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Major Events of May 2016: Key Historical Moments from the Month

Each month is marked by defining moments that shape the course of history. Whether through political shifts, cultural movements, or world-changing events, these periods leave a lasting impression. Dive into the most important events from May 2016 and discover how they influenced the world both then and now.

history

Major Events of May 2016: Key Historical Moments from the Month

  • 01 May 2016 First U.S. Cruise to Cuba in Over 50 Years: Carnival Cruise Line's 704-passenger Adonia became the first cruise ship to sail from Miami to Havana in more than 50 years, marking a significant moment in Cuba-United States relations following Cuba's relaxation of travel restrictions for Cuban-born persons.
  • 02 May 2016 Leicester City Wins Premier League in Historic Upset: Leicester City won the English Premier League title in a stunning achievement, having started the season with 5,000-1 odds against winning. This was considered one of the greatest underdog stories in sports history.
  • 03 May 2016 Fort McMurray Wildfire Devastates Alberta Community: A catastrophic wildfire ripped through Fort McMurray, Alberta, Canada, forcing the evacuation of 88,000 residents and destroying approximately 2,400 homes and buildings. The massive fire caused extensive damage to the community, marking one of the most significant natural disasters in Canadian history.
  • 04 May 2016 IBM Launches Public Quantum Computer Access: IBM made a five-qubit quantum computer publicly accessible, marking a significant milestone in quantum computing technology.
  • 05 May 2016 Syria Civil War: Deadly Twin Explosions and Refugee Camp Airstrike: A devastating day in Syria's ongoing civil war saw twin explosions in central Syria killing at least 12 people and injuring many more. In a separate incident, an airstrike on a refugee camp near the Syria-Turkey border resulted in 28 fatalities, including women and children.
  • 06 May 2016 North Korea Holds Rare Party Congress: The Workers' Party of Korea, North Korea's ruling party, convened its first party congress in nearly 40 years amid increasing international sanctions following recent missile launches, signaling potential strategic shifts in the regime's approach.
  • 07 May 2016 Iranian Soldiers Killed in Aleppo Offensive: During the Syrian Civil War, at least 13 Iranian soldiers were killed in a battle with Islamist militants near Aleppo, representing the largest single-day loss for Iranian forces in the conflict.
  • 08 May 2016 Hillary Clinton Interview on Face the Nation: On May 8, 2016, Hillary Clinton appeared on Face the Nation, discussing her general election strategy against Donald Trump, the potential exit of Bernie Sanders from the race, and the ongoing FBI investigation into her email server.
  • 09 May 2016 ISIL Leader Killed and Car Bomb Attack in Iraq: The Pentagon announced the elimination of Abu Waheeb, a leader of the Islamic State of Iraq & Syria (ISIL), along with three other militants in an airstrike near Rutba. Simultaneously, an ISIL car bomb in Baquba, an eastern Iraqi city, caused significant casualties, injuring 54 people.
  • 10 May 2016 NASA Discovers Massive Number of Exoplanets: NASA confirmed the Kepler spacecraft's discovery of 1,284 new exoplanets, significantly expanding our understanding of potential planetary systems beyond our solar system.
  • 11 May 2016 ISIL Bombing in Baghdad: A devastating terrorist attack by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) killed 110 people in Baghdad, highlighting the ongoing violence in the region.
  • 12 May 2016 Bank of England Warns About Brexit Economic Impact: The Bank of England issued a stern warning about the potential severe economic consequences of the United Kingdom voting to leave the European Union in the upcoming Brexit referendum.
  • 13 May 2016 Association football: Fatma Sasoma, a Senegalese United Nations official is appointed Secretary General of FIFA. This is the first female and first foreigner to hold the position. (AP vi Daily Mail).Kosovo, Gibraltar have been elected new FIFA members.
  • 14 May 2016 Venezuela Declares State of Emergency: President Nicolas Maduro declared a nationwide state of emergency, ordering the seizure of non-producing factories and threatening imprisonment of their owners. He announced military exercises to combat perceived 'foreign threats' amid a severe economic crisis.
  • 15 May 2016 Rodrigo Duterte Elected President of Philippines: Rodrigo Duterte was elected President of the Philippines, pledging to reinstate capital punishment and authorize security forces to use 'shoot to kill' tactics against organized crime and resisting arrests. He was set to take office on June 30, 2016.
  • 16 May 2016 Philippine President-Elect Proposes Controversial Punishment Restoration: Rodrigo Duterte, the newly elected president of the Philippines, announced plans to reinstate capital punishment, including public hangings for crimes such as murder, rape, drug use, and robbery. This proposal would reverse the country's 2006 ban on capital punishment.
  • 17 May 2016 9/11 Victims Lawsuit Legislation: The U.S. Senate approved landmark legislation allowing victims of the September 11 attacks to sue Saudi Arabia for damages, despite potential economic retaliation from Saudi Arabia threatening to withdraw billions from the U.S. economy.
  • 18 May 2016 ISIL Chemical Weapons Attack in Iraq: Iraqi police reported that ISIL militants used chemical weapons during an attack on Bashir, Iraq, near Kirkuk on May 8, 2016. The attack resulted in nine soldiers killed and nine others injured, highlighting the escalating brutality of the Iraqi Civil War.
  • 19 May 2016 EgyptAir Flight 804 Crash: EgyptAir Flight 804 tragically crashed into the Mediterranean Sea while traveling from Paris to Cairo, resulting in the loss of all 66 passengers and crew members. The aircraft disappeared from radar approximately ten minutes after entering Egyptian airspace, with local witnesses reporting seeing a fireball.
  • 20 May 2016 Accession of Montenegro into NATO: The Kremlin denies NATO's invitation to Montenegro to join, warning that the move could fuel geopolitical tensions throughout Europe.
  • 21 May 2016 US Drone Kills Taliban Leader: Mullah Akhtar Muhammad Mansour, the leader of the Afghan Taliban, was killed by a targeted US drone strike in Pakistan, marking a significant blow to the Taliban's leadership.
  • 22 May 2016 Syrian Civil War Atrocities: The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that over 60,000 people were killed in government prisons during Syria's five-year civil war, revealing the extreme human rights violations and humanitarian crisis in the conflict.
  • 23 May 2016 Iraqi Government Launches Operation Breaking Terrorism: The Iraqi government initiated Operation Breaking Terrorism to reclaim the city of Fallujah, which had been under Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIS) control since early 2014. This military operation represented a significant effort to push back against ISIS territorial gains and restore government control.
  • 24 May 2016 Syrian Democratic Forces Launch Offensive to Capture Al-Raqqah: U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces, predominantly led by Kurdish forces, launched a major operation to capture Al-Raqqah, the de facto capital of the Islamic State. The force was reported to be over 50,000 strong, marking a significant military campaign in the Syrian Civil War.
  • 25 May 2016 Washington State Presidential Primary: Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton won the Washington state presidential primary. Trump secured at least 27 of the state's 44 GOP delegates, moving closer to the 1,237 needed for nomination. Clinton gained only symbolic victory, as Washington Democrats had previously allocated delegates in March caucuses won by Bernie Sanders.
  • 26 May 2016 Trump Secures Republican Nomination: According to The Associated Press, Donald Trump has officially received enough delegates to become the Republican Party's nominee for President in the 2016 United States presidential election.
  • 27 May 2016 Trump Secures Republican Nomination: Donald Trump officially clinched the 1,237 delegates needed to secure the Republican presidential nomination, as reported by the Associated Press, with the backing of unbound North Dakota delegates.
  • 28 May 2016 Putin Warns Poland and Romania: Russian President Vladimir Putin issued a diplomatic warning to Poland and Romania regarding their potential participation in the U.S. Missile Defense Shield. This statement highlighted the ongoing geopolitical tensions between Russia and NATO-aligned countries in Eastern Europe.
  • 29 May 2016 Migrant Crisis in Mediterranean: The United Nations reported a potential tragedy involving 700 migrants who may have drowned in three shipwrecks off the Italian coast, drawing attention to the ongoing humanitarian crisis in the Mediterranean.
  • 30 May 2016 Philippines Elects Rodrigo Duterte as President: The Congress of the Philippines officially proclaimed Rodrigo Duterte as President-elect and Leni Robredo as Vice President-elect, marking a significant moment in the country's 2016 presidential election.
  • 31 May 2016 Global Slavery Index Report: A Global Slavery Index report revealed that 45.8 million people worldwide are born into slavery, forced labor, debt bondage, or human trafficking. India was reported to have an estimated 18.4 million slaves, while North Korea had the highest percentage at 4.4%.