Today in History
Important Events
- 585 BC Solar eclipse, as predicted by Greek philosopher Thales, while Lydians at war with the Medes leads to a truce. One of the cardinal dates from which other dates calculated.
- 1431 Joan of Arc is accused of relapsing into heresy by donning male clothing again, providing justification for her execution
- 1588 Spanish Armada under the Duke of Medina-Sidonia departs Lisbon to invade England
- 1830 US President Andrew Jackson signs the Indian Removal Act, authorizing the Army to force Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Creek, and Seminole tribes out of Georgia and surrounding states, setting the stage for the Cherokee Trail of Tears
- 1936 Alan Turing submits "On Computable Numbers" for publication, in which he set out the theoretical basis for modern computers.
- 1972 White House "plumbers" first break in at the Democratic National Headquarters at Watergate Complex in Washington, D.C.
Today in Film & TV
- 1951 Radio programme "Crazy People" (later titled The Goon Show) premieres on the BBC, created by Spike Milligan
Today in Sport
- 1742 1st indoor swimming pool opens (Goodman's Fields, London)
Did You Know?
Near Callander, Ontario, the Dionne quintuplets are born to Olivia and Elzire Dionne, later becoming the first quintuplets to survive infancy
On this day in 1934
George I
William Pitt the Younger
Jim Thorpe
Charles II
Patrick Henry
John F. KennedyWould You Believe?
Monkeys Able & Baker zoom 300 miles (500 km) into space on Jupiter missile, become 1st animals retrieved from a space mission
On this day in 1959
Famous Weddings
- 1894 Belgium Princess Josephine marries Prince Karl von Hohenzollern
- 1948 Film director Stanley Kubrick (19) weds high school sweetheart Toba Metz
- 1954 "The Bad and the Beautiful" actor Kirk Douglas (37) weds producer Ann Buydens (24) at Sahara Hotel in Las Vegas
Famous Divorces
- 1533 The Archbishop of Canterbury voids the marriage of King Henry VIII of England and Anne Boleyn
- 2013 Actress Courteney Cox and actor David Arquette divorce after 13 years of marriage
Edward VIII
Phil Hartman
Maya Angelou
Bartolomeu Dias
Mary Pickford
Manuel NoriegaThis Month in History
Ship that Changed the Face of Britain
Britain was on its knees after the Second World War, its economy and infrastructure in tatters. For help the Mother Country turned to the Commonwealth.
May 27, 1948A Modern Major-General of Light Entertainment
William Gilbert, celebrated as the unique lyricist behind the highly popular Gilbert and Sullivan comic operas, met his death in highly unexpected circumstances.
May 29, 1911Voltaire: Writer, Wit, Philosopher and Rebel
They burned his books, sent him to the Bastille and into exile, but Voltaire, who died on this day, remained rich, successful – and defiant.
May 30, 1778Cloak And Dagger World of Walter Raleigh
Sir Walter Raleigh's secret marriage to a lady-in-waiting was uncovered on this day. It ruined his career, but things were to get much worse.
May 31, 1592
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