- 1497 – Girolamo Savonarola of Florence was excommunicated by Pope Alexander VI.
- 1848 – Maamme, the national anthem of Finland, was performed for the first time.
- 1888 – Isabel the Redeemer (pictured) signed the Lei Áurea into law, formally abolishing slavery in Brazil.
- 1917 – Our Lady of Fatima: Three children reportedly experienced a Marian apparition near Fátima, Portugal.
- 1969 – Chinese-Malay race riots left at least 184 people dead in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in the May 13 Incident.
