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Alitalia files for bankrupt

Alitalia is the flag carrier of Italy with its head office in Fiumicino. After their employee rejected job-cuts proposal aimed at reducing costs, the airline announced that it will start going through a bankruptcy process. Ryanair expressed interest in Alitalia but dropped its bid after the chaos caused by Ryanair's cancellation of flights.

'The Scream' sells at auction for $119,922,500

"The Scream" is the popular name given to each of four versions of a composition, created as both paintings and pastels, by Norwegian Expressionist artist Edvard Munch. The fourth version was sold for $119,922,600 to financier Leon Black, the fourth highest nominal price paid for a painting at auction.

Osama bin Laden is killed by US special forces

Osama bin Laden was killed in Pakistan shortly after 1:00 am by United States Navy SEALs of the U.S. Naval Special Warfare Development Group. The operation, code-named Operation Neptune Spear, was carried out in a CIA-led operation with Joint Special Operations Command coordinating the Special Mission Units involved in the raid.

Greece debt crises culminates, €110bn bailout agreed

The European Commission, ECB, and IMF launched a €110 billion bailout loan to rescue Greece from sovereign default and cover its financial needs through June 2013, conditional on implementation of austerity measures, structural reforms and privatization of government assets.

Sotheby's and Christie's chiefs charged of overcharging customers

A federal jury in the US has indicted the former chairmen of the world's two largest auction houses, Sotheby's and Christie's, on charges of overcharging its customers. It said sellers in the US alone were charged more than $400m in commissions during the six years of the alleged conspiracy. In 2002 Alfred Taubman gets a year in jail.

President Clinton announces US army to allow public use of GPS

The Global Positioning System is a satellite-based radionavigation system owned by the United States government and operated by the United States Air Force. On May 2nd, selective availability was discontinued as a result of the 1996 executive order, allowing civilian users to receive a non-degraded signal globally.

Greece allows to join eurozone

Greece qualified to join Eurozone roughly 19 years after it became a member state of European Union. The country was admitted at the start of following year before the notes and coins were introduced and replaced national currency.

Tony Blair becomes Britain's youngest prime minister

Labour Party's Tony Blair became the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom at 44. He was the youngest person to become Prime Minister since Lord Liverpool took office in 1812 at age 42. Blair was the Labour Party's longest-serving Prime Minister, remaining in the post from 1997 to 2007.

Nelson Mandela wins in South Africa's first democratic elections

Nelson Mandela was elected president of South Africa in the first elections where citizens of all races were allowed to vote, making him the country's first black chief executive. The elections were held on 27 April 1994. This day later became a public holiday in South Africa.

Hungary begins dismantling its border fence with Austria as Cold War ends

During the collapse of communism in Hungary, people began the removal of fence along the Austrian border. The dismantling of the electric fence was the first step in lifting the „Iron Curtain”. The event caused a chain reaction which eventually resulted in the destruction of Berlin Wall, unifying Europe again.

The Weather Channel makes its debut

The Weather Channel launched with the intention of providing continuous weather reports to the public. The first broadcast was anchored by meteorologists Bruce Edwards and André Bernier. The channel focuses on providing weather information for the United States and other countries.

First Director of the FBI, J. Edgar Hoover, dies

John Edgar Hoover was an American detective and the first Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation of the United States. Hoover remained director of the FBI until he died of a heart attack in his Washington home. Operational command of the Bureau passed to Associate Director Clyde Tolson.

First commercial jetliner takes to the air

British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC) introduced its first passenger jet, the de Havilland Comet. It offered a relatively quiet, comfortable cabin. But soon after its introduction, problems began to arise. Within a year, three comets had crashed. The defect was caused by metal fatigue, a phenomenon not fully understood at the time.

The Battle of Alcatraz breaks out

The Battle of Alcatraz was the result of an unsuccessful escape attempt at Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary. Two corrections officers were killed along with three inmates. Eleven corrections officers and one uninvolved convict were also injured. Two of the surviving convicts were later executed for their roles.

Soviet Union announces the fall of Berlin

Red Army surrounded Berlin and assaulted the city. The garrison consisting of several depleted Wehrmacht and Waffen-SS divisions, along with poorly trained Hitler Youth and Volkssturm did not stand a chance against the Soviets. After the death of Hitler and his followers, General Weidling surrendered to General Vasily Chuikov.

Cheerios cereals shipped to first six test markets

Cheerios is an American brand of cereal manufactured by General Mills, consisting of pulverized oats in the shape of a solid torus. It was introduced in 1941 as CheeriOats, but the name was changed to Cheerios in 1945. Highly effective marketing led to the cereal's great success for General Mills, which sold approximately 1.8 million cases of Honey Nut Cheerios in its first year alone.

Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie leaves Ethiopia

Haile Selassie I was Ethiopia's regent and emperor. He also served as Chairperson of the Organisation of African Unity. He was a member of the Solomonic Dynasty. Haile Selassie appointed his cousin Ras Imru Haile Selassie as Prince Regent in his absence, departing with his family for French Somaliland.

General Motors acquires Chevrolet

Chevrolet is an American automobile division of the American manufacturer General Motors. Louis Chevrolet and William C. Durant started the company in 1911 as the Chevrolet Motor Car Company.In 1918, Durant used the Chevrolet Motor Car Company to acquire a controlling stake in General Motors with a reverse merger and propelled himself back to the GM presidency.

The April Uprising breaks out

The April Uprising was an insurrection organised by the Bulgarians in the Ottoman Empire, which indirectly resulted in the re-establishment of Bulgaria. The regular Ottoman Army and irregular bashi-bazouk units brutally suppressed the rebels, resulting in a public outcry in Europe, with many famous intellectuals condemning the Ottoman atrocities.

Mary, Queen of Scots escapes captivity

Mary, Queen of Scots, also known as Mary Stuart or Mary I, reigned over Scotland from 1542 to 1567. In 1568, she escaped captivity in Loch Leven Castle with the aid of George Douglas, brother of Sir William Douglas, the castle's owner.

Anniversaries of the (in)famous