44 Events
116 Births
106 Deaths
- 2023 The May 9 riots following the arrest of Imran Khan in Pakistan. ↗
- 2022 Russo-Ukrainian War: United States President Joe Biden signs the 2022 Lend-Lease Act into law, a rebooted World War II-era policy expediting American equipment to Ukraine and other Eastern European countries. ↗
- 2020 The COVID-19 recession causes the U.S. unemployment rate to hit 14.9 percent, its worst rate since the Great Depression. ↗
- 2018 Barisan Nasional, the coalition that had governed Malaysia since the country's independence in 1957, suffer an historic defeat in the 2018 Malaysian general election. ↗
- 2002 The 38-day stand-off in the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem comes to an end when the Palestinians inside agree to have 13 suspected terrorists among them deported to several different countries. ↗
- 2001 In Ghana, 129 football fans die in what became known as the Accra Sports Stadium disaster. The deaths are caused by a stampede (caused by the firing of tear gas by police personnel at the stadium) that followed a controversial decision by the referee. ↗
- 1992 Armenian forces capture Shusha, marking a major turning point in the First Nagorno-Karabakh War. ↗
- 1992 Westray Mine disaster kills 26 workers in Nova Scotia, Canada. ↗
- 1988 New Parliament House, Canberra officially opens. ↗
- 1987 LOT Flight 5055 Tadeusz Kościuszko crashes after takeoff in Warsaw, Poland, killing all 183 people on board. ↗
- 1980 In Florida, United States, Liberian freighter MV Summit Venture collides with the Sunshine Skyway Bridge over Tampa Bay, making a 430-meter (1,400 ft) section of the southbound span collapse. Thirty-five people in six cars and a Greyhound bus fall 46 metres (150 ft) into the water and die. ↗
- 1980 In Norco, California, United States, five masked gunmen hold up a Security Pacific bank, leading to a violent shoot-out and one of the largest pursuits in California history. Two of the gunmen and one police officer are killed and thirty-three police and civilian vehicles are destroyed in the chase. ↗
- 1979 Iranian Jewish businessman Habib Elghanian is executed by firing squad in Tehran, prompting the mass exodus of the once 100,000-strong Jewish community of Iran. ↗
- 1974 Watergate scandal: The United States House Committee on the Judiciary opens formal and public impeachment hearings against President Richard Nixon. ↗
- 1969 Carlos Lamarca leads the first urban guerrilla action against the military dictatorship of Brazil in São Paulo, by robbing two banks. ↗
- 1960 The Food and Drug Administration announces it will approve birth control as an additional indication for Searle's Enovid, making Enovid the world's first approved oral contraceptive pill. ↗
- 1955 Cold War: West Germany joins NATO. ↗
- 1950 Robert Schuman presents the "Schuman Declaration", considered by some to be the beginning of the creation of what is now the European Union. ↗
- 1948 Czechoslovakia's Ninth-of-May Constitution comes into effect. ↗
- 1946 King Victor Emmanuel III of Italy abdicates and is succeeded by Umberto II. ↗
- 1945 World War II: the Channel Islands are liberated from Nazi occupation. ↗
- 1942 The Holocaust in Ukraine: The SS executes 588 Jewish residents of the Podolian town of Zinkiv (Khmelnytska oblast. The Zoludek Ghetto (in Belarus) is destroyed and all its inhabitants executed or deported. ↗
- 1941 World War II: The German submarine U-110 is captured by the Royal Navy. On board is the latest Enigma machine which Allied cryptographers later use to break coded German messages. ↗
- 1936 Italy formally annexes Ethiopia after taking the capital Addis Ababa on May 5. ↗
- 1927 The Old Parliament House, Canberra, Australia, officially opens. ↗
- 1926 Admiral Richard E. Byrd and Floyd Bennett claim to have flown over the North Pole (later discovery of Byrd's diary appears to cast some doubt on the claim.) ↗
- 1920 Polish–Soviet War: The Polish army under General Edward Rydz-Śmigły celebrates its capture of Kiev with a victory parade on Khreshchatyk. ↗
- 1918 World War I: Germany repels Britain's second attempt to blockade the port of Ostend, Belgium. ↗
- 1915 World War I: Second Battle of Artois between German and French forces. ↗
- 1901 Australia opens its first national parliament in Melbourne. ↗
- 1877 Mihail Kogălniceanu reads, in the Chamber of Deputies, the Declaration of Independence of Romania. The date will become recognised as the Independence Day of Romania. ↗
- 1873 Der Krach: The Vienna stock exchange crash begins the Panic of 1873 and heralds the Long Depression. ↗
- 1865 American Civil War: Nathan Bedford Forrest surrenders his forces at Gainesville, Alabama. ↗
- 1865 American Civil War: President Andrew Johnson issues a proclamation ending belligerent rights of the rebels and enjoining foreign nations to intern or expel Confederate ships. ↗
- 1864 Second Schleswig War: The Danish navy defeats the Austrian and Prussian fleets in the Battle of Heligoland. ↗
- 1761 Exhibition of 1761, the inaugural exhibition of the Society of Artists of Great Britain opens at Spring Gardens in London. ↗
- 1726 Five men arrested during a raid on Mother Clap's molly house in London are executed at Tyburn. ↗
- 1671 Thomas Blood, disguised as a clergyman, attempts to steal England's Crown Jewels from the Tower of London. ↗
- 1662 The figure who later became Mr. Punch makes his first recorded appearance in England. ↗
- 1540 Hernando de Alarcón sets sail on an expedition to the Gulf of California. ↗
- 1450 Timurid monarch 'Abd al-Latif is assassinated. ↗
- 1386 England and Portugal formally ratify their alliance with the signing of the Treaty of Windsor, making it the oldest diplomatic alliance in the world which is still in force. ↗
- 1009 Lombard Revolt: Lombard forces led by Melus revolt in Bari against the Byzantine Catepanate of Italy. ↗
- 328 Athanasius is elected Patriarch of Alexandria. ↗
- 2000 Trey Lance, American football player ↗
- 1996 Noah Centineo, American actor ↗
- 1995 Tommy Edman, American baseball player ↗
- 1995 Beth Mead, English footballer ↗
- 1995 Shaboozey, American rapper and singer-songwriter ↗
- 1992 Dan Burn, English footballer ↗
- 1991 Majlinda Kelmendi, Kosovar judoka ↗
- 1989 Ellen White, English footballer ↗
- 1989 Daniel Rosenfeld, German musician ↗
- 1988 J. R. Fitzpatrick, Canadian racing driver ↗
- 1987 Kevin Gameiro, French footballer ↗
- 1985 Jake Long, American football player ↗
- 1984 Prince Fielder, American baseball player ↗
- 1983 Gilles Müller, Luxembourgian tennis player ↗
- 1980 Grant Hackett, Australian swimmer ↗
- 1979 Rosario Dawson, American actress ↗
- 1979 Brandon Webb, American baseball player ↗
- 1977 Averno, Mexican wrestler ↗
- 1977 Marek Jankulovski, Czech footballer ↗
- 1977 Svein Tuft, Canadian cyclist ↗
- 1975 Tamia, Canadian singer-songwriter, producer, and actress ↗
- 1975 Brian Deegan, American motocross rider ↗
- 1973 Tegla Loroupe, Kenyan runner ↗
- 1970 Doug Christie, American basketball player and coach ↗
- 1970 Hao Haidong, Chinese footballer ↗
- 1970 Ghostface Killah, American rapper and actor ↗
- 1968 Graham Harman, American philosopher and academic ↗
- 1968 Ruth Kelly, British economist and politician, Secretary of State for Transport ↗
- 1968 Marie-José Pérec, French sprinter ↗
- 1965 Steve Yzerman, Canadian ice hockey player and manager ↗
- 1962 Dave Gahan, English singer-songwriter ↗
- 1962 Paul Heaton, English singer-songwriter ↗
- 1961 John Corbett, American actor ↗
- 1960 Tony Gwynn, American baseball player and coach (died 2014) ↗
- 1956 Wendy Crewson, Canadian actress and producer ↗
- 1955 Meles Zenawi, Prime Minister of Ethiopia (died 2012) ↗
- 1955 Anne Sofie von Otter, Swedish soprano and actress ↗
- 1951 Alley Mills, American actress ↗
- 1951 Joy Harjo, American poet, musician, playwright and author, 23rd United States Poet Laureate ↗
- 1949 Billy Joel, American singer-songwriter and pianist ↗
- 1948 Calvin Murphy, American basketball player and radio host ↗
- 1947 Yukiya Amano, Japanese diplomat (died 2019) ↗
- 1946 Candice Bergen, American actress and producer ↗
- 1945 Jupp Heynckes, German footballer and manager ↗
- 1943 Vince Cable, English economist and politician, former Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills ↗
- 1943 Colin Pillinger, English astronomer, chemist, and academic (died 2014) ↗
- 1942 John Ashcroft, American lawyer and politician, 79th United States Attorney General ↗
- 1942 David Gergen, American political consultant (died 2025) ↗
- 1941 Dorothy Hyman, English sprinter ↗
- 1940 James L. Brooks, American director, producer, and screenwriter ↗
- 1939 Ion Țiriac, Romanian tennis player and manager ↗
- 1938 Carroll Cole, American serial killer (died 1985) ↗
- 1938 Charles Simić, Serbian-American poet and editor (died 2023) ↗
- 1937 Dave Prater, American singer (died 1988) ↗
- 1936 Albert Finney, English actor (died 2019) ↗
- 1936 Glenda Jackson, English actress and politician (died 2023) ↗
- 1935 Nokie Edwards, American guitarist (died 2018) ↗
- 1934 Alan Bennett, English screenwriter, playwright, and novelist ↗
- 1932 Geraldine McEwan, English actress (died 2015) ↗
- 1931 Vance D. Brand, American pilot, engineer, and astronaut ↗
- 1930 Joan Sims, English actress (died 2001) ↗
- 1928 Pancho Gonzales, American tennis player (died 1995) ↗
- 1928 Barbara Ann Scott, Canadian figure skater (died 2012) ↗
- 1927 Manfred Eigen, German chemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (died 2019) ↗
- 1924 Bulat Okudzhava, Russian singer, poet, and author (died 1997) ↗
- 1921 Daniel Berrigan, American priest, poet, and activist (died 2016) ↗
- 1921 Sophie Scholl, German activist (died 1943) ↗
- 1918 Mike Wallace, American journalist (died 2012) ↗
- 1914 Carlo Maria Giulini, Italian conductor and director (died 2005) ↗
- 1914 J. Merrill Knapp, American musicologist (died 1993) ↗
- 1914 Hank Snow, American country music singer-songwriter and guitarist (died 1999) ↗
- 1912 Pedro Armendáriz, Mexican-American actor (died 1963) ↗
- 1909 Gordon Bunshaft, American architect, designed the Solow Building (died 1990) ↗
- 1908 Billy Jurges, American baseball player and manager (died 1997) ↗
- 1907 Jackie Grant, Trinidadian cricketer (died 1978) ↗
- 1907 Baldur von Schirach, German politician (died 1974) ↗
- 1900 Maria Malicka, Polish stage and film actress (died 1992) ↗
- 1896 Richard Day, Canadian-American art director and set decorator (died 1972) ↗
- 1895 Richard Barthelmess, American actor (died 1963) ↗
- 1895 Lucian Blaga, Romanian poet, playwright, and philosopher (died 1961) ↗
- 1895 Frank Foss, American pole vaulter (died 1989) ↗
- 1894 Benjamin Graham, British-American economist, professor, and investor (died 1976) ↗
- 1893 William Moulton Marston, American psychologist and author (died 1947) ↗
- 1892 Zita of Bourbon-Parma, last Empress of the Austro-Hungarian Empire (died 1989) ↗
- 1888 Francesco Baracca, Italian fighter pilot (died 1918) ↗
- 1888 Rolf de Maré, Swedish art collector (died 1964) ↗
- 1885 Gianni Vella, Maltese artist (died 1977) ↗
- 1884 Valdemar Psilander, Danish actor (died 1917) ↗
- 1883 José Ortega y Gasset, Spanish philosopher, author, and critic (died 1955) ↗
- 1882 George Barker, American painter (died 1965) ↗
- 1882 Henry J. Kaiser, American shipbuilder and businessman, founded Kaiser Shipyards (died 1967) ↗
- 1874 Howard Carter, English archaeologist and historian (died 1939) ↗
- 1873 Anton Cermak, Czech-American captain and politician, 44th Mayor of Chicago (died 1933) ↗
- 1870 Harry Vardon, British golfer (died 1937) ↗
- 1866 Gopal Krishna Gokhale, Indian economist and politician (died 1915) ↗
- 1860 J. M. Barrie, Scottish novelist and playwright (died 1937) ↗
- 1855 Julius Röntgen, German-Dutch composer (died 1932) ↗
- 1850 Edward Weston, English-American chemist (died 1936) ↗
- 1845 Gustaf de Laval, Swedish engineer and businessman (died 1913) ↗
- 1837 Adam Opel, German engineer, founded the Opel Company (died 1895) ↗
- 1836 Ferdinand Monoyer, French ophthalmologist, invented the Monoyer chart (died 1912) ↗
- 1825 James Collinson, Victorian painter (died 1881) ↗
- 1824 Jacob ben Moses Bachrach, Polish apologist and author (died 1896) ↗
- 1823 Frederick Weld, English-New Zealand politician, 6th Prime Minister of New Zealand (died 1891) ↗
- 1814 John Brougham, Irish-American actor and playwright (died 1880) ↗
- 1801 Peter Hesketh-Fleetwood, English politician, founded the town of Fleetwood (died 1866) ↗
- 1800 John Brown, American abolitionist (died 1859) ↗
- 1763 János Batsányi, Hungarian-Austrian poet and author (died 1845) ↗
- 1746 Gaspard Monge, French mathematician and engineer (died 1818) ↗
- 1740 Giovanni Paisiello, Italian composer and educator (probable; (died 1816) ↗
- 1617 Frederick, Landgrave of Hesse-Eschwege (died 1655) ↗
- 1594 Louis Henry, Prince of Nassau-Dillenburg, military leader in the Thirty Years' War (died 1662) ↗
- 1555 Jerónima de la Asunción, Spanish Catholic nun and founder of the first monastery in Manila (died 1630) ↗
- 1540 Maharana Pratap, Indian ruler (died 1597) ↗
- 1151 al-Adid, last Fatimid caliph (died 1171) ↗
- 1147 Minamoto no Yoritomo, Japanese shōgun (died 1199) ↗
- 2024 Sean Burroughs, American baseball player (born 1980) ↗
- 2024 Roger Corman, American film director, producer, and actor (born 1926) ↗
- 2024 Rex Murphy, Canadian political commentator (born 1947) ↗
- 2022 John Leo, American a writer and journalist (born 1935) ↗
- 2022 Rieko Kodama, Japanese game developer (born 1963) ↗
- 2020 Little Richard – American singer, songwriter, and pianist (born 1932) ↗
- 2019 Freddie Starr, English comedian, impressionist, singer and actor (born 1943) ↗
- 2018 Per Kirkeby, Danish painter, poet, film maker and sculptor (born 1938) ↗
- 2017 Robert Miles, a Swiss-born Italian record producer, composer, musician and DJ (born 1969) ↗
- 2015 Edward W. Estlow, American football player and journalist (born 1920) ↗
- 2015 Kenan Evren, Turkish general and politician, 7th President of Turkey (born 1917) ↗
- 2015 Elizabeth Wilson, American actress (born 1921) ↗
- 2014 Giacomo Bini, Italian priest and missionary (born 1938) ↗
- 2014 Harlan Mathews, American lawyer and politician (born 1927) ↗
- 2014 Nedurumalli Janardhana Reddy, Indian politician, 12th Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh (born 1935) ↗
- 2014 Mary Stewart, British author and poet (born 1916) ↗
- 2013 Ramón Blanco Rodríguez, Spanish footballer and manager (born 1952) ↗
- 2013 George M. Leader, American soldier and politician, 36th Governor of Pennsylvania (born 1918) ↗
- 2013 Humberto Lugo Gil, Mexican lawyer and politician, 23rd Governor of Hidalgo (born 1933) ↗
- 2013 Ottavio Missoni, Italian hurdler and fashion designer, founded Missoni (born 1921) ↗
- 2012 Bertram Cohler, American psychologist, psychoanalyst, and academic (born 1938) ↗
- 2012 Geoffrey Henry, Cook Islander lawyer and politician, 3rd Prime Minister of the Cook Islands (born 1940) ↗
- 2012 Vidal Sassoon, English-American hairdresser and businessman (born 1928) ↗
- 2011 Wouter Weylandt, Belgian cyclist (born 1984) ↗
- 2010 Lena Horne, American singer, actress, and activist (born 1917) ↗
- 2010 Otakar Motejl, Czech lawyer and politician (born 1932) ↗
- 2009 Chuck Daly, American basketball player and coach (born 1930) ↗
- 2008 Jack Gibson, Australian rugby league player, coach, and sportscaster (born 1929) ↗
- 2008 Baptiste Manzini, American football player (born 1920) ↗
- 2008 Nuala O'Faolain, Irish journalist and producer (born 1942) ↗
- 2008 Pascal Sevran, French singer, television host, and author (born 1945) ↗
- 2007 Dwight Wilson, Canadian soldier (born 1901) ↗
- 2004 Akhmad Kadyrov, Chechen cleric and politician, 1st President of the Chechen Republic (born 1951) ↗
- 2004 Alan King, American actor, producer, and screenwriter (born 1927) ↗
- 2004 Brenda Fassie, South African singer (born 1964) ↗
- 2003 Russell B. Long, American lieutenant, lawyer, and politician (born 1918) ↗
- 1998 Alice Faye, American actress and singer (born 1915) ↗
- 1998 Talat Mahmood, Indian singer and actor (born 1924) ↗
- 1997 Rawya Ateya, Egyptian captain and politician (born 1926) ↗
- 1997 Marco Ferreri, Italian actor, director, and screenwriter (born 1928) ↗
- 1994 Elias Motsoaledi, South African activist (born 1924) ↗
- 1993 Penelope Gilliatt, English novelist, short story writer, and critic (born 1932) ↗
- 1989 Keith Whitley, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (born 1954) ↗
- 1987 Obafemi Awolowo, Nigerian lawyer and politician (born 1909) ↗
- 1986 Tenzing Norgay, Nepalese mountaineer (born 1914) ↗
- 1985 Edmond O'Brien, American actor and director (born 1915) ↗
- 1983 Henry Bachtold, Australian soldier and railway engineer (born 1891) ↗
- 1981 Nelson Algren, American novelist and short story writer (born 1909) ↗
- 1981 Rolf Just Nilsen, Norwegian singer and actor (born 1931) ↗
- 1980 Kate Molale, South African activist (born 1928) ↗
- 1979 Cyrus S. Eaton, Canadian-American banker, businessman, and philanthropist (born 1883) ↗
- 1979 Eddie Jefferson, American singer and lyricist (born 1918) ↗
- 1978 Giuseppe Impastato, Italian journalist and activist (born 1948) ↗
- 1978 Aldo Moro, Italian lawyer and politician, 38th Prime Minister of Italy (born 1916) ↗
- 1977 James Jones, American novelist (born 1921) ↗
- 1976 Jens Bjørneboe, Norwegian author, poet, and playwright (born 1920) ↗
- 1976 Ulrike Meinhof, German militant, co-founded the Red Army Faction (born 1934) ↗
- 1970 Walter Reuther, American union leader (born 1907) ↗
- 1968 Mercedes de Acosta, American author, poet, and playwright (born 1893) ↗
- 1968 Harold Gray, American cartoonist, created Little Orphan Annie (born 1894) ↗
- 1968 Marion Lorne, American actress (born 1883) ↗
- 1968 Finlay Currie, British actor (born 1878) ↗
- 1965 Leopold Figl, Austrian engineer and politician, 18th Chancellor of Austria (born 1902) ↗
- 1959 Bhaurao Patil, Indian activist and educator (born 1887) ↗
- 1957 Ernest de Silva, Sri Lankan banker and businessman (born 1887) ↗
- 1957 Ezio Pinza, Italian actor and singer (born 1892) ↗
- 1950 Esteban Terradas i Illa, Spanish mathematician and engineer (born 1883) ↗
- 1949 Louis II, Prince of Monaco (born 1870) ↗
- 1944 Han Yong-un, Korean poet and social reformer (born 1879) ↗
- 1942 Józef Cebula, Polish priest and saint (born 1902) ↗
- 1938 Thomas B. Thrige, Danish businessman (born 1866) ↗
- 1935 Ernst Bresslau, German zoologist (born 1877) ↗
- 1933 John Arthur Jarvis, English swimmer (born 1872) ↗
- 1931 Albert Abraham Michelson, German-American physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (born 1852) ↗
- 1918 George Coșbuc, Romanian journalist and poet (born 1866) ↗
- 1915 François Faber, Luxembourgian-French cyclist and soldier (born 1887) ↗
- 1915 Anthony Wilding, New Zealand tennis player and cricketer (born 1883) ↗
- 1914 C. W. Post, American businessman, founded Post Foods (born 1854) ↗
- 1911 Thomas Wentworth Higginson, American abolitionist (born 1823) ↗
- 1906 Oscar von Gebhardt, German theologian and academic (born 1844) ↗
- 1889 William S. Harney, American general (born 1800) ↗
- 1864 John Sedgwick, American general and educator (born 1813) ↗
- 1861 Ernst von Lasaulx, German philologist and politician (born 1805) ↗
- 1850 Joseph Louis Gay-Lussac, French chemist and physicist (born 1778) ↗
- 1850 Garlieb Merkel, Estonian author and activist (born 1769) ↗
- 1805 Friedrich Schiller, German poet, playwright, and historian (born 1759) ↗
- 1791 Francis Hopkinson, American judge and politician (born 1737) ↗
- 1790 William Clingan, American politician (born 1721) ↗
- 1789 Jean-Baptiste Vaquette de Gribeauval, French general and engineer (born 1715) ↗
- 1760 Nicolaus Zinzendorf, German bishop and saint (born 1700) ↗
- 1747 John Dalrymple, 2nd Earl of Stair, Scottish field marshal and diplomat, British Ambassador to France (born 1673) ↗
- 1745 Tomaso Antonio Vitali, Italian violinist and composer (born 1663) ↗
- 1736 Diogo de Mendonça Corte-Real, Portuguese judge and politician (born 1658) ↗
- 1707 Dieterich Buxtehude, German-Danish organist and composer (born 1637) ↗
- 1657 William Bradford, English-American politician, 2nd Governor of Plymouth Colony (born 1590) ↗
- 1590 Charles de Bourbon French cardinal and pretender to the throne (born 1523) ↗
- 1446 Mary of Enghien (born 1368) ↗
- 1443 Niccolò Albergati, Italian Cardinal and diplomat (born 1373) ↗
- 1329 John Drokensford, Bishop of Bath and Wells ↗
- 1315 Hugh V, Duke of Burgundy (born 1282) ↗
- 1280 Magnus VI of Norway ↗
- 934 Wang Sitong, Chinese general and governor (born 892) ↗
- 909 Adalgar, archbishop of Hamburg-Bremen ↗
- 893 Shi Pu, warlord of the Tang Dynasty ↗
- 729 Osric, king of Northumbria ↗
- 480 Julius Nepos, Western Roman Emperor ↗