Ohio National Guard troops fired 67 rounds in 13 seconds at unarmed students protesting the U.S. invasion of Cambodia, killing four and wounding nine at Kent State University. The shootings provoked the largest student strike in American history, shutting down over 450 universities and fundamentally altering public support for the Vietnam War.
Rhode Island's General Assembly formally renounced allegiance to the British Crown, becoming the first colony to do so, two full months before the Declaration of Independence. The colony's merchant fleet and privateers would play a significant role in the naval war against Britain.
Grant's Army of the Potomac clashed with Lee's forces in dense Virginia forest, beginning the Civil War's bloodiest continuous campaign. The two-day battle produced approximately 29,000 total casualties. Unlike previous Union commanders, Grant refused to retreat and instead pressed south toward Spotsylvania.
U.S. Army Air Corps Reserve Captain Charles Lindbergh completed a final cross-country test flight in the Ryan NYP Spirit of St. Louis, moving his aircraft from San Diego to Curtiss Field in preparation for the New York to Paris attempt that followed on May 20.
Aircraft from USS Yorktown attacked Japanese forces at Tulagi in the Solomon Islands, sinking several ships and transports. This was the opening strike of the Coral Sea battle and the first U.S. carrier attack against a Japanese-held position since the war began.
German forces in the Netherlands, northwest Germany, and Denmark surrendered to Field Marshal Montgomery's 21st Army Group at Luneburg Heath. The surrender covered approximately one million soldiers and came four days before the final unconditional surrender at Reims.
Ohio National Guard troops fired 67 rounds in 13 seconds at unarmed Kent State students protesting the Cambodia invasion, killing four.
Four days after announcing the Cambodian incursion, President Nixon delivered a formal televised briefing on the operation as U.S. and South Vietnamese forces drove into the Parrot's Beak and Fishhook regions, destroying COSVN sanctuaries.
The General Dynamics F-16A Fighting Falcon reached initial operational capability with the U.S. Air Force at Hill Air Force Base, Utah, after the 388th Tactical Fighter Wing completed its conversion from the F-4 Phantom.
The British destroyer HMS Sheffield was struck by an Exocet anti-ship missile fired by an Argentine Super Etendard during the Falklands War. Twenty crewmen died and the ship was abandoned. Sheffield was the first Royal Navy ship lost to enemy action since WWII, demonstrating modern warships' vulnerability to anti-ship missiles.
The Boeing KC-46A Pegasus tanker completed a key round of aerial refueling certification flights ahead of its 2019 entry into service with the U.S. Air Force, a modernization step replacing the KC-135 in parts of the mobility fleet.
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Air Chief Marshal
Commanded Egypt's air force during the Yom Kippur War (1973), orchestrating successful air strikes against Israeli positions in the Sinai. Later served as President of Egypt for 30 years until overthrown in the 2011 Arab Spring revolution.
Yugoslav partisan leader who commanded WWII's most effective resistance movement, tying down over 30 Axis divisions. Led communist Yugoslavia for 35 years while maintaining independence from Moscow. His death eventually led to Yugoslavia's dissolution and the devastating wars of the 1990s.
Marshal of Yugoslavia who led WWII's most effective partisan resistance, tying down 30+ Axis divisions and liberating Yugoslavia largely without direct Allied ground intervention. His death triggered the slow dissolution of Yugoslavia.
10 military events occurred on May 4, spanning multiple centuries. Key events include: Kent State Massacre: National Guard Kills Four Student Protesters (1970), Battle of the Wilderness Begins (1864), HMS Sheffield Struck by Exocet Missile (1982), German Forces in Northwest Europe Surrender to Montgomery (1945).
The most significant military event on May 4 is Kent State Massacre: National Guard Kills Four Student Protesters (1970). Ohio National Guard troops fired 67 rounds in 13 seconds at unarmed students protesting the U.S. invasion of Cambodia, killing four and wounding nine at Kent State University. The shootings provoked the largest student strike in American history, shutting down over 450 universities and fundamentally altering public support for the Vietnam War.
Notable military figures born on May 4 include Hosni Mubarak (1928–2020), Josip Broz Tito (1892–1980).
Events on May 4 span the Vietnam War, the Civil War, the Modern Era, World War II, the Colonial & Revolutionary era, the Cold War, the Interwar Period, covering 10 events across 4 centuries of military history.
Events on May 4 involve 4 branches of the U.S. and allied armed forces, reflecting the global scope of military operations throughout history.
Explore military history from the day you were born.
June 6
The Allied invasion of Normandy, the largest amphibious assault in history.
December 7
Japan attacks the U.S. Pacific Fleet, bringing America into World War II.
September 11
The deadliest terrorist attack in history transforms U.S. national security.
August 6
The first atomic bomb is dropped on a city, ushering in the nuclear age.
May 8
Nazi Germany surrenders unconditionally, ending World War II in Europe.
November 11
Armistice Day marks the end of World War I and honors all who served.
June 4
The turning point of the Pacific War as the U.S. Navy destroys four Japanese carriers.
July 4
The Declaration of Independence is adopted, sparking the American Revolution.
In 19 hours, Marine helicopters flew 682 sorties and lifted 7,000 people off rooftops as North Vietnamese tanks closed in. Operation Frequent Wind was the largest helicopter evacuation in history, and it nearly didn't happen.
For 77 days in 1968, 6,000 Marines held a remote hilltop combat base against 20,000-30,000 North Vietnamese soldiers. Operation Niagara dropped 110,000 tons of bombs around the perimeter. Resupply aircraft landed on a runway under constant shelling. The question isn't whether Khe Sanh was a tactical victory, it's whether it mattered.
When the Navy asked for a jet attack aircraft weighing 30,000 pounds, Douglas engineer Ed Heinemann delivered one that weighed half that. The A-4 Skyhawk was smaller, lighter, simpler, and cheaper than the Navy specified, and it turned out to be one of the most successful combat aircraft in history, serving with distinction from Vietnam to the Falklands over a career spanning four decades.
A Flawless Combat Record Sgt Neysa Huertes Quinones From its first deployments in 1970 during the Vietnam War through the current War…
