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On This Day
May
28 May

On This Day: 28 May

A solar eclipse occurs, as predicted by the Greek philosopher and scientist Thales, while Alyattes is battling Cyaxares in the Battle of Halys, leading to a truce. This becomes one of the cardinal dates from which other dates can be calculated Click to show or hide the answer
Archbishop of Canterbury Thomas Cranmer declares the marriage of Henry VIII to Anne Boleyn valid Click to show or hide the answer
Hernando de Soto lands in Florida Click to show or hide the answer
The Spanish Armada, with 130 ships and 30,000 men, sails from Lisbon Click to show or hide the answer
Royalist forces under Prince Rupert storm the strongly Parliamentarian town of Bolton, Lancashire, allegedly slaughtering 1,600 of its inhabitants Click to show or hide the answer
Battle of Southwold Bay: English defeat the Dutch Click to show or hide the answer
Jan van der Meer (Vermeer), painter, buried Click to show or hide the answer
England's first indoor swimming pool opens in London Click to show or hide the answer
Virginia militia under 22–year–old Lieutenant colonel George Washington defeat a French reconnaissance party in the Battle of Jumonville Glen, in what is now Fayette County in southwestern Pennsylvania, in the first engagement of the French and Indian War Click to show or hide the answer
In Guadeloupe, 400 rebellious slaves, led by Louis Delgrès, blow themselves up rather than submit to Napoleon's troops Click to show or hide the answer
Treaty of Bucharest signed, making peace between Russia and Turkey Click to show or hide the answer
US President Andrew Jackson signs the Indian Removal Act, passed by Congress two days earlier Click to show or hide the answer
The Paris Commune collapses after a two–month siege Click to show or hide the answer
The Café Monico Hotel, Piccadilly, London, hosts the first World Weightlifting championships Click to show or hide the answer
Scottish–born American naturalist John Muir founds the Sierra Club in San Francisco Click to show or hide the answer
The Battle of Tsushima ends with the destruction of the Russian Baltic Fleet by Admiral Tōgō Heihachirō and the Imperial Japanese Navy Click to show or hide the answer
The first Isle of Man TT race is held Click to show or hide the answer
American Michele Schirru shot dead in Rome while attempting to assassinate Mussolini Click to show or hide the answer
The world's largest dam – turning the Zuider Zee into a freshwater lake – completed Click to show or hide the answer
The Dionne triplets – Cecille, Yvonne, Annette, Emilie and Marie – are born near Callander, Ontario Click to show or hide the answer
Neville Chamberlain becomes prime minister Click to show or hide the answer
Volkswagen is founded in Wolfsburg by the German Labour Front, a Nazi labour union Click to show or hide the answer
The Belgian army surrenders to the Nazis Click to show or hide the answer
The Allies win their first allied infantry victory of the War as Norwegian, French, Polish and British forces recapture Narvik Click to show or hide the answer
Nazis in Czechoslovakia kill over 1,800 people, in retaliation for the assassination attempt on Reinhard Heydrich Click to show or hide the answer
William Joyce (Lord Haw Haw) is captured near Hamburg Click to show or hide the answer
Daniel François Malan, who would go on to implement Apartheid, is elected as Prime Minister of South Africa Click to show or hide the answer
HRH Princess Elizabeth opens the Exhibition of Industrial Power in Glasgow, the latest show in the Festival of Britain Click to show or hide the answer
First London performance of Guys and Dolls Click to show or hide the answer
Two monkeys, Able and Baker, become the first living creatures to survive a space flight after a 15–minute flight, launched from Cape Canaveral and recovered from the sea off Puerto Rico Click to show or hide the answer
The Mermaid Theatre opens in Puddle Dock, London Click to show or hide the answer
The Orient Express runs for the last time – after 78 years Click to show or hide the answer
An article by the British lawyer Peter Benenson, that will lead to the foundation of Amnesty International, is published in "several internationally read newspapers", including The Observer Click to show or hide the answer
Francis Chichester docks at Plymouth to complete his solo circumnavigation in Gypsy Moth IV Click to show or hide the answer
Northern Ireland Secretary Merlyn Rees re–imposes direct rule after the province's first power–sharing assembly, led by Brian Faulkner, collapses following a seven–day general strike organised by militant unionists opposed to the Sunningdale agreement Click to show or hide the answer
165 lives are lost when the Beverly Hills Supper Club, in Southgate, Kentucky, is engulfed in fire Click to show or hide the answer
Diego Maradona signs for Barcelona for a record £5 million Click to show or hide the answer
In the Falklands War, British troops recapture Port Darwin and Goose Green Click to show or hide the answer
Thousands drown as a cyclone hits Bangladesh Click to show or hide the answer
Mathias Rust, 19, lands his Cessna plane in Red Square, Moscow Click to show or hide the answer
Maiden, skippered by Tracey Edwards, becomes the first vessel with an all–female crew to finish the Whitbread Round–the–World race Click to show or hide the answer
IRA gunmen shoot dead two Australian tourists in Holland, mistaking them for British soldiers Click to show or hide the answer
The Derg regime and the Ethiopian Civil War both end as Addis Ababa falls to the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front Click to show or hide the answer
The Russian settlement of Neftegorsk is destroyed by an earthquake, with the loss of 1,989 lives Click to show or hide the answer
Jim and Susan McDougal, former business partners of US President Bill Clinton in the Whitewater land deal, and Governor of Arkansas Jim Guy Tucker, are convicted of fraud Click to show or hide the answer
The German Bundesbank rejects the government's plan to raise cash by revaluing gold reserves, threatening the continuation of European monetary union Click to show or hide the answer
Bob Dylan is admitted to hospital, suffering from chest pains Click to show or hide the answer
Pakistan provokes worldwide condemnation by exploding five underground nuclear devices in response to India's nuclear tests two weeks ago Click to show or hide the answer
Leonardo da Vinci's Last Supper is put back on display in Milan after 22 years of restoration work Click to show or hide the answer
Clean–up duties at the site of the former World Trade Center officially end, as the last steel girder is removed, with closing ceremonies at Ground Zero in Manhattan Click to show or hide the answer
Stephen Byers, Secretary of State for Transport, resigns following criticism of his decision to force Railtrack into administration Click to show or hide the answer
Peter Hollingworth resigns as Governor–General of Australia, following criticism of his handling of child sexual abuse allegations during his tenure as Anglican Archbishop of Brisbane Click to show or hide the answer
The Iraqi Governing Council chooses Ayad Allawi, a long–time anti–Saddam Hussein exile, as prime minister of the country's interim government Click to show or hide the answer
The first meeting of the Constituent Assembly of Nepal formally declares Nepal a republic, ending the 240–year reign of the Shah dynasty Click to show or hide the answer
148 lives are lost in a train derailment in West Bengal, India Click to show or hide the answer
In Malta, 53% of voters approve a proposal to introduce divorce Click to show or hide the answer

© Haydn Thompson 2019