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The Japanese Era Reiwa begins

After 30 years on the Chrysanthemum Throne, Emperor Akihito of Japan abdicated in 2019, being the first Japanese emperor to do so since 1817. This marked the end of the Heisei era and the inception of the Reiwa era, and will precipitate numerous festivities leading up to the accession of his son and successor, Emperor Naruhito.

Apple reports quarterly earnings

Apple shared its earnings results for the 2nd fiscal quarter – first calendar quarter – of the year. The release provided a look at sales of their new phones, most notably iPhone 8 Plus and iPhone X. The guidance for the 2nd fiscal quarter includes expected revenue of $60 to $62 billion and gross margin between 38 and 38.5%.

Muthar Kent steps down after nine years as Coca Cola boss

Muthar Kent is the former CEO of The Coca-Cola Company of the Turkish origin. He got to the position of chief executive officer of the company in 2008 and joined the board as a chairman next year. After leading the company for several years, he stepped down and was replaces by President and COO James Quincey.

Violent May Day protests in Paris

The protests in Paris, which were held over immigration and labor rights, as well as the 2017 French presidential election, turned violent when Black Bloc protesters joined the protests and began clashing with police, throwing rocks, bricks, concrete, Molotov cocktails, and firebombs.

Fort McMurray wildfire begin

Sweeping through Fort McMurray, the wildfire destroyed approximately 2,400 homes and buildings. Another 2,000 residents in three communities were displaced after their homes were declared unsafe for reoccupation due to contamination. The wildfire was the cause of the largest wildfire evacuation forcing over 88,000 people from their homes.

Ronson & Mars credit The Gap Band on their hit 'Uptown Funk'

'Uptown Funk' is a song by British record producer Mark Ronson, featuring American singer and songwriter Bruno Mars. 'Uptown Funk' was the subject of several lawsuits over copyright infringement. In 2015, similarities with 'Oops Up Side Your Head' (1979) by The Gap Band led them, along with keyboardist Rudolph Taylor, and producer Lonnie Simmons to be added as co-writers of 'Uptown Funk' receiving 17% of the publishing royalties.

2013

Former Chelsea star fails drugs test in Brazil

Former Chelsea and Portugal midfielder Deco has tested positive for the banned diuretic furosemide in Brazil. Deco failed the test for the drug, which can help hide performance-enhancing substances. His lawyers said the positive result was due to contaminated vitamins.

'Insurgent' by Veronica Roth is published

Insurgent is a science fiction young adult novel by American novelist Veronica Roth and the second book in the Divergent trilogy. As the sequel to the bestseller Divergent, it continues the story of Tris Prior and the dystopian post-apocalyptic version of Chicago.

President Barack Obama announces that Osama Bin Laden was killed

Obama reported that the leader of the terrorist network had been killed by U.S. forces during a raid on his compound hideout in Abbottabad, Pakistan. Due to the time difference between the US and Pakistan, bin Laden was actually killed on May 2.

Pope John Paul II is beatified

Roughly 6 years after his death, Pope John Paul II had been beatified and canonized as a saint. The ceremony was presided over by Pope Benedict XVI. A total of 87 international delegations, including 22 world leaders attended the ceremony. Around a million of Catholics were present at the Saint Peter's Square during the mass.

Chrysler Files to Seek Bankruptcy Protection

Chrysler LLC filed a consolidated petition for chapter 11 bankruptcy alongside its 24 affiliated subsidiaries. They announced an alliance with Fiat, after the failure of the company to agree on a restructuring plan with its creditors. The plan was to reduce the liabilities of the company and emerge in stronger financial shape.

Same-sex marriage is legalized in Sweden

Same-sex marriage in Sweden has been legal since 2009, making Sweden the seventh country in the world to open marriage to same-sex couples nationwide. Existing registered partnerships remain in force and can be converted to a marriage if the parties so desire, either through a written application or through a formal ceremony.

2005

Lionel Messi scores his first professional goal

During the 2004–05 season, Messi was a guaranteed starter for the B team, playing 17 games throughout the campaign and scoring on six occasions. He made his league debut during October. In May, he scored his first senior goal from an assist by Ronaldinho, becoming – at that time – the youngest-ever scorer for the club.

The Mission Accomplished speech

The Mission Accomplished speech was a televised address by United States President George W. Bush on the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln The name became central in the controversy that followed. The vast majority of casualties, both military and civilian, occurred after the speech.

Initial release of OpenOffice, the open-source office suite

Sun released version 1.0 of the OpenOffice.org as an open-sourced competitor to Microsoft Office. OpenOffice offered a word processor, a spreadsheet, a formula editor and database management, drawing and presentation applications. The default file format was ODF and it could also read a wide variety of others.

'Gladiator' premieres in LA

Gladiator is an epic historical drama film directed by Ridley Scott and written by David Franzoni, John Logan, and William Nicholson. Crowe portrays Hispano-Roman general Maximus Decimus Meridius, who is betrayed when Commodus, the ambitious son of Emperor Marcus Aurelius, murders his father and seizes the throne.

'SpongeBob SquarePants' debuts on Nickelodeon

SpongeBob SquarePants is an American animated television series created by Stephen Hillenburg. Nickelodeon held a preview for the series in the United States following the television airing of the 1999 Kids' Choice Awards. It has received worldwide critical acclaim since its premiere and gained enormous popularity by its second season.

1999

George Mallory is found on Mount Everest 75 years after disappearance

Mallory's ultimate fate was unknown for 75 years, until his body was discovered by an expedition that had set out to search for the climbers' remains. Whether Mallory and Irvine had reached the summit before they died remains a subject of speculation and continuing research.

1994

Ayrton Senna dies in accident

Senna died aged 34 after succumbing to fatal injuries sustained during his final race at the San Marino Grand Prix. Senna's death was considered by many of his Brazilian fans to be a national tragedy, and the Brazilian government declared three days of national mourning.

1992

NY Rangers win their first ever 7th game of playoff

The Rangers successfully made it past the first two rounds of the playoffs. However, in the conference finals against the third-seeded New Jersey Devils, the Rangers lost the series opener at home in double overtime but won the next two games before the Devils defeated them 3–1 and 4–1.

Theme park Disney's Hollywood Studios opened in Florida

Formerly going under the name Disney-MGM Studios Theme Park, the Hollywood Studios was opened at the Walt Disney World Resort in Bay Lake near Orlando, Florida. It was the 3rd of 4 parks at Disney World. The park spanned over 135 acres and is full of attractions that draw inspiration from the Golden Age of Hollywood.

1987

AC Milan and Italy captain Leonardo Bonucci is born

Bonucci plays as a center-back for Serie A club Milan and the Italy national team. He has represented Italy at two FIFA World Cups, two European Championships, and a FIFA Confederations Cup, winning a runners-up medal at Euro 2012, and a third-place medal at the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup.

Sydney Entertainment Centre is opened for public

Sydney Entertainment Centre was a multi-purpose arena located in Haymarket, Sydney, Australia. It opened in 1983, to replace Sydney Stadium, which had been demolished in 1970 to make way for the Eastern Suburbs railway line. The centre was owned by the Sydney Harbour Foreshore Authority, which administered the neighbouring Darling Harbour area.

RAF attacks the Argentine Air Force during Falklands War

During the 1982 Falklands War, Operations Black Buck 1 to Black Buck 7 were a series of seven extremely long-range ground attack missions by Royal Air Force Vulcan bombers against Argentine positions in the Falkland Islands. The raids were the longest-ranged bombing raids in history at that time.

Taksim Square massacre

The Taksim Square massacre relates to the incidents of 1977 on the international Labour Day on Taksim Square in Istanbul, Turkey. The event came within the scope of the wave of political violence in Turkey of the late 1970s.

Amtrak goes into service

The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, going under name Amtrak started operating in the US. They provided medium and long distance intercity service. It opened as a quasi-public corporation but they aim to earn profit through their operations. Their headquarters is located in Union Station in Washington DC.

Elvis Presley marries Priscilla Beaulieu

While in Friedberg, Presley met 14-year-old Priscilla Beaulieu. They would eventually marry after a seven-and-a-half-year courtship. More than seven years after they first met, Presley proposed to Priscilla Beaulieu. They were married in a brief ceremony in their suite at the Aladdin Hotel in Las Vegas.

First BASIC program runs

BASIC is an acronym for Beginner's All-purpose Symbolic Instruction Code. The language’s philosophy was to make programming available to everyone. People with backgrounds other than science or mathematics could start to write simple programs quickly. Originally for mainframes, BASIC was adopted for use on personal computers.

Harper Lee author of 'To Kill a Mockingbird' receives Pulitzer prize

To Kill a Mockingbird is a novel by Harper Lee. It was immediately successful, winning the Pulitzer Prize, and has become a classic of modern American literature. The plot and characters are loosely based on Lee's observations of her family, her neighbors and an event that occurred near her hometown of Monroeville, Alabama.

Britain's betting shops are opened for business

A betting shop is a shop away from a racecourse where one can legally place bets in person with a licensed bookmaker such as William Hill, Ladbrokes, or Coral. Off-course betting was illegal until the Betting and Gaming Act was introduced, although bets could be placed at a racecourse in any event, not just the races being held at that course.

U-2 spy pilot Francis Powers is shot down and captured in USSR

During the Cold War, CIA decided to send a spy Gary Powers on a mission to Soviet Union airspace. He was performing a photographic reconnaissance with U-2 spy plane. The aircraft was hit by S-75 Dvina surface-to-air missile and crashed near Yekaterinburg. He was subsequently captured by Soviets after parachuting.

The word LEGO is officially registered in Denmark

Lego is known as a line of plastic construction toys, manufactured by Denmark company, The Lego Group. Lego was invented by Ole Kirk Christiansen. Since he was a carpenter, the original toys were made of wood. The company later started creating plastic ones and soon after, the word LEGO was officially registered in Denmark.

Mr. Potato Head is introduced

Mr. Potato Head is an American toy consisting of a plastic model of a potato which can be decorated with a variety of plastic parts that can attach to the main body. These parts usually include ears, eyes, shoes, a hat, a nose, and a mouth. The toy was invented and developed by George Lerner and first manufactured and distributed by Hasbro.

Gwendolyn Brooks is first African American awarded the Pulitzer Prize

Gwendolyn Elizabeth Brooks was an American poet, author, and teacher. Her work often dealt with the personal celebrations and struggles of ordinary people in her community. She won the Pulitzer Poetry Prize for Annie Allen making her the first African American to receive the Pulitzer.

Portella della Ginestra massacre

The Portella della Ginestra massacre was one of the most violent acts in the history of modern Italian politics, when 11 people were killed and 27 wounded during May Day celebrations in the municipality of Piana degli Albanesi. Those held responsible were the bandit and separatist leader Salvatore Giuliano and his gang.

German Nazi politician Joseph Goebbels commits suicide

Paul Joseph Goebbels was a German Nazi politician and Reich Minister of Propaganda of Nazi Germany. He was one of Adolf Hitler's close associates and most devoted followers and was known for his skills in public speaking and his deep, virulent antisemitism, which was evident in his publicly voiced views.

Germany announces Hitler is dead

With Berlin surrounded and most of his military forces depleted, Hitler had nowhere to run. Refusing to be captured after he was informed of the execution of Mussolini, he committed suicide. German media and newsreaders announced that he had been killed in the Reich Chancery, fighting to the last breath against the enemy.

'Citizen Kane' premieres in New York City

Orson Welles' mystery drama film Citizen Kane received nine nominations at the 1941 Academy Awards, winning the Academy Award for Best Writing. Although being well critically acclaimed, the film didn't generate enough revenue to make a profit, losing $160,000 during its initial run.

US President Franklin D. Roosevelt signs the Neutrality Act

The Neutrality Acts were passed by the United States Congress in the 1930s, in response to the growing turmoil in Europe and Asia that eventually led to World War II. The Neutrality Act of 1937 was passed in May and included the provisions of the earlier acts, this time without an expiration date, and extended them to cover civil wars as well.

FBI's J. Edgar Hoover arrests gangster Alvin 'Creepy' Karpis

Alvin Francis Karpis was a Canadian-born criminal of Lithuanian descent known for being a leader of the Barker–Karpis gang in the 1930s. Karpis led the gang along with Fred Barker and Arthur "Doc" Barker. There were only four "public enemies" ever given the title of "Public Enemy #1" by the FBI and he was the only one to be taken alive.

Canada's first silver dollar is circulated

The Royal Canadian Mint issued the Canadian silver dollar as a way to commemorate the Silver Jubilee of King George, the 5th. It was designed by Emanuel Hahn and composed of 80% silver. The coin showed the King on the front and a canoe with voyageur on the reverse. This led to it being called Voyageur dollar.

Empire State Building opens in New York City

The Empire State Building was opened thirteen and a half months after the first steel beam was erected. Despite the publicity surrounding the building's construction, its owners failed to make a profit until the early 1950s. It has been a popular tourist attraction since opening, with around 4 million visitors every year.

1926

Ice hockey team Chicago Blackhawks is founded

The NHL awarded an expansion franchise for Chicago to a syndicate headed by former football star Huntington Hardwick of Boston. Hardwick arranged the purchase of the players of the Portland Rosebuds of the Western Hockey League for $100,000 from WHL President Frank Patrick in a deal brokered by Boston Bruins' owner Charles Adams.

Ford factory workers get five-day, 40-hour week

Henry Ford founded the automobile company with the headquarters in Dearborn, Michigan. He introduced a number of methods for large-scale manufacturing of cars, but besides that, he also adopted a 5-day, 40-hour a week policy for his workers. The cut from 6 to 5 days was soon followed by other manufacturers in the country.

American astronaut Scott Carpenter is born

He flew to space in Mercury-Atlas 7. It was the second U.S. mission to orbit the Earth. He was the first man who ate solid food in space. Carpenter flew to space only once because he injured his left arm in motorcycle accident. Later he became one of the first humans to live under the ocean surface for an extended period in the Sealab II experiment.

Czech composer Antonín Dvořák dies

Dvořák had an "attack of influenza" and died of an undiagnosed cause following five weeks of illness, at the age of 62, leaving many unfinished works. His funeral service was held on 5 May, and his ashes were interred in the Vyšehrad cemetery in Prague, beneath a bust by Czech sculptor Ladislav Šaloun.

The construction of the first skyscraper in the world begins

The Home Insurance Building was a skyscraper in Chicago, United States, designed by William Le Baron Jenney in 1884. Completed a year later, the build is generally noted as the first tall building to be supported, both inside and outside, by a fireproof structural steel and metal frame; including reinforced concrete

'Buffalo Bill' Cody puts on his first Wild West Show

Buffalo Bill's Wild West was founded in North Platte, Nebraska when Buffalo Bill Cody turned his real-life adventure into the first outdoor western show. The show's publicist Arizona John Burke employed innovating techniques at the time, such as celebrity endorsements, press kits, publicity stunts, op-ed articles, billboards, and product licensing.

Alexandra Palace reopens after being burnt down

The new Alexandra Palace contained a concert hall, art galleries, a museum, lecture hall, library, banqueting room and a large theatre. The stage of the theatre incorporated machinery which enabled special effects for the pantomimes and melodramas then popular – artists could disappear, reappear and be propelled into the air.

Scottish explorer David Livingstone dies

Livingstone was a Scottish explorer and one of the most popular British heroes of the Victorian era. His obsession with exploring eventually led to his death in present-day Zambia. He died from malaria and internal bleeding at Ilala, southwest of Lake Bangweulu. His body was returned by his attendants to Britain for burial.

Frontierswoman Calamity Jane is born

Calamity Jane was an American frontierswoman and professional scout known for being an acquaintance of Wild Bill Hickok and fighting against Indians. Late in her life, she appeared in Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show and at the Pan-American Exposition. She is said to have exhibited compassion to others, especially to the sick and needy.

The Philippine peso is introduced into circulation

The Philippine peso derived from the Spanish silver coin, or „Spanish dollar“. It was established when Bank of Philippine Islands introduced notes denominated in „pesos fuertes“. Since then, it had been the official currency of the Philippines. It is usually denoted by the symbol „₱“ or signs PHP, PhP, Php, P$ or just P.

Great Exhibition opens in the Crystal Palace, London

The Exhibition of the Works of Industry of All Nations took place at the Crystal Palace, in London's Hyde Park. It was a temporary structure made of cast-iron and plate-glass. 25 countries participated in the event and it was attended by many famous people of the time. It was organized by Henry Cole and Prince Albert.

Mozart's opera 'Marriage of Figaro' premieres in Wien

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's four-act comic opera "Marriage of Figaro" premiered at the Burgtheater in Wien. The first two performances were directed by Mozart himself. Later performances were conducted by Joseph Weigl. Despite being considered as one of the best operas today, The Viennese audience at the premiere was not thrilled.

The Battle of Crooked Billet

The Battle of Crooked Billet was a battle in the Philadelphia campaign of the American Revolutionary War. In the skirmish action, British forces under the command of Major John Graves Simcoe launched a surprise attack against Brigadier General John Lacey and three regiments of Pennsylvania militia, who were literally caught sleeping.

Adam Weishaupt founds secret society of Illuminati

The Illuminati is a name given to several groups, both real and fictitious. Historically, the name usually refers to the Bavarian Illuminati, an Enlightenment-era secret society founded by Adam Weishaupt in 1776. The society's goals were to oppose superstition, obscurantism, religious influence over public life, and abuses of state power.

Binomial nomenclature

Swedish biologist Carl Linnaeus published his famous book Species Plantarum. It was the first work which consistently applied binomial names. Every species had a name consisted of two words. First part identified the genus, second identified the species. Species Plantarum was the start of the modern biological taxonomy.

Acts of Union comes into force

The Acts of Union were two Acts of Parliament: the Union with Scotland Act passed by the Parliament of England, and the Union with England Act passed by the Parliament of Scotland. They put into effect the terms of the Treaty of Union, following negotiation between commissioners representing the parliaments of the two countries.

The First War of Scottish Independence end

The First War of Scottish Independence was the initial chapter of engagements in a series of warring periods between English and Scottish forces lasting from the invasion by England until the restoration of Scottish independence with the Treaty of Edinburgh.

Anniversaries of the (in)famous

died 1937

Fanny Marc