On This Day: 24 May

The Fifth Crusade leaves Acre for Egypt		1218
David I, King of Scots, dies; succeeded by Malcolm IV		1153
Ten–year–old Lambert Simnel, pretender to the English throne, is crowned in Dublin		1487
One hundred English settlers disembark in Jamestown, the first permanent English colony in America		1607
The Protestant Union (a coalition of Protestant German states, formed in 1608 by Frederick IV, Elector Palatine, to defend the rights, land and safety of each member) is formally dissolved		1621
Peter Minuit, Director of New Netherland, buys Manhattan from the Lenape Native Americans "for $24 dollars' worth of trinkets" (officially, goods worth 60 guilders – just over $1,000 in 2015)		1626
The Ashmolean Museum in Oxford opens as the world's first university museum		1683
Parliament passes the Act of Toleration – protecting Protestant dissenters, but excluding Roman Catholics		1689
During a reading of Martin Luther's preface to the Epistle to the Romans, John Wesley experiences a conversion that would lead him to found the Methodist Church (the date is celebrated annually by Methodists as Aldersgate Day)		1738
The Belfast–based Society of United Irishmen begins a rebellion against British rule		1798
Robespierre survives a second assassination attempt (by Cecile Renault)		1794
Dartmoor Prison, built to receive French prisoners of war, opens		1809
Simón Bolívar enters Mérida, leading the invasion of Venezuela, and is proclaimed El Libertador		1813
Pope Pius VII, exiled by Napoleon, returns to Rome		1814
Lachlan River, Australia, discovered by George Evans		1815
Mary Had a Little Lamb, by the American writer and editor Sarah Josepha Hale, is published		1830
The First Kingdom of Greece is declared by the Great Powers (the UK, France and Russia) in the London Conference		1832
Samuel Morse's first message in Morse Code – Washington to Baltimore – "What hath God wrought?" (a Biblical quotation – Numbers 23:23)		1844
John Brown's Free–Staters massacre five pro–slavers at Pottawatamie Creek, Kansas (in reaction to the sacking of Lawrence, Kansas by pro–slavery forces)		1856
Westminster Bridge opened		1862
Brooklyn Bridge, New York, opened		1883
Henry Irving becomes the first actor to be knighted		1895
Britain annexes the Orange Free State		1900
Empire Day first celebrated in Britain		1902
Bristol University granted a Royal charter		1909
Conscription begins in Britain: all men between 18 and 41 become eligible for military service		1916
British Legion founded		1921
The Marx Brothers' first film – The Coconuts – premiered in New York		1929
Amy Johnson lands at Port Darwin, Northern Territory – the first woman to fly solo from England to Australia		1930
The pride of the Royal Navy, HMS Hood, is sunk off Greenland by the Bismarck (with one salvo)		1941
The Eurovision Song Contest is held for the first time, in Lugano, Switzerland		1956
The British press discovers that Jerry Lee Lewis' wife is only 13 years old (and is also his cousin)		1958
Empire Day renamed Commonwealth Day		1959
Scott Carpenter orbits the Earth three times in Aurora 7 (part of the Mercury programme)		1962
318 people are killed and 500 injured, during a football match between Peru and Argentina, in a riot that started after an equaliser for Peru was disallowed		1964
Charles de Gaulle issues an ultimatum to striking students and workers, who have brought France to a standstill during three weeks of violent demonstrations: to back his programme of reform or accept his resignation, in a referendum later the same year		1968
Lord Lambton and Earl Jellicoe resign in a callgirl/security scandal		1973
A group of 80 reporters and cameramen – including nine Britons – are allowed to fly out of Saigon – the first Westerners to leave the city since it fell to Communist forces on 29 April		1975
British and French Concordes make their first flights to Dulles Airport, Washington, from London and Paris respectively (taking just under four hours)		1976
Section 28 of the Local Government Act bans the intentional promotion of homosexuality by a local authority		1988
Sonia Sutcliffe is awarded £600,000 damages against Private Eye; Ian Hislop says "If this is justice, I'm a banana" (the damages are later reduced to £60,000)		1989
Margaret Thatcher pledges a 30% reduction in Britain's carbon dioxide emissions		1990
Eritrea gains independence from Ethiopia		1993
Four men convicted of bombing the World Trade Center in New York in 1993 are each sentenced to 240 years in prison		1994
The International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, in The Hague, indicts Slobodan Milošević and four others for war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in Kosovo		1999
The first Burke's Peerage for 30 years lists illegitimate children of the nobility (an estimated 10,000 of the 60,000 total) for the first time		1999
Lawrence Dallaglio steps down as England rugby captain despite denying allegations of taking and dealing in drugs including cocaine and ecstasy		1999
Israeli troops withdraw from southern Lebanon after 22 years of occupation		1999
The US House of Representatives votes to grant permanent trade privileges to China		2000
At least 20 people are killed and hundreds are injured when a building collapses at a wedding party in Jerusalem		2001

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On This Day: 24 May