This Day in History: May 1-6
May 1, 1776 - Founding of the Illuminati
Though the Illuminati may best be known nowadays for various conspiracy theories which asset the organization holds nefarious, world-dominating intentions, the Illuminati founded in Bavaria in 1776 was established ironically to oppose such superstition, as well as promote secularism and stand opposed to state abuses. The organization was founded by Adam Weishaupt after his ideas were generally rejected by the Masons, and his original name for the organization was, “Covenant of Perfectibility” before changing the name in 1778.
May 2, 1816 - Marriage of Leopold of Saxe-Coburg and Princess Charlotte of Wales
When Princess Charlotte married Prince Leopold, she was the only legitimate child of the Prince-Regent George of Britain (later George IV), meaning she was the second in line to the British throne. If she did become Queen, Leopold would have become Prince Consort, something that unfortunately did not happen as Charlotte died in childbirth in 1817, leaving Leopold heartbroken. Later in life, Leopold would have further chances at becoming more than just a prince of a minor German state, being offered the crown of Greece in 1830 (which he turned down) and the crown of Belgium in 1831 (which he accepted).
May 3, 1921 - The Government of Ireland Act is Passed
Following Irish independence attempts, Britain passed the Government of Ireland Act, which separated the island between Protestant and Catholic regions. It was intended that both would remain part of the United Kingdom, but due to the Irish War for Independence, South Ireland broke away to become the Irish Free State, and later the Republic of Ireland, while North Ireland remained. Though the island is still divided in this way, the provisions of the act were repealed under the 1998 Good Friday agreement.
May 4, 1436 - Assassination of Engelbrekt Engelbrektsson
Before becoming an independent state, Sweden was under the control of the Danish-led Kalmar Union that controlled Scandinavia. In 1434, Engelbrektsson launched a rebellion against the Danes, but was soon pushed to the side by Swedish nobles. Two years later, he was assassinated, and is nowadays remembered as being one of the first fighters for an independent Sweden, a fight that wouldn’t see Swedish independence until the sixteenth century.
May 5, 1864 - Beginning of the Battle of the Wilderness
The Battle of the Wilderness, so named because it occurred in the dense undergrowth near Spotsylvania Court House, was the first battle of General Grant’s Overland Campaign in Virginia against General Lee. In this campaign, Grant sought to push Southwards into the heartland of the Confederacy, eventually reaching Richmond. However, the start of the campaign didn’t go according to plan, when Lee ambushed Grant near Spotsylvania, where fierce fighting continued until the seventh, leading to 17,000 Union casualties and 11,000 Confederate casualties. From the battle, the Smithsonian museum acquired a 22 inch tree stump that had been cut through by the sheer number of bullets from the fighting.
(Spotsylvania Stump)
May 6, 1937 - Occurance of the Hindenburg Disaster
The Hindenburg disaster began at approximately 7:25 in the morning on May 6, 1937, when the airship was attempting to land. According to eyewitness reports, 7:25 is when flames were first spotted on the ship, which if correct means the entire disaster spanned less than a minute, as the flames spread across the skin of the zeppelin at a rate of about 49ft/s. The coverage of the disaster quickly ended the rise of airships in favor of planes, becoming so infamous that the statement, “Oh the Humanity!” (stated by Herbert Morrison, a reporter witnessing the crash) is still known today.
