May in History
We cannot stress enough on obtaining knowledge about national as well as global happenings – history and the current – so that we can predict what might shape up in the future.
Knowledge is power, after all!
Here is a list of historical and current events that happened in May in history:
May 1 in History
May 1 of Every Year
* Workers’ Day is being observed and celebrated in Nigeria.
* International Workers’ Day (also known as International Labour Day) is being observed and celebrated.
May 1, 1707
* Great Britain was formed from a union between England and Scotland.
May 2 in History
May 2, 2011
* U.S. Special Operations Forces killed Osama bin Laden.
May 2, 1966
* Olufunso Amosun, the wife of the former Ogun State governor, was born.
May 2, 1611
* The authorized version of the King James Version Bible was first published.
May 4 in History
May 4, 2002
* On Saturday, May 4, 2002, at about 1:30 p.m. local time, an executive air services British Aeroplane (EAS Airline) crashed upon take-off from Kano International Airport, killing 75 passengers and crew on board as well as almost 70 more on the ground into whose house the plane had crashed.
May 4, 1999
* The Provisional Ruling Council approved the new constitution for the fourth republic.
May 4, 1959
* The first Grammy Awards ceremony was held.
May 4, 1494
* Christopher Columbus discovered Jamaica.
May 5 in History
May 5, 1961
* Alan Shepard became the first American in space.
* Salawa Abeni, the queen of Waka music, was born.
May 5, 1818
* Karl Marx, a communism founder, was born.
May 6 in History
May 6, 2010
* Umaru Yar’adua, former president of Nigeria, died.
* Goodluck Ebele Jonathan became officially the president of Nigeria.
May 6, 1980
* Ayinla Omowura, foremost Apala musician, died.
May 7 in History
May 7, 1943
* Germany was defeated in North Africa by British and American forces.
May 8 in History
May 8, 1972
* Guillaume Soro, prime minister of Cote d’Ivoire, was born.
May 9 in History
May 9, 1987
* Obafemi Awolowo, Nigerian statesman and nationalist, died at the age of 78.
May 9, 1936
* Ernest Shonekan, former head of interim government, was born.
May 10 in History
May 10, 1994
* Nelson Mandela was inaugurated as president of South Africa.
May 10, 1954
* Alhaji Olatunde Okewolw, former Ogun State chairman, was born.
May 10, 1934
* Oba Sikiru Kayode Adetona, the Awujale and paramount ruler of Ijebuland, was born.
May 11 in History
May 11, 1996
* Dr. Nnamdi Azikwe, the first president of Nigeria, died at 91.
May 11, 1981
* Bob Marley, an international reggae musician and cultural icon, died.
May 11, 1867
* Luxembourg became an independent country.
[Capital: Luxembourg; Ex-colonial master: Netherlands; Continent: Europe]
May 13 in History
May 13, 1990
* Dr. Nelson Mandela visited Nigeria.
May 13, 1982
* Ogun State Television moved to the present site at Km 9 Olabisi Onabanjo Way, Abeokuta.
May 13, 1958
* A group of French military officers led a coup in Algeria, demanding that a government of national unity be formed with Charles de Gaulle at its head in order to defend French control of Algeria.
* Ben Carlin became the first (and only) person to circumnavigate the world by amphibious vehicle during a ten-year journey.
May 13, 1918
* The first airmail postage stamps were issued with aeroplanes on them. The denominations were 6, 16, and 24 cents.
May 13, 1897
* Guglielmo Marconi sent the world’s first wireless communication over the open sea.
May 13, 1880
* Thomas Edison tested his experimental electric railway in Menlo Park.
May 13, 1830
* The Republic of Ecuador was founded with Juan Jose Flores as president.
[Capital: Quito; Continent: South America]
May 13, 1821
* The first practical printing press was patented in the U.S. by Samuel Rust.
May 14 in History
May 14, 1984
* Mark Zuckerberg, founder of the Facebook social network, was born.
May 14, 1948
* Israel became an independent country.
[Capital: Jerusalem; Ex-colonial master: British; Continent: Asia]
May 14, 1811
* Paraguay became an independent country.
[Capital: Asuncion; Ex-colonial master: Spain; Continent: South America]
May 14, 1796
* Edward Jenner developed the smallpox vaccine.
May 15 in History
May 15, 1970
* Babatunde Ipaye, former Ogun State commissioner of health, was born.
May 15, 1951
* Jide Ojuko, former Ogun State commissioner for local government and chieftaincy affairs, was born.
May 16 in History
May 16, 2017
* Ojodu Berger Road was commissioned by His Excellency Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, governor of Lagos State.
May 16, 2006
* The National Assembly of Nigeria voted against a constitutional amendment to remove term limits.
May 17 in History
May 17, 2017
* Ajah Flyover, Freedom Road, and Admiralty Way (Lekki) roads were commissioned by His Excellency Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, governor of Lagos State.
* Moji Olaiya died at the age of 42 from cardiac arrest in Canada, where she had her second child exactly two months prior. She was buried on 7 July, 2017 according to Islamic rights.
May 18 in History
May 18, 2004
* A state of emergency was declared in Plateau State by former President Olusegun Obasanjo.
May 19 in History
May 19, 2017
* Epe-Mojoda to Ijebu-Ode Road/Inner Networks Phase One and Ogudu Orioke-Alapere network of roads were commissioned by His Excellency Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, governor of Lagos State.
May 19, 1925
* Malcolm X, a Black nationalist and civil rights activist, was born.
May 20 in History
May 20 of Every Year
* Cameroon National Day is being observed and celebrated.
May 20, 2002
* East Timor became an independent country.
[Capital: Dili; Ex-colonial master: Portugal; Continent: Asia]
May 20, 1960
* The Nigerian coat of arms was adopted.
May 20, 1948
* Oba Gideon Adesina Adetoye JP, liken of Ibefun, was born.
May 20, 1932
* Amelia Earhart became the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic.
May 20, 1927
* At 7:40 am, Charles Lindbergh takes off from New York to cross the Atlantic for Paris aboard the Spirit of St. Louis (First non-stop flight).
May 20, 1891
* The first public display of Thomas Edison’s prototype kinetoscope to members of the National Federation of Women’s Club.
May 20, 1873
* Levi Strauss and Jacob Davis patent the first blue jeans with copper rivets.
May 20, 1830
* D Hyde patents fountain pen.
May 20, 1609
* Shakespeare’s Sonnets are first published in London, perhaps illicitly, by the publisher Thomas Thorpe.
May 20, 1570
* Cartographer Abraham Ortelius issued Theatrum Orbis Terrarum, the first modern atlas.
May 20, 1498
* Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama arrives at Calicut, India, becoming the first European to reach India by sea.
May 21 in History
May 21, 1967
* Afolabi Afuape, former Ogun State commissioner for youth and sports, was born.
May 21, 1904
* The Federation of International Football Associations (FIFA) was established.
May 22 in History
May 22, 1973
* The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) was established in Nigeria.
May 23 in History
May 23, 1949
* Germany was founded.
[Capital: Berlin; Continent: Europe]
May 24 in History
May 24 of Every Year
* Commonwealth Day is being observed and celebrated as a holiday in parts of the Commonwealth of Nations, formerly on May 24 of every year as the anniversary of Queen Victoria’s birthday and now observed on the second Monday in March of every year. [First use: 1958 / 15th Century]
May 24, 1993
* Eritrea became an independent country.
[Capital: Asmara; Ex-colonial master: Ethiopia; Continent: Africa]
May 24, 1844
* Samuel Morse, the telegraph inventor, sent the first official telegraph message, “What hath God wrought?”
May 25 in History
May 25, 1946
* Jordan became an independent country.
[Capital: Amman; Ex-colonial master: British; Continent: Asia]
May 25, 1884
* Adeyemo Alakija, former president of Egbe Omo Oduduwa, was born.
May 26 in History
May 26, 1967
* Lt. Colonel Ojukwu convened a meeting of elders on how to create the Republic of Biafra.
May 26, 1966
* Guyana became an independent country.
[Capital: Georgetown; Ex-colonial master: UK; Continent: South America]
May 27 in History
May 27 of Every Year
* Children’s Day is being observed and celebrated in Nigeria.
May 27, 1967
* General Yakubu Gowon created twelve (12) States from the four (4) regions. Namely: East Central, Midwest, Northwest, Northeast, North Central, Kano, Kwara, Kaduna, Lagos, Rivers, Southeast, and Western States.
May 28 in History
May 28, 1975
* The treaty establishing the ECOWAS was signed by West African heads of state and government.
* Nigeria and Togo founded the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
May 29 in History
May 29 of Every Year
* Nigeria Democracy Day was formerly being observed and celebrated on this day before President Buhari shifted it to June 12.
May 29, 2024
* The Nigerian former national anthem titled “Nigeria, We Hail Thee” was officially readopted or reinstated by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, replacing “Arise, O Compatriots.”
May 29, 2015
* Muhammadu Buhari, a retired major general in the Nigerian Army, was sworn in as the first president to win an election by defeating the incumbent president, President Goodluck Jonathan. This marked the first time in the history of Nigeria that an incumbent president lost to an opposition candidate in a general election.
May 29, 2007
* Goodluck Ebele Jonathan was sworn in as Vice President to President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua.
May 29, 2003
* President Olusegun Obasanjo was sworn in as a newly re-elected president for the second term.
May 29, 1999
* Chief Olusegun Obasanjo was sworn in after he was democratically elected to serve as the first civilian president of Nigeria.
May 29, 1975
* The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) was formed.
May 29, 1926
* Abdoulaye Wade, president of Senegal, was born.
May 29, 1905
* Fela Sowande, the father of modern Nigerian art music, was born.
May 30 in History
May 30, 1974
* Andry Rajoelina, president of the High Transitional Authority of Madagascar, was born.
May 30, 1967
* Proclamation of “Republic of Biafra” by Lt. Colonel Ojukwu took place to have Eastern leadership.
May 30, 1958
* Shina Peters, a Nigerian Juju musician, was born.
May 31 in History
May 31, 2005
* The National Electric Power Authority (NEPA) changed to Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN).
May 31, 1961
* South Africa became an independent country.
[Capital: Pretoria; Ex-colonial master: UK; Continent: Africa]
May 31, 1838
* Nicaragua became an independent nation.
[Capital: Managua; Ex-colonial master: Spain; Continent: North America]
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12 Inspiring Famous Quotes for May
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Peruse, pause, and ponder the following twelve (12) inspiring famous quotes to keep you inspired for your daily endeavours in the month of May:
#01
“To love means loving the unloveable; to forgive means pardoning the unpardonable; faith means believing the unbelievable; hope means hoping when everything seems hopeless.”
– Gilbert K. Chesterton
#02
“When one door closes, another opens, but we often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door that we do not see the one that has opened to us.”
– Alexandar Graham Bell
#03
“If opportunity doesn't knock, build a door.”
– Milton Berle
#04
“Forget yesterday; it has already forgotten you. Don't sweat tomorrow – you haven't even met. Instead, open your eyes and your heart to a truly precious gift – today.”
– Steve Maraboli
#05
“Believe you can, and you're halfway there.”
– Theodore Roosevelt
#06
“Trust yourself. You know more than you think you do.”
– Benjamin Spock
#07
“I don’t believe in magic. I believe in hard work.”
– Richie McCaw
#08
“Be yourself; everyone else is already taken.”
– Oscar Wilde
#09
“Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter, and those who matter don’t mind.”
– Bernard M. Baruch
#10
“Fight your battles through prayer and win your battles through faith.”
– Luffina Lourduraj
#11
“Life is too short to waste any amount of time wondering what other people think about you. In the first place, if they had better things going on in their lives, they wouldn't have the time to sit around and talk about you. What’s important to me is not others' opinions of me, but what's important to me is my opinion of myself.”
– C. JoyBell C.
#12
“Until you can see it in your mind, you will not see it with your eyes. Vision precedes sight.”
– Mensah Oteh
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Olajide Olubamiro
Olajide Olubamiro is a resourceful and passionate blogger who is fond of deriving great pleasure from disseminating memorable, clear, and concise information to other people in a simple, learner-friendly approach. He is an inspiring content creator, weblog designer, graphics artist, printer, publisher, and the Founder/CEO of Clicko Innovation. He is well known as a fully committed, goal-oriented, highly organized, and consistent individual who always bears in mind the need for further personal development and progression.
