Peace talks began in Paris between U.S and North Vietnam
1994
Nelson Mandela becomes South Africa's 1st black President
 
This day in History May 11th

1920 U.S.A. University of Wisconsin at Madison

The number of students at the University of Wisconsin at Madison in 1920 far exceeds the number originally budgeted for which was only for 5,000. The current number of 7,000 is stretching both the buildings and staff available (in 2007 there were 41,466 enrolled - this just gives an idea for one University but most have seen similar changes in numbers of students over the last 80 years).

1930 England Amy Johnson
Amy Johnson 22-year-old Aviatrix from England started on her attempted solo flight to Australia some 10,000 miles away in her Gypsy Moth Plane she is trying to beat the record of Bert Hinkler which stands at 16 1/2 days.

1934 U.S.A. Dust Storm 1,500 miles long

A huge dust storm is spotted moving from the Midwest. The dust storm was 1,500 miles long, 900 miles across, and two miles high, covering almost one-third of the country. Farmers lost large amounts of Topsoil during just a few years the phenomenon was known as ( The Dustbowl Years during the 1930s). The combination of large areas of landing becoming dustbowls making food production bad and the depression caused by the 29 crash all contributed to the time in History Known as "The Great Depression"

1942 Russia German Offensive
The Nazis have launched a major spring offensive in Eastern Crimea, Germany is thought to be prepared to use poison gas in it's advance but England has stated if poison gas is used it will retaliate with the RAF using poison gas against the Third Reich.

1952 U.S.A. Seizure of Steel Mills
Following President Truman's seizure of the steel mills last month, the case on the legality is now before the Supreme Court. Does the president have powers to seize private industries in national emergencies, in this case, due to a strike in the steel mills.
 
11th May

1812 British Prime Minister Spencer Percival was assassinated in the House of Commons, apparently mistaken by his killer, bankrupt broker John Bellingham, for someone else. He is the only Prime Minister in Britain to have been assassinated.

1963 British businessman Greville Wynne, aged 44, accused of spying for the West, was sentenced to eight years' detention by a Moscow tribunal.

1988 Kim Philby, the English born Soviet spy, died in the USSR.

1989 Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical 'Cats' became the West End's longest running musical, completing eight years.
 
1910
Montana's Glacier National Park is formed,with 1 million acres of land,near the Canadian border
1927
Louis B.Mayer forms Academy of Motion Picture Arts&Sciences
1951
U.S engineer,Jay Forrester applies for patent of computer memory core. His invention a magnetic cell was used for both storage& switching
1969
British comedy troupe'Monty Python' is established with actor/comedians John Cleese,Graham Chapman,Terry Gilliam,Eric Idle,Terry Jones&Michael Palin
 
This day in History May 12th

1926 England General Strike Ends

The British general strike ends with no changes in working conditions or wages for the miners.

1932 U.S.A. Lindbergh Baby Found Dead
The Baby son kidnapped from Charles Lindbergh was found dead just miles away from the Lindbergh home today.

1935 Poland Joseph Pilsudski
The Polish dictator Joseph Pilsudski has died and thousands mourn in Poland meanwhile the rest of Europe are wondering how the passing of this strong man will affect alliances in Europe.

1937 England King George VI

King George VI was crowned at Westminster Abbey. King George was second in line to the throne but following his younger brother Edward who abdicated so he could marry American socialite Wallis Simpson he became King. King George's wife was the much loved Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon much better known as "Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother", who died at the grand old age of 102 on March 30th, 2002. Their oldest daughter Queen Elizabeth is the current Queen of England.

1943 Tunisia World War II
Allied Armies completed the conquest of Tunisia in North Africa as a base for an invasion of Southern Europe capturing some 150,000 prisoners, 1000 guns, and 250 tanks. The two generals commanding this part of the war in North Africa General Eisenhower and General Alexander said the conquest of North Africa is now complete.
 
1908
wireless radio broadcasting patented by Nathan B. Stubblefield
1932
body of kidnapped son of aviator,Charles Linbergh found in Hopewell,NJ
1958
U.S and Canada form NORAD{North American Air Defense}
1963
Bob Dylan walks off the Ed Sullivan Show in protest over a song he wanted to sing.The song
was Talkin' John Birch Paranoid Blues' which lampooned the anti communist org. At rehearsals,Ed Sullivan&his producer ok'd it,next day CBS executives said'NO'
2002
Jimmy Carter arrives in Cuba on a 5 day visit with Fidel Castro.This was the 1st time any U.S Pres in or out of office had visited Cuba since Castro became leader
 


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