May 30 in History

The Treaty of London is signed, ending the First Balkan War between the Balkan a

1913 — The Treaty of London is signed, ending the First Balkan War between the Balkan allies and the Ottoman Empire

The Ottomans cede all their European territories west of a straight line between Enos and Media and Albania becomes an independent nation.

May 30 spans 65 recorded events across recorded history, from 1381 to 2024. Below is a curated digest of the most significant moments tied to this date.

By · — Wikipedia

Historical Events 65 events 1381 – 2024

More major events on May 30

The featured story and these ranked highlights form a quick summary. Every recorded event remains available in the chronology below.

  1. 2020 Crew Dragon Demo-2 launches from Kennedy Space Center, becoming the first crewed orbital spacecraft to launch from the United States since 2011 and the first commercial flight to the International Space Station. Source
  2. 1967 The Nigerian Eastern Region declares independence as the Republic of Biafra, sparking a civil war. Source
  3. 1854 The Kansas–Nebraska Act becomes law, establishing the U.S. territories of Kansas and Nebraska. Source

Did you know

In 1913, The Treaty of London is signed, ending the First Balkan War between the Balkan allies and the Ottoman Empire. The Ottomans cede all their European territories west of a straight line between Enos and Media and Albania becomes an independent nation. This featured entry focuses on the immediate decision and its direct historical impact.

Did you know

The Treaty of London (1913) was signed on 30 May following the London Conference of 1912–1913. This helps explain why the event mattered beyond the initial announcement.

Did you know

It dealt with the territorial adjustments arising out of the conclusion of the First Balkan War. This clarifies the institutional and public response around the event.

Did you know

The London Conference had ended on 23 January 1913, when the 1913 Ottoman coup d'état took place and Ottoman Grand Vizier Kâmil Pasha was forced to resign. This shows how the event shaped policy and public communication in the same period.

Did you know

Coup leader Enver Pasha withdrew the Ottoman Empire from the Conference, and the Treaty of London was signed without the presence of the Ottoman delegation. This helps explain why the event mattered beyond the initial announcement.

1381 Peasants'_Revolt
Beginning of the Peasants' Revolt in England.
1381 uprising in England
Wikipedia source
1416 Council_of_Constance
The Council of Constance, called by Emperor Sigismund, a supporter of Antipope John XXIII, burns Jerome of Prague following a trial for heresy.
1414–1418 ecumenical council that settled the Western Schism
Wikipedia source
1431 Hundred_Years'_War
Hundred Years' War: In Rouen, France, the 19-year-old Joan of Arc is burned at the stake by an English-dominated tribunal.
Medieval Anglo-French conflicts, 1337–1453
Wikipedia source
1434 Hussite_Wars
Hussite Wars: Battle of Lipany: End of the war, the Utraquist defeat and annihilate Taborite forces.
15th-century religious wars in Bohemia
Wikipedia source
1510 Zhengde_Emperor
During the reign of the Zhengde Emperor, Ming dynasty rebel leader Zhu Zhifan is defeated by commander Qiu Yue, ending the Prince of Anhua rebellion.
Emperor of China from 1505 to 1521
Wikipedia source
1536 Henry_VIII
King Henry VIII of England marries Jane Seymour, a lady-in-waiting to his first two wives.
King of England from 1509 to 1547
Wikipedia source
1539 Florida
In Florida, Hernando de Soto lands at Tampa Bay with 600 soldiers with the goal of finding gold.
U.S. state
Wikipedia source
1574 Henry_III_of_France
Henry III becomes King of France.
King of France from 1574 to 1589
Wikipedia source
1588 Spanish_Armada
The last ship of the Spanish Armada sets sail from Lisbon heading for the English Channel.
Fleet sailing against England in 1588
Wikipedia source
1631 La_Gazette_(France)
Publication of Gazette de France, the first French newspaper.
French daily newspaper (1631–1915)
Wikipedia source
1635 Thirty_Years'_War
Thirty Years' War: The Peace of Prague is signed.
Major war in Central Europe (1618–1648)
Wikipedia source
1642 Charles_I_of_England
From this date all honors granted by Charles I of England are retroactively annulled by Parliament.
King of England, Scotland and Ireland from 1625 to 1649
Wikipedia source
1723 Johann_Sebastian_Bach
Johann Sebastian Bach assumes the office of Thomaskantor in Leipzig, presenting his first new cantata, Die Elenden sollen essen, BWV 75, in the St.
Nicholas Church on the first Sunday after Trinity.
Wikipedia source
1796 War_of_the_First_Coalition
War of the First Coalition: In the Battle of Borghetto, Napoleon Bonaparte manages to cross the Mincio River against the Austrian army.
This crossing forces the Austrians to abandon Lombardy and retreat to the Tyrol, leaving the fortress of Mantua as the sole remaining Austrian stronghold in Northern Italy.
Wikipedia source
1806 Andrew_Jackson
Future U.S.
President Andrew Jackson kills Charles Dickinson in a duel.
Wikipedia source
1814
The First Treaty of Paris is signed, returning the French frontiers to their 1792 extent, and restoring the House of Bourbon to power.
Agreement ending the War of the Sixth Coalition
Wikipedia source
1815 East_Indiaman
The East Indiaman Arniston is wrecked during a storm at Waenhuiskrans, near Cape Agulhas, in present-day South Africa, with the loss of 372 lives.
Merchant ships operating under charter or license to European East India companies
Wikipedia source
1834 Joaquim_António_de_Aguiar
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".
Prime Minister of Portugal (1792–1884)
Wikipedia source
1842 Queen_Victoria
John Francis attempts to murder Queen Victoria as she drives down Constitution Hill in London with Prince Albert.
Queen of the United Kingdom from 1837 to 1901
Wikipedia source
1845
The Fatel Razack, coming from India, lands in the Gulf of Paria in Trinidad and Tobago carrying the first Indians to the country.
19th century ship
Wikipedia source
1854 Kansas–Nebraska_Act
The Kansas–Nebraska Act becomes law, establishing the U.S.
territories of Kansas and Nebraska.
Wikipedia source
1862 American_Civil_War
American Civil War: The Siege of Corinth ends in a Union victory, with General Henry Halleck capturing the critical rail junction of Corinth, Mississippi from retreating Confederate forces under General P.
G. T. Beauregard.
Wikipedia source
1866 Bedřich_Smetana
Bedrich Smetana's comic opera The Bartered Bride premieres in Prague.
Czech composer (1824–1884)
Wikipedia source
1868 Memorial_Day
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).
Wikipedia source
1876 Abdulaziz
Ottoman sultan Abdülaziz is deposed and succeeded by his nephew Murad V.
Sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1861 to 1876
Wikipedia source
1876 Ems_Ukaz
The secret decree of Ems Ukaz is issued by Russian Tsar Alexander II in the German city of Bad Ems, aimed at stopping the printing and distribution of Ukrainian-language publications in the Russian Empire.
1876 decree by Alexander II of Russia
Wikipedia source
1883 Brooklyn_Bridge
In New York City, 12 people are killed in a stampede on the recently opened Brooklyn Bridge.
Bridge in New York City
Wikipedia source
1899 Pearl_Hart
Pearl Hart, a female outlaw of the Old West, robs a stage coach 30 miles southeast of Globe, Arizona.
Canadian-American outlaw (1871–1928)
Wikipedia source
1911 Indianapolis_Motor_Speedway
At the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the first Indianapolis 500 ends with Ray Harroun in his Marmon Wasp becoming the first winner of the 500-mile auto race.
Historic motorsport track in Speedway, Indiana, US
Wikipedia source
1914 Cunard_Line
The new, and then the largest, Cunard ocean liner RMS Aquitania, 45,647 tons, sets sail on her maiden voyage from Liverpool, England, to New York City.
British cruise line
Wikipedia source
1922 Lincoln_Memorial
The Lincoln Memorial is dedicated in Washington, D.C.
National memorial in Washington, DC
Wikipedia source
1925 May_Thirtieth_Movement
May Thirtieth Movement: Shanghai Municipal Police Force shoot and kill 13 protesting workers.
1925 anti-imperialist labor movement in Republic-era China
Wikipedia source
1937 1937_Memorial_Day_massacre
Memorial Day massacre: Chicago police shoot and kill ten labor demonstrators.
1937 police shooting in Chicago, Illinois, US
Wikipedia source
1941 World_War_II
World War II: Manolis Glezos and Apostolos Santas climb the Athenian Acropolis and tear down the German flag.
Global conflict (1939–1945)
Wikipedia source
1942 Bombing_of_Cologne_in_World_War_II
World War II: One thousand British bombers launch a 90-minute attack on Cologne, Germany.
Wikipedia source
1943 The_Holocaust
The Holocaust: Josef Mengele becomes chief medical officer of the Zigeunerfamilienlager (Romani family camp) at Auschwitz concentration camp.
Genocide of European Jews by Nazi Germany
Wikipedia source
1948 1948_Columbia_River_flood
A dike along the flooding Columbia River breaks, obliterating Vanport, Oregon within minutes.
Fifteen people die and tens of thousands are left homeless.
Wikipedia source
1958 Korean_War
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.
1950–1953 conflict on the Korean Peninsula
Wikipedia source
1959 Auckland_Harbour_Bridge
The Auckland Harbour Bridge, crossing the Waitemata Harbour in Auckland, New Zealand, is officially opened by Governor-General Charles Lyttelton, 10th Viscount Cobham.
Road bridge in Auckland, New Zealand
Wikipedia source
1961 Rafael_Trujillo
The long-time Dominican dictator Rafael Trujillo is assassinated in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.
Dictator of the Dominican Republic from 1930 to 1961
Wikipedia source
1961 Viasa_Flight_897
Viasa Flight 897 crashes after takeoff from Lisbon Airport, killing 61.
1961 plane crash off the coast of Portugal
Wikipedia source
1963 Buddhist_crisis
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.
1963 political and religious tension in South Vietnam
Wikipedia source
1966 Democratic_Republic_of_the_Congo
Former Congolese Prime Minister, Évariste Kimba, and several other politicians are publicly executed in Kinshasa on the orders of President Joseph Mobutu.
Country in Central Africa
Wikipedia source
1967 Nigeria
The Nigerian Eastern Region declares independence as the Republic of Biafra, sparking a civil war.
Country in West Africa
Wikipedia source
1968 Charles_de_Gaulle
Charles de Gaulle reappears publicly after his flight to Baden-Baden, West Germany, and dissolves the French National Assembly by a radio appeal.
Immediately after, less than one million of his supporters march on the Champs-Élysées in Paris. This is the turning point of the May 1968 events in France.
Wikipedia source
1971 Mariner_program
Mariner program: Mariner 9 is launched to map 70% of the surface, and to study temporal changes in the atmosphere and surface, of Mars.
NASA space program from 1962 to 1973
Wikipedia source
1972 The_Angry_Brigade
The Angry Brigade goes on trial over a series of 25 bombings throughout the United Kingdom.
British urban guerilla group (1970–1972)
Wikipedia source
1972 Ben_Gurion_Airport
In Ben Gurion Airport (at the time: Lod Airport), Israel, members of the Japanese Red Army carry out the Lod Airport massacre, killing 24 people and injuring 78 others.
Main international airport of Israel
Wikipedia source
1974 Airbus_A300
The Airbus A300 passenger aircraft first enters service.
World's first twin-engine widebody jet airliner
Wikipedia source
1975 European_Space_Agency
The European Space Agency is established.
European organisation dedicated to space exploration
Wikipedia source
1979 Downeast_Airlines_Flight_46
Downeast Airlines Flight 46 crashes on approach to Knox County Regional Airport in Rockland, Maine, killing 17.
1979 aviation accident
Wikipedia source
1982 Cold_War
Cold War: Spain joins NATO.
1947–1991 geopolitical rivalry between US and USSR
Wikipedia source
1989 1989_Tiananmen_Square_protests_and_massacre
Tiananmen Square protests of 1989: The 10-metre high "Goddess of Democracy" statue is unveiled in Tiananmen Square by student demonstrators.
Student-led demonstrations in China
Wikipedia source
1990 Croatian_Parliament
Croatian Parliament is constituted after the first free, multi-party elections, today celebrated as the National Day of Croatia.
Unicameral legislature of Croatia
Wikipedia source
1998
The 6.5 Mw Afghanistan earthquake shakes the Takhar Province of northern Afghanistan with a maximum Mercalli intensity of VII (Very strong), killing around 4,000–4,500.
Severe earthquake centered in Takhar Province, Afghanistan
Wikipedia source
1998 Nuclear_weapons_testing
Nuclear Testing: Pakistan conducts an underground test in the Kharan Desert.
It is reported to be a plutonium device with yield of 20kt TNT equivalent.
Wikipedia source
1999 Nyamiha_stampede
53 people are killed in a stampede at the Nyamiha metro station in Minsk, Belarus.
1999 crowd crush in Minsk, Belarus
Wikipedia source
2003
Depayin massacre: At least 70 people associated with the National League for Democracy are killed by government-sponsored mob in Burma.
Aung San Suu Kyi flees the scene, but is arrested soon afterwards.
Wikipedia source
2008 Convention_on_Cluster_Munitions
Convention on Cluster Munitions is adopted.
International treaty
Wikipedia source
2008 TACA_Flight_390
TACA Flight 390 overshoots the runway at Toncontín International Airport in Tegucigalpa, Honduras and crashes, killing five people.
2008 aviation accident in Honduras
Wikipedia source
2012 Liberia
Former Liberian president Charles Taylor is sentenced to 50 years in prison for his role in atrocities committed during the Sierra Leone Civil War.
Country in West Africa
Wikipedia source
2013 Nigeria
Nigeria passes a law banning same-sex marriage.
Country in West Africa
Wikipedia source
2020 Crew_Dragon_Demo-2
Crew Dragon Demo-2 launches from Kennedy Space Center, becoming the first crewed orbital spacecraft to launch from the United States since 2011 and the first commercial flight to the International Space Station.
First crewed flight of Crew Dragon
Wikipedia source
2024 Donald_Trump
Donald Trump is convicted of falsifying business records in his New York trial, the first time a former President of the United States has been found guilty in a criminal case.
President of the United States (2017–2021; since 2025)
Wikipedia source

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