Tidbits of History, May 15

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National Chocolate Chip Day
Police Officer’s Memorial Day

1004 – Henry II (the Saint) crowned King of Italy on May 15, 1004. He was King of Germany in 1002 and was crowned Holy Roman Emperor in 1014.

1252 – Pope Innocent IV issued the papal bull   Ad ex tirpanda, which authorized, but also limited, the torture of heretics in the Medieval Inquisition.

Robert Walpole became England first prime minister on May 15, 1730.

In 1791 Maximilien Robespierre proposed the “Self-denying Ordinance”. The National Constituent Assembly dissolved itself on 30 September 1791. Upon Robespierre’s motion it decreed that none of its members should be capable of sitting in the next legislature; this is known as the Self-Denying ordinance, early French version of Term Limits.

Birthday of Lyman Frank Baum (May 15, 1856), American writer, author of “Wizard of Oz”.

Ellen Axson Wilson, born May 15, 1860Birthday of Ellen Axson Wilson ( (May 15, 1860), wife of Woodrow Wilson, first lady in 1913 to her death in 1914.

1862 – Union Grounds, Brooklyn, first baseball enclosure, opens. Union Grounds was a baseball park located in the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn, New York. The grounds opened in 1862, its inaugural match being played on May 15. It was the first baseball park enclosed entirely by a fence, thereby allowing proprietor William Cammeyer or his tenant to charge admission. This permitted paying customers to watch the games from benches in a stand while non-paying spectators could only watch from embankments outside the grounds.

1905 – Las Vegas, Nevada founded. It was named “The Meadows” because the valley contained artesian wells that supported extensive green areas or meadows.

1912 – Ty Cobb rushes a heckler at a NY Highlander game and is suspended.
Per Wikipedia:

“On May 15, 1912, Cobb assaulted a heckler, Claude Lueker, in the stands in New York’s Polo Grounds where his Tigers were playing the Highlanders. Lueker and Cobb had traded insults with each other through the first three innings, and the situation climaxed when Lueker called Cobb a “half-nigger.” Cobb, in his discussion of the incident in the Holmes biography, avoided such explicit words but alluded to Lueker’s epithet by saying he was “reflecting on my mother’s color and morals.” He went on to state that he warned Highlander manager Harry Wolverton that if something wasn’t done about that man, there would be trouble. No action was taken. At the end of the sixth inning, after being challenged by teammates Sam Crawford and Jim Delahanty to do something about it, Cobb climbed into the stands and attacked Lueker, who it turns out was handicapped (he had lost all of one hand and three fingers on his other hand in an industrial accident). When onlookers shouted at him to stop because the man had no hands, he reportedly retorted, “I don’t care if he got no feet!””

When Cobb was suspended, the rest of the Detroit Tigers’ team went on strike to protest the lack of protection of players from abusive fans. This eventually led to the formation of the Major League Baseball Players’ Association.

First Airmail stamp, May 15, 19181918 – First airmail postal service inaugurated with service from New York to Philadelphia and to Washington, D.C. The first U.S. airmail stamp cost 24 cents. Domestic airmail became obsolete in 1975 and international air-mail in 1995.

1940 – McDonald’s opens its first restaurant in San Bernardino, California.

The first Arab-Israeli War of 1948: Egypt, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq & Saudi-Arabia troops attack Israel.

1960 – Sputnik 4 launched into Earth orbit; later recovery failed.

1969 – Associate Justice Abe Fortas was forced to resign from Supreme Court due to ethics violations. He had been appointed by President Lyndon Johnson in 1965.

May 15, 1972, assassination attempt on US Governor George Wallace of Alabama by Arthur Bremer in Laurel, Md. Wallace was shot five times, one of the bullets lodging in his spinal cord. Wallace was paralyzed from the waist down for the rest of his life. He died in 1998. Arthur Bremer’s motivation was fame, not politics. He was imprisoned until 2007 at which time he was released.

1972 – The island of Okinawa, under U.S. military governance since its conquest in 1945, reverts to Japanese control.

Nolan Ryan's first no hitter, May 15, 19731973 –Nolan Ryan pitches his first no-hitter. He had seven in his active career.

Tidbits of History, May 14

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May 14, 1483 – Coronation of Charles VIII of France (“Charles l’Affable”) at age 13. Charles died in 1498 after accidentally striking his head on the lintel of a door.

1610 – Assassination of Henri IV of France, bringing Louis XIII to the throne at age 8.

1643 – Louis XIV becomes King of France aged 4.

Blue Boy
Anniversary of the baptism of Thomas Gainsborough (May 14, 1727), English portrait and landscape painter famous for the “Blue Boy”.

1796 – First smallpox inoculation administered, by Edward Jenner. The World Health Organization (WHO) certified the eradication of smallpox in 1979.

Lewis & Clark set out from St. Louis for Pacific Coast in 1804.

Gail Borden patents her process for condensed milk in 1853.

Chronograph invented May 14, 1862In 1862 Adolphe Nicole of Switzerland patents chronograph A chronograph is a watch that may be used as a stopwatch.

1878 – Vaseline is first sold (registered trademark for petroleum jelly). Invented by Robert Chesebrough from “rod wax”, a residue found in oil rig pumps. Vaseline.com publishes a list of 101 uses for Vaseline. We recently used it to prevent scarring from an injury similar to road rash. Worked great!

1918 – Sunday baseball is made legal in Wash DC in 1918. Due to blue laws, it was considered offensive to work on Sunday, which was expected to be a day of worship and rest. In 1794, the Pennsylvania Assembly restricted activities on Sunday by passing what they called “an Act for the prevention of vice and immorality, and of unlawful gaming, and to restrain disorderly sports and dissipation” (Wikipedia)

May 14, 1939 – Lina Medina becomes the world’s youngest confirmed mother in medical history when she gave birth to a son at the age of five years, seven months, seventeen days. She had precocious puberty and was found to have fully mature sexual organs. The boy was delivered by Cesarean Section. The father of the baby was never named. Lina’s father was arrested and released due to lack of evidence.

May 14, 1948: Israel is proclaimed a Jewish state. Israel’s first prime minister, reads a “Declaration of Independence,” which proclaims the existence of a Jewish state called Israel beginning on May 15, 1948, at 12:00 midnight.

Chevrolet_Corvair_Monza_May 14, 1969Last Chevrolet Corvair built in 1969.

1973 – US Supreme court approved equal rights to females in military.

In 1995, Dalai Lama proclaims 6-year-old Gedhun Choekyi Nyima 11th reincarnation of Panchen Lama, Tibet’s second most senior spiritual leader.

USS America sunk May 14, 2005 On May 14, 2005, the USS America (CV-66), a decommissioned supercarrier of the United States Navy, (commissioned in 1965) is deliberately sunk in the Atlantic Ocean after four weeks of live-fire exercises. She is the largest ship ever to be disposed of as a target in a military exercise. She was the last supercarrier not named after a person.

Tidbits of History, May 13

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Frog Jumping Day
The roots of Frog Jumping Day go back to Mark Twain’s first short story. It was first published in 1865 as “Jim Smiley and His Jumping Frog”. Later, he published it as “The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County”. It is also known under a third title “The Notorious Jumping Frog of Calaveras County”.

Nowadays, people in Calaveras County (California) still annually celebrate this day at the Calaveras County Fair and Frog Jumping Jubilee.

May 13 is also Leprechaun Day According to Irish legend, or folklore, Leprechauns have a hidden pot of gold. If you catch a Leprechaun, he must give you his pot of gold.

Jamestown Day, observed in Virginia in commemoration of the settlement of Jamestown in 1607.

Cardinal Richelieu of France created the table knife. The distinguishing feature of a table knife is a blunt or rounded end. The origin of this, and thus of the table knife itself, is attributed by tradition to Cardinal Richelieu around 1637, reputedly to cure dinner guests of the unsavoury habit of picking their teeth with their knife-points.

Arthur Phillip set sail with 11 ships of criminals to Botany Bay, Australia on May 13, 1787.

DeWolf Hooper first recited “Casey at the Bat”. It was written by Ernest Thayer in 1888, published on May 13.

The Outlook wasn’t brilliant for the Mudville nine that day:
The score stood four to two, with but one inning more to play.
And then when Cooney died at first, and Barrows did the same,
A sickly silence fell upon the patrons of the game.

A straggling few got up to go in deep despair. The rest
Clung to that hope which springs eternal in the human breast;
They thought, if only Casey could get but a whack at that –
We’d put up even money, now, with Casey at the bat.

But Flynn preceded Casey, as did also Jimmy Blake,
And the former was a lulu and the latter was a cake;
So upon that stricken multitude grim melancholy sat,
For there seemed but little chance of Casey’s getting to the bat.

But Flynn let drive a single, to the wonderment of all,
And Blake, the much despis-ed, tore the cover off the ball;
And when the dust had lifted, and the men saw what had occurred,
There was Jimmy safe at second and Flynn a-hugging third.

Then from 5,000 throats and more there rose a lusty yell;
It rumbled through the valley, it rattled in the dell;
It knocked upon the mountain and recoiled upon the flat,
For Casey, mighty Casey, was advancing to the bat.

There was ease in Casey’s manner as he stepped into his place;
There was pride in Casey’s bearing and a smile on Casey’s face.
And when, responding to the cheers, he lightly doffed his hat,
No stranger in the crowd could doubt ’twas Casey at the bat.

Ten thousand eyes were on him as he rubbed his hands with dirt;
Five thousand tongues applauded when he wiped them on his shirt.
Then while the writhing pitcher ground the ball into his hip,
Defiance gleamed in Casey’s eye, a sneer curled Casey’s lip.

And now the leather-covered sphere came hurtling through the air,
And Casey stood a-watching it in haughty grandeur there.
Close by the sturdy batsman the ball unheeded sped-
“That ain’t my style,” said Casey. “Strike one,” the umpire said.

From the benches, black with people, there went up a muffled roar,
Like the beating of the storm-waves on a stern and distant shore.
“Kill him! Kill the umpire!” shouted someone on the stand;
And its likely they’d a-killed him had not Casey raised his hand.

With a smile of Christian charity great Casey’s visage shone;
He stilled the rising tumult; he bade the game go on;
He signaled to the pitcher, and once more the spheroid flew;
But Casey still ignored it, and the umpire said, “Strike two.”

“Fraud!” cried the maddened thousands, and echo answered fraud;
But one scornful look from Casey and the audience was awed.
They saw his face grow stern and cold, they saw his muscles strain,
And they knew that Casey wouldn’t let that ball go by again.

The sneer is gone from Casey’s lip, his teeth are clenched in hate;
He pounds with cruel violence his bat upon the plate.
And now the pitcher holds the ball, and now he lets it go,
And now the air is shattered by the force of Casey’s blow.

Oh, somewhere in this favored land the sun is shining bright;
The band is playing somewhere, and somewhere hearts are light,
And somewhere men are laughing, and somewhere children shout;
But there is no joy in Mudville – mighty Casey has struck out.

Churchill, May 13, 19401940 – Churchill says “I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears & sweat.” in his first speech to the House of Commons as Prime Minister.

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Tidbits of History, May 12

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May 12 is World Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Day

Limerick Day Edward Lear has been called the “father” of the limerick because he helped to popularize the form. One of Lear’s:

There was a young lady of Niger
who smiled as she rode on a tiger;
They returned from the ride
with the lady inside,
and the smile on the face of the tiger.

And one from Ogden Nash:

A flea and a fly in a flue
Were imprisoned, so what could they do?
Said the fly, “let us flee!”
“Let us fly!” said the flea.
So they flew through a flaw in the flue.

Garland Day in Abbotsbury, Dorsetshire, England; a ceremony left over from the old May Day festivities observed by children who carry garlands from door to door and receive gifts for the welcoming of May; the garlands are later laid in front of the War Memorial.

First ice cream advertisement by confectioner Philip Lenzi is published in the New York Gazette. on May 12, 1777.

On May 12, 1870, Manitoba becomes a province of Canada. The original province of Manitoba was a square, one-eighteenth of its current size, and was known colloquially as the “postage stamp province”.

On May 12, 1937, George VI crowned King of England following the abdication of his brother, King Edward VII.

Nazi submarine U-507 sank an American cargo ship, the 10,000 ton SS Virginia at mouth of Mississippi River on May 12, 1942, killing 26 sailors.

Busch Memorial Stadium opened May 12 , 1966 St Louis’ Busch Memorial Stadium opened in 1966. It was home to the St. Louis Cardinals National League Baseball team for its entire operating existence while also serving as home to the NFL’s Cardinals team from 1966-1987. It replaced Sportsman’s Park. It was demolished in 2005 and replaced with the new Busch Stadium.

Harry A Blackmun was confirmed as a justice on Supreme Court May 12, 1970. He was appointed by President Richard Nixon. He remained on the bench until 1994, becoming one of the most liberal justices on the Court.

2002 – Former US President Jimmy Carter arrived in Cuba for a five-day visit with Fidel Castro becoming first President of the United States, in or out of office, to visit the island since Castro’s 1959 revolution.

Tidbits of History, May 11

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May 11 is National Twilight Zone Day in the USA.
National Technology Day (India)

Eat What You Want Day

May 11, 1647 Peter Stuyvesant arrived in New Amsterdam to replace Willem Kieft as Director-General of New Netherland, the Dutch colonial settlement in present-day New York City.

May 11, 1812 – Spencer Perceval became the only Prime Minister of the United Kingdom to be assassinated. The assassin, John Bellingham, was a merchant who believed he had been unjustly imprisoned in Russia and was entitled to compensation from the Government, but all his petitions had been rejected.

James K. Polk May 11 ,184614President James K. Polk asked for and received a Declaration of War against Mexico, starting the Mexican–American War on May 11, 1846.

Birthday of Ottmar Mergenthaler (May 11, 1854), American inventor who developed the first Linotype Machine in 1884. Before Mergenthaler’s invention, no daily newspaper in the world had more than eight pages

Minnesota headerMinnesota Admission Day, 1858 as the thirty-second state

  • Capital: St. Paul
  • Nickname: North Star State/Gopher State/Bread and Butter State
  • Bird: Common Loon
  • Flower: Pink & White Lady’s slipper
  • Tree: Norway Pine
  • Motto: The star of the north

See our page for more interesting facts and trivia about Minnesota.

Birthday of Irving Berlin [Isadore Balin]( May 11, 1888), composer and lyricist. Some of his most popular songs are:

  • Alexander’s Ragtime Band (called “the first real American musical work”
  • A Pretty Girl is Like a Melody (in 1919),
  • Blue Skies
  • Cheek to Cheek,
  • Easter Parade,
  • The Girl That I Marry,
  • God Bless America,
  • I’ve Got My Love to Keep me Warm,
  • There’s No Business Like Show Business, and
  • White Christmas.

Pullman Strike of 1894: Four thousand Pullman Palace Car Company workers went on a wildcat strike in Illinois.

1904 Birthday of Salvador Dali (May 11, 1904), painter, surrealist artist. His works can be viewed at Wikiart

An act of the U.S. Congress establishes Glacier National Park in Montana on May 11, 1910.

Tidbits of History, May 10

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Clean up Your Room Day
National Train Day
Confederate Memorial Day, a state holiday in both North and South Carolina, honoring the memory of the Confederate soldiers and civilians lost during the Civil War.  North and South Carolina, mark the anniversaries of the death of Thomas Jonathan ‘Stonewall’ Jackson (a general in the Confederate army) in 1863 and the capture of Jefferson Davis in 1865.

On May 10, 1503, Christopher Columbus visited the Cayman Islands and named them Las Tortugas after the numerous turtles there.

Jacques Cartier visited Newfoundland in 1534.

The Parliament of Great Britain passed the Tea Act, on May 10, 1773. It is designed to save the British East India Company by granting it a monopoly on the North American tea trade.

Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette became King and Queen of France on May 10, 1774. They were executed in 1793.

In 1775, representatives from the Thirteen Colonies began the Second Continental Congress in Philadelphia.

Fort Ticonderoga Day, observed at Ticonderoga, New York, marking the capture of the fort by Ethan Allen and the Green Mountain Boys in 1775

USS United States launched May 10, 1797May 10, 1797, the First Navy ship, the “USS United States,” is launched

First Barbary War: The Barbary pirates of Tripoli declared war on the United States of America on May 10, 1801.

The First Transcontinental Railroad, linking the eastern and western United States, was completed at Promontory Summit, Utah (not Promontory Point) with the golden spike in 1869.

Victoria Woodhull became the first woman nominated for President of the United States in 1872.

In 1893 the Supreme Court of the United States ruled in Nix v. Hedden that a tomato is a vegetable, not a fruit, under the Tariff Act of 1883.

J. Edgar Hoover is appointed the Director of the United States’ Federal Bureau of Investigation on May 10, 1940, and remains so until his death in 1972.

May 10, 1940 – Winston Churchill became Prime Minister of the United Kingdom on the same day that Germany invaded the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg.

Bill Haley & His Comets release “Rock Around the Clock” in 1954. It is the first rock and roll record to reach number one on the Billboard charts.

Tidbits of History, May 9

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Lost Sock Memorial Day
Victory and Peace Day (Armenia)
Victory Day (former Soviet Union countries), marking end of World War II in Europe.

Saint Joan’s Day, observed in New Orleans in honor of Joan of Arc who forced the English to raise the siege on Orleans, France in 1429.

Gazette, May 9, 1754The first newspaper cartoon in America was created by Benjamin Franklin and published in his “Pennsylvania Gazette” on May 9, 1754. It showed a divided snake with the caption: “Join or Die”. Each segment represented one colony or region.

Birthday of Sir James Matthew Barrie (May 9, 1860), Scottish playwright and novelist, author of “Peter Pan.” I had read a condensed version of the story and, of course, saw the movie. I was absolutely delighted when I read the original story. Highly recommend it to whimsy-lovers!

1868 The city of Reno, Nevada, was founded

North Pole Flight Day, anniversary of the first flight over the North Pole, achieved by Commander Richard E Byrd of the U.S. Navy and Floyd Bennett in 1926.

The first Australian Parliament met in Melbourne on May 9, 1901. It is later moved to Canberra on this day in 1927.

May 9, 1942 – Holocaust: The SS murdered 588 Jewish residents of the town of Zinkiv, Ukraine. One of the first and largest Holocaust mass-murder events had occurred on August 27–28, 1941 near the nearby city of Kamianets-Podilskyi. In those two days, 23,600 Jews were killed, most of them Hungarian Jews (14,000-16,000) and the rest mainly local Ukrainian Jews. As the researchers of the Holocaust point out, the Kamianets-Podilskyi massacre was the first mass action in the “Final Solution” of the Nazis, and the number of its victims reached 5 figures. Eyewitnesses reported that the perpetrators made no effort to hide their deeds from the local population.

Also on May 9, 1942, the Zoludek Ghetto (in Belarus) was destroyed and all its inhabitants murdered or deported.

In 1960, the Food and Drug Administration announced it will approve birth control as an additional indication for Searle’s Enovid, making Enovid the world’s first approved oral contraceptive pill.

Jim Gentile, May 9, 1961 Jim Gentile of the Baltimore Orioles became the first player in baseball history to hit grand slams in consecutive innings on May 9, 1961.

Richard_Nixon Watergate Scandal: The United States House of Representatives Judiciary Committee opened formal and public impeachment hearings against President Richard Nixon on May 9, 1974. Nixon resigned August 9, 1974.

Tidbits of History, May 8

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May 8 is

Iris Day The flower is a symbol for creativity, great power and good news to come.
No Socks Day
World Red Cross Day / World Red Crescent Day
National Coconut Cream Pie Day

According to: Urban Dictionary.com May 8th is traditionally known as National Outdoor Intercourse Day! Also may be shortened to “NOID” Most frequently celebrated on college campuses across the USA during the 1970’s and 1980’s.

In 1541, Hernando de Soto stopped near present-day Walls, Mississippi, and saw the Mississippi River (then known by the Spanish as Río de Espíritu Santo, (The River of the Holy Spirit), the name given to it by Alonso Álvarez de Pineda in 1519)

Birthday of Jean Henri Dunant (May 8, 1828), Swiss philanthropist and founder of the Red Cross Society.

Birthday of Oscar Hammerstein (May 8, 1846), German-American opera impresario, playwright, and inventor who established the Manhattan Opera House for the presentation of popular musical events. Grandfather of Oscar Hammerstein II of Rogers and Hammerstein fame. Hammerstein was born in Prussia. According to Wikipedia, he and his father had strong disagreements about Oscar’s future – the father encouraging academic studies and Oscar devoted to music. Oscar sold his violin to finance his flight from his home to the U.S., arriving in 1864. He found work in a cigar factory where he eventually patented over 80 inventions to improve the manufacture of cigars. He became wealthy industrializing cigar manufacturing, and his tobacco fortune provided the money he used to pursue his theater interests.

On May 8, 1846, shortly before the United States formally declared war on Mexico, General Zachary Taylor (1784-1850) defeated a superior Mexican force in the Battle of Palo Alto. The battle took place north of the Rio Grande River near present-day Brownsville, Texas. Taylor’s victory, along with a series of subsequent victories against the Mexicans, made him a war hero. In 1848, Zachary Taylor was elected America’s 12th president.

Harry S. Truman, born May 8, 1884Birthday of Harry S Truman (May 8, 1884), thirty-third president of the United States. (The “s” did not stand for anything. It was chosen to honor both grandfathers, Anderson Shipp Truman and Solomon Young.)

May 8, 1886 – Pharmacist John Pemberton first sold a carbonated beverage named “Coca-Cola” as a patent medicine.

Mount Pelee on Martinique erupted in 1902, killing 30,000 people.

In 1919 Edward George Honey first proposed the idea of a moment of silence to commemorate the Armistice of World War I, which later results in the creation of Remembrance Day. In the United States it was called Armistice Day and is now Veterans Day.

V-E (Victory in Europe) Day commemorating the end of World War II in Europe with the signing of the unconditional surrender by the Germans in 1945. Also called Armistice Day in France.

Tidbits of History, May 7

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National Tourism Day
Spring Day, a holiday in Scotland to honor the season
National Roast Leg of Lamb Day

May 7 should be honored as a day of remarkable achievements in poetry and music. It is the birthday of Robert Browning, Johannes Brahms, Peter Tchaikovsky, and the premier of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony and the release of “Chattanooga Choo Choo” by Glenn Miller.

On May 7, 1429, Joan of Arc ended the Siege of Orléans, pulling an arrow from her own shoulder and leading the final charge. The victory marked a turning point in the Hundred Years’ War.

The city of New Orleans was founded by Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne de Bienville in 1718.

Birthday of Robert Browning (May 7, 1812) , English poet, husband of Elizabeth Barrett Browning. His poems include “Home Thoughts From Abroad” (O to be in England now that April’s there…), “My Last Dutchess”, and “The Pied Piper of Hamelin”.

World premiere of Ludwig van Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony in Vienna, Austria on May 7, 1824. The performance is conducted by Michael Umlauf under the composer’s supervision. Best known is Movement 4, commonly called “Ode to Joy”. You Tube has many videos of this song including some flash mob scenes. Here’s one orchestral version:

Birthday of Johannes Brahms (May 7,1833), German composer.

Birthday of Peter Ilich Tchaikovsky (May 7, 1840), Russian composer.

Kodak box camera, May 7, 1888George Eastman patents “Kodak box camera” in 1888.

Flexible Flyer, May 7, 19041904 – “Flexible Flyer” trademark registered.

May 7, 1914 – US Congress established Mother’s Day.

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.

Glenn Miller recorded “Chattanooga Choo Choo” for RCA on May 7, 1941.

The concept of the integrated circuit, the basis for all modern computers, was first published on May 7, 1952 by Geoffrey W.A. Dummer.

Michigan ratified a proposed amendment to the United States Constitution, making the 27th Amendment law. It was submitted to the states for ratification in September 1789 and became part of the United States Constitution in May 1992, a record setting period of 202 years, 7 months and 12 days. This amendment bars the U.S. Congress from giving itself a mid-term pay raise.

Amendment XXVII

No law, varying the compensation for the services of the Senators and Representatives, shall take effect, until an election of Representatives shall have intervened.

The Space Shuttle Endeavour was launched on its first mission on on this day in 1992.

Tidbits of History, May 6

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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.