Historical Events
- 1527 Spanish and German Imperial troops sack Rome, ending the Renaissance. Charles III is killed in the assault removing any restraint for the victorious soldiers.
- 1626 Dutch colonist Peter Minuit organizes the purchase of Manhattan Island from Native Americans for 60 guilders worth of goods, believed to have been Canarsee Indians of the Lenape
- 1889 Exposition Universelle (World's Fair) in Paris opens with the recently completed Eiffel Tower serving as the entrance arch
- 1937 German airship Hindenburg explodes in flames at Lakehurst, New Jersey, killing 35 of the 97 on board and 1 on the ground
- 1941 Joseph Stalin becomes Premier of the Soviet Union, replacing his foreign minister Vyacheslav Molotov
- More Historical Events
May 6 in Film & TV
- 2004 TV sitcom "Friends" airs season finale in 10th and final season in US (52.5 million viewers)
May 6 in Music
- 1966 The Rolling Stones release the single "Paint It Black", featuring prominent sitar played by Brian Jones, in the US
May 6 in Sport
- 1954 English athlete Roger Bannister becomes first to run a sub-4 minute mile, recording 3:59:4 at Iffley Road Track, Oxford
Did You Know?
During a trip to Syria, Pope John Paul II becomes the first pope to enter a mosque
On May 6, 2001
Maximilien Robespierre
Amadeo Giannini
Rudolph Valentino
Willie Mays
George Clooney
Xie NaWould You Believe?
Samuel Pierpont Langley flies his unpiloted Number 5 aircraft using a catapult launch from a boat on the Potomac River, USA. The aircraft travels almost 3/4 of a mile - ten times further than any previous heavier-than-air flying machine.
On May 6, 1896
Famous Weddings
- 1476 Emperor Frederik III of Habsburg and Duke of Burgundy Charles the bold arrange the marriage of their children
- 1880 British novelist Mary Ann Evans (George Eliot) (60) weds Scottish banker John Cross (40) at George's, London
- 1946 Comedian Stan Laurel (55) marries for the 5th time actress Ida Kitaeva (47)
Famous Divorces
- 1974 Actress Maggie Smith (39) divorces actor Robert Stephens (42) after 6 years of marriage
- 2006 "Dallas" actress Victoria Principal (56) divorces plastic surgeon Harry Glassman (63) due to irreconcilable differences after nearly 21 years of marriage
- 2016 Actress Kaley Cuoco and professional tennis player Ryan Sweeting divorce after 2 years of marriage
More Weddings & Divorces
Alexander von Humboldt
Henry David Thoreau
Edward VII
Maria Montessori
William J. Casey
Marlene DietrichArticles, Photos and Quiz
Hindenburg Disaster
The Zeppelin Hindenburg begins to fall seconds after catching fire
May 6, 1937
Latest Wonder of the World
Often referred to as "the Chunnel", the 31-mile undersea tunnel linking England to France has been hailed as one of the "seven wonders of the modern world".
May 6, 1994
Weekly Quiz for May 6-12
Test your knowledge of historical events in our multi-choice weekly history quiz for May 6-12. Number 8 will leave you truly stumped then amazed!
Weekly Quiz for May 4 -10
Who was Mongol ruler Kublai Khan to Genghis Khan? What was the UK code-breaking center during World War II? Which country 1st legalized a birth control pill?
