On This Day in History — May 24

Highlights of May 24

• 2026 — A suicide bombing targeting a shuttle train in Quetta, Balochistan, Pakistan, kills at least 47 people. Read more
• 2022 — An 18-year old gunman shot and killed nineteen students and two teachers in a mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas. Read more
• 2014 — A gunman involved in Islamic extremism opened fire at the Jewish Museum of Belgium in Brussels, killing four people. Read more
• 2006 — An Inconvenient Truth, a documentary film that has been credited for raising international public awareness of climate change and re-energizing the environmental movement, was released. Read more
• 1991 — The Israel Defense Forces began Operation Solomon, a covert operation to bring thousands of Ethiopian Jews to Israel (evacuees pictured). Read more
• 1988 — Section 28 of the United Kingdom's Local Government Act of 1988, a controversial amendment stating that a local authority cannot intentionally promote homosexuality, was enacted. Read more
• 1986 — A stationary front began over the central Caribbean Sea, leading to severe floods that over two weeks killed dozens of people in Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Haiti and Jamaica. Read more
• 1976 — In a wine competition in Paris (wine bottle pictured), French judges shocked the wine industry by rating California wines higher than French ones. Read more
• 1970 — On the Kola Peninsula in Russia, drilling began on the Kola Superdeep Borehole, which eventually reached a depth of 12,262 metres (40,230 ft), making it the deepest borehole ever drilled and the lowest artificial point on Earth. Read more
• 1963 — United States Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy met with African American author James Baldwin in an unsuccessful attempt to improve race relations. Read more
• 1962 — Project Mercury: American astronaut Scott Carpenter orbited the Earth three times in the Aurora 7 space capsule. Read more
• 1956 — The first edition of the Eurovision Song Contest was held in Lugano, Switzerland. Read more
• 1948 — Arab–Israeli War: After five days of fighting, Egyptian forces captured the Israeli community of Yad Mordechai after the defenders had abandoned it. Read more
• 1941 — Second World War: The German battleship Bismarck sank the British battlecruiser Hood at the Battle of the Denmark Strait. Read more
• 1930 — English aviator Amy Johnson landed in Darwin, becoming the first woman to fly solo from England to Australia. Read more
• 1913 — Princess Victoria Louise of Prussia married Prince Ernest Augustus of Hanover; the occasion was one of the last great social events of European royalty before World War I began. Read more
• 1883 — New York City's Brooklyn Bridge opened as the longest suspension bridge in the world at the time. Read more
• 1830 — The nursery rhyme "Mary Had a Little Lamb" was first published as a poem by Sarah Josepha Hale. Read more
• 1798 — The Irish Rebellion of 1798 began, with battles beginning in County Kildare and fighting later spreading across the country. Read more
• 1738 — At a Moravian meeting in Aldersgate, London, John Wesley (pictured) experienced a spiritual rebirth, leading him to launch the Methodist movement. Read more
• 1689 — The Act of Toleration became law, granting freedom of worship to English nonconformists under certain circumstances, but deliberately excluding Catholics. Read more
• 1683 — Oxford University's Ashmolean Museum, the world's first university museum, opened. Read more
• 1667 — Led by King Louis XIV, the French army invaded the Spanish Netherlands, beginning the War of Devolution. Read more
• 1567 — The mentally ill King Erik XIV of Sweden (pictured) and his guards murdered five incarcerated nobles, including some members of the influential Sture family. Read more

Events

• 2026 — A suicide bombing targeting a shuttle train in Quetta, Balochistan, killed at least 48 people and injured 98 others. Read more
• 2022 — A mass shooting occurs at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, United States, resulting in the deaths of 21 people, including 19 children. Read more
• 2019 — Twenty-two students die in a fire in Surat (India). Read more
• 2019 — Under pressure over her handling of Brexit, British Prime Minister Theresa May announces her resignation as Leader of the Conservative Party, effective as of June 7. Read more
• 2014 — A 6.4 magnitude earthquake occurs in the Aegean Sea between Greece and Turkey, injuring 324 people. Read more
• 2014 — At least three people are killed in a shooting at Brussels' Jewish Museum of Belgium. Read more
• 2002 — Russia and the United States sign the Moscow Treaty. Read more
• 2000 — Israeli troops withdraw from southern Lebanon after 22 years of occupation. Read more
• 1999 — The International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia in The Hague, Netherlands indicts Slobodan Milošević and four others for war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in Kosovo. Read more
• 1995 — While attempting to return to Leeds Bradford Airport in the United Kingdom, Knight Air Flight 816 crashes in Dunkeswick, North Yorkshire, killing all 12 people on board. Read more
• 1994 — Four men are convicted of bombing the World Trade Center in New York in 1993; each one is sentenced to 240 years in prison. Read more
• 1993 — Eritrea gains its independence from Ethiopia. Read more
• 1993 — Roman Catholic Cardinal Juan Jesús Posadas Ocampo and five other people are assassinated in a shootout at Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla Guadalajara International Airport in Mexico. Read more
• 1992 — The last Thai dictator, General Suchinda Kraprayoon, resigns following pro-democracy protests. Read more
• 1992 — The ethnic cleansing in Kozarac, Bosnia and Herzegovina begins when Serbian militia and police forces enter the town. Read more
• 1991 — Israel conducts Operation Solomon, evacuating Ethiopian Jews to Israel. Read more
• 1988 — Section 28 of the United Kingdom's Local Government Act 1988, a controversial amendment stating that a local authority cannot intentionally promote homosexuality, is enacted. Read more
• 1982 — Liberation of Khorramshahr: Iranians recapture the port city of Khorramshahr from the Iraqis during the Iran–Iraq War. Read more
• 1981 — Ecuadorian president Jaime Roldós Aguilera, his wife, and his presidential committee die in an aircraft accident while travelling from Quito to Zapotillo minutes after the president gave a famous speech regarding the 24 de mayo anniversary of the Battle of Pichincha. Read more
• 1976 — The Judgment of Paris takes place in France, launching California as a worldwide force in the production of quality wine. Read more
• 1967 — Egypt imposes a blockade and siege of the Red Sea coast of Israel. Read more
• 1967 — Belle de Jour, directed by Luis Buñuel, is released. Read more
• 1962 — Project Mercury: American astronaut Scott Carpenter orbits the Earth three times in the Aurora 7 space capsule. Read more
• 1961 — American civil rights movement: Freedom Riders are arrested in Jackson, Mississippi, for "disturbing the peace" after disembarking from their bus. Read more
• 1960 — Following the 1960 Valdivia earthquake, the largest ever recorded earthquake, Cordón Caulle begins to erupt. Read more
• 1958 — United Press International is formed through a merger of the United Press and the International News Service. Read more
• 1956 — The first Eurovision Song Contest is held in Lugano, Switzerland. Read more
• 1948 — Arab–Israeli War: Egypt captures the Israeli kibbutz of Yad Mordechai, but the five-day effort gives Israeli forces time to prepare enough to stop the Egyptian advance a week later. Read more
• 1944 — Börse Berlin building burns down after being hit in an air raid during World War II. Read more
• 1944 — Congress of Përmet occurs which establishes a provisional government in Albania in areas under partisan control, the first independent Albanian government since 1939. In honor of this the national emblem of Albania inscribed this date from 1946 until 1992. Read more
• 1941 — World War II: Battle of the Atlantic: In the Battle of the Denmark Strait, the German battleship Bismarck sinks the pride of the Royal Navy, HMS Hood, killing all but three crewmen. Read more
• 1940 — Igor Sikorsky performs the first successful single-rotor helicopter flight. Read more
• 1940 — Acting on the orders of Soviet leader Joseph Stalin, NKVD agent Iosif Grigulevich orchestrates an unsuccessful assassination attempt on exiled Russian revolutionary Leon Trotsky in Coyoacán, Mexico. Read more
• 1935 — The first night game in Major League Baseball history is played in Cincinnati, Ohio, with the Cincinnati Reds beating the Philadelphia Phillies 2–1 at Crosley Field. Read more
• 1930 — Amy Johnson lands in Darwin, Northern Territory, becoming the first woman to fly solo from England to Australia (she left on May 5 for the 11,000 mile flight). Read more
• 1900 — Second Boer War: The United Kingdom annexes the Orange Free State. Read more
• 1883 — The Brooklyn Bridge in New York City is opened to traffic after 14 years of construction. Read more
• 1873 — Patrick Francis Healy becomes the first black president of a predominantly white university in the United States. Read more
• 1861 — American Civil War: Union troops occupy Alexandria, Virginia, with Colonel Elmer E. Ellsworth becoming the first Union officer to be killed during the war. Read more
• 1856 — John Brown and his men kill five slavery supporters at Pottawatomie Creek, Kansas. Read more
• 1844 — Samuel Morse sends the message "What hath God wrought" (a biblical quotation, Numbers 23:23) from a committee room in the United States Capitol to his assistant, Alfred Vail, in Baltimore, Maryland, to inaugurate a commercial telegraph line between Baltimore and Washington D.C. Read more
• 1832 — The First Kingdom of Greece is declared in the London Conference. Read more
• 1822 — Battle of Pichincha: Antonio José de Sucre secures the independence of the Presidency of Quito. Read more
• 1813 — South American independence leader Simón Bolívar enters Mérida, leading the invasion of Venezuela, and is proclaimed El Libertador ("The Liberator"). Read more
• 1798 — The Irish Rebellion of 1798 led by the United Irishmen against British rule begins. Read more
• 1738 — John Wesley is converted, essentially launching the Methodist movement; the day is celebrated annually by Methodists as Aldersgate Day and a church service is generally held on the preceding Sunday. Read more
• 1689 — The English Parliament passes the Act of Toleration protecting dissenting Protestants but excluding Roman Catholics. Read more
• 1683 — The Ashmolean Museum in Oxford, England, opens as the world's first university museum. Read more
• 1667 — The French Royal Army crosses the border into the Spanish Netherlands, starting the War of Devolution opposing France to the Spanish Empire and the Triple Alliance. Read more
• 1626 — Peter Minuit buys Manhattan. Read more
• 1621 — The Protestant Union is formally dissolved. Read more
• 1607 — Jamestown, the first permanent English colony in North America, is founded. Read more
• 1595 — Nomenclator of Leiden University Library appears, the first printed catalog of an institutional library. Read more
• 1567 — Erik XIV of Sweden and his guards murder five incarcerated Swedish nobles. Read more
• 1487 — The ten-year-old Lambert Simnel is crowned in Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin, Ireland, with the name of Edward VI in a bid to threaten King Henry VII's reign. Read more
• 1276 — Magnus Ladulås is crowned King of Sweden in Uppsala Cathedral. Read more
• 1218 — The Fifth Crusade leaves Acre for Egypt. Read more
• 919 — The nobles of Franconia and Saxony elect Henry the Fowler at the Imperial Diet in Fritzlar as king of the East Frankish Kingdom. Read more

Born on May 24

• 2002 — Saim Ayub, Pakistani cricketer Read more
• 2001 — Emily Austin, journalist and social media influencer Read more
• 1999 — Tarjei Sandvik Moe, Norwegian actor Read more
• 1996 — Shu Uchida, Japanese voice actress Read more
• 1994 — Rodrigo De Paul, Argentine footballer Read more
• 1994 — Jarell Martin, American basketball player Read more
• 1994 — Emma McKeon, Australian swimmer Read more
• 1994 — Emily Nicholl, Scottish netball player Read more
• 1994 — Daiya Seto, Japanese swimmer Read more
• 1994 — Emily Temple Wood, American 2016 Wikipedian of the Year award Read more
• 1992 — Marcus Bettinelli, English footballer Read more
• 1991 — Aled Davies, Welsh discus thrower Read more
• 1991 — Cody Eakin, Canadian ice hockey player Read more
• 1990 — Mattias Ekholm, Swedish ice hockey player Read more
• 1990 — Joey Logano, American race car driver Read more
• 1989 — G-Eazy, American rapper Read more
• 1989 — Andrew Jordan, English race car driver Read more
• 1989 — Kalin Lucas, American basketball player Read more
• 1988 — Artem Anisimov, Russian ice hockey player Read more
• 1988 — Monica Lin Brown, American sergeant Read more
• 1988 — Billy Gilman, American musician Read more
• 1988 — Lucian Wintrich, American political artist and White House correspondent Read more
• 1988 — Denis Petrić, Slovenian footballer Read more
• 1987 — Guillaume Latendresse, Canadian ice hockey player Read more
• 1986 — Mark Ballas, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, dancer, and actor Read more
• 1986 — Giannis Kontoes, Greek footballer Read more
• 1985 — Tim Bridgman, English race car driver Read more
• 1984 — Sarah Hagan, American actress Read more
• 1984 — Dmitri Kruglov, Estonian footballer Read more
• 1984 — Masaya Takahashi, Japanese wrestler Read more
• 1983 — Custódio Castro, Portuguese footballer Read more
• 1983 — Pedram Javaheri, Iranian-American meteorologist and journalist Read more
• 1983 — Woo Seung-yeon, South Korean model and actress (died 2009) Read more
• 1982 — Issah Gabriel Ahmed, Ghanaian footballer Read more
• 1982 — Rian Wallace, American football player Read more
• 1981 — Andy Lee, Australian comedian, actor, and screenwriter Read more
• 1980 — Jason Babin, American football player Read more
• 1980 — Anthony Minichiello, Australian rugby league player Read more
• 1979 — Tracy McGrady, American basketball player Read more
• 1979 — Kareem McKenzie, American football player Read more

Died on May 24

• 2025 — Gary Pierce, English footballer (born 1951) Read more
• 2024 — Doug Ingle, American musician (born 1945) Read more
• 2024 — Kabosu, Japanese dog and Internet meme celebrity (born 2005) Read more
• 2023 — Tina Turner, American-Swiss rock and pop singer, dancer, actress and author (born 1939) Read more
• 2018 — John "TotalBiscuit" Bain, English gaming commentator and critic (born 1984) Read more
• 2018 — Gudrun Burwitz, daughter of Margarete Himmler and Heinrich Himmler (born 1929) Read more
• 2015 — Dean Carroll, English rugby player (born 1962) Read more
• 2015 — Kenneth Jacobs, Australian lawyer and judge (born 1917) Read more
• 2015 — Tanith Lee, English author (born 1947) Read more
• 2014 — David Allen, English cricketer (born 1935) Read more
• 2014 — Stormé DeLarverie, known as the "Rosa Parks of the lesbian community" (born 1920) Read more
• 2014 — Mahafarid Amir Khosravi, Iranian businessman (born 1969) Read more
• 2014 — Knowlton Nash, Canadian journalist and author (born 1927) Read more
• 2014 — John Vasconcellos, American lieutenant, lawyer, and politician (born 1932) Read more
• 2013 — Helmut Braunlich, German-American violinist and composer (born 1929) Read more
• 2013 — Ron Davies, Welsh footballer (born 1942) Read more
• 2013 — Gotthard Graubner, German painter (born 1930) Read more
• 2013 — Haynes Johnson, American journalist and author (born 1931) Read more
• 2013 — Pyotr Todorovsky, Ukrainian-Russian director and screenwriter (born 1925) Read more
• 2012 — Klaas Carel Faber, Dutch-German SS officer (born 1922) Read more
• 2012 — Kathi Kamen Goldmark, American journalist and author (born 1948) Read more
• 2012 — Jacqueline Harpman, Belgian psychoanalyst and author (born 1929) Read more
• 2012 — Juan Francisco Lombardo, Argentinian footballer (born 1925) Read more
• 2012 — Lee Rich, American production manager and producer (born 1918) Read more
• 2011 — Huguette Clark, American heiress, painter, and philanthropist (born 1906) Read more
• 2011 — Hakim Ali Zardari, Indian-Pakistani businessman and politician (born 1930) Read more
• 2010 — Ray Alan, English ventriloquist, actor, and screenwriter (born 1930) Read more
• 2010 — Paul Gray, American bass player and songwriter (born 1972) Read more
• 2010 — Raymond V. Haysbert, American businessman and activist (born 1920) Read more
• 2010 — Petr Muk, Czech singer-songwriter and guitarist (born 1965) Read more
• 2010 — Anneliese Rothenberger, German soprano and actress (born 1926) Read more
• 2009 — Jay Bennett, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer (born 1963) Read more
• 2008 — Dick Martin, American actor, comedian, and director (born 1922) Read more
• 2008 — Jimmy McGriff, American organist and bandleader (born 1936) Read more
• 2008 — Andrew Stephen Wilson, British-American astronomer (born 1947) Read more
• 2006 — Henry Bumstead, American art director and production designer (born 1915) Read more
• 2006 — Claude Piéplu, French actor (born 1923) Read more
• 2005 — Carl Amery, German activist and author (born 1922) Read more
• 2005 — Arthur Haulot, Belgian journalist and poet (born 1913) Read more
• 2005 — Guy Tardif, Canadian academic and politician (born 1935) Read more

Holidays & observances

Aldersgate Day/Wesley Day (Methodism); Battle of Pichincha Day (Ecuador); Bermuda Day (Bermuda), celebrated on the nearest weekday if May 24 falls on the weekend.; Christian feast day: Anna Pak Agi (one of The Korean Martyrs); Christian feast day: Donatian and Rogatian; Christian feast day: Jackson Kemper (Episcopal Church); Christian feast day: Joanna; Christian feast day: Juan de Prado; Christian feast day: Blessed Louis-Zéphirin Moreau; Christian feast day: Mary, Help of Christians; Christian feast day: Sarah (celebrated by the Romani people of Camargue); Christian feast day: Simeon Stylites the Younger; Christian feast day: Vincent of Lérins; Christian feast day: May 24 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics); Commonwealth Day (Belize); Independence Day (Eritrea), celebrates the independence of Eritrea from Ethiopia in 1993.; Lubiri Memorial Day (Buganda); Saints Cyril and Methodius Day (Eastern Orthodox Church, Julian Calendar) and its related observance: Bulgarian Education and Culture and Slavonic Literature Day (Bulgaria); Saints Cyril and Methodius Day (Eastern Orthodox Church, Julian Calendar) and its related observance: Saints Cyril and Methodius, Slavonic Enlighteners' Day (North Macedonia); Victoria Day; celebrated on Monday on or before May 24. (Canada), and its related observance: National Patriots' Day or Journée nationale des patriotes (Quebec)

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