On This Day

May 1842 in History

Events in History

  • May 5 City-wide fire burns for over 100 hours in Hamburg, Germany
  • May 8 Versailles to Paris train catches fire; 50 die
  • May 14 Illustrated London News; the world's first illustrated weekly newspaper, begins publication
  • May 22 Farmers Lester Howe and Henry Wetsel discover Howe Caverns in New York state when they stumble upon a large gaping hole in the ground

Historic Event

May 25 Christian Doppler presents his idea, now known as the Doppler Effect, to the Royal Bohemian Society, Prague

Christian Doppler
Physicist Christian Doppler

Assassination Attempt

May 30 John Francis attempts to assassinate Queen Victoria

Queen Victoria
Queen of the United Kingdom Queen Victoria

Birthdays in History

  • May 7 Isla van Diest, Belgian physician, 1st female doctor and 1st female university graduate in Belgium, born in Louvain, Belgiun (d. 1916)
  • May 8 Emil Christian Hansen, Danish physiologist, born in Ribe, Denmark (d. 1909)

Deaths in History

  • May 8 Jules Dumont d'Urville, French explorer and naval officer, dies at 51
  • May 15 Emanuel A D M J count de las Cases, French historian (Napoleon), dies at 76
  • May 23 Jose de Espronceda y Delgado, Spanish revolutionary/poet, dies at 34

Historical Figures

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