Death of King Kamehameha I
The first king of the Kingdom Hawaii, King Kamehameha I, is believed to have died on May 8, 1819. Kamehameha was the first chief to unite the Hawaiian islands and remains a revered figure in the state today.
International History
Happy Cinco de Mayo
On May 5, 1862, Mexican forces defeated French invaders at the Battle of Puebla. Commemoration of the event has come to be known as Cinco de Mayo.
Brussels World’s Fair
On April 17, 1958, the Brussels World’s Fair, also known as Expo ’58, opened its doors. It was the first major official world’s fair after WWII.
Birth of Matthew C. Perry
The “Father of the Steam Navy” Commodore Matthew Calbraith Perry was born on April 10, 1794, in South Kingstown, Rhode Island. Perry is best known for modernizing the US Naval Academy and opening friendly relations with Japan.
Roosevelt Signs Lend-Lease Act
On March 11, 1941, Franklin Roosevelt signed the Lend-Lease Act to provide aid to Allied forces in World War II. Over the course of the war, the US provided $50.1 billion worth of supplies to our Allies.
Birth of Thomas Masaryk
Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk was born on March 7, 1850, in Hodonín, Austrian Empire (present-day Czech Republic). He was the first president of Czechoslovakia and is considered its founding father.
Churchill’s Iron Curtain Speech
On March 5, 1946, Winston Churchill gave one of his most famous speeches, in which he used the phrase, “iron curtain” to describe the communist boundary in Europe.
Birth of UN Leader U Thant
U Thant was born in Pantanaw, British Burma, on January 22, 1909.
Premiere of The Nutcracker Ballet
On December 18, 1892, Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker premiered in Saint Petersburg, Russia. Despite initial poor reviews, today it’s a holiday staple for millions.