Contents

May 25

May 25 is the 145th day of the year (146th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar; 220 days remain until the end of the year.

Events[edit]

Pre-1600[edit]

• 567 BC – Servius Tullius, the king of Rome, celebrates a triumph for his victory over the Etruscans.^[1]
• 240 BC – First recorded perihelion passage of Halley's Comet.^[2]
• 1085 – Alfonso VI of Castile takes Toledo, Spain, back from the Moors.^[3]
• 1420 – Henry the Navigator is appointed governor of the Order of Christ.^[4]
• 1521 – The Diet of Worms ends when Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor, issues the Edict of Worms, declaring Martin Lutheranoutlaw.^[5]

1601–1900[edit]

• 1644 – Ming general Wu Sangui forms an alliance with the invading Manchus and opens the gates of the Great Wall of ChinaatShanhaiguan pass, letting the Manchus through towards the capital Beijing.
• 1659 – Richard Cromwell resigns as Lord Protector of England following the restoration of the Long Parliament, beginning a second brief period of the republican government called the Commonwealth of England.
• 1660 – Charles II lands at Dover at the invitation of the Convention Parliament, which marks the end of the Cromwell-proclaimed Commonwealth of England, Scotland and Ireland and begins the Restoration of the British monarchy.
• 1738 – A treaty between Pennsylvania and Maryland ends the Conojocular War with settlement of a boundary dispute and exchange of prisoners.
• 1763 – First issue of Norske Intelligenz-Seddeler, the first regular Norwegian newspaper (1763–1920).^[6]
• 1787 – After a delay of 11 days, the United States Constitutional Convention formally convenes in Philadelphia after a quorum of seven states is secured.^[7]
• 1798 – United Irishmen Rebellion: Battle of Carlow begins; executions of suspected rebels at Carnew and at Dunlavin Green take place.
• 1809 – Chuquisaca Revolution: Patriot revolt in Chuquisaca (modern-day Sucre) against the Spanish Empire, sparking the Latin American wars of independence.
• 1810 – May Revolution: Citizens of Buenos Aires expel Viceroy Baltasar Hidalgo de Cisneros during the "May Week", starting the Argentine War of Independence.
• 1819 – The Argentine Constitution of 1819ispromulgated.
• 1833 – The Chilean Constitution of 1833 is promulgated.
• 1865 – In Mobile, Alabama, around 300 people are killed when an ordnance depot explodes.
• 1878 – Gilbert and Sullivan's comic opera H.M.S. Pinafore opens at the Opera Comique in London.
• 1895 – Playwright, poet and novelist Oscar Wilde is convicted of "committing acts of gross indecency with other male persons" and sentenced to serve two years in prison.
• 1895 – The Republic of Formosa is formed, with Tang Jingsong as its president.

1901–present[edit]

• 1914 – The House of Commons of the United Kingdom passes the Home Rule Bill for devolution in Ireland.
• 1925 – Scopes Trial: John T. Scopes is indicted for teaching human evolution in Tennessee.
• 1926 – Sholom Schwartzbard assassinates Symon Petliura, the head of the government of the Ukrainian People's Republic, which is in government-in-exile in Paris.
• 1933 – The Walt Disney Company cartoon Three Little Pigs premieres at Radio City Music Hall, featuring the hit song "Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf?"^[8]
• 1935 – Jesse OwensofOhio State University breaks three world records and ties a fourth at the Big Ten Conference Track and Field Championships in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
• 1938 – Spanish Civil War: The bombing of Alicante kills 313 people.
• 1940 – World War II: The German 2nd Panzer Division captures the port of Boulogne-sur-Mer; the surrender of the last French and British troops marks the end of the Battle of Boulogne.
• 1946 – The parliament of Transjordan makes Abdullah I of Jordan their Emir.
• 1953 – Nuclear weapons testing: At the Nevada Test Site, the United States conducts its first and only nuclear artillery test.
• 1953 – The first public television station in the United States officially begins broadcasting as KUHT from the campus of the University of Houston.
• 1955 – In the United States, a night-time F5 tornado strikes the small city of Udall, Kansas as part of a larger outbreak across the Great Plains, killing 80 and injuring 273. It is the deadliest tornado to ever occur in the state and the 23rd deadliest in the U.S.
• 1955 – First ascent of Mount Kangchenjunga: On the British Kangchenjunga expedition led by Charles Evans, Joe Brown and George Band reach the summit of the third-highest mountain in the world (8,586 meters); Norman Hardie and Tony Streather join them the following day.
• 1961 – Apollo program: U.S. President John F. Kennedy announces, before a special joint session of the U.S. Congress, his goal to initiate a project to put a "man on the Moon" before the end of the decade.^[9]
• 1963 – The Organisation of African Unity is established in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
• 1966 – Explorer program: Explorer 32 launches.
• 1968 – The Gateway ArchinSt. Louis, Missouri, is dedicated.
• 1973 – In protest against the dictatorship in Greece, the captain and crew on Greek naval destroyer Velos mutiny and refuse to return to Greece, instead anchoring at Fiumicino, Italy.
• 1977 – Star Wars (retroactively titled Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope) is released in US theaters.
• 1977 – The Chinese government removes a decade-old ban on William Shakespeare's work, effectively ending the Cultural Revolution started in 1966.
• 1978 – The first of a series of bombings orchestrated by the Unabomber detonates at Northwestern University resulting in minor injuries.
• 1979 – John Spenkelink, a convicted murderer, is executed in Florida; he is the first person to be executed in the state after the reintroduction of capital punishment in 1976.^[10]
• 1979 – American Airlines Flight 191: A McDonnell Douglas DC-10 crashes during takeoff at O'Hare International Airport, Chicago, killing all 271 on board and two people on the ground.
• 1981 – In Riyadh, the Gulf Cooperation Council is created between Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
• 1982 – Falklands War: HMS Coventry is sunk by Argentine Air Force A-4 Skyhawks.
• 1985 – Bangladesh is hit by a tropical cyclone and storm surge, which kills approximately 10,000 people.
• 1986 – The Hands Across America event takes place.
• 1997 – A military coupinSierra Leone replaces President Ahmad Tejan Kabbah with Major Johnny Paul Koroma.
• 1999 – The United States House of Representatives releases the Cox Report which details China's nuclear espionage against the U.S. over the prior two decades.
• 2000 – Liberation Day of Lebanon: Israel withdraws its army from Lebanese territory (with the exception of the disputed Shebaa farms zone) 18 years after the invasion of 1982.
• 2001 – Erik Weihenmayer becomes the first blind person to reach the summit of Mount Everest, in the Himalayas, with Dr. Sherman Bull.^[11]
• 2002 – China Airlines Flight 611 disintegrates in mid-air and crashes into the Taiwan Strait, with the loss of all 225 people on board.
• 2008 – NASA's Phoenix lander touches down in the Green Valley region of Mars to search for environments suitable for water and microbial life.
• 2009 – North Korea allegedly tests its second nuclear device, after which Pyongyang also conducts several missile tests, building tensions in the international community.
• 2011 – Oprah Winfrey airs her last show, ending her 25-year run of The Oprah Winfrey Show.
• 2012 – The SpaceX Dragon 1 becomes the first commercial spacecraft to successfully rendezvous and berth with the International Space Station.^[12]
• 2013 – Suspected Maoist rebels kill at least 28 people and injure 32 others in an attack on a convoy of Indian National Congress politicians in Chhattisgarh, India.
• 2013 – A gas cylinder explodes on a school bus in the Pakistani city of Gujrat, killing at least 18 people.
• 2018 – The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) becomes enforceable in the European Union.
• 2018 – Ireland votes to repeal the Eighth Amendment of their constitution that prohibits abortion in all but a few cases, choosing to replace it with the Thirty-sixth Amendment of the Constitution of Ireland.

Births[edit]

Pre-1600[edit]

• 1048 – Emperor Shenzong of Song (d. 1085)
• 1320 – Toghon Temür, Mongolian emperor (d. 1370)
• 1334 – Emperor Sukō of Japan (d. 1398)
• 1416 – Jakobus ("James"), Count of Lichtenburg (d. 1480)
• 1417 – Catherine of Cleves, Duchess consort regent of Guelders (d. 1479)
• 1550 – Camillus de Lellis, Italian saint and nurse (d. 1614)

1601–1900[edit]

• 1606 – Charles Garnier, French missionary and saint (d. 1649)
• 1661 – Claude Buffier, Polish-French historian and philosopher (d. 1737)
• 1713 – John Stuart, 3rd Earl of Bute, Scottish politician, Prime Minister of Great Britain (d. 1792)^[13]
• 1725 – Samuel Ward, American politician, 31st and 33rd Governor of the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations (d. 1776)
• 1783 – Philip P. Barbour, American farmer and politician, 12th Speaker of the United States House of Representatives (d. 1841)
• 1791 – Minh Mạng, Vietnamese emperor (d. 1841)
• 1803 – Edward Bulwer-Lytton, English author, playwright, and politician, Secretary of State for the Colonies (d. 1873)
• 1803 – Ralph Waldo Emerson, American poet and philosopher (d. 1882)
• 1818 – Jacob Burckhardt, Swiss historian and academic (d. 1897)
• 1818 – Louise de Broglie, Countess d'Haussonville, French essayist and biographer (d. 1882)
• 1830 – Trebor Mai (né Robert Williams), Welsh poet (d. 1877)
• 1846 – Naim Frashëri, Albanian-Turkish poet and translator (d. 1900)
• 1848 – Johann Baptist Singenberger, Swiss composer, educator, and publisher (d. 1924)
• 1852 – William Muldoon, American wrestler and trainer (d. 1933)
• 1856 – Louis Franchet d'Espèrey, Algerian-French general (d. 1942)
• 1860 – James McKeen Cattell, American psychologist and academic (d. 1944)
• 1865 – John Mott, American evangelist and saint, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1955)
• 1865 – Pieter Zeeman, Dutch physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1943)
• 1865 – Mathilde Verne, English pianist and educator (d. 1936)^[14]
• 1867 – Anders Peter Nielsen, Danish target shooter (d. 1950)
• 1869 – Robbie Ross, Canadian journalist and art critic (d. 1918)
• 1878 – Bill Robinson, American actor and dancer (d. 1949)
• 1879 – Max Aitken, Lord Beaverbrook, Canadian-English businessman and politician, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (d. 1964)
• 1879 – C. C. Martindale, English Jesuit priest (d. 1963)^[15]
• 1879 – William Stickney, American golfer (d. 1944)
• 1880 – Jean Alexandre Barré, French neurologist and academic (d. 1967)
• 1882 – Marie Doro, American actress (d. 1956)
• 1883 – Carl Johan Lind, Swedish hammer thrower (d. 1965)
• 1886 – Rash Behari Bose, Indian soldier and activist (d. 1945)
• 1886 – Philip Murray, Scottish-American miner and labor leader (d. 1952)
• 1887 – Padre Pio, Italian priest and saint (d. 1968)
• 1888 – Miles Malleson, English actor and screenwriter (d. 1969)
• 1889 – Günther Lütjens, German admiral (d. 1941)
• 1889 – Igor Sikorsky, Russian-American aircraft designer, founded Sikorsky Aircraft (d. 1972)
• 1893 – Ernest "Pop" Stoneman, American country musician (d. 1968)
• 1897 – Alan Kippax, Australian cricketer (d. 1972)
• 1897 – Gene Tunney, American boxer and soldier (d. 1978)
• 1898 – Bennett Cerf, American publisher and television game show panelist; co-founded Random House (d. 1971)
• 1899 – Kazi Nazrul Islam, Bengali poet, author, and flute player (d. 1976)
• 1900 – Alain Grandbois, Canadian poet and author (d. 1975)
• 1900 – George Lennon, Irish Republican Army leader during the Irish War of Independence and the Irish Civil War (d. 1991)^[16]

1901–present[edit]

• 1907 – U Nu, Burmese politician, 1st Prime Minister of Burma (d. 1995)
• 1908 – Theodore Roethke, American poet (d. 1963)
• 1909 – Alfred Kubel, German politician, 5th Prime Minister of Lower Saxony (d. 1999)
• 1912 – Dean Rockwell, American commander, wrestler, and coach (d. 2005)
• 1913 – Heinrich Bär, German colonel and pilot (d. 1957)
• 1913 – Richard Dimbleby, English journalist and producer (d. 1965)
• 1916 – Brian Dickson, Canadian captain, lawyer, and politician, 15th Chief Justice of Canada (d. 1998)
• 1916 – Giuseppe Tosi, Italian discus thrower (d. 1981)
• 1917 – Steve Cochran, American film, television and stage actor (d. 1965)
• 1917 – Theodore Hesburgh, American priest, theologian, and academic (d. 2015)
• 1920 – Arthur Wint, Jamaican runner and diplomat (d. 1992)
• 1921 – Hal David, American songwriter and composer (d. 2012)
• 1921 – Kitty Kallen, American singer (d. 2016)
• 1921 – Jack Steinberger, German-Swiss physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 2020)
• 1922 – Enrico Berlinguer, Italian politician (d. 1984)
• 1924 – István Nyers, French-Hungarian footballer (d. 2005)
• 1925 – Rosario Castellanos, Mexican poet and author (d. 1974)
• 1925 – Jeanne Crain, American actress (d. 2003)
• 1925 – Eldon Griffiths, English journalist and politician (d. 2014)
• 1925 – Don Liddle, American baseball player (d. 2000)
• 1925 – Claude Pinoteau, French film director and screenwriter (d. 2012)
• 1926 – Claude Akins, American actor (d. 1994)
• 1926 – William Bowyer, English painter and academic (d. 2015)
• 1926 – Phyllis Gotlieb, Canadian author and poet (d. 2009)
• 1926 – Bill Sharman, American basketball player and coach (d. 2013)
• 1926 – David Wynne, English sculptor and painter (d. 2014)
• 1927 – Robert Ludlum, American soldier and author (d. 2001)
• 1927 – Norman Petty, American singer-songwriter, pianist, and producer (d. 1984)
• 1929 – Beverly Sills, American soprano and actress (d. 2007)
• 1930 – Sonia Rykiel, French fashion designer (d. 2016)^[17]
• 1931 – Herb Gray, Canadian lawyer and politician, 7th Deputy Prime Minister of Canada (d. 2014)
• 1931 – Georgy Grechko, Russian engineer and astronaut (d. 2017)
• 1931 – Irwin Winkler, American director and producer
• 1932 – John Gregory Dunne, American novelist, screenwriter, and critic (d. 2003)
• 1932 – K. C. Jones, American basketball player and coach (d. 2020)
• 1933 – Sarah Marshall, English-American actress (d. 2014)
• 1933 – Basdeo Panday, Trinidadian lawyer and politician, 5th Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago (d. 2024)
• 1933 – Ray Spencer, English footballer (d. 2016)
• 1933 – Jógvan Sundstein, Faroese accountant and politician, 7th Prime Minister of the Faroe Islands (d. 2024)
• 1935 – John Ffowcs Williams, Welsh engineer and academic (d. 2020)
• 1935 – Cookie Gilchrist, American football player (d. 2011)
• 1935 – W. P. Kinsella, Canadian novelist and short story writer (d. 2016)
• 1935 – Victoria Shaw, Australian actress (d. 1988)
• 1936 – Tom T. Hall, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 2021)
• 1936 – Rusi Surti, Indian cricketer (d. 2013)
• 1937 – Tom Phillips, English painter and academic (d. 2022)
• 1938 – Raymond Carver, American short story writer and poet (d. 1988)
• 1938 – Margaret Forster, English historian, author, and critic (d. 2016)
• 1938 – Geoffrey Robinson, English businessman and politician
• 1938 – Yury Semyonov, Russian economist and politician (d. 2024)^[18]
• 1939 – Dixie Carter, American actress and singer (d. 2010)
• 1939 – Ian McKellen, English actor^[19]
• 1940 – Nobuyoshi Araki, Japanese photographer
• 1941 – Rudolf Adler, Czech filmmaker^[20]: 88
• 1941 – Uta Frith, German developmental psychologist^[21]
• 1941 – Vladimir Voronin, Moldovan economist and politician, 3rd President of Moldova
• 1943 – Jessi Colter, American singer-songwriter and pianist
• 1943 – John Palmer, English keyboard player
• 1943 – Leslie Uggams, American actress and singer
• 1944 – Digby Anderson, English journalist and philosopher
• 1944 – Pierre Bachelet, French singer-songwriter (d. 2005)
• 1944 – Charlie Harper, English singer-songwriter and producer
• 1944 – Robert MacPherson, American mathematician and academic
• 1944 – Frank Oz, English-born American puppeteer, filmmaker, and actor
• 1944 – Chris Ralston, English rugby player
• 1946 – Bill Adam, Scottish-Canadian racing driver
• 1946 – David A. Hargrave, American game designer, created Arduin (d. 1988)
• 1947 – Karen Valentine, American actress
• 1947 – Catherine G. Wolf, American psychologist and computer scientist (d. 2018)
• 1948 – Bülent Arınç, Turkish lawyer and politician, Deputy Prime Minister of Turkey
• 1948 – Marianne Elliott, Northern Irish historian, author, and academic
• 1948 – Klaus Meine, German rock singer-songwriter
• 1949 – Jamaica Kincaid, Antiguan-American novelist, short story writer, and essayist
• 1949 – Barry Windsor-Smith, English painter and illustrator
• 1950 – Robby Steinhardt, American rock violinist and singer (d. 2021)
• 1951 – Bob Gale, American director, producer, and screenwriter
• 1952 – Jeffrey Bewkes, American businessman
• 1952 – Nick Fotiu, American ice hockey player and coach
• 1952 – David Jenkins, Trinidadian-Scottish runner
• 1952 – Al Sarrantonio, American author and publisher
• 1952 – Gordon H. Smith, American businessman and politician
• 1953 – Eve Ensler, American playwright and producer
• 1953 – Daniel Passarella, Argentinian footballer, coach, and manager
• 1953 – Stan Sakai, Japanese-American author and illustrator
• 1953 – Gaetano Scirea, Italian footballer (d. 1989)
• 1954 – John Beck, English footballer and manager^[22]
• 1954 – Murali, Indian actor, producer, and politician (d. 2009)
• 1955 – Alistair Burt, English lawyer and politician
• 1956 – Stavros Arnaoutakis, Greek politician
• 1956 – Larry Hogan, American politician, 62nd Governor of Maryland
• 1956 – Kevin Lynch, Irish Republican (d. 1981)^[23]
• 1956 – David P. Sartor, American composer and conductor
• 1957 – Alastair Campbell, English journalist and author
• 1957 – Edward Lee, American author
• 1957 – Robert Picard, Canadian ice hockey player
• 1958 – Dorothy Straight, American children's author
• 1958 – Paul Weller, English singer, songwriter and musician
• 1959 – Julian Clary, English comedian, actor, and author
• 1959 – Manolis Kefalogiannis, Greek politician
• 1959 – Rick Wamsley, Canadian ice hockey player and coach
• 1960 – Amy Klobuchar, American lawyer and politician
• 1960 – Anthea Turner, English journalist and television host
• 1962 – Ric Nattress, Canadian ice hockey player, coach, and manager
• 1963 – George Hickenlooper, American director and producer (d. 2010)
• 1963 – Mike Myers, Canadian-American actor, singer, producer, and screenwriter
• 1963 – Ludovic Orban, Romanian engineer and politician, 68th Prime Minister of Romania
• 1964 – David Shaw, Canadian-American ice hockey player
• 1965 – Yahya Jammeh, Gambian colonel and politician, President of the Gambia
• 1967 – Luc Nilis, Belgian footballer and manager
• 1967 – Mark Rosewater, head designer of Magic: the Gathering
• 1967 – Andrew Sznajder, Canadian tennis player^[24]
• 1968 – Kendall Gill, American basketball player, boxer, and sportscaster
• 1969 – Glen Drover, Canadian guitarist and songwriter
• 1969 – Anne Heche, American actress (d. 2022)
• 1969 – Karen Bernstein, Canadian voice actress
• 1969 – Stacy London, American journalist and author
• 1970 – Robert Croft, Welsh-English cricketer and sportscaster
• 1970 – Jamie Kennedy, American actor, producer, and screenwriter
• 1970 – Octavia Spencer, American actress and author^[a]
• 1971 – Stefano Baldini, Italian runner
• 1971 – Marco Cappato, Italian politician
• 1971 – Juraj Droba, Slovak politician^[27]
• 1972 – Karan Johar, Indian actor, director, producer, and screenwriter
• 1973 – Daz Dillinger, American rapper and producer
• 1973 – Molly Sims, American model and actress^[28]
• 1974 – Dougie Freedman, Scottish footballer and manager
• 1974 – Frank Klepacki, American drummer and composer
• 1974 – Miguel Tejada, Dominican-American baseball player
• 1975 – Blaise Nkufo, Congolese-Swiss footballer
• 1976 – Stefan Holm, Swedish high jumper
• 1976 – Erki Pütsep, Estonian cyclist
• 1976 – Ethan Suplee, American actor
• 1976 – Cillian Murphy, Irish actor^[29]
• 1976 – Miguel Zepeda, Mexican footballer
• 1977 – Andre Anis, Estonian footballer
• 1977 – Alberto Del Rio, Mexican-American mixed martial artist and wrestler
• 1978 – Adam Gontier, Canadian singer-songwriter and guitarist
• 1978 – Brian Urlacher, American football player
• 1979 – Carlos Bocanegra, American footballer and executive^[30]
• 1979 – Sayed Moawad, Egyptian footballer
• 1979 – Caroline Ouellette, Canadian ice hockey player and coach
• 1979 – Sam Sodje, English-Nigerian footballer
• 1979 – Jonny Wilkinson, English rugby player
• 1979 – Chris Young, American baseball pitcher
• 1980 – David Navarro, Spanish footballer
• 1981 – Michalis Pelekanos, Greek basketball player
• 1981 – Matt Utai, New Zealand rugby league player
• 1982 – Adam Boyd, English footballer
• 1982 – Daniel Braaten, Norwegian footballer
• 1982 – Ryan Gallant, American skateboarder
• 1982 – Roger Guerreiro, Polish footballer
• 1982 – Justin Hodges, Australian rugby league player
• 1982 – Ezekiel Kemboi, Kenyan runner
• 1982 – Jason Kubel, American baseball player
• 1982 – Stacey Pensgen, American figure skater and meteorologist
• 1982 – Luke Webster, Australian footballer
• 1984 – Luke Ball, Australian footballer
• 1984 – Kyle Brodziak, Canadian ice hockey player
• 1984 – A. J. Foyt IV, American race car driver
• 1984 – Shawne Merriman, American football player
• 1985 – Luciana Abreu, Portuguese singer and actress
• 1985 – Demba Ba, French footballer
• 1985 – Gert Kams, Estonian footballer
• 1985 – Roman Reigns, American football player and wrestler
• 1986 – Edewin Fanini, Brazilian footballer
• 1986 – Yoan Gouffran, French footballer
• 1986 – Takahiro Hōjō, Japanese actor and musician
• 1986 – Geraint Thomas, Welsh cyclist
• 1987 – Timothy Derijck, Belgian footballer
• 1987 – Yves De Winter, Belgian footballer
• 1987 – Moritz Stehling, German footballer
• 1987 – Kamil Stoch, Polish ski jumper
• 1988 – Dávid Škutka, Slovak footballer
• 1988 – Cameron van der Burgh, South African swimmer^[31]
• 1990 – Bo Dallas, American wrestler
• 1990 – Nikita Filatov, Russian ice hockey player
• 1993 – James Porter, English cricketer
• 1994 – Matt Murray, Canadian ice hockey player
• 1994 – Aly Raisman, American gymnast
• 1995 – Kagiso Rabada, South African cricketer
• 1996 – David Pastrňák, Czech ice hockey player
• 1999 – Ibrahima Konaté, French footballer^[32]
• 2000 – Claire Liu, American tennis player^[33]

Deaths[edit]

Pre-1600[edit]

• 675 – Li Hong, Chinese prince (b. 652)
• 709 – Aldhelm, English-Latin bishop, poet, and scholar (b. 639)
• 803 – Higbald of Lindisfarne, English bishop
• 912 – Xue Yiju, chancellor of Later Liang
• 916 – Flann Sinna, king of Meath
• 939 – Yao Yanzhang, general of Chu
• 986 – Abd al-Rahman al-Sufi, Muslim astronomer (b. 903)
• 992 – Mieszko I of Poland (b. 935)
• 1085 – Pope Gregory VII (b. 1020)
• 1261 – Pope Alexander IV (b. 1185)
• 1452 – John Stafford, English archbishop and politician
• 1555 – Gemma Frisius, Dutch physician, mathematician, and cartographer (b. 1508)
• 1555 – Henry II of Navarre (b. 1503)
• 1558 – Elisabeth of Brandenburg, Duchess of Brunswick-Calenberg-Göttingen (b. 1510)^[34]
• 1595 – Valens Acidalius, German poet and critic (b. 1567)

1601–1900[edit]

• 1607 – Mary Magdalene de' Pazzi, Italian Carmelite nun and mystic (b. 1566)
• 1632 – Adam Tanner, Austrian mathematician and philosopher (b. 1572)
• 1667 – Gustaf Bonde, Finnish-Swedish politician, 5th Lord High Treasurer of Sweden (b. 1620)
• 1681 – Pedro Calderón de la Barca, Spanish poet and playwright (b. 1600)
• 1741 – Daniel Ernst Jablonski, German bishop and theologian (b. 1660)
• 1786 – Peter III of Portugal (b. 1717)
• 1789 – Anders Dahl, Swedish botanist and physician (b. 1751)
• 1797 – John Griffin, 4th Baron Howard de Walden, English field marshal and politician, Lord Lieutenant of Essex (b. 1719)
• 1805 – William Paley, English priest and philosopher (b. 1743)
• 1849 – Benjamin D'Urban, English general and politician, Governor of British Guiana (b. 1777)
• 1895 – Ahmed Cevdet Pasha, Ottoman sociologist, historian, and jurist (b. 1822)
• 1899 – Rosa Bonheur, French painter and sculptor (b. 1822)^[35]

1901–present[edit]

• 1912 – Austin Lane Crothers, American educator and politician, 46th Governor of Maryland (b. 1860)
• 1917 – Maksim Bahdanovič, Belarusian poet and critic (b. 1891)
• 1919 – Eliza Pollock, American archer (b. 1840)
• 1919 – Madam C. J. Walker, American businesswoman and philanthropist, founded the Madame C.J. Walker Manufacturing Company (b. 1867)
• 1924 – Lyubov Popova, Russian painter and illustrator (b. 1889)
• 1926 – Symon Petliura, Ukrainian journalist and politician (b. 1879)
• 1927 – Payne Whitney, American businessman and philanthropist (b. 1876)
• 1930 – Randall Davidson, Scottish-English archbishop (b. 1848)
• 1934 – Gustav Holst, English trombonist, composer, and educator (b. 1874)
• 1937 – Henry Ossawa Tanner, American-French painter and illustrator (b. 1859)
• 1939 – Frank Watson Dyson, English astronomer and academic (b. 1868)
• 1942 – Emanuel Feuermann, Ukrainian-American cellist and educator (b. 1902)
• 1943 – Nils von Dardel, Swedish painter (b. 1888)
• 1948 – Witold Pilecki, Polish officer and Resistance leader (b. 1901)
• 1951 – Paula von Preradović, Croatian poet and author (b. 1887)
• 1954 – Robert Capa, Hungarian photographer and journalist (b. 1913)
• 1957 – Leo Goodwin, American swimmer, diver, and water polo player (b. 1883)
• 1968 – Georg von Küchler, German field marshal (b. 1881)
• 1969 – Elisabeth Geleerd, Dutch-American psychoanalyst (b. 1909)^[36]
• 1970 – Tom Patey, Scottish mountaineer and author (b. 1932)
• 1977 – Yevgenia Ginzburg, Russian author (b. 1904)
• 1979 – Itzhak Bentov, Czech-Israeli engineer, mystic, and author (b. 1923)
• 1979 – Amédée Gordini, Italian-born French racing driver and sports car manufacturer (b. 1899)
• 1979 – John Spenkelink, American murderer (b. 1949)^[37]
• 1981 – Ruby Payne-Scott, Australian physicist and astronomer (b. 1912)
• 1981 – Fredric Warburg, English author and publisher (b. 1898)
• 1983 – Necip Fazıl Kısakürek, Turkish author, poet, and playwright (b. 1904)
• 1983 – Idris of Libya (b. 1889)
• 1983 – Jack Stewart, Canadian-American ice hockey player (b. 1917)
• 1986 – Chester Bowles, American journalist and politician, 22nd Under Secretary of State (b. 1901)
• 1990 – Vic Tayback, American actor (b. 1930)
• 1995 – Élie Bayol, French racing driver (b. 1914)
• 1995 – Krešimir Ćosić, Croatian basketball player and coach, Naismith Basketball Hall of Famer 1996 (b. 1948)
• 1995 – Dany Robin, French actress (b. 1927)
• 1996 – Renzo De Felice, Italian historian and author (b. 1929)
• 2003 – Sloan Wilson, American author and poet (b. 1920)
• 2004 – Roger Williams Straus, Jr., American publisher, co-founded Farrar, Straus and Giroux Publishing Company (b. 1917)
• 2005 – Sunil Dutt, Indian actor, director, producer, and politician (b. 1929)
• 2005 – Robert Jankel, English businessman, founded Panther Westwinds (b. 1938)
• 2005 – Graham Kennedy, Australian television host and actor (b. 1934)
• 2005 – Ismail Merchant, Indian-born film producer and director (b. 1936)
• 2005 – Zoran Mušič, Slovene painter and illustrator (b. 1909)
• 2007 – Charles Nelson Reilly, American actor, comedian, and director (b. 1931)
• 2007 – Uładzimir Katkoŭski, Belarusian blogger, web designer and website creator (b. 1976)^[38]
• 2008 – J. R. Simplot, American businessman, founded Simplot (b. 1909)
• 2008 – Veikko Uusimäki, Finnish actor and theater councilor (b. 1921)^[39]
• 2009 – Haakon Lie, Norwegian politician (b. 1905)
• 2010 – Alexander Belostenny, Ukrainian basketball player (b. 1959)
• 2010 – Michael H. Jordan, American businessman (b. 1936)
• 2010 – Alan Hickinbotham, Australian footballer and coach (b. 1925)
• 2010 – Gabriel Vargas, Mexican painter and illustrator (b. 1915)
• 2010 – Jarvis Williams, American football player and coach (b. 1965)
• 2011 – Terry Jenner, Australian cricketer and coach (b. 1944)
• 2012 – William Hanley, American author and screenwriter (b. 1931)
• 2012 – Peter D. Sieruta, American author and critic (b. 1958)
• 2012 – Lou Watson, American basketball player and coach (b. 1924)
• 2013 – Mahendra Karma, Indian politician (b. 1950)
• 2013 – Nand Kumar Patel, Indian politician (b. 1953)
• 2014 – David Allen, English cricketer (b. 1935)
• 2014 – Marcel Côté, Canadian economist and politician (b. 1942)
• 2014 – Wojciech Jaruzelski, Polish general and politician, 1st President of Poland (b. 1923)
• 2014 – Herb Jeffries, American singer and actor (b. 1913)
• 2014 – Toaripi Lauti, Tuvaluan educator and politician, 1st Prime Minister of Tuvalu (b. 1928)
• 2014 – Matthew Saad Muhammad, American boxer and trainer (b. 1954)
• 2015 – George Braden, Canadian lawyer and politician, 2nd Premier of the Northwest Territories (b. 1949)
• 2015 – Robert Lebel, Canadian bishop (b. 1924)
• 2018 – Kaduvetti Guru, Indian politician and Veera Vanniyar caste leader (b. 1961)
• 2019 – Claus von Bülow, Danish-British socialite (b. 1926)^[40]
• 2020 – George Floyd, African American man murderedbyMinneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin (b. 1973)^[41]
• 2021 – John Warner, American attorney and politician (b. 1927)^[42]
• 2021 – Lois Ehlert, American author and illustrator (b. 1934)^[43]
• 2022 – Morton L. Janklow, American literary agent (b. 1930)^[44]
• 2024 – Grayson Murray, American professional golfer (b. 1993)^[45]
• 2024 – Albert S. Ruddy, Canadian film producer (b. 1930)^[46]
• 2024 – Richard M. Sherman, American songwriter (b. 1928)^[47]
• 2024 – Johnny Wactor, American actor^[48]

Holidays and observances[edit]

• Africa Day (African Union)
• African Liberation Day (African Union, Rastafari)
• Christian feast day:
  • Aldhelm
  • Bede
  • Canius
  • Dionysius of Milan
  • Dúnchad mac Cinn Fáelad
  • Gerard of Lunel
  • Madeleine Sophie Barat
  • Mary Magdalene de Pazzi
  • Maximus (Mauxe) of Évreux
  • Pope Boniface IV
  • Pope Gregory VII
  • Pope Urban I
  • Zenobius of Florence
  • May 25 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
• First National Government / National Day (Argentina)^[49]
• Geek Pride Day (geek culture)
• Independence Day, celebrates the independence of Jordan from the United Kingdom in 1946.
• Last bell (Russia, post-Soviet countries)
• Liberation Day (Lebanon)
• International Missing Children's Day and its related observances:
  • National Missing Children's Day (United States),
• National Tap Dance Day (United States)
• Towel Day in honour of the work of the writer Douglas Adams

Notes[edit]

References[edit]

External links[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to May 25.

• BBC: On This Day
• The New York Times: On This Day
• Historical Events on May 25