Arthur Wellesley, 1st duke of Wellington

"Pray keep the English quiet if you can. Let them all prepare to move, but neither be in a flurry or a fright, as all will yet turn out well."

Duke of Wellington, letter to Sir Charles Stuart from the Battle of Waterloo, June 18, 1815

Born in Dublin this day in 1769 was British army commander Arthur Wellesley, 1st duke of Wellington, who with his allies defeated Napoleon at the Battle of Waterloo (1815), conquering the world's conqueror.

On this day in 1889, May Day—traditionally a celebration of the return of spring, marked by dancing around a Maypole—was first observed as a labour holiday, designated as such by the International Socialist Congress.

More Events on this day:

1961: The first major airplane hijacking within the United States occurred when a man forced a commercial airliner en route from Miami to Key West, Florida, to detour to Cuba.

1898: The Battle of Manila Bay ended in the defeat of the Spanish Pacific fleet by the U.S. Navy, resulting in the fall of the Philippines and contributing to the final U.S. victory in the Spanish-American War.