On This Day in History — May 28

Highlights of May 28

• 2016 — Harambe was shot and killed after grabbing a three-year-old boy in his enclosure at the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden, drawing widespread criticism and inspiring internet memes. Read more
• 2010 — A train derailment and collision in the West Midnapore district of West Bengal, India, caused the deaths of at least 148 passengers. Read more
• 2002 — An independent commission appointed by the Football Association voted two-to-one to allow Wimbledon F.C. to relocate from London to Milton Keynes. Read more
• 1987 — Mathias Rust, a West German aviator, flew his Cessna 172 from Helsinki, Finland, through Soviet air defences, landing illegally near Red Square in Moscow. Read more
• 1982 — Falklands War: The British War Cabinet, which never considered using nuclear weapons in the conflict, ordered that the nuclear depth bombs on British ships return home. Read more
• 1940 — Second World War: Belgium surrendered to Nazi Germany, ending the Battle of Belgium. Read more
• 1937 — The rise of Neville Chamberlain culminated with his accession as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, being summoned to Buckingham Palace to "kiss hands". Read more
• 1901 — Mozaffar ad-Din, Shah of Persia, granted exclusive rights to prospect for oil in the country to businessman William Knox D'Arcy (pictured). Read more
• 1892 — Scottish-American preservationist John Muir (pictured) founded the environmental organization Sierra Club in California. Read more
• 1830 — U.S. president Andrew Jackson signed the Indian Removal Act into law, authorizing him to negotiate with Native Americans for their removal from their ancestral homelands. Read more
• 1754 — French and Indian War: Led by 22-year-old George Washington, a company of Virginia colonial militiamen ambushed a force of 35 Canadiens at the Battle of Jumonville Glen. Read more
• 1644 — English Civil War: Royalist troops stormed and captured the Parliamentarian stronghold of Bolton, leading to a massacre of defenders and local residents. Read more
• 1608 — Italian composer Claudio Monteverdi debuted his second opera L'Arianna, now one of his lost works, at a royal wedding in Mantua. Read more
• 621 — Tang forces led by Li Shimin defeated and captured Dou Jiande at the Battle of Hulao in the civil war that followed the collapse of the Sui dynasty. Read more
• 585 BC — According to the Greek historian Herodotus, a solar eclipse, accurately predicted by Thales of Miletus, abruptly ended the Battle of Halys between the Lydians and the Medes. Read more

Events

• 2017 — Former Formula One driver Takuma Sato wins his first Indianapolis 500, the first Japanese and Asian driver to do so. Double world champion Fernando Alonso retires from the race with an engine issue in his first entry of the event. Read more
• 2016 — Harambe, a gorilla, is shot to death after grabbing a three-year-old boy in his enclosure at the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden, resulting in widespread criticism and sparking various internet memes. Read more
• 2013 — Start of the Gezi Park protests in Turkey. Read more
• 2012 — The Arkankergen massacre in Kazakhstan's Alakol District kills 15 people. Read more
• 2011 — Malta votes on the introduction of divorce; the proposal was approved by 53% of voters, resulting in a law allowing divorce under certain conditions being enacted later in the year. Read more
• 2010 — In West Bengal, India, the Jnaneswari Express train derailment and subsequent collision kills 148 passengers. Read more
• 2008 — The first meeting of the Constituent Assembly of Nepal formally declares Nepal a republic, ending the 240-year reign of the Shah dynasty. Read more
• 2004 — The Iraqi Governing Council chooses Ayad Allawi, a longtime anti-Saddam Hussein exile, as prime minister of Iraq's interim government. Read more
• 2003 — Peter Hollingworth resigns as Governor-General of Australia following criticism of his handling of child sexual abuse allegations during his tenure as Anglican Archbishop of Brisbane. Read more
• 2002 — The last steel girder is removed from the original World Trade Center site. Cleanup duties officially end with closing ceremonies at Ground Zero in Manhattan, New York City. Read more
• 1999 — In Milan, Italy, after 22 years of restoration work, Leonardo da Vinci's masterpiece The Last Supper is put back on display. Read more
• 1998 — Nuclear testing: Pakistan responds to a series of nuclear tests by India with five of its own codenamed Chagai-I, prompting the United States, Japan, and other nations to impose economic sanctions. Pakistan celebrates Youm-e-Takbir annually. Read more
• 1996 — U.S. President Bill Clinton's former business partners in the Whitewater land deal, Jim McDougal and Susan McDougal, and the Governor of Arkansas, Jim Guy Tucker, are convicted of fraud. Read more
• 1995 — The 7.0 Mw Neftegorsk earthquake shakes the former Russian settlement of Neftegorsk with a maximum Mercalli intensity of IX (Violent). Total damage was $64.1–300 million, with 1,989 deaths and 750 injured. The settlement was not rebuilt. Read more
• 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. Read more
• 1987 — An 18-year-old West German pilot, Mathias Rust, evades Soviet Union air defences and lands a private plane in Red Square in Moscow, Russia. Read more
• 1979 — Konstantinos Karamanlis signs the full treaty of the accession of Greece with the European Economic Community. Read more
• 1977 — The Beverly Hills Supper Club in Southgate, Kentucky, is engulfed by fire, killing 165 people inside. Read more
• 1975 — Fifteen West African countries sign the Treaty of Lagos, creating the Economic Community of West African States. Read more
• 1975 — At Brampton Centennial Secondary School, student Michael Slobodian kills two people and injures 13 others before committing suicide. Read more
• 1974 — Northern Ireland's power-sharing Sunningdale Agreement collapses following a general strike by loyalists. Read more
• 1968 — Garuda Indonesian Airways Flight 892 crashes near Nala Sopara in India, killing 30. Read more
• 1964 — The Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) is founded, with Yasser Arafat elected as its first leader. Read more
• 1962 — The Soviet Kosmos 5 satellite is launched. Read more
• 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. Read more
• 1958 — Cuban Revolution: Fidel Castro's 26th of July Movement, heavily reinforced by Frank Pais Militia, overwhelm an army post in El Uvero. Read more
• 1948 — Daniel François Malan is elected as Prime Minister of South Africa. He later goes on to implement Apartheid. Read more
• 1940 — World War II: Belgium surrenders to Nazi Germany to end the Battle of Belgium. Read more
• 1940 — World War II: Norwegian, French, Polish and British forces recapture Narvik in Norway. This is the first Allied infantry victory of the War. Read more
• 1937 — Volkswagen, the German automobile manufacturer, is founded. Read more
• 1936 — Alan Turing submits On Computable Numbers for publication. Read more
• 1934 — Near Callander, Ontario, Canada, the Dionne quintuplets are born to Oliva and Elzire Dionne; they will be the first quintuplets to survive infancy. Read more
• 1932 — In the Netherlands, construction of the Afsluitdijk is completed and the Zuiderzee bay is converted to the freshwater IJsselmeer. Read more
• 1926 — The 28 May 1926 coup d'état: Ditadura Nacional is established in Portugal to suppress the unrest of the First Republic. Read more
• 1918 — The Azerbaijan Democratic Republic and the First Republic of Armenia declare their independence. Read more
• 1907 — The first Isle of Man TT race is held. Read more
• 1905 — Russo-Japanese War: The Battle of Tsushima ends with the destruction of the Russian Baltic Fleet by Admiral Tōgō Heihachirō and the Imperial Japanese Navy. Read more
• 1892 — In San Francisco, John Muir organizes the Sierra Club. Read more
• 1871 — The Paris Commune falls after two months. Read more
• 1830 — U.S. President Andrew Jackson signs the Indian Removal Act which denies Native Americans their land rights and forcibly relocates them. Read more
• 1802 — In Guadeloupe, 400 rebellious slaves, led by Louis Delgrès, blow themselves up rather than submit to Napoleon's troops. Read more
• 1754 — French and Indian War: In the first engagement of the war, Virginia militia under the 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. Read more
• 1644 — English Civil War: Bolton Massacre by Royalist troops under the command of James Stanley, 7th Earl of Derby. Read more
• 1588 — The Spanish Armada, with 130 ships and 30,000 men, sets sail from Lisbon, Portugal, heading for the English Channel. (It will take until May 30 for all ships to leave port.) Read more
• 1533 — The Archbishop of Canterbury, Thomas Cranmer, declares the marriage of King Henry VIII of England to Anne Boleyn valid. Read more
• 1347 — Marriage of Byzantine Emperor John V Palaiologos and Helena Kantakouzene. Read more
• 1242 — Avignonet massacre: A group of Cathars, with the probable connivance of Count Raymond VII of Toulouse, murder the inquisitor William Arnaud and eleven of his companions. Read more
• 934 — English king Æthelstan begins his invasion of Scotland. Read more
• 621 — Battle of Hulao: Li Shimin, the son of the Chinese emperor Gaozu, defeats the numerically superior forces of Dou Jiande near the Hulao Pass (Henan). This victory decides the outcome of the civil war that followed the Sui dynasty's collapse in favour of the Tang dynasty. Read more
• 585 BC — A solar eclipse occurs, as predicted by the Greek philosopher and scientist 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. It is also the earliest event of which the precise date is known. Read more

Born on May 28

• 2000 — Phil Foden, English footballer Read more
• 2000 — Risi Pouri-Lane, New Zealand rugby sevens player Read more
• 1999 — Cameron Boyce, American actor (died 2019) Read more
• 1999 — Jodie Burrage, British tennis player Read more
• 1998 — Kim Dahyun, South Korean rapper and singer Read more
• 1998 — De'Anthony Melton, American basketball player Read more
• 1995 — Lukas Gage, American actor Read more
• 1994 — Alec Benjamin, American singer and songwriter Read more
• 1994 — John Stones, English footballer Read more
• 1993 — Daniel Alvaro, Australian rugby league player Read more
• 1993 — Bárbara Luz, Portuguese tennis player Read more
• 1991 — Danielle Lao, American tennis player Read more
• 1990 — Kyle Walker, English footballer Read more
• 1990 — Riquna Williams, American basketball player Read more
• 1988 — NaVorro Bowman, American football player Read more
• 1988 — Percy Harvin, American football player Read more
• 1988 — Craig Kimbrel, American baseball player Read more
• 1988 — David Perron, Canadian ice hockey player Read more
• 1987 — T.J. Yates, American football player Read more
• 1986 — Berrick Barnes, Australian rugby player Read more
• 1986 — Bryant Dunston, American-Armenian basketball player Read more
• 1986 — Michael Oher, American football player Read more
• 1986 — Seth Rollins, American wrestler Read more
• 1986 — Ingmar Vos, Dutch decathlete Read more
• 1985 — Colbie Caillat, American singer-songwriter and guitarist Read more
• 1985 — Pablo Andrés González, Argentinian footballer Read more
• 1985 — Kostas Mendrinos, Greek footballer Read more
• 1985 — Carey Mulligan, English actress Read more
• 1983 — Steve Cronin, American soccer player Read more
• 1983 — Humberto Sánchez, Dominican-American baseball player Read more
• 1983 — Roman Atwood, American YouTuber Read more
• 1983 — Krista Kosonen, Finnish actress Read more
• 1982 — Alexa Davalos, French-American actress Read more
• 1982 — Jhonny Peralta, Dominican-American baseball player Read more
• 1981 — Laura Bailey, American voice actress Read more
• 1981 — Daniel Cabrera, Dominican-American baseball player Read more
• 1981 — Eric Ghiaciuc, American football player Read more
• 1981 — Adam Green, American singer-songwriter and guitarist Read more
• 1980 — Miguel Pérez, Spanish footballer Read more
• 1980 — Lucy Shuker, English tennis player Read more

Died on May 28

• 2026 — Claude Lemieux, heavy-hitting retired NHL forward and four-time Stanley Cup winner (born 1965) Read more
• 2023 — David Breaer, English politician, Lord-Lieutenant of Greater London (born 1940) Read more
• 2022 — Patricia Brake, English actress (born 1942) Read more
• 2021 — Mark Eaton, American basketball player (born 1957) Read more
• 2018 — Neale Cooper, Scottish footballer (born 1963) Read more
• 2018 — Jens Christian Skou, Danish medical doctor and Nobel Prize laureate (born 1918) Read more
• 2018 — Cornelia Frances, English-Australian actress (born 1941) Read more
• 2016 — Harambe, Cincinnati Zoo western lowland gorilla (born 1999) Read more
• 2015 — Steven Gerber, American pianist and composer (born 1948) Read more
• 2015 — Johnny Keating, Scottish trombonist, composer, and producer (born 1927) Read more
• 2015 — Reynaldo Rey, American actor and screenwriter (born 1940) Read more
• 2014 — Maya Angelou, American memoirist and poet (born 1928) Read more
• 2014 — Stan Crowther, English footballer (born 1935) Read more
• 2014 — Oscar Dystel, American publisher (born 1912) Read more
• 2014 — Malcolm Glazer, American businessman (born 1928) Read more
• 2014 — Bob Houbregs, Canadian-American basketball player and manager (born 1932) Read more
• 2014 — Isaac Kungwane, South African footballer (born 1971) Read more
• 2013 — Viktor Kulikov, Russian commander (born 1921) Read more
• 2013 — Eddie Romero, Filipino director, producer, screenwriter, and National Artist for Cinema and Broadcast Arts (born 1924) Read more
• 2013 — Gerd Schmückle, German general (born 1917) Read more
• 2012 — Bob Edwards, English journalist (born 1925) Read more
• 2012 — Yuri Susloparov, Ukrainian-Russian footballer and manager (born 1958) Read more
• 2011 — Gino Valenzano, Italian racing driver (born 1920) Read more
• 2010 — Gary Coleman, American actor (born 1968) Read more
• 2008 — Beryl Cook, English painter and illustrator (born 1926) Read more
• 2007 — Jörg Immendorff, German painter, sculptor, and academic (born 1945) Read more
• 2007 — Toshikatsu Matsuoka, Japanese politician, Japanese Minister of Agriculture (born 1945) Read more
• 2006 — Thorleif Schjelderup, Norwegian ski jumper and author (born 1920) Read more
• 2004 — Michael Buonauro, American author and illustrator (born 1979) Read more
• 2004 — John Tolos, Greek-Canadian wrestler (born 1930) Read more
• 2003 — Oleg Grigoryevich Makarov, Russian engineer and astronaut (born 1933) Read more
• 2003 — Ilya Prigogine, Russian-Belgian chemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (born 1917) Read more
• 2003 — Martha Scott, American actress (born 1912) Read more
• 2002 — Ebrahim Al-Arrayedh, Indian poet and author (born 1908) Read more
• 2002 — Mildred Benson, American journalist and author (born 1905) Read more
• 2001 — Joe Moakley, American lawyer and politician (born 1927) Read more
• 2001 — Francisco Varela, Chilean biologist and philosopher (born 1946) Read more
• 2000 — George Irving Bell, American physicist, biologist, and mountaineer (born 1926) Read more
• 1999 — Michael Barkai, Israeli commander (born 1935) Read more
• 1999 — B. Vittalacharya, Indian director and producer (born 1920) Read more

Holidays & observances

Armed Forces Day (Croatia); Christian feast day: Bernard of Menthon; Christian feast day: Germain of Paris; Christian feast day: John Calvin (Episcopal Church); Christian feast day: Blessed Lanfranc; Christian feast day: Blessed Margaret Pole; Christian feast day: Blessed Maria Bagnesi; Christian feast day: Blessed Thomas Ford; Christian feast day: Ubaldesca Taccini; Christian feast day: William of Gellone; Christian feast day: May 28 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics); Downfall of the Derg (Ethiopia); Flag Day (Philippines); Menstrual Hygiene Day; Republic Day (Nepal); TDFR Republic Day, celebrates the declaration of independence of the First Republic of Armenia and the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic from the Transcaucasian Democratic Federative Republic in 1918. (Azerbaijan and Armenia); Youm-e-Takbir (Pakistan)

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