- 531 Battle of Callinicum: Roman general Belisarius defeated by Sasanian army led by Azarethes, though heavy losses on both sides result in a stalemate in northern Syria
- 607 Comet 1P/607 H1 (Halley) approaches within 0.0898 AUs of Earth
- 1012 Martyrdom of Alphege in Greenwich, London
- 1451 Alam Shah of Delhi resigns throne
Pope Fires Hulst
1524 Pope Clement VII fires Dutch Inquisitor-General Frans Van der Hulst
Pragmatic Sanction
1713 Holy Roman Emperor Charles VI issues the Pragmatic Sanction, decreeing that Habsburg possessions could be inherited by a daughter
- 1770 Amsterdam buys Van Aerssens family 1/3 part of Suriname
Cook Sights Australia
1770 British explorer Captain James Cook first sights Australia. Writes in his log book that “what we have as yet seen of this land appears rather low, and not very hilly, the face of the Country green and Woody, but the Sea shore is all a white Sand.”
The Shot Heard Round the World
1775 American Revolution begins in Lexington, Massachusetts, with the "Shot Heard Round the World" fired later that day in Concord
- 1775 Minutemen Capt John Parker orders not to fire unless fired upon
- 1775 New England militiamen begin the siege of Boston, hemming in the British army garrison
Paul Revere's Midnight Ride
1775 Paul Revere, William Dawes and Samuel Prescott are captured by British troops riding from Lexington to Concord, Prescott escapes to warn Concord as does Dawes who acts as a decoy [1]
Adams Secures Dutch Recognition
1782 John Adams secures Dutch Republic's recognition of the United States as an independent government, a house he purchased in The Hague becomes America's first embassy
- 1810 Venezuela achieves home rule: Vicente Emparan, Governor of the Captaincy General is removed by the people of Caracas and a Junta is installed.
- 1825 33 patriotic exiles return to Uruguay
- 1836 Nikolai Gogol's "Revisor" premieres in St Petersburg
- 1837 Cheyney University forms as the Institute for Colored Youth
- 1839 Treaty of London constitutes Belgium an independent kingdom & Luxembourg a Grand Duchy
- 1852 California Historical Society is founded
- 1853 Netherlands Van Hall government forms
- 1861 Baltimore riots - 4 soldiers, 9 civilians killed
- 1861 Lincoln orders blockade of Confederate ports (Civil War)
- 1863 Union troops and fleet occupy For Huger, Virginia
- 1874 Barracks on Alcatraz Island destroyed in fire
- 1877 Opera "Les Cloches de Cornerville" is produced (Paris)
- 1883 British banker Thomas Agnew and others found the Liverpool Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (LSPCC), based on Agnew's observation of a similar group in NYC; its success leads to a national organization
Stanley Proclaimed Hero
1890 Henry Morton Stanley is awarded the Order of Leopold in Brussels, proclaimed a hero and taken from one banquet hall to another
- 1892 Charles Duryea takes the 1st American-made automotive for a test drive
Werther
1894 Jules Massenet's opera "Werther" premieres in NYC
Aguinaldo's Proclamation
1901 In the Philippines, recently captured insurgent leader Emilio Aguinaldo issues a proclamation advising his countrymen to end their rebellion and use of peaceful means to work with the US toward independence.
Fanny's First Play
1911 George Bernard Shaw's play "Fanny's First Play" premieres in London
- 1916 "Bing Boys are Here" opens in London
- 1916 Alderman Kelly reads the 'Castle Order' to a meeting of Dublin Corporation; this forged document supposedly from Dublin Castle, indicated that there was to be mass arrests of Irish Volunteers to prevent "trouble"
- 1916 Italians troops conquer Col di Lana at Merano
- 1919 André Messager's romantic opera "Monsieur Beaucaire", based on Booth Tarkington's novel, opens at the Prince's Theatre in London, England
- 1919 French assembly decides on 8 hour work day
- 1921 Funeral of last German Emperoress, Augusta Victoria
- 1923 New Egyptian law allows suffrage for men, except soldiers
- 1924 "National Barn Dance" premieres on WLS Chicago
- 1927 "Vagabond King" opens in London
Mae West Guilty of Obscenity
1927 Actress Mae West found guilty of “obscenity and corrupting the morals of youth” in a New York stage play entitled "Sex". She is sentenced to 10 days in prison and fined $500, the resulting publicity launches her Hollywood career.
- 1928 Japanese troops occupies Sjantung-schiereiland
- 1928 New York Yankees are out of 1st place for 1st time since May 1926
- 1928 The 125th and final fascicle of the Oxford English Dictionary is published
Bonnie Parker Captured
1932 Bonnie Parker is captured in a failed hardware store burglary, and subsequently jailed; a grand jury fails to indict her, however, and she is released a few months later
Hoover's Five-Day Week
1932 US President Herbert Hoover suggests five-day work week
Shirley Temple's 1st Film
1934 Shirley Temple appears in her 1st feature length film, "Stand Up & Cheer"
Bride of Frankenstein
1935 "Bride of Frankenstein" horror film classic and sequel to "Frankenstein" starring Boris Karloff and Elsa Lancaster is released
- 1936 First day of the Great Uprising in Palestine, anti-Jewish riots break out
- 1938 Baker Bowl, Philadelphia: Phillies infielder Emmett "Heine" Mueller & Brooklyn Dodger outfielder Ernie Koy both homer in their 1st MLB at bats
- 1939 Connecticut finally approves Bill of Rights (148 years late)
- 1940 "Lake Shore Ltd" derails speed killing 34 near Little Falls, New York
- 1940 Dutch prime minister De Geer declares state of siege
Mother Courage and her Children
1941 Bertolt Brecht's play "Mother Courage and her Children" premieres in Zurich
- 1941 Bulgarian troops invade Macedonia
- 1941 Milk rationed in Holland
Hofmann Takes LSD
1943 Bicycle Day - Swiss chemist Dr. Albert Hofmann deliberately takes LSD for the first time
Warsaw Ghetto Uprising
1943 Jews refuse to surrender the Warsaw Ghetto to SS officer Jürgen Stroop, who then orders its destruction, beginning the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising
- 1944 1944 NFL Draft: Angelo Bertelli from University of Notre Dame first pick by Boston Yanks
- 1944 Allied fleet attack Sabang Sumatra
- 1945 Diplomatic relations between the Soviet Union and Guatemala are established
- 1945 US aircraft carrier Franklin heavy damaged in Japanese air raid
- 1945 US offensive against Shuri-barrier on Okinawa
- 1946 Yankees switch from 3rd base to 1st base dug out
- 1947 AAU record for a 25-foot rope climb is set in 4.7 seconds
Maurice Richard Named MVP
1947 After scoring 45 goals during the regular season, Montreal Canadiens' Maurice Richard is named MVP
- 1947 Stanley Cup Final, Maple Leaf Gardens, Toronto, Ontario: Toronto Maple Leafs edge Montreal Canadiens, 2-1 for a 4-2 series win; first all-Canadian final since 1935
- 1947 Suh Yun Buck wins world record marathon (2:25:39)
- 1948 American Broadcasting Company (ABC) TV network debuts
Chiang Kai-shek President
1948 Chiang Kai-shek elected President of Nationalist China
MacArthur Retires
1951 General Douglas MacArthur ends his military career
- 1953 WAFB TV channel 9 in Baton Rouge, LA (CBS) begins broadcasting
- 1955 The German automaker Volkswagen, after six years of selling cars in the United States, founds Volkswagen of America in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey to standardize its dealer and service network
- 1956 1st MLB baseball game in New Jersey - Brooklyn Dodgers beat Philadelphia Phillies, 5-4, at Roosevelt Stadium in Jersey City
- 1959 Uprising in La Paz Bolivia, fails
- 1960 Baseball uniforms begin displaying players' names on their backs
- 1960 Comiskey Park's famed "exploding" scoreboard begins operating
Event of Interest
1962 NASA civilian pilot Joseph A. Walker takes X-15 to 46,900m
Ring of Fire
1963 Johnny Cash releases single "Ring of Fire" written by his future wife June Carter and Merle Kilgore
- 1964 Rightist coup in Laos, Suvanna Phuma remains premier
Montezuma
1964 Roger Sessions' opera "Montezuma" premieres in West Berlin, Germany
Whipped Cream & Other Delights
1965 "Whipped Cream & Other Delights", fourth full album by Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass Band, is released
- 1965 1st all news radio station (WINS 1010 AM in NYC) begins operating
- 1965 At a cost of $20,000, the outer Astrodome ceiling is painted because of sun's glare, this causes the grass to die
- 1965 T.A.M.I. Show premieres in London
- 1966 In 1st regular season game at Anaheim Stadium, Angels lose 3-1 to Chic
Casino Royale
1967 "Casino Royale" James Bond comedy film starring David Niven and Peter Sellers premieres. Based on the Ian Fleming novel.
- 1967 The Beatles sign a contract agreeing to stay together for 10 years (they don't)
- 1967 Yugoslav author Mihaljo Mihaljov sentenced 4½ years
- 1968 Belgian construction workers strike
- 1968 NL owners approve expansion for 2 new teams
- 1969 Serious rioting in the Bogside area of Derry following clashes between Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association marchers and Loyalists and members of the Royal Ulster Constabulary
- 1970 24th Tony Awards: "Borstal Boy" (play) & "Applause" (musical) win
Cricket History
1971 After smashing 124 in the 1st innings, Indian cricket opener Sunil Gavaskar makes 220 in 2nd innings in the drawn 5th Test against the West Indies in Port of Spain, Trinidad
Murder of Interest
1971 Charles Manson sentenced to life in prison for the murder of Sharon Tate
- 1971 Sierra Leone becomes a republic (National Day)
- 1971 USSR Salyut 1 launched; 1st manned lab in orbit
- 1972 Bangladesh becomes a member of the British Commonwealth
Event of Interest
1972 British Prime Minister Edward Heath confirms that a plan to conduct an arrest operation, in the event of a riot during the march on 30 January 1972, was known to British government Ministers in advance
- 1972 Hungary revises its constitution to declare itself a socialist state
- 1972 US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site
Between Yesterday & Tomorrow
1973 Barbra Streisand records "Between Yesterday & Tomorrow"
- 1973 USSR performs nuclear test at the Semipalatinsk Test Site in northeast Kazakhstan
- 1974 Oriole Al Bumbry hits an inside-the-park HR against NY Yankees
- 1975 British rock band Queen begins concert tour of Japan
- 1975 India launches 1st satellite with help of USSR
- 1978 Yitzhak Navron elected 5th president of Israel
- 1979 FCC raids & shuts down pirate radio station WFAT (Brooklyn New York)
- 1981 Oakland A's runs record to 11-0
- 1981 William Finn's musical "March of Falsettos" premieres in NYC
- 1982 Guinon Bluford announced as 1st African American NASA astronaut
- 1982 Rosie Ruiz, marathon race cheater, arrested for forgery
Event of Interest
1982 Sally Ride is named the 1st American woman astronaut
- 1982 USSR Salyut 7 space station put into orbit
- 1983 France performs nuclear test
- 1984 Advance Australia Fair is proclaimed as Australia's national anthem, with green and gold the national colors
- 1984 Nemesis, death star of dinosaurs 1st appears in print (Nature magazine)
- 1985 16th NASA Space Shuttle Mission (51-D): Discovery 4 returns to Earth
- 1985 USSR performs nuclear test at the Semipalatinsk Test Site in northeast Kazakhstan
Boxing Title Fight
1986 Michael Spinks beats Larry Holmes in 15 for heavyweight boxing title
- 1987 Brendon Kuruppu scores 201* on Test Cricket debut (Sri Lanka v NZ)
- 1987 Brewers score 5 runs in 9th to win 6-4 & record 12th straight AL win
- 1987 Jacqueline Blanc, sets women's downhill ski speed rec (124.902 mph)
- 1987 LA Clippers end season with a terrible 12-70 record
- 1987 Last wild condor captured on California wildlife reserve
- 1987 USSR performs underground nuclear test
- 1989 Central Park Five: Violent rape of jogger Trisha Meili in NYC's Central Park becomes one of the most widely publicized crimes of the 1980s. Five teenagers are wrongfully convicted and spend between 6-12 years in prison.
- 1989 Gun turret explodes on USS Iowa, killing 47 sailors
- 1989 Kevin Elster (NY Mets), sets error-less shortstop mark at 73
- 1989 Republic Day in Sierra Leone
- 1990 Contra guerrillas, leftist Sandinistas & incoming government agree to truce n Nicaragua's civil war
Film & TV History
1990 Marla Maples appears on ABC's Prime-Time
- 1990 Pistons & 76'ers get into a fight accruing $162,500 fines (NBA record)
Boxing Title Fight
1991 Evander Holyfield beats George Foreman in 12 for heavyweight boxing title
- 1991 Greyhound Bus posts $195 million loss for 1990
- 1993 After a 51 day siege by the FBI 76 Branch Davidians die in a fire near Waco Texas (accident, suicide, tear gas are disputed causes)
- 1993 Fire in psychiatric institute in South Korea, kills 40
- 1993 South Dakota governor George Mickelson and seven others are killed when a state-owned aircraft crash lands in Iowa
- 1994 "Illmatic" debut studio album by US rapper Nas is released
- 1994 Graeme Obree bicycles world record 10km (11:25.88)
- 1994 Inkatha ends boycott of South African multi-racial election
Rodney King Riots
1994 Rodney King awarded $3,800,000 compensation by the Los Angeles County for his police beating
- 1994 US Supreme Court outlaws excluding people from juries because of gender
- 1995 Chopper 4 1st used on WNBC TV (NYC) news
Event of Interest
1995 Oklahoma City bombing: Timothy McVeigh sets a truck bomb at Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building, killing 168. including 19 children, and injuring 500
- 1996 Rangers scores 16 in 8th vs Orioles
- 1996 South Africa defeat Pakistan to win the Pepsi Cup in Sharjah
- 1997 NFL Draft: Ohio State offensive tackle Orlando Pace first pick by St. Louis Rams
- 1997 Renee Slaughter crowned 14th Miss Hawaiian Tropic Intl
- 1997 San Diego Padres & St Louis Cards play at Aloha Stadium Hawaii
- 1999 German Reichstag reopens with new glass dome by architect Norman Foster
- 1999 The German Bundestag returns to Berlin.
- 1999 The Space Needle, built in 1961, is declared a local historic landmark by city council of Seattle, Washington
Music History
2001 Mel Brooks and Thomas Meehan's musical "The Producers", based on Brooks' 1967 film , starring Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick, opens at the St. James Theatre, NYC; runs for 2,502 performances, and wins 12 Tony Awards
Music History
2003 Nina Simone is awarded an honorary degree by the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia
Papal Inauguration
2005 Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger elected Pope Benedict XVI on the second day of the Papal conclave.
Event of Interest
2011 Fidel Castro resigns his position of First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba after 45 years in power [1]
- 2013 Boston bombing suspects killed and captured in Boston after 4 days
- 2015 Boat carrying approx. 850 migrants is shipwrecked in the Mediterranean between Italian and Libya, with only 27 migrants rescued.
- 2017 Fox News confirms they would be letting go of Bill O'Reilly after allegations of sexual harassment
- 2018 King Mswati III of Swaziland changes the name of Swaziland to Eswatini, which translates as the “Land of the Swati”
Election of Interest
2018 Miguel Diaz-Canel is elected Cuba's new president, after former president Raúl Castro steps down
Event of Interest
2018 US Senator Tammy Duckworth (Illinois-D) is the first parent to bring a baby into the Senate chambers, a day after the Senate votes to allow babies on the chamber's floor
COVID-19 Pandemic
2020 Turkey passes Iran to become the Middle Eastern country with the most COVID-19 cases with 86,306 infections, Iran continues to have the most deaths
COVID-19 Pandemic
2020 UK COVID-19 death toll reaches 16,060 (hospitals only), as "The Sunday Times" criticizes Boris Johnson's government's response, saying they "sleepwalked into disaster"
- 2020 US COVID-19 death toll passes 40,000, with 742,442 cases recorded according to Johns Hopkins tally
- 2021 Cuba's Communist party announces Miguel Díaz-Canel will replace Raúl Castro as party leader, after the latter steps down
- 2021 In Las Vegas, Nevada: San Jose Sharks forward Patrick Marleau breaks Gordie Howe's NHL record for most games played, now at 1,768 and counting
- 2021 NASA successfully flies its drone helicopter Ingenuity on Mars, first powered aircraft to fly on another world
- 2021 New Zealand and Australia open a travel bubble between the two countries after more than a year of border closures
Event of Interest
2022 US Biden administration restores climate impacts and community say to the National Environmental Policy Act, previously removed by Donald Trump [1]
The Tortured Poets Department
2024 Taylor Swift releases her 11th studio album "The Tortured Poets Department" setting a Spotify record for over 300 million streams in one day [1]
- 2024 World's largest-ever election begins in India with 968 million eligible voters, in the first of seven stages ending 1 June
