MORE EVENTS ON THIS DAY

2017: American singer-songwriter and guitarist Chuck Berry, who was a leading and influential performer in rhythm-and-blues and rock-and-roll music, died at age 90. [Test your knowledge of rock and roll.]

2012: Tongan King Tupou V died and was succeeded by his younger brother, Crown Prince Lavaka, who took the name Tupou VI. [Take our quiz about kings and emperors.]

1936: Politician F.W. de Klerk—who, as president of South Africa(1989–94), brought the apartheid system of racial segregation to an end and negotiated a transition to majority rule in his country—was born. [ Discover how much you know about South Africa.]

1932: American writer John Updike —whose novels, short stories, and poems are known for their realistic but subtle depiction of “American, Protestant, small-town, middle-class” life—was born. [Test your knowledge of American writers.]

1871: The Commune of Paris, an insurrection of Parisians against the French government, began, lasting until May 28. [How much do you know about French history?]

1869: Neville Chamberlain, who was British prime minister from May 28, 1937, to May 10, 1940, and whose name is identified with the policy of appeasement toward Adolf Hitler's Germany, was born. [Take our quiz about notable prime ministers.]