May 1941

Thursday 01:

Cheerios is introduced as CheeriOats by the General Mills cereal company.

Monday 05:

Emperor Haile Selassie returns to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; this date has been since commemorated as Liberation Day.

Tuesday 06:

At California's March Field Bob Hope performs his first USO show.

Friday 09:

World War II: The German submarine U-110 is captured by the Royal Navy. On board is the latest Enigma cryptography machine which Allied cryptographers later use to break coded German messages.

Saturday 10:

World War II: Rudolf Hess parachutes into Scotland in order to try and negotiate a peace deal between the United Kingdom and Nazi Germany.

Thursday 15:

Baseball player Joe DiMaggio starts his record-breaking 56-game hitting streak.

Tuesday 20:

World War II: Battle of Crete – German paratroops invade Crete.

Wednesday 21:

World War II: 950 miles off the coast of Brazil, the freighter SS Robin Moor becomes the first United States ship sunk by a German U-boat.

Saturday 24:

World War II: In the North Atlantic, the German Battleship Bismarck sinks the HMS Hood killing all but three crewmen on what was the pride of the Royal Navy.

Tuesday 27:

World War II: The German battleship Bismarck is sunk in the North Atlantic killing 2,300 men.

Friday 30:

World War II: Germany captures Crete.