When considering the month of May what historical events come to mind? I’m sure if we each came up with a list of ten, while there may be some overlap, our lists would be quite diverse. A quick internet search turned up an exhaustive list which included the following:
- Great Britain was formed from a union between England and Scotland
- U.S. Special Operations Forces killed Osama bin Laden
- Decoration Day (now Memorial Day) was first observed in the U.S. (1865)
- Communism founder Karl Marx (1818-1883) was born in Treves, Germany
- The German airship Hindenburg burst into flames
- The British passenger ship Lusitania was torpedoed by a German submarine
- Nelson Mandela was inaugurated as president of South Africa
- The first permanent English settlement in America was established at Jamestown, Virginia
- Napoleon Bonaparte became Emperor of France
- Mount St. Helens volcano erupted in southwestern Washington State
Collectors of rare and early newspapers know that coverage of such events can nearly always be found in old newspapers; however, one of the added pleasures is discovering reports of previously unknown or long-forgotten events which inspire a deeper look – aiding the lifelong learning process which helps to keep us mentally engaged as we progress through life.
The link below will take you to a reverse-chronological list (1600’s-20th century) of our currently available newspapers from the month of March. There’s no need to buy anything. Simply enjoy your march backwards through time.
NEWSPAPERS PUBLISHED IN MAY
[1]