Many of the Japanese tactics in World War II were learnt from the British, sorry to say. 

29 May 1453 - The Fall of Constantinople.

By 1400 the once mighty Byzantine Empire that had governed the eastern Mediterranean and the Near East had been reduced to the city of Constantinople and surrounding territory after the Ottoman Turks' relentless encirclement. The city was able to hold out for decades until the arrival of Sultan Mehmed II who launched the final campaign early in 1453. His great advantage was his huge siege artillery, the Byzantines' hope lay in the chains that were strung across the Bosphorus to prevent Turkish ships from entering and landing troops.

The siege began on 6 April with up to 100,000 men surrounding the city, inside were about 40,000 armed men of which the majority were merely armed civilians, the total number within the walls was around 50,000. The Turks suffered heavy losses in the initial ill-planned assaults, but the relentless bombardment eventually breached the walls. Unable to break through the chains across the harbour Mehmed had his galleys hauled over land to bypass the obstacles. Attempts were also made to undermine the walls. Together combined these efforts resulted in the final assault on 29 May and the fall of Constantinople. The last Emperor Constantine XI was killed in the fighting along with most of the defenders, the survivors were led away into slavery. 

One of the major events in European history, the rise of the Ottoman Turks who within 50 years occupied the Balkans and were spreading into Asia Minor, North Africa and the Arabian peninsula.

30 May 1213 - The Battle of Damme.

England's first naval victory fought during the Anglo-French Wars.

Philippe II, King of France was planning an invasion of England in 1213 basing his invasion fleet at Damme at the mouth of the river Zwyn in Flanders which Philippe had invaded and occupied earlier in the year. 

Upon learning of the assembly of several hundred ships at Damme King John sent a fleet under the command of the Earl of Salisbury across the Channel. Salisbury arrived to find the fleet at anchor with many drawn up on the beach with their crews inland pillaging the area, He attacked the almost defenceless French ships capturing or burning around 400 vessels and killing the remaining crew. 

The next day Salisbury attempted a landing to destroy the surviving ships and mount an assault on the town of Damme itself, but by then the French King had arrived and the English were forced back to sea. Nevertheless it was a huge blow to French prestige and England's first naval victory.  

As long as England controlled territory in France there would be war between the two, usually allied with nations eager to gain land from one or the other. In every war between England and France you'll see such names as Flanders, Burgundy or Holland involved. Both sides had periods of victory and defeat until France finally prevailed in the mid 15th century. 

It was probably best to leave France to the French anyway.  The French were probably just as glad to see the conflict finally settled as the English were, and more so I'm guessing.  France never achieved "the sun never sets" on their empire status.  England must have really begun to assess and realize their capabilities.  

"Upon learning of the assembly" is a phrase that sets the imagination to wondering just how that information was obtained.  Dangerous work no doubt.

31 May 1293 - The Mongol invasion of Java fails.

The last great enterprise of the Mongol Empire. By the late 13th century the Mongols had given up attempting to expand to the west concentrating on taking on the Chinese and the regional powers to the south. Conflicts in Burma and Vietnam in the 1270s and 80s resulted in those Kingdoms paying tribute to the Mongol Khan after resisting a full scale takeover. 

In 1292 a Mongol mission to the Kingdom of Singhasari on the Indonesian island of Java demanding tribute was rejected so Kublai Khan, the Mongol ruler, assembled an army of invasion 30,000 strong at Quanzhou under loyal Chinese command. 

Landing in early 1293 the Mongol/Chinese army moved south to the Singhasarian capital of Tumapel only to find that King Kertanagara had been overthrown by a vassal Prince Jayakatwang. He too was under threat from his son-in-law Wijaya who allied himself with the invaders to overthrow his father-in-law. However once he had secured the Throne Wijaya turned on his Mongol allies who exhausted after weeks of jungle warfare were pushed back to the coast where on 31 May the remnants of their army sailed away, around 60% of them had died on Java.      

Kublai Khan died the following year and with his death the once great Mongol Empire began to disintegrate to be replaced by the Chinese. 

31 May 1293 - The Mongol invasion of Java fails.

The last great enterprise of the Mongol Empire. By the late 13th century the Mongols had given up attempting to expand to the west concentrating on taking on the Chinese and the regional powers to the south. Conflicts in Burma and Vietnam in the 1270s and 80s resulted in those Kingdoms paying tribute to the Mongol Khan after resisting a full scale takeover. 

In 1292 a Mongol mission to the Kingdom of Singhasari on the Indonesian island of Java demanding tribute was rejected so Kublai Khan, the Mongol ruler, assembled an army of invasion 30,000 strong at Quanzhou under loyal Chinese command. 

Landing in early 1293 the Mongol/Chinese army moved south to the Singhasarian capital of Tumapel only to find that King Kertanagara had been overthrown by a vassal Prince Jayakatwang. He too was under threat from his son-in-law Wijaya who allied himself with the invaders to overthrow his father-in-law. However once he had secured the Throne Wijaya turned on his Mongol allies who exhausted after weeks of jungle warfare were pushed back to the coast where on 31 May the remnants of their army sailed away, around 60% of them had died on Java.      

Kublai Khan died the following year and with his death the once great Mongol Empire began to disintegrate to be replaced by the Chinese. 

Aha, another vassal Prince story with a typical ending. You never can trust those vassals.

No-one likes being a vassal and will rebel if an opportunity arises. 

I assume Akron is a major manufacturing city? What about Macon? The USA's two largest airships were the Akron and the Macon launched in the 1930s. 

1 June 1794 - The Battle of Ushant.

Also known in GB as the Glorious First of June. The first naval battle of the French Revolutionary Wars.

Near starvation in revolutionary France compelled the government to organize a huge convoy of grain from the USA carried in over 100 ships (some say as many as 350) which sailed from Virginia in April 1794. As the convoy neared Europe a French fleet of 33 led by Admiral Louis Villaret de Joyeuse put to sea to escort it home while a Royal Navy fleet of 37 under Admiral Richard, 1st Earl Howe set out to intercept it.  

Howe failed to locate the convoy but did twice come into contact with elements of the French navy engaging in a brief battles in which several French warship were badly damaged. But the main battle was yet to come. 

The two met on 1 June 400 miles out into the Atlantic where Howe's superior tactics broke the French line sinking one vessel and capturing six more. The French eventually escaped with the British too battered to pursue nor able to continue the search for the convoy which arrived safely in Brest on 12 June despite a second British squadron sent out to destroy it which too failed to locate it. 

A tactical victory for the Royal Navy, but a strategic defeat in not locating the grain convoy.