| 1856 |
|
U.S.
Army troops from Fort Tejon and Fort
Miller prepare to ride out to
protect Keyesville, California, from
Yokut Indian attack. |
| 1861 |
|
Arkansas
becomes the ninth state to secede
from the Union. |
| 1862 |
|
Henry
David Thoreau dies of tuberculosis
at age 44. |
| 1864 |
|
In
the second day of the Battle of
Wilderness between Union General
Ulysses S. Grant and Confederate
General Robert E. Lee, Confederate
Gen. James Longstreet is wounded by
his own men. |
| 1877 |
|
Chief
Crazy Horse surrenders to U.S.
troops in Nebraska.Crazy Horse
brought General Custer to his end. |
| 1937 |
|
The
dirigible Hindenburg explodes in
flames at Lakehurst, New Jersey. |
| 1941 |
|
Bob
Hope gives his first USO show at
California's March Field. |
| 1942 |
|
General
Jonathan Wainwright surrenders
Corregidor to the Japanese. |
| 1944 |
|
The
Red Army besieges and captures
Sevastopol in the Crimea. |
| 1945 |
|
Axis
Sally makes her final propaganda
broadcast to Allied troops. |
| 1954 |
|
British
runner Roger Banister breaks the
four minute mile. |
| 1960 |
|
President
Dwight D. Eisenhower signs the Civil
Rights Act of 1960. |
| 1962 |
|
The
first nuclear warhead is fired from
a Polaris submarine. |
| 1994 |
|
The
Channel Tunnel linking England to
France is officially opened. |
Born on May 6 |
| 973 |
|
Henry
II, Holy Roman emperor. |
| 1740 |
|
John
Penn, signer of the Declaration of
Independence. |
| 1758 |
|
Maximilien
Robespierre, French revolutionary. |
| 1840 |
|
Frederick
William Stowe, son of the Harriet
Beecher Stowe. |
| 1856 |
|
Robert
Edward Peary, arctic explorer and
the first man to reach the North
Pole. |
| 1856 |
|
Sigmund
Freud, Austrian neurologist, founder
of psychoanalysis. |
| 1868 |
|
Gaston
Leroux, French novelist (The
Phantom of the Opera). |
| 1888 |
|
Russell
Stover, candy manufacturer. |
| 1895 |
|
Rudolph
Valentino, actor, film icon. |
| 1902 |
|
Max
Ophuls, film director (La Ronde,
Lola Montes). |
| 1915 |
|
Orson
Welles, actor, director, and writer
(Citizen Kane). |
| 1931 |
|
Willie
Mays, baseball player. |
| 1942 |
|
Ariel
Dorfman, Chilean writer (Death
and the Maiden). |
