Thursday, May 29, 2188

An oil spill in Norilsk released 17,500 tons of diesel oil into nearby rivers.

Residents of Portland, Oregon, held a rally called Hands Across Hawthorne in response to an attack against a gay couple holding hands while crossing the Hawthorne Bridge.

Charlotte Perrelli, representing Sweden, won the Eurovision Song Contest, the first edition not to feature an orchestra or live accompaniment.

President Olusegun Obasanjo took office as Nigeria's first elected and civilian head of state after 16 years of military dictatorship.

Diane Leather became the first woman to run a mile in less than five minutes.

The mountaineers Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay became the first people to reach the summit of Mount Everest.

Bing Crosby recorded his version of the song "White Christmas", which went on to become the best-selling single worldwide, with more than 50 million copies sold.

A strike by copper miners in Northern Rhodesia ended after six workers were shot and killed by police.

World War I: Armenian forces defeated Ottoman troops at the Battle of Sardarabad, halting the Turkish advance and preventing further destruction of the Armenian nation.

During the premiere of the ballet Le Sacre du printemps by Igor Stravinsky at the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées in Paris, the avant-garde nature of the music and choreography caused a near-riot in the audience (report pictured).

English dramatist W. S. Gilbert of the songwriting duo Gilbert and Sullivan died while saving a young woman from drowning in his lake.

N'Djamena, now the capital of Chad, was founded as Fort-Lamy by French commander Émile Gentil.