May 3rd Through History

Explanation: The painting "Tres de mayo" (1814) is one of the most iconic works of Western painting. Goya painted it six years after the events, when Ferdinand VII returned to the Spanish throne. It is one of the first masterpieces to denounce the brutality of war in a realistic way and without glorification.

Explanation: The tornado of May 3, 1999 in Oklahoma reached F5 intensity, the maximum level of the Fujita scale, with winds estimated at over 480 km/h. It remains one of the most destructive tornadoes in American history. Oklahoma is located in "Tornado Alley", a region of the United States particularly prone to this weather phenomenon.

Explanation: The Académie des Jeux floraux is the oldest literary society in Europe still in operation. Among its members was Victor Hugo, who won his first poetic prizes there before the age of 20. Louis XIV granted it letters patent in 1694, officially transforming it into an academy.

Explanation: The USS Nimitz (CVN-68) is the lead ship of a class of ten nuclear-powered aircraft carriers. With a length of 332 meters and the capacity to carry up to 90 aircraft, it can sail for more than 20 years without refueling its nuclear fuel. It has participated in numerous American military operations and is still in service.

Explanation: Golda Meir, born in Kiev, immigrated to the United States and then to British Palestine. Nicknamed "the grandmother of Israel" and "the iron lady" long before Margaret Thatcher, she presided over Israel's destinies during the Yom Kippur War in October 1973, an event that profoundly marked the end of her term.

Explanation: The Popular Front, a coalition bringing together Léon Blum's SFIO, the Radical Party, and the Communist Party, came to power under the leadership of Léon Blum. His government introduced major social reforms: paid leave (two weeks), the 40-hour week, and collective agreements, during the Matignon Accords signed in June 1936.

Explanation: Margaret Thatcher, leader of the Conservative Party, became the first female Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, a position she held until 1990, the longest term of the 20th century. Her liberal economic policy, called "Thatcherism", deeply transformed British society and influenced many governments around the world.

Explanation: The shooting at the Vladislav Ribnikar Primary School in Belgrade caused a national shock in Serbia, a country little accustomed to this type of violence. The tragedy led to numerous demonstrations in the country and to debates on gun ownership and violence in the media. The Serbian government reacted by announcing a series of security measures in schools.

Explanation: Written in 1513 but published in 1532, five years after the death of its author, "The Prince" is dedicated to Lorenzo II de' Medici. In it, Machiavelli develops a pragmatic and realistic vision of political power, separating morality from political action. His name gave rise to the adjective "Machiavellian", synonymous with calculation and cunning in the conquest of power.

Explanation: The general strike of 1926 was triggered in solidarity with coal miners, whose mine owners wanted to reduce wages and lengthen working hours. Nearly 1.7 million workers stopped work for nine days. It was the only general strike in modern British history, and it ended without satisfaction of the demands, leaving the miners alone facing the bosses.