What Happened on May 22?

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events

births

deaths

holidays

EVENTS ON MAY 22

Explore the most important historical events that happened on May 22, featuring key moments that shaped the world.

American Civil War

Year: 1863

American Civil War: Union forces begin the Siege of Port Hudson which lasts 48 days, the longest siege in U.S. military history.

Union army

Year: 1864

American Civil War: After ten weeks, the Union Army's Red River Campaign ends in failure.

Oliver Winchester

Year: 1866

Oliver Winchester founded the Winchester Repeating Arms.

United States House of Representatives

Year: 1856

Congressman Preston Brooks of South Carolina severely beats Senator Charles Sumner of Massachusetts with a cane in the hall of the United States Senate for a speech Sumner had made regarding Southerners and slavery.

President of the United States

Year: 1849

Future U.S. President Abraham Lincoln is issued a patent for an invention to lift boats, making him the only U.S. president to ever hold a patent.

HMS Beagle

Year: 1826

HMS Beagle departs on its first voyage.

Penal transportation

Year: 1840

The penal transportation of British convicts to the New South Wales colony is abolished.

Associated Press

Year: 1846

The Associated Press is formed in New York City as a non-profit news cooperative.

BIRTHS ON MAY 22

Discover famous people and historical figures born on May 22, including leaders, artists, scientists, and cultural icons.

Jean-Louis Curtis

Year of birth: 1917

Jean-Louis Curtis, French author (died 1995)

Max Kohnstamm

Year of birth: 1914

Max Kohnstamm, Dutch historian and diplomat (died 2010)

Sun Ra

Year of birth: 1914

Sun Ra, American pianist, composer, bandleader, poet (died 1993)

Rafael Gil

Year of birth: 1913

Rafael Gil, Spanish director and screenwriter (died 1986)

Paul Vanden Boeynants

Year of birth: 1919

Paul Vanden Boeynants, Belgian businessman and politician, 55th Prime Minister of Belgium (died 2001)

Thomas Gold

Year of birth: 1920

Thomas Gold, Austrian-American astrophysicist and academic (died 2004)

George Andrew Olah

Year of birth: 1927

George Andrew Olah, Hungarian-American chemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (died 2017)

Jean Tinguely

Year of birth: 1925

Jean Tinguely, Swiss painter and sculptor (died 1991)

DEATHS ON MAY 22

Look back at notable individuals who passed away on May 22, and learn about their lasting influences on history.

Jules Renard

Year of death: 1910

Jules Renard, French author and playwright (born 1864)

Lady Gregory

Year of death: 1932

Augusta, Lady Gregory, Anglo-Irish activist, landlord, and playwright, co-founded the Abbey Theatre (born 1852)

Tsengeltiin Jigjidjav

Year of death: 1933

Tsengeltiin Jigjidjav, Mongolian politician, 10th Prime Minister of Mongolia (born 1894)

Gaetano Bresci

Year of death: 1901

Gaetano Bresci, Italian-American anarchist, assassin of Umberto I of Italy (born 1869)

Victor Hugo

Year of death: 1885

Victor Hugo, French novelist, poet, and playwright (born 1802)

Mordecai Manuel Noah

Year of death: 1851

Mordecai Manuel Noah, American journalist and diplomat (born 1755)

Ferdinand II of the Two Sicilies

Year of death: 1859

Ferdinand II of the Two Sicilies (born 1810)

Julius Plücker

Year of death: 1868

Julius Plücker, German mathematician and physicist (born 1801)

HOLIDAYS ON MAY 22

See which holidays, observances, and special celebrations take place on May 22 around the world.

United States National Maritime Day

International Day for Biological Diversity

International Day for Biological Diversity (International)

Harvey Milk Day

Harvey Milk Day (California)

Public holidays in Haiti

National Sovereignty Day (Haiti)

Culture of Sri Lanka

Republic Day (Sri Lanka)

World Goth Day

Unity Day (Yemen)

Unity Day (Yemen), celebrates the unification of North and South Yemen into the Republic of Yemen in 1990.

Translation of the Relics of Saint Nicholas from Myra to Bari

Translation of the Relics of Saint Nicholas from Myra to Bari (Ukraine)

May