May 10 facts for kids

May 10th is a day filled with many interesting events throughout history, from ancient observations of the sun to important moments in world wars and the birth of famous people. It's a day when new leaders took power, new inventions were introduced, and significant steps were made in exploration and science.

Historical Events on May 10th

Early Discoveries and Explorations

• 28 BC – Ancient Han dynasty astronomers saw a sunspot. This was one of the earliest times a sunspot was recorded in China.
• 1497 – Explorer Amerigo Vespucci reportedly left Cádiz, Spain, for his first trip to the New World (the Americas).
• 1503 – Christopher Columbus visited the Cayman Islands. He named them Las Tortugas because of the many turtles he found there.
• 1534 – French explorer Jacques Cartier visited Newfoundland, a large island off the coast of Canada.

Big Changes in Leadership and Power

• 1291 – Scottish nobles agreed to follow Edward I of England while they chose their own king.
• 1294 – Temür Khan, a powerful leader of the Mongols, became the Emperor of the Yuan dynasty in China.
• 1688 – King Narai of the Ayutthaya Kingdom (in modern-day Thailand) chose Phetracha as his regent. This led to a revolution where Phetracha became the new king.
• 1774 – Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette became the King and Queen of France. They were the last monarchs before the French Revolution.
• 1881 – Carol I was crowned the first King of the newly formed Romanian Kingdom.
• 1924 – J. Edgar Hoover was made the first Director of the United States' Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). He held this important job until he passed away in 1972.
• 1994 – Nelson Mandela became South Africa's first black president. This was a huge moment for equality and democracy in the country.

Important Moments in Wars and Conflicts

• 1713 – During the Great Northern War, the Russian Navy landed in Helsinki, Finland, as part of the Battle of Helsinki.
• 1775 – American Revolutionary War: A small group of colonial soldiers, led by Ethan Allen and Colonel Benedict Arnold, successfully captured Fort Ticonderoga.
• 1775 – The Second Continental Congress met in Philadelphia. This was a meeting of representatives from the American colonies to discuss their future.
• 1796 – During the War of the First Coalition, Napoleon won a big victory against Austrian forces at the Lodi bridge in Italy.
• 1801 – First Barbary War: The Barbary pirates of Tripoli declared war on the United States of America.
• 1857 – The first war of Independence began in India. Indian soldiers, called Sepoys, rebelled against their British officers in Meerut.
• 1865 – American Civil War: Confederate raider William Quantrill was ambushed and badly wounded by Union soldiers in Kentucky.
• 1940 – World War II: German planes accidentally bombed the German city of Freiburg.
• 1940 – World War II: Winston Churchill became the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. On the same day, Germany invaded France, the Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxembourg. The United Kingdom also occupied Iceland.
• 1941 – World War II: The House of Commons building in London was damaged by German planes during an air raid.
• 1941 – World War II: Rudolf Hess, a high-ranking Nazi official, parachuted into Scotland. He claimed he wanted to try and make a peace deal between the United Kingdom and Nazi Germany.
• 1942 – World War II: The Thai Phayap Army invaded the Shan States as part of the Burma Campaign.
• 1969 – Vietnam War: The Battle of Dong Ap Bia began with an attack on Hill 937. This battle later became known as Hamburger Hill.
• 2017 – Syrian civil war: The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) took control of the last areas held by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) in Al-Tabqah, ending the Battle of Tabqa.

Science, Technology, and Culture Milestones

• 1773 – The British Parliament passed the Tea Act. This law was meant to help the British East India Company by lowering taxes on its tea. It also allowed the company to sell tea directly to North America, which eventually led to the famous Boston Tea Party.
• 1824 – The National Gallery art museum in London opened its doors to the public.
• 1869 – The First transcontinental railroad, which connected the eastern and western parts of the United States, was finished at Promontory Summit, Utah Territory. This was marked by the driving of the golden spike.
• 1876 – The Centennial Exposition, a large world's fair, opened in Philadelphia to celebrate 100 years of American independence.
• 1904 – The Horch & Cir. Motorwagenwerke AG company was founded. This company would later become the famous car brand Audi.
• 1946 – The first successful launch of an American V-2 rocket happened at White Sands Proving Ground.
• 1962 – Marvel Comics published the very first issue of The Incredible Hulk comic book.
• 1967 – The Northrop M2-F2 experimental aircraft crashed during landing. This event later inspired the novel Cyborg and the TV show The Six Million Dollar Man.
• 1975 – Sony introduced the Betamax videocassette recorder, a new way to record and watch TV shows.
• 2013 – One World Trade Center in New York City became the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere.
• 2022 – Queen Elizabeth II missed the State Opening of Parliament for the first time in 59 years. It was opened by the Prince of Wales and the Duke of Cambridge instead.

Other Notable Events

• 1768 – Riots happened in London after John Wilkes was put in prison for writing an article that strongly criticized King George III.
• 1837 – The Panic of 1837 began. Banks in New York City stopped paying out gold and silver, causing a major financial crisis and a severe economic depression across the United States.
• 1849 – The Astor Place Riot broke out at the Astor Opera House in New York City. This riot was caused by a disagreement between two actors, and it led to many injuries and deaths.
• 1908 – Mother's Day was celebrated for the first time in the United States, in Grafton, West Virginia.
• 1933 – Censorship: In Germany, the Nazis held massive public book burnings, destroying books they didn't approve of.
• 1993 – A terrible fire at the Kader Toy Factory in Thailand killed over 200 workers.
• 1997 – A strong earthquake, the Qayen earthquake, hit Iran's Khorasan Province, killing 1,567 people.
• 2005 – A hand grenade was thrown near U.S. President George W. Bush while he was giving a speech in Tbilisi, Georgia, but it did not explode.

Famous People Born on May 10th

Historical Figures and Leaders

• 1727 – Anne-Robert-Jacques Turgot, a French economist and politician.
• 1760 – Claude Joseph Rouget de Lisle, a French captain and composer who wrote "La Marseillaise," the French national anthem.
• 1770 – Louis-Nicolas Davout, a French general and politician who served as the French Minister of War.
• 1813 – Montgomery Blair, an American politician who was the 20th United States Postmaster General.
• 1878 – Gustav Stresemann, a German journalist and politician who served as Chancellor of Germany and won the Nobel Peace Prize.
• 1897 – Einar Gerhardsen, a Norwegian politician who served as Prime Minister of Norway.
• 1923 – Heydar Aliyev, an Azerbaijan general and politician who became the President of Azerbaijan.
• 1926 – Hugo Banzer, a Bolivian general and politician who served as the President of Bolivia.
• 1928 – Arnold Rüütel, an Estonian politician who became the President of Estonia.
• 1958 – Rick Santorum, an American lawyer and politician who served as a United States Senator from Pennsylvania.
• 1959 – Cindy Hyde-Smith, an American politician who is a United States Senator from Mississippi.
• 1960 – Dean Heller, an American lawyer and politician who served as a United States Senator from Nevada.
• 1983 – Gustav Fridolin, a Swedish journalist and politician who served as the Swedish Minister of Education.

Artists, Entertainers, and Athletes

• 1838 – John Wilkes Booth, an American actor.
• 1843 – Benito Pérez Galdós, a Spanish author and playwright.
• 1888 – Max Steiner, an Austrian-American composer and conductor, known for film scores.
• 1894 – Dimitri Tiomkin, a Ukrainian-American composer and conductor.
• 1899 – Fred Astaire, a famous American actor, singer, and dancer.
• 1902 – David O. Selznick, an American film director and producer.
• 1909 – Maybelle Carter, an American autoharp player, famous in country music.
• 1922 – Nancy Walker, an American actress, singer, and director.
• 1929 – George Coe, an American actor and producer.
• 1935 – Larry Williams, an American singer-songwriter and pianist.
• 1940 – Arthur Alexander, an American country-soul singer-songwriter.
• 1940 – Wayne Dyer, an American author and educator.
• 1942 – Jim Calhoun, an American basketball coach.
• 1944 – Jim Abrahams, an American director, producer, and screenwriter.
• 1946 – Donovan, a Scottish singer-songwriter.
• 1946 – Graham Gouldman, an English guitarist and songwriter.
• 1946 – Dave Mason, an English singer-songwriter and guitarist.
• 1949 – Miuccia Prada, an Italian fashion designer.
• 1952 – Sly Dunbar, a Jamaican drummer.
• 1954 – Mike Hagerty, an American actor.
• 1955 – Chris Berman, an American sportscaster.
• 1957 – Sid Vicious, an English singer and bass player, famous from the band Sex Pistols.
• 1958 – Gaétan Boucher, a Canadian speed skater.
• 1959 – Victoria Rowell, an American actress.
• 1959 – Danny Schayes, an American basketball player.
• 1960 – Bono, an Irish singer-songwriter, musician, and activist, lead singer of U2.
• 1960 – Merlene Ottey, a Jamaican-Slovenian runner.
• 1965 – Linda Evangelista, a Canadian model.
• 1966 – Jonathan Edwards, an English triple jumper.
• 1968 – Al Murray, an English comedian and television host.
• 1968 – William Regal, an English wrestler.
• 1969 – Dennis Bergkamp, a Dutch footballer and manager.
• 1969 – John Scalzi, an American author and blogger.
• 1970 – Gabriela Montero, a Venezuelan-American pianist.
• 1970 – David Weir, a Scottish footballer.
• 1971 – Ådne Søndrål, a Norwegian speed skater.
• 1972 – Christian Wörns, a German footballer.
• 1973 – Joshua Eagle, an Australian tennis player.
• 1974 – Sylvain Wiltord, a French footballer.
• 1975 – Hazem Emam, an Egyptian footballer.
• 1975 – Hélio Castroneves, a Brazilian race car driver.
• 1975 – Adam Deadmarsh, a Canadian-American ice hockey player.
• 1977 – Adrian Morley, an English rugby league player.
• 1978 – Bruno Cheyrou, a French footballer.
• 1978 – Kenan Thompson, an American actor and comedian.
• 1981 – Samuel Dalembert, a Haitian-Canadian basketball player.
• 1981 – Humberto Suazo, a Chilean footballer.
• 1984 – Edward Mujica, a Venezuelan baseball player.
• 1985 – Ryan Getzlaf, a Canadian ice hockey player.
• 1985 – Jon Schofield, an English canoe racer.
• 1987 – Wilson Chandler, an American basketball player.
• 1990 – Salvador Pérez, a Venezuelan baseball player.
• 1990 – Ivana Vuleta, a Serbian long jumper.
• 1995 – Missy Franklin, an American swimmer.
• 1995 – Gabriella Papadakis, a French ice dancer.
• 1996 – Tyus Jones, an American basketball player.
• 1996 – Kateřina Siniaková, a Czech tennis player.
• 1997 – Brittany Broski, an American comedian and singer.
• 1997 – Richarlison, a Brazilian footballer.
• 1998 – Priscilla Hon, an Australian tennis player.

Notable People Who Passed Away on May 10th

Historical Figures and Leaders

• 1493 – Colin Campbell, 1st Earl of Argyll, a Scottish politician.
• 1774 – Louis XV of France, the King of France.
• 1794 – Élisabeth of France, a French princess and sister of King Louis XVI.
• 1807 – Jean-Baptiste Donatien de Vimeur, comte de Rochambeau, a French general who helped in the American Revolutionary War.
• 1863 – Stonewall Jackson, a famous American general during the Civil War.
• 1897 – Andrés Bonifacio, a Filipino soldier and politician, considered one of the leaders of the Philippine Revolution.
• 1945 – Richard Glücks, a German SS officer.
• 1945 – Konrad Henlein, a Czech soldier and politician.
• 1965 – Hubertus van Mook, a Dutch politician who was the Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies.
• 2001 – Sudhakarrao Naik, an Indian politician.
• 2022 – Leonid Kravchuk, a Ukrainian politician who was the first President of Ukraine.

Artists, Scientists, and Other Influencers

• 1482 – Paolo dal Pozzo Toscanelli, an Italian mathematician and astronomer.
• 1521 – Sebastian Brant, a German author.
• 1566 – Leonhart Fuchs, a German physician and botanist.
• 1787 – William Watson, an English physician, physicist, and botanist.
• 1798 – George Vancouver, an English navigator and explorer.
• 1818 – Paul Revere, a famous American engraver and soldier from the American Revolution.
• 1829 – Thomas Young, an English physician and linguist known for his work on light and hieroglyphs.
• 1849 – Hokusai, a famous Japanese painter and illustrator.
• 1889 – Mikhail Saltykov-Shchedrin, a Russian journalist and author.
• 1891 – Carl Nägeli, a Swiss botanist and mycologist.
• 1910 – Stanislao Cannizzaro, an Italian chemist.
• 1950 – Belle da Costa Greene, an American librarian and bibliographer.
• 1960 – Yury Olesha, a Russian author and poet.
• 1964 – Mikhail Larionov, a Russian painter and illustrator.
• 1974 – Hal Mohr, an American film director and cinematographer.
• 1977 – Joan Crawford, a famous American actress.
• 1982 – Peter Weiss, a German playwright and painter.
• 1988 – Shen Congwen, a Chinese author.
• 1990 – Walker Percy, an American novelist and essayist.
• 1999 – Shel Silverstein, a beloved American poet, author, and illustrator.
• 2000 – Dick Sprang, an American illustrator, known for his work on Batman comics.
• 2002 – Kaifi Azmi, an Indian poet and songwriter.
• 2002 – Yves Robert, a French actor, director, and producer.
• 2006 – Soraya, a Colombian-American singer-songwriter.
• 2008 – Leyla Gencer, a Turkish opera singer.
• 2010 – Frank Frazetta, an American illustrator and painter, famous for fantasy art.
• 2012 – Horst Faas, a German photographer and journalist.
• 2012 – Carroll Shelby, an American race car driver and car designer.
• 2015 – Chris Burden, an American sculptor and artist.
• 2018 – David Goodall, an Australian botanist and ecologist.
• 2019 – Alfredo Pérez Rubalcaba, a Spanish politician and chemist.
• 2020 – Betty Wright, an American soul singer.
• 2021 – Pauline Tinsley, a British opera singer.
• 2022 – Bob Lanier, an American professional basketball player.

Special Days and Celebrations on May 10th

• Children's Day (Maldives)
• Christian feast day:
  • Alphius, Philadelphus and Cyrinus
  • Calepodius
  • Catald
  • Comgall
  • Damien of Molokai
  • Gordianus and Epimachus
  • John of Ávila
  • May 10 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
• Confederate Memorial Day (North Carolina and South Carolina)
• Constitution Day (Micronesia)
• Earliest possible day on which Pentecost can fall, while June 13 is the latest; celebrated 50 days after Easter Day.(Christianity)
• Golden Spike Day (Promontory, Utah)
• Mother's Day (Guatemala, and Mexico)

Images for kids

• Louis XVI.jpg

  Louis XVI became King of France on May 10, 1774.

• Marie Antoinette.jpg

  Marie Antoinette became Queen of France on May 10, 1774.

• Battle of Lodi.jpg

  Napoleon's victory at the Battle of Lodi on May 10, 1796.

• First Transcontinental Railroad.jpg

  The completion of the First Transcontinental Railroad on May 10, 1869.

• 

  Nelson Mandela became South Africa's first black president on May 10, 1994.

• Queen Elizabeth II in 2015.jpg

  Queen Elizabeth II missed the State Opening of Parliament for the first time in 59 years on May 10, 2022.

See also

In Spanish: 10 de mayo para niños