On This Day

Historical Events in May 1915

  • May 1 British liner Lusitania leaves NY for Liverpool
  • May 1 German submarine torpedoes US tanker Gulflight
  • May 2 Old Fordham Road in Bronx renamed Landing Road

Event of interestEvent of Interest

May 3 John McCrae writes the poem "In Flanders Fields"

World War I Soldier & Poet John McCrae
World War I Soldier & Poet
John McCrae
  • May 4 Italy drops Triple Alliance with Austria-Hungary & Germany
  • May 5 German U-20 captures and sinks Britsih schooner Earl of Lathom
  • May 6 German U-20 sinks Centurion SE of Ireland

Sports record brokenBaseball Event

May 6 Future Baseball Hall of Fame slugger Babe Ruth hits his first MLB home run; pitches 12 frames in Boston Red Sox 4-3 extra innings loss to New York Yankees

Baseball Legend Babe Ruth
Baseball Legend
Babe Ruth
  • May 6 The Allies on Cape Helles launch three attacks to enlarge their beachheads; after terrible losses, they advance about three miles
  • May 7 RMS Lusitania sunk by German submarine off the southern coast of Ireland; 1198 lives lost
  • May 8 41st Kentucky Derby: Joe Notter aboard Regret wins in 2:05.4
  • May 9 German & French fight Battle of Artois
  • May 10 Zeppelin drops hundred of bombs on Southend-on-Sea, Essex, England

InventionHistoric Invention

May 10 Canadian physician Cluny MacPherson first presents his gas mask invention to the British War Office

Doctor Cluny MacPherson
Doctor
Cluny MacPherson
  • May 12 Croatians plunder Armenia, killing 250
  • May 12 Franklin K Mathiews presents idea of "Book Week"

  • May 13 US Secretary of State Bryan sends a note to Germany demanding that Germany disavow the attacks on the Lusitania and make immediate reparations; however, the note is written only to 'pacify exited public opinion', according to Bryan
  • May 17 40th Preakness: Douglas Hoffman aboard Rhine Maiden wins in 1:58
  • May 17 Cubs George "Zip" Zabel relieves with 2 outs in 1st & winds up with 4-3 19-inning win over Brooklyn in longest relief job ever

Event of interestEvent of Interest

May 17 Last liberal British government of H. H. Asquith falls

British Prime Minister H. H. Asquith
British Prime Minister
H. H. Asquith
  • May 17 National Baptist Convention chartered
  • May 20 Bataafsche Petroleum Me begins oil extraction of Maracaibo
  • May 22 Local train collides with troop train killing 226 in Gretna, Scotland
  • May 22 Lassen Peak erupts with a powerful force, only mountain other than Mount St. Helens, to erupt in the continental US during the 20th century
  • May 23 Italy declares war on Austria-Hungary during WW I

InventionHistoric Invention

May 24 Thomas Edison invents telescribe to record telephone conversations

Inventor Thomas Edison
Inventor
Thomas Edison
  • May 25 Second Battle of Ypres ends with 105,000 casualties
  • May 25 Chicago Claude Hendrix no-hits Pitts (Federal League), 10-0
  • May 26 H. H. Asquith forms a coalition government in the United Kingdom
  • May 31 An LZ-38 Zeppelin makes an air raid on London
  • May 31 Indianapolis 500: Italian-born American driver Ralph DePalma accompanied by riding mechanic Louis Fontaine wins from Englishman Dario Resta

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