May 2014 in History

Events in History

Event of Interest

May 8 World's oldest astrolabe (mariner's navigator tool) c. 1498 from Portuguese shipwreck of explorer Vasco da Gama found near Al Hallaniyah Island, Oman

May 10 Kara Walker's artwork "The Subtlety" opens - an installation of a sphinx made of sugar at the Domino Sugar factory in Brooklyn, NY [1]
May 10 The African National Congress wins the 2014 South African General Election
May 11 Thousands protest against the construction of a waste incineration plant in Hangzhou, China
May 12 Voters in Eastern Ukraine vote for self-rule in referendum
May 13 301 miners are killed by an underground explosion and mine fire in Soma Mine, Manisa, Turkey
May 13 Unidentified shipwreck is discovered off the northern coast of Haiti by marine archaeologist Barry Clifford
May 17 Atlético Madrid win the 2013–14 La Liga
May 17 St Johnstone FC win the Scottish Cup for 1st time in 130 years, defeating Dundee United 2-0

Election of Interest

May 17 The center-right Hindu Nationalist Party, the BJP, led by Narendra Modi wins a landslide general election victory in India

May 18 Swiss voters reject a $25 per hour minimum wage
May 21 José Mário Vaz is elected President of Guinea-Bissau

Agreement of Interest

May 21 Russian President Putin signs agreements with China in Beijing in relation to trade and infrastructure

May 21 Thai army declares martial law and closes down several news stations
May 22 Royal Thai Armed Forces, led by General Prayut Chan-o-cha stage a coup in Thailand, suspending the kingdom's constitution and taking control of the government, the 12th since the country's first coup in 1932
May 23 Russia and China veto the U.N. Security Council resolution to establish an International Criminal Court for war crimes in Syria
May 24 Yingluck Shinawatra, former prime minister of Thailand, is detained by the army after a military coup
May 25 Dalia Grybauskaitė is re-elected President of Lithuania

Poroshenko Elected

May 25 Petro Poroshenko is elected President of Ukraine

May 26 Narendra Modi becomes the 15th Prime Minister of India
May 26 Protests across Thailand in response to military coup; General Prayuth warns of a crackdown in demonstrations continue
May 26 World Health Organization confirms that Ebola has reached Sierra Leone

Event of Interest

May 27 The director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Christine Lagarde calls for "tougher regulation and tighter supervision" of banking sector

May 28 Abdel Fattah el-Sisi is elected President of Egypt

Event of Interest

May 29 President Obama approves US military training of 'moderate' Syrian rebels to fight the regime of Bashar al-Assad and al Qaeda-linked groups

May 30 Former military chief al-Sisi wins 93 percent of the vote in Egypt's presidential election

Weddings in History

May 25 Actress Lisa Edelstein (48) weds artist Robert Russell in Los Angeles

Deaths in History

May 2 Efrem Zimbalist, Jr., American actor (77 Sunset Strip; Scruples; The F.B.I.), dies at 95
May 3 Gary Becker, American economist (Nobel 1992) and recipient of Presidential Medal of Freedom 2007, dies from complications following surgery at 83
May 3 Jim Oberstar, American politician, dies at 79
May 5 Butler Derrick, American politician (Rep-D-SC, 1974-95), dies at 77
May 6 Farley Mowat, Canadian author, dies at 92
May 6 Leslie Thomas, Welsh writer (The Virgin Soldiers), dies at 83
May 8 Roger L. Easton, American scientist, inventor and designer of GPS, dies at 93
May 9 Mary Stewart, British sci-fi author (Crystal Cave), dies at 97
May 14 Stephen Sutton, English cancer blogger (Stephen's Story), dies at 19
May 15 Jean-Luc Dehaene, Belgian Prime Minister (1992-99), dies from a fall at 73
May 17 Gerald Edelman, American biochemist (Nobel 1972), dies from natural causes at 84
May 18 Dobrica Cosic, Serbian writer & President (1992-93), dies at 92
May 18 Wubbo Ockels, Dutch physicist & astronaut, dies from renal cell cancer at 68
May 19 Michael Aldrich, British inventor (Online shopping), dies at 72
May 22 Mathew Cowles, American actor, dies at 69
May 23 Mona Freeman, American actress, dies at 87

May 24 Stormé DeLarverie, American gay rights leader (Stonewall protests), dies at 93
May 25 Berniece Baker Miracle, American writer (My Sister Marilyn) and half-sister of Marilyn Monroe, dies at 94

Wojciech Jaruzelski (1923-2014)

May 25 Polish general and 1st President of Poland (1989-90), dies at 90

May 26 Didymos I, Catholicos of the East and Malankara Metropolitan (2005-10), dies at 92
May 26 Manuel Uribe Garza, Mexican man who suffered from morbid obesity (peak weight of 600 kg), dies at 48
May 27 Helma Sanders-Brahms, German director and writer (Apple Trees; Germany, Pale Mother), dies of cancer at 73