The Pokhran-II tests were a series of five nuclear bomb tests conducted by India in May 1998 at the Indian Army's Pokhran Test Range. It was India's second nuclear test; the first, codenamed Smiling Buddha, took place in May 1974. The US issued a strong condemnation of India and promised sanctions would be imposed. Following the tests, a number of major countries, including Japan and the United States, imposed sanctions on India. The American intelligence community was embarrassed because of "a serious intelligence failure of the decade" in detecting the test preparations.

Katharine Houghton Hepburn (May 12, 1907 – June 29, 2003) was an American stage, film, and television actress. Hepburn's career as a leading lady in Hollywood spanned more than 60 years. She was known for her headstrong independence, spirited personality, and outspokenness, and she cultivated a screen persona that mirrored this public image, frequently playing strong-willed, sophisticated women.

Adah Sharma is an Indian actress who primarily works in Hindi and Telugu films. After completing her education, Sharma made her acting debut in the 2008 Hindi language horror film 1920, which was a box office success. Her portrayal of a possessed woman in the film received critical acclaim, and she was nominated for a Filmfare Award for Best Female Debut. She ventured into the South Indian film industries after the release of her romantic comedy film Hasee Toh Phasee (2014), making films in Telugu.

Lara Dutta (born 16 April 1978) is an Indian actress, entrepreneur, and Miss Universe 2000 winner. She previously held the title of Miss Intercontinental 1997. She has primarily worked in Hindi films throughout her career. She has received numerous honours, including a Filmfare Award. She rose to prominence as one of the decade's most prominent leading ladies. Lara Dutta was crowned Miss Universe in 2000. Protests were held in Cyprus during the Miss Universe competition in 2000, with protesters alleging that the event was disrespectful to women.

Stevland Hardaway Morris (born May 13, 1950), better known as Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter and musician who is regarded as a pioneer and influence by musicians in a variety of genres such as rhythm and blues, pop, soul, gospel, funk, and jazz. His use of synthesisers and other electronic musical instruments as a virtual one-man band during the 1970s reshaped R&B conventions. He also contributed to the genre's transition into the album era, crafting his LPs as cohesive, consistent socially conscious statements with complex compositions.

Dennis Keith Rodman (born May 13, 1961) is a former professional basketball player, actor, and unofficial United States Peace Ambassador to North Korea. His biography on the official NBA website states that he is "arguably the best rebounding forward in NBA history." He is known for his fierce defensive and rebounding abilities. He was a member of the National Basketball Association's Detroit Pistons, San Antonio Spurs, Chicago Bulls, Los Angeles Lakers, and Dallas Mavericks (NBA). Rodman began his career as a small forward before transitioning to power forward.

Amninderpal Singh Virk, better known as Ammy Virk, is a Punjabi and Hindi film singer, actor, and producer. He founded the production company Villagers Film Studio as well as the distribution company In House Group. He is best known as Nikka in the Nikka Zaildar series, Shivjit in Qismat & Qismat 2, Harjeet Singh in Harjeeta, and Haakam in Angrej.

Karenjit Kaur Vohra (born May 13, 1981), better known as Sunny Leone, is an actress and model in the American and Indian film industries. She was born in Canada to a Sikh Indian family. She holds dual citizenship in Canada and the United States. Karen is her pet name. She has appeared in a number of independent mainstream events, films, and television shows. Her first mainstream appearance was as a red carpet reporter for the MTV Video Music Awards on MTV India in 2005.

Gaj Singh (born January 13, 1948) is an Indian politician who has served as a member of the Indian parliament and as India's High Commissioner. He has been the Maharaja of Jodhpur since 1952. Maharaja Hanwant Singh of Jodhpur's first wife, Maharani Krishna Kumari of Dhrangadhra, gave birth to Gaj Singh. He inherited his father's titles and dignities when he was only four years old, in 1952, when his father died suddenly in a plane crash. Soon after, he was enthroned.

The Somnath temple in Gujarat was restored today (May 11). Rajendra Prasad, the first president of the Indian republic, led the reconsecration ceremony of the lingam at the temple on May 11, 1951. The Sri Somnath temple is regarded as the first of India's twelve Jyotirlingas. The temple is extremely important to Sanatana Dharma devotees. During the mediaeval ages, between the 11th and 18th centuries, foreign invaders destroyed the temple several times. Despite this, the temple has become a symbol of indigenous resistance and resilience, as Hindus rebuilt it each time it was destroyed. Rajendra Prasad delivered a stirring speech during the temple's opening ceremony on May 11, 1951. He stated that while physical symbols of our civilization could be destroyed, no arms, army, or king could break the people's bond with their culture and faith. The civilisation would survive as long as that bond remained. He went on to say that it was the creative urge for civilisational renewal that had been nurtured in the hearts of the people for centuries that had led to the praan-pratishta of the Somnath deity once again. According to him, Somnath was the symbol of ancient India's economic and spiritual prosperity. The reconstruction of Somnath will not be completed until India regains its former prosperity.

The Pokhran-II tests were a series of five nuclear bomb tests conducted by India in May 1998 at the Indian Army's Pokhran Test Range. It was India's second nuclear test; the first, codenamed Smiling Buddha, took place in May 1974. The tests were successful in their primary goal of providing India with the ability to build fission and thermonuclear weapons with yields of up to 200 kilotons. Each of the Pokhran-II explosions, according to the then-Chairman of the Indian Atomic Energy Commission, was "equivalent to several tests carried out by other nuclear weapon states over decades." Following that, India established a computer simulation capability to predict the yields of nuclear explosives whose designs are similar to the designs of explosives used in this case.

Florence Nightingale (May 12, 1820 – August 13, 1910) was an English social reformer, statistician, and the creator of modern nursing. During the Crimean War, Nightingale rose to prominence as a nurse manager and trainer, organising care for wounded soldiers in Constantinople. She improved the image of nursing and became an icon of Victorian culture, particularly as "The Lady with the Lamp" making rounds of wounded soldiers at night.

On 13 May 1971, the occupying Pakistan Army, aided by local collaborators, massacred unarmed Hindu residents of the Demra Union villages in present-day Faridpur Upazila in Pabna District. On a single day, it is estimated that 800–900 people were killed. Rape and plunder were also committed, as well as the torching of mosques, temples, schools, and homes.

Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit was an Indian diplomat and politician who served as the sixth Governor of Maharashtra and the eighth President of the United Nations General Assembly, becoming the first woman to hold either position. Her brother, Jawaharlal Nehru, was the first Prime Minister of independent India, her niece, Indira Gandhi, was the first female Prime Minister of India, and her grand-nephew, Rajiv Gandhi, was the sixth Prime Minister of India. After serving as Nehru's envoy to the Soviet Union, the United States, and the United Nations, Pandit was sent to London as India's most important diplomat. Her time in London sheds light on the broader context of changes in Indo–British relations.

Robert Pattinson is an English actor who was born on May 13, 1986. Pattinson is well-known for his roles in both big-budget and independent films, and he is one of the world's highest-paid actors. In 2010, Time magazine named him one of the world's 100 most influential people, and he was named to the Forbes Celebrity 100 list.

Pooja Bedi (born 11 May 1970) is an Indian actress, television talk show host and newspaper columnist. She is the daughter of Indian actors Kabir Bedi and Protima Bedi. She has also participated in the reality television shows, Bigg Boss and Fear Factor: Khatron Ke Khiladi. She worked in Bollywood films, commercials, and campaigns from 1991 to 1994. She is best known for her support of the Kama Sutra condom campaign, which she used to raise AIDS awareness. She was well-liked and was regarded as the poster girl for the new breed of liberated and independent women emerging in India. In 2000, she compiled and edited her late mother, Protima Bedi's, memoirs, "Timepass." She has written columns for the Times of India and the Hindustan Times, as well as for the Midday newspaper, and she has written articles for numerous publications such as L'Officiel, Femina, and The Week.

Ravi Shankar (born 13 May 1956) is a spiritual leader and yoga guru from India. He is also known as Sri Sri (honorific), Guru ji, or Gurudev. He began working as an apprentice under Mahesh Yogi, the founder of Transcendental Meditation, in the mid-1970s. He left Transcendental Meditation (TM) and founded the Art of Living Foundation in 1981. op]

Rao Jodha, a Rajput chief of the Rathore clan, founded Jodhpur in 1459. Jodha was successful in conquering the surrounding territory, establishing a kingdom known as Marwar. Because Jodha was born in the nearby town of Mandore, that town served as the state's capital at first; however, Jodhpur quickly took over that role, even during Jodha's lifetime. The city was situated on a strategic road that connected Delhi to Gujarat. This allowed it to profit from a thriving trade in opium, copper, silk, sandalwood, dates, and other commodities.

Rami Said Malek is an American actor who was born on May 12, 1981. He is best known for his roles as computer hacker Elliot Alderson in the USA Network television series Mr. Robot (2015–2019), for which he won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series, and as Queen lead singer Freddie Mercury in the biopic Bohemian Rhapsody (2018), for which he won an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, a Screen Actors Guild Award, and a British Academy Film Award for Best Actor.

Rasipuram Krishnaswami Iyer Narayanaswami (October 10, 1906 – May 13, 2001) was an Indian writer best known for works set in the fictional South Indian town of Malgudi. Along with Mulk Raj Anand and Raja Rao, he was a leading author of early Indian literature in English. Graham Greene, Narayan's mentor and friend, was instrumental in obtaining publishers for Narayan's first four books, which included the semi-autobiographical trilogy Swami and Friends, The Bachelor of Arts, and The English Teacher.

Robert Nesta Marley OM was a Jamaican singer, songwriter, and musician who lived from 6 February 1945 to 11 May 1981. His musical career was marked by fusing elements of reggae, ska, and rocksteady, as well as his distinctive vocal and songwriting style. He is regarded as one of the pioneers of reggae. Marley's contributions to music raised the profile of Jamaican music around the world, and he remains a global figure in popular culture to this day. Over the course of his career, Marley became known as a Rastafari icon, and he instilled spirituality in his music. He is also regarded as a global symbol of Jamaican music, culture, and identity, and his outspoken support for democratic social reforms was controversial.

On 12 May 2015, at 12:50 pm local time (07:05 UTC), a major earthquake with a moment magnitude of 7.3 struck Nepal, 18 kilometres (11 miles) southeast of Kodari. The epicentre was near the border of Nepal's Dolakha and Sindhupalchowk districts. This earthquake occurred on the same fault as the larger magnitude 7.8 earthquake on April 25, but it was further east. As a result, it is regarded as an aftershock of the April quake. It struck at a depth of 18.5 kilometres (11.5 mi). Northern India, including Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal, experienced tremors. Tremors were felt up to 2,400 kilometres away from the epicentre in Chennai.