Calendar Leaf: What Happened on May 22?

Each day, we turn the page on history, revisiting moments that have shaped our collective memory. May 22nd, though seemingly ordinary, carries its own weight of significant events, personal milestones, and historical footnotes.

In 2011, the American town of Joplin, Missouri, bore witness to a devastating tornado, a single twister claiming 158 lives and injuring over a thousand, marking it as the deadliest single tornado in over six decades in the United States. Closer to home, in 2006, Bavaria grappled with the 'Bruno' affair. The brown bear, having wandered into Bavaria from Austria, was declared a 'problem bear' by Environment Minister Werner Schnappauf and ultimately put down on June 26th, despite widespread protests. This marked the first time a wild bear had been seen in Germany in 170 years.

The calendar also recalls a 2001 conviction related to the violence at the 1998 World Cup, where German hooligan Markus W. received a five-year sentence for the brutal attack on gendarme Daniel Nivel. Furthermore, 1991 saw the final flight of the German Air Force's Lockheed F-104 G 'Starfighter' aircraft from Manching, a poignant end to an era for a fleet that suffered significant losses, with 270 out of 917 machines crashing over their service life. In academic history, 1946 marked the re-establishment of Johannes Gutenberg University in Mainz, reviving the legacy of the city's original electoral college founded in 1477.

Beyond these historical markers, May 22nd is also a day of birth and passing. We note the birthdays of German actress Karoline Herfurth (born 1984) and the legendary South Korean footballer Bum Kun Cha (born 1953), who left his mark on German football with clubs like Eintracht Frankfurt and Bayer Leverkusen. The day also marks the passing of British actress Margaret Rutherford (died 1972), beloved for her portrayal of Miss Marple.