Babur defeats Afghans at the Battle of Ghagra

The Battle of Ghagra (1529) was the last major engagement of Zahīr ud-Dīn Muhammad Babur in India.

Eager to end the Afghan threat, Babur pursued the army of Sultan Mahmud Lodi and drove it into Bengal. Ultimately on 6 May, 1529 the two armies fought at the confluence of the Ghaghara and the Ganges Rivers.

Babur inflicted a decisive defeat on the Afghan forces, gaining control from the Indus all the way to Bihar and establish the Mughal Empire as the preeminent power in the Indian subcontinent. Babur died the following year and was succeeded by his son Humayun.

Eiffel Tower

The Eiffel Tower is unveiled at the Exposition Universelle on 6 May, 1889. Designed by Gustave Eiffel, the tower was critcised over its aesthetic appeal but went on to become one of the most recognisable man-made structures in the world and a global cultural icon of Paris.

Hindenburg Disaster

The Hindenburg Disaster takes place on 6 May, 1937 in New Jersey, United States killing 36 people. Public confidence in passenger airships declined steeply after the accident and also marked an end to the era of airships. The Hindenburg eventually became a part of public memory and popular culture.

Pope John Paul II becomes the first Pope to enter a Mosque

Pope John Paul II becomes the first pope to enter a mosque and offer prayers on 6 May, 2001.
In an effort to improve relations between Islam and Christianity, he entered the Umayyad Mosque in Syria, removed his shoes, offered his prayers and kissed the Quran. He was widely critcised by traditionalist Catholics for the act but gained remarkable appreciation from Muslims.

“For all the times that Muslims and Christians have offended one another, we need to seek forgiveness from the Almighty and to offer each other forgiveness,” he said at the time.

Catechism of the Catholic Church promulgated by Pope John Paul II in 1992 also made a specific reference to Muslims.

“Together with us they adore the one, merciful God, mankind’s judge on the last day,” it read.

Motilal Nehru

Motilal Nehru is born on 6 May, 1861.

Trained as a lawyer, he went on to become one of the most important leaders of the Indian National Congress.
Founder of the famous Nehru political dynasty in India, he died on 6 February, 1931.

Henry David Thoreau

American writer and a leader of the Transcendentalist movement, Henry David Thoreau dies on May 6, 1862  at the age of  44. Writing about Philosophy, Development and History in both poetry and prose, his most famous works include Walden and Civil Disobedience.

George Clooney

George Timothy Clooney is born on 6 May, 1961 in Lexington, Kentucky. One of the most recognisable actors on the world stage and involved in humanitarian work, his most famous movies include ‘O Brother, Where Art Thou?’ (2000),  ‘Out of Sight’ (1998) , ‘Syriana’ (2005) and Batman & Robin (1997).

Chinese Exclusion Act

The Chinese Exclusion Act is signed on 6 May, 1882 barring Chinese immigrants from entering the United States. Renewed and then made permanent, the Act was only repealed in 1943. The Act was passed after public demands to maintain White ‘Racial Purity’ in the US and clamp down on immigration from China – the Chinese were blamed for a decline in wages even though they constituted only 0.002 per cent of the US population at the time.

Did you know Napoleon died on 4 May? Would you like to know what else happened on the day?

How about 7 May?

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