What Happened in May?

The first modern written constitution in Europe is adopted on May 3, 1791, by the Great Sejm (Parliament) of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth.  Expand +

American merchant sea captain Robert Gray, enters Grays Harbor (WA State) on, May 7, 1792, during his second exploration trip of the Pacific Northwest Coast. Gray is credited to be the first non-Native American to enter the Columbia River and Grays Harbor, both of which he named.

The NY Stock Exchange is born on May 17, 1792,  with the signing of the Buttonwood Agreement by 24 stockbrokers defining how stocks could be traded and establishing set commissions.

British Dr. Edward Jenner performed the world's first successful vaccination on May 14, 1796 by inoculating eight-year-old, James Phipps with cowpox matter and, then later tested his immunity by exposing him to smallpox. James Phipps did not contract smallpox.  Expand +

The United Irishmen Rebellion against British rule in Ireland began with a failed uprising.The United Irishmen Rebellion against British rule began on May 23, 1798. The uprising was largely uncoordinated and failed in its immediate aims due to broken leadership and government infiltration. The rebellion, which sought an independent republic, was brutally suppressed by June 21, 1798

John Adams, United States' second president, directs his cabinet on May 15, 1800, to relocate from Philadelphia to Washington D.C. and to have all federal offices in operation in the new capital city no later than June 15. The order was issued right after Congress adjourned its last meeting in Philadelphia. Expand +

The Lewis and Clark Expedition, officially departed from the St. Louis, Missouri area on May 14, 1804, traveling up the Missouri River on a mission to explore and map the newly acquired western territory of the United States. The group consisted of around 30 members, including soldiers, interpreters, scouts, and others. Expand +

Future US President Andrew Jackson fatally shoots Charles Dickinson, American attorney and slave trader in a duel on May 30, 1806. An expert marksman, Dickinson fired the first shot, wounding Jackson in the chest. Despite this, Jackson managed to shoot and mortally wound Dickinson.  Expand +

The Argentine Primera Junta is established on May 25, 1810 marking the beginning of Argentina's path to independence from Spain. Formal independence was declared on July 9, 1816.

The Norway Constitution was signed on May 17, 1814, marking Norway's declaration of independence from Denmark and the beginning of its path toward sovereignty. It is known now as Norway's Constitution Day (Syttende Mai) (May 17) and it is celebrated annually. with parades, traditional clothing, and festive food. More

John Keats' (1795 –1821), first poem "O Solitude!" is published on May, 5, 1816, when Keats was 20 and an apprentice to a surgeon. The poem was published in The Examiner, a then prominent literary magazine. John Keats went on to become one of the most celebrated poets of the Romantic era. Expand +

Japanese Emperor Kōkaku abdicates on May 7, 1817, in favor of his son, Emperor Ninkō. This event marked a significant moment in Japanese history, as Kōkaku was the first emperor to remain on the throne past the age of 40 in two centuries.  Expand +

The first private mental health hospital in the United States, the Asylum for the Relief of Persons Deprived of the Use of Their Reason, opens its doors to patients in Pennsylvania, Philadelphia on May 15, 1817. The hospital, now known as Friends Hospital, was founded by the Quakers in 1813 

The first performance of Ludwig van Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 in D minor, Op. 125, takes place on May 7, 1824 at the Imperial and Royal Court Theater in Vienna, Austria. Despite Beethoven's advanced deafness, he was on stage alongside conductor Michael Umlauf, The premiere was met with an enthusiastic response from the audience.

The Indian Removal Act was signed into law by President Andrew Jackson on May 28, 1830. The Act authorized the president to grant lands west of the Mississippi in exchange for Indian lands east of the river, leading to the forced removal of many Native American communities. Expand +

The first emigrant wagon train, the Bidwell-Bartleson party, departs Independence, Missouri, on a 1,730-mile journey to California, traveling over the Sierra Nevada mountains. This group, consisting of 70 individuals in 15 wagons, faced starvation and exhaustion along the long trip. They way, ultimately arrived in California almost six months later on November 4, 1841. More

Nakahama Manjirō, a 14-year old fisherman arrives to the United States on May 7, 1843 by way of a whaling ship. He is considered the "U.S, first Japanese immigrant. Manjirō, went on to become influential in ending Japan’s centuries of isolation and was called by some, the "U.S.'s first ambassador to Japan" More

The first major wagon train leaves Elm Grove, Missouri on May 22, 1843, to the northwest via the Oregon Trail ,with about 1,000 people with more than 100 wagons and 1,000 head of cattle, oxen, horses, trailing behind them. Expand +

Samuel Morse, inventor of the Telegraph sent the first official telegraph message on May 24, 1844, fulfilling his $30,000 contract with the U.S. government. The text of the first Telegram from Washington, D.C., to Baltimore was "WHAT HATH GOD WROUGHT". More

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The United States Congress, declares war on Mexico, on May 13, 1846, formalizing a conflict that began over a border dispute following the 1845 annexation of Texas and beginning the Mexican-American War. More