On this day-May 11th

VOYAGE: Discoverers embarking on adventures
1502 – Christopher Columbus leaves for his fourth and final voyage to the West Indies.

1813 – In Australia, William Lawson, Gregory Blaxland and William Wentworth lead an expedition westwards from Sydney. Their route opens up inland Australia for continued expansion throughout the 19th century.


FREEDOM
1867 – Luxembourg gains its independence.

CHANGED NAME
1949 – Siam officially changes its name to Thailand for the second time.


BIRTH/LAUNCH
1820 – HMS Beagle, the ship that will take Charles Darwin on his scientific voyage, is launched.

1924 – Mercedes-Benz is formed by Gottlieb Daimler and Karl Benz merging their two companies

THE FIRST...
1987 – In Baltimore, Maryland, the first heart-lung transplant takes place. The surgery is performed by Dr. Bruce Reitz of the Stanford University School of Medicine.

JOINING
1858 – Minnesota is admitted as the 32nd U.S. State.
1949 – Israel joins the United Nations.