May 22 in History

Historical Events on May 22

1863 American Civil War: Union forces begin the Siege of Port Hudson which lasts 48 days, the longest siege in U.S. military history.

1872 Reconstruction Era: President Ulysses S. Grant signs the Amnesty Act into law, restoring full civil and political rights to all but about 500 Confederate sympathizers.

1943 Joseph Stalin disbands the Comintern.

1972 Ceylon adopts a new constitution, becoming a Republic, changes its name to Sri Lanka, and joins the Commonwealth of Nations.

1972 Over 400 women in Derry, Northern Ireland attack the offices of Sinn Féin following the shooting by the Irish Republican Army of a young British soldier on leave.

1992 Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia and Slovenia join the United Nations.

1996 The Burmese military regime jails 71 supporters of Aung San Suu Kyi in a bid to block a pro-democracy meeting.

2000 In Sri Lanka, over 150 Tamil rebels are killed over two days of fighting for control in Jaffna.

2017 22 people are killed at an Ariana Grande concert in the 2017 Manchester Arena bombing.

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Famous Birthdays on May 22

1907 Laurence Olivier

1942 Ted Kaczynski

1959 Morrissey

1987 Novak Djokovic

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Famous Deaths on May 22

337 Constantine the Great

1885 Victor Hugo

2013 Murder of Lee Rigby

2017 Nicky Hayden

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