Historical Events
Cook's Chart of the St Laurence
May 1 Publication of James Cook's first significant mapping effort, "A New Chart of the River St Laurence, from the Island of Anticosti To the Falls of Richelieu." Later critical to British defeat of the French at Quebec City. [1]
Famous Birthdays
- May 10 Claude-Joseph Rouget de Lisle, French soldier, author and composer (La Marseillaise), born in Lons-le-Saunier, France (d. 1836)
- May 10 Johann Peter Hebel, German writer (Allemannische Gedichte), born in Basel (d. 1826)
Alexandre de Beauharnais (1760-1794)
May 28 French politician, general of the revolution and first husband of Joséphine de Beauharnais, born in Fort-Royal, Martinique, France
Famous Deaths
- May 9 Nicolaus Ludwig von Zinzendorf und Pottendorf, Austrian-born German religious & social reformer, dies at 59
- May 10 Johann Christoph Graupner, German harpsichordist and Baroque composer, dies at 77
- May 15 Alaungpaya, King of Burma (b. 1711)
- May 22 Israel ben Eliezer, Polish-born mystical rabbi (b. 1700)
Authors
Dictators
Explorers
Outlaws
Queens
Spies