May 10

Historic Events

2024

Start of the May 2024 solar storms, the most powerful set of geomagnetic storms since the 2003 Halloween solar storms. ›

2022

Queen Elizabeth II misses the State Opening of Parliament for the first time in 59 years. It was the first time that a new session of Parliament was opened by the Prince of Wales and the Duke of Cambridge acting as Counsellors of State. ›

2013

One World Trade Center becomes the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere. ›

2012

The Damascus bombings are carried out using a pair of car bombs detonated by suicide bombers outside a military intelligence complex in Damascus, Syria, killing 55 people. ›

2005

A hand grenade thrown by Vladimir Arutyunian lands about 20 m from U.S. President George W. Bush while he is giving a speech to a crowd in Tbilisi, Georgia, but it malfunctions and does not detonate. ›

2002

FBI agent Robert Hanssen is sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole for selling United States secrets to Russia for $1.4 million in cash and diamonds. ›

1997

The 7.3 Mw Qayen earthquake strikes Iran's Khorasan Province killing 1,567 people. ›

1996

A blizzard strikes Mount Everest, killing eight climbers by the next day. ›

1994

Nelson Mandela is inaugurated as South Africa's first black president. ›

1993

In Thailand, a fire at the Kader Toy Factory kills over 200 workers. ›

1975

Sony introduces the Betamax videocassette recorder. ›

1969

Vietnam War: The Battle of Dong Ap Bia begins with an assault on Hill 937. It will ultimately become known as Hamburger Hill. ›

1967

The Northrop M2-F2 crashes on landing, becoming the inspiration for the novel Cyborg and TV series The Six Million Dollar Man. ›

1962

Marvel Comics publishes the first issue of The Incredible Hulk. ›

1961

Air France Flight 406 is destroyed by a bomb over the Sahara, killing 78. ›

1946

First successful launch of an American V-2 rocket at White Sands Proving Ground. ›

1942

World War II: The Thai Phayap Army invades the Shan States during the Burma Campaign. ›

1941

World War II: The House of Commons in London is damaged by the Luftwaffe in an air raid. ›

1941

World War II: Rudolf Hess parachutes into Scotland to try to negotiate a peace deal between the United Kingdom and Nazi Germany. ›

1940

World War II: German fighters accidentally bomb the German city of Freiburg. ›

1940

World War II: Winston Churchill is appointed Prime Minister of the United Kingdom following the resignation of Neville Chamberlain. On the same day, Germany invades France, The Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg. Meanwhile, the United Kingdom occupies Iceland. ›

1933

Censorship: In Germany, the Nazis stage massive public book burnings. ›

1924

J. Edgar Hoover is appointed first Director of the United States' Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and remains so until his death in 1972. ›

1922

The United States annexes the Kingman Reef. ›

1916

Sailing in the lifeboat James Caird, Ernest Shackleton arrives at South Georgia after a journey of 800 nautical miles from Elephant Island. ›

1908

Mother's Day is observed for the first time in the United States, in Grafton, West Virginia. ›

1904

The Horch & Cir. Motorwagenwerke AG is founded. It would eventually become the Audi company. ›

1899

Finnish farmworker Karl Emil Malmelin kills seven people with an axe at the Simola croft in the village of Klaukkala. ›

1881

Carol I is crowned the King of the Romanian Kingdom. ›

1876

The Centennial Exposition is opened in Philadelphia. ›

1872

Victoria Woodhull becomes the first woman nominated for President of the United States. ›

1869

The First transcontinental railroad, linking the eastern and western United States, is completed at Promontory Summit, Utah Territory with the golden spike. ›

1865

American Civil War: In Kentucky, Union soldiers ambush and mortally wound Confederate raider William Quantrill, who lingers until his death on June 6. ›

1857

Indian Rebellion of 1857: In India, the first war of Independence begins. Sepoys mutiny against their commanding officers at Meerut. ›

1849

Astor Place Riot: A riot breaks out at the Astor Opera House in Manhattan, New York City over a dispute between actors Edwin Forrest and William Charles Macready, killing at least 22 and injuring over 120. ›

1837

Panic of 1837: New York City banks suspend the payment of specie, triggering a national banking crisis and an economic depression whose severity was not surpassed until the Great Depression. ›

1833

A revolt broke out in southern Vietnam against Emperor Minh Mang, who had desecrated the deceased mandarin Le Van Duyet. ›

1824

The National Gallery in London opens to the public. ›

1801

First Barbary War: The Barbary pirates of Tripoli declare war on the United States of America. ›

1796

War of the First Coalition: Napoleon wins a victory against Austrian forces at Lodi bridge over the Adda River in Italy. The Austrians lose some 2,000 men. ›

1775

American Revolutionary War: A small Colonial militia led by Ethan Allen and Colonel Benedict Arnold captures Fort Ticonderoga. ›

1775

American Revolutionary War: The Second Continental Congress takes place in Philadelphia. ›

1774

Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette become King and Queen of France. ›

1773

The Parliament of Great Britain passes the Tea Act, designed to save the British East India Company by reducing taxes on its tea and granting it the right to sell tea directly to North America. The legislation leads to the Boston Tea Party. ›

1768

Rioting occurs in London after John Wilkes is imprisoned for writing an article for The North Briton severely criticising King George III. ›

1713

Great Northern War: The Russian Navy led by Admiral Fyodor Apraksin land both at Katajanokka and Hietalahti during the Battle of Helsinki. ›

1688

King Narai nominates Phetracha as regent, leading to the revolution of 1688 in which Phetracha becomes king of the Ayutthaya Kingdom. ›

1591

Elizabeth I is entertained by the Hermit's Welcome at Theobalds. ›

1534

Jacques Cartier visits Newfoundland. ›

1503

Christopher Columbus visits the Cayman Islands and names them Las Tortugas after the numerous turtles there. ›

1497

Amerigo Vespucci allegedly leaves Cádiz for his first voyage to the New World. ›

1294

Temür, Khagan of the Mongols, is enthroned as Emperor of the Yuan dynasty. ›

1291

Scottish nobles recognize the authority of Edward I of England pending the selection of a king. ›

946

Alberic II of Spoleto arranges the election of pope Agapetus II following the death of Pope Marinus II. ›

28 BC

A sunspot is observed by Han dynasty astronomers during the reign of Emperor Cheng of Han, one of the earliest dated sunspot observations in China. ›