Historical events on May 19
MAY 19, 1780
A combination of thick smoke, fog, and heavy cloud cover caused darkness to fall on parts of Canada and the New England area of the United States by noon.
New England's Dark Day occurred on May 19, 1780, when an unusual darkening of the daytime sky was observed over the New
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MAY 19, 715
Gregory II began his pontificate; his conflict with Byzantine emperor Leo III eventually led to the establishment of the temporal power of the pope.
Pope Gregory II was the bishop of Rome from 19 May 715 to his death. His defiance of Emperor Leo III the
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MAY 19, 2018
The wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle (both pictured) took place at St George's Chapel in Windsor Castle, England.
The wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle was held on Saturday 19 May 2018 in St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle
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MAY 19, 1915
First World War: Australian and New Zealand troops repelled the third attack on Anzac Cove, inflicting heavy casualties on the attacking Ottoman forces.
World War I or the First World War, also known as the Great War, was a global conflict between two coalitions: the
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MAY 19, 1655
Anglo-Spanish War: England invaded Spanish Jamaica, capturing it a week later.
The Anglo-Spanish War was a conflict between the English Protectorate and Spain between 1654 and 1660. It was driven by the economic
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MAY 19, 2015
A corroded pipeline near Refugio State Beach, California, spilled 142,800 gallons (3,400 barrels) of crude oil onto the Gaviota Coast.
Refugio State Beach is a protected state beach park in California, United States, approximately 20 miles (32 km) west of Santa Barbara. One
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MAY 19, 1743
French physicist Jean-Pierre Christin published the design of a mercury thermometer using the centigrade scale, with 0 representing the melting point of water and 100 its boiling point.
Jean-Pierre Christin was a French physicist, mathematician, astronomer, and musician. His proposal in 1743 to reverse the Celsius thermometer scale was widely
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MAY 19, 1776
American Revolutionary War: A Continental Army garrison west of Montreal surrendered to British troops at the Battle of the Cedars.
The American Revolutionary War, also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was the armed conflict that comprised the
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MAY 19, 1991
Breakup of Yugoslavia: With the local Serb population boycotting the referendum, Croatians voted in favour of independence from Yugoslavia.
After a period of political and economic crisis in the 1980s, the constituent republics of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia split
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MAY 19, 1845
Captain John Franklin (pictured) departed Greenhithe, England, on an expedition to the Canadian Arctic in search of the Northwest Passage; all 129 men were later lost when their ships became icebound in Victoria Strait.
Sir John Franklin was a British Royal Navy officer, explorer and colonial administrator. After serving in the Napoleonic Wars and the
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MAY 19, 2010
In Bangkok, the Thai military (pictured) concluded a week-long crackdown on widespread protests by forcing the surrender of opposition leaders.
The Royal Thai Armed Forces are the armed forces of the Kingdom of Thailand.
MAY 19, 1828
The United States Congress passed the largest tariff in the nation's history, which resulted in severe economic hardship in the American South.
The United States Congress is the legislative branch of the federal government of the United States. It is a bicameral legislature, including
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