23 May, 1949 – The Federal Republic of Germany was established

The proclamation of the Grundgesetz, Germany's current constitution, marked the birth hour of the republic. The foundation of West Germany came after the end of World War II.

24 May, 1970 – Drilling of the world's deepest hole began

The Kola Superdeep Borehole had reached the unsurpassed depth of 12,262 meters (40,230 feet) before the project was abandoned due to the lack of funding.

25 May, 1977 – The first Star Wars film was released

George Lucas' epic space opera encompassing seven films is one of the most popular works in movie history.

26 May, 1908 – Engineers made the first major oil find in the Middle East

The discovery in Iran had a major impact on the country's and the world region's economy and politics. More than half of the world's oil reserves are located in the Middle East.

27 May, 1851 – The world's first chess tournament was held in London

Adolf Anderssen, a maths teacher won the tournament, which was held parallel to the 1851 Great Exhibition.

28 May, 1937 – Volkswagen (VW) was founded

The automobile manufacturer whose name means “People's Car” in German is one of the world's biggest. It produced classics like the VW Golf and the VW Beetle.

29 May, 1942 – Bing Crosby records White Christmas

Crosby's rendition of Irving Berlin's song became the most successful of his career and the best-selling Christmas single in history.