What happened on this day in history: The death of Emily Dickinson in 1886, the attempted assassination of George Wallace in 1972, and other important events that occurred on May 15th.
1536: Anne Boleyn Is Sentenced To Death
Wikimedia CommonsThere are very few contemporaneous images of Anne Boleyn because Henry VIII had many of them destroyed after her death.
King Henry VIII’s second wife, Anne Boleyn, is tried, convicted, and sentenced to death. She stood accused of treason after allegedly plotting to kill the king — not to mention supposedly committing adultery and incest with her brother, George.
Four days after she was convicted, she was beheaded at the Tower of London with a single stroke of the executioner’s sword. But in the centuries since, historians have generally come to agree that the charges brought against her were not only false, but deliberately manufactured by the king and his associates because she failed to give him a male heir. Moreover, perhaps, he wanted her out of the way so that he could marry Jane Seymour, to whom he would become engaged the very next day after Boleyn’s death.
1756: The Seven Years’ War Begins
The Seven Years’ War begins. After years of fighting in North America, England and France declared war on one another, setting off a global conflict that spanned five continents. Under the leadership of William Pitt, British forces successfully defeated the French. Under the terms of the Treaty of Paris, Britain gained control over Canada, Louisiana, and Florida. In Europe, the Seven Years’ War was mainly fought between Prussia and Russia. Under the leadership of Frederick the Great, Prussia won the Seven Years’ War and bolstered its power and influence.
1856: L. Frank Baum Is Born
Lyman Frank Baum is born in Chittenango, New York. Writing under the name L. Frank Baum, he later penned the enduring classic The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, which was published in 1900 and made into an iconic film starring Judy Garland in 1939. Baum died at the age of 62 in Los Angeles in 1919.
1886: Emily Dickinson Dies
Wikimedia CommonsAn excerpt of the only authenticated portrait of Emily Dickinson after her childhood.
Emily Dickinson dies at the age of 55 in Amherst, Massachusetts, likely from hypertension. A prolific poet, she penned some 1,800 poems during her life — only about 10 of which were published while she was alive. Dismissed as an eccentric in her day, she’s now recognized as one of the finest poets in American history.
1940: The First McDonald’s Opens For Business
The restaurant that would eventually become the first McDonald’s begins serving customers in San Bernardino, California.
Brothers Maurice and Richard McDonald opened their business on the corner of 14th and E Streets as a barbecue establishment, but soon found that hamburgers and fries were their biggest sellers. After shifting their menu in that direction, they gradually developed the brand known around the world today.
With the help of businessman and eventual company leader Ray Kroc, McDonald’s introduced the Golden Arches in 1962 and the original Ronald McDonald in 1965. Today, McDonald’s is the largest restaurant chain in the world by revenue.
1943: Bomb-Equipped Bats Accidentally Destroy A U.S. Air Force Base
In the midst of testing Project X-Ray — a World War II plan to outfit bats with bombs and send them into Japanese territory — the U.S. military accidentally releases dozens of these bats into an Air Force base, causing the whole thing to go up in flames.
1972: Arthur Bremer Shoots Governor George Wallace
Public DomainArthur Bremer at the campaign rally for George Wallace just before he shot him.
Would-be assassin Arthur Bremer shoots Alabama Governor George Wallace in Maryland during a campaign rally for his presidential run. Though Wallace had courted controversy with his demands for “segregation forever” while governor of Alabama, Bremer’s motives were not especially political — he also considered shooting President Richard Nixon, but decided that it would be too hard. Wallace survived the shooting but was left partially paralyzed.
2006: Climber David Sharp Dies On Mount Everest
David Sharp, an experienced climber, freezes to death while descending Mount Everest. He attempted the climb with no supplemental oxygen. Sharp’s death sparked controversy, as it was unclear if any of the numerous climbers that passed his dying body radioed for help or attempted to aid him.
