1794⚡ Event
Antoine Lavoisier is executed
French chemist Antoine Lavoisier is executed during the Reign of Terror, ending the life of one of the founders of modern chemistry.
sciencepolitics
May 6 – May 12 in History
DayFacts Week 19 · 7 days
This recurring calendar span contains 112 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 (May 6 – May 12)(20)
1886⚡ Event
Coca-Cola first sold
Pharmacist John Pemberton first sells Coca-Cola at a pharmacy in Atlanta, Georgia for five cents a glass.
economics
1945⚡ Event
V-E Day: Victory in Europe
Nazi Germany unconditionally surrenders to the Allied forces, ending World War II in Europe.
warpoliticsmilitary
1954⚡ Event
Circus Wagons Overturn in Dungannon
A convoy of circus wagons carrying animals lost control and overturned into shop fronts in Dungannon, Northern Ireland.
disaster
1960⚡ Event
Khrushchev Announces Capture of U-2 Pilot
Nikita Khrushchev announced that the Soviet Union was holding American pilot Francis Gary Powers. Powers' spy plane had been shot down six days prior.
politicswar
1975⚡ Event
Mayaguez Incident
On May 12, 1975, the Cambodian navy seized the American container ship SS Mayaguez in what they claimed to be Cambodian territorial waters. This incident led to a military response from the United States.
warpoliticslaw
1980⚡ Event
Sunshine Skyway Bridge collapse
Part of the Sunshine Skyway Bridge in Florida collapsed after being struck by the MV Summit Venture. The disaster resulted in the deaths of 35 people.
disasterlaw
1982⚡ Event
Coppergate Helmet Discovery
On May 12, 1982, the Coppergate Helmet, the best-preserved of the six known Anglo-Saxon helmets, was discovered. The helmet is a significant archaeological find.
explorationarts
1992⚡ Event
Westray Mine disaster
An underground methane explosion at the Westray Mine in Nova Scotia killed all 26 coal miners working at the time. The disaster occurred in Plymouth.
disasterlaw
1994⚡ Event
Nelson Mandela inaugurated as President of South Africa
Nelson Mandela was inaugurated as the first democratically elected President of South Africa.
politics
1994⚡ Event
Execution of John Wayne Gacy
On May 10, 1994, American serial killer John Wayne Gacy was executed by lethal injection for the murders of twelve young men committed between 1972 and 1978.
law
1997⚡ Event
Qayen Earthquake
An earthquake of magnitude 7.3 Mw struck near Qaen, Iran, on May 10, 1997, resulting in at least 1,567 deaths and leaving approximately 50,000 people homeless.
disaster
1999⚡ Event
Kosovo War: US Bombs Chinese Embassy
During NATO's bombing of Yugoslavia, the United States mistakenly bombed the Chinese embassy in Belgrade.
warpolitics
2001⚡ Event
Accra stadium disaster
Police fired tear gas to quell unrest at a football match in Accra, Ghana, causing a stampede that killed 126 people. The incident occurred at the Ohene Djan Stadium.
disastersports
2004⚡ Event
Final episode of Friends aired
The final episode of the television sitcom Friends was aired.
entertainment
2008⚡ Event
Mark Saunders shot dead by police
British barrister Mark Saunders was shot dead by police after a five-hour siege at his home in Chelsea, London.
law
2010⚡ Event
David Cameron becomes UK Prime Minister
David Cameron took office as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. The Conservatives and Liberal Democrats formed the country's first coalition government since World War II.
politics
2010⚡ Event
Flash crash of 2010
Exacerbated by high-frequency traders using strategies that have since been banned, major U.S. stock indices dropped nearly 9 percent and quickly rebounded.
economicstechnology
2011⚡ Event
Earthquake strikes Lorca, Spain
An earthquake registering Mw 5.1 struck near Lorca, Spain. This was the worst earthquake to hit the region in over 50 years.
disaster
2013⚡ Event
Reyhanlı car bombings
Two car bombs exploded in Reyhanlı, Turkey, resulting in 52 deaths and 140 injuries. The perpetrators of the attack remain unknown.
disasterpolitics
Births (May 6 – May 12)(15)
1884🎂 Birth
Harry S. Truman born
The 33rd President of the United States is born in Lamar, Missouri. He oversaw the end of WWII and the start of the Cold War.
politics
1996🎂 Birth
Nicolas Aubé-Kubel
Nicolas Aubé-Kubel is a Canadian ice hockey player.
sports
1998🎂 Birth
Luigi Mangione
Luigi Mangione, a suspect in the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, was born on May 6, 1998.
1999🎂 Birth
Sabrina Carpenter born
Sabrina Carpenter, an American singer and actress, was born.
entertainmentmusicarts
1999🎂 Birth
Pato O'Ward
Fernando "Pato" O'Ward is a Mexican racing driver born on May 6, 1999.
sports
2000🎂 Birth
Yūki Tsunoda born
Yūki Tsunoda, a Japanese racing driver, was born.
sportstechnology
2002🎂 Birth
Cole Palmer
Cole Palmer is an English professional footballer born on May 6, 2002.
sports
Deaths (May 6 – May 12)(15)
1880🕊️ Death
Gustave Flaubert dies
French novelist Gustave Flaubert, author of Madame Bovary, dies in Rouen at age 58.
literature
2014🕊️ Death
Neville McNamara
Neville McNamara was an Australian air marshal. He was born in 1923.
war
2015🕊️ Death
Frank DiPascali
Frank DiPascali was an American businessman. He was born in 1956.
economics
2016🕊️ Death
Patrick Ekeng
Patrick Ekeng, a Cameroonian footballer, died on May 6, 2016. He was born in 1990.
sportsdisaster
2019🕊️ Death
Peggy Lipton
Peggy Lipton, an American actress, model, and singer, passed away on May 11, 2019. She was born in 1946.
entertainment
2020🕊️ Death
Jerry Stiller
Jerry Stiller, an American comedian and actor, died on May 11, 2020. He was born in 1927.
entertainment
2020🕊️ Death
Aimee Stephens
Aimee Stephens was an American funeral director and U.S. Supreme Court litigant.
law
2021🕊️ Death
Pauline Tinsley
Pauline Tinsley was a British soprano.
musicentertainment
2021🕊️ Death
Kentaro Miura
Kentaro Miura, a Japanese manga artist, died on May 6, 2021. He was born in 1966.
artsliterature
2022🕊️ Death
John Leo
John Leo, an American writer and journalist, died on May 9, 2022. He was born in 1935.
literaturepolitics
2022🕊️ Death
Rieko Kodama
Rieko Kodama, a pioneering Japanese game developer, died on May 9, 2022. She was born in 1963.
technologyentertainment
2022🕊️ Death
Bob Lanier
Bob Lanier was an American professional basketball player.
sports
2022🕊️ Death
George Pérez
George Pérez, an American comic book artist and writer, died on May 6, 2022. He was born in 1954.
artsliterature