This Week in History

HISTORY, 2 May 2016

Satoshi Ashikaga - TRANSCEND Media Service

TWH logo history

May 2–8

QUOTE OF THE WEEK:

“All violence consists in some people forcing others, under threat of suffering or death, to do what they do not want to do.” – Leo Tolstoy

 

MAY 02

2014  Two mudslides in Badakhshan, Afghanistan, leave up to 2,500 people missing.

2014  Odessa Clashes occur between supporters of a united Ukraine and supporters of Federalization; 48 casualties result.

History of Ukraine:

Ukraine-Russian Relations:

Relations: Ukraine, the West and Russia:

2012  A pastel version of The Scream, by Norwegian painter Edvard Munch, sells for $120 million in a New York City auction, setting a new world record for a work of art at auction.

2011  The 41st Canadian federal election is held, in which the governing Conservative Party, led by incumbent Prime Minister Stephen Harper, increases their number of seats from a minority to a majority.

2011  An E. coli outbreak strikes Europe, mostly in Germany, leaving more than 30 people dead and many others sick from the bacteria outbreak.

2011  Osama bin Laden, the suspected mastermind behind the September 11 attacks and the FBI‘s most wanted man is killed by the United States special forces in Abbottabad, Pakistan.

UN Security Council Resolution 1390 (2002) of 16 January 2002:

Osama bin Laden:

Death of Osama bin Laden:

What was the Cause of the Death of Osama bin Laden? :

Bush Family, CIA, and Osama bin Laden:

Osama bin Laden, 9/11, and Iraq:

Al-Qaeda:

Taliban:

History of Taliban:

Is the Taliban a Terrorist Organization? :

2008  Chaitén Volcano begins erupting in Chile, forcing the evacuation of more than 4,500 people.

2008  Cyclone Nargis makes landfall in Burma killing over 138,000 people and leaving millions of people homeless.

2004  Yelwa massacre ended. It began on 4 February 2004 when armed Muslims attacked the Christians of Yelwa killing more than 78 Christians including at least 48 who were worshipping inside a church compound. More than 630 nomad Muslims were killed by Christians in Nigeria.

Yelwa Massacre:

Nigeria:

Foreign Relations of Nigeria:

Nigeria and the United Nations:

History of Nigeria:

Economy of Nigeria:

2000  President Bill Clinton announces that accurate GPS access would no longer be restricted to the United States military.

1999  Panamanian election, 1999: Mireya Moscoso becomes the first woman to be elected President of Panama.

Mireya Moscoso:

History of Panama:

Panama:

Foreign Relations of Panama:

Economy of Panama:

1998  The European Central Bank is founded in Brussels in order to define and execute the European Union‘s monetary policy.

European Central Bank:

1995  During the Croatian War of Independence, the Army of the Republic of Serb Krajina fires cluster bombs at Zagreb, killing seven and wounding over 175 civilians.

1989  Hungary begins dismantling its border fence with Austria, which allows a number of East Germans to defect.

1986  Chernobyl disaster: The City of Chernobyl is evacuated six days after the disaster.

Chernobyl Nuclear Disaster:

1985  US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site.

Nuclear Weapons and the United States:

1984  US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site.

1982  Falklands War: The British nuclear submarine HMS Conqueror sinks the Argentine cruiser ARA General Belgrano.

Falklands/Malvinas War:

Timelines of Falklands/Malvinas War:

1980  US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site.

1980  Referendum on system of government held in Nepal.

1972  US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site.

1964  First ascent of Shishapangma the fourteenth highest mountain in the world and the lowest of the Eight-thousanders.

1964  Vietnam War: An explosion sinks the USS Card while it is docked at Saigon. Viet Cong forces are suspected of placing a bomb on the ship. She is raised and returned to service less than seven months later.

Vietnam War in 1964:

Viet Cong:

1962  US performs atmospheric nuclear test, at Christmas Island.

Nuclear Tests at Christmas Islands:

Atmospheric Nuclear Tests of the United States and Radioactive Fallout:

Nuclear Tests by the United States:

1955  Tennessee Williams wins the Pulitzer Prize for Drama for Cat on a Hot Tin Roof.

1952  The world’s first ever jet airliner, the De Havilland Comet 1 makes its maiden flight, from London to Johannesburg.

1946  The “Battle of Alcatraz” takes place; two guards and three inmates are killed.

Battle of Alcatraz:

1945  World War II: The US 82nd Airborne Division liberates Wöbbelin concentration camp finding 1000 dead prisoners, most of whom starved to death.

1945  World War II: Italian Campaign: General Heinrich von Vietinghoff signs the official instrument of surrender of all Wehrmacht forces in Italy.

1945  World War II: Fall of Berlin: The Soviet Union announces the capture of Berlin and Soviet soldiers hoist their red flag over the Reichstag building.

Fall of Berlin of 1945:

1941  Following the coup d’état against Iraq Crown Prince ‘Abd al-Ilah earlier that year, the United Kingdom launches the Anglo-Iraqi War to restore him to power.

Anglo-Iraq War of 1941:

1933  Gleichschaltung: Adolf Hitler bans trade unions.

1918  General Motors acquires the Chevrolet Motor Company of Delaware.

1906  Closing ceremony of the Intercalated Games in Athens, Greece.

1889  Menelik II, Emperor of Ethiopia, signs a treaty of amity with Italy, giving Italy control over Eritrea.

Modern History of Ethiopia:

Modern and Contemporary History of Eritrea:

1885  The Congo Free State is established by King Léopold II of Belgium.

Congo Free State:

Belgian Congo:

History of the Democratic Republic of the Congo:

Democratic Republic of the Congo:

Foreign Relations of the Democratic Republic of the Congo:

Economy of the Democratic Republic of the Congo:

1885  Cree and Assiniboine warriors win the Battle of Cut Knife, their largest victory over Canadian forces during the North-West Rebellion.

1879  The Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party is founded in Casa Labra Pub (city of Madrid) by the historical Spanish workers’ leader Pablo Iglesias.

1876  The April Uprising breaks out in Bulgaria.

1866  Peruvian defenders fight off the Spanish fleet at the Battle of Callao.

1829  After anchoring nearby, Captain Charles Fremantle of HMS Challenger, declares the Swan River Colony in Australia.

1812  The Siege of Cuautla during the Mexican War of Independence ends with both sides claiming victory after Mexican rebels under José María Morelos y Pavón abandon the city after 72 days under siege by royalist Spanish troops under Félix María Calleja.

Siege of Cuautla:

Mexican War of Independence:

Timelines of Mexican War of Independence:

1808  Outbreak of the Peninsular War: The people of Madrid rise up in rebellion against French occupation. Francisco de Goya later memorializes this event in his painting The Second of May 1808.

Peninsular War:

 

 

MAY 03

2015  Two gunmen launch an attempted attack on an anti-Islam event in Garland, Texas, which was held in response to the Charlie Hebdo shooting.

2003  New Hampshire‘s famous Old Man of the Mountain collapses.

2002  A military MiG-21 aircraft crashes into the Bank of Rajasthan in India, killing eight.

2001  The United States loses its seat on the U.N. Human Rights Commission for the first time since the commission was formed in 1947.

1987  A crash by Bobby Allison at the Talladega Superspeedway, Alabama fencing at the start-finish line would lead NASCAR to develop the restrictor plate for the following season both at Daytona International Speedway and Talladega.

1986  Twenty-one people are killed and forty-one are injured after a bomb explodes in an airliner (Flight UL512) at Colombo airport in Sri Lanka.

1983  US bishops condemn nuclear weapons.

1979  After the general election, Margaret Thatcher forms her first government as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.

1978  The first unsolicited bulk commercial email (which would later become known as “spam“) is sent by a Digital Equipment Corporation marketing representative to every ARPANET address on the west coast of the United States.

1973  Nixon administration arrests 13,000 anti-war protesters in 3 days.

1963  The police force in Birmingham, Alabama switches tactics and responds with violent force to stop the “Birmingham campaign” protesters. Images of the violent suppression are transmitted worldwide, bringing new-found attention to the African-American Civil Rights Movement.

1960  The European Free Trade Association (EFTA) is established.

1960  The Anne Frank House museum opens in Amsterdam, Netherlands.

1960  The Off-Broadway musical comedy, The Fantasticks, opens in New York City’s Greenwich Village, eventually becoming the longest-running musical of all time.

1952  The Kentucky Derby is televised nationally for the first time, on the CBS network.

1952  Lieutenant Colonels Joseph O. Fletcher and William P. Benedict of the United States land a plane at the North Pole.

1951  The United States Senate Committee on Armed Services and United States Senate Committee on Foreign Relations begin their closed door hearings into the dismissal of General Douglas MacArthur by U.S. President Harry Truman.

1948  The US Supreme Court rules in Shelley v. Kraemer that covenants prohibiting the sale of real estate to blacks and other minorities are legally unenforceable.

1947  New post-war Japanese constitution goes into effect.

1945  World War II: Sinking of the prison ships Cap Arcona, Thielbek and Deutschland by the Royal Air Force in Lübeck Bay.

1942  World War II: Japanese naval troops invade Tulagi Island in the Solomon Islands during the first part of Operation Mo that results in the Battle of the Coral Sea between Japanese forces and forces from the United States and Australia.

1939  The All India Forward Bloc is formed by Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose.

1937  Gone with the Wind, a novel by Margaret Mitchell, wins the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction.

1921  Ireland divides into Northern Ireland and Southern Ireland.

1920  A Bolshevik coup fails in the Democratic Republic of Georgia.

1915  The poem In Flanders Fields is written by Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae.

1913  Raja Harishchandra the first full-length Indian feature film is released, marking the beginning of the Indian film industry.

1867  The Hudson’s Bay Company gives up all claims to Vancouver Island.

1855  American adventurer William Walker departs from San Francisco with about 60 men to conquer Nicaragua.

1849  The May Uprising in Dresden begins – the last of the German revolutions of 1848.

1815  Neapolitan War: Joachim Murat, King of Naples is defeated by the Austrians at the Battle of Tolentino, the decisive engagement of the war.

1808  Peninsular War: The Madrid rebels who rose up on May 2 are executed near Príncipe Pío hill.

1808  Finnish War: Sweden loses the fortress of Sveaborg to Russia.

 

 

MAY 04

2015  The Parliament of Malta moves from the Grandmaster’s Palace to a purpose-built Parliament House.

2014  Three people are killed and 62 injured in a pair of bombings on buses in Nairobi, Kenya.

2007  Greensburg, Kansas is almost completely destroyed by a 1.7 mi wide EF5 tornado. It was the first-ever tornado to be rated as such with the new Enhanced Fujita scale.

2002  EAS Airlines Flight 4226 crashes in a suburb of Kano, Nigeria shortly after takeoff, killing 149 people.

1994  Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and PLO leader Yasser Arafat sign a peace accord, granting self-rule in the Gaza Strip and Jericho.

1990  Latvia proclaims the renewal of its independence after the Soviet occupation.

1989  Iran–Contra affair: Former White House aide Oliver North is convicted of three crimes and acquitted of nine other charges. The convictions, however, are later overturned on appeal.

1988  The PEPCON disaster rocks Henderson, Nevada, as tons of Space Shuttle fuel detonate during a fire.

1988  USSR performs nuclear test at Eastern Kazakh/Semipalitinsk USSR.

1980  Josip Broz Tito, Yugoslav field marshal and politician, 1st President of Yugoslavia (b. 1892) dies.

1979  Margaret Thatcher becomes the first female Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.

1974  An all-female Japanese team reaches the summit of Manaslu, becoming the first women to climb an 8,000-meter peak.

1972  The Don’t Make A Wave Committee, a fledgling environmental organization founded in Canada in 1971, officially changes its name to “Greenpeace Foundation“.

1970  Vietnam War: Kent State shootings: The Ohio National Guard, sent to Kent State University after disturbances in the city of Kent the weekend before, opens fire killing four unarmed students and wounding nine others. The students were protesting the United States’ invasion of Cambodia.

1962  US performs atmospheric nuclear test, at Christmas Island.

Nuclear Tests at Christmas Islands:

Atmospheric Nuclear Tests of the United States and Radioactive Fallout:

Nuclear Tests by the United States:

1961  American civil rights movement: The “Freedom Riders” begin a bus trip through the South.

Freedom Riders:

History of the Civil Rights Movement in the United States – Overview:

Civil Rights Movements of Various Ethnic Minorities in the United States:

1959  The 1st Annual Grammy Awards are held.

1953  Ernest Hemingway wins the Pulitzer Prize for The Old Man and the Sea.

The Old Man and the Sea:

The Old Man and the Sea – PDF Downloadable:

1949  The entire Torino football team (except for two players who did not take the trip: Sauro Tomà, due to an injury and Renato Gandolfi, because of coach request) is killed in a plane crash at the Superga hill at the edge of Turin, Italy.

1946  In San Francisco Bay, US Marines from the nearby Treasure Island Naval Base stop a two-day riot at Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary. Five people are killed in the riot.

1945  World War II: Denmark is liberated when Germany is forced to withdraw, thus ending five years of occupation.

1945  World War II: German surrender at Lüneburg Heath, the North German Army surrenders to Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery.

1945  World War II: Neuengamme concentration camp near Hamburg is liberated by the British Army.

Neuengamme Concentration Camp:

1942  World War II: The Battle of the Coral Sea begins with an attack by aircraft from the United States aircraft carrier USS Yorktown on Japanese naval forces at Tulagi Island in the Solomon Islands. The Japanese forces had invaded Tulagi the day before.

Battle of the Coral Sea:

1919  May Fourth Movement: Student demonstrations take place in Tiananmen Square in Beijing, China, protesting the Treaty of Versailles, which transferred Chinese territory to Japan.

China and the Treaty of Versailles:

Treaty of Versailles:

1912  Italy occupies the Greek island of Rhodes.

1910  The Royal Canadian Navy is created.

1904  Charles Stewart Rolls meets Frederick Henry Royce at the Midland Hotel in Manchester, England.

History of Rolls-Royce:

1904  The United States begins construction of the Panama Canal.

1902  Eight fishermen lose their lives in Galway Bay, Ireland in a drowning tragedy.

1886  Haymarket affair: A bomb is thrown at policemen trying to break up a labor rally in Chicago, United States, killing eight and wounding 60. The police fire into the crowd.

1869  The Naval Battle of Hakodate is fought in Japan.

1836  Formation of Ancient Order of Hibernians

1799  Fourth Anglo-Mysore War: The Battle of Seringapatam: The siege of Seringapatam ends when the city is invaded and Tipu Sultan killed by the besieging British army, under the command of General George Harris.

 

 

MAY 05

2014  22 people die after two boats carrying illegal immigrants collide in the Aegean Sea off the coast of Greece.

2010  Mass protests in Greece erupt in response to austerity measures imposed by the government as a result of the Greek government-debt crisis.

2006  The government of Sudan signs an accord with the Sudan Liberation Army.

1994  The signing of the Bishkek Protocol between Armenia and Azerbaijan effectively freezes the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

1991  A riot breaks out in the Mt. Pleasant section of Washington, D.C. after police shoot a Salvadoran man.

1987  Iran–Contra affair: Start of Congressional televised hearings in the United States of America

1985  Bitburg and Bergen-Belsen: Ronald Reagan visits the military cemetery at Bitburg, Germany, and the site of the Nazi concentration camp, Bergen-Belsen, where he makes a speech.

1983  US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site.

Nuclear Weapons and the United States:

1981  Bobby Sands dies in the Long Kesh prison hospital after 66 days of hunger-striking, aged 27.

Bobby Sands:

Irish Republican Army (IRA)/Provisional Republican Army (PIRA):

IRA’s Terrorism:

History of the IRA:

1980  Operation Nimrod: The British Special Air Service storms the Iranian embassy in London after a six-day siege.

1977  The first of The Nixon Interviews between David Frost and Richard Nixon are broadcast.

1972  Alitalia Flight 112 crashes into Mount Longa near Palermo, Sicily, killing all 115 aboard, making it the deadliest single-aircraft disaster in Italy.

1970  US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site.

1965  The Warlocks, later known as The Grateful Dead, make their first public appearance in Menlo Park, California.

1964  The Council of Europe declares May 5 as Europe Day.

1961  The Mercury program: Mercury-Redstone 3: Alan Shepard becomes the first American to travel into outer space, on a sub-orbital flight.

1958  US performs atmospheric nuclear test at Enewetak.

Enwetak Nuclear Test Site:

Atmospheric/High-altitude Nuclear Explosion Testing:

Nuclear Tests by the United States:

Nuclear Weapons and the United States:

1955  West Germany gains full sovereignty.

End of the Occupation of West Germany:

Allied Control Council:

Occupation of Germany:

Germany:

Foreign Relations of Germany:

History of Germany:                    

Economy of Germany:

1955  US performs nuclear test (atmospheric: Operation Teapot) at Nevada Test Site.

First Nuclear Test at the Nevada Test Site:

Atmospheric/High-altitude Nuclear Explosion Testing:

US Nuclear Tests at Nevada Site:

Nuclear Weapons and the United States:

1950  Bhumibol Adulyadej is crowned King Rama IX of Thailand.

1949  The Treaty of London establishes the Council of Europe in Strasbourg as the first European institution working for European integration.

Treaty of London of 1949:

Council of Europe:

European Integration and Its History:

1946  The International Military Tribunal for the Far East begins in Tokyo with twenty-eight Japanese military and government officials accused of war crimes and crimes against humanity.

International Military Tribunal for the Far East:

Charter of the International Military Tribunal for the Far East:

Judgement by the International Military Tribunal for the Far East, and Other Pertinent Documents:

Radhabinod Pal and His Judgement:

War Crimes:

History of War Crimes:

Development of the “Crimes of Aggression” or the “Crimes against Peace” in the Modern Times:

Some Pertinent Articles:

1945  World War II: Six people are killed when a Japanese fire balloon explodes near Bly, Oregon. They are the only Americans killed in the continental US during the war.

1945  World War II: The Prague uprising begins as an attempt by the Czech resistance to free the city from German occupation.

1945  World War II: Canadian and British troops liberate the Netherlands and Denmark from German occupation when Wehrmacht troops capitulate.

1944  German troops execute 216 civilians in the village of Kleisoura in Greece.

1941  Emperor Haile Selassie returns to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; the country commemorates the date as Liberation Day or Patriots’ Victory Day.

1940  World War II: Norwegian Campaign: Norwegian squads in Hegra Fortress and Vinjesvingen capitulate to German forces after all other Norwegian forces in southern Norway had laid down their arms.

1940  World War II: Norwegian refugees form a government-in-exile in London

1936  Italian troops occupy Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Italia’s Occupation of Ethiopia:

Modern History of Ethiopia:

1934  The first Three Stooges short, Woman Haters, is released.

1925  The government of South Africa declares Afrikaans an official language.

1925  Scopes Trial: Serving of an arrest warrant on John T. Scopes for teaching evolution in violation of the Butler Act.

1912  Pravda, the “voice” of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, begins publication in Saint Petersburg.

1905  The trial in the Stratton Brothers case begins in London, England; it marks the first time that fingerprint evidence is used to gain a conviction for murder.

1904  Pitching against the Philadelphia Athletics at the Huntington Avenue Grounds, Cy Young of the Boston Americans throws the first perfect game in the modern era of baseball.

1891  The Music Hall in New York City (later known as Carnegie Hall) has its grand opening and first public performance, with Tchaikovsky as the guest conductor.

1886  The Bay View Massacre: A militia fires into a crowd of protesters in Milwaukee, killing seven.

1877  American Indian Wars: Sitting Bull leads his band of Lakota into Canada to avoid harassment by the United States Army under Colonel Nelson Miles.

1866  Memorial Day first celebrated in United States at Waterloo, New York.

 

 

MAY 06

2002  After a radio-interview at the Mediapark in Hilversum the Dutch politician Pim Fortuyn is Assassination of Pim

2001  During a trip to Syria, Pope John Paul II becomes the first pope to enter a mosque.

1999  The first elections to the devolved Scottish Parliament and Welsh Assembly are held.

1997  The Bank of England is given independence from political control, the most significant change in the bank’s 300-year history.

1994  Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom and French President François Mitterrand officiate at the opening of the Channel Tunnel.

1989  Cedar Point opens Magnum XL-200, the first roller coaster to break the 200 feet height barrier, therefore spawning what is known as the “coaster wars”.

1987  USSR performs nuclear test at Eastern Kazakh/Semipalitinsk USSR.

1984  One hundred three Korean Martyrs are canonized by Pope John Paul II in Seoul.

1983  The Hitler Diaries are revealed as a hoax after examination by experts.

1981  A jury of architects and sculptors unanimously selects Maya Ying Lin‘s design for the Vietnam Veterans Memorial from 1,421 other entries.

1979  USSR performs nuclear test at Eastern Kazakh/Semipalitinsk USSR.

1976  An earthquake strikes the Friuli region of northeastern Italy, causing 989 deaths and the destruction of entire villages.

1975  During a lull in fighting, 100,000 Armenians gather in Beirut to commemorate 60th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide.

1970  Yuchiro Miura of Japan skies down Mount Everest.

1962  St. Martín de Porres is canonized by Pope John XXIII.

1962  US performs atmospheric nuclear test, at Christmas Island.

Operation Dominic:

Nuclear Tests at Christmas Islands:

Atmospheric Nuclear Tests of the United States and Radioactive Fallout:

Nuclear Tests by the United States:

1960  More than 20 million viewers watch the first televised royal wedding when Princess Margaret marries Anthony Armstrong-Jones at Westminster Abbey.

1954  Roger Bannister becomes the first person to run the mile in under four minutes.

1949  EDSAC, the first practical electronic digital stored-program computer, runs its first operation.

1945  World War II: The Prague Offensive, the last major battle of the Eastern Front, begins.

1945  World War II: Axis Sally delivers her last propaganda broadcast to Allied troops.

1942  World War II: On Corregidor, the last American forces in the Philippines surrender to the Japanese.

1941  At California‘s March Field, Bob Hope performs his first USO show.

1940  John Steinbeck is awarded the Pulitzer Prize for his novel The Grapes of Wrath.

1937  Hindenburg disaster: The German zeppelin Hindenburg catches fire and is destroyed within a minute while attempting to dock at Lakehurst, New Jersey. Thirty-six people are killed.

1935  New Deal: Executive Order 7034 creates the Works Progress Administration.

1933  The Deutsche Studentenschaft attacked Magnus Hirschfeld‘s Institut für Sexualwissenschaft, later burning many of its books.

1930  The Salmas earthquake of 7.1 Mw shakes northwestern Iran and southeastern Turkey with a maximum Mercalli intensity of X (Extreme). Up to three-thousand people were killed.

1916 Twenty-one Lebanese nationalists executed in the Martyrs’ Square, Beirut by Jamal Pasha, the Ottoman wāli.

1915  Babe Ruth hits his first major league home run while pitching for the Boston Red Sox.

1906  The Russian Constitution of 1906 is adopted (on April 23rd by the Julian calendar).

1902  Macario Sakay establishes the Tagalog Republic with himself as President.

1889  The Eiffel Tower is officially opened to the public at the Universal Exposition in Paris.

1882  The United States Congress passes the Chinese Exclusion Act.

1857  The British East India Company disbands the 34th Regiment of Bengal Native Infantry whose sepoy Mangal Pandey had earlier revolted against the British and is considered to be the First Martyr in the War of Indian Independence.

1801  Captain Thomas Cochrane in the 14-gun HMS Speedy captures the 32-gun Spanish frigate El Gamo.

1757  The end of Konbaung–Hanthawaddy War, and the end of Burmese Civil War (1740–1757).

1757  Battle of Prague: A Prussian army fights an Austrian army in Prague during the Seven Years’ War.

 

 

MAY 07

2007  Israeli archaeologists discover the tomb of Herod the Great south of Jerusalem.

2004  American businessman Nick Berg, is beheaded by Islamic militants. The act is recorded on videotape and released on the Internet.

2002  A China Northern Airlines MD-82 plunges into the Yellow Sea, killing 112 people.

2000  Vladimir Putin is inaugurated as president of Russia.

1999  In Guinea-Bissau, President João Bernardo Vieira is ousted in a military coup.

1999  Kosovo War: In Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, three Chinese citizens are killed and 20 wounded when a NATO aircraft bombs the Chinese embassy in Belgrade. [Note that some reports indicate that this event occurred on May 8, 1999, because the bombing was performed in the night of May 7-8, 1999.]

NATO Bombing of the Chinese Embassy in Belgrade:

Kosovo War/Conflict:

The United States, NATO and the Kosovo Conflict:

1999  Pope John Paul II travels to Romania becoming the first pope to visit a predominantly Eastern Orthodox country since the Great Schism in 1054.

1998  Mercedes-Benz buys Chrysler for US$40 billion USD and forms DaimlerChrysler in the largest industrial merger in history.

1994  Edvard Munch‘s iconic painting The Scream is recovered undamaged after being stolen from the National Gallery of Norway in February.

1992  The Space Shuttle Endeavour is launched on its first mission, STS-49.

1992  Michigan ratifies a 203-year-old proposed amendment to the United States Constitution making the 27th Amendment law. This amendment bars the U.S. Congress from giving itself a mid-term pay raise.

1991  France performs nuclear test at Muruora Island.

Muruora:

History of France Nuclear Tests in the Pacific:

France’s Nuclear Tests:

1988  USSR performs nuclear test at Novaya Zemlya USSR.

1986  Canadian Patrick Morrow becomes the first person to climb each of the Seven Summits.

1982  US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site.

US Nuclear Tests at Nevada Site:

Nuclear Weapons and the United States:

1974  West German Chancellor Willy Brandt resigns.

Willy Brandt:

Willy Brandt’s Apologetic Gesture at Warsaw:

Willy Brandt, Israel, and the PLO:

Political Apology:

Apologies and Politicians:

1964  Pacific Air Lines Flight 773, a Fairchild F-27 airliner, crashes near San Ramon, California, killing all 44 aboard; the FBI later reports that a cockpit recorder tape indicates that the pilot and co-pilot had been shot by a suicidal passenger.

1962  US performs atmospheric nuclear test, at Christmas Island.

Nuclear Tests at Christmas Islands:

Atmospheric Nuclear Tests of the United States and Radioactive Fallout:

Nuclear Tests by the United States:

1960  Cold War: U-2 Crisis of 1960: Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev announces that his nation is holding American U-2 pilot Gary Powers.

1954  Indochina War: The Battle of Dien Bien Phu ends in a French defeat and a Vietnamese victory (the battle began on March 13).

Battle of Dien Bien Phu:

First Indochina War:

Timelines of the Indochina Wars:

1952  The concept of the integrated circuit, the basis for all modern computers, is first published by Geoffrey Dummer.

Concept of the Integrated Circuit:

History of the Integral Circuit:

1948  The Council of Europe is founded during the Hague Congress.

Hague Congress of 1948:

Treaty of London of 1949:

Council of Europe:

European Integration and Its History:

1946  Tokyo Telecommunications Engineering (later renamed Sony) is founded with around 20 employees.

1945  World War II: General Alfred Jodl signs unconditional surrender terms at Reims, France, ending Germany’s participation in the war. The document takes effect the next day.

Alfred Jodl:

1942  During the Battle of the Coral Sea, United States Navy aircraft carrier aircraft attack and sink the Imperial Japanese Navy light aircraft carrier Shōhō. The battle marks the first time in the naval history that two enemy fleets fight without visual contact between warring ships.

1940  The Norway Debate in the British House of Commons begins, and leads to the replacement of Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain with Winston Churchill three days later.

1937  Spanish Civil War: The German Condor Legion, equipped with Heinkel He 51 biplanes, arrives in Spain to assist Francisco Franco‘s forces.

Spanish Civil War:

Timelines of the Spanish Civil War:

1928  The Jinan incident begins with Japanese forces killing the Chinese negotiating team in Jinan, China, and going on to kill over 2,000 Chinese civilians in the following days.

Jinan Incident:

1920  The Art Gallery of Ontario, in Toronto, opens the first exhibition by the Group of Seven.

1920  Treaty of Moscow: Soviet Russia recognizes the independence of the Democratic Republic of Georgia only to invade the country six months later.

Treaty of Moscow of 1920:

Democratic Republic of Georgia and Its First Constitution:

History of Georgia (country):

Georgia – Russia Relations:

Foreign Relations of Georgia:

Georgia:

Democracy and Georgia:

Economy of Georgia:

1920  Kiev Offensive: Polish troops led by Józef Piłsudski and Edward Rydz-Śmigły and assisted by a symbolic Ukrainian force capture Kiev only to be driven out by the Red Army counter-offensive a month later.

Kiev Offensive:

1915  Japanese 21 Demands Ultimatum to China (Commemorated as National Day of Humiliation)

21 Demands Ultimatum:

1915  World War I: German submarine U-20 sinks RMS Lusitania, killing 1,198 people including 128 Americans. Public reaction to the sinking turns many formerly pro-Germans in the United States against the German Empire

1895  In Saint Petersburg, Russian scientist Alexander Stepanovich Popov demonstrates to the Russian Physical and Chemical Society his invention, the Popov lightning detector — a primitive radio receiver. In some parts of the former Soviet Union the anniversary of this day is celebrated as Radio Day.

Radio Day (Russia):

1864  The world’s oldest surviving clipper ship, the City of Adelaide is launched by William Pile, Hay and Co. in Sunderland, England, for transporting passengers and goods between Britain and Australia.

1846  The Cambridge Chronicle, America’s oldest surviving weekly newspaper, is published for the first time in Cambridge, Massachusetts

1832  The independence of Greece is recognized by the Treaty of London. Otto of Wittelsbach, Prince of Bavaria is chosen king.

Treaty of London of 1832:

Greek War of Independence:

Modern History of Greece:

1824  World premiere of Ludwig van Beethoven‘s Ninth Symphony in Vienna, Austria. The performance is conducted by Michael Umlauf under the composer’s supervision.

1794  French Revolution: Robespierre introduces the Cult of the Supreme Being in the National Convention as the new state religion of the French First Republic.

 

 

MAY 08

1997  A China Southern Airlines Flight 3456 crashes on approach into Bao’an International Airport, killing 35 people.

1988  A fire at Illinois Bell‘s Hinsdale Central Office triggers an extended 1AESS network outage once considered the “worst telecommunications disaster in US telephone industry history”.

1987  The Loughgall ambush: The SAS kills eight Provisional Irish Republican Army volunteers and a civilian during an ambush in Loughgall, Northern Ireland.

1985  France performs nuclear test at Muruora Island.

Muruora:

History of France Nuclear Tests in the Pacific:

France’s Nuclear Tests:

1984  The Thames Barrier is officially opened.

1984  Corporal Denis Lortie enters the Quebec National Assembly and opens fire, killing three and wounding 13. René Jalbert, Sergeant-at-Arms of the assembly, succeeds in calming him, for which he will later receive the Cross of Valour.

1984 The Soviet Union announces that it will boycott the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.

Soviet Boycott of the 1984 Summer Olympics:

1980  The World Health Organization confirms the eradication of smallpox.

Eradication of Smallpox:

1978  The first ascent of Mount Everest without supplemental oxygen, by Reinhold Messner and Peter Habeler.

1973  A 71-day standoff between federal authorities and the American Native People Movement members occupying the Pine Ridge Reservation at Wounded Knee, South Dakota ends with the surrender of the militants.

1972  Four Black September terrorists hijack Sabena Flight 571. Israeli Sayeret Matkal commandos recapture the plane the following day.

1972  Vietnam War: US President Richard Nixon announces his order to place mines in major North Vietnamese ports in order to stem the flow of weapons and other goods to that nation.

Vietnam War in 1972:

1970  The British band The Beatles releases their last album Let It Be, one month after they officially broke up the band.

1970  The Hard Hat Riot occurs in the Wall Street area of New York City as blue-collar construction workers clash with demonstrators protesting the Vietnam War.

1967  The Philippine province of Davao is split into three: Davao del Norte, Davao del Sur, and Davao Oriental.

1966 A plane crash at Connellsville, Pennsylvania kills Pennsylvania Attorney General, Walter E. Alessandroni, his wife, and other state officials.

1963  South Vietnamese soldiers of Catholic President Ngo Dinh Diem open fire on Buddhists defying a ban on the flying of the Buddhist flag on Vesak, killing nine and sparking the Buddhist crisis.

1960  USSR and Cuba resume diplomatic relations.

USSR-Cuba Diplomatic Relations:

1951  US performs atmospheric nuclear test at Enewetak.

Enwetak Nuclear Test Site:

Atmospheric/High-altitude Nuclear Explosion Testing:

Nuclear Tests by the United States:

Nuclear Weapons and the United States:

1946  Estonian school girls Aili Jõgi and Ageeda Paavel blow up the Soviet memorial which stood in front of the Bronze Soldier of Tallinn.

1945  The Halifax Riot starts when thousands of civilians and servicemen rampage through Halifax.

1945  End of the Prague uprising, celebrated now as a national holiday in the Czech Republic.

1945  World War II: V-E Day, combat ends in Europe. German forces agree in Reims, France, to an unconditional surrender.

1945  Hundreds of Algerian civilians are killed by French Army soldiers in the Sétif massacre.

1942  World War II: Gunners of the Ceylon Garrison Artillery on Horsburgh Island in the Cocos Islands rebel in the Cocos Islands Mutiny. Their mutiny is crushed and three of them are executed, the only British Commonwealth soldiers to be executed for mutiny during the Second World War.

1942  World War II: The Battle of the Coral Sea comes to an end with Imperial Japanese Navy aircraft carrier aircraft attacking and sinking the United States Navy aircraft carrier USS Lexington. The battle marks the first time in the naval history that two enemy fleets fight without visual contact between warring ships.

1942  World War II: The Battle of the Kerch Peninsula: The German 11th Army begins Operation Trappenjagd (Bustard Hunt) and destroys the bridgehead of the three Soviet Armies (44th, 47th, and 51st) defending the Kerch Peninsula, in the eastern part of the Crimea.

1941  The German Luftwaffe launches a bombing raid on Nottingham and Derby

1933  Mohandas Gandhi begins a 21-day fast of self-purification and launched a one-year campaign to help the Harijan movement.

1927  Attempting to make the first non-stop transatlantic flight from Paris to New York, French war heroes Charles Nungesser and François Coli disappear after taking off aboard The White Bird biplane.

1924  The Klaipėda Convention is signed formally incorporating Klaipėda Region (Memel Territory) into Lithuania.

1919  Edward George Honey proposes the idea of a moment of silence to commemorate the Armistice of World War I.

1912  Paramount Pictures is founded.

1902  In Martinique, Mount Pelée erupts, destroying the town of Saint-Pierre and killing over 30,000 people. Only a handful of residents survive the blast.

1901  The Australian Labour Party is established.

1899  The Irish Literary Theatre in Dublin produced its first play.

1886  Pharmacist John Pemberton first sells a carbonated beverage named “Coca-Cola” as a patent medicine.

1846  Mexican–American War: The Battle of Palo Alto: Zachary Taylor defeats a Mexican force north of the Rio Grande in the first major battle of the war.

Mexican-American War:

Battle of Palo Alto:

1821  Greek War of Independence: The Greeks defeat the Turks at the Battle of Gravia Inn.

Battle of Gravia Inn:

Greek War of Independence:

Modern History of Greece:

_________________________________________

Satoshi Ashikaga, having worked as researcher, development program/project officer, legal protection/humanitarian assistance officer, human rights monitor-negotiator, managing-editor, and more, prefers a peaceful and prudent life, especially that in communion with nature.  His previous work experiences, including those in war zones and war-torn zones, remind him of the invaluableness of peace.  His interest and/or expertise includes international affairs, international law, jurisprudence, economic and business affairs, project/operations or organizational management, geography, history, the environmental/ecological issues, science and technology, visual/audio documentation of nature and culture, and more. Being a member of the TRANSCEND Network for Peace, Development and Environment, he is currently compiling This Week in History on TMS.

(Sources and references: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/may_2    to_may_8; http://www.onthisday.com/events/may/2    to may/8;   http://www.brainyhistory.com/days/may_2.html   to may_8.html; and other pertinent web sites and/or documents, mentioned above.)

  1. The views expressed in the cited or quoted websites and/or documents in this article do not necessarily reflect those of the author of this article. These websites and/or documents are cited or quoted for academic or educational purposes. Neither the author of this article nor the Transcend Media Service (TMS) is responsible for the contents, information, or whatsoever contained in these websites and/or documents.
  2. One of the primary purposes of this article is to provide the readers with opportunities to think about “peace”, including positive peace and negative peace as well as external/outer peace and internal/inner peace, and more, directly or indirectly, from various angles and/or in the broadest sense, through historical events. It is because this article is prepared specifically for the TMS whose main objective is to address “peace”.

This article originally appeared on Transcend Media Service (TMS) on 2 May 2016.

Anticopyright: Editorials and articles originated on TMS may be freely reprinted, disseminated, translated and used as background material, provided an acknowledgement and link to the source, TMS: This Week in History, is included. Thank you.

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