What Happened in May 1815

Historical Events

  • May 3 Battle at Tolentino: Austria beats King Joachim of Naples
  • May 16 The Governor of New South Wales, Lachlan Macquarie, officially names the town of Blackheath in the upper Blue Mountains
  • May 24 George Evans discovers Lachlan River, Australia

Famous Birthdays

  • May 3 Hermanus Willem Witteveen, Dutch theologist, born in Boornbergum, Netherlands (d. 1884)
  • May 5 Eugène Marin Labiche, French playwright (The Italian Straw Hat), born in Paris (d. 1888)
  • May 8 Jean-Delphin Alard, French violinist and composer, born in Bayonne, France (d. 1888)
  • May 18 Thomas Stanhope Bocock, rep (Confederacy), (d. 1891)
  • May 19 John Gross Barnard, American Brevet Major General (Union Army), born in Sheffield, Massachusetts (d. 1882)
  • May 27 Henry Parkes, British journalist/premier of Australia

Famous Deaths

  • May 21 Roman Hoffstetter, German classical composer, dies at 73
  • May 29 Cornelis de Gijselaar, politician/patriot, dies at 64