| 1814 |
|
British
attack the American forces at Ft.
Ontario, Oswego, New York. |
| 1821 |
|
Napoleon
Bonaparte dies in exile on the
island of St. Helena. |
| 1834 |
|
The
first mainland railway line opens in
Belgium. |
| 1862 |
|
Union
and Confederate forces clash at the
Battle of Williamsburg, part of the
Peninsula Campaign.Eyewitness to War |
| 1862 |
|
Mexican
forces loyal to Benito Juarez defeat
troops sent by Napoleon III in the
Battle of Puebla. |
| 1865 |
|
The
13th Amendment is ratified,
abolishing slavery. |
| 1886 |
|
A
bomb explodes on the fourth day of a
workers' strike in Chicago. |
| 1912 |
|
Soviet
Communist Party newspaper Pravda
begins publishing. |
| 1916 |
|
U.S.
Marines invade the Dominican
Republic. |
| 1917 |
|
Eugene
Jacques Bullard becomes the first
African-American aviator when he
earns a flying certificate with the
French Air Service. |
| 1920 |
|
Anarchists
Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Visetti
are arrested for murder. |
| 1935 |
|
American
Jesse Owens sets the long jump
record. |
| 1942 |
|
General
Joseph Stilwell learns that the
Japanese have cut his railway out of
China and is forced to lead his
troops into India. |
| 1945 |
|
Holland
and Denmark are liberated from Nazi
control. |
| 1961 |
|
Alan
Shepard becomes the first American
in space. |
| 1968 |
|
U.S.
Air Force planes hit Nhi Ha, South
Vietnam in support of attacking
infantrymen. |
Born on May 5 |
| 1813 |
|
Soren
Kierkegaard, Danish philosopher. |
| 1818 |
|
Karl
Marx, German philosopher (The
Communist Manifesto, Das
Kapital). |
| 1830 |
|
John
B. Stetson, American hat maker. |
| 1861 |
|
Peter
Cooper Hewitt, electrical engineer,
inventor of the mercury-vapor lamp. |
| 1883 |
|
Charles
Albert "Chief" Bender,
baseball player. |
| 1890 |
|
Christopher
Morley, writer (Kitty Foyle). |
| 1899 |
|
Freeman
F. Gosden, radio comedy writer and
performer (Amos 'n' Andy). |
| 1908 |
|
Rex
Harrison, actor (My Fair Lady). |
| 1909 |
|
Carlos
Baker, biographer. |
| 1943 |
|
Michael
Palin, actor and screenwriter (Monty
Python's Flying Circus). |
