The Augustinian monastic order is constituted at the Lecceto Monastery when Pope Alexander IV issues papal bull Licet ecclesiae catholicae More
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On This Day in History: May 4
Explore the historical events that shaped our world on May 4th. From major milestones to cultural achievements, see what happened on this day in history. Dates for earlier events may be approximate.
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The Battle of Tewkesbury, a major battle in the Wars of the Roses takes place om May 4, 1471, resulting in a decisive victory for the Yorkists led by King Edward IV. against the Lancastrian army under the command of the Duke of Somerset.
The battle took place south of Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire, and was a turning point in the Wars of the Roses. The Lancastrian king, Henry VI, was a prisoner in the Tower of London. He died shortly after the battle, on May 21, 1471. Tewkesbury restored political stability to England until the death of Edward IV in 1483. More
The Siege of Buda, the historical capital of the Kingdom of Hungary, by the Ottoman forces begins on May 4, 1541. The Hungarian city was captured on August 21, 1541, in a major victory for the Ottoman Empire during the Ottoman–Habsburg wars (16th to 18th century).
Dutch explorer Peter Minuit arrives in New Netherland (present-day Manhattan) aboard the ship Sea-gull, to serve as the Director-General for the Dutch West India Company. and establishes the colony of New Amsterdam.
The Fundamental Orders, often considered the first written constitution in North America, are adopted by the Connecticut Colony.
The Haymarket Square Riot in Chicago, also known as the Haymarket massacre, was a pivotal event in American labor history, a bomb exploded at a Chicago labor rally, wounding dozens of policemen, seven of whom eventually died.
The event led to the trial and conviction of eight anarchists, some of whom were later executed, despite the lack of definitive evidence of their involvement in the bombing. More
The Panic of 1893, one of the most severe financial crises in the history of the U.S., peaked on May 4, 1893 as the National Cordage Company, which had aggressively expanded and manipulated its stock, collapsed and declared bankruptcy, triggering a depression that lasted until 1897.
The crisis had started earlier in February 1893 when the Philadelphia and Reading Railroad declared bankruptcy, creating early anxiety. On April 27, 1893 the stock market began a sharp decline. This date is cited by some as the start of the panic.
This was followed by The National Cordage Company going into receivership on May 4, causing a massive sell-off. On May 5, the Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 24%, sparking the main financial panic starting with a slow down of economic activity and a large decline in U.S. Treasury gold reserves, raising the rates of defaults on loans and weakening banks’ balance sheets. Fearing for the safety of their deposits, the public began to withdraw funds from banks. Fear continued to spread and withdrawals accelerated, leading to widespread runs on banks. The economy remained in recession until the following summer. According to some estimates, industrial production fell by 15.3% and unemployment rose as high as 19%. After a brief pause, the economy slumped into recession again in late 1895. It eventually fully recovered in mid-1897. More
The U.S. officially acquires jurisdiction over the Panama Canal Zone on May 4, 1904. The U.S had tried and failed to negotiate an agreement with Colombia leading to the United States backing a separatist group in Panama and President Roosevelt dispatching U.S. warships to Panama City (on the Pacific) and Colón (on the Atlantic) in support of Panamanian independence.
Panama declared independence from Colombia on November 3, 1903. A French company was the first to attempt building such a canal, but was unsuccessful and roughly 20,000 workers perished due to accidents and tropical diseases, The company collapsed and was acquired by the U.S. in 1902 after Congress passed the Spooner act, gaining the rights to the land to build the canal. More
Four students were killed and nine others were injured, on May 4, 1970, when National Guardsmen opened fire on a peaceful protest against the Vietnam War at Kent State University in Ohio, United States. More
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Margaret Thatcher, a member of the Conservative Party is elected Prime Minister of Britain, on May 4, 1979, becoming the first woman in Europe to hold that post. Thatcher went on to serve three terms as Prime Minister and held the office consecutively for eleven and a half years, becoming the longest continuously serving British premier since 1827. More
Latvian Independence is celebrated on on May 4 to commemorate the 1990 declaration that initiated the end of Soviet occupation and restored the Republic of Latvia, as 138 members of the Supreme Council voted for freedom, setting a transitional period toward full independence, which was officially realized in August 1991