May 19 1643 Thirty Years' War: French forces under the duc d'Enghien decisively defeat Spanish forces at the Battle of Rocroi, marking the symbolic end of Spain as a dominant land power.
May 19 1655 The Invasion of Jamaica begins during the Anglo-Spanish War.
May 19 1776 American Revolutionary War: A Continental Army garrison surrenders in the Battle of The Cedars.
May 19 1848 Mexican–American War: Mexico ratifies the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo thus ending the war and ceding California, Nevada, Utah and parts of four other modern-day U.S. states to the United States for US$15 million.
19 May 1941 For his actions this day Sergeant Leakey wa awarded the Victoria Cross.
At Kolito, Abyssinia (now Ethiopia), when the Allied forces had made a bridgehead against the strong Italian opposition, the enemy made a sudden counterattack with both light and medium tanks. In the face of withering fire, Sergeant Leakey leaped on top of one of the tanks, wrenched open the turret and shot all the crew except the driver, whom he forced to drive the tank to cover. Along with three others, he tried to repeat this with another tank, but just as he opened the turret, he was killed. The confusion and loss of armour Leakey caused was critical to the Italian defeat in the battle.[Captain David Hines witnessed the event through binoculars, as did other soldiers.
Leakey has no known grave but he is commemorated on the East Africa Memorial, near Nairobi, Kenya. W
May 19 1942 World War II: In the aftermath of the Battle of the Coral Sea, Task Force 16 heads to Pearl Harbor.
May 19 1959 The North Vietnamese Army establishes Group 559, whose responsibility is to determine how to maintain supply lines to South Vietnam; the resulting route is the Ho Chi Minh trail.
May 19 1982: Falklands conflict 22 British servicemen killed when helicopter ditches in the sea.
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