1806day.year
Future U.S. President Andrew Jackson kills Charles Dickinson in a duel.
In 1806, future President Andrew Jackson kills Charles Dickinson in a duel over personal insults, sustaining a severe wound.
On May 30, 1806, Andrew Jackson engages in a duel with Charles Dickinson, who had publicly attacked Jackson’s wife and reputation.
Dickinson, an expert shot, fires first, hitting Jackson near the chest.
Despite a life-threatening wound, Jackson waits for his turn and fatally shoots Dickinson.
Jackson is left with a permanent bullet lodged near his heart.
The event cements his image as a fierce, honor-driven figure in the American South.
The duel reflects the era’s code of honor and foreshadows Jackson’s combative political career.
1806
Andrew Jackson
Charles Dickinson
1834day.year
Minister of Justice Joaquim António de Aguiar issues a law seizing "all convents, monasteries, colleges, hospices and any other houses" from the Catholic religious orders in Portugal, earning him the nickname of "The Friar-Killer".
In 1834, Joaquim António de Aguiar enacts a decree dissolving Portugal’s Catholic religious orders, earning him the nickname "The Friar-Killer."
On May 30, 1834, Portugal’s Minister of Justice Joaquim António de Aguiar enacts a law confiscating all properties of Catholic religious orders.
Convents, monasteries, colleges, hospices, and other houses are secularized and transferred to state control.
The sweeping measure aims to weaken church influence and address state financial needs.
It provokes widespread protest from clergy and devout citizens.
Aguiar's uncompromising action earns him the popular nickname "The Friar-Killer".
The law marks a turning point in Portugal's liberal reforms and anticlerical movement.
1834
Joaquim António de Aguiar
Catholic religious orders
1845day.year
The Fatel Razack coming from India, lands in the Gulf of Paria in Trinidad and Tobago carrying the first Indians to the country.
In 1845, the schooner Fatel Razack delivered the first group of Indian indentured laborers to Trinidad and Tobago, marking the start of a new chapter in the island's cultural mosaic.
Following the abolition of slavery in British colonies, Trinidad and Tobago turned to indentured labor to sustain its plantations. The Fatel Razack, chartered in Calcutta, carried over 200 Indian workers across the Atlantic. On May 30, 1845, it anchored in the Gulf of Paria and welcomed its passengers ashore. These men and women brought new languages, traditions, and religions to the Caribbean. Their arrival laid the foundation for the vibrant Indo-Trinidadian community seen today.
1845
Fatel Razack
India
Gulf of Paria
Trinidad and Tobago
Indians
1868day.year
Decoration Day (the predecessor of the modern "Memorial Day") is observed in the United States for the first time after a proclamation by John A. Logan, head of the Grand Army of the Republic (a veterans group).
The first Decoration Day was proclaimed in 1868 to honor Union soldiers who died during the Civil War, laying the groundwork for today's Memorial Day.
After the Civil War, veterans and families sought a day to commemorate fallen soldiers. On May 5, John A. Logan issued General Order No. 11, designating May 30 as Decoration Day. Citizens decorated graves with flowers, banners, and flags. Festivities and parades spread the tradition across northern states. Over decades, it evolved into Memorial Day, honoring all American service members who died in combat. Congress declared it a federal holiday in 1971, cementing its place in national remembrance rituals.
1868
Memorial Day
John A. Logan
Grand Army of the Republic
1925day.year
May Thirtieth Movement: Shanghai Municipal Police Force shoot and kill 13 protesting workers.
During the May Thirtieth Movement in Shanghai, police opened fire on labor protesters, killing 13.
On May 30, 1925, tensions in Shanghai erupted when the Municipal Police fired on striking workers.
The May Thirtieth Movement was sparked by labor disputes and colonial grievances.
Thirteen demonstrators lost their lives under police bullets.
The incident ignited widespread protests and boycotts across China.
It became a major turning point in the Chinese labor and nationalist movements.
The movement fostered solidarity among Chinese intellectuals and workers.
1925
May Thirtieth Movement
Shanghai Municipal Police
1937day.year
Memorial Day massacre: Chicago police shoot and kill ten labor demonstrators.
Chicago police violently suppressed a Memorial Day labor demonstration, resulting in ten deaths.
On May 30, 1937, thousands of steelworkers and supporters gathered in Chicago to protest labor conditions.
During the Memorial Day demonstration, police attempted to disperse the crowd at the Republic Steel plant.
Chicago police opened fire, killing ten workers and injuring dozens more.
The event, known as the Memorial Day massacre, exposed brutal labor tensions in 1930s America.
It galvanized support for unionization and led to national outrage.
Labor leaders used the incident to push for stronger protections for workers' rights.
1937
Memorial Day massacre
1958day.year
Memorial Day: The remains of two unidentified American servicemen, killed in action during World War II and the Korean War respectively, are buried at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington National Cemetery.
On Memorial Day, the Unknown Soldiers of WWII and the Korean War were interred at Arlington's Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
On May 30, 1958, during Memorial Day ceremonies, the remains of two unidentified American servicemen were laid to rest at Arlington National Cemetery.
One served in World War II, the other in the Korean War.
The interment at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier honored those missing in action.
This solemn tribute reinforced national reverence for military sacrifice.
Families and dignitaries paid their respects amid a backdrop of patriotic ceremony.
The Tomb remains a focal point of remembrance for future generations of Americans.
1958
Korean War
Tomb of the Unknown Soldier
Arlington National Cemetery
1963day.year
A protest against pro-Catholic discrimination during the Buddhist crisis is held outside South Vietnam's National Assembly, the first open demonstration during the eight-year presidency of Ngo Dinh Diem.
Buddhist protesters held the first open demonstration against President Ngo Dinh Diem’s pro-Catholic policies outside South Vietnam’s National Assembly.
On 30 May 1963, Buddhist activists in Saigon organized a peaceful protest outside the National Assembly to denounce President Ngo Dinh Diem’s preferential treatment of Catholics. The demonstration marked the first public challenge to Diem’s regime and highlighted growing sectarian tensions. It fueled the broader Buddhist crisis, which saw escalating acts of civil disobedience and government suppression. The event drew international attention to human rights abuses in South Vietnam and foreshadowed the political unrest that would follow.
1963
Buddhist crisis
South Vietnam
Ngo Dinh Diem
2013day.year
Nigeria passes a law banning same-sex marriage.
On May 30, 2013, Nigeria enacted a law criminalizing same-sex marriage and penalizing those who support or participate in it.
On May 30, 2013, Nigeria’s National Assembly passed the Same-Sex Marriage (Prohibition) Act, which President Goodluck Jonathan signed into law. The legislation imposes prison sentences of up to 14 years for individuals in same-sex relationships and criminalizes advocacy or membership in LGBT organizations. It also penalizes anyone who conducts, witnesses, or participates in same-sex ceremonies. International human rights groups and several foreign governments condemned the law as draconian and discriminatory. Critics warned it would exacerbate violence and social stigma against Nigeria’s LGBT community. Proponents argued it upheld traditional cultural and religious values. The act remains one of the most restrictive anti-LGBT laws worldwide and has drawn ongoing legal and activist challenges.
2013
Nigeria
banning same-sex marriage