May 28
is the 148th day of the year in the
Gregorian calendar (149th in
leap years). There are 217 days remaining.
*
585 BC - A
solar eclipse occurs, as predicted by
Thales, while
Alyattes is battling
Cyaxares in the
Battle of the Eclipse, leading to a truce. This is one of the
cardinal dates from which other dates can be calculated.
*
1108 - The Forces of
Castile reached
Ulces Castle, and prepared for the
Battle of Ulces.
*
1503 -
James IV of Scotland and
Margaret Tudor are married by
Pope Alexander VI according to
Papal Bull.
*1503 - The
Treaty of Everlasting Peace between
Scotland and
England is signed, which would actually last 10 years.
*
1588 - The
Spanish Armada, with 130 ships and 30,000 men, begins to set sail from
Lisbon heading for the
English Channel. (It will take until
May 30 for all ships to leave port).
*
1644 -
Bolton Massacre by
Royalist troops under the command of the
Earl of Derby.
*
1754 -
French and Indian War: In the first engagement of the war,
Virginia militia under 22-year-old
Lieutenant Colonel George Washington defeat a
French reconnaissance party in the
Battle of Jumonville Glen in what is now
Fayette County in southwestern
Pennsylvania.
*
1774 -
American Revolutionary War: The first
Continental Congress convenes.
*
1863 -
American Civil War: The
54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry, the first
African American regiment, leaves
Boston, Massachusetts, to fight for the
Union.
*
1892 - In
San Francisco, California,
John Muir organizes the
Sierra Club.
*
1905 -
Russo-Japanese War: The
Battle of Tsushima ends with the destruction of the
Russian
Baltic Fleet by
Admiral Togo Heihachiro and the
Imperial Japanese Navy.
*
1918 - The
Azerbaijan Democratic Republic declares its statehood. It was the first democratic republic in the
Muslim world.
*1918- The
Democratic Republic of Armenia declares its statehood.
*
1926 -
Ditadura Nacional established in
Portugal to suppress the unrest of the
First Republic. (
28th May 1926 coup d'état.)
*
1930 - The
Chrysler Building in
New York City officially opens.
*
1934 - Near
Callander, Ontario, the
Dionne quintuplets are born to
Olivia and
Elzire Dionne, later becoming the first
quintuplets to survive
infancy.
*1934 - The
Glyndebourne festival in
England is inaugurated.
*
1936 -
Alan Turing submits
On Computable Numbers for publication.
*
1937 - The
Golden Gate Bridge in
San Francisco,
California, is officially opened by
President Franklin D. Roosevelt in
Washington, DC, who pushes a button signaling the start of vehicle traffic over the span.
*1937 -
Neville Chamberlain becomes
British Prime Minister.
*
1940 -
World War II:
Belgium surrenders to
Germany.
*1940 -
World War II:
Norwegian,
French,
Polish and
British forces recapture
Narvik. First allied infantry victory in
WW2.
*
1942 -
World War II: In retaliation for the
assassination of
Reinhard Heydrich,
Nazis in
Czechoslovakia kill over 1800 people.
*
1952 -
Memphis Kiddie Park opens in
Brooklyn, Ohio. The park's
Little Dipper roller coaster would become the oldest operating
steel roller coaster in
North America.
*
1961 -
Peter Benenson's article "
The Forgotten Prisoners" is published in several internationally read
newspapers. This will later be thought of as the founding of the
human rights organization
Amnesty International.
*
1964 - The
Palestine Liberation Organization is formed.
*
1969 - Sound engineer
Glyn Johns mixes the second of the
Beatles Bootlegs.
*
1974 -
Northern Ireland's power-sharing
Sunningdale Agreement collapses following a
general strike by
loyalists.
*
1975 - Fifteen
West African countries sign the
Treaty of Lagos, thus creating the
Economic Community of West African States.
*
1977 - In
Southgate, Kentucky, the
Beverly Hills Supper Club is engulfed in fire, killing 165 people inside.
*
1978 - Second round of the
presidential elections in
Upper Volta. Elections won by incumbent
Sangoulé Lamizana.
*
1982 -
Falklands War:
British forces defeat the
Argentines at the
Battle of Goose Green.
*
1983 - The
9th G7 Summit convenes in
Williamsburg, Virginia.
*
1987 - 19-year-old
West German pilot
Mathias Rust evades
Soviet Union air defenses and lands a private plane in
Red Square in
Moscow. He is immediately detained and is not released until
August 3,
1988.
*1987 - A robot probe finds the wreckage of the
USS Monitor near
Cape Hatteras,
North Carolina.
*
1991 - The capital city of
Addis Ababa, falls to the
Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front, ending both the
Derg regime in
Ethiopia and the
Ethiopian Civil War.
*
1995 - The
Russian town of
Neftegorsk is hit by a 7.6 magnitude
earthquake that kills at least 2,000 people, 2/3 of total population.
*
1998 -
Nuclear testing:
Pakistan responds to a series of
Indian nuclear tests with five of its own, prompting the
United States,
Japan, and other nations to impose
economic sanctions.
*
1999 - In
Milan,
Italy, after 22 years of restoration work,
Leonardo da Vinci's newly-restored masterpiece "
The Last Supper" is put back on display.
*
2000 - The
volcano Mount Cameroon erupts.
*
2003 -
Peter Hollingworth becomes the first
Governor-General of Australia to resign his office as a result of criticism of his conduct.
*
2006 - German-born
Pope Benedict XVI visits
Auschwitz to conclude his pilgrimage to Poland.
*
1140 -
Xin Qiji, Chinese poet (d.
1207)
*
1371 -
John the Fearless, Duke of Burgundy (d.
1419)
*
1524 -
Selim II,
Ottoman Sultan (d.
1574)
*
1582 -
William Fiennes, 1st Viscount Saye and Sele, English statesman (d.
1662)
*
1588 -
Pierre Seguier, Chancellor of France (d.
1672)
*
1641 -
Janez Vajkard Valvasor, Slovenian polymath (d.
1693)
*
1660 - King
George I of Great Britain (d.
1727)
*
1676 -
Jacopo Riccati, Italian mathematician (d.
1754)
*
1738 -
Joseph-Ignace Guillotin, French physician (d.
1814)
*
1759 -
William Pitt the Younger,
Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (d.
1806)
*
1779 -
Thomas Moore, Irish poet (d.
1852)
*
1807 -
Louis Agassiz, Swiss-born zoologist and geologist (d.
1873)
*
1818 -
Pierre Beauregard, American Confederate general (d.
1893)
*
1836 -
Alexander Mitscherlich, German chemist (d.
1918)
*
1837 -
George Ashlin, Irish architect (d.
1921)
*
1837 -
Tony Pastor, American vaudeville performer (d.
1908)
*
1853 -
Carl Larsson, Swedish painter (d.
1919)
*
1858 -
Carl Rickard Nyberg, Swedish inventor (d.
1939)
*
1872 -
Marian Smoluchowski, Polish physicist (d.
1917)
*
1878 -
Paul Pelliot, French sinologist (d.
1945)
*
1883 -
Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, Indian freedom fighter (d.
1966)
*
1884 -
Edvard Beneš, Czech politician (d.
1948)
*
1887 -
Jim Thorpe, American athlete (d.
1953)
*
1892 -
Sepp Dietrich, German SS officer (d.
1966)
*
1900 -
Tommy Ladnier, American musician (d.
1939)
*
1908 -
Ian Fleming, English author (d.
1964)
*
1909 -
Red Horner, Canadian hockey star
*
1910 -
T-Bone Walker, American singer (d.
1975)
* 1910 - Lady
Rachel Kempson, English actress (d.
2003)
*
1911 -
Thora Hird, British actress (d.
2003)
* 1911 -
Fritz Hochwälder, Austrian author (d.
1986)
*
1912 -
Patrick White, Australian writer,
Nobel Prize laureate (d.
1990)
* 1912 -
Herman Johannes, Indonesian professor, scientist and politician (d.
1992)
*
1914 -
W. G. G. Duncan Smith, British World War II pilot (d.
1996)
*
1915 -
Joseph Greenberg, American linguist (d.
2001)
*
1916 -
Walker Percy, American author (d.
1990)
*
1917 -
Papa John Creech, American musician (d.
1994)
*
1918 -
Johnny Wayne, Canadian comedian (
Wayne and Shuster) (d.
1990)
*
1921 -
Heinz G. Konsalik, German author (d.
1999)
*
1922 -
Lou Duva, American boxing trainer
*
1923 -
György Ligeti, Hungarian composer (d.
2006)
* 1923 -
Nandamuri Taraka Rama Rao, Indian actor,director,producer and politician (d.
1998)
*
1925 -
Bülent Ecevit,
Prime Minister of Turkey* 1925 -
Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, German baritone
*
1931 -
Carroll Baker, American actress
*
1934 -
Dionne quintuplets (Emilie d.
1954, Marie d.
1970, Yvonne d.
2001)
*
1936 -
Betty Shabazz, American civil rights leader (d.
1997)
*
1938 -
Jerry West, American basketball player
*
1942 -
Stanley B. Prusiner, American scientist, recipient of the
Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine*
1943 -
Terry Crisp, NHL Coach
*
1944 -
Rudy Giuliani, Mayor of New York City
* 1944 -
Gladys Knight, American singer
* 1944 -
Patricia Quinn, Northern Irish actress
* 1944 -
Billy Vera, American actor and musician
*
1945 -
John Fogerty, American musician (
Creedence Clearwater Revival)
* 1945 -
Gary Stewart, American singer (d.
2003)
* 1945 -
Hunter "Patch" Adams, American doctor
*
1946 -
Satchidanandan, Indian-born poet
* 1946 -
Skip Jutze, baseball player
*
1947 -
Sondra Locke, American actress
* 1947 -
Zahi Hawass, Egyptologist
*
1949 -
Wendy O. Williams, American musician (
The Plasmatics) (d.
1998)
*
1950 -
Jim Harris, American professional wrestler
*
1952 -
Russell J. Wintner, American
Hollywood executive
*
1955 -
John McGeoch, Scottish musician (
Siouxsie and the Banshees) (d.
2004)
* 1955 -
Mark Howe, Professional ice hockey player
*
1957 -
Kirk Gibson, baseball player
* 1957 -
Ben Howland, NCAA basketball coach
*
1959 -
John Morgan, etiquette expert
*
1962 -
Brandon Cruz, American actor
* 1962 -
Roland Gift, English musician (
Fine Young Cannibals)
*
1963 -
Houman Younessi, Iranian-born scientist
*
1964 -
Jeff Fenech, Australian boxer
* 1964 -
Christa Miller, American actress
* 1964 -
David Baddiel, English comedian, novelist and television presenter
* 1964 -
Phil Vassar,
country music artist
*
1965 -
Chris Ballew, American musician
*
1968 -
Kylie Minogue, Australian actress and singer
*
1969 -
Mike DiFelice, Baseball player
*
1970 -
Morgan Fox, Canadian model and
1990 Playboy playmate
*
1971 -
Isabelle Carré, French actress
*
1972 -
Michael Boogerd, Dutch cyclist
*
1972 -
Guidoni Junior Doriva, Brazilian footballer
*
1976 -
Liam O'Brien, Voice Actor
*
1976 -
Alexei Nemov, Russian gymnast
*
1977 -
Elisabeth Hasselbeck, American television panelist
*
1979 -
Jesse Bradford, American actor
*
1980 -
Mark Feehily, Irish musician (
Westlife)
*
1982 -
Jhonny Peralta, US MLB player with the
Cleveland Indians*
1986 -
Charles N'Zogbia, French footballer
*
1991 -
Kristen Alderson, American child actress
*
1357 - King
Afonso IV of Portugal (b.
1291)
*
1672 -
John Trevor, English politician (b.
1626)
*
1747 -
Luc de Clapiers, marquis de Vauvenargues, French writer (b.
1715)
*
1750 -
Emperor Sakuramachi of Japan (b.
1720)
*
1787 -
Leopold Mozart, Austrian composer (b.
1719)
*
1805 -
Luigi Boccherini, Italian composer (b.
1743)
*
1808 -
Richard Hurd, English bishop and writer (b.
1720)
*
1811 -
Henry Dundas, British minister (b.
1742)
*
1843 -
Noah Webster, American author, politician, and lexicographer (b.
1758)
*
1849 -
Anne Brontë, English author (b.
1820)
*
1916 -
Ivan Franko, Ukrainian writer (b.
1856)
*
1927 -
Boris Kustodiev, Russian painter (b.
1878)
*
1937 -
Alfred Adler, Austrian psychologist (b.
1870)
*
1940 -
Friedrich Karl von Hessen (b.
1868)
*
1947 -
August Eigruber, Austrian war criminal (b.
1907)
*
1948 -
Unity Mitford, English fascist sympathizer (b.
1914)
*
1971 -
Audie Murphy, American actor and war hero (b.
1924)
* 1971 -
Jean Vilar, French actor (b.
1912)
*
1972 - King
Edward VIII of the United Kingdom (b.
1894)
*
1975 -
Ezzard Charles, Heavyweight champion (b.
1921)
*
1976 -
Steffan Danielsen, Faroese painter (b.
1922)
*
1978 -
Arthur Brough, English actor (b.
1905)
*
1980 -
Rolf Nevanlinna, Finnish mathematician (b.
1895)
*
1981 -
Stefan Cardinal Wyszyński, Archbishop of
Warsaw (b.
1901)
*
1984 -
Eric Morecambe, British comedian (
Morecambe and Wise) (b.
1926)
*
1988 -
Sy Oliver, Jazz trumpeter, composer and bandleader (b.
1910)
*
1993 -
Billy Conn, American boxer and actor (b.
1917)
*
1994 -
Julius Boros, American golfer (b.
1920)
* 1994 -
Ely Jacques Kahn, Jr., American writer (b. 1916)
*
1998 -
Phil Hartman, Canadian actor, comedian (b.
1948)
*
2001 -
Francisco Varela, Chilean biologist and philosopher (b.
1946)
*
2002 -
Jean Berger, German-born composer (b.
1909)
*
2003 -
Oleg Makarov, cosmonaut (b.
1933)
* 2003 -
Ilya Prigogine, Russian-born physicist and chemist, recipient of the
Nobel Prize in Chemistry (b.
1917)
* 2003 -
Martha Scott, American actress (b.
1912)
*
2004 -
Umberto Agnelli, Swiss-born automobile executive (b.
1934)
*
2006 -
Thorleif Schjelderup, Norwegian author and ski jumper (b.
1920)
*
Feast day of the following
saints in the
Roman Catholic Church:
**
Germain of Paris**
Augustine of Canterbury**
William of Gellone**
Bernard of Menthon**
Lanfranc*
Republic Day in
Azerbaijan and
Armenia (both
1918).
*
BBC: On This Day*
The New York Times: On This Day*
On this day in CanadaMay 27 -
May 29 -
April 28 -
June 28 –
listing of all days
