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.] 1999: The body of British mountaineer George Mallory was discovered on Mount Everest, some 75 years after he and Andrew Irvine disappeared while attempting to become the first people to summit the peak. [How much do you know about Mount Everest?] 1991: American baseball player Rickey Henderson stole the 939th base of his career, surpassing Lou Brock's MLB record. [Test your knowledge of baseball.] 1971: Amtrak—the federally supported corporation that operates nearly all intercity passenger trains in the United States—began service. [ Take our quiz about the United States.] 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. [ Listen to an overview of major events that occurred on May 1, including the 1961 hijacking.] 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.] 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 © 2021 Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc. Privacy Policy • Help