Saturday, May 10, 2025
Today: 1774 – Louis XVI ascended to the throne of France following the death of his grandfather, Louis XV. 1775 – The Second Continental Congress met in Philadelphia, with John Hancock elected president. 1863 – Confederate General Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson died of pneumonia after being wounded by friendly fire at the Battle of Chancellorsville. 1865 […]
Friday, May 9, 2025
Today: 1671 – Thomas Blood attempted to steal the Crown Jewels from the Tower of London but was caught in the act. 1864 – The Battle of Spotsylvania Court House began during the American Civil War in Virginia. 1873 – The Vienna Stock Exchange crashed, starting the Panic of 1873 in Europe. 1901 – Australia […]
Thursday, May 8, 2025
Today: 558 – The dome of the Hagia Sophia in Constantinople collapses and is rebuilt by order of Emperor Justinian I. 1274 – In France, the Second Council of Lyon opens to regulate papal elections. 1429 – Joan of Arc ends the siege of Orléans, leading French forces to victory. 1664 – King Louis XIV […]
Wednesday, May 7, 2025
Today: 1429 – Joan of Arc leads French forces in lifting the siege of Orléans, marking a turning point in the Hundred Years’ War. 1664 – King Louis XIV of France inaugurates the Palace of Versailles as his official residence. 1824 – Ludwig van Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 is premiered in Vienna, Austria. 1832 – […]
Tuesday, May 6, 2025
Today: 1527 – Spanish and German troops sack Rome, marking the end of the Renaissance in Italy. 1682 – Louis XIV of France moves his court to Versailles. 1757 – Battle of Prague: Frederick the Great defeats an Austrian army during the Seven Years’ War. 1840 – The Penny Black, the world’s first postage stamp, […]
Monday, May 5, 2025
Today: 1260 – Kublai Khan becomes ruler of the Mongol Empire. 1494 – Christopher Columbus lands on the island of Jamaica and claims it for Spain. 1809 – Mary Kies becomes the first woman awarded a U.S. patent, for a method of weaving straw with silk and thread. 1821 – Napoleon Bonaparte dies in exile […]
Sunday, May 4, 2025
Today: 1471 – The Battle of Tewkesbury occurs during the Wars of the Roses, with the Yorkists defeating the Lancastrians decisively. 1675 – King Charles II of England orders the construction of the Royal Greenwich Observatory. 1776 – Rhode Island becomes the first American colony to renounce allegiance to King George III. 1814 – Emperor […]
Saturday, May 3, 2025
Today: 1494 – Christopher Columbus sighted Jamaica during his second voyage to the New World. 1715 – A total solar eclipse was visible across northern Europe, famously observed by astronomer Edmond Halley. 1791 – The Constitution of May 3 was adopted in Poland, becoming Europe’s first and the world’s second modern written national constitution. 1802 […]
Friday, May 2, 2025
Today: 1536 – Anne Boleyn, Queen of England, is arrested and imprisoned on charges of adultery, incest, treason, and witchcraft. 1611 – The King James Bible is published for the first time in London, England. 1670 – King Charles II of England grants a royal charter to the Hudson’s Bay Company. 1808 – The people […]
Thursday, May 1, 2025
Today: 1707 – The Act of Union came into effect, uniting the Kingdom of England and the Kingdom of Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain. 1753 – Publication of Species Plantarum by Carl Linnaeus, marking the formal start date of plant taxonomy. 1840 – The United Kingdom issued the world’s first adhesive postage stamp, […]