✦ DateLore

On This Day · The 121st day of the year

May 1

A look at May 1 through the almanac — historic events, famous birthdays including Rinchinbal Khan and Mark W. Clark, and the day's notable deaths and observances.

♉ZodiacTaurus ◈BirthstoneEmerald ❀Birth flowerLily of the Valley
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Events

10 notable moments
  1. 2011

    Pope John Paul II

    Pope John Paul II is beatified by his successor, Pope Benedict XVI.

    Head of the Catholic
  2. 2010

    Faisal Shahzad

    Faisal Shahzad attempts to detonate a car bomb in Times Square, but the bomb fails to go off.

    American convicted terrorist (born
  3. 2004

    Cyprus

    Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia, and Slovenia join the European Union, celebrated at the residence of the Irish President in Dublin.

    Island country in the
  4. 1945

    World War II

    World War II: German radio broadcasts news of Adolf Hitler's death, falsely stating that he has "fallen at his command post in the Reich Chancellery fighting to the last breath against Bolshevism and for Germany". The Soviet flag is raised over the Reich Chancellery, by order of Stalin.

    1939–1945 global conflict
  5. 1931

    Empire State Building

    The Empire State Building is dedicated in New York City.

    Office skyscraper in Manhattan,
  6. 1930

    Pluto

    "Pluto" is officially proposed for the name of the newly discovered dwarf planet by Vesto Slipher in the Lowell Observatory Observation Circular. The name quickly catches on.

    Largest dwarf planet
  7. 1885

    Chicago Board of Trade Building

    The original Chicago Board of Trade Building opens for business.

    Skyscraper in Chicago, Illinois
  8. 1707

    Acts of Union 1707

    The Act of Union joining England and Scotland to form the Kingdom of Great Britain takes effect.

    Acts of Parliament creating
  9. 880

    Nea Ekklesia

    The Nea Ekklesia is inaugurated in Constantinople, setting the model for all later cross-in-square Orthodox churches.

    Byzantine church in Constantinople
  10. 305

    Diocletian

    Diocletian and Maximian retire from the office of Roman emperor.

    Roman emperor from 284
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Famous birthday twins

Born on May 1

Rinchinbal Khan

b. 1326

Mongolian emperor

Mark W. Clark

b. 1896

American general

Judith Sargent Murray

b. 1751

American poet and playwright

John Woo

b. 1946

Hong Kong director, producer, and screenwriter

Otto Kretschmer

b. 1912

German admiral

Herbert Backe

b. 1896

German agronomist and politician

S. M. Krishna

b. 1932

Indian politician and statesman, Minister of External Affairs, 10th Chief Minister of Karnataka, 19th Governor of Maharashtra

Hanns Martin Schleyer

b. 1915

German business executive

Deaths

  • 2008Philipp von Boeselager, German soldier and economist
  • 1994Ayrton Senna, Brazilian race car driver
  • 1945Joseph Goebbels, German lawyer and politician, Chancellor of Germany
  • 1945Magda Goebbels, German wife of Joseph Goebbels
  • 1904Antonín Dvořák, Czech composer
  • 1873David Livingstone, Scottish-English missionary and explorer

Holidays & observances

  • —Christian feast day: Aldebrandus
  • —Christian feast day: Amator
  • —Christian feast day: Andeolus
  • —Christian feast day: Aredius of Gap
  • —Christian feast day: Asaph
  • —Christian feast day: Augustin Schoeffler, Jean-Louis Bonnard (part of Vietnamese Martyrs)
  • —Christian feast day: Benedict of Szkalka
  • —Christian feast day: Bertha of Val d'Or

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