May 25
1521. The Diet of Worms ends with Holy Roman Emperor Charles V declaring Martin Luther an outlaw pursuant to the Edict of Worms.
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Originally Posted by Edict of Worms
For this reason we forbid anyone from this time forward to dare, either by words or by deeds, to receive, defend, sustain, or favor the said Martin Luther. On the contrary, we want him to be apprehended and punished as a notorious heretic, as he deserves, to be brought personally before us, or to be securely guarded until those who have captured him inform us, whereupon we will order the appropriate manner of proceeding against the said Luther. Those who will help in his capture will be rewarded generously for their good work
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Martin Luther had been given safe passage to and from the Council of Worms to defend himself, but despite that, it was understood that shortly after the Edict was issued he would be, inevitably, tried, convicted and executed. To prevent such a fate, on his return home he was essentially kidnapped by Prince Frederick, who faked a highway attack on Luther, and hid him in Wartburg Castle. It was at this time that Luther started his German translation of the Bible.
(side note: Germany at this time consisted of a number of small semi-autonomous principalities, and "Price Frederick" was a princeling of Saxony, having no relation to Emperor Charles V)
By the time he left Wartburg Castle, the Edict was unenforceable in Germany due to rising sentiment in favor of Protestantism. The Edict was, however, strictly enforced in those territories under Charles' direct control, such as (modern day) Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands.
1925. Charles T. Scopes is indicted for teaching Darwin's Theory of Evolution, which will ultimately lead to the Scopes trial.
1940. The French army having effectively disintegrated as a result of the speed, tenacity and direction of the German attacks, the Battle of Dunkirk begins. By this date, the British Expeditionary Force and French 1st Army are bottled up in ana rea about 60 miles deep by 20 miles wide. Most of the British are still near Lille, about 40 miles from Dunkirk. von Rundstedt's Panzer divisons, under their enterprising and daring commander Heinz Guderian, are within 10 miles of Dunkirk. Hitler, however, has given the order for the tanks to stop. On May 23, General Lord Gort, commander of British forces, had put his army on half-rations, and had already seen the inevitable.
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Originally Posted by General Lord Gort's diary
Nothing but a miracle can save the BEF now.
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Originally Posted by General Lord Gort to Anthony Eden, Secretary of State for War
I must not conceal from you that a great part of the BEF and its equipment will inevitably be lost even in the best circumstances.
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1961. President Kennedy announces to a special joint session of Congress his plan to put a man on the Moon before the end of the decade.