The New York Public Library is dedicated. The New York Public Library was founded in 1895 through the merger of three major institutions: the Astor…
22 May 1804
The Lewis and Clark Expedition officially begins as the Corps of Discovery departs from St. Charles, Missouri. The Lewis and Clark Expedition was an important…
21 May 1988
Margaret Thatcher holds her controversial Sermon on the Mound before the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland. Margaret Thatcher’s “Sermon on the Mound” was…
20 May 1964
Discovery of the cosmic microwave background radiation by Robert Woodrow Wilson and Arno Penzias. Cosmic microwave background radiation (CMB radiation) is the faint electromagnetic radiation…
19 May 1802
Napoleon Bonaparte founds the Legion of Honour. The Legion of Honour, officially known as the *Légion d’honneur*, is the highest French order of merit for…
18 May 1096
First Crusade: Around 800 Jews are massacred in Worms, Germany. In 1096, during the early stages of the First Crusade, one of the darkest attacks…
17 May 1792
The New York Stock Exchange is formed under the Buttonwood Agreement. The Buttonwood Agreement was a foundational event in American financial history that led to…
16 May 1568
Mary, Queen of Scots, flees to England. Mary, Queen of Scots fled to England in 1568 after being forced to give up the Scottish throne….
15 May 1849
The Sicilian revolution of 1848 ends. The Sicilian Revolution of 1848 was part of the wider wave of European revolutions that spread across the continent…
14 May 1796
Edward Jenner administers the first smallpox inoculation. Edward Jenner was an English doctor who became famous for developing the first successful vaccine against smallpox, one…