Day of Event: 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 Month of Event: January February March April May June July August September October November December Year of Event: AD (Anno Domini) BC (Before Christ)
Cato Street conspirators executed 1st May 1820 On 1st May 1820, outside Newgate Prison in front of a dense crowd, five of the Cato Street conspirators - Arthur Thistlewood, William Davidson, James Ings, Richard Tidd and John Brunt - were hanged for… Read more...
Nazis Invade Crete 20th May 1941 World War II: German paratroopers invade the Mediterranean island of Crete - the first airborne invasion of a country ever attempted. The invasion was launched to round off Hitler's Balkan Campaign against Crete in May… Read more...
WWII: German Afrika Korps surrender to Allied forces 13th May 1943 The Afrika Korps was derived and formed upon Adolf Hitler's personal choice of Erwin Rommel to its command. Following the defeat at El Alamein and the Allied invasion in Morocco and Algeria, The German Armed… Read more...
Spanish Armada sets Sail 19th May 1588 Spanish Armada sets sail from Lisbon in Portugal to attack England. The subsequent defeat of the Spanish Armada is one of the turning points in English history, and it was perhaps the defining episode in… Read more...
Britain dropped it's first live thermonuclear bomb 15th May 1957 Weighing about 4,545 kg, the bomb exploded with a force of 300 kilotons, a yield far below the prediction. Despite this, Britain deemed "Operation Grapple" a success and broadcast to the world that the UK… Read more...
WWII: The Bismarck is spotted 26th May 1941 An RAF Catalina spots the Bismarck at 1030 on 26th May. Swordfish Torpedo-bombers from the Ark Royal score hits on the Bismarck, disabling her steering gear and rendering her unmaneuverable. Read more...
