• The following list provides important anniversaries that could be commemorated in 2010.
• It can be used by teachers preparing assemblies, extension tasks and one-off lessons.
• I am limiting the list to multiples of 50 years (1960 (50 years ago today), 1910 (100 years ago today), 1860 (150 years ago today) etc).
• This is more meaningful than the “on this day in history” format (there is a 1/365 chance that any event from the entire history of civilisation has a 1/365 chance it happened “today”!)
• If you’d like to add to this list, please contact me with your suggestion or send a tweet using the hashtag #history2010.

1st May 1960 (50 years ago today) A Soviet missile shoots down an American Lockheed U2 spy plane; the pilot Francis Gary Powers is captured.
2nd May 1860 (150 years ago today) Theodore Herzl was born
6th May 1910 (100 years ago today) Edward VII died
6th May 1960 (50 years ago today) President Dwight Eisenhower signs the Civil Rights Act of 1960 (50 years ago today) into law.
10th May 1960 (50 years ago today) The nuclear submarine USS Triton completes the first underwater circumnavigation of the Earth.
11th May 1960 (50 years ago today) In Buenos Aires, 4 Mossad agents abduct fugitive Nazi Adolf Eichmann
12th May 1860 (150 years ago today) Charles Barry died
14th May 1610 (400 years ago today) Henry IV died
15th May 1960 (50 years ago today) Sputnik 4 is launched into Earth orbit
17th May 1510 (500 years ago today) Botticelli died
25th May 1660 (350 years ago today) Charles II is crowned
27th May 1910 (100 years ago today) Koch died
28th May 1660 (350 years ago today) George I was born
30th May 1960 (50 years ago today) Boris Pasternak died
31st May 1910 (100 years ago today) Elizabeth Blackwell died