May 2nd Through History

Explanation: The Dos de Mayo ("Second of May") uprising in Madrid against the Napoleonic occupation is considered the starting point of the Spanish War of Independence, which would last until 1814. This event was immortalized by the painter Francisco Goya in his famous canvases.

Explanation: The General Belgrano, a former American ship renamed in honor of the Argentine general Manuel Belgrano, was sunk outside the exclusion zone established by the United Kingdom. Its sinking caused 323 deaths and constituted one of the most controversial episodes of the Falklands conflict.

Explanation: Leonardo da Vinci died at the Château du Clos Lucé in Amboise, France, where he had been invited by King Francis I. He had brought with him his major works, including the Mona Lisa, which Francis I acquired after his death.

Explanation: Inaugurated on May 2, 1869, the Folies Bergère became one of the most famous performance venues in the world. They hosted legendary artists such as Joséphine Baker, Maurice Chevalier, and even Charlie Chaplin.

Explanation: This symbolic act at Hegyeshalom marked the beginning of the end of the Iron Curtain. It triggered a massive influx of East German refugees toward the West and contributed directly to the fall of the Berlin Wall a few months later, on November 9, 1989.

Explanation: Catherine II, known as Catherine the Great, born Sophie of Anhalt-Zerbst, took power in 1762 after the overthrow of her husband Peter III. Her reign of more than 30 years profoundly transformed Russia, which she expanded toward the Black Sea and Poland, while promoting the arts and the Enlightenment.

Explanation: The May 68 movement began at the Nanterre faculty in March 1968, but it was on May 2 that events intensified in Paris, before reaching their peak in the following weeks with general strikes and massive demonstrations across the country.

Explanation: ETA (Euskadi ta Askatasuna, meaning "Basque Country and Freedom"), founded in 1959, had led a long armed campaign for the independence of the Basque Country. Before dissolving, it had announced a definitive ceasefire in 2011, after causing more than 800 deaths in nearly 60 years of activity.

Explanation: David Beckham, born in London, is one of the most publicized footballers in history. After his career at Manchester United and Real Madrid, he became one of the first global ambassadors of football, before investing in the MLS franchise Inter Miami.

Explanation: The Treaty of Wuchale, whose Amharic and Italian versions diverged on the question of Ethiopian sovereignty, was one of the direct causes of the Italo-Ethiopian War of 1895-1896. This war ended with the Ethiopian victory at the Battle of Adwa, marking the failure of Italian colonization of Ethiopia.