May 31, 1900 (Thursday)
- Western forces arrived in Beijing to protect their nations' citizens during the Boxer Rebellion. From the navies of the United States, Britain, Italy, Japan and Russia were a total of only 337 men in a nation of scores of millions. Marine Captain John T. Myers, leading the American Legation Guard of 56 men into the Chinese capital, noted later that "Our entry was not opposed, but the crowds were deadly silent."
- The governing body of the Free Church of Scotland voted 592 to 29, to unite with the United Presbyterian Church of Scotland (which had approved the merger earlier), creating the United Free Church of Scotland.
Read more about this topic: May 1900