1979
May 4, Margaret Thatcher (b.1925), leader of the Conservative Party, was sworn in as Britain's first female prime minister. She continued in office for 3 terms until 1990.


2004
May 4, In Australia 800 delegates of the Country Women's Association of New South Wales voted to drop the singing of "God Save the Queen" altogether and only permit renditions of "Advance Australia Fair", the national anthem.

2009
May 4, In Kentucky Amanda Hornsby-Smith (28) was strangled to death. In 2010 her husband, Woody Will Smith (33), went on trial for her murder. He claimed excessive caffeine from sodas, energy drinks and diet pills left him so mentally unstable he couldn't have knowingly killed her.

2010
May 4, In Iran 5 Kurdish rebels, including two women, were killed after they battled Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards in the western province of Kermanshah.


2011
May 4, In Costa Rica Ohio teenager Caity Jones died in the Pacific Ocean when she was pulled by an undertow current. Two other students, on a school mission trip, were swept out with her. The body of James Smith was recovered the next day. The body of Kai Lamar was recovered on May 6. May 4, Federal agents in southern California arrested Michael Franks (29), suspected in 10 bank heists. He was dubbed the Snowboarder Bandit for often wearing snowboarder cloths.




2013
May 4, Saudi Arabian officials announced that Saudi girls will be allowed to play sports in private schools for the first time.

2014
May 4, Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan ordered top security chiefs and officials to secure the safe release of 223 schoolgirls abducted three weeks ago by suspected Islamists.


2014
May 4, In northeastern Nigeria suspected Boko Haram gunmen kidnapped eight girls from a village late today near one of their strongholds. After leaving Warabe the gunmen stormed the Wala village, five km. (three miles) away, and abducted three more girls.


2014
May 4, In Saudi Arabia a maid (23) from the Philippines was allegedly scalded with water deliberately poured down her back. An investigation was launched jointly by Riyadh police and the Philippines embassy after images of burns allegedly suffered by the woman, who had arrived in the kingdom in March, surfaced on social media and online.