May 1917 in History

Events in History

May 11 King George V grants Royal Letters Patent to New Zealand

May 13 1st appearance of Mary to 3 shepherd children in Fatima, Portugal
May 15 The first officer's training camp is opened in the US, as the country prepares for war
May 18 Satie, Massine and Picasso's ballet "Parade" premieres in Paris
May 18 US Congress passes Selective Service Act, authorizing the federal government to raise a national army for the American entry into World War I through compulsory enlistment

May 18 First units of the American Expeditionary Force, commanded by General John J. Pershing, is ordered to France

May 20 Turkish government authorizes Jews to return to Tel Aviv & Jaffa
May 21 Leo Pinckney, 1st American drafted during WW I
May 21 The Great Fire of Atlanta: at least 10,000 people were displaced, but there was only one fatality
May 23 Dutch 2nd Chamber approves 1908 conscription draft
May 27 Race riot in East St Louis Illinois, 1 black killed

May 1 Ahron Soloveichik, Orthodox Jewish rabbi, born in Khislavichi, Russia (d. 2001)
May 3 Kiro Gligorov, 1st President of the Republic of Macedonia (1991-99), born in Štip, Kingdom of Serbia (d. 2012)
May 7 William Geoffrey Biddle, English bomb disposal expert, born in Bromley, Kent, England (d. 1997)
May 11 Hon Montague Woodhouse, Greek resistance organiser
May 13 Paul Osmond, British senior civil servant
May 13 Wilhelmus C Wijen, [Broeder Pius], social worker (Curacao)
May 14 Herta Ryder, literary agent
May 18 Charles Wintour, English journalist (The Evening Standard), born in Dorset, England (d. 1999)
May 20 Richard Cobb, British historian, born in Frinton-on-Sea (d. 1996)
May 20 Guy Favreau, French Canadian lawyer (d. 1967)
May 20 Bergur Sigurbjörnsson, Icelandic politician (d. 2005)
May 21 Heather Swift, local councillor
May 21 Jean-Louis Curtis, French writer (Just Causes)
May 21 Ronald John Bilsland Colville, businessman
May 22 Jean-Louis Laffitte Curtis, novelist
May 23 Edward Norton Lorenz, American mathematician and meteorologist, born in West Hartford, Connecticut (d. 2008)
May 24 Derek Hodgson, British high court judge
May 24 Lord Campbell of Alloway, QC
May 24 Theodore Hesburgh, president (Notre Dame), born in Syracuse, New York
May 28 Barry Commoner, biologist (Science & Survival), born in Brooklyn, New York
May 28 Gerald Cash, Gov-Gen (Bahamas)