All Events

Historical Events on May 1

  • American Civil War

    1862

    American Civil War: The Union Army completes its capture of New Orleans.

  • World War II

    1941

    World War II: German forces launch a major attack on Tobruk.

  • Cold War

    1960

    Cold War: U-2 incident: Francis Gary Powers, in a Lockheed U-2 spyplane, is shot down over the Soviet Union, sparking a diplomatic crisis.

  • Cuba

    1961

    The Prime Minister of Cuba, Fidel Castro, proclaims Cuba a socialist nation and abolishes elections.

  • Pope John Paul II

    1987

    Pope John Paul II beatifies Edith Stein, a Jewish-born Carmelite nun who was gassed in the Nazi concentration camp at Auschwitz.

  • Croatia

    1995

    Croatian forces launch Operation Flash during the Croatian War of Independence.

  • 2003 invasion of Iraq

    2003

    Invasion of Iraq: In what becomes known as the "Mission Accomplished" speech, on board the USS Abraham Lincoln (off the coast of California), U.S. President George W. Bush declares that "major combat operations in Iraq have ended".

  • Cyprus

    2004

    Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia, and Slovenia join the European Union, celebrated at the residence of the Irish President in Dublin.

  • Pope John Paul II

    2011

    Pope John Paul II is beatified by his successor, Pope Benedict XVI.

All Births

Famous Birthdays on May 1

All Deaths

Famous Deaths on May 1

30. April

02. May