14 May 1557

A Tuesday in history

Weekday

Tuesday

Season

Spring (N. Hemisphere)

Century

16th century

Records

349

  1. 2010

    British politician Stephen Timms survived a murder attempt by an Islamic extremist during a constituency surgery.

    Source
  2. 2008

    On the day of the UEFA Cup Final, violence erupted between football hooligan supporters of both teams and the Greater Manchester Police, resulting in 39 arrests and 39 injured officers.

    Source
  3. 1980

    Salvadoran Civil War: Refugees trying to flee El Salvador across the Sumpul River to Honduras were attacked by both Salvadoran and Honduran forces, resulting in at least 300 deaths.

    Source
  4. 1955

    Cold War: Eight Eastern Bloc countries signed a mutual defense treaty to establish the Warsaw Pact.

    Source
  5. 1951

    Trains ran on the Talyllyn Railway in Wales for the first time since its preservation, making it the first railway in the world to be operated by volunteers.

    Source
  6. 1943

    Second World War: Australian Hospital Ship Centaur was attacked and sunk by a Japanese submarine off the coast of Queensland, killing 268 people aboard.

    Source
  7. 1940

    World War II: The bulk of Dutch forces surrendered to the German Wehrmacht, ending the Battle of the Netherlands.

    Source
  8. 1939

    In Lima, Peru, Lina Medina became the youngest confirmed mother in history, giving birth at the age of five years, seven months and twenty-one days.

    Source
  9. 1931

    Five people were killed in Ådalen, Sweden, as soldiers opened fire on an unarmed trade union demonstration.

    Source
  10. 1919

    Sir Harry Hands, the mayor of Cape Town, performed the first public observance of a two-minute silence in remembrance of those killed in World War I.

    Source
  11. 1878

    The last witchcraft trial in the United States opened in Salem, Massachusetts.

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  12. 1868

    Boshin War: Troops of the Tokugawa shogunate withdrew from the Battle of Utsunomiya Castle and retreated north towards Nikkō and Aizu.

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  13. 1863

    American Civil War: Union troops captured Jackson, the capital of Mississippi.

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  14. 1857

    Mindon Min was crowned as King of Burma.

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  15. 1856

    Major Henry C. Wayne arrived in Indianola, Texas, with 34 camels to form the short-lived United States Camel Corps.

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  16. 1804

    Led by Meriwether Lewis and William Clark, the Corps of Discovery left Camp Dubois near present-day Hartford, Illinois, to begin the first overland expedition to the West Coast of the United States and back.

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  17. 1509

    War of the League of Cambrai: French forces defeated the Venetians at the Battle of Agnadello in present-day Northern Italy.

    Source
  18. 1264

    Second Barons' War: King Henry III was defeated at the Battle of Lewes and forced to sign the Mise of Lewes, making Simon de Montfort the de facto ruler of England.

    Source

Photo archive

24 historic images from this day — tap to open the gallery.

What was life like?

Prices, jobs, food, music and everyday routine — the world as it felt to live in.

Sources & fact check

Every claim is traced to primary sources, archives, universities and the press — with an explicit confidence rating. Dossiers are generated once and cached permanently.

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