📜 This Day in History

May 19

• 715Gregory II began his pontificate; his conflict with Byzantine emperor Leo III eventually led to the establishment of the temporal power of the pope.
• 1743French physicist Jean-Pierre Christin published the design of a mercury thermometer using the centigrade scale, with 0 representing the melting point of water and 100 its boiling point.
• 1828The United States Congress passed the largest tariff in the nation's history, which resulted in severe economic hardship in the American South.
• 1962Actress Marilyn Monroe performed a sultry rendition of "Happy Birthday to You" during a televised celebration for U.S. President John F. Kennedy.
• 2010In Bangkok, the Thai military concluded a week-long crackdown on widespread protests by forcing the surrender of opposition leaders.
• 2024In Iran, a helicopter crash killed eight people, including President Ebrahim Raisi and Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian.

Born on this day

• 1881Mustafa Kemal Atatürk (official birthday), Turkish field marshal and statesman, 1st President of Turkey (died 1938)
• 1890Ho Chi Minh, Vietnamese politician, 1st President of Vietnam (died 1969)
• 1925Malcolm X, American minister and activist (died 1965)
• 1925Pol Pot, Cambodian general and politician, 29th Prime Minister of Cambodia (died 1998)