- 1252 15 May Use of torture in the inquisition of heretics is authorised by Innocent IV in his bull 'Ad exstirpanda'
- 1649 15 May The 'Rump Parliament' under Oliver Cromwell declares England a 'commonwealth' or free state.
- 1957 15 May Britain tests its first hydrogen bomb over Christmas Island in the Pacific, following the US and USSR.
World War One Centenary
- Find out more about how the BBC is covering the World War One Centenary, and see the latest programmes and online content
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