May 12th Through History

Explanation: The Treaty of Bardo, signed at the palace of the same name near Tunis, marked the beginning of the French presence in Tunisia which would last until 1956. It was imposed on Bey Muhammad III as-Sadiq following a French military intervention officially justified by raids of Tunisian tribes into Algeria.

Explanation: The lifetime consulate granted to Bonaparte was approved by plebiscite with more than 3.5 million votes in favour. This decision directly foreshadowed the proclamation of the Empire in 1804, thus consolidating the personal power of Napoleon resulting from the coup d'état of 18 Brumaire 1799.

Explanation: Ludovico Manin was the 120th and last doge of Venice. After abdicating under Napoleonic pressure, Venice was ceded to Austria by the Treaty of Campo Formio. The Republic of Venice had lasted more than a thousand years, since the 8th century.

Explanation: The Order of the Temple, founded in the 12th century to protect pilgrims in the Holy Land, was dissolved under pressure from King Philip IV the Fair, who coveted its wealth. The grand master Jacques de Molay was burnt alive in 1314, according to legend casting a curse on the king and the pope.

Explanation: Florence Nightingale is considered the founder of modern nursing. During the Crimean War, she reorganised the British military hospitals, drastically reducing the mortality rate. Her birth on 12 May is celebrated every year as International Nurses Day.

Explanation: This earthquake, one of the deadliest of the 21st century, claimed more than 70,000 victims and destroyed thousands of buildings including many schools. It occurred just a few months before the Beijing Olympics, prompting a wave of international solidarity towards China.

Explanation: The Berlin blockade, imposed by the Soviet Union in June 1948, was aimed at cutting off the Western sectors of Berlin from all overland supplies. The Allies responded with a historic airlift of almost a year, delivering thousands of tonnes of supplies every day, until the lifting of the blockade on 12 May 1949.

Explanation: Fauré's Requiem, composed between 1887 and 1900, stands out from other requiems for its peaceful and consoling character. Fauré himself declared that he had wanted to express a serene vision of death. It is today one of the most performed choral works in the world.

Explanation: The WannaCry attack used ransomware that encrypted the victims' data and demanded a ransom in bitcoin. It exploited a Windows security flaw discovered by the American NSA. Hospitals, businesses and administrations in more than 150 countries were paralysed, including the British National Health Service.

Explanation: Jonah Lomu, a New Zealand winger of exceptional physical power (1.96 m, 119 kg), was one of the first global stars of rugby union. He impressed during the 1995 World Cup in South Africa, scoring 7 tries including 4 against England in the semi-final. He died at only 40 years old in 2015 from a kidney disease.