Tidbits of History, May 6

Beverage Day
National Tourist Appreciation Day
National Crepe Suzette Day

No Diet Day

Henry VIII1536 – King Henry VIII of England ordered English-language Bibles be placed in every church.

Louis XIV1682 – Louis XIV of France moved his court to the Palace of Versailles.

Sigmund FreudBirthday of Sigmund Freud (May 6, 1856), Austrian physician, founder of psychoanalysis.

Birthday of Rear Admiral Robert Edwin Peary (May 6, 1856), American Arctic explorer, first to reach the North Pole in 1909.

On May 6, 1861, Richmond, Virginia was declared the new capital of the Confederate States of America.

Eiffel Tower opens May 6, 18891889 – The Eiffel Tower was officially opened to the public at the Universal Exposition in Paris.

1910 – George V became King of the United Kingdom upon the death of his father, Edward VII. George was a grandson of Queen Victoria and a grandfather of Queen Elizabeth II.

From Funeral King Edward VIIOn this day.com Nine Kings in One Room: (Click on picture for larger view)

Standing, from left to right: King Haakon VII of Norway, Tsar Ferdinand of the Bulgarians, King Manuel II of Portugal and the Algarves, Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany and King of Prussia, King George I of the Hellenes and King Albert I of the Belgians. Seated, from left to right: King Alfonso XIII of Spain, King George V of the United Kingdom and King Frederick VIII of Denmark.

Edward VII died on 6 May 1910 after a short reign of nine years. His funeral was notable for the enormous assemblage of foreign royalty. In a mere four years, the picture would be antiquated for another reason: it would be the last great gathering of royals before the outbreak of World War I, where many of the nations represented would be at war with each other.

New Deal: Executive Order 7034 created the Works Progress Administration on May 6, 1935.

Hindenburg disaster, May 6, 1937 Hindenburg disaster: On May 6, 1937, the German Zeppelin Hindenburg catches fire and is destroyed within a minute while attempting to dock at Lakehurst, New Jersey. Thirty-six people were killed. Interesting reading at The Hindenburg Disaster: 9 Surprising Facts written by Christopher Klein (published May 4, 2012 at History.com)

1941 – At California’s March Field, Bob Hope performed his first USO show.

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

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

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