9 May 1649
The Rump Parliament declares England a Commonwealth. The country remains a republic for the next 11 years.
19th May 2021
Numeracy Day
Many of us may think that we are not number’s people. But whether we like it or not, numbers play a big part in all our lives. Numeracy Day is about recognizing the importance of numbers and numeracy and encouraging people to sharpen their skills and build their confidence with numbers. Being smarter with numbers isn’t a special talent, it’s something we can all learn!
May Ray Day
There’s a saying that goes “April Showers bring May Flowers” that talks about the natural turning of the seasons and how the wonderful spring rains. Each year this turning of the page comes about bringing the awakening rains of early spring, and then the comfortably warmth and rich smells of May bursting into flowers. May Ray Day celebrates this turning of the seasons, and encourages you to get out and enjoy it!
Better Speech and Hearing Month
Around five percent of the world’s population experience hearing loss. While five percent of the population is also thought to experience problems with speech.
With communication being so important to our lives, Better Speech and Hearing Month sets out to raise awareness of issues surrounding communication problems such as an inability to hear properly or to speak effectively.
History of Better Speech and Hearing Month
The Better Speech and Hearing Month was founded in 1927 by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. The aim of Better Speech and Hearing Month is to raise awareness around both speech and hearing problems while encouraging people to take a look at their own speech and hearing and to make a change in there is a problem.
For over nine decades, this month has been held, making people think about their hearing and speech.
A Selection of Birthdays
1795 Johns Hopkins, philanthropist, founded Johns Hopkins University
1858 Roland Napoléon Bonaparte, French prince and president of the Société de Géographie, born in Paris, France (d. 1924)
1861 Dame Nellie Melba [Helen Mitchell], Australian operatic soprano, and face of the Australian 100 dollar note, born in Richmond, Victoria, Australia (d. 1931)
1869 Henry Horatio Dixon, Irish Biologist who originated the cohesion-tension theory of water and mineral movement in plants, born in Dublin, Ireland
1870 Albert Fish, American serial killer (d. 1936)
1874 Gilbert Jessop, English cricket batsman (18 Tests; Wisden Cricketer of the Year 1898), born in Cheltenham, England (d. 1955)
1879 Nancy Astor, American born British politician, 1st female MP in UK House of Commons, born in Danville, Virginia (d. 1964)
1880 Allard R Hulshoff, architect of Amsterdam (1924)
1890 Ho Chi Minh [Nguyễn Sinh Cung], Vetnamese communist revolutionary and President of North Vietnam (1946-69), born in Nghệ An Province, French Indochina (d. 1969)
1909 Nicholas Winton, English Humanitarian ('British Schindler' - saved 600 children from Nazis), born in London (d. 2015)
1918 Florence Chadwick, swimmer (1st to swim English Channel both ways), born in San Diego, California (d. 1995)
1924 (Alexander) "Sandy" Wilson, British theatrical composer and lyricist (The Boy Friend; Divorce Me, Darling!), born in Sale, Cheshire, England (d. 2014)
1925 Malcolm X [Little], African American human rights activist and Muslim minister, born in Omaha, Nebraska (d. 1965)
1925 Pol Pot, Cambodian dictator (1976-79) and revolutionary who led the Khmer Rouge (1963-97), born in Prek Sbauv, Kampong Thom, Cambodia (d. 1998)
1926 David Jacobs, British broadcaster (Juke Box Jury), born in London (d. 2013)
1931 Bob Anderson, British racing driver (d. 1967)
1938 [Brian Keith] Herbie Flowers, English bassist and session musician (Lou Reed, Harry Nilsson, T-Rex), born in Isleworth, England
1942 Gary Kildall, American computer scientist and entrepreneur who created the CP/M operating system, born in Seattle, Washington (d. 1994)
1942 Robert Kilroy-Silk, British politician and television presenter
1944 Peter Mayhew, British-American actor (Chewbacca in Star Wars), born in London, England (d. 2019)
1945 Peter Townshend, English rock guitarist, vocalist and composer (The Who-Tommy), born in London
1947 Steve Currie, British rock bassist (T. Rex; Marc Bolan), born in Grimsby, Lincolnshire, (d. 1981)
1948 Tom Scott, American saxophonist and composer (L.A. Express, The Blues Brothers), born in Los Angeles, California
1951 Joey Ramone [Jeffrey Hyman], lead singer of the punk rock band The Ramones (Baby I Love You)
1953 Victoria Wood, British comedian and actress (Dinner Ladies), born in Bury, Lancashire (d. 2016)
1954 Phil Rudd, Australian rock drummer (AC/DC-Rock 'n Roll Damnation), born in Melbourne, Victoria
1959 Nicole Brown Simpson, German-American ex-wife of O.J. Simpson who was later murdered, born in Frankfurt, Germany (d. 1994)
1961 Ronan Hardiman, Irish composer (Michael Flatley soundtracks), born in Dublin, Ireland
1966 Sophia Crawford, English actress and martial artist (Power Rangers), born in London, England
1992 Sam Smith, English singer-songwriter (Stay with Me), born in London, England
On this Day in History
715 St Gregory II begins his reign as Catholic Pope
1182 The high altar of Paris cathedral Notre Dame is consecrated by Cardinal Henri de Château-Marçay and Maurice de Sully
1506 Christopher Columbus selects his son Diego Columbus as sole heir
1515 George van Saksen-Meissen sells Friesland for 100,000 gold guilders to arch duke Charles
1517 Philip van Bourgondie installed as bishop of Utrecht
1518 Public unveiling of Titian's masterpiece "Assumption of the Virgin" a painted altarpiece in the Basilica di Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari, Venice
1536 Anne Boleyn, second wife of English King Henry VIII, is beheaded at the Tower of London on charges of adultery, incest and treason
1547 Monarch Johan Frederik surrenders to Karel
1568 English Queen Elizabeth I arrests Mary, Queen of Scots
1571 Miguel Lopez de Lagazpi founds Manilla in the Philippines
1585 Spain confiscates English ships
1608 Matthias von Habsburgs army reaches Lieben, at Prague
1635 France's First Minister, Cardinal Richelieu declares war on Spain (Franco-Spanish War 1635–59)
1643 Battle at Rocroi/Allersheim: French army destroys Spanish army
1643 Massachusetts Bay, Plymouth, Connecticut and New Harbor form the United Colonies of New England
1649 England is declared a Commonwealth by an act of the Rump Parliament making England a republic for the next 11 years
1652 Spanish troops occupy Grevelingen
1662 Uniformity Act of England goes into effect
1749 George II grants charter to Ohio Company to settle Ohio Valley
1780 About midday, near-total darkness descends on New England, now known to be caused by forest fires in Canada
1792 Russian army enters Poland
1793 Netherlands captures French island of St Maarten (held until 1795)
1802 French Order of Legion d'Honneur forms
1857 Americans William Francis Channing and Moses G Farmer patent the electric fire alarm
1863 Siege of Vicksburg, investment of city complete
1864 Battle of Port Walthall Junction, Virginia (Bermuda Hundred)
1864 Last engagement in series of battles known as Spotsylvania
1864 Skirmish at Cassville, Georgia
1883 William F. “Buffalo Bill” Cody opened Buffalo Bill's Wild West show in Omaha, Nebraska
1885 1st mass production of shoes (Jan Matzeliger in Lynn, Massachusetts)
1885 German Chancellor Otto von Bismarck takes possession of Cameroon and Togoland
1886 Camille Saint-Saëns' 3rd Symphony in C premieres at St. James Hall, London, with the composer conducting
1892 Charles Brady King invents pneumatic hammer
1893 Heavy rain washes "quick clay" into a deep valley killing 111 in Norway
1896 1st auto (Karl Benz) arrives in Netherlands
1897 Oscar Wilde is released from Reading Gaol
1900 World's longest railroad tunnel (Simplon) linking Italy and Switzerland opens
1902 Great Britain and Boers resume peace talks in Pretoria
1905 Tom Jenkins beats Frank Gotcha for heavyweight wrestling champ
1906 Portugal's King Carlos I names Joao Franco premier
1909 In his first title defence Jack Johnson fights "Philadelphia" Jack O'Brien to a no decision in 6 rounds in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to retain his world heavyweight crown
1910 Passage of Earth through tail of Halley's Comet causes near-panic
1911 Maurice Ravel's opera "L'Heure Espagnole" premieres at the Opéra-Comique, Paris, France
1919 Kelud volcano on Java, erupts killing 5,160
1919 Mustafa Kemal Atatürk lands at Samsun on the Black Sea coast, beginning the Turkish War of Independence
1923 KPD (communist revolts) in German Ruhr cities occupied by Allies
1926 French air force bombs Damascus Syria
1928 "Firedamp" explodes in Mather coal mine, Pennsylvania, killing 195 of 273 miners
1928 51 frogs enter 1st annual "Frog Jumping Jubilee" (Angel's Camp, California)
1929 Cloudburst causes stampede in Yankee Stadium, crushes 2 people to death
1929 Chinese warlord Feng Yuxiang declares war on Chiang Kai-shek's nationalist government
1930 White women win voting rights in South Africa
1931 Cruiser Deutschland launched in Kiel
1934 Military coup by Colonel Damian Veltsjev in Bulgaria
1934 Sherlock Holmes crossword puzzle in "Sat Review of Lit" Males who solved puzzle became members of Baker Street Irregulars
1935 English Cardinal John Fisher and statesman Thomas More, executed by Henry VIII, canonized as saints by Pope Pius XI
1937 John Murray and Allen Boretz's "Room Service" premieres in NYC
1940 Amsterdam time becomes MET (Middle European Time)
1940 French counter attack at Pronne under Gen De Gaulle
1941 Germany occupiers in Holland forbid bicycle taxis
1941 New Nazi battleship Bismarck leaves Gdynia, Poland
1943 Berlin is declared "Judenrien" (free of Jews)
1943 Churchill pledges Britain's full support to US against Japan
1944 240 gypsies transported to Auschwitz from Westerbork, Netherlands
1944 German defense line in Italy collapses
1945 Start of the 1st Victory Test Cricket between England & Aust Services
1946 Dutch Cooperation for Sexual Reform (NVSH) forms in Amsterdam
1950 NY Times reports of worlds smallest & dumbest mechanical brain
1953 Nuclear explosion in Nevada (fall-out in St George, Utah)
1957 Adone Zoli forms Italian government
1958 Premiere of Harold Pinter's play "Birthday Party" in London
1958 "South Pacific" soundtrack album goes #1 & stays #1 for 31 weeks
1959 Jan de Quay becomes premier of Netherlands
1959 The USS Triton, the first submarine with two nuclear reactors, is completed
1960 Belgian parliament requires rest day for self employed
1961 New pier opens in Scheveningen, the Netherlands
1962 "Bravo, Giovanni" opens at Broadhurst Theater NYC for 76 performances
1962 "John Birch Society" by Chad Mitchell Trio hits #99
1962 Indonesian paratroopers land in New Guinea
1962 US performs nuclear test at Christmas Island (atmospheric)
1964 US diplomats find at least 40 secret microphones in Moscow embassy
1965 Patricia R. Harris named 1st US black female ambassador (Luxembourg)
1965 West Ham United win 5th European Cup Winner's Cup against 1860 München of West Germany 2-0
1967 USSR ratifies treaty with Britain & US banning nuclear weapons in space
1968 20th Emmy Awards: "Get Smart", "Mission Impossible" & Barbara Bain win
1968 Pirate Radio Brumble of Northern England 1st heard
1971 USSR launches Mars 2, 1st spacecraft to crash land on Mars
1972 US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site
1972 25th Cannes Film Festival: "The Working Class Goes to Heaven" directed by Elio Petri and "The Mattei Affair" directed by Francesco Rosi jointly awarded the Grand Prix du Festival International du Film
1973 "Daisy A Day" by Jud Strunk hits #14
1973 "Smith" opens at Eden Theater NYC for 17 performances
1974 Valeri Giscard d'Estaing wins French presidential election
1975 27th Emmy Awards: "The Mary Tyler Moore Show", Robert Blake & Jean Marsh win
1975 Farm truck packed with wedding party struck by a train, killing 66 in truck, 40 miles south of Poona, India
1976 Gold ownership legalized in Australia
1976 USSR performs nuclear test at Eastern Kazakh/Semipalitinsk USSR
1977 Film "Smokey & the Bandit" starring Burt Reynolds, Sally Field and Jackie Gleason premieres in NYC
1979 "In The Navy" by Village People hits #3
1980 "Blackstone" opens at Majestic Theater NYC for 104 performances
1981 5 British Army soldiers are killed when their armoured vehicle is ripped apart by a Provisional Irish Republican Army roadside bomb near Bessbrook, County Armagh
1982 Sophia Loren jailed in Naples, Italy for tax evasion
1983 NASA launches Intelsat V satellite, no. 506
1983 Parody Singer and Comedian, Weird Al Yankovic gives live performance at Wax Museum in Washington, D.C.
1983 36th Cannes Film Festival: "Narayama Bushiko" directed by Shohei Imamura wins the Palme d'Or
1984 "King Of Suede" by Weird Al Yankovic hits #62
1984 STS 41-D vehicle moves to launch pad
1986 Anti-apartheid activist Hélène Pastoors sentenced to 10 yrs in South Africa
1986 39th Cannes Film Festival: "The Mission" directed by Roland Joffe wins the Palme d'Or
1987 1st American Comedy Award: Johnny Carson & Betty White
1987 40th Cannes Film Festival: "Sous le soleil de Satan" directed by Maurice Pialat wins the Palme d'Or
1988 Carlos Lehder Rivas, of Colombia's Medellin drug cartel, is convicted in Florida for smuggling more than 3 tons of cocaine into US
1989 Dow Jones Avg passes 2,500 mark for 1st time, closes at 2,501.1
1989 Sue Ellen's (Linda Gray) last appearance on TV show "Dallas"
1989 "Do the Right Thing", directed by Spike Lee, starring Danny Aiello and Ossie Davis premieres at the Cannes Film Festival
1990 "Elvis" TV Drama about early life of Elvis Presley last airs on ABC
1991 "Buddy - The Buddy Holly Story" closes at Shubert NYC after 225 performances
1992 Amy Fisher shoots Mary Jo Buttafuoco in the face in an altercation over an affair with her husband, in Massapequa, New York
1992 Englishman Dave Gauder, 224 lbs, pulls 196 ton jumbo jet, 3 inches
1992 "Some Gave All" debut album by Billy Ray Cyrus is released (Billboard Album of the Year 1993)
1993 Boeing 727 crashes into mountain at Medellin Colombia, kills 132
1993 Dow Jones closes above 3,500 for 1st time (3,500.03)
1994 Final Episode of TV drama "LA Law" after 8 year run
1994 Egyptian actor Omar Sharif suffers a mild heart attack
1994 Tennis star Jennifer Capriati (18), checks into a drug rehab center
1995 Emmy 22nd Daytime Award presentation - Susan Lucci loses for 15th time
1995 World's youngest doctor, Balamurali Ambati, 17, graduates Mount Sinai
1996 STS 77 (Endeavour 11), launches into orbit
1997 "The Lost World: Jurassic Park", directed by Steven Spielberg and starring Jeff Goldblum and Julianne Moore, premieres in the US
1999 Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace, directed by George Lucas, starring Ewan McGregor, Natalie Portman and Liam Neeson is released in cinemas
1999 Lazio of Italy win 39th European Cup Winner's Cup against Mallorca of Spain 2-1 in Birmingham
1999 Andrew Motion is appointed British Poet Laureate for 10 years, the first to request a definite term
2001 Manchester United lose 3-1 to Tottenham at White Hart Lane but win English Premier League title for the 3rd consecutive season
2005 TV political comedy "The Thick of It" created by Armando Iannucci, starring Peter Capaldi and Chris Langham premieres on BBC 4
2007 "Sicko" a documentary on the US health care system, directed by Michael Moore has its premiere at the Cannes Film festival.
2007 "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End", directed by Gore Verbinksi, starring Johnny Depp, Keira Knightley and Orlando Bloom premieres in Anaheim - most expensive film($300 million)made at the time
2007 Coen brothers film "No Country for Old Men", based on the Cormac McCarthy novel, starring Tommy Lee Jones, Javier Bardem and Josh Brolin premieres at the Cannes Film Festival (Best Picture 2008)
2007 In an all South African final the Bulls (Pretoria) edge the home team Sharks, 20-19 in Durban for their first Super 14 Rugby title; Bulls flyhalf Derick Hougaard boots 2 penalties & 2 conversions
2007 English FA Cup Final, Wembley Stadium, London (89,826): Chelsea beats Manchester United, 1 – 0 (a.e.t.); Didier Drogba scores 116' winner for Blues' 4th title
2009 Sri Lanka announces victory in its 25-year war against the terrorist organisation, Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam
2011 Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer, project to search for dark matter, led by Samuel C. C. Ting, installed on the International Space Station
2012 UEFA Champions League Final, Munich: Chelsea beats Bayern Munich, 4-3 on penalties after a 1–1 draw at the end of extra time; Blues' first title
2013 Sweden defeats Switzerland to win the 2013 World Ice Hockey Championship
2013 21st Billboard Music Awards: Taylor Swift, Red win
2014 Decorated Dutch coach Louis van Gaal confirmed as manager of Manchester United; Ryan Giggs named assistant, confirms retirement as a player at age 40 after 963 games and English record 22 major trophies
2015 Historic first handshake between Prince Charles and Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams at the National University of Ireland in Galway
2015 UK inflation is recorded as a negative for the first time since 1960
2016 EgyptAir flight MS804 goes missing over the Mediterranean on route Paris to Cairo
2018 American actress Meghan Markle marries Prince Harry at a ceremony in Windsor Castle, making her a member of the British royal family
2018 Queen Elizabeth II grants the titles of Duke and Duchess of Sussex to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle upon their marriage
2018 71st Cannes Film Festival: Japanese film "Shoplifters" by Hirokazu Kore-eda wins the Palme d'Or
2018 English FA Cup Final, Wembley Stadium, London: Chelsea beats Manchester United, 1-0; Belgian international Eden Hazard scores 22' penalty
2019 PGA Championship Men's Golf, Bethpage State Park: Defending champion Brooks Koepka leads wire-to-wire; wins despite 5 bogeys on last 8 holes by 2 strokes from world #1 Dustin Johnson
2019 Sprinter Dutee Chand comes out as India's first openly gay professional athlete
2019 US billionaire Robert F. Smith announces he will pay off college loans of nearly 400 students of the graduating class of Morehouse College, Atlanta
2019 64th Eurovision Song Contest won by Duncan Laurence of the Netherlands
2020 Greenhouse gas emissions dropped 17% worldwide in April 2020 when world was in lockdown, in study published in "Nature Climate Change"
2020 Two dams on Tittabawassee River in central Michigan breached by floodwaters, forcing evacuation of thousands of residents