This Day in History - May

Can you guess these things that happened in the month of May?
Quiz by Quizmaster
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Last updated: August 14, 2020
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First submittedMay 1, 2012
Times taken35,717
Average score71.0%
Rating4.26
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Date
Year
Clue
Answer
May 1
1328
England recognizes the independence of this country
Scotland
May 2
2011
This infamous person is killed in Pakistan
Osama Bin Laden
May 3
1973
This building is completed. It would be the tallest in the world for over 20 years.
Sears Tower
May 4
1994
This PLO leader signs a peace accord with Israel
Yasser Arafat
May 5
1260
This khan becomes ruler of the Mongol Empire
Kublai
May 6
1937
This German zeppelin is destroyed by fire
Hindenburg
May 7
2000
This judo enthusiast becomes President of Russia
Vladimir Putin
May 8
1945
This nation unconditionally surrenders
Germany
May 9
1936
This country is formally annexed by Italy
Ethiopia
May 10
1994
This man becomes the first black leader of South Africa
Nelson Mandela
May 11
1997
A computer beats world champion Garry Kasparov at this activity
Chess
May 12
1949
The USSR lifts its blockade of this city
Berlin
May 13
1888
Brazil finally abolishes this
Slavery
May 14
1796
Edward Jenner administers the first vaccine for this disease
Smallpox
May 15
1972
This island, under U.S. occupation, reverts to Japanese control
Okinawa
May 16
1929
These awards are presented for the first time
The Academy Awards
May 17
1805
Muhammad Ali becomes leader of this country
Egypt
May 18
1980
This volcano erupts in the U.S. state of Washington
Mount St. Helens
May 19
1962
This actress sings "Happy Birthday" to President Kennedy
Marilyn Monroe
May 20
1498
This Portuguese explorer reaches India by sea
Vasco da Gama
May 21
1927
This aviator reaches Paris after a non-stop flight from New York
Charles Lindbergh
May 22
1807
This former U.S. Vice President is indicted on charges of treason
Aaron Burr
May 23
1533
This king divorces Catherine of Aragon
King Henry VIII
May 24
1844
Samuel Morse sends the first official message using this device
Telegraph
May 25
1787
The Constitutional Convention opens in this city
Philadelphia
May 26
1940
Allied forces evacuate Europe from this city in France
Dunkirk
May 27
1927
This company discontinues the Model T
Ford
May 28
1998
This country tests nuclear weapons for the first time
Pakistan
May 29
1953
Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay reach the summit of this mountain
Mount Everest
May 30
1431
This female warrior is burned at the stake
Joan of Arc
May 31
1916
The UK and Germany fight this famous naval battle, named for Denmark's main peninsula
Battle of Jutland
+2
Level 14
May 11, 2012
i though it was Joan of Ark...... :(
+5
Level 75
May 3, 2018
I've always wondered why Joan isn't acceptable as a type-in. Her parents didn't name her "Joan of Arc".
+5
Level 76
Jul 9, 2018
No, they named her "Jehanne," or "Jeanne."
+2
Level 68
May 2, 2021
If anything, d'Arc should be accepted as a type-in, since jetpunk usually accepts just last names, but I see no reason why a first-name should be accepted. "Jeanne" is a very common French first-name - it's the female version of "Jean" (John).
+1
Level ∞
Jul 21, 2023
Joan or Jeanne will work now.
+1
Level 22
May 12, 2012
I misspelled Okinawa :(
+2
Level 40
May 14, 2012
Only missed Aaron Burr and now have that "Got Milk?" commercial stuck in my head.
+1
Level 37
Oct 7, 2018
Aaron Burr? Which quiz are you taking?
+5
Level 66
Jun 8, 2019
Em this one... the may 22 question. It is actually still on there know. I dont suspect it has been taken of and put back on.
+2
Level 37
Dec 20, 2012
Wow - so many are obvious once you see them.
+1
Level 83
Apr 21, 2013
Somewhat pedantic, I know, but it was Abyssinia in 1936, not Ethiopia.
+1
Level 77
May 3, 2021
The difference between Ethiopia and Abyssinia is a whole convoluted thing. In short, people who lived there generally called their country Ethiopia and the country preferred Ethiopia. Abyssinia was more commonly used by external powers, like Italy and Britain.
+1
Level 85
Mar 23, 2014
100% with 1:41 left! History buff am I.
+1
Level 55
May 1, 2015
Only one I missed ... my birthday! :(
+2
Level 79
May 1, 2015
Could not for the life of me think of telegraph. I tried Morse Code Machine. Sam's Box. Dashes & Dots Thing. Didn't take any of them.
+3
Level 82
May 4, 2015
You forgot my birthday.
+2
Level 75
May 3, 2018
Happy birthday, Kalbahamut - not sure which day of May it is, but this can cover the whole month.
+1
Level 82
Jun 8, 2019
It was on the day bin Laden was killed, except technically the day before because it was 1 am in Pakistan at the time.
+1
Level 68
May 2, 2021
Happy birthday!
+1
Level 88
May 2, 2021
Happy Birthday, Kalba. If I'm not mistaken, you're 42 today?
+3
Level 68
May 3, 2021
I'm guessing that's not based on his behaviour, though? ;-)
+1
Level 76
Mar 28, 2017
Could you please specify "US" by "Constitutional Convention"? Many countries have had one of these.
+9
Level 82
Apr 3, 2017
In 1787?
+3
Level 89
Sep 3, 2018
Nope, legal constitutions were rare among all the world's dictatorships in 1787. Who could it be?
+1
Level 81
Apr 1, 2017
Wonderful quiz!
+2
Level 51
Nov 27, 2017
Quizzes should have charts of takes per month in the stats - I'm curious what this one's would look like.
+1
Level 90
May 1, 2018
Surprised that no one has brought this up but West Berlin is not an acceptable answer.
+3
Level 66
May 1, 2018
Could you add Skagerrak as a type-in for Jutland? It's the German name of that battle and Wikipedia accepts it as well – searching for Battle of Skagerrak redirects you to the Battle of Jutland article.
+1
Level 68
May 2, 2021
That's why that battle didn't ring a bell! I did get it, because I know what that peninsula is called, but I thought I had somehow missed a whole important battle, but, of course, I knew it by it German name!
+1
Level 58
May 3, 2021
I also only know it as the battle of skagerrak, seems to be the common name for it in germany.
+2
Level 47
May 2, 2018
I typed Helena instead of Helens :(
+3
Level 62
May 1, 2021
93% of people know that some actress wished the American president at that time an happy birthday? Very strange for such an insignificant event...
+3
Level 70
May 1, 2021
It's an absolutely iconic cultural moment in history.
+2
Level 67
May 1, 2021
Yeah, that has been parodied some two billion times in American cartoons:
+1
Level 76
May 1, 2021
not that i doubt your methodology QM, but i’m curious how on earth you could know on what day of the year Kublai Khan became ruler of the Mongol Empire?
+1
Level 66
Sep 3, 2021
It was an extremely important event in the biggest empire on earth - you don't think someone would have made a note?
+2
Level 64
May 1, 2021
I didn't realize that the term "blockade" can be used for non-coastal places.
+1
Level 67
Sep 27, 2023
Yeah, usually I would think of siege for land but I guess that's not always the accurate term
+5
Level 62
May 1, 2021
I'll admit, I had a moment of confusion and disbelief when I read "Muhammad Ali becomes leader of this country" then realised it wasn't referring to the boxer.
+1
Level 73
May 4, 2021
Can you accept Kubilai and Khublai as type ins? Those are the only two I'd seen and after neither worked I just assumed I had the wrong Khan.
+1
Level 67
Sep 27, 2023
30, just missed Sears