Historical Events
Montgomery Supreme Commander
May 1 Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery appointed British supreme commander
- May 1 Mrs Emma Clarissa Clement named "American Mother of Year"
- May 1 Start of 3 year Pilbara strike of Indigenous Australians.
- May 1 The Paris Peace Conference concludes that the islands of the Dodecanese should be returned to Greece by Italy
The Postman Always Rings Twice
May 2 "The Postman Always Rings Twice" film based on the novel by James M. Cain, directed by Tay Garnett and starring Lana Turner and John Garfield is released
- May 2 The "Battle of Alcatraz" takes place, killing two guards and three inmates
- May 3 International military tribunal in Tokyo begins
- May 4 5 die in a 2 day riot at Alcatraz prison in San Francisco bay
- May 4 72nd Kentucky Derby: Warren Mehrtens aboard Assault wins in 2:06.6
- May 4 Wash's Cecil Travis gets 6 straight hits before being stopped
- May 6 Pulitzer prize awarded to Arthur M Schlesinger (Age of Jackson)"
- May 7 Tokyo Telecommunications Engineering (later renamed Sony) is founded with around 20 employees
- May 7 William H. Hastie inaugurated as 1st black governor of Virgin Islands
- May 8 Estonian school girls Aili Jõgi and Ageeda Paavel blow up the Soviet memorial that preceded the Bronze Soldier in Tallinn
- May 8 MLB Boston Red Sox shortstop Johnny Pesky scores 6 runs in 14-10 win over visiting Chicago White Sox
- May 9 1st hour long entertainment TV show, "NBC's Hour Glass" premieres
Victor Emmanuel III Abdicates
May 9 King Victor Emmanuel III of Italy abdicates and is succeeded by his son Umberto II who reigns for only 34 days before the monarchy is abolished
- May 10 Red Sox win 15th straight beat Yanks 5-4, DiMaggio hits Grand Slam
- May 11 1st night game at Boston Braves Field (Giants 5, Braves 1)
- May 11 71st Preakness: Warren Mehrtens aboard Assault wins in 2:01.4
- May 11 United Malays National Organisation is created.
- May 13 Sarwate & Banerjee add 249 for 10th wkt for Indians v Surrey
- May 13 US sentences 58 camp guards of Mauthausen concentration camp to death
- May 13 Winston Churchill welcomed in Rotterdam
For Those We Love
May 14 Paul Hindemith's requiem "For Those We Love" premieres
Annie Get Your Gun
May 16 Irving Berlin, Dorothy and Herbert Fields' musical "Annie Get Your Gun" starring Ethel Merman and featuring "There's No Business Like Show Business" opens at Imperial Theater, NYC
- May 17 KVP Labor/Communists win 1st post-WW2 Dutch parliamentary elections
- May 17 US President Harry Truman seizes control of nation's railroads to delay a strike
- May 19 Dutch Cooperation for Sexual Reform (NVSH) forms in Amsterdam
- May 20 Cubs Claude Passeau makes his 1st error since September 21, 1941, ending pitcher's fielding record of 273 consecutive errorless chances
- May 21 Physicist Louis Slotin is exposed to a lethal dose of radiation while preparing a plutonium core experiment at the Los Alamos lab, he dies 9 days later and the accident ends all hands-on nuclear assembly work at Los Alamos
- May 22 First US rocket (WAC Corporal) to reach edge of space fired from White Sands Missile Range New Mexico
- May 22 Yankees turn triple-play & defeat Tigers 5-3
Bill Dickey for the Yankees
May 24 Bill Dickey replaces Joe McCarthy as New York Yankees manager
Concerto for Piano and Orchestra
May 26 Darius Milhaud's 3rd Concerto for Piano and Orchestra premieres in Prague
- May 28 1st night game at Yankee stadium (Senators 2, Yanks 1)
President Manuel Roxas
May 28 Manuel Roxas is inaugurated as the last President of the Commonwealth of the Philippines
- May 28 US Patent filed for a hydrogen bomb
- May 29 KVP wins Provincial National election in Netherlands
- May 30 Bama Rowell hits a home run in a baseball match - the ball shatters Bulova Clock in Ebbets Field in Brooklyn, New York
- May 30 Indianapolis 500: Race resumes after WWII hiatus, George Robson wins by 44 seconds ahead of rookie Jimmy Jackson
- May 30 United flight 521 crashes on takeoff at LaGuardia Airport (NY) 42 die
Famous Birthdays
- May 1 Bruce Robinson, actor (Story of Adele H)
- May 1 Jerry Weiss, American jazz musician (Blood, Sweat & Tears), born in New York City
- May 1 Joanna Lumley, British actress (Absolutely Fabulous, OHM's Secret Service), born in Kashmir, India
- May 1 John Woo, Hong Kong director
- May 1 Nick Fortuna, American rock bassist (The Buckinghams), born in Chicago, Illinois
- May 2 David Suchet, British actor (Agatha Christie's Poirot: The Way We Live Now), born in Paddington, London, England
- May 2 Lesley Gore [Goldstein], American pop singer ("It's My Party"; "You Don't Own Me"), born in Brooklyn, New York (d. 2015)
- May 3 Greg Gumbel, American sportscaster (CBS TV, WFAN), born in New Orleans, Louisiana
- May 3 Norm Chow, American football coach, born in Honolulu, Hawaii
- May 4 John Watson, Irish auto racer (World F1 C'ship 3rd 1982; 5 x F1 GP wins) and broadcaster (Eurosport, F1TV, BBC, BSkyb), born in Belfast, Northern Ireland
- May 4 Renee Powell, American golfer, broadcaster (first woman to compete in a men's golf tournament), born in East Canton, Ohio
- May 4 Richard L. Brodsky, American lawyer and NY State Assemblyman (D) (1983-2010), born in Brooklyn, New York
- May 5 Steve Cash, American country-rock vocalist, songwriter, and harmonica player (Ozark Mountain Daredevils - "Jackie Blue", "If You Wanna Get To Heaven"), and author (Meq trilogy), born in Springfield, Missouri (d. 2019)
- May 6 David Avshalomov, American classical composer, vocalist, and conductor, born in New York City
- May 6 Jim Ramstad, American politician (Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Minnesota), born in Jamestown, North Dakota
- May 6 Susan Brown, English actress (The Iron Lady, Game of Thrones), born in Bristol, England
- May 7 Bill Danoff, American vocalist (Starland Vocal Band), born in Springfield, Massachusetts
- May 7 Bill Kreutzmann, American rock drummer (Grateful Dead), born in Palo Alto, California
- May 7 Brian Turner, British celebrity chef, born in Halifax, West Yorkshire, England
- May 7 Michael Rosen, English author (We're Going on a Bear Hunt), born in Harrow, England
- May 8 André Boulerice, Quebec politician and gay rights activist, born in Joliette, Quebec
- May 9 Candice Bergen, Beverly Hills, actress (Carnal Knowledge, Murphy Brown)
- May 10 Dave Mason, British guitarist and singer-songwriter ("We Just Disagree"), born in Worcester, England
Donovan (77 years old)
May 10 Scottish guitarist and singer-songwriter ("Sunshine Superman"; "Mellow Yellow"; "Season Of The Witch"), born in Glasgow, Scotland
- May 10 Graham Gouldman, English bassist and singer-songwriter (10cc), born in Manchester, England
- May 10 Maureen Lipman, actress (Educating Rita, Wonderworks)
- May 11 (Michel) "Plume" Latraverse, Canadian rock and blues singer, songwriter, and guitarist, born in Montreal, Quebec
- May 11 Robert Jarvik, American scientist and researcher (developed the Jarvik-7 artificial heart), born in Midland, Michigan
- May 12 L. Neil Smith, American sci-fi author (Lando Calrissian novels), born in Denver, Colorado
- May 12 Leonard Baichan, West Indian cricketer (WI opener, 103 v Pakistan on debut 1975), born in Rose Hall, British Guiana
- May 13 Tim Pigott-Smith, English actor (Jewel in Crown, King Charles III), born in Rugby, England (d. 2017)
- May 14 Alan David Marks, American concert pianist and composer, born in Chicago, Illinois (d. 1995)
- May 14 Claudia Goldin, American academic and economist (2023 Nobel Prize for Economics for work on women’s labour market outcomes), born in New York City
- May 15 Georges Bereta, French soccer striker (44 caps; ASSE Saint-Étienne, Olympique de Marseille), born in Saint-Étienne, France (d. 2023)
- May 16 Jessi B Wilson, Mississippi, murderer (FBI Most Wanted List)
- May 16 Joel Eric Suben, American conductor and composer, born in The Bronx, NYC (d. 2023)
- May 16 Robert Fripp, British progressive rock guitarist, composer (King Crimson - "21st Century Schizoid Man"; Fripp & Eno; Bowie - "Heroes"), record producer (Roches; Peter Gabriel; Darryl Hall), and Mr. Toyah Wilcox, born in Wimborne Minster, Dorset, England
- May 16 Roger Earl, British drummer (Foghat - "Slow Ride"), born in Hampton Court Palace, London, England
- May 17 F. Paul Wilson, American horror and sci-fi novelist (Repairman Jack), and medical doctor, born in Jersey City, New Jersey
- May 17 Sinaida Turchina, USSR, team handball (Olympic gold 1976)
- May 17 Udo Lindenberg, German musician, born in Gronau, Westphalia
- May 18 Andreas Katsulas, American actor (Babylon 5), born in St. Louis, Missouri (d. 2006)
- May 18 Frank Hsieh, Taiwanese politician, Premier of Taiwan (2005-6), born in Taipei, Taiwan
Reggie Jackson (77 years old)
May 18 American Baseball HOF right fielder (14 x MLB All Star; World Series 1972, 73 [MVP], 74, 77 [MVP], 78; AL MVP 1973; Oakland A's, NY Yankees,), born in Wyncote, Pennsylvania
André the Giant (1946-1993)
May 19 French pro wrestler (WWF World Heavyweight C'ship 1988; WWF World Tag Team C'ship [with Haku] 1989), born in Grenoble, France
- May 19 Claude Lelièvre, Belgian commissioner for children's rights
- May 19 Diedre Lenihan, actress (Wendy-Needles & Pins), born in Atlanta, Georgia
- May 19 Michele Placido, Foggia Italy, actor (La Lupa, Poliziotti)
- May 19 Trevor Veitch, Canadian-American folk-rock musician (3's a Crowd, Tom Rush), and pop record producer (Toni Basil's "Mickey"), born in Vancouver, British Columbia
- May 20 Bakhaavaa Buidaa, Mongolia, wrestler (Olympic silver 1972) disqualified
- May 20 Bobby Murcer, American baseball outfielder (5-time MLB All Star), born in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma (d. 2008)
Cher (77 years old)
May 20 American Grammy Award-winning singer ("I Got You Babe"; "If I Could Turn Back Time"; "Believe") and Academy Award-winning actress (Mask; Moonstruck; Mama Mia - Here We Go Again), born in El Centro, California
- May 20 Craig Patrick, American NHL center and executive (USA Olympic gold 1980; GM Pittsburgh Penguins, Stanley Cup 1991-92, 2009), born in Detroit, Michigan
- May 21 David Hill, Australian TV-reporter and owner (Fox Sports)
- May 22 George Best, Northern Irish footballer (Manchester United, Northern Ireland), born in Belfast
- May 22 Howard Kendall, English footballer and football manager (Everton), born in Ryton, County Durham (d. 2015)
- May 23 Danny Klein, American rock bassist (J Geils Band - "Centerfold"), born in New York City
- May 23 David Graham, Australian golfer (PGA C'ship 1979, US Open 1981), born in Windsor, NSW
- May 23 Famoudou Don Moye, American jazz percussionist and drummer (Art Ensemble of Chicago), born in Rochester, New York
- May 23 Frederik de Groot, Dutch actor
- May 23 H. Paul Shuch, American scientist who coordinated radio amateurs to search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI), born in Chicago, Illinois
- May 24 Irina Szewińska, Polish athlete, administrator (Olympic various sprint gold 1964, 68, 76), born in Leningrad, Russia (d. 2018)
- May 24 Jeremy Treglown, English scholar and editor (TLS)
- May 24 Steve Upton, British-Welsh rock drummer (Wishbone Ash, 1969-90 - There's the Rub; Locked In), born in Wrexham, Wales
- May 24 Tansu Çiller, Turkish politician (1st female Prime Minister of Turkey 1993-96), born in Istanbul, Turkey
- May 24 Thomas Nordahl, Swedish soccer midfielder and manager (15 caps; Örebro), born in Norrköping, Sweden
- May 25 David A. Hargrave, American role-playing games (RPGs) designer (d. 1988)
- May 25 Irena Szewińska, Polish 200m runner (Olympic Gold 1964, 68, 76), born in Leningrad, Russian SSR, Soviet Union
- May 25 Janet Morris, American sci-fi author (Golden Sword, Tempus), born in Boston, Massachusetts
- May 25 Tim Hinkley, British rock and soul Hammond B3 organist and singer-songwriter (Jody Grind; Hinkley's Heroes), born in London, England
- May 25 Tommy Cecil, Irish ferryman, born on Rathlin Island, County Antrim (d. 1997)
- May 26 Mick Ronson, English rock guitarist and producer (Mott the Hoople; The Spiders From Mars), born in Kingston upon Hull, England (d. 1993)
- May 26 Neshka Robeva, Bulgarian rhythmic gymnast (World C'ship 3 x silver, 1 x bronze 1969) and coach (World, European and Olympic competition, 294 medals), born in Rousse, Bulgaria
- May 27 Lewis Collins, English actor, (d. 2013)
- May 27 Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen, Danish jazz double bassist, born in Osted, Zealand, Denmark (d. 2005)
- May 28 Claudio Roditi, Brazilian jazz trumpeter, arranger, and composer, born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (d. 2020)
- May 28 Madeleine Le Roux, Wyoming, Broadway actress (Cry Uncle)
- May 28 Satchidanandan, Indian poet
- May 28 Skip Jutze, American baseball player
- May 29 Fernando Buesa, Basque politician (d. 2000)
- May 29 Robin Johnson, American actress (Times Square: Baby, It's You), born in Brooklyn, New York
- May 30 Candy Lightner, American political activist/founder (MADD), born in Pasadena, California
- May 31 Debbie Moore, British model and businesswoman (founder and CEO Pineapple Dance Studios & clothing), born in Urmston, Lancashire, England
- May 31 Steve Bucknor, Jamaican cricket umpire (record 128 Tests, 181 ODIs; FIFA referee), born in Montego Bay, Jamaica
- May 31 Ted Baehr, American Christian media critic
Famous Weddings
Joan Fontaine
May 2 "Rebecca" actress Joan Fontaine (28) weds producer and actor William Dozier (38); divorce in 1951
Stan Laurel
May 6 Comedian Stan Laurel (55) marries for the 5th time actress Ida Kitaeva (47)
Famous Deaths
- May 1 Bill Johnston, American tennis player (US Open 1915, 19; Wimbledon 1923), dies of tuberculosis at 51
- May 1 Edward Bairstow, English composer, dies at 71
- May 1 Percy Whitlock, English composer and organist, dies at 42
- May 7 Anton Mussert, Dutch fascist and leader of the Nationalist Socialist Movement, executed for high treason at 51
- May 7 Joe Humphries, English cricket wicket-keeper (3 Tests for England 1907-08), dies at 69
- May 19 Booth Tarkington, American novelist (The Magnificent Ambersons) and playwright, dies at 76
- May 20 Jacob Ellehammer, Danish watchmaker and inventor (powered flight), dies at 74
- May 25 Patty Smith Hill, American composer, teacher and songwriter ("Happy Birthday To You"), dies at 78
- May 26 Friedrich German prince, last ruler of Waldeck and Pyrmont, dies at 81
- May 29 Martin Gottfried Weiss, Commandant of Dachau concentration camp (b. 1905)
- May 30 Louis Slotin, Canadian Physicist and Chemist (Manhattan Project, Los Alamos) who assembled the plutonium core for 'Trinity', the first detonated atomic device, dies of radiation poisoning at 35 (b. 1910)
