On this day in history - May 15

What Happened On This Day – May 15

• 1948 Egypt, Syria, Transjordan and Iraq invade Israel

  The First Arab-Israeli War was initiated by Israel's proclamation of independence on the day before the invasion. It lasted nearly 10 months and caused thousands of casualties on both sides.

• 1940 The first McDonald's fast food restaurant opens

  Maurice “Mac” and Richard “Dick” McDonald opened McDonald's Bar-B-Q in San Bernardino. Today, McDonald's is the world's largest fast food chain.

• 1930 The first airline stewardess goes on duty

  Ellen Church and her team served snacks on a United Airlines flight from Oakland to Chicago. The flight attendants were also responsible for refueling the aircraft, handling luggage, and checking tickets.

• 1928 The first Mickey Mouse film is screened

  The 6-minute film “Plane Crazy” directed by Walt Disney shows Mickey trying to fly an airplane in reference to Charles Lindbergh. Today, Mickey Mouse is one of the world's most recognized cartoon characters and the official mascot of the Walt Disney Company.

• 1718 The world's first machine gun is patented

  British lawyer, James Puckle, invented the 25.4 mm caliber “Puckle Gun” for the use on ships. It was designed for two bullet types: round bullets for Christians and (more damaging) square bullets for Turks.