May 10th in History
1896: The American transcontinental railroad is completed
1933: Nazis burn 'un-German' books outside Berlin University
1994: Nelson Mandella sworn in as the president of South Africa


May 10th birthdays
1899: Fred Astaire, American Actor
1902: David O Selznick, American film producer

May 11th in History
1709: Large numbers of Germans begin emigrating to North America
1931: During Spanish civil war, martial Law is announced in several Spanish cities
1949: Siam changes its name to Thailand
1949: Israel becomes a member of the United Nations


May 11th birthdays
1803: Hector Berlioz, French composer
1880: Irving Berlin, American composer
1931: Rupert Murdoch, Media tycoon
1963: Natasha Richardson, American Actress

May 12th in History
1881: Tunisia becomes a French protectorate
1937: British King George VI coronated in Westminster Abbey
1949: The blockade of the city of Berlin, by the USSR, is officially lifted


May 12th birthdays
1567: Claudio Monteverdi, Italian composer
1820: Florence Nightingale, English pioneer of nursing
1828: Dante Rossetti, English artist and poet
1929: Burt Bacharach, American Composer

May 13th in History
1846: The United States declare war on Mexico
1927: Black Friday' in Germany, the day when the economic collapse of Germany begins.
1944: Hitler gives permission for German forces to withdraw from the USSR
1981: Pope John Paul II is shot and wounded


May 13th birthdays
1265: Dante Alighieri, Italian poet
1907: Daphne du Maurier, English novelist
1950: Stevie Wonder, American singer

May 14th in History
1610: Henry IV of France assassinated
1940: Rotterdam, in Holland, captured by German forces during WW2
1948: Jewish provisional government formed as British Mandate for Palestine ends
1955: The Warsaw Pact signed by Eastern bloc countries
1973: The United States launch the Skylab 1 space station


May 14th birthdays
1686: Gabriel Daniel Fahrenheit, German inventor of mercury thermometer
1727: Thomas Gainsborough, British artist
1944: George Lucas, Creator of the Star Wars films

May 15th in History
1902: Portugal declares itself bankrupt
1908: Artist Claude Monet destroys some of his paintings, which he didn't like
1988: Soviet troops begin their withdrawl from Afghanistan


May 15th birthdays
1859: Pierre Curie, French physicist
1909: James Mason, British actor

May 16th in History
1770: The Dauphin of France and Marie Antoinette get married
1804: Napoleon declared Emperor of France
1920: Switzerland joins the League of Nations
1929: The first ever Academy Awards (Oscars) are held
1985: Sinn Fein wins its first seats in the Northern Ireland local elections


May 16th birthdays
1905: Henry Fonda, American oscar winning film actor
1955: Debra Winger, American film actress

May 17th in History
1939: Sweden, Norway and Finland reject Germany's non-aggression pact
1940: The Belgian government moves to Ostend because of invading German forces
1973: The Senate Select Committee hearings on Watergate open
1991: Tim Berners-Lee announce the official launch of the first website


May 17th birthdays
1866: Erik Satie, French composer
1911: Maureen O'Sullivan, American film actress
1938: Dennis Hopper, American film actor

May 18th in History
1900: Tonga becomes a British protectorate
1910: The first ever conference on air traffic opens in Paris
1936: The Spanish Civil breaks out
1980: Mt St. Helens, North America, erupts causing widespread damage
1983: Sri Lanka impose a State of Emergency after election violence
1990: Treaty forming the basis for monetary union between East and West Germany signed


May 18th birthdays
1872: Bertrand Russell, English philospher
1883: Walter Gropius, American architect
1918: Pope John Paul II, Head of the Catholic Church

May 19th in History
1568: Mary, queen of Scots, arrested.
1649: England declared a Commonwealth
1802: Napoleon creates the "Legion d'honneur" , the most prestigious French award
1906: The last British soldiers leave Canada
1967: The United States, Soviet Union, and United Kingdom agree to ban nuclear weapons from outer space


May 19th birthdays
1890: Ho Chi Minh, Vietnamese leader, after whom Saigon was renamed
1925: Malcom X, controversial American civil rights leader