Summary of the Day ✨ 10 May (10/05)
Powerful solar storms hit Earth in May 2024, the strongest since 2003, while Queen Elizabeth II skipped Parliament for the first time in 59 years as Prince Charles and William opened the new session. Meanwhile, Syrian forces ended the Battle of Tabqa against ISIL, One World Trade Center became the Western Hemisphere’s tallest building, and Damascus bombings killed 55 people.
Historical Events 📜
- 2024: Start of the May 2024 Solar Storms, the most powerful set of Geomagnetic storms since the 2003 Halloween solar storms.
- 2022: Queen Elizabeth II misses the State Opening of Parliament for the first time in 59 years. It was the first time that a new session of Parliament was opened by the Prince of Wales and the Duke of Cambridge acting as Counsellors of State.
- 2017: Syrian civil war: The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) capture the last footholds of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) in Al-Tabqah, bringing the Battle of Tabqa to an end.
- 2013: One World Trade Center becomes the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere.
- 2012: The Damascus bombings are carried out using a pair of car bombs detonated by suicide bombers outside a military intelligence complex in Damascus, Syria, killing 55 people.
- 2005: A hand grenade thrown by Vladimir Arutyunian lands about 20 m from U.S. President George W. Bush while he is giving a speech to a crowd in Tbilisi, Georgia, but it malfunctions and does not detonate.
- 2002: FBI agent Robert Hanssen is sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole for selling United States secrets to Russia for $1.4 million in cash and diamonds.
- 1997: The 7.3 Mw Qayen earthquake strikes Iran’s Khorasan Province killing 1,567 people.
- 1996: A blizzard strikes Mount Everest, killing eight climbers by the next day.
- 1994: Nelson Mandela is inaugurated as South Africa’s first black president.
- 1993: In Thailand, a fire at the Kader Toy Factory kills over 200 workers.
- 1975: Sony introduces the Betamax videocassette recorder.
- 1969: Vietnam War: The Battle of Dong Ap Bia begins with an assault on Hill 937. It will ultimately become known as Hamburger Hill.
- 1967: The Northrop M2-F2 crashes on landing, becoming the inspiration for the novel Cyborg and TV series The Six Million Dollar Man.
- 1962: Marvel Comics publishes the first issue of The Incredible Hulk.
Famous Births 👶
- 2000: Bae Jin-young, South Korean singer
- 1997: Brittany Broski, American comedian and singer
- 1997: Richarlison, Brazilian footballer
- 1996: Nicolas Aubé-Kubel, Canadian ice hockey player
- 1996: Tyus Jones, American basketball player
- 1996: Kateřina Siniaková, Czech tennis player
- 1996: Alex Tuch, American ice hockey player
- 1995: Andrew Anderson, American bowler
- 1995: Missy Franklin, American swimmer
- 1995: Gabriella Papadakis, French ice dancer
- 1993: Jake Zyrus, Filipino singer
- 1990: Salvador Pérez, Venezuelan baseball player
- 1990: Ivana Španović, Serbian long jumper
- 1988: Adam Lallana, English footballer
- 1985: Ryan Getzlaf, Canadian ice hockey player
Notable Deaths 🕊️
- 2024: Sam Rubin, American journalist (born 1960)
- 2024: Jim Simons, American hedge fund manager, mathematician, and philanthropist (born 1938)
- 2022: Bob Lanier, American professional basketball player (born 1948)
- 2022: Leonid Kravchuk, Ukrainian politician (born 1934)
- 2021: Pauline Tinsley, British soprano (born 1928)
- 2020: Betty Wright, American soul singer (born 1953)
- 2019: Alfredo Pérez Rubalcaba, Spanish politician and chemist (born 1951)
- 2018: David Goodall, Australian botanist and ecologist (born 1914)
- 2015: Chris Burden, American sculptor, illustrator, and academic (born 1946)
- 2012: Horst Faas, German photographer and journalist (born 1933)
- 2012: Carroll Shelby, American race car driver and designer (born 1923)
- 2012: Gunnar Sønsteby, Norwegian captain and author (born 1918)
- 2010: Frank Frazetta, American illustrator and painter (born 1928)
- 2008: Leyla Gencer, Turkish soprano (born 1928)
- 2006: Soraya, Colombian-American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer (born 1969)
Holidays & Observances 🎉
- Children’s Day (Maldives)
- Christian feast day:
Alphius, Philadelphus and Cyrinus - Christian feast day:
Calepodius - Christian feast day:
Catald - Christian feast day:
Comgall - Christian feast day:
Damien of Molokai - Christian feast day:
Gordianus and Epimachus - Christian feast day:
Job (Roman Catholic Church, pre-1969 calendar) - Christian feast day:
John of Ávila - Christian feast day:
May 10 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics) - Confederate Memorial Day (North Carolina and South Carolina)
- Constitution Day (Micronesia)
- Earliest possible day on which Pentecost can fall, while June 13 is the latest; celebrated 50 days after Easter Day. (Christianity)
- Golden Spike Day (Promontory, Utah)
- Mother’s Day (Guatemala, and Mexico)