The nobles of Franconia and Saxony elect Henry the Fowler at the Imperial Diet in Fritzlar as king of the East Frankish Kingdom.

FranconiaDuchy of SaxonyHenry the FowlerImperial Diet (Holy Roman Empire)Fritzlar

The Fifth Crusade leaves Acre for Egypt.

Fifth CrusadeAcre, IsraelEgypt

Magnus Ladulås is crowned King of Sweden in Uppsala Cathedral.

Magnus III of SwedenKing of SwedenUppsala Cathedral

The ten-year-old Lambert Simnel is crowned in Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin, Ireland, with the name of Edward VI in a bid to threaten King Henry VII's reign.

Lambert SimnelChrist Church Cathedral, DublinHenry VII of England

Nomenclator of Leiden University Library appears, the first printed catalog of an institutional library.

Nomenclator (nomenclature)Leiden University Library

100 English settlers disembark in Jamestown, the first English colony in America.

Jamestown, VirginiaUnited States

The Protestant Union is formally dissolved.

Protestant Union

Peter Minuit buys Manhattan.

Peter MinuitManhattan

The French Royal Army crosses the border into the Spanish Netherlands, starting the War of Devolution opposing France to the Spanish Empire and the Triple Alliance.

French Royal Army (1652-1830)Spanish NetherlandsWar of DevolutionKingdom of FranceSpanish Empire

The Ashmolean Museum in Oxford, England, opens as the world's first university museum.

Ashmolean MuseumOxford

The English Parliament passes the Act of Toleration protecting dissenting Protestants but excluding Roman Catholics.

Parliament of EnglandAct of Toleration 1689ProtestantismRoman Catholics

John Wesley is converted, essentially launching the Methodist movement; the day is celebrated annually by Methodists as Aldersgate Day and a church service is generally held on the preceding Sunday.

John WesleyBorn again (Christianity)MethodismMethodistsAldersgate Day

The Irish Rebellion of 1798 led by the United Irishmen against British rule begins.

Irish Rebellion of 1798Society of United Irishmen

South American independence leader Simón Bolívar enters Mérida, leading the invasion of Venezuela, and is proclaimed El Libertador ("The Liberator").

Simón BolívarMérida, MéridaVenezuela

Battle of Pichincha: Antonio José de Sucre secures the independence of the Presidency of Quito.

Battle of PichinchaAntonio José de SucrePresidency of Quito

"Mary Had a Little Lamb" by Sarah Josepha Hale is published.

Mary Had a Little LambSarah Josepha Hale

The First Kingdom of Greece is declared in the London Conference.

First Kingdom of GreeceLondon Conference of 1832

Samuel Morse sends the message "What hath God wrought" (a biblical quotation, Numbers 23:23) from the Old Supreme Court Chamber in the United States Capitol to his assistant, Alfred Vail, in Baltimore, Maryland, to inaugurate a commercial telegraph line between Baltimore and Washington D.C.

Samuel MorseBibleBook of NumbersOld Supreme Court ChamberUnited States Capitol

John Brown and his men kill five slavery supporters at Pottawatomie Creek, Kansas.

John Brown (abolitionist)Pottawatomie massacre

American Civil War: Union troops occupy Alexandria, Virginia.

American Civil WarUnion (American Civil War)Alexandria, Virginia

The Brooklyn Bridge in New York City is opened to traffic after 14 years of construction.

Brooklyn BridgeNew York City

Second Boer War: The United Kingdom annexes the Orange Free State.

Second Boer WarOrange Free State

World War I: Italy declares war on Austria-Hungary, joining the conflict on the side of the Allies.

World War IKingdom of ItalyAustria-HungaryAllies of World War I

Amy Johnson lands in Darwin, Northern Territory, becoming the first woman to fly solo from England to Australia (she left on May 5 for the 11,000 mile flight).

Amy JohnsonDarwin, Northern TerritoryMay 5

The first night game in Major League Baseball history is played in Cincinnati, Ohio, with the Cincinnati Reds beating the Philadelphia Phillies 2-1 at Crosley Field.

Night gameMajor League BaseballCincinnati, OhioCincinnati RedsPhiladelphia Phillies

Igor Sikorsky performs the first successful single-rotor helicopter flight.

Igor SikorskyHelicopter

Acting on the orders of Soviet leader Joseph Stalin, NKVD agent Iosif Grigulevich orchestrates an unsuccessful assassination attempt on exiled Russian revolutionary Leon Trotsky in Coyoacán, Mexico.

Soviet UnionJoseph StalinNKVDIosif GrigulevichLeon Trotsky

World War II: In the Battle of the Atlantic, the German Battleship Bismarck sinks then-pride of the Royal Navy, HMS Hood, killing all but three crewmen.

World War IIBattle of the AtlanticGerman battleship BismarckRoyal NavyHMS Hood (51)

Arab-Israeli War: Egypt captures the Israeli kibbutz of Yad Mordechai, but the five-day effort gives Israeli forces time to prepare enough to stop the Egyptian advance a week later.

1948 Arab-Israeli WarBattle of Yad MordechaiKibbutzYad Mordechai

The first Eurovision Song Contest is held in Lugano, Switzerland.

Eurovision Song ContestLugano