/year

May 15 in history

273 sourced entries recorded on May 15, from 221 CE to 2025 CE. Every line is quoted from the revision it came from.

Events

  • 221Liu Bei, Chinese warlord and descendant of the imperial clan of the Han dynasty, proclaims himself emperor in Chengdu, Sichuan, and establishes the state of Shu Han.source
  • 589King Authari marries Theodelinda, daughter of the Bavarian duke Garibald I. A Catholic, she has great influence at court and among the Lombard nobility.source
  • 655Pope Martin I is banished to Chersonesos Taurica (Ukraine). He dies later in the Crimean Peninsula after a 6-year reign, leaving Eugene I as the uncontested pope (see 654).source
  • 908The three-year-old Constantine VII, the son of Emperor Leo VI (the Wise), is crowned as co-emperor of the Byzantine Empire by Patriarch Euthymius I at Constantinople. The ceremony is held in the Hagia Sophia. After the rituals, Constantine is crowned (symbolically) and becomes Leo's successor.source
  • 996The new Fatimid navy is destroyed by fire, resulting in anti-Christian pogroms in Cairo.source
  • 1094The Cathedral of St. Agatha in Catania (Sicily) is consecrated by the Breton abbot Ansger.source
  • 1194Michael the Syrian reconsecrates the Mor Bar Sauma Monastery, which he reconstructed after its destruction by a fire. The monastery stays a center of the Syriac Orthodox Church until the end of the thirteenth century.source
  • 1213John, King of England submits to Pope Innocent III, who in turn lifts the interdict of 1208 the following year.source
  • 1223The Russian army gathers on the island of Khortytsia, later to become a famous Cossack base, at the mouth of the Dnieper River, next to modern-day Zaporizhzhia (Ukraine). The main Polovtsian forces led by Köten Khan, join the Russians here, which consist entirely of mounted archers. Compared to this, some 20,000–25,000 Mongols assemble and build a defensive encampment on the high ground, probably on the northern slopes of the Mohila Bel'mak hills, located near the Konka River.source
  • 1225Pope Honorius exhorts Hungarian Catholics to launch the Bosnian Crusade against the autonomous Bosnian Church Christians.source
  • 1252Pope Innocent IV issues the papal bull Ad exstirpanda, which authorizes the torture of heretics in the Medieval Inquisition. Torture quickly gains widespread usage across Catholic Europe.source
  • 1266Second Barons' War: Battle of Chesterfield: English forces led by Henry of Almain, son of Richard of Cornwall, defeat rebels under Robert de Ferrers in a minor skirmish at Chesterfield. Robert is taken as a prisoner to London, and at the Parliament of England disinherits. In July, he is forced to surrender land and Liverpool Castle to Edmund Crouchback, second son of King Henry III of England.source
  • 1323Marie of Luxembourg is formally crowned as Queen consort of France at Sainte-Chapelle after her September 21 marriage to King Charles IV.source
  • 1395Richard leaves Ireland, having achieved his objectives.source
  • 1419Raron affair: In Switzerland, The representatives of Lucerne, Uri and Unterwalden leave Zurich and halt further discussion with Bern after failing to win any concessions.source
  • 1440Elizabeth of Luxembourg, regent for the vacant throne of Hungary, has her infant son, Ladislaus the Posthumous, crowned king at Székesfehérvár with the stolen Crown of Saint Stephen.source
  • 1457The Swiss city of St. Gallen becomes a free imperial city within the Holy Roman Emperor upon payment of 7,000 gulden to its former abbot, Kaspar von Breitenlandenberg.source
  • 1461In Ireland, Fedlim Geancach Ó Conchobair becomes the last King of Connacht, now the Republic of Ireland's Province of Connaught and comprising what are now the Counties Galway, Leitrim, Mayo, Roscommon, and Sligo. Upon Fedlim's death in 1475,source
  • 1464Battle of Hexham: Neville defeats another Lancastrian army, this one led by King Henry and Queen Margaret themselves. This marks the end of organized Lancastrian resistance for several years.source
  • 1501Harmonice Musices Odhecaton, the first printed collection of polyphonic music, is published by Ottaviano Petrucci in Venice.source
  • 1514The earliest printed edition of Saxo Grammaticus' 12th century Scandinavian history Gesta Danorum, edited by Christiern Pedersen from an original found near Lund, is published as Danorum Regum heroumque Historiae, by Jodocus Badius in Paris.source
  • 1522At Coyoacán in Mexico (at the time, the colony of New Spain) Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés sends his third report to the Emperor Carlos V, describing the events of the last two years, including the conquest of Tenochtitlan, capital of the Aztec Empire.source
  • 1525May 14–15 – German Peasants' War: Battle of Frankenhausen – Insurgent peasants led by radical pastor Thomas Müntzer are defeated. Following the defeat, Müntzer is executed in front of the gates of Mühlhausen.source
  • 1548Ratan Singh of Amber, Raja of the Amber Kingdom in what is now the Indian state of Rajasthan, is poisoned by his younger brother Askaran, Raja of Narwar.source
  • 1548The Diet of Augsburg approves a decree of Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor, the "Declaration of His Roman Imperial Majesty on the Observance of Religion Within the Holy Empire Until the Decision of the General Council", informally referred to as the Augsburg Interim, directing German Protestants to resume the doctrine of the Roman Catholic Church, including observance of the Seven Sacraments. As a concession, the Emperor allows the continuation of some Protestant customs, including the right of Protestant clergy to marry and for believers to receive the Protestant communion of bread and wine.source
  • 1549King Henri II of France makes a triumphant return to Paris after suppressing the Revolt of the Pitauds in Bordeaux.source
  • 1550The vestments controversy is resolved in the Church of England with a compromise on the style of clothing worn by Anglican priests. John Hopper is allowed ordination as the Bishop of Gloucester without being required to wear Anglican vestments, but must not forbid anyone in his bishopric from wearing the vestments if they wish.source
  • 1561The coronation of Charles IXsource
  • 1567Mary, Queen of Scots, marries the Earl of Bothwell, under duress.source
  • 1567Mary, Queen of Scots, marries the Earl of Bothwell, at Holyrood Palace.source
  • 1576Tahmap's son Haydar Mirza Safavi declares himself the new Safavid Shah of Iran, the day after the death of his father. Later in the day, Haydar is assassinated by members of the palace guard who are loyal to Haydar's brother, Ismail Mirza. Haydar attempts to disguise himself as a woman in the royal harem, but is discovered and beheaded.source
  • 1591In Russia, Tsarevich Dimitri, son of Ivan the Terrible, is found dead in mysterious circumstances, at the palace in Uglich. The official explanation is that he has cut his own throat during an epileptic seizure. Many believe he has been murdered by his rival, Boris Godunov, who becomes tsar.source
  • 1599Anglo-Spanish War (1585–1604): The Siege of Zaltbommel, located in the Dutch Republic, is begun by Spanish general Francisco López de Mendoza.source
  • 1600Nine Years' War: Chief Niall Garbh Ó Domhnaill betrays the Irish alliance and allows Henry Docwra to land at Lough Foyle with an expeditionary force of 4,000 men. In a devastating blow to the rebels, Docwra sets up a series of fortifications along the River Foyle, cutting access between Tír Eoghain and Tyrconnell.source
  • 1607From Jamestown, Christopher Newport, George Percy, Gabriel Archer and others travel six days exploring along the James River up to the falls and Powhatan's village.source
  • 1610By the first lit de justice of Louis XIII, his mother Marie de' Medici is proclaimed regent of France.source
  • 1614The Queen Regent of France, Marie de' Medici, convenes the Estates General to suppress a rebellion by Henri II, Prince of Condé.source
  • 1625May 15–16 – Rebellious farmers are hanged in Vocklamarkt, Upper Austria.source
  • 1629May 14–28 – Huguenot rebellions: After a 15-day siege, Louis XIII of France captures Privas.source
  • 1648The Peace of Münster is ratified by both the United Netherlands and the Spanish Empire.source
  • 1660John Thurloe is arrested for high treason, for his support of Oliver Cromwell's regime.source
  • 1660John Thurloe is arrested for high treason.source
  • 1664Guerin Spranger, commander of the Dutch fortress at Cayenne in South America, surrenders without a fight to French commander Alexandre de Prouville de Tracy and 1,200 employees of the Compagnie de la France équinoxiale, giving France control of the territory that becomes the colony of French Guiana.source
  • 1669The Royal Court Pharmacy in Copenhagen is established by Johann Gottfried Becker.source
  • 1675After an invasion and attempt to take over the German principality of Brandenburg, the army of Sweden makes its first conquest, forcing the surrender of the fortress at Löcknitz.source
  • 1679Exclusion Crisis: The supporters of Anthony Ashley Cooper, 1st Earl of Shaftesbury, introduce an Exclusion Bill into the House of Commons with the aim of excluding the king's brother, the Catholic James, Duke of York, from the succession to the English throne.source
  • 1681The Canal du Midi in France is opened officially, as the Canal Royal de Languedoc.source
  • 1681The Canal du Midi is opened officially, as the Canal Royal de Languedoc.source
  • 16971697 Hertfordshire Hailstorm: violent hail storm across Hertfordshire, perhaps the most severe ever in Britain.source
  • 1702May 15 (May 4 O.S.) – King Charles XII of Sweden and his troops walk unopposed into Warsaw after troops capture the city.source
  • 1712Curuguaty in Paraguay is founded by Juan Gregorio de Bazán y Pedraza on the banks of the Curuguaty River.source
  • 1718James Puckle patents the Puckle Gun.source
  • 1719Gustav Cronhielm appointed Privy Council Chancellery.source
  • 1725Bach leads the first performance of his cantata Ich bin ein guter Hirt, BWV 85, about Jesus as the Good Shepherd.source
  • 1730Charles Townshend, 2nd Viscount Townshend, retires from his role in the government of Great Britain, leaving Robert Walpole as sole and undisputed leader of the Cabinet (i.e., prime minister). In the new Walpole ministry, Sir William Strickland, 4th Baronet, becomes Secretary at War, and Henry Pelham is Paymaster of the Forces; Spencer Compton, 1st Earl of Wilmington briefly becomes Lord Privy Seal.source
  • 1730Walpole–Townshend ministry dissolved when Charles Townshend, 2nd Viscount Townshend resigns as Secretary of State for the Northern Department after a dispute with Robert Walpole.source
  • 1734Prince Charles of Spain (later King Charles III) becomes the new King of Naples and Sicily, five days after his arrival in Naples.source
  • 1741Nader Shah, Emperor of Persia, narrowly escapes an assassination attempt.source
  • 1741Carl Linnaeus travel to Öland.source
  • 1762The Treaty of Saint Petersburg (1762) ends the war between Russia and the Prussia.source
  • 1768After the Treaty of Versailles, the island of Corsica is ceded by Genoa to France.source
  • 1768French conquest of Corsica: Treaty of Versailles – The island of Corsica is ceded to France by the Republic of Genoasource
  • 1770The country was divided into two counties: South and West Counties (Suður- og Vesturamt) and North and East Counties (Norður- og Austuramt).source
  • 1776May 15–26 – American Revolution: Battle of the Cedars – British forces skirmish with the American Continental Army around Les Cèdres, Quebec.source
  • 1788The Australian frontier wars begins. With the placement of a cournerstone.source
  • 1794The free port status of Marstrand, the only one in Sweden, is removed.source
  • 1800Napoleon and his French army (40,000 men)—not including the field artillery and baggage trains—(35,000 light artillery and infantry, 5,000 cavalry) begin crossing the Alps. He selects the shortest route through the Great St Bernard Pass, and invades after five days traversing the northern region of Italy.source
  • 1824A boiler explosion occurs on the steamship Aetna, under way in Upper New York Bay, killing more than ten passengers and injuring many more.source
  • 1829Joseph Smith claims to have received the Aaronic Priesthood from John the Baptist.source
  • 1830The Royal Swedish Yacht Club (KSSS) is founded.source
  • 1836During an eclipse of the Sun, English astronomer Francis Baily observes the phenomenon named after him as Baily's beads.source
  • 1838Court of assizes to have jury verdicts.source
  • 1846Under the leadership of Prime Minister Robert Peel, the House of Commons of the United Kingdom votes to repeal the Corn Laws by passing an Importation Bill, replacing the old colonial mercantile trade system with free trade in response to the Great Famine (Ireland). On June 25 the Duke of Wellington persuades the House of Lords to pass the Act, which will take full effect from February 1849. Peel, however, is forced to resign.source
  • 184840,000 Romanians meet at Câmpia Libertății in Blaj, to protest Transylvania becoming a part of Hungary.source
  • 1848Radicals invade the French Chamber of Deputies.source
  • 1850The Bloody Island Massacre takes place at Clear Lake in northern California.source
  • 1851Mongkut is crowned as King (Rama IV) of Siam, at the Grand Palace in Bangkok.source
  • 1851Alpha Delta Pi sorority, the first secret society for women, is founded at Wesleyan College in Macon, Georgia (U.S.)source
  • 1851The first Australian gold rush is proclaimed, although the discovery had been made three months earlier.source
  • 1854May 5–15 – Hokkien–Teochew Riots in Singapore.source
  • 1855The Great Gold Robbery is made from a moving train between London Bridge and Folkestone in England, one of the first crimes of its kind.source
  • 1855Great Gold Robbery from a train between London Bridge and Folkestone.source
  • 1855The Exposition Universelle (an early World's fair) officially opens in Paris (continues to November 15).source
  • 1857Spanish financial group, Banco Santander founded in Cantabria, Spain.source
  • 1860Expedition of the Thousand – Battle of Calatafimi: Troops under Giuseppe Garibaldi defeat the army of Naples in Sicily.source
  • 1862U.S. President Abraham Lincoln signs a bill into law creating the U.S. Bureau of Agriculture (later renamed U.S. Department of Agriculture).source
  • 1869Women's suffrage: In New York, Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton form the National Woman Suffrage Association.source
  • 1871The Strafgesetzbuch, which goes back to the Penal Code of the North German Confederation, passed in Reichstag. It came into effect on January 1, 1872.source
  • 1872The New Zealand Wars end after 17 years, with the conclusion of Te Kooti's War; Maori spiritual leader Te Kooti Arikirangi Te Turuk crosses the Waikato River, and enters the territory of the Māori King Tāwhiao, where he is granted asylum.source
  • 1872Statue of Isabelle Brunelle, sculpted by Guillaume Geefs, unveiled in the garden of the Hospice d'Harscamp, Namur.source
  • 1878The Tokyo Stock Exchange is established.source
  • 1886Portugal and France agree to regulate the borders of their colonies in Guinea.source
  • 1889In Samoa, 3 U.S. and 3 German ships sink in a typhoon because the captains refuse to leave before the others; almost 200 drown. The British steamer Calliope saves itself by pushing into the wind with full speed.source
  • 1891Pope Leo XIII issues the encyclical Rerum novarum, on the rights and duties of capital and labor, resulting in the creation of many Christian Democrat parties throughout Europe.source
  • 1891Pope Leo XIII issued the Rerum novarum encyclical addressing the condition of the working classes and outlining the rights of workers to a fair wage, safe working conditions, and the formation of trade unions, while affirming the rights to property and free enterprise, opposing both socialism and laissez-faire capitalism.source
  • 1892The new government headed by Giovanni Giolitti takes office after Antonio Di Rudinì lost the vote in the Italian Chamber of Deputies, because his financial policy is opposed on both the right and the left.source
  • 1897May 10 – 19 zinc miners die of carbon monoxide poisoning at Snaefell Mine on the Isle of Man.source
  • 1898Andres Bonifacio and a few katipuneros meet with the captain of the Japanese cruiser, Kongo, visiting Manila, and the Japanese consul in Manila in a room above the Japanese bazaar on Plaza Moraga, to discuss the possible purchase of Japanese arms and to request Japanese arms and to request Japan's aid to their cause. A Christian Japanese, Jose Moritario Tagawa, married to a Filipina from Bocaue, Bulacan and a friend of Dr. Pio Valenzuela, acts as interpreter.source
  • 1899A clue to the fate of the British freighter Pelican, which disappeared in October 1897 along with 40 crew, is found in a message in a bottle that washes ashore at Portage Bay, Alaska.source
  • 1902It is claimed that in a field outside Grass Valley, California, Lyman Gilmore achieves flight in a powered airplane (a steam-powered glider). There is no surviving evidence to verify this claim.source
  • 1904Russo-Japanese War: Russian minelayer Amur lays a minefield about 15 mi off Port Arthur, and sinks Japan's battleships Hatsuse, 15,000 tons with 496 crew, and Yashima. On the same day, the Japanese protected cruiser Yoshino sinks after being accidentally rammed by the armored cruiser Kasuga, killing over 270 crew, including Captain Sayegi and his second-in-command, Commander Hirowateri. Japan will keep the loss of Yashima secret for over a year.source
  • 1905Las Vegas, Nevada, is founded when 110 acres of land adjacent to the Union Pacific Railroad tracks are auctioned to form what becomes Downtown Las Vegas.source
  • 1905The opening of Taichung TRA station in Taichū Prefecture.source
  • 1906Our Dumb Friends League opens its first animal hospital, in Victoria, London.source
  • 1907Natal – Loskop to Winterton, 10 mi 60 ch.source
  • 1910Tullio Cariolato wins the 1910 Targa Florio endurance automobile race on Sicily driving a Franco.source
  • 1911May 13–15 – Mexican Revolution: Torreón massacre – Over 300 Chinese residents are massacred by the revolutionary forces of Francisco I. Madero, in the Mexican city of Torreón.source
  • 1911The U.S. Supreme Court declares Standard Oil to be an "unreasonable" monopoly under the Sherman Antitrust Act and orders the company to be dissolved.source
  • 1911Standard Oil is dissolved by the Supreme Court of the United States into 34 separate oil companies including Exxon, Mobil, Chevron, Texaco, and others due to violation of the Sherman Anti-Trust Actsource
  • 1912The proclamation of Christian X as King of Denmark.source
  • 1915May 15–21 – The Far Eastern Championship Games take place in Shanghai.source
  • 1917Robert Nivelle is replaced as Commander-in-Chief of the French Army, by Philippe Pétain.source
  • 1918The United States Post Office Department begins the world's third regular airmail service, between New York City, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C.source
  • 1918World War I: Imperial German Navy submarine SM U-90 shells the Royal Navy wireless station on Hirta in St Kilda.source
  • 1918The United States Post Office Department (later renamed the United States Postal Service) begins the first regular airmail service in the world (between New York City, Philadelphia and Washington, DC).source
  • 1919Greek landing at Smyrna: The Hellenic Army lands at Smyrna assisted by ships of the British Royal Navy.source
  • 1919Winnipeg general strike: Workers in Winnipeg, Canada, begin a strike for better wages and working conditions; the strike lasts for six weeks.source
  • 1921May 14–15 – The major May 1921 geomagnetic storm occurs.source
  • 1923Britain recognizes Transjordan as an independent government, although it still remains under the British Mandate of Palestine.source
  • 1928The animated short Plane Crazy is released by Disney Studios in Los Angeles, featuring the first appearances of Mickey and Minnie Mouse (in a non-distributed film).source
  • 1929Cleveland Clinic Fire of 1929source
  • 1930Nurse Ellen Church becomes the world's first flight attendant, working on a Boeing Air Transport trimotor.source
  • 1931The Chinese Communists inflict a sharp defeat on the Kuomintang forces.source
  • 1931Pope Pius XI issues the encyclical Quadragesimo anno, on the "reconstruction of the social order".source
  • 1934Kārlis Ulmanis establishes an authoritarian government in Latvia.source
  • 1934Nantucket Lightship LV-117 sinks after colliding with RMS Olympic.source
  • 1935Joseph Stalin opens the Moscow Metro to the public.source
  • 1935Joseph Stalin opens the Moscow Metro to the public.source
  • 1940Women's stockings made of nylon are first placed on sale across the United States. Almost five million pairs are bought on this day.source
  • 1941The Palmach is established.source
  • 1941The first British jet aircraft, the Gloster E.28/39, is flown.source
  • 1941Joe DiMaggio's 56-game hitting streak begins, as the New York Yankees' center fielder goes 1 for 4 against Chicago White Sox pitcher Eddie Smith in baseball.source
  • 1941Joe DiMaggio's 56-game hitting streak begins as the New York Yankee center fielder goes one for 4 against Chicago White Sox pitcher Eddie Smith.source
  • 1944July 8 – The Holocaust: Hungarian Jews are deported to Auschwitz and other Nazi concentration camps.source
  • 1945WWII: Surrender at Bleiburg – Retreating troops of the Croatian Armed Forces of the former puppet Independent State of Croatia (intermingled with fleeing civilians) attempt to surrender to the British Army at Bleiburg, but are directed to surrender to Yugoslav Partisans, who open fire on them. The remainder, after orders are given by Tito, are force-marched through Croatia and Serbia, interned or massacred, with thousands dying.source
  • 1948The United States grants de facto recognition to the State of Israel, eleven minutes after it comes into existence, becoming the first country to recognize the Jewish state.source
  • 19481948 Arab–Israeli War: The British Mandate of Palestine is officially terminated; expeditionary forces from Egypt, Transjordan, Syria and Iraq invade Israel and clash with Israeli forces after declaring war.source
  • 1948Four of the seven countries of the Arab League at that time, namely Egypt, Iraq, Jordan and Syria, backed by Arab volunteers invade the territory of the former British Mandate of Palestine and clash with Jewish forces. The resulting 1948 Arab–Israeli War lasts for 13 months.source
  • 1948The British Mandate of Palestine is officially terminated, causing expeditionary forces from Egypt, Transjordan, Syria and Iraq to invade Israel and clash with Israeli forces.source
  • 1948Australian cricket team in England in 1948: The touring Australians set an all-time first-class record, by scoring 721 runs in a day against Essex.source
  • 1948The murder of June Anne Devaney a 3-year-old girl in Blackburn, England. To solve the crime, officers take 46,253 sets of fingerprints before identifying her murderer.source
  • 1951A military coup occurs in Bolivia.source
  • 1952Diplomatic relations are established between Israel and Japan at the level of legations.source
  • 1953The Standards And Recommended Practices (SARPS) for Aeronautical Information Service (AIS) are adopted by the ICAO Council. These SARPS are in Annex 15 to the Chicago Convention, and 15 May is celebrated by the AIS community as "World AIS Day".source
  • 1954The Latin Union (Unión Latina) is created by the Convention of Madrid. Its member countries use the five Romance languages: Italian, French, Spanish, Portuguese, and Romanian. It suspended operations in 2012.source
  • 1955The Austrian State Treaty, which restores Austria's national sovereignty, is concluded between the 4 occupying powers following World War II (the United Kingdom, the United States, the Soviet Union, and France) and Austria, setting it up as a neutral country.source
  • 1955Lionel Terray and Jean Couzy become the first people to reach the summit of Makalu, the fifth-highest mountain in the world, on the 1955 French Makalu expedition. The entire team of climbers reaches the summit over the next two days.source
  • 1957Operation Grapple: At Malden Island in the Pacific, Britain tests its first hydrogen bomb, which fails to detonate properly.source
  • 1957Stanley Matthews plays his final international game, ending an English record international career of almost 23 years.source
  • 1958The Soviet Union launches Sputnik 3.source
  • 1958Sputnik 3 is launched.source
  • 1960The satellite Sputnik 4 is launched into orbit by the Soviet Union.source
  • 1961J. Heinrich Matthaei alone performs the Poly-U-Experiment, and is the first person to recognize and understand the genetic code. This is the birthdate of modern genetics.source
  • 1963Project Mercury: NASA launches Gordon Cooper on Mercury-Atlas 9, the last Mercury mission (on June 12 NASA Administrator James E. Webb tells Congress the program is complete).source
  • 1966The South Vietnamese army besieges Da Nang.source
  • 1967In the midst of Israel's Independence Day celebrations, Egyptian ground forces cross the Suez Canal and enter the Sinai peninsula. This move led Israel to an emergency state, known as the "waiting period".source
  • 1968A bomb explodes at the door of the São Paulo Stock Exchange.source
  • 1971Israeli ambassador to Turkey Efraim Elrom is kidnapped; he is found killed in Istanbul May 25.source
  • 1971Three members of the Turkish Liberation Army, an underground militant organization linked to the PLO, kidnapped and executed Israeli consul-general Efraim Elrom in Ankara.source
  • 1974Ma'alot massacre: Palestinian militants of the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine cross the Israeli border from Lebanon. They attack a van killing two Israeli Arab women, they enter an apartment building in the town of Ma'alot and kill a couple and their 4-year-old son. After that, the militant squad take over a local school and hold at 105 students and 10 teachers hostage. The hostage-takers demanded the release of 23 Palestinian militants from Israeli prisons, or they would kill the students. On the second day of the standoff, a unit of the elite Golani Brigade stormed the building. During the takeover, the hostage-takers detonated their grenades and shot the children. Ultimately, 25 hostages were killed, including 22 children; 68 more were injured.source
  • 1975Mayaguez incident: The American merchant ship Mayaguez, seized by Cambodian forces, is rescued by the U.S. Navy and Marines; 38 Americans are killed.source
  • 1978Students of the University of Tehran riot in Tabriz; the army stops the riot.source
  • 1978First Timezone Opens in Perth, Western Australiasource
  • 1979Uganda–Tanzania War: Battle of Lira: Tanzania and its Uganda National Liberation Front allies capture Lira, Uganda, from the forces of Ugandan dictator Idi Amin.source
  • 1981A prison officer, 31-year-old Donna Payant, disappears at Green Haven Correctional Facility in New York. She is later found to have been murdered by convicted serial killer Lemuel Smith. It is the first time a female prison officer has been killed while on duty in the United States.source
  • 1985Argentine President Raúl Alfonsín terminates Argentine administration of the Falkland Islands but does not relinquish Argentina's claim to the islands.source
  • 1988Soviet–Afghan War: After more than 8 years of fighting, the Soviet Army begins its withdrawal from Afghanistan.source
  • 1989May 12–25 – San Bernardino train disaster: Southern Pacific freight locomotive SP 7551 East derails in a residential area of San Bernardino, California, killing four and destroying seven houses. On May 25, as a direct result of the derailment, the Calnev Pipeline explodes, killing an additional two people and destroying eleven more houses and 21 cars.source
  • 1989The last golden toad is seen in Costa Rica; the species is subsequently classified as extinct.source
  • 1989Australia's first private tertiary institution, Bond University, opens on the Gold Coast.source
  • 1990Portrait of Dr. Gachet by Vincent van Gogh is sold for a record $82.5 million.source
  • 1990Known as the Amber Beacon Tower murder, a young couple were attacked by two unknown men at the tower in East Coast Park during their date. The girlfriend, Kelly Tan Ah Hong, was killed while her boyfriend James Soh Fook Leong was grievously injured. The murder remains unsolved till today.source
  • 1992The Collective Security Treaty Organization is established by six post-Soviet states belonging to the Commonwealth of Independent States (effective April 20, 1994).source
  • 1993Niamh Kavanagh wins the Eurovision Song Contest for Ireland with In Your Eyes.source
  • 1997The United States government acknowledges existence of the "Secret War" in Laos (1953–1975) during the Vietnam War, and dedicates the Laos Memorial in honor of Hmong and other "Secret War" veterans.source
  • 1998Argentina expels seven Iranian diplomats over their connections to the 1994 AMIA bombing.source
  • 1998The Windows 98 operating system is released to manufacturing.source
  • 19981998 Klender mall fire: A fire in the Klender Mall due to looting leaves at least 200 people dead.source
  • 2000Gianna Angelopoulos-Daskalaki becomes the President of the Athens Organizing Committee for the Olympic Games, to became the first woman succeed Panagiotis Thomopoulos.source
  • 2003Contact with infected prairie dogs causes the first outbreak of human mpox in the Western Hemisphere. Cases continue until June 11.source
  • 2004May 12–15 – The Eurovision Song Contest 2004 takes place in Istanbul, Turkey, and is won by Ukrainian entrant Ruslana with the song "Wild Dances".source
  • 2005A general election held for seats in the House of Peoples' Representatives and four regional government councils.source
  • 2005Andijan is sealed shut by the government with British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw telling the BBC that there has been a "clear abuse of human rights" in Uzbekistan.source
  • 2005Murder of Alabi Hassan Olajokusource
  • 2009France–Pakistan Atomic Energy Framework bilateral energy treaty is signed.source
  • 2009Sudan accused Chad for two air bombardments in its territory done by the Chadian government to attack Chadian rebel groups' bases in Sudan.source
  • 2009Sudan accused Chad of two air bombardments in its territory done by the Chadian government to attack Chadian rebel groups' bases in Sudan.source
  • 2009May 11–15 – Pope Benedict XVI visits the Palestinian territories and Israel. During his visit, the pope condemned Holocaust denials and called for cooperation between the Palestinians and Israelis.source
  • 2009May 11–24 – Space Shuttle Atlantis is launched to refurbish the Hubble Space Telescope on May 11, landing at Edwards Air Force Base May 24.source
  • 2009May 12–16 – The Eurovision Song Contest 2009 takes place in Moscow, Russia, and is won by Norwegian entrant Alexander Rybak with the song "Fairytale".source
  • 2009The album 21st Century Breakdown is released by American rock band Green Day, which sold over 5 million copies.source
  • 2013Researchers from Oregon Health & Science University in the United States describe the first production of human embryonic stem cells by cloning, in a study published in the scientific journal Nature.source
  • 2013May 14–18 – The Eurovision Song Contest 2013 takes place in Malmö, Sweden, and is won by Danish entrant Emmelie de Forest with the song "Only Teardrops".source
  • 2013The World Health Organization names the novel coronavirus Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS).source
  • 2014May 13–19 – 2014 Southeast Europe floods. 57 deaths in Serbia.source
  • 2015Singapore Botanical Gardens gets ICOMOS nod to be the first UNESCO World Heritage Site.source
  • 2015district heating plant opened in Elektrėnai, that is operating on biofeuls.source
  • 2019May 14–18 – The Eurovision Song Contest 2019 takes place in Tel Aviv, Israel, and is won by Dutch entrant Duncan Laurence with the song "Arcade".source
  • 2020Researchers announce a 2.5 cm 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.source
  • 2021Fighting 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.source
  • 2024Lee Hsien Loong, Prime Minister of Singapore since 2004, is succeeded by former Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong as prime minister, ahead of the next general election to be held by 2025.source
  • 2024Prime Minister of Slovakia Robert Fico is shot and hospitalized while meeting with supporters at an event in Handlová.source
  • 2024Former interior minister Ousman Sonko is convicted and sentenced to 20 years' imprisonment by a Swiss court for his role in murder, torture and other human rights abuses during the dictatorship of Yahya Jammeh.source
  • 2025May 13–17 – The Eurovision Song Contest 2025 is held in Basel, Switzerland. Austrian contestant JJ wins with the song "Wasted Love".source

Births

  • 1260May 15 or July 25 – John of Castile, Lord of Valencia de Campos (died 1319)source
  • 1299Henry the Friendly, German nobleman and knight (died 1327)source
  • 1397Sejong the Great of Joseon, ruler of Korea (died 1450)source
  • 1459John I, Count Palatine of Simmern (1480–1509) (died 1509)source
  • 1531Maria of Austria, Duchess of Jülich-Cleves-Berg, daughter of Emperor Ferdinand I (died 1581)source
  • 1565Hendrick de Keyser, Dutch sculptor and architect born in Utrecht (died 1621)source
  • 1567Claudio Monteverdi, Italian composer (died 1643)source
  • 1645George Jeffreys, 1st Baron Jeffreys, British judge (died 1689)source
  • 1689Lady Mary Wortley Montagu, writer and poet from England (died 1762)source
  • 1720Maximilian Hell, Slovakian astronomer (died 1792)source
  • 1750Christian Jensen Lofthuus, revolutionary peasant leader (died 1797)source
  • 1765Dominique Ducharme (died 1853)source
  • 1770Ezekiel Hart, Canadian entrepreneur, politician (died 1843)source
  • 1773Prince Klemens Wenzel von Metternich, Austrian statesman (died 1859)source
  • 1823Youssef Bey Karam, Lebanese nationalist leader (died 1889)source
  • 1845Élie Metchnikoff, Russian microbiologist, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (died 1916)source
  • 1891Nipo T. Strongheart, Native American filmmaker (died 1966)source
  • 1911Max Frisch, Swiss playwright and novelist (died 1991)source
  • 1937Madeleine Albright, Czech-born American politician and diplomat (died 2022)source
  • 1948Brian Eno, English musician, record producersource
  • 1957Princess Margaretha of Liechtensteinsource
  • 1987Andy Murray, Scottish tennis playersource

Deaths

  • 392Emperor Valentinian II, age 21, dies while advancing into Gaul against the Frankish usurper Arbogast. He is found hanging in his residence at Vienne under unknown circumstances.source
  • 392Valentinian II, Roman Emperor (born 371)source
  • 558Hilary of Galeata, Christian monksource
  • 884Marinus I, pope of the Catholic Churchsource
  • 884Pope Marinus I dies at Rome, after a reign of less than 1½ years. He is succeeded by Adrian III (also referred to as Hadrian III), as the 109th pope of the Catholic Church.source
  • 913Hatto I, archbishop of Mainzsource
  • 925Nicholas I Mystikos, twice the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople and having reigned a second time since 912, dies at the age of 73.source
  • 925Nicholas I Mystikos, Byzantine patriarch (born 852)source
  • 926Zhuang Zong, emperor of Later Tang (born 885)source
  • 926Emperor Zhuang Zong is killed during an officer's rebellion led by Guo Congqian at the old Tang capital of Luoyang. He is succeeded by his adoptive brother Li Siyuan (Ming Zong) as ruler of Later Tang. Li sends Yao Kun, as an emissary, to create a friendly relationship with the Khitan Empire.source
  • 973Byrhthelm, bishop of Wells (Somerset)source
  • 1036Emperor Go-Ichijō dies at the age of 27 after a 20-year reign. He is succeeded by his brother Go-Suzaku as the 69th emperor of Japan.source
  • 1036Go-Ichijō, emperor of Japan (born 1008)source
  • 1157Yury Dolgoruky, Russian prince (born c. 1099)source
  • 1174Nur al-Din, Seljuk ruler of Syria (born 1118)source
  • 1174Nur al-Din, Seljuk ruler (atabeg) of Syria, dies at Damascus after a 28-year reign. He is succeeded by his 11-year-old son As-Salih Ismail al-Malik. Meanwhile, Saladin declares himself his regent and vassal.source
  • 1175Mleh I, prince of Armeniasource
  • 1268Peter II, Count of Savoy (born 1203)source
  • 1272Thomas of Cantimpré, Flemish priest (born 1201)source
  • 1381Eppelein von Gailingen, German robber baronsource
  • 1445Johanna van Polanen, Dutch noblewoman (born 1392)source
  • 1461Domenico Veneziano, Italian painter (born c. 1410)source
  • 1464Henry Beaufort, 3rd Duke of Somerset (executed) (born 1436)source
  • 1470Charles VIII of Sweden (born 1409)source
  • 1470Charles VIII of Sweden, who has served three terms as King of Sweden, dies. Sten Sture the Elder proclaims himself Regent of Sweden the following day.source
  • 1487Margaret of Foix, Dutchess of Brittany (born c. 1449)source
  • 1538Philipp III, Count of Hanau-Lichtenberg (born 1482)source
  • 1555The conclave opens with 42 of the 56 Roman Catholic cardinals to choose a successor to Pope Marcellus II, who had died on May 1.source
  • 1581Zsigmond Báthory, the 8-year-old son of Kristóf Báthory, ruler of the Principality of Transylvania, is elected by the Diet of Transylvania as the new voivode at the request of Kristóf, who dies 12 days later.source
  • 1591Tsarevich Dimitri, of Russia (born 1582)source
  • 1615Henry Bromley, English politician (born 1560)source
  • 1634May 15 (bur.) – Hendrick Avercamp, Dutch painter (born 1585)source
  • 1669Margareta Brahe, controversial countess and courtier (born 1603)source
  • 1734Sebastiano Ricci, Italian painter (born 1659)source
  • 1738Sir John Chesshyre, English lawyer (born 1662)source
  • 1760King Alaungpaya of Burma (born 1711)source
  • 1786Eva Ekeblad, Swedish scientist and agronomist, first female member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences (born 1724)source
  • 1847Daniel O'Connell, Irish politician who promoted the Roman Catholic Relief Act 1829 (born 1775)source
  • 1852Louisa Adams, First Lady of the United States (born 1775)source
  • 1886Emily Dickinson, American poet (born 1830)source
  • 1932May 15 – May 15 Incident, an attempted military coup in which Japanese prime minister Tsuyoshi Inukai is assassinated by naval officers. Japanese troops leave Shanghai.source
  • 1935Kazimir Malevich, Polish-Russian painter, art theoretician (born 1879)source
  • 1966Maximiliano Hernández Martínez, 30th President of El Salvador (assassinated) (born 1882)source
  • 1969An American teenager known as 'Robert R.' dies in St. Louis, Missouri, United States, of a baffling medical condition. In 1984 it will be identified as the earliest confirmed case of HIV/AIDS in North America.source
  • 1978Sir Robert Menzies, 12th Prime Minister of Australia (born 1894)source
  • 2013Thomas M. Messer, director of The Guggenheim (born 1920)source
  • 2017David Saul, politician (born 1939).source