A programmer named Laszlo Hanyecz completed the first documented purchase using Bitcoin, buying two pizzas for 10,000 BTC. The event became known as 'Bitcoin Pizza Day' and symbolizes early crypto adoption.
📍 Florida, United States
Pope John Paul II began a landmark visit to Cuba, calling for both greater openness from the Cuban government and an end to the U.S. embargo. It was the first visit by a pope to the communist nation.
📍 Havana, Cuba
The Chinese Politburo formally declared martial law in Beijing in response to growing pro-democracy protests in Tiananmen Square, setting the stage for the violent crackdown that would follow in early June.
📍 Beijing, China
The People's Democratic Republic of Yemen (South Yemen) was admitted to the United Nations following its independence from British rule, representing a rare example of Marxist governance in the Arab world.
📍 New York City, United States
NASA launched Surveyor 1, the first U.S. spacecraft to make a soft landing on the Moon. It paved the way for the Apollo program by testing lunar surface conditions for crewed missions.
📍 Cape Canaveral, Florida, United States
The BBC aired the first regular episode of *Top of the Pops*, a weekly music chart television program that became a cultural staple in the UK and shaped pop music promotion for decades.
📍 London, United Kingdom
Jamaica's new constitution was passed, laying the legal groundwork for full independence from Britain, which would formally occur later that year on August 6. It marked the beginning of Jamaica's modern nationhood.
📍 Kingston, Jamaica
Following the successful Montgomery Bus Boycott and court rulings, Martin Luther King Jr. and other activists rode on the first legally integrated buses in Montgomery, marking a civil rights milestone.
📍 Montgomery, Alabama, United States
The Republic of Egypt was declared, formally ending the monarchy after the 1952 revolution led by the Free Officers Movement. General Muhammad Naguib became the republic’s first president.
📍 Cairo, Egypt
The U.S. officially granted de jure recognition to the State of Israel, affirming its status as a sovereign nation under international law and deepening U.S.–Israeli diplomatic ties.
📍 Washington, D.C., United States
The Basic Law (Grundgesetz) was promulgated, officially establishing West Germany as the Federal Republic of Germany. It laid the foundation for the post-war German state and democratic governance.
📍 Bonn, West Germany
Heinrich Himmler, chief architect of the Holocaust and head of the SS, died by suicide after being captured by British forces. His death came shortly after Nazi Germany’s surrender in World War II.
📍 Lüneburg, Germany
Following the unification of Italy, the Italian Parliament formally declared Rome as the capital of the Kingdom of Italy, symbolizing the culmination of the Risorgimento movement.
📍 Rome, Italy
Kit Carson, legendary American explorer, scout, and Indian agent, died at age 58. He played a pivotal role in the westward expansion of the United States and remains a controversial historical figure.
📍 Fort Lyon, Colorado, United States
Following the February Revolution, France officially declared the Second Republic. The event marked the end of the July Monarchy and introduced universal male suffrage and progressive reforms.
📍 Paris, France
South Carolina became the eighth state to ratify the United States Constitution, contributing to the formation of the federal government and shaping early American political structure.
📍 Charleston, South Carolina, United States
Allied forces under the Duke of Marlborough decisively defeated French troops at the Battle of Ramillies. The victory shifted momentum in favor of the Grand Alliance during the War of the Spanish Succession.
📍 Ramillies, Belgium
Girolamo Savonarola, the radical Dominican friar who led a religious reform movement in Florence, was hanged and burned in the Piazza della Signoria. His execution ended a theocratic rule and restored Medici influence.
📍 Florence, Italy
Joan of Arc's final trial began under English control, leading to her conviction and execution. Her martyrdom galvanized French resistance and cemented her legacy as a national heroine and saint.
📍 Rouen, France
Mongol forces under Hulagu Khan completed the sack of Baghdad, effectively ending the Islamic Golden Age and destroying the Abbasid Caliphate’s center. The event reshaped the Islamic world for centuries.
📍 Baghdad, Iraq