Historical Anniversaries this Week

May 1

 Events (100 years ago today): 1925 – The All-China Federation of Trade Unions is officially founded. Today it is the largest trade union in the world, with 134 million members.

 Events (50 years ago today): 1975 – The Särkänniemi Amusement Park opens in Tampere, Finland.^[16]

 Births (200 years ago today): 1825 – Johann Jakob Balmer, Swiss mathematician and physicist (d. 1898)

 Births (200 years ago today): 1825 – George Inness, American painter and educator (d. 1894)

 Births (150 years ago today): 1875 – Dave Hall, American runner (d. 1972)

 Births (100 years ago today): 1925 – Chuck Bednarik, American lieutenant and football player (d. 2015)

 Births (100 years ago today): 1925 – Scott Carpenter, American commander, pilot, and astronaut (d. 2013)

 Births (50 years ago today): 1975 – Marc-Vivien Foé, Cameroonian footballer (d. 2003)

 Births (50 years ago today): 1975 – Nina Hossain, English journalist

 Births (50 years ago today): 1975 – Alexey Smertin, Russian international footballer^[47]

May 2

 Events (400 years ago today): 1625 – Afonso Mendes, appointed by Pope Gregory XV as Latin Patriarch of Ethiopia, arrives at Beilul from Goa.^[4]

 Births (100 years ago today): 1925 – John Neville, English-Canadian actor (d. 2011)

 Births (50 years ago today): 1975 – David Beckham, English footballer, coach, and model

 Births (50 years ago today): 1975 – Joe Wilkinson, English comedian, actor and writer

 Deaths (100 years ago today): 1925 – Antun Branko ?imi?, Croatian and Bosnian-Herzegovinian poet (b. 1898)

 Deaths (100 years ago today): 1925 – Johann Palisa, Austrian astronomer (b. 1848)^[39][40]

May 3

 Births (50 years ago today): 1975 – Willie Geist, American television journalist and host

 Births (50 years ago today): 1975 – Christina Hendricks, American actress and model^[28]

 Births (50 years ago today): 1975 – Sanath Nishantha, Sri Lankan politician (d. 2024)^[29]

 Deaths (100 years ago today): 1925 – Clément Ader, French engineer, designed the Ader Avion III (b. 1841)

May 4

 Births (200 years ago today): 1825 – Thomas Henry Huxley, English biologist, anatomist, and academic (d. 1895)

 Births (200 years ago today): 1825 – Augustus Le Plongeon, English-American historian, photographer, and academic (d. 1908)

 Births (100 years ago today): 1925 – Maurice R. Greenberg, American businessman and philanthropist

 Births (50 years ago today): 1975 – Kimora Lee Simmons, American model^[36]

 Deaths (50 years ago today): 1975 – Moe Howard, American actor, singer, and screenwriter (b. 1897)

May 5

 Births (100 years ago today): 1925 – Leo Ryan, American soldier, educator, and politician (d. 1978)

 Births (50 years ago today): 1975 – Meb Keflezighi, American runner

 Deaths (500 years ago today): 1525 – Frederick III, Elector of Saxony (b. 1463)

May 6

 Events (50 years ago today): 1975 – During a lull in fighting, 100,000 Armenians gather in Beirut for the 60th anniversary commemorations of the Armenian genocide.

 Deaths (550 years ago today): 1475 – Dieric Bouts, Flemish painter (b. 1415)

 Deaths (50 years ago today): 1975 – József Mindszenty, Hungarian cardinal (b. 1892)

May 7

 Events (400 years ago today): 1625 – State funeral of James VI and I (1566-1625) is held at Westminster Abbey.^[8]

 Births (150 years ago today): 1875 – Bill Hoyt, American pole vaulter (d. 1951)

 Deaths (200 years ago today): 1825 – Antonio Salieri, Italian composer and conductor (b. 1750)

 Deaths (100 years ago today): 1925 – William Lever, 1st Viscount Leverhulme, English businessman and politician (b. 1851)

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