What Happened on May 5?

May 5 is Cinco de Mayo — celebrating Mexico's 1862 victory at the Battle of Puebla — on the same date Alan Shepard became the first American in space in 1961, Carnegie Hall opened in 1891, and Napoleon died in exile in 1821.

• 1821 — Napoleon Bonaparte dies in exile on Saint Helena

  On May 5, 1821, Napoleon Bonaparte — the French emperor who reshaped Europe — died at age 51 on the remote Atlantic island of Saint Helena. Read the full story →

• 1862 — Mexican forces defeat the French at the Battle of Puebla

  On May 5, 1862, outnumbered Mexican troops under General Ignacio Zaragoza repelled a French invasion at Puebla — the victory Cinco de Mayo commemorates. Read the full story →

• 1891 — Carnegie Hall opens in New York City with Tchaikovsky conducting

  On May 5, 1891, steel magnate Andrew Carnegie's new concert hall opened on 57th Street — with Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky leading the inaugural performance. Read the full story →

• 1945 — U.S. troops liberate the Mauthausen concentration camp

  On May 5, 1945, American soldiers freed prisoners at Mauthausen in Austria — one of the last major Nazi camps liberated before World War II ended in Europe. Read the full story →

• 1945 — The Prague Uprising begins against Nazi occupation

  On May 5, 1945, Czech resistance fighters rose up in Prague as Soviet armies approached — five days of street battles before liberation. Read the full story →

Famous birthdays

Karl Marx (1818–1883) · Adele (1988) · Michael Palin (1943) · Søren Kierkegaard (1813–1855)

Days & observances

Cinco de Mayo · National Astronaut Day · National Totally Chipotle Day · World Hand Hygiene Day