1660 – English parliament declares Charles Stuart to be King Charles II of England
1835 – 1st installment of Hans Christian Andersen “Fairy Tales” published by C. A. Reitzel in Copenhagen, Denmark
1886 – American pharmacist John S. Pemberton developed Coca-Cola, a drink he originally billed as a cure-all tonic.
1895 – China cedes Taiwan to Japan under Treaty of Shimonoseki
1902 – Mount Pelée on the French overseas island of Martinique erupts, wiping out the city of Saint-Pierre, killing 30,000 and leaving only two survivors
1942 – In the Battle of the Coral Sea, the USS Lexington became the first U.S. aircraft carrier to be sunk during World War II.
1945 – V-E Day: World War II ends in Europe after Germany signs an unconditional surrender
1980 – World Health Organization announces smallpox has been eradicated
1999 – Nancy Mace became the first woman to graduate from The Citadel, a military college in Charleston, South Carolina.
2007 – A new Northern Ireland Executive is formed with Ian Paisley (Democratic Unionist Party) as First Minister and Martin McGuinness (Sinn Féin) as Deputy First Minister
Births & Deaths: 1903 – French painter Paul Gauguin who is now recognized for his experimental use of color and Synthetist style that were distinct from Impressionism, died.
Sport: 1984 – The Soviet Union announces it will not participate in Los Angeles Summer Olympics in retaliation for the American boycott of the 1980 Moscow Olympics
Music: 1979 – The Cure release their debut album “Three Imaginary Boys” (Boys Don’t Cry in US, Australia)
TV & Film: 1958 – “Dracula” film starring Christopher Lee as the eponymous vampire, directed by Terence Fisher is the first Hammar Horror film released
