This Day in History: May 28

585 BC Solar eclipse leads to a truce between the Lydians and the Medes

Greek philosopher Thales predicted a solar eclipse during the war between the Lydians and the Medes. The eclipse occurred, leading to a truce between the two warring parties. This event is considered a cardinal date from which other dates in ancient history were calculated.

1431 Joan of Arc accused of relapsing into heresy

Joan of Arc, the French heroine who helped turn the tide of the Hundred Years' War, was accused of relapsing into heresy by donning male clothing again. This provided justification for her execution by burning at the stake.

1588 Spanish Armada departs Lisbon to invade England

The Spanish Armada, led by the Duke of Medina-Sidonia, departed Lisbon in an attempt to invade England. This naval expedition was a turning point in the Anglo-Spanish War and ended in defeat for the Spanish.

1830 Andrew Jackson signs Indian Removal Act

The Indian Removal Act, signed into law by US President Andrew Jackson, provided for the forced removal of several Native American tribes, including the Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Creek, and Seminole, from their ancestral lands in Georgia and surrounding states. This led to the infamous Trail of Tears, which resulted in the deaths of thousands of Native Americans.

1936 Alan Turing submits "On Computable Numbers" for publication

Alan Turing, the British computer pioneer, submitted his landmark paper "On Computable Numbers" for publication. In this paper, Turing described the theoretical basis for modern computers and defined the inherent limits of computation.

1961 Amnesty International is founded

Amnesty International, one of the world's most influential human rights organizations, was founded in response to the imprisonment of two Portuguese students who had raised a toast to freedom. The organization's mission is to promote and protect human rights around the world.

1987 Mathias Rust lands on Red Square in Moscow

Mathias Rust, a 19-year-old West German amateur pilot, illegally landed his Cessna on Red Square in Moscow at the height of the Cold War. The incident was a major embarrassment for the Soviet Union and led to the sacking of several top military officials.

1998 Pakistan detonates five atom bombs

In response to India's nuclear tests, Pakistan detonated five atomic bombs, escalating tensions between the two nuclear powers. Several countries, including the US and Japan, imposed economic sanctions in an attempt to prevent a devastating conflict.

1972 Watergate break-in by White House "plumbers"

A group of men, later revealed to be working for the Nixon administration, broke into the Democratic National Committee headquarters at the Watergate complex in Washington, D.C. This event marked the beginning of the Watergate scandal, which eventually led to President Nixon's resignation.