On This Day for May 1 - May Day founded, Arthur Wellesley, 1st duke of Wellington is featured, and more

This message contains graphics. If you do not see the graphics, click here to view. May 01 FEATURED BIOGRAPHY Arthur Wellesley, 1st duke of Wellington READ MORE   FEATURED EVENT 1889 May Day founded READ MORE   Advertisement Advertisement   MORE EVENTS ON THIS DAY 2004: The European Union was enlarged to include the new member states of Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia, and Slovenia. [ Watch an overview of the European Union's history.] 1971: Amtrak—the federally supported corporation that operates nearly all intercity passenger trains in the United States—began service. 1961: The first major airplane hijacking within the United States occurred when a man forced a commercial airliner en route from Miami to Key West, Florida, to detour to Cuba. 1941: Orson Welles's Citizen Kane, considered by many critics to be the greatest film ever made, premiered in New York City. [Take our film buff quiz.] 1909: American singer Kate Smith, known as the "first lady of radio," was born. [ How much do you know about singers and musicians?] 1898: The Battle of Manila Bay ended in the defeat of the Spanish Pacific fleet by the U.S. Navy, resulting in the fall of the Philippines and contributing to the final U.S. victory in the Spanish-American War. [Test your knowledge of warfare.] SEE ALL EVENTS ON THIS DAY ALSO BORN ON THIS DAY 1969 Wes Anderson American director and screenwriter 1769 Arthur Wellesley, 1st duke of Wellington prime minister of Great Britain 1967 Tim McGraw American musician 1946 Joanna Lumley British actress 1852 Calamity Jane American frontierswoman 1916 Glenn Ford Canadian-born American actor SEE ALL BIOS ON THIS DAY   Advertisement   FOLLOW: To unsubscribe from Britannica e-mails, click here. Encyclopædia Britannica 325 N. LaSalle Street, Suite 200 Chicago, Illinois 60654 United States © 2020 Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc. Privacy Policy • Help