May 1944
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The following events occurred in May 1944:


May 1, 1944 (Monday)

*German submarine '' U-277'' was depth charged and sunk in the Arctic Ocean by a Fairey Swordfish aircraft of
842 Naval Air Squadron 842 Naval Air Squadron (842 NAS) was a Naval Air Squadron of the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm The Fleet Air Arm (FAA) is one of the five fighting arms of the Royal Navy and is responsible for the delivery of naval air power both from land ...
. *
1 May 1944 Kaisariani executions On 1 May 1944, 200 Greek communists ( el, Οι 200 της Καισαριανής, "The 200 of Kaisariani") were executed at the firing range of the Athens suburb of Kaisariani by the Nazi occupation authorities as reprisal for the killing of a Ge ...
: 200 Greek communists were executed by Nazi occupation authorities in the Athens suburb of
Kaisariani Kaisariani ( el, Καισαριανή) is a suburb and a municipality in the eastern part of the Athens agglomeration in Greece. Geography Kaisariani is located about southeast of Athens city centre, and of the Acropolis of Athens. The munic ...
as reprisal for the killing of a German general by Greek Resistance fighters. *Born: Suresh Kalmadi, politician and senior sports administrator, in Pune, British India *Died:
Itzhak Katzenelson Itzhak Katzenelson ( he, יצחק קצנלסון, yi, (יצחק קאַצ(ע)נעלסאָן(זון; also transcribed as ''Icchak-Lejb Kacenelson'', ''Jizchak Katzenelson''; ''Yitzhok Katznelson'') (1 July 1886 – 1 May 1944) was a Polish Jewis ...
, 57, Polish-Jewish teacher, poet and dramatist (killed at
Auschwitz Auschwitz concentration camp ( (); also or ) was a complex of over 40 concentration and extermination camps operated by Nazi Germany in occupied Poland (in a portion annexed into Germany in 1939) during World War II and the Holocaust. It con ...
)


May 2, 1944 (Tuesday)

*The
Second Battle of Târgu Frumos The Second Battle of Târgu Frumos was a military engagement primarily between the Wehrmacht and Red Army forces in May 1944, near Iași, Romania. The battle was the main engagement of the Târgu Frumos Operation, and is often referred simp ...
began on the Eastern Front. *German submarine '' U-674'' was sunk in the Arctic Ocean north of Tromsø by a Fairey Swordfish aircraft of
842 Naval Air Squadron 842 Naval Air Squadron (842 NAS) was a Naval Air Squadron of the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm The Fleet Air Arm (FAA) is one of the five fighting arms of the Royal Navy and is responsible for the delivery of naval air power both from land ...
. *The American destroyer USS ''Parrott'' was severely damaged in a collision with the Liberty ship ''John Morton'' at
Norfolk, Virginia Norfolk ( ) is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. Incorporated in 1705, it had a population of 238,005 at the 2020 census, making it the third-most populous city in Virginia after neighboring Virginia Be ...
and never repaired. * Spain bowed to pressure from the Allies and agreed to stop exporting tungsten to Germany. *The first two transports of Hungarian Jews arrived at
Auschwitz concentration camp Auschwitz concentration camp ( (); also or ) was a complex of over 40 concentration and extermination camps operated by Nazi Germany in occupied Poland (in a portion annexed into Germany in 1939) during World War II and the Holocaust. It con ...
.


May 3, 1944 (Wednesday)

* Soemu Toyoda was made Commander in Chief of the Combined Fleet, replacing Mineichi Koga who was killed March 31. *The American destroyer escort USS ''Donnell'' was torpedoed and heavily damaged in the Atlantic Ocean by German submarine '' U-473''. ''Donnell'' was towed to Scotland and declared a total loss. *German submarine '' U-852'' was beached and scuttled on the Somali coast after being heavily damaged by British aircraft.


May 4, 1944 (Thursday)

*German submarine '' U-371'' was scuttled off
Constantine, Algeria Constantine ( ar, قسنطينة '), also spelled Qacentina or Kasantina, is the capital of Constantine Province in northeastern Algeria. During Roman Empire, Roman times it was called Cirta and was renamed "Constantina" in honor of emperor Const ...
after being heavily damaged by Allied warships. *German submarine '' U-846'' was depth charged and sunk in the
Bay of Biscay The Bay of Biscay (), known in Spain as the Gulf of Biscay ( es, Golfo de Vizcaya, eu, Bizkaiko Golkoa), and in France and some border regions as the Gulf of Gascony (french: Golfe de Gascogne, oc, Golf de Gasconha, br, Pleg-mor Gwaskogn), ...
by a Vickers Wellington of
407 Squadron 4 (four) is a number, numeral and digit. It is the natural number following 3 and preceding 5. It is the smallest semiprime and composite number, and is considered unlucky in many East Asian cultures. In mathematics Four is the smallest c ...
, Royal Canadian Air Force. *The mystery-thriller film '' Gaslight'' starring Charles Boyer,
Ingrid Bergman Ingrid Bergman (29 August 191529 August 1982) was a Swedish actress who starred in a variety of European and American films, television movies, and plays.Obituary ''Variety'', 1 September 1982. With a career spanning five decades, she is often ...
, Joseph Cotten and Angela Lansbury (in her film debut) premiered in New York City. *Born: Fred Stanfield, ice hockey player, in Toronto, Canada (d. 2021);
Russi Taylor Russi Taylor (May 4, 1944 – July 26, 2019) was an American voice actress. She is best remembered as the official voice of Minnie Mouse from 1986 to 2019, and was notably married to voice actor Wayne Allwine, the voice of Mickey Mouse, until his ...
, voice actress, in Cambridge, Massachusetts (d. 2019)


May 5, 1944 (Friday)

*The British Fourteenth Army counterattacked during the Battle of Imphal. *After almost two years of internment in the
Aga Khan Aga Khan ( fa, آقاخان, ar, آغا خان; also transliterated as ''Aqa Khan'' and ''Agha Khan'') is a title held by the Imām of the Nizari Ismāʿīli Shias. Since 1957, the holder of the title has been the 49th Imām, Prince Shah Karim ...
's palace in Pune, Mahatma Gandhi was released for medical reasons. It would prove to be the last internment of Gandhi's life. *Born: Roger Rees, actor and director, in
Aberystwyth Aberystwyth () is a university and seaside town as well as a community in Ceredigion, Wales. Located in the historic county of Cardiganshire, means "the mouth of the Ystwyth". Aberystwyth University has been a major educational location in ...
, Wales (d. 2015); John Rhys-Davies, actor, in Salisbury, England *Died: Bertha Benz, 95, German automotive pioneer and wife of Karl Benz


May 6, 1944 (Saturday)

*Soviet forces began their final attack on Sevastopol with a massive artillery bombardment. *The
Biltmore Conference The Biltmore Conference, also known by its resolution as the Biltmore Program, was a fundamental departure from traditional Zionist policyAmerican Jewish Year Book Vol. 45 (1943-1944Pro-Palestine and Zionist Activities, pp 206-214 by its demand "th ...
opened at the
Biltmore Hotel Bowman-Biltmore Hotels was a hotel chain created by the hotel magnate John McEntee Bowman. The name evokes the Vanderbilt family's Biltmore Estate, whose buildings and the gardens within are privately owned historical landmarks and tourist attracti ...
in New York City, with 600 delegates and Zionist leaders attending to discuss an official Zionist policy on the Jews and Palestine. *British authorities announced that Mahatma Gandhi had been unconditionally released from custody on medical grounds after being interned at
Aga Khan III Sultan Muhammad Shah (2 November 187711 July 1957), commonly known by his religious title Aga Khan III, was the 48th Imam of the Nizariyya. He played an important role in British Indian politics. Born to Aga Khan II in Karachi, Aga Khan III ...
's palace at Pune since August 1942. *The Japanese Mitsubishi A7M fighter plane had its first flight, but only nine would ever be manufactured. *American submarine USS ''Gurnard'' attacked the
Take Ichi convoy The was a Japanese convoy of World War II. The convoy left Shanghai on 17 April 1944, carrying two infantry divisions to reinforce Japan's defensive positions in the Philippines and western New Guinea. United States Navy (USN) submarines attack ...
and sank three freighters. *German submarine '' U-473'' was sunk in the Atlantic Ocean southwest of Ireland by British sloops. *German submarine U66 was rammed and sunk by the USS Buckley (DE-51) off Cape Verde. *
Pensive Pensive (February 5, 1941 – May 20, 1949) was a bright chestnut Thoroughbred racehorse that in 1944 won the first two legs of the U.S. Triple Crown. Pensive also began only the second sire line "hat trick" in the Kentucky Derby, as his son P ...
won the
Kentucky Derby The Kentucky Derby is a horse race held annually in Louisville, Kentucky, United States, almost always on the first Saturday in May, capping the two-week-long Kentucky Derby Festival. The competition is a Grade I stakes race for three-year ...
. *"
I Love You I Love You, I Love U, or I Luv U may refer to: Film and television Films * ''I Love You'' (1918 film), a silent drama written by Catherine Carr * ''I Love You'' (1925 film), a German silent drama film * ''I Love You'' (1938 film) a German ...
" by
Bing Crosby Harry Lillis "Bing" Crosby Jr. (May 3, 1903 – October 14, 1977) was an American singer, musician and actor. The first multimedia star, he was one of the most popular and influential musical artists of the 20th century worldwide. He was a ...
topped the ''
Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...
'' singles charts.


May 7, 1944 (Sunday)

*The U.S.
Eighth Air Force The Eighth Air Force (Air Forces Strategic) is a numbered air force (NAF) of the United States Air Force's Air Force Global Strike Command (AFGSC). It is headquartered at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana. The command serves as Air Force ...
conducted a massive 1,500 bomber raid on Berlin. *The Canadian frigate '' Valleyfield'' was torpedoed and sunk southeast of Cape Race, Newfoundland by German submarine '' U-548'' with the loss of 129 of 167 crew. *Died:
William Ledyard Rodgers William Ledyard Rodgers (February 4, 1860 – May 7, 1944) was a vice admiral of the United States Navy. His career included service in the Spanish–American War and World War I, and a tour as President of the Naval War College. Rodgers was al ...
, 84, American admiral


May 8 Events Pre-1600 * 453 BC – Spring and Autumn period: The house of Zhao defeats the house of Zhi, ending the Battle of Jinyang, a military conflict between the elite families of the State of Jin. * 413 – Emperor Honorius signs a ...
, 1944 (Monday)

*The
Second Battle of Târgu Frumos The Second Battle of Târgu Frumos was a military engagement primarily between the Wehrmacht and Red Army forces in May 1944, near Iași, Romania. The battle was the main engagement of the Târgu Frumos Operation, and is often referred simp ...
ended in Axis victory. *The Czechoslovak government-in-exile signed a convention in London allowing the Soviet Army to liberate Czechoslovakia. *Born:
Gary Glitter Paul Francis Gadd (born 8 May 1944), best known by his stage name Gary Glitter, is an English former singer, songwriter, and record producer. He achieved success during the glam rock era of the 1970s and 1980s, and his career ended after he w ...
, glam rock musician, in Banbury, Oxfordshire, England *Died: Ethel Smyth, 86, English composer and suffragist


May 9, 1944 (Tuesday)

*The Soviet 4th Ukrainian Front captured Sevastopol. * Andrés Ignacio Menéndez became President of El Salvador after Maximiliano Hernández Martínez fled the country. *The Manhattan Ear, Nose and Throat and New York Hospitals opened the world's first
eye bank Eye banks recover, prepare and deliver donated eyes for cornea transplants and research. The first successful cornea transplant was performed in 1905 and the first eye bank was founded in 1944. Currently, in the United States, eye banks provide t ...
. *Born: Richie Furay, musician ( Buffalo Springfield, Poco) in Yellow Springs, Ohio; Laurence Owen, figure skater, in Oakland, California (d. 1961)


May 10 Events Pre-1600 * 28 BC – A sunspot is observed by Han dynasty astronomers during the reign of Emperor Cheng of Han, one of the earliest dated sunspot observations in China. *1291 – Scottish nobles recognize the authority of Edw ...
, 1944 (Wednesday)

*Soviet General Aleksandr Vasilevsky was wounded in the head at Sevastopol after his car drove over a mine. He was evacuated to Moscow for treatment. *Japanese destroyer '' Karukaya'' was sunk in the South China Sea by the American submarine '' Silversides''. *Born: Jim Abrahams, film director and writer, in
Shorewood, Wisconsin Shorewood is a village in Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 13,859 at the 2020 census. History In the early 19th century when the first European American settlers arrived, the Shorewood area was controlled by Nativ ...


May 11 Events 1601–1900 *1812 – Prime Minister Spencer Perceval is Assassination of Spencer Perceval, assassinated by John Bellingham in the lobby of the British House of Commons. *1813 – William Lawson (explorer), William Lawson, Grego ...
, 1944 (Thursday)

*U.S. and British forces carried out
Operation Diadem Operation Diadem, also referred to as the Fourth Battle of Monte Cassino or, in Canada, the Battle of the Liri Valley, was an offensive operation undertaken by the Allies of World War II (U.S. Fifth Army and British Eighth Army) in May 1944, as p ...
in Italy, breaking through German defenses in the
Liri The Liri (Latin Liris or Lyris, previously, Clanis; Greek: ) is one of the principal rivers of central Italy, flowing into the Tyrrhenian Sea a little below Minturno under the name Garigliano. Source and route The Liri's source is in the Mon ...
Valley. *Allied forces raided airfields and coastal installations in Normandy, hitting
Calais Calais ( , , traditionally , ) is a port city in the Pas-de-Calais department, of which it is a subprefecture. Although Calais is by far the largest city in Pas-de-Calais, the department's prefecture is its third-largest city of Arras. Th ...
particularly hard as part of the deception plan to make the Germans think the landings would be made there. *The wartime romance film ''
The White Cliffs of Dover The White Cliffs of Dover is the region of English coastline facing the Strait of Dover and France. The cliff face, which reaches a height of , owes its striking appearance to its composition of chalk accented by streaks of black flint, deposi ...
'' starring Irene Dunne and Alan Marshal was released.


May 12, 1944 (Friday)

*The two-year Battle of the Caucasus ended in Soviet victory. *19-year old Indian
Sepoy ''Sepoy'' () was the Persian-derived designation originally given to a professional Indian infantryman, traditionally armed with a musket, in the armies of the Mughal Empire. In the 18th century, the French East India Company and its oth ...
Kamal Ram Kamal Ram, VC (17 December 19241 July 1982) was an Indian recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces. He was the second ...
earned the Victoria Cross for his actions during his battalion's assault on the Gustav Line in Italy. Ram wiped out a German machine-gun post single-handedly, induced a second one to surrender and then assisted a companion in destroying a third. *Born: Sara Kestelman, actress, in London, England *Died: Max Brand, 51, American author;
Harold Lowe Commander Harold Godfrey Lowe RD, RNR (21 November 1882 – 12 May 1944) was the fifth officer of the . He was amongst the 4 officers to survive the disaster Biography Early years Harold Lowe was born in Llanrhos, Caernarvonshire, Wales on ...
, 61, British sailor and Fifth Officer of the RMS ''Titanic''; Arthur Quiller-Couch, 80, Cornish author and literary critic


May 13 Events Pre-1600 *1373 – Julian of Norwich has visions of Jesus while suffering from a life-threatening illness, visions which are later described and interpreted in her book '' Revelations of Divine Love''. * 1501 – Amerigo Vespu ...
, 1944 (Saturday)

*The
Battle of the Tennis Court The Battle of the Tennis Court was part of the wider Battle of Kohima that was fought in North East India from 4 April to 22 June 1944 during the Burma Campaign of the Second World War. The Japanese advance into India was halted at Kohima in Ap ...
ended in Allied victory. *Action of 13 May 1944: A U.S. destroyer escort sank the former German U-boat '' U-1224'', which had been given to the Japanese Navy and renamed ''RO-501''. It was the first of two times a Japanese ship was sunk in the Atlantic Ocean during the war. *The Germans completed their withdrawal from the Crimea, having evacuated more than 150,000 men by air and sea over several weeks. *Near
Cassino Cassino () is a ''comune'' in the province of Frosinone, Southern Italy, at the southern end of the region of Lazio, the last city of the Latin Valley. Cassino is located at the foot of Monte Cairo near the confluence of the Gari and Liri rive ...
, Italy, British Captain
Richard Wakeford Major Richard Wakeford VC (23 July 1921 – 27 August 1972) was an English soldier and a recipient of the Victoria Cross during World War II, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to ...
killed a number of the enemy and took 20 prisoners while armed with only a revolver. The following day he organized and led a force to attack a hill despite taking wounds to his face, arms and legs. Wakeford would be awarded the Victoria Cross for his actions. *
Pensive Pensive (February 5, 1941 – May 20, 1949) was a bright chestnut Thoroughbred racehorse that in 1944 won the first two legs of the U.S. Triple Crown. Pensive also began only the second sire line "hat trick" in the Kentucky Derby, as his son P ...
won the Preakness Stakes. *Born: Armistead Maupin, novelist, in Washington, D.C.


May 14 Events Pre-1600 * 1027 – Robert II of France names his son Henry I as junior King of the Franks. *1097 – The Siege of Nicaea begins during the First Crusade. * 1264 – Battle of Lewes: Henry III of England is captured and forc ...
, 1944 (Sunday)

*Japanese destroyer '' Inazuma'' was torpedoed and sunk in the Celebes Sea off Tawi-Tawi by the American submarine '' Bonefish''. *Men of the 21st ''Waffen'' Mountain Division of the SS ''Skanderbeg'' (1st Albanian) rounded up 281 Kosovo Jews in Pristina and handed them over to the Germans for deportation to the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp. *Vichy radio reported that French cardinals had appealed to the Roman Catholic clergy in Britain and the United States to use their influence to ensure that the French civilian population as well as towns, works of art and churches would be spared from Allied bombing as much as possible. *''
Strange Fruit "Strange Fruit" is a song written and composed by Abel Meeropol (under his pseudonym Lewis Allan) and recorded by Billie Holiday in 1939. The lyrics were drawn from a poem by Meeropol published in 1937. The song protests the lynching of Black ...
'' by Lillian Smith hit #1 on the ''New York Times'' Fiction Best Sellers list. *Born:
George Lucas George Walton Lucas Jr. (born May 14, 1944) is an American filmmaker. Lucas is best known for creating the ''Star Wars'' and ''Indiana Jones'' franchises and founding Lucasfilm, LucasArts, Industrial Light & Magic and THX. He served as chairm ...
, filmmaker, entrepreneur and creator of the ''
Star Wars ''Star Wars'' is an American epic film, epic space opera multimedia franchise created by George Lucas, which began with the Star Wars (film), eponymous 1977 film and quickly became a worldwide popular culture, pop-culture Cultural impact of S ...
'' and ''
Indiana Jones ''Indiana Jones'' is an American media franchise based on the adventures of Dr. Henry Walton "Indiana" Jones, Jr., a fictional professor of archaeology, that began in 1981 with the film '' Raiders of the Lost Ark''. In 1984, a prequel, '' Th ...
'' franchises, in
Modesto, California Modesto () is the county seat and largest city of Stanislaus County, California, United States. With a population of 218,464 at the 2020 census, it is the 19th largest city in the state of California and forms part of the Sacramento-Stockton- ...


May 15, 1944 (Monday)

*The Battle of Wakde began in Netherlands New Guinea. *The first of three days of British Commando reconnaissance raids known as
Operation Tarbrush Operation Tarbrush was the name of a series of British Commando raids during the Second World War, which took place in 1944. Members of No. 10 (Inter-Allied) Commando were responsible for this operation, which was intended to obtain photographs ...
began in northern France. *Hungarian officials under the guidance of SS officials began deporting Jews from Hungary. By July 9 a total of about 440,000 Jews would be deported from the country, mostly to
Auschwitz Auschwitz concentration camp ( (); also or ) was a complex of over 40 concentration and extermination camps operated by Nazi Germany in occupied Poland (in a portion annexed into Germany in 1939) during World War II and the Holocaust. It con ...
. *In
Algiers Algiers ( ; ar, الجزائر, al-Jazāʾir; ber, Dzayer, script=Latn; french: Alger, ) is the capital and largest city of Algeria. The city's population at the 2008 Census was 2,988,145Census 14 April 2008: Office National des Statistiques ...
, French Vice-Admiral Edmond Derrien was sentenced to life in prison for handing over units of the French Fleet to the Germans in December 1942, after the Allied landing in North Africa. *German submarine '' U-731'' was depth charged and sunk in the Atlantic Ocean by Allied planes and warships. * Clyde Shoun of the
Cincinnati Reds The Cincinnati Reds are an American professional baseball team based in Cincinnati. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League Central, Central division and were a charter member of ...
pitched a 1-0 no-hitter against the
Boston Braves The Atlanta Braves, a current Major League Baseball franchise, originated in Boston, Massachusetts. This article details the history of the Boston Braves, from 1871 to 1952, after which they moved to Milwaukee, and then to Atlanta. During it ...
. *Born:
Ulrich Beck Ulrich Beck (15 May 1944 – 1 January 2015) was a German sociologist, and one of the most cited social scientists in the world during his lifetime. His work focused on questions of uncontrollability, ignorance and uncertainty in the modern a ...
, sociologist, in Stolp, Germany (d. 2015); Gunilla Hutton, actress and singer, in
Gothenburg Gothenburg (; abbreviated Gbg; sv, Göteborg ) is the second-largest city in Sweden, fifth-largest in the Nordic countries, and capital of the Västra Götaland County. It is situated by the Kattegat, on the west coast of Sweden, and has ...
, Sweden


May 16 Events Pre-1600 * 946 – Emperor Suzaku abdicates the throne in favor of his brother Murakami who becomes the 62nd emperor of Japan. *1204 – Baldwin IX, Count of Flanders is crowned as the first Emperor of the Latin Empire. * 1364 ...
, 1944 (Tuesday)

*Japanese submarine '' I-176'' was depth charged and sunk off Buka Island by three American destroyers. *German submarine '' U-616'' was damaged in the Mediterranean Sea east of
Cartagena, Spain Cartagena () is a Spanish city and a major naval station on the Mediterranean coast, south-eastern Iberia. As of January 2018, it has a population of 218,943 inhabitants, being the region's second-largest municipality and the country's sixth-lar ...
by American warships. She was consequently scuttled the next day. *Died:
George Ade George Ade (February 9, 1866 – May 16, 1944) was an American writer, syndicated newspaper columnist, and playwright who gained national notoriety at the turn of the 20th century with his "Stories of the Streets and of the Town", a column that ...
, 78, American writer, newspaper columnist and playwright;
Filip Mișea Filip Mișea (1873 – 16 May 1944; tr, Filip Mişa or ) was an Aromanian activist, physician and politician. Mișea became an Ottoman deputy, with him and Nicolae Constantin Batzaria being the only Aromanians to ever enter the Ottoman parli ...
, Aromanian activist, physician and politician


May 17, 1944 (Wednesday)

*The Siege of Myitkyina began during the Burma Campaign. *German submarine '' U-240'' went missing in the North Sea. Her fate remains unknown.


May 18 Events Pre-1600 * 332 – Emperor Constantine the Great announces free distributions of food to the citizens in Constantinople. * 872 – Louis II of Italy is crowned for the second time as Holy Roman Emperor at Rome, at the age of 4 ...
, 1944 (Thursday)

*The
Battle of Monte Cassino The Battle of Monte Cassino, also known as the Battle for Rome and the Battle for Cassino, was a series of four assaults made by the Allies against German forces in Italy during the Italian Campaign of World War II. The ultimate objective was ...
ended after 123 days in Allied victory when the Germans finally abandoned the stronghold at Monte Cassino. *The Admiralty Islands campaign ended after 80 days with a decisive Allied victory. *The Battle of Wakde ended in American victory. *Hitler assigned Gerd von Runstedt as Commander in Chief of German forces in the west. * Joseph Stalin ordered the deportation of the Crimean Tatars as a form of collective punishment for alleged collaboration with the Nazis. *Born: Albert Hammond, singer, songwriter and record producer, in London, England


May 19, 1944 (Friday)

*German submarine '' U-960'' was sunk in the Mediterranean by Allied planes and warships. *The
Republican Party presidential primaries Presidential primaries have been held in the United States since 1912 to nominate the Republican presidential candidate. 1912 This was the first time that candidates were chosen through primaries. President William Taft ran to become the nomine ...
ended in the United States with New York Governor
Thomas E. Dewey Thomas Edmund Dewey (March 24, 1902 – March 16, 1971) was an American lawyer, prosecutor, and politician who served as the 47th governor of New York from 1943 to 1954. He was the Republican candidate for president in 1944 and 1948: although ...
prevailing in Oregon.


May 20, 1944 (Saturday)

*U.S. troops captured the Italian cities of
Gaeta Gaeta (; lat, Cāiēta; Southern Laziale: ''Gaieta'') is a city in the province of Latina, in Lazio, Southern Italy. Set on a promontory stretching towards the Gulf of Gaeta, it is from Rome and from Naples. The town has played a consp ...
and Itri. *80 miles east of Warsaw, the Polish Resistance recovered a German V-2 rocket, dismantled it and sent it to London for analysis. *The
Communist Party USA The Communist Party USA, officially the Communist Party of the United States of America (CPUSA), is a communist party in the United States which was established in 1919 after a split in the Socialist Party of America following the Russian Revo ...
convention in New York voted to dissolve the party and continue as the Communist Political Association. *Born:
Joe Cocker John Robert "Joe" Cocker (20 May 1944 – 22 December 2014) was an English singer known for his gritty, bluesy voice and dynamic stage performances that featured expressive body movements. Most of his best known singles were recordings of son ...
, singer and musician, in Sheffield, England (d. 2014);
Boudewijn de Groot Frank Boudewijn de Groot (, born 20 May 1944) is a Dutch singer-songwriter, known for "''Welterusten Meneer de President''" (1966). Biography Youth Boudewijn de Groot was born in wartime occupied Dutch East Indies in 1944 in a Japanese concentr ...
, singer and songwriter, in a Japanese concentration camp in Batavia, Dutch East Indies; Dietrich Mateschitz, businessman and co-founder of the
Red Bull Red Bull is a brand of energy drinks of Austria, Austrian company Red Bull GmbH. With 38% market share, it is the most popular energy drink brand as of 2019. Since its launch in 1987, more than 100 billion cans of Red Bull have been sold worldwid ...
energy drink company, in Sankt Marein im Mürztal, Austria (d. 2022) *Died: Fraser Barron, 23, New Zealand aviator (plane crash at
Le Mans Le Mans (, ) is a city in northwestern France on the Sarthe River where it meets the Huisne. Traditionally the capital of the province of Maine, it is now the capital of the Sarthe department and the seat of the Roman Catholic diocese of Le Man ...
, France); Vincent Rose, 63, Italian-born American violinist, composer and bandleader


May 21, 1944 (Sunday)

*The West Loch disaster occurred at the U.S. Naval Base in Pearl Harbor when a mortar round detonated aboard the '' LST-353'', starting a fire that spread among ships being prepared for Operation Forager, the invasion of the
Mariana Islands The Mariana Islands (; also the Marianas; in Chamorro: ''Manislan Mariånas'') are a crescent-shaped archipelago comprising the summits of fifteen longitudinally oriented, mostly dormant volcanic mountains in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, betw ...
. Six LSTs were sunk and 163 naval personnel were killed. *German submarine '' U-453'' was depth charged and sunk in the
Ionian Sea The Ionian Sea ( el, Ιόνιο Πέλαγος, ''Iónio Pélagos'' ; it, Mar Ionio ; al, Deti Jon ) is an elongated bay of the Mediterranean Sea. It is connected to the Adriatic Sea to the north, and is bounded by Southern Italy, including C ...
by British warships. *Born: Mary Robinson, 7th President of Ireland, in Ballina, County Mayo, Ireland


May 22 Events Pre-1600 * 192 – Dong Zhuo is assassinated by his adopted son Lü Bu. * 760 – Fourteenth recorded perihelion passage of Halley's Comet. * 853 – A Byzantine fleet sacks and destroys undefended Damietta in Egypt. * 11 ...
, 1944 (Monday)

*Japanese destroyer '' Asanagi'' was torpedoed and sunk northwest of Chichijima by American submarine '' Pollack''. *Japanese submarine '' Ro-106'' was hedgehogged and sunk north of the Admiralty Islands by American destroyer escort USS ''England''. *This week's issue of '' Life'' magazine published a photo of a young American woman with a Japanese skull sent to her by her boyfriend in the U.S. Navy. Letters sent to the magazine widely condemned the publishing of the photo, and the Army directed its bureau of Public Relations to inform U.S. publishers that "the publication of such stories would be likely to encourage the enemy to take reprisals against American dead and prisoners of war."


May 23, 1944 (Tuesday)

*Allied forces began a new offensive from the Anzio beachhead. French troops took
Pico Pico may refer to: Places The Moon * Mons Pico, a lunar mountain in the northern part of the Mare Imbrium basin Portugal * Pico, a civil parish in the municipality of Vila Verde * Pico da Pedra, a civil parish in the municipality of Ribei ...
while the Americans took Lenola. * A four-day constitutional referendum ended in Iceland. More than 98% of voters approved of the founding of the Republic of Iceland. *Born:
John Newcombe John David Newcombe AO OBE (born 23 May 1944) is an Australian former professional tennis player. He is one of the few men to have attained a world No. 1 ranking in both singles and doubles. At the majors, he won seven singles titles, a fo ...
, tennis player, in
Sydney Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountain ...
, Australia;
Avraham Oz Avraham Oz (born May 23, 1944) is an Israeli Professor Emeritus of theatre, Hebrew and comparative literature at the University of Haifa. He has also translated several English literary works into Hebrew, and is a well-known peace activist. He spe ...
, theatre director, professor and peace activist, in Tel Aviv


May 24 Events Pre-1600 * 919 – The nobles of Franconia and Saxony elect Henry the Fowler at the Imperial Diet in Fritzlar as king of the East Frankish Kingdom. * 1218 – The Fifth Crusade leaves Acre for Egypt. * 1276 – Magnus La ...
, 1944 (Wednesday)

*Allied forces breached the
Hitler Line The Hitler Line was a German defensive line in central Italy during the Second World War. The strong points of the line were at Piedmonte, Pontecorvo and Aquino. In May 1944, the line was renamed the Senger Line, after General von Senger und E ...
in central Italy. *Canadian troops in the
Liri The Liri (Latin Liris or Lyris, previously, Clanis; Greek: ) is one of the principal rivers of central Italy, flowing into the Tyrrhenian Sea a little below Minturno under the name Garigliano. Source and route The Liri's source is in the Mon ...
Valley took Pontecorvo. *German submarine '' U-476'' was depth charged and damaged off Trondheim by a PBY Catalina of
No. 210 Squadron RAF ("Hovering in the Heavens")Halley 1988, p. 274. , colors= , colors_label= , march= , mascot= , equipment= , equipment_label= , battles= , anniversaries= , decorations= , battle_honours= Western Front, 1916–18 Ypres 1917 Lys Atlantic 1939–45 A ...
. She was scuttled the next day by '' U-990'', which rescued the survivors. *German submarine '' U-675'' was depth charged and sunk off Ålesund by a
Short Sunderland The Short S.25 Sunderland is a British flying boat patrol bomber, developed and constructed by Short Brothers for the Royal Air Force (RAF). The aircraft took its service name from the town (latterly, city) and port of Sunderland in North East ...
patrol bomber of No. 4 Squadron RAF. *Born: David Mark Berger, Olympic weightlifter, in Cleveland, Ohio (d. 1972);
Patti LaBelle Patricia Louise Holte (born May 24, 1944), known professionally as Patti LaBelle, is an American R&B singer, actress and businesswoman. LaBelle is referred to as the " Godmother of Soul". She began her career in the early 1960s as lead singe ...
, singer, author and actress, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania *Died:
Inigo Campioni Inigo Campioni (14 November 1878 – 24 May 1944) was an Italian naval officer during most of the first half of the 20th century. He served in four wars, and is best known as an admiral in the Italian Royal Navy (''Regia Marina'') during Wo ...
, 65, Italian naval officer (executed by firing squad for refusing to collaborate with the
Italian Social Republic The Italian Social Republic ( it, Repubblica Sociale Italiana, ; RSI), known as the National Republican State of Italy ( it, Stato Nazionale Repubblicano d'Italia, SNRI) prior to December 1943 but more popularly known as the Republic of Salò ...
);
Matsuji Ijuin Baron was a commander in the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II, who was promoted posthumously to vice admiral after being killed in action in combat off Saipan. Life and military career Born in the Kōjimachi district of Tokyo, Ijui ...
, 51, Japanese naval officer (killed when his flagship, the patrol boat ''Iki'', was torpedoed and sunk north of
Saipan Saipan ( ch, Sa’ipan, cal, Seipél, formerly in es, Saipán, and in ja, 彩帆島, Saipan-tō) is the largest island of the Northern Mariana Islands, a Commonwealth (U.S. insular area), commonwealth of the United States in the western Pa ...
);
Luigi Mascherpa Luigi Mascherpa (April 15, 1893 – May 24, 1944) was an Italian admiral during World War II. He led the Italian defense during the Battle of Leros and was later executed by the Italian Social Republic. Early life and career Luigi Mascherpa was ...
, 51, Italian admiral (executed for refusing to collaborate with the Italian Social Republic); Harold Bell Wright, 72, American writer


May 25, 1944 (Thursday)

*The
Battle of Central Henan Operation Ichi-Go ( ja, 一号作戦, Ichi-gō Sakusen, lit=Operation Number One) was a campaign of a series of major battles between the Imperial Japanese Army forces and the National Revolutionary Army of the Republic of China, fought from Ap ...
in China ended in Japanese victory. *Axis forces including the German XV Mountain Corps began Operation Rösselsprung, a combined airborne and ground assault on the headquarters of the Yugoslav Partisans in the Bosnian town of
Drvar Drvar (, ) is a town and municipality located in Canton 10 of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, an entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The 2013 census registered the municipality as having a population of 7,036. It is situated in western Bos ...
. *The
U.S. Fifth Army The United States Army North (ARNORTH) is a formation of the United States Army. An Army Service Component Command (ASCC) subordinate to United States Northern Command (NORTHCOM), ARNORTH is the joint force land component of NORTHCOM.
linked up with the Anzio beachhead and captured Cisterna. *German submarine '' U-990'' was depth charged and sunk in the North Sea by a
B-24 Liberator The Consolidated B-24 Liberator is an American heavy bomber, designed by Consolidated Aircraft of San Diego, California. It was known within the company as the Model 32, and some initial production aircraft were laid down as export models des ...
of
No. 59 Squadron RAF No. 59 Squadron was a squadron of the Royal Air Force, based in Norfolk, England. History No.59 Squadron was formed at Narborough Airfield in Norfolk on 1 August 1916 as a squadron of the Royal Flying Corps. On 13 February 1917, the Squadro ...
. *Born: Frank Oz, puppeteer and filmmaker, in
Hereford Hereford () is a cathedral city, civil parish and the county town of Herefordshire, England. It lies on the River Wye, approximately east of the border with Wales, south-west of Worcester and north-west of Gloucester. With a population ...
, England *Died: Clark Daniel Stearns, 74, 9th Governor of American Samoa


May 26 Events Pre-1600 * 17 – Germanicus celebrates a triumph in Rome for his victories over the Cherusci, Chatti, and other German tribes west of the Elbe. * 451 – Battle of Avarayr between Armenian rebels and the Sasanian Empire take ...
, 1944 (Friday)

*Allied forces continued to advance toward Rome as American troops took
Cori Cori or CORI may refer to: * Cori cycle, the metabolic pathway where lactic acid produced in the muscles is converted into glucose in the liver * Cori (lunar crater) * Cori, a crater on Venus * Cori (name) * ''Cori, de Scheepsjongen'' (''Cori, the ...
, the Canadians captured San Giovanni and the British took Monte Cairo. *717 French were killed by an Allied bombing raid on Lyon.


May 27 Events Pre-1600 * 1096 – Count Emicho enters Mainz, where his followers massacre Jewish citizens. At least 600 Jews are killed. * 1120 – Richard III of Capua is anointed as Prince two weeks before his untimely death. * 1153 &ndash ...
, 1944 (Saturday)

*The Battle of Biak began as part of the
New Guinea campaign The New Guinea campaign of the Pacific War lasted from January 1942 until the end of the war in August 1945. During the initial phase in early 1942, the Empire of Japan invaded the Australian-administered Mandated Territory of New Guinea (23 Jan ...
. *German submarine '' U-292'' was depth charged and sunk west of Trondheim by a B-24 Liberator of No. 59 Squadron RAF. *Born: Chris Dodd, politician, in Willimantic, Connecticut


May 28, 1944 (Sunday)

*
I Canadian Corps I Canadian Corps was one of the two corps fielded by the Canadian Army during the Second World War. History From December 24, 1940, until the formation of the First Canadian Army in April 1942, there was a single unnumbered Canadian Corps. I C ...
took Ceprano. *Born:
Rudy Giuliani Rudolph William Louis Giuliani (, ; born May 28, 1944) is an American politician and lawyer who served as the 107th Mayor of New York City from 1994 to 2001. He previously served as the United States Associate Attorney General from 1981 to 198 ...
, lawyer, businessman and 107th Mayor of New York City, in Brooklyn, New York; Gladys Knight, singer, songwriter and actress, in Atlanta, Georgia; Sondra Locke, actress and director, in
Shelbyville, Tennessee Shelbyville is a city in and the county seat of Bedford County, Tennessee, United States. The town was laid out in 1810 and incorporated in 1819. Shelbyville had a population of 20,335 residents at the 2010 census. The town is a hub of the Tenness ...
(d. 2018);
Rita MacNeil Rita MacNeil (May 28, 1944 – April 16, 2013) was a Canadian singer from the community of Big Pond on Nova Scotia's Cape Breton Island. Her biggest hit, "Flying On Your Own", was a crossover Top 40 hit in 1987 and was covered by Anne Murray t ...
, country and folk singer, in
Big Pond, Nova Scotia Big Pond ''(Scottish Gaelic: Am Pòn Mòr)'' (2001 pop.: 47) is a community in the Cape Breton Regional Municipality, Nova Scotia, Canada on the south shore of Bras d'Or Lake. Big Pond is approximately in the centre between the communities of St ...
, Canada (d. 2013);
Patricia Quinn Patricia Quinn may refer to: * Patricia Quinn (Northern Irish actress) (born 1944), Northern Irish actress, often referred to as "Pat" * Patricia Quinn (American actress) (born 1937) * Patricia Quinn (scientist), atmospheric chemist See also * Pat ...
, actress, in Belfast, Northern Ireland; Gary Stewart, singer, in Jenkins, Kentucky (d. 2003); Billy Vera, musician, in Riverside, California


May 29, 1944 (Monday)

*The Germans called off Operation Steinbock after four months of strategically bombing southern England accomplished little effect. *German submarine '' U-549'' was depth charged and sunk in the Atlantic Ocean by American warships. *The American escort carrier USS ''Block Island'' was torpedoed and sunk off the
Canary Islands The Canary Islands (; es, Canarias, ), also known informally as the Canaries, are a Spanish autonomous community and archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean, in Macaronesia. At their closest point to the African mainland, they are west of Morocc ...
by German submarine '' U-549''. *Born:
Helmut Berger Helmut Berger (; born Helmut Steinberger; 29 May 1944) is an Austrian actor, known for his portrayal of narcissistic and sexually-ambiguous characters. He was one of the stars of the European cinema in the late 1960s and 1970s, and is regarded a ...
, actor, in Bad Ischl, Austria (d. 2023)


May 30 Events Pre-1600 * 70 – Siege of Jerusalem: Titus and his Roman legions breach the Second Wall of Jerusalem. Jewish defenders retreat to the First Wall. The Romans build a circumvallation, cutting down all trees within fifteen kilometres ...
, 1944 (Tuesday)

*The British Eighth Army took Arce. *The
Caesar Line The Caesar Line was the last German line of defence in Italy before Rome during the Italian Campaign of the Second World War. It extended from the west coast near Ostia, over the Alban Hills south of Rome, from Valmontone to Avezzano and then to ...
was breached by the U.S. Fifth Army * A general election was held in Ireland. Éamon de Valera's Fianna Fáil won re-election and an overall majority. *
Princess Charlotte of Monaco Princess Charlotte, Duchess of Valentinois (Charlotte Louise Juliette Grimaldi; 30 September 1898 – 16 November 1977), was the daughter of Louis II, Prince of Monaco, and the mother of Prince Rainier III. From 1922 until 1944, she was the Here ...
resigned her rights to the throne in favor of her son Prince Rainier. *Born: Meredith MacRae, actress and singer, in Houston, Texas (d. 2000) *Died: Jessie Ralph, 79, American stage and screen actress


May 31, 1944 (Wednesday)

*The Government of India announced the formation of a Department of Planning and Development to plan for the postwar period. *German submarine '' U-289'' was depth charged and sunk in the Barents Sea by British destroyer HMS ''Milne''.


References

{{Events by month links
1944 Events Below, the events of World War II have the "WWII" prefix. January * January 2 – WWII: ** Free French General Jean de Lattre de Tassigny is appointed to command French Army B, part of the Sixth United States Army Group in Nor ...
*1944-05 *1944-05