May 19 in History

Significant events that happened on this day.

Today

Historical Events

2018

Prince Harry married American actress Meghan Markle at Windsor Castle

The royal wedding was watched by an estimated 29 million viewers worldwide and broke royal protocol in several ways, including an African American bis...

1986

A South African court sentenced Winnie Mandela to six years in prison

Nelson Mandela's wife was convicted for her role in the 1976 Soweto uprising protests against apartheid. The sentence was later suspended on appeal. S...

1974

Valéry Giscard d'Estaing was elected President of France

At 48, he became France's youngest president of the Fifth Republic, narrowly defeating Socialist candidate François Mitterrand. He modernized France d...

1971

The Soviet Union launched Mars 2, the first spacecraft to reach the surface of Mars

While it successfully reached Mars, the lander crashed due to its descent system failing, making it an unintentional impact rather than a controlled l...

1962

Marilyn Monroe sang 'Happy Birthday, Mr. President' to John F. Kennedy

Major

At a Madison Square Garden gala, Monroe performed a breathy, sultry rendition of the birthday song while wearing a skin-tight, sheer, rhinestone-cover...

1962

A 1,000-pound cheese wheel was delivered to President John F. Kennedy

The massive cheddar cheese, a gift from the Wisconsin Cheese Foundation, arrived at the White House on a custom-built cart. It measured 6 feet in diam...

1934

The first Three Stooges short film was released

'Woman Haters' premiered as the comedy trio's debut, though it was unusual in that all dialogue was spoken in rhyme. Moe Howard, Larry Fine, and Curly...

1925

Malcolm X was born in Omaha, Nebraska

Major

Born Malcolm Little, he would become one of the most influential African American leaders and human rights activists of the 20th century. His autobiog...

1910

Halley's Comet made its closest approach to Earth

As Earth passed through the comet's tail, many people panicked because astronomers had detected cyanogen gas in it. Entrepreneurs sold 'comet pills' a...

1897

Oscar Wilde was released from prison after serving two years for 'gross indecency'

The celebrated writer emerged from Reading Gaol broken in health and spirit after his conviction for homosexual acts. He immediately left for France,...

1780

New England experienced a mysterious day of complete darkness

Known as 'New England's Dark Day,' the sky turned completely black at noon, terrifying residents who thought the apocalypse had arrived. Candles were...

1588

The Spanish Armada set sail from Lisbon to invade England

Major

King Philip II of Spain launched 130 ships carrying 30,000 men in what he hoped would be the conquest of Protestant England. The massive fleet was con...

Fun Facts from May 19