1191: Richard the Lionheart married Berengaria of Navarre in Limassol, reportedly at a church dedicated to Saint George.
1427: The Cypriot serf leader Alexios was executed in Nicosia after leading a major uprising of peasants against foreign rulers and feudal lords.
1788: Swedish orientalist and diplomat David Åkerblad arrived in Cyprus and began recording his impressions of the island, becoming the first Scandinavian to show strong interest in Cypriot antiquities.
1937: To mark the coronation of King George VI of the United Kingdom, the British destroyer HMS Douglas anchored off Limassol and fired ceremonial salutes.
1975: The Constitutional Committee of experts began its work in Nicosia, examining the powers and functions of a central government, following an agreement reached during Cyprus talks in Vienna.
1976: Spyros Kyprianou announced the founding of a new political party aimed at representing the centre and democratic right. Later the same year, the Democratic Party was formally established and Kyprianou was elected its leader.
2007: Vasilios was enthroned as Metropolitan of Famagusta–Constantia in Paralimni, becoming the first to hold the post in more than eight centuries.
2016: Cyprus participated in the Eurovision Song Contest in Stockholm with Minus One and the song Alter Ego, finishing 21st with 96 points.
2018: Eleni Foureira represented Cyprus at the Eurovision Song Contest in Lisbon with Fuego, finishing second with 436 points, the country’s highest‑ever result.
European Day: European Periodontology Day is marked annually on 12 May to raise awareness of gum health. Estimates suggest that eight in ten Europeans suffer from gum disease.
Births
1919: Andreas Ziartides, politician.
Deaths
1997: Georgios Lordos, businessman.
1998: Dinos Constantinou, politician.
2012: Antonis Georgiades, EOKA fighter and minister.
