Local
2014: Chief minister Mamata Banerjee inaugurates Nazrul Tirtha on May 24 to commemorate the poet’s 115th birth anniversary. Built to be an education and research centre on Nazrul, the New Town facility later opens an open-air theatre and cinema hall too.
National
1867: Kasinadhuni Nageswararao is born in Madras Presidency on May 1. He grows up to become a businessman, best known for patenting the Amrutanjan balm. He is also a freedom fighter who participates in Gandhi’s Salt March and civil disobedience movement.
1873: Nobin Chandra Banerjee, a government employee in Tarakeswar, slits his wife Elokeshi’s throat with a fish knife on May 27 upon discovering her affair with the temple priest. A sensational trial — the “Tarakeswar Affair” — follows, with dramas, Kalighat paintings, and even merchandise like fish knives and saris being churned out. Entry fees are charged in court to control the crowds. When both the husband and priest are found guilty, a 10,000-signature mercy plea is produced to reduce Banerjee’s sentence.
1923: The first-ever celebration of Labour Day in India takes place in Madras on May 1. Malayapuram Singaravelu, a social worker and freedom fighter, initiates the event and founds the Labour Kishan Party of Hindusthan on the same day. The message is for workers of the country to unite.
Global
1857: Williamina Fleming is born on May 15 in Scotland. She moves to Boston after marriage but, when her husband deserts her, works as a domestic help in the home of Prof. Edward Pickering, director of the Harvard College Observatory. Pickering’s wife recognises Fleming’s intelligence, leading Pickering to hire her for part-time administrative work at the observatory. She goes on to develop a common designation system for stars, catalogues over 10,000 stars, and is especially noted for her discovery of the Horsehead Nebula.
1910: A historic photograph, “The Nine Sovereigns,” is taken on May 20 in England at the funeral of King Edward VII. The funeral marks the largest gathering of European royalty ever and the last before many of them are deposed in World War I, adding to the photograph’s significance. It features kings of Norway, Bulgaria, Portugal, Germany, Greece, Belgium, Spain, Denmark, and the new ruler of the United Kingdom, George V.
1955: A cement Buddha statue cracks on May 25 while being moved at the Wat Traimit pagoda in Bangkok. The crack reveals gold inside, totaling 5.5 tonnes, making it the world’s largest solid gold statue. The metal had been hidden in cement for nearly 200 years to protect it from Burmese invaders and suddenly transforms the once-minor pagoda into a major pilgrimage and tourist site.
Sport, art, music
1926: Mario Miranda is born on May 2 in Daman. He grows up to become a cartoonist and painter based out of Goa. A recurring theme in his works is vignettes of Goan village life. Miranda works and travels the world holding exhibitions. He dies in 2011 but is awarded a Padma Vibhushan posthumously.
1929: Farida Khanum is born in Amritsar on May 16. She begins her training in music but her family moves to Lahore during Partition, where she joins Radio Pakistan and starts performing at concerts. She comes to be known as the queen of ghazal, most loved for her rendition of Aaj jaane ki zidd na karo, which she performs once again at the age of 86 on Coke Studio in 2015.
1978: Eric Moussambani is born on May 31 in Equatorial Guinea, West Africa. The swimmer gets a wild card entry into the 2000 Olympics, despite never having seen an Olympic-sized 50m pool before. In the 100m freestyle heat, both his competitors are disqualified for false starts, leaving Eric to swim alone. He earns the dubious honor of being the slowest swimmer in Olympic history, finishing with a time of 1:52.72. Despite struggling, the crowd cheers on till he completes the race.