May 15 in History

Death of Valentinian II, assassinated

The papal interdict of 1208 against England is lifted

Agrees to Pope innocent IIIs demands that England & Ireland become a papal fiefdom

Alexander II narries Marie de Coucy

Forced to accept de Montforts conditions & the rule of the Barons

Montfort becomes de facto ruler of England. Establishes Government by council divesting Henry III of real power

Departs from Ireland after receiving the surrender of 80 Irish chiefs. Claims territorry known as the "English Pale"

Captured & executed at Hexham, virtually putting an end to Lancastrian resistance

Captured & executed at the Battle of Hexham by Lord Montagu

Thomas Cromwell prevents the Convocation of the Clergy

Prevents the Convocation of the Clergy without the permission of the King

Thomas Cromwell prevents the Convocation of the Clergy. New canons require royal assent & existing ones will be vetted by a royal commission

The Submission of the Clergy was subscribed, which recognised Royal Supremacy over the church so that it could no longer make canon law without royal licencei.e., without the King's permissionthus emasculating it as a law-making body

The clergy submit their lawmaking authority to the Crown and agree not to enact canons without royal licence.

The Submission of the Clergy was subscribed, which recognised Royal Supremacy over the church so that it could no longer make canon law without royal licencei.e., without the King's permissionthus emasculating it as a law-making body

The Submission of the Clergy was subscribed, which recognised Royal Supremacy over the church so that it could no longer make canon law without royal licencei.e., without the King's permissionthus emasculating it as a law-making body

Anne believes Henry will not allow her execution & will send her to a nunnery

Accused by Cromwell of adultery with 5 lovers including her brother Lord Rochford

Found guilty of treason & condemned to death. Found guilty of treason

Found guilty of treason. Anne believes Henry will not allow her execution & will send her to a nunnery. Accused by Cromwell of adultery with 5 lovers including her brother Lord Rochford

Ane Boleyn is found guilty & will burned or beheaded according to Henry VIIIs wishes

Accused by Cromwell of adultery with 5 lovers including her brother Lord Rochford

Anne Boleyn and George Boleyn are tried for high treason before a court of peers.

Found guilty & will be burned or beheaded according to Henry VIII's wishes

Marries Queen Mary after allegedly raping her at Dunbar & forcing her consent

Marries the Earl of Bothwell at the Great Hall of Holyrood

Escapes to Dundrennan Abbey & in a written letter appeals to Elizabeth I for support

Creates a navigable route linking the Garonne basin with the Mediterranean.

The Canal du Midi opens after years of construction.

Manages a parliamentary conference on amendments to legislation regulating the King's Bench and Fleet prisons.

Declares war on France and Spain with the Grand Alliance.

Faces war with the Grand Alliance.

Appointed Prime Minister of Great Britain, 2nd term

Death of Alaungpaya, dies of malaria after returning from a failed invasion of Siam

Tsar Peter III loans Frederick a Russian army corps. Ends the war between Prussia & Russia, saves Frederick from almost total defeat

Saves Frederick from almost total defeat, Peter loans Frederick a Russian army corp. Ends the war between Prussia & Russia

Saint-Just proposed suppressing departmental administrations as resistance to central revolutionary authority increased.

Occupies the Venetian Republic

Napoleon entered Milan after the victory at Lodi, strengthening French control of Lombardy during the Italian campaign.

A shot is fired at George III in a Drury Lane theater. A failed assassination attempt takes place during a review in Hyde Park

James Hadfield fires shots at George III at the Theatre Royal in Drury Lane

James Hadfield fires shots at George III at the Theatre Royal in Drury Lane

Takes part in operations around the siege and relief of Ladysmith.

Supports negotiations ending prolonged resistance to British forces.

The Treaty of Vereeniging ends the Second Boer War.

Participates in the Boer peace conference at Vereeniging.

Gives evidence about the ship seen from Californian before the rockets are observed.

Gives evidence about Californian's wireless communications and the ice warning sent to Titanic.

Is convicted after the WSPU window-smashing campaign.

Is convicted with WSPU leaders over militant protest organization.

Receives imprisonment for conspiracy connected with militant suffrage action.

Serves imprisonment for conspiracy connected with property damage.

Overton scouts routes north of ANZAC and reports that approaches toward the Sari Bair heights are lightly held.

Haig's First Army begins a night offensive intended to exploit limited artillery preparation around Festubert.

Bridges is shot by an Ottoman sniper while inspecting the front in Monash Valley.

Churchill calls for reinforcements for the Dardanelles despite Fishers wishes

Fisher's second tenure as First Sea Lord ends after his wartime resignation.

The Greeks land at Smyrna in an attempt to invade Turkey

The Greeks land at Smyrna in an attempt to invade Turkey

Supports workers during the Winnipeg General Strike.

Debates proposals concerning the charges and supply of building materials.

Assassinated for trying to restrain the army in Manchuria

Party Government is effectively brought to an end as the military takes over

Appointed Prime Minister of Japan

Appointed Prime Minister of Poland

Einstein, Podolsky and Rosen publish their argument that quantum mechanics may not provide a complete description of physical reality.

Receives the Franklin Medal in recognition of his work in relativity and the photoelectric effect.

Participates in the political oversight surrounding the opening of the first Moscow Metro line.

Appointed Prime Minister of Poland

The Paul-Emile Janson Government ends in Brussels, concluding this period as Prime Minister of Belgium.

Begins the First Paul-Henri Spaak Government in Brussels and serves as Prime Minister of Belgium.

Appointed Attorney General

The Dutch sign the document of capitulation

The Dutch sign the document of capitulation

The Dutch sign the document of capitulation

The Dutch sign the document of capitulation

General Winckelmann capitulates

The Netherlands ends organised military resistance to Germany.

Informed Touchon will try to create a defensive line outside Paris

Suports the German 6th Army in Flanders

Appointed Solicitor General

Holland surrenders to Germany

The 1st British operation against the Afrika Korps, attempts to throw the Axis forces back from the Egyptian frontier

The original day planned for operation Barbarossa

The original day planned for operation Barbarossa

The 1st British operation against the Afrika Korps, attempts to throw the Axis forces back from the Egyptian frontier

The Allies agree to the completion of "Roundup" by 1st May 1944

The Allies agree to invade Sicily to knock Italy out of the War

The Allies agree at Trident to proceed with the invasion of Sicily as part of the Mediterranean strategy

The Allies agree to the completion of "Roundup" by 1st May 1944

The Allies agree to develop the atomic bomb, operation "Tube Alloys"

Presents the final ground plan to senior commanders and political leaders before D-Day.

Oversees the start of systematic deportations from Hungary.

Montgomerry presents Overlord plans to senior commanders, the King, Smuts & Churchill

The Americans are assigned Utah and Omaha, the British Gold and Sword, and the Canadians Juno Beach.

Presents the final plan to senior commanders, the King, Smuts & Churchill at St Pauls. Expresses his belief that that Allied tanks will reach Falaise on D-Day

Final conference at Montgomerys HQ in St Pauls School

Montgomerry presents the Overlord plan to Commanders, the King, Smuts & Churchill

German and Hungarian authorities send mass transports toward Auschwitz.

Senate votes funds for Greece & Turkey against communist insurgency

Senate votes funds for Greece & Turkey against communist insurgency

Senate votes funds for Greece & Turkey against communist insurgency

Senate votes funds for Greece & Turkey against communist insurgency

Senate votes funds for Greece & Turkey against communist insurgency

The Arabs invade Israel on the day the British mandate ends

Commits Egyptian forces to the war following the end of the British Mandate in Palestine.

1st day of the War of Independence

Israel abolishes restrictions on immigration

A unitary Republic of Indonesia is agreed

Returns from the Commonwealth tour

Returns from the Commonwealth tour

Grants amnesty to surviving Moncada prisoners.

Is released from prison under Batista's amnesty.

Is released with other Moncada prisoners.

The four occupying powers and Austria sign the State Treaty restoring Austrian sovereignty.

The four occupying powers sign the Austrian State Treaty, leading to the withdrawal of occupation forces.

Russia, Britain, France & the USA sign a Treaty restoring Austrian independence. Raab takes part in negotiating the Austrian State Treaty, which ends the four-power occupation of Austria and restores Austrias independence and neutrality

Austria is not allowed to join Germany & must remain neutral

Russia, Britain, France & the USA sign a Treaty restoring Austrian independence. Austria is not allowed to join Germany & must remain neutral

Russia, Britain, France & the USA sign a Treaty restoring Austrian independence. Raab takes part in negotiating the Austrian State Treaty, which ends the four-power occupation of Austria and restores Austrias independence and neutrality. Austria is not allowed to join Germany & must remain neutral

Raab takes part in negotiating the Austrian State Treaty, which ends the four-power occupation of Austria and restores Austrias independence and neutrality

Khruschev demands Eisenhower stop U-2 spying over Russia, he refuses

Before the Summit Khruschev demands Eisenhower stop U-2 spying over Russia, he refuses

Khruschev demands Eisenhower stop U-2 spying over Russia, he refuses

Puts Spurs in the history books when they became the first British club to win a major European trophy, Spurs defeat favourites Atl‚tico Madrid 5-1 to win the European Cup Winners Cup

Cooper launches aboard Faith 7 on the final crewed mission of Project Mercury.

Nasser orders the United Nations peacekeeping force out of the Sinai

Closure of the Tiran Straits

Nasser moves 100,000 men with tanks & artillery guns into the Sinai

Killed by police gunfire during protests at Jackson State College

Killed by police gunfire near Jackson State College

Removes leading rivals from government and consolidates his control of the presidency.

An assassination attempt is made on Wallace while campaigning in the Maryland primary

The US returns Okinawa to Japan

PFLP terrorists take a school in Maalot, Israel, 26 people are killed including 21 children after an unsuccessful rescue attempt

Issues an additional subpoena for presidential conversations after concluding Nixon's earlier response did not satisfy the committee's evidentiary needs.

PFLP terrorists take a school in Maalot, Israel, 26 people are killed including 21 children after an unsuccessful rescue attempt

Leads a deputation of the Ulster Workers Council to wishing to destroy the agreement

With Stephen Fulling and William Unruh, calculates the quantum stress-energy tensor in a collapse model supporting the standard picture of black hole evaporation.

With Paul Davies and William Unruh, calculates the quantum stress-energy tensor near an evaporating black hole.

His government ends in Helsinki, concluding this term as Prime Minister of Finland.

Takes office as Prime Minister of Finland and forms a government in Helsinki.

Tuol Sleng S-21 prison expands interrogation operations

The Price Commission is abolished

Commands D Squadron in the raid that destroys eleven Argentine aircraft on Pebble Island.

Parliament adopts the Enforcement of Shariat Act under Nawaz Sharif.

Afghanistan is declared an Islamic State

Afghanistan is declared an Islamic State

Kabul falls to the Mujahideen

Kabul falls to the Mujahideen

Survives a State Duma attempt to impeach him on five separate charges.

Appointed President of Italy, acting

Appointed President of Italy, acting

Resigns as Prime Minister of Israel

Appointed General Secretary of the Arab League

Opens the scoring for Real Madrid in the final against Bayer Leverkusen.

Wins the Champions League with Real Madrid against Bayer Leverkusen.

Enters as a substitute and makes crucial late saves to preserve Real Madrid's lead.

Adds Europe's leading club trophy to his honours.

Wins a second Champions League title in three seasons.

Scores a celebrated left-foot volley from the edge of the area against Bayer Leverkusen.

Scores the winner against Leicester City as Arsenal complete the Premier League season unbeaten.

Hubble images reveal two faint candidate satellites near Pluto, later named Nix and Hydra.

Ambassador of the Princes Trust, an honarary appointment made by Prince Charles Charity in London to raise awareness for young people looking for work

Washington begins the process of removing Libya from its state sponsors of terrorism list.

The United States announces restored diplomatic relations and removal of Libya's terrorism designation.

President Bush selects Lt Gen Douglas Lute to oversee war policy in Iraq and Afghanistan

President Bush selects Lt Gen Douglas Lute to oversee war policy in Iraq and Afghanistan

Venus Express detects hydroxyl in Venus's upper atmosphere, the first detection of the molecule in another planet's atmosphere.

The California Supreme Court ruling permits same-sex marriages in the state

Good helps replace the first of Hubble's two battery modules, renewing the observatory's electrical storage system.

Massimino helps replace all three Hubble gyroscope rate-sensing units during Servicing Mission 4.

Wins a European trophy during his interim managerial period.

Guides Chelsea to Europa League victory over Benfica.

Hubble measurements show Jupiter's Great Red Spot has shrunk to its smallest size then recorded.

The government and Platform coalition sign the Algiers peace and reconciliation agreement.

Announces initiative to accelerate COVID-19 vaccine development.

Scores from long range as Leicester City win their first FA Cup.

Meets Rishi Sunak and discusses long-range weapons and a coalition to provide modern fighter aircraft.

Survives a shooting after a government meeting in Handlova.

Supports shipment of more than one hundred tonnes of aid toward the temporary maritime pier serving Gaza.

Announces increased humanitarian aid intended to help hundreds of thousands of people facing food insecurity in Yemen.

Meets Recep Tayyip Erdogan while seeking direct leader-level talks and a ceasefire with Russia.

ONS estimates that GDP grew by 0.7 percent during the first quarter of 2025.

ONS estimates that real GDP per head grew by 0.5 percent in the first quarter.

Birth of Klemens Wenzel Nepomuk Lothar von Metternich

Birth of Pierre Curie in Paris.

Birth of Jean Renoir

Birth of James Mason

Death of Valentinian II, assassinated

Death of Henry Beaufort

Death of Edward Herbert, executed

Death of Henry Beaufort, executed

Found guilty of treason & condemned to death

Death of Tsuyoshi Inukai, assassinated for trying to restrain the army in Manchuria

Death of Philip Snowden

Henry of Amaine overwhelms the Earl of Derbys knights ending the Second Barons War

Henry of Amaine overwhelms the Earl of Derbys knights ending the Second Barons War

Forced to surrender to Lord Montagu & immediately beheaded

Captured & executed at the Battle of Hexham by Lord Montagu

Executes Somerset & Lord Roos & Lord Hungerford. Defeats a Lancastrian army led by Henry Beaufort, 3rd Duke of Somerest. By the middle of the year the Nevilles wipe out Lancastrian opposition in the north

After victory Edward Neville is rewarded with the hereditary Earldom of Northumberland

Defeats the Royalists who have helped Mary Queen of Scots escape from Loch Leven

Tipu Sultan fights Cornwallis's army near Arakere while attempting to prevent the allied advance toward Srirangapatna.

Buller drives away the Boers from Dundee

Buller drives away the Boers from Glencoe

Churchill and Fisher continually quarreled throughout the campaign, and Fisher finally resigned on 15 May 1915 after repeated threats to do so

Fishers resignation, on top of poor progress in the campaign, precipitated the fall of the Government and Churchills replacement as First Lord

Fishers resignation, on top of poor progress in the campaign, precipitated the fall of the Government and Churchills replacement as First Lord. Churchill and Fisher continually quarreled throughout the campaign, and Fisher finally resigned on 15 May 1915 after repeated threats to do so

Directs Saudi policy during the victory over Hashemite forces at Turubah.

Commands Saudi fighters during the victory at Turubah.

Confronts the crisis created by the German breakthrough at Sedan.

Suports the German 6th Army in Flanders