1947⚡ Event
Sicilian separatist attack on May Day marchers
Sicilian separatist Salvatore Giuliano and his gang fired into a crowd of May Day marchers near Piana degli Albanesi, Sicily. The attack killed 11 and wounded 33.
politicslaw
April 29 – May 5 in History
DayFacts Week 18 · 7 days
This recurring calendar span contains 105 historical entries in the DayFacts collection. The sections below preview entries from these 7 days; use the date links to open each date collection.
Selected Anniversaries
Explore the Date Pages
Historical Events (April 29 – May 5)(20)
1950⚡ Event
Gwendolyn Brooks wins Pulitzer Prize
Gwendolyn Brooks became the first African American to receive the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry. Her work was recognized for its significant contribution to literature.
literaturearts
1971⚡ Event
Erich Honecker Becomes First Secretary
Erich Honecker assumed the position of First Secretary of the Socialist Unity Party of Germany, leading East Germany.
politics
1974⚡ Event
First all-female team climbs Manaslu
An all-female Japanese team reached the summit of Manaslu in the Himalayas. They became the first women to climb a peak higher than 8,000 metres.
explorationsports
1974⚡ Event
Perón expels Montoneros
Argentine president Juan Perón expelled the Montoneros from a demonstration in Buenos Aires. This action forced the group to become a clandestine organization.
politics
1979⚡ Event
Margaret Thatcher becomes UK Prime Minister
Margaret Thatcher became the first female prime minister of the United Kingdom. This event occurred on May 4, 1979.
politics
1982⚡ Event
HMS Sheffield sunk in Falklands War
During the Falklands War, HMS Sheffield was struck by an Exocet missile, leading to its sinking. This was the first Royal Navy ship sunk in action since World War II.
warpolitics
1992⚡ Event
Twenty-seventh Amendment ratified in the US
The Twenty-seventh Amendment to the United States Constitution was ratified. This occurred 202 years after it was first proposed.
politicslaw
1994⚡ Event
Riverdance premiere
Riverdance was performed for the first time as the interval act for the Eurovision Song Contest on April 30, 1994.
artsentertainmentmusic
1994⚡ Event
Michael Fay caned in Singapore
American teenager Michael P. Fay was caned in Singapore for theft and vandalism. The United States deemed the punishment excessive for a non-violent crime.
law
1995⚡ Event
Collision in Korea
Ric Flair and Antonio Inoki competed in the main event of Collision in Korea. The event drew an estimated 165,000 spectators, the highest attendance for a professional wrestling event.
sportsentertainment
1997⚡ Event
Chemical Weapons Convention Enters into Force
The Chemical Weapons Convention entered into force, outlawing the production, stockpiling, and use of chemical weapons. This was ratified by 87 countries.
lawwar
1999⚡ Event
Kargil War Begins
The Kargil War commenced when Indian forces discovered Pakistani infiltration in Kargil, Jammu and Kashmir.
war
1999⚡ Event
Fastest Winds Recorded
The fastest winds on Earth were measured at 143.6 m/s (321 mph) in a tornado near Bridge Creek, Oklahoma.
sciencedisaster
2000⚡ Event
Faustina Kowalska canonized
Faustina Kowalska, a Polish nun whose apparitions of Jesus inspired the Divine Mercy devotion, was canonized by Pope John Paul II on April 30, 2000.
religion
2004⚡ Event
Abu Ghraib prison abuses revealed
The New Yorker published an article detailing accounts of torture and abuse by American military personnel of Iraqi prisoners at Abu Ghraib prison on April 30, 2004.
lawwar
2006⚡ Event
Cyclone Mala
Cyclone Mala made landfall near Thandwe, Myanmar, causing 37 deaths. The storm brought significant destruction to the region.
disaster
2008⚡ Event
Chaitén volcano eruption
The Chaitén volcano in Chile began to erupt on May 2, 2008. This was its first eruption since approximately 1640.
disasterscience
2011⚡ Event
Killing of Osama bin Laden
Osama bin Laden was killed by U.S. Navy SEAL Team Six in Abbottabad, Pakistan on May 2, 2011. The operation concluded a decade-long manhunt.
warpolitics
2011⚡ Event
Canadian federal election
The Conservative Party of Canada won a majority government in the federal election held on May 2, 2011. This was their first majority government since 2006.
politics
Births (April 29 – May 5)(15)
1996🎂 Birth
Cherprang Areekul
Cherprang Areekul, a Thai singer, was born on May 2, 1996.
musicentertainment
1996🎂 Birth
Julian Brandt
Julian Brandt, a German footballer, was born on May 2, 1996.
sports
Deaths (April 29 – May 5)(15)
2015🕊️ Death
Geoff Duke
English-Manx motorcycle racer Geoff Duke died on May 1, 2015. He was born in 1923.
sports
2015🕊️ Death
Vafa Guluzade
Azerbaijani political scientist, academic, and diplomat Vafa Guluzade died on May 1, 2015. He was born in 1940.
politicsphilosophy
2017🕊️ Death
Daliah Lavi
Daliah Lavi was an Israeli actress, singer, and model. She was born in 1942.
artsentertainmentmusic
2017🕊️ Death
Binyamin Elon
Binyamin Elon, an Israeli Orthodox rabbi and politician, has died. He was born in 1954.
politicsreligion
2020🕊️ Death
Irrfan Khan
Irrfan Khan, an Indian actor, died on April 29, 2020. He was born in 1967.
entertainment
2020🕊️ Death
Don Shula
Don Shula was an American football player and coach, most famous for coaching the Miami Dolphins.
sports
2020🕊️ Death
Guido Münch
Guido Münch, a Mexican astronomer and astrophysicist, died on April 29, 2020. He was born in 1921.
sciencespace
2020🕊️ Death
Victoria Barbă
Victoria Barbă was a Moldovan animated film director. She was born in 1926.
artsentertainment
2020🕊️ Death
Greg Zanis
Greg Zanis was an American carpenter and activist, known for his 'Where Are They?' campaign.
politicslaw
2020🕊️ Death
Millie Small
Millie Small, a Jamaican singer-songwriter, has died. She was born in 1947.
musicentertainment
2021🕊️ Death
Cate Haste
Cate Haste, an English author, died on April 29, 2021. She was born in 1945.
literature
2022🕊️ Death
Naomi Judd
Naomi Judd was an American singer-songwriter and actress.
musicentertainment
2024🕊️ Death
Sjoukje Dijkstra
Sjoukje Dijkstra, a Dutch figure skater, died on May 2, 2024. She was born in 1942.
sports
2024🕊️ Death
Darius Morris
Darius Morris, an American basketball player, died on May 2, 2024. He was born in 1991.
sports