On This Day In History
May 10th
1497 Italian navigator Amerigo Vespucci leaves for his first voyage to the New World (disputed)
1775 Second Continental Congress convenes in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and issues paper currency for 1st time
1801 First Barbary War: The Barbary pirates of Tripoli declare war on the United States of America (1st US foreign war)
1857 Indian mutiny against rule by the British East India Company begins with the revolt of the Sepoy soldiers in Meerut
1940 Winston Churchill succeeds Neville Chamberlain as British Prime Minister
1960 US atomic submarine USS Triton completes 1st submerged circumnavigation of the globe
1994 Nelson Mandela sworn in as South Africa’s 1st black president
Did You Know?
Victoria Woodhull becomes 1st woman nominated for US presidency by Equal Rights Party at Apollo Hall, NYC
Today in History in 1872
Would You Believe?
In an interview with the ‘Belfast Telegraph’ former Northern Ireland Prime Minister Terence O’Neill states: “if you give Roman Catholics a good job and a good house, they will live like Protestants, … They will refuse to have 18 children”
Today in History in 1969
May 11th
330 Constantinople (Byzantium) becomes the capital of the Roman Empire
1189 Holy Roman Emperor Frederick I Barbarossa and 100,000 crusaders depart Regensburg for the Third Crusade
1751 Pennsylvania Hospital founded by Dr. Thomas Bond and Benjamin Franklin, in Philadelphia
1995 More than 170 countries agree to extend the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty indefinitely and without conditions to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons [1]
2000 India’s population officially reaches 1 billion – Astha Arora named India’s billionth baby
Did You Know?
Waltz introduced into English ballrooms. Some observers consider it disgusting and immoral.
Today in History in 1812
Would You Believe?
British Prime Minister Spencer Perceval is assassinated by John Bellingham in the lobby of the House of Commons, London. Ironically, descendants of both later stand for the same seat in Parliament at the same time but neither win.
Today in History in 1812