| 2042 | Valentinian III is elevated as Roman Emperor, at the age of 6. |
| 2010 | Battle of Arausio: The Cimbri inflict a major defeat on the Roman army of Mallius Maximus. |
| 2005 | A live hand grenade lands about 100 feet from United States President George W. Bush while he is giving a speech to a crowd in Tbilisi, Georgia, but malfunctions and does not detonate. |
| 2003 | May 2003 tornado outbreak ends. |
| 2002 | FBI agent Robert Hanssen is given a life sentence without the possibility of parole for selling American secrets to Moscow for $1.4 million in cash and diamonds. |
| 2002 | Lynda Lyon Block is executed in Yellow Mama, the electric chair of Alabama. |
| 2001 | In Ghana, a stampede at a football game kills over 120 spectators. |
| 1998 | National elections are held in Hungary. |
| 1997 | An earthquake near Ardekul in northeastern Iran kills at least 2,400 people. |
| 1996 | A "rogue storm" near the summit of Mount Everest kills eight climbers, making this the deadliest day in the mountain's history. Among the dead are experienced climbers Rob Hall and Scott Fischer, both of whom were leading paid expeditions to the summit. |
| 1996 | John XIII becomes Pope. |
| 1994 | The U.S. state of Illinois executes serial killer John Wayne Gacy for the murder of 33 young men and boys. |
| 1994 | An annular eclipse of the sun is visible across much of North America. |
| 1988 | Michel Rocard becomes Prime Minister of France. |
| 1981 | François Mitterrand takes office as the first Socialist President of France. |
| 1979 | The Federated States of Micronesia becomes self-governing. |
| 1969 | The first "Zip to Zap" rural outdoor rock concert at Zap, North Dakota, is ended prematurely as North Dakota National Guard is ordered to disperse the unruly crowd. |
| 1960 | The nuclear submarine USS Triton completes the first underwater circumnavigation of the earth. |
| 1954 | Bill Haley and the Comets release "Rock Around the Clock", the first rock and roll record to reach number one on the charts. |
| 1941 | World War II: The House of Commons in London is destroyed by the Luftwaffe in an air raid. |
| 1941 | World War II: Rudolf Hess parachutes into Scotland in order to try and negotiate a peace deal between the United Kingdom and Nazi Germany. |
| 1940 | World War II: The first German bombs were dropped on England at Chilham and Petham, in Kent. |
| 1940 | World War II: Germany invades Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg. |
| 1940 | World War II: Winston Churchill appointed Prime Minister of the United Kingdom |
| 1933 | Censorship: In Germany, the Nazis stage massive public book burnings. |
| 1924 | J. Edgar Hoover is appointed the Director of the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation, and remains so until his death in 1972. |
| 1908 | Mother's Day is observed for the first time (Andrew's Methodist Church in Grafton, West Virginia, USA). |
| 1877 | Romania declares itself independent from Turkey, recognized on March 26, 1881 after the end of the Romanian independence war. |
| 1872 | Victoria Woodhull becomes the first woman nominated for President of the United States. |
| 1869 | The First Transcontinental Railroad, linking the eastern and western United States, is completed at Promontory Summit, Utah (not Promontory Point, Utah). |
| 1865 | American Civil War: Jefferson Davis is captured by Union troops near Irwinville, Georgia. |
| 1865 | American Civil War: Union soldiers ambush and mortally wound Confederate raider William Quantrill in Kentucky (he lingered until his death on June 6). |
| 1857 | Indian Mutiny: In India, the Sepoys revolt against the British Army. |
| 1837 | Panic of 1837: New York City banks fail, and unemployment reaches record levels. |
| 1801 | First Barbary War: The Barbary pirates of Tripoli declare war on the United States. |
| 1796 | First Coalition: Napoleon I of France wins a decisive victory against Austrian forces at Lodi bridge over the River Adda in Italy. The Austrians lose some 2,000 men. |
| 1775 | American Revolutionary War: Fort Ticonderoga is taken by a small force led by Colonel Benedict Arnold and Ethan Allen. |
| 1775 | American Revolutionary War: Representatives from the 13 colonies of the United States meet in Philadelphia and raise the Continental Army to defend the new republic. They place it under command of Cavalier George Washington of Virginia. |
| 1774 | Louis XVI becomes King of France. |
| 1768 | John Wilkes is imprisoned for writing an article for the North Briton severely criticizing King George III. This action provokes rioting in London. |
| 1534 | Jacques Cartier visits Newfoundland. |
| 1503 | Christopher Columbus visits the Cayman Islands and names them Las Tortugas after the numerous sea turtles there. |
| 1497 | Amerigo Vespucci allegedly leaves Cádiz for his first voyage to the New World. |
| 1291 | Scottish nobles recognize the authority of King Edward I of England. |
