01 May, 1840 – The world's first adhesive postage stamp is issued in UK

The Penny Black shows a portrait of Queen Victoria. Despite its historical significance, the stamp can be bought for around £25 as over 68 million copied were distributed.

02 May, 1982 – The British Royal Navy sinks the Argentinian cruiser General Belgrano

323 lives were lost in the attack, more than half of the total number of Argentinian casualties during the Falklands War. A British newspaper commented the controversial attack with one of its most notorious headlines: “Gotcha”.

03 May, 1958 – Truman Capote's book Breakfast at Tiffany's is published

The novella is one of the U.S. author's most popular works. The 1961 film of the same name starring Audrey Hepburn is classic in its genre.

04 May, 1959 – The Grammy is presented for the first time

It is one of the most prestigious awards in the music industry. Winners of the first edition included Ella Fitzgerald, Henry Mancini, and Frank Sinatra.

05 May, 1955 – West Germany regains full sovereignty after World War II

The Federal Republic of Germany had been established in 1949. Its provisional capital was Bonn. After the 1990 reunification of East and West Germany, Berlin was declared the country's capital.

06 May, 2004 – The final episode of Friends is aired

The immensely popular sitcom about Rachel, Monica, Phoebe, Joey, Chandler, and Ross had been produced since 1994. The final episode “The Last One” was watched by 52 million viewers.

07 May, 1946 – Sony is founded

The company started as Tokyo Telecommunications Engineering. It is now one of the leading manufacturers of electronic products.