This Day in History on 22nd May

The historical events hold a lot of value for aspirants who are sitting for UPSC competitive exams including the IAS Exam. 

On this page, we will list all historical events that occurred on 22nd May. The students can refer them while preparing for all competitive exams and banking exams.

Important Days

International Day for Biological Diversity (International)

International Day for Biological Diversity (International)

  • United States National Maritime Day
  • National Sovereignty Day (Haiti)
  • Republic Day (Sri Lanka)
Ravi Shastri appointed UNICEF's national ambassador for children.
Ravi Shastri appointed UNICEF’s national ambassador for children.

Important Events

1570: The first atlas, titled Theatrum Arbis Terram, was published, with a total of 70 maps.

1849: Abraham Lincoln was issued a patent for an invention to lift boats over obstacles in a river, making him the only U.S. President to ever hold a patent.

1892: Doctor Washington Scheffield invented the tube for toothpaste.

1906: The Wright brothers received a patent from the US for their flying machine.

1933: World Trade Day was celebrated for the first time.

1936: Lord Brabourne laid the foundation stone of Brabourne Stadium in Bombay.

1953: Sherpa Tenzing Norgay of Darjeeling and Edmund Hillary of New Zealand were the first to conquer Mount Everest (World).

1963: India’s first glider Rohini took off.

1972: Ceylon changed its name to Sri Lanka, adopted a new constitution, and officially became a republic.

1980: Arcade game Pac-Man was released on May 22, 1980 by Namaco. It is among the most famous arcade game and one of the highest-grossing video games of all time.

Sherpa Tenzing Norgay of Darjeeling and Edmund Hillary of New Zealand
Sherpa Tenzing Norgay of Darjeeling and Edmund Hillary of New Zealand

1989: IRBM ‘Agni’ Missile launched successfully from Chandipur, Orissa.

1990: The Yemen Arab Republic and the People’s Democratic Republic of Yemen merged to become the Republic of Yemen.

1996: Ravi Shastri was appointed UNICEF’s national ambassador for children.

1996: United Front prime ministerial candidate H.D.Deve Gowda unanimously elected leader of the Front’s parliamentary party.

2003: Swedish golfer Annika Sörenstam became the first woman to play in a PGA Tour event in 58 years.

Birthday / Anniversary

Raja Ram Mohan Roy, great social reformer, lawyer and politician and founder of Brahmo Samaj
Raja Ram Mohan Roy, great social reformer, lawyer and politician and founder of Brahmo Samaj


1772: Raja Ram Mohan Roy, great social reformer, lawyer and politician and founder of Brahmo Samaj, was born at Radhanagar in Hooghly district, Bengal. (1771 or 1772)

1917: Suniti Chaudhary, a revolutionary freedom fighter, was born at Kumilla. She was one of the accused in the famous Chargaon ammunition plot and assassination of General Lemen, Inspector General of Dhaka.

Nihal Ahmed Maulavi Mohammed Usman
Nihal Ahmed Maulavi Mohammed Usman

1927: Nihal Ahmed Maulavi Mo. Usman, the leader in Maharashtra, was born.

1927: M. S. Shivsankaraiyah, cricket test umpire for 3 tests from 1974-77, was born at Andhra Pradesh.

1940: Erapalli Anantrao Srinivasarao Prasanna, cricketer (one of India’s big four spinners, Right-arm off-break Bowler), was born in Bangalore. He is also the recipient of the Arjun Award (1968) and Padmashree (1970).

Death / Death Anniversary

Shripad Amrit Dange
Shripad Amrit Dange
Sher Shah Sur
Sher Shah Sur

337 AD: Constantine the Great, the Roman emperor.

1545: Sher Shah Suri, the founder of the Suri Empire in India.

1802: Martha Washington, the wife of George Washington.

1885: Victor Hugo, a French poet, novelist, and dramatist.

1991: Shripad Amrit Dange, a founding member of the Communist Party of India.

2010: Veturi Sundararama Murthy, an Indian poet, and lyricist.

Further Reading

Month-wise This Day in History

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