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On This Day in History — May 4

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Highlights of May 4

2019 — The inaugural race of the W Series took place at Hockenheimring, Germany, and was won by Jamie Chadwick (pictured), who later became the season's champion. Read more
2015 — The Parliament of Malta moved from the Grandmaster's Palace to the purpose-built Parliament House (pictured). Read more
2000 — Ken Livingstone took office as the first mayor of London. Read more
1982 — Falklands War: HMS Sheffield was struck by an Exocet missile, killing 20 sailors and leading to its sinking six days later—the first Royal Navy ship sunk in action since World War II. Read more
1979 — Margaret Thatcher became the first female prime minister of the United Kingdom. Read more
1974 — An all-female Japanese team reached the summit of Manaslu in the Himalayas, becoming the first women to climb a peak higher than 8,000 metres (26,247 ft) above sea level. Read more
1942 — World War II: Aircraft from Imperial Japanese Navy vessels attacked Allied naval forces, beginning the Battle of the Coral Sea, the first naval action in which the participating ships never sighted or fired directly at each other. Read more
1919 — The May Fourth Movement began in China with large-scale student demonstrations in Tiananmen Square, Beijing. Read more
1886 — During a labor rally in Chicago, a bomb explosion and gunfire led to the deaths of eight police officers and four members of the public. Read more
1789 — The Boydell Shakespeare Gallery, part of a cultural project initiated by engraver John Boydell, opened in London. Read more
1776 — American Revolution: The Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations became the first of the Thirteen Colonies to renounce its allegiance to the British Crown. Read more
1677 — Trunajaya rebellion: Dutch East India Company forces under Cornelis Speelman began an attack on Surabaya, on the island of Java. Read more
1626 — Having been appointed the director-general of New Netherland, Peter Minuit arrived in Manhattan. Read more
1493 — Pope Alexander VI (pictured) issued the papal bull Inter caetera, establishing a line of demarcation dividing the New World between Spain and Portugal. Read more

Events

2023 — Nine people are killed and thirteen injured in a spree shooting in Mladenovac and Smederevo, Serbia. It is the second mass shooting in the country in two days. Read more
2019 — The inaugural all-female motorsport series, W Series, takes place at Hockenheimring. The race was won by Jamie Chadwick, who would go on to become the inaugural series champion. Read more
2014 — Three people are killed and 62 injured in a pair of bombings on buses in Nairobi, Kenya. Read more
2007 — Greensburg, Kansas is almost completely destroyed by the 2007 Greensburg tornado, a 1.7-mile wide EF5 tornado. It was the first-ever tornado to be rated with the new Enhanced Fujita scale. Read more
2002 — One hundred three people are killed and 51 are injured in a plane crash near Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport in Kano, Nigeria. Read more
2000 — Ken Livingstone becomes the first Mayor of London (an office separate from that of the Lord Mayor of London). Read more
1998 — A federal judge in Sacramento, California, gives "Unabomber" Theodore Kaczynski four life sentences plus 30 years after Kaczynski accepts a plea agreement sparing him from the death penalty. Read more
1994 — Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and PLO leader Yasser Arafat sign a peace accord, granting self-rule in the Gaza Strip and Jericho. Read more
1990 — Latvia declares independence from the Soviet Union. Read more
1989 — Iran–Contra affair: Former White House aide Oliver North is convicted of three crimes and acquitted of nine other charges; the convictions are later overturned on appeal. Read more
1989 — Space Shuttle Atlantis launches on mission STS-30 to deploy the Venus-bound Magellan space probe. Read more
1988 — The PEPCON disaster rocks Henderson, Nevada, as tons of Space Shuttle fuel detonate during a fire. Read more
1982 — Twenty sailors are killed when the British Type 42 destroyer HMS Sheffield is hit by an Argentinian Exocet missile during the Falklands War. Read more
1979 — Margaret Thatcher becomes the first female Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. Read more
1978 — The South African Defence Force attacks a SWAPO base at Cassinga in southern Angola, killing about 600 people. Read more
1973 — The 108-story Sears Tower in Chicago is topped out at 1,451 feet (442 m) as the world's tallest building. Read more
1972 — The Don't Make A Wave Committee, a fledgling environmental organization founded in Canada in 1971, officially changes its name to Greenpeace Foundation. Read more
1970 — Vietnam War: Kent State shootings: The Ohio National Guard, sent to Kent State University after disturbances in the city of Kent the weekend before, opens fire killing four unarmed students and wounding nine others. The students were protesting the Cambodian Campaign of the United States and South Vietnam. Read more
1961 — American civil rights movement: The "Freedom Riders" begin a bus trip through the South. Read more
1961 — Malcolm Ross and Victor Prather attain a new altitude record for manned balloon flight ascending in the Strato-Lab V open gondola to 113,740 feet (34.67 km). Read more
1959 — The 1st Annual Grammy Awards are held. Read more
1953 — Ernest Hemingway wins the Pulitzer Prize for The Old Man and the Sea. Read more
1949 — The entire Torino football team (except for two players who did not take the trip: Sauro Tomà, due to an injury and Renato Gandolfi, because of coach request) is killed in a plane crash. Read more
1946 — In San Francisco Bay, U.S. Marines from the nearby Treasure Island Naval Base stop a two-day riot at Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary. Five people are killed in the riot. Read more
1945 — World War II: Neuengamme concentration camp near Hamburg is liberated by the British Army. Read more
1945 — World War II: The German surrender at Lüneburg Heath is signed, coming into effect the following day. It encompasses all Wehrmacht units in the Netherlands, Denmark and northwest Germany. Read more
1942 — World War II: The Battle of the Coral Sea begins with an attack by aircraft from the United States aircraft carrier USS Yorktown on Japanese naval forces at Tulagi Island in the Solomon Islands. The Japanese forces had invaded Tulagi the day before. Read more
1932 — Having been incarcerated at the Cook County Jail since his sentencing on October 24, 1931, mobster Al Capone is transferred to the federal penitentiary in Atlanta after the U.S. Supreme Court denies his appeal for conviction of tax evasion. Read more
1927 — The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is incorporated. Read more
1926 — The United Kingdom general strike begins. Read more
1919 — May Fourth Movement: Student demonstrations take place in Tiananmen Square in Beijing, China, protesting the Treaty of Versailles, which transferred Chinese territory to Japan. Read more
1912 — Italy begins the invasion and occupation of the Ottoman island of Rhodes. Read more
1910 — The Royal Canadian Navy is created. Read more
1904 — The United States begins construction of the Panama Canal. Read more
1886 — Haymarket affair: In Chicago, United States, a homemade bomb is thrown at police officers trying to break up a labor rally, killing one officer. Ensuing gunfire leads to the deaths of a further seven officers and four civilians. Read more
1871 — The National Association, the first professional baseball league, opens its first season in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Read more
1869 — The four-day Naval Battle of Hakodate begins. The newly formed Imperial Japanese Navy defeats the remnants of the Tokugawa shogunate navy in the Sea of Japan off the city of Hakodate, leading to the surrender of the Ezo Republic on May 17. Read more
1859 — The Cornwall Railway opens across the Royal Albert Bridge linking Devon and Cornwall in England. Read more
1836 — Formation of Ancient Order of Hibernians. Read more
1823 — Brazilian War of Independence: A Brazilian squadron led by Lord Cochrane engages a Portuguese squadron under João de Campos off Salvador, Bahia. Read more
1814 — Emperor Napoleon arrives at Portoferraio on the island of Elba to begin his exile. Read more
1814 — King Ferdinand VII abolishes the Spanish Constitution of 1812, returning Spain to absolutism. Read more
1799 — Fourth Anglo-Mysore War: The Battle of Seringapatam: The siege of Seringapatam ends when the city is invaded and Tipu Sultan killed by the besieging British army, under the command of General George Harris. Read more
1776 — Rhode Island becomes the first American colony to renounce allegiance to King George III. Read more
1738 — The Imperial Theatrical School, the first ballet school in Russia, is founded. Read more
1626 — Having been appointed the director-general of New Netherland, Dutch explorer Peter Minuit arrives in present day Manhattan Island aboard the See Meeuw. Read more
1493 — In the papal bull Inter caetera, Pope Alexander VI divides the New World between Spain and Portugal along the Line of Demarcation. Read more
1471 — Wars of the Roses: The Battle of Tewkesbury: Edward IV defeats a Lancastrian Army and kills Edward of Westminster, Prince of Wales. Read more
1436 — Assassination of the Swedish rebel (later national hero) Engelbrekt Engelbrektsson (27 April O.S.). Read more
1415 — Religious reformer John Wycliffe is condemned as a heretic at the Council of Constance. Read more
1256 — The Augustinian monastic order is constituted at the Lecceto Monastery when Pope Alexander IV issues a papal bull Licet ecclesiae catholicae. Read more

Born on May 4

2001 — Noah Beck, American media personality and actor Read more
2001 — Joan García, Spanish footballer Read more
1998 — Rex Orange County, English musician Read more
1995 — Shameik Moore, American actor and musician Read more
1994 — Abi Masatora, Japanese sumo wrestler Read more
1994 — Joseph Tapine, New Zealand rugby league player Read more
1992 — Victor Oladipo, American basketball player Read more
1991 — Brianne Jenner, Canadian women's ice hockey player Read more
1989 — Rory McIlroy, Northern Irish golfer Read more
1989 — James van Riemsdyk, American ice hockey player Read more
1988 — Radja Nainggolan, Belgian footballer Read more
1987 — Cesc Fàbregas, Spanish footballer and manager Read more
1987 — Jorge Lorenzo, Spanish motorcycle racer Read more
1986 — Devan Dubnyk, Canadian ice hockey player Read more
1986 — George Hill, American basketball player Read more
1985 — Ravi Bopara, English cricketer Read more
1985 — Fernandinho, Brazilian footballer Read more
1985 — Jamie Adenuga, English MC and rapper Read more
1984 — Brad Maddox, American wrestler and referee Read more
1983 — Derek Roy, Canadian ice hockey player Read more
1981 — Eric Djemba-Djemba, Cameroon footballer Read more
1981 — Ruth Negga, Ethiopian-Irish actress Read more
1981 — Dallon Weekes, American singer-songwriter and musician Read more
1980 — Andrew Raycroft, Canadian ice hockey player Read more
1979 — Lance Bass, American singer, dancer, and producer Read more
1979 — Lesley Vainikolo, Tongan rugby player Read more
1978 — Erin Andrews, American sportscaster and journalist Read more
1978 — Igor Biscan, Croatian footballer and manager Read more
1978 — James Harrison, American football player Read more
1975 — Kimora Lee Simmons, American model Read more
1974 — Tony McCoy, Northern Irish jockey and sportscaster Read more
1973 — Guillermo Barros Schelotto, Argentinian footballer and coach Read more
1973 — John Madden, Canadian ice hockey player and coach Read more
1972 — Mike Dirnt, American bass player and songwriter Read more
1972 — Chris Tomlin, American singer-songwriter Read more
1970 — Will Arnett, Canadian actor and producer Read more
1970 — Dawn Staley, American basketball player Read more
1967 — Kate Garraway, English journalist Read more
1967 — Ana Gasteyer, American actress and singer Read more
1961 — Jay Aston, English singer-songwriter and dancer Read more

Died on May 4

2024 — Tekin Kartal, Kurdish drug trafficker and gangster (born 1990) Read more
2024 — Ron Kavana, Irish singer, songwriter, guitarist and band leader (born 1950) Read more
2024 — Frank Stella, American painter (born 1936) Read more
2021 — Nick Kamen, English model, songwriter (born 1962) Read more
2020 — Don Shula, American football player and coach (born 1930) Read more
2020 — Greg Zanis, American carpenter and activist (born 1950) Read more
2019 — Alia Abdulnoor, Emirati imprisoned woman (born 1977) Read more
2016 — Jean-Baptiste Bagaza, Burundian politician (born 1946) Read more
2015 — William Bast, American screenwriter and author (born 1931) Read more
2015 — Ellen Albertini Dow, American actress (born 1913) Read more
2015 — Marv Hubbard, American football player (born 1946) Read more
2014 — Dick Ayers, American author and illustrator (born 1924) Read more
2014 — Elena Baltacha, Ukrainian-Scottish tennis player (born 1983) Read more
2014 — Edgar Cortright, American scientist and engineer (born 1923) Read more
2014 — Helga Königsdorf, German physicist and author (born 1938) Read more
2014 — Ross Lonsberry, Canadian-American ice hockey player (born 1947) Read more
2014 — Jean-Paul Ngoupandé, Central African politician, Prime Minister of the Central African Republic (born 1948) Read more
2013 — Otis Bowen, American physician and politician, 44th Governor of Indiana (born 1918) Read more
2013 — Christian de Duve, English-Belgian cytologist and biochemist, Nobel Prize laureate (born 1917) Read more
2013 — Javier Diez Canseco, Peruvian sociologist and politician (born 1948) Read more
2013 — Mario Machado, Chinese-American journalist and actor (born 1935) Read more
2013 — Morgan Morgan-Giles, English admiral and politician (born 1914) Read more
2013 — César Portillo de la Luz, Cuban guitarist and composer (born 1922) Read more
2012 — Mort Lindsey, American pianist, composer, and conductor (born 1923) Read more
2012 — Bob Stewart, American television producer, founded Stewart Tele Enterprises (born 1920) Read more
2012 — Adam Yauch, American rapper and director (born 1964) Read more
2012 — Rashidi Yekini, Nigerian footballer (born 1963) Read more
2011 — Sammy McCrory, Northern Irish footballer (born 1924) Read more
2009 — Dom DeLuise, American actor, director, and producer (born 1933) Read more
2008 — Fred Baur, American chemist and founder of Pringles (born 1918) Read more
2005 — David Hackworth, American colonel and journalist (born 1930) Read more
2004 — David Reimer, Canadian man, born male but reassigned female and raised as a girl after a botched circumcision (born 1965) Read more
2001 — Bonnie Lee Bakley, American model, wife of Robert Blake (born 1956) Read more
2000 — Hendrik Casimir, Dutch physicist and academic (born 1909) Read more
1998 — Christine Kurzhals, German politician (born 1950) Read more
1995 — Connie Wisniewski, American baseball player (born 1922) Read more
1993 — France Štiglic, Slovenian film director and screenwriter (born 1919) Read more
1992 — Gregor Mackenzie, Scottish politician (born 1927) Read more
1991 — Mohammed Abdel Wahab, Egyptian singer-songwriter and mandolin player (born 1902) Read more
1990 — Emily Remler, American guitarist (born 1957) Read more

Holidays & observances

Anti-Bullying Day (United Nations); Bird Day (United States); Cassinga Day (Namibia); Christian feast day: Blessed Ceferino Giménez Malla; Christian feast day: Blessed Michał Giedroyć; Christian feast day: English Saints and Martyrs of the Reformation Era (Church of England); Christian feast day: F. C. D. Wyneken (Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod); Christian feast day: Florian; Christian feast day: Jean-Martin Moye; Christian feast day: John Houghton, Robert Lawrence and Augustine Webster; Christian feast day: Judas Cyriacus; Christian feast day: Monica of Hippo (1960 Roman Catholic Calendar); Christian feast day: Silvanus of Gaza; Christian feast day: May 4 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics); Coal Miners Day (India); Dave Brubeck Day (United States); Death of Milan Rastislav Štefánik Day (Slovakia); Greenery Day (Japan); International Firefighters' Day; May Fourth Movement commemorations: Literary Day (Republic of China); May Fourth Movement commemorations: Youth Day (China); Remembrance Day for Martyrs and Disabled (Afghanistan); Remembrance of the Dead (Netherlands); Restoration of Independence Day (Latvia); Star Wars Day (International observance); Youth Day (Fiji)

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Events, births and deaths from Wikipedia contributors, “May 4”, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Lists are selections; the full record lives at the source.