THIS DAY IN HISTORY
MAY 9 WHAT HAPPENED ON YOUR BDAY?
FEATURED EVENT

1502
Fourth and final voyage of Christopher Columbus launched
On this day in 1502, master navigator and admiralChristopher Columbus, long considered the “discoverer” of the New World, set sail fromCádiz,Spain, on his fourth and final voyage, hoping to find a passage toAsia.
Featured Biography
British archaeologist
Born on This Day
1949
Billy Joel
American musician
1936
Albert Finney
British actor
1934
Alan Bennett
British playwright
1874
Howard Carter
British archaeologist
1860
J.M. Barrie
Scottish author
MORE EVENTSON THIS DAY

British hairstylist and entrepreneurVidal Sassoon, who created individualized haircuts featuring stark geometric angles and precise scissor cuts that complemented each woman's bone structure and natural hair texture, died in Los Angeles.
2012

The U.S. House Judiciary Committee began formal hearings in theimpeachment investigation of PresidentRichard M. Nixon.Read about nine American political scandals
1974

1960

Alfred Hitchock's psychological thrillerVertigo, starringJames Stewart andKim Novak, premiered in San Francisco and became widely regarded as one of the greatest movies ever.Test your knowledge of films
1958

Americantrack-and-field athleteRalph Boston, the first man to jump more than 27 feet (8.23 metres), was born in Laurel, Mississippi.How much do you know about sports?
1939

Seven months after invadingEthiopia and driving EmperorHaile Selassie I into exile,Italy annexed Ethiopia as part ofItalian East Africa.
1936

American television interviewer and reporterMike Wallace—who, while on the show60 Minutes, became known for his aggressive and bruising style—was born.
1918

DramatistJ.M. Barrie—best known forPeter Pan, the title character of which is an eternal boy—was born in Kirriemuir, Angus, Scotland.Test your knowledge of literary characters
1860

AmericanabolitionistJohn Brown was born in Torrington, Connecticut.
1800
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- May 1
1889May Day founded - May 2
1939Lou Gehrig's 2,130-game streak ended - May 3
1979Margaret Thatcher elected prime minister of Britain - May 4
1970Four students shot at Kent State - May 5
1862Mexican victory in the Battle of Puebla - May 6
1937Hindenburg disaster - May 7
1663Theatre Royal opened - May 8
1945World War II in Europe ended - May 9
1502Fourth and final voyage of Christopher Columbus launched - May 10
1994Nelson Mandela inaugurated as president of South Africa - May 11
330“New Rome” established by Constantine - May 12
1926First flight over the North Pole - May 13
1846U.S. declaration of war on Mexico approved - May 14
1948Declaration of Israel's statehood - May 15
1991Edith Cresson appointed French premier - May 16
1943Warsaw Ghetto Uprising suppressed - May 17
1954School segregation outlawed by U.S. Supreme Court - May 18
1980Eruption of Mount St. Helens - May 19
1884Ringling Bros. Circus formed - May 20
1862U.S. Homestead Act signed - May 21
1927First nonstop solo transatlantic flight made by Charles Lindbergh - May 22
337Roman Emperor Constantine I baptized - May 23
1951Tibet annexed by China - May 24
1883Opening of the Brooklyn Bridge - May 25
1787U.S. Constitutional Convention opened in Philadelphia - May 26
1521Martin Luther declared a heretic by the Edict of Worms - May 27
1703Founding of St. Petersburg - May 28
1961Amnesty International founded - May 29
1953Mount Everest summit reached by Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay - May 30
1431Joan of Arc burned at the stake - May 31
1962Adolf Eichmann hanged



