What Happened in May 1950

Historical Events

King Rama IX of Thailand

May 5 Bhumibol Adulyadej crowned King Rama IX of Thailand in the Royal Palace in Bangkok

May 6 76th Kentucky Derby: William Boland on Middleground wins in 2:01.6
May 6 Russell Bennett, Abraham Ellstein, and Walter Bullock's musical "Great to Be Alive!" closes at Winter Garden Theater, NYC, after 52 performances

Chiang Kai-shek Asks for Weapons

May 8 President of the Republic of China Chiang Kai-shek asks the US for weapons

Chinese Military and Political Leader Chiang Kai-shek

May 8 Tollund Man, an early Iron Age bog body found hanged as a human sacrifice, discovered by men digging for peat in Jutland, Denmark [1]
May 9 French Foreign Minister Robert Schuman calls for European community EGKS
May 9 Norman Dello Joio's opera, "The Triumph of St. Joan", premieres in Bronxville, New York
May 10 1st Netherlands-US telex sent
May 11 Belgium mine disaster at Borinage, 39 die

La Cantatrice Chauve

May 11 Eugene Ionesco's first play "La Cantatrice Chauve" (The Bald Soprano) premieres in Paris

Bolivar

May 12 Darius Milhaud's opera "Bolivar" premieres in Paris

May 13 Diner's Club issues its 1st credit cards
May 13 First ever race of the Formula 1 World Drivers Championship is run at Silverstone, England and won by Giuseppe Farina of italy in an Alfa Romeo
May 14 Pitts Johnny Hopp goes 6 for 6 including 2 HRs
May 15 Adnan Menderes elected Prime Minister of Turkey in the country's first democratic elections [1]
May 18 "Liar" opens at Broadhurst Theater NYC for 12 performances
May 18 MLB St. Louis Cardinals baseman Tommy Glaviano makes 3 consecutive errors on grounders
May 19 NY Times reports of worlds smallest & dumbest mechanical brain

75th Preakness

May 20 75th Preakness: Eddie Arcaro aboard Hill Prince wins in 1:59.2

Ho Chi-Minh Troops Attack

May 21 Vietnamese troops of Ho Chi-Minh attack Cambodia

Vietnamese Communist Revolutionary Ho Chi Minh

May 22 Celal Bayar elected President of Turkey
May 22 Dutch poet Gerrit Achterberg wins PC Hooft prize

4 Last Songs

May 22 Richard Strauss' "4 Last Songs" (4 letzte Lieder) premieres in London

May 25 Brooklyn Battery Tunnel opens in NYC
May 27 Bollingen Prize for poetry awarded to Wallace Stevens

Arms and the Girl

May 27 Morton Gould and Dorothy Field's colonial-era musical "Arms and the Girl", starring Nanette Fabray and Pearl Bailey, closes at 46th St Theater, NYC, after 134 performances

May 29 3rd British Film and Television Awards (BAFTAs): "Bicycle Thieves" Best Film

Carter Family Debut

May 29 The Carter Family debut on the Grand Ole Opry with Chet Atkins

May 31 Indianapolis 500: Johnny Parsons becomes first American to win a World Championship event; race stopped after 138 laps (345 miles) due to rain

Events in 1950

Famous Birthdays

May 1 Dann Florek, American actor (Law & Order), born in Flat Rock, Michigan
May 1 Danny McGrain, Scottish soccer right-back (62 caps; Celtic), born in Glasgow, Scotland
May 1 Marina Stepanova, Russian athlete (3-time 400m hurdles WR; first woman to run sub 53s; 52.94s 1986), born in St. Petersburg, Russia
May 2 Duncan Gay, Australian politician, Vice-President of the Executive Council (2014-17), born in Crookwell, New South Wales
May 2 Lou Gramm [Grammatico], American rock singer-songwriter (Foreigner - "Hot Blooded"; "Cold As Ice"), born in Rochester, New York
May 2 Randy Colley (Moondog Rex), American pro wrestler (WWF Tag Team champion 1981), born in Alexander City, Alabama (d. 2019)
May 3 Mary Hopkin, Welsh folk singer ("Those Were the Days"; "Goodbye"), born in Pontardawe, Wales
May 4 Darryl Hunt, British celtic-rock bassist (The Pogues - "Fairytale of New York"), born in Christchurch, Hampshire, England (d. 2022)
May 4 Hilly Hicks, American actor (Roll Out, Roots), born in Los Angeles, California
May 4 René van Asten, Dutch actor (Herenstraat 10), born in Tilburg, Noord-Brabant, Netherlands
May 5 Galen Fous, American acoustic jazz-fusion guitarist (Sacred Ground), born in Portland, Oregon
May 5 Googoosh [Faegheh Atashin (فائقه آتشین)], Persian singer and actress, born in Sarcheshmeh Street, Tehran, Iran
May 5 Maggie MacNeal, Dutch singer (Mouth & MacNeal - "I See A Star"), born in Tilburg, Netherlands
May 6 Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, Ghanaian Asantehene (King of the Ashanti 1999-), born in Kumasi, Gold Coast
May 6 Robbie McIntosh, Scottish drummer (Average White Band - "Pick Up The Pieces"), born in Dundee (d. 1974)
May 7 (Charles) "Prairie" Prince, American rocker (The Tubes; Chris Isaak; Jefferson Starship, 1992-2008), born in Charlotte, North Carolina

May 7 Randall 'Tex' Cobb, American boxer and actor, born in Bridge City, Texas

Tim Russert (1950-2008)

May 7 American television journalist and host of NBC's Meet the Press, born in Buffalo, New York

May 8 Pierre de Meuron, Swiss architect (Herzog and de Meuron - Tate Modern), born in Basel, Switzerland
May 9 Matthew Kelly, actor/TV host (Holding the Fort, Relative Strangers)
May 9 Tom Petersson, American rock bassist (Cheap Trick - "I Want You to Want Me"), born in Rockford, Illinois
May 10 Sally James [Cann], British children's TV-show presenter (Tiswas), born in Chiswick, London
May 11 Dane Iorg, American MLB baseball player, 1977-86 (Philadelphia Philles, St. Louis Cardinals, and 2 other teams), born in Eureka, California
May 11 Jeremy Paxman, English broadcaster (University Challenge, Newsnight), born in Leeds, England
May 11 John Kelly, American General, President Trump's Chief of Staff (2017-), born in Boston, Massachusetts
May 12 (John) "Jocko" Marcellino, American rock singer (Sha Na Na, 1969-present), born in Quincy, Massachusetts
May 12 Billy Squier, American rock singer-songwriter, and guitarist ("The Stroke"; "My Kind Of Lover"), born in Wellesley, Massachusetts
May 12 Bruce Boxleitner, American actor (Tron; Scarecrow and Mrs King; Babylon 5), and novelist, born in Elgin, Illinois
May 12 Gabriel Byrne, Irish actor (Hello Again; Cool World), born in Dublin, Ireland
May 12 Renate Stecher-Meissner, German sprinter (3-time Olympic gold 1972, 76), born in Süptitz, Germany
May 12 Ronnie Foster, American soul, funk, and acid jazz Hammond B-3 organist, keyboard player, and record producer, born in Buffalo, New York
May 12 Shōzō Fujii, Japanese judoka (World Champion 1971, 1973, 1975 and 1979), born in Higashikagawa, Kagawa. Japan
May 13 Danny Kirwan, British musician, singer and songwriter (Fleetwood Mac - "Albatross"), born in London, England (d. 2018)
May 13 Joe Johnston, American film director (Honey, I Shrunk The Kids; Jumanji; October Sky), and visual effects artist, born in Austin, Texas

Stevie Wonder (73 years old)

May 13 American singer-songwriter ("You Are The Sunshine Of My Life"; "Sir Duke"), born in Saginaw, Michigan

May 14 Jill Stein, American physician, activist and Green Party nominee for President (2016), born in Chicago, Illinois
May 14 Mark Blum, American actor (Worth Winning, Blind Date, Presidio), born in Newark, New Jersey (d. 2020)
May 15 Nicholas Hammond, American actor (The Amazing Spider-Man), born in Washington, D.C.
May 16 Jock Bartley, American singer-songwriter, and guitarist (Firefall - "Just Remember I Love You"), born in Hutchinson, Kansas
May 16 Johannes Bednorz, German superconductivity physicist (Nobel 1987)
May 16 Ray Condo [Tremblay], Canadian rockabilly guitarist and sax player, born in Hull, Quebec (d. 2004)
May 17 Alan Johnson, British politician (Member of Parliament, 1997-2017; Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer, 2010-11; Home Secretary, 2009-10), born in London, England
May 17 Algirdas Martinaitis, Lithuanian classical composer (Cantus ad futurum), born in Paserbentys, Lithuania
May 17 Howard Ashman, American playwright and lyricist (Little Shop of Horrors: The Little Mermaid), born in Baltimore, Maryland (d. 1991)
May 17 Janez Drnovšek, Slovenian politician
May 18 Mark Mothersbaugh, American new wave rock singer-songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist (Devo - "Whip It"), born in Akron, Ohio
May 18 Rodney Milburn Jr, American athlete (Olympic gold 110m hurdles 1972), born in Opelousas, Louisiana (d. 1997)
May 18 Thomas Gottschalk, German radio and TV host (Telespiele), born in Bamberg, Germany
May 20 Andy Johns, British sound engineer (Rolling Stones; Led Zeppelin), and record producer (Free; Humble Pie; L.A. Guns), born in Epsom, Surrey, England (d. 2013)
May 20 Reinaldo Merlo, Argentine footballer
May 22 Alekos Alavanos, Greek politician (Member of the European Parliament for Greece), born in Athens, Greece
May 22 Bernie Taupin, British lyricist (Elton John), and singer, born in Sleaford, Lincolnshire
May 23 Aleksandr Klepikov, Russian rower (Olympic gold Soviet Union coxed four 1976), born in St. Petersburg, Russia (d. 2021)
May 23 Linda Thompson, actress (Hee Haw), born in Memphis, Tennessee

Martin McGuinness (1950-2017)

May 23 Irish Sinn Féin politician and IRA member, born in Derry, Northern Ireland

May 23 William Barr, American lawyer (US Attorney General, 1992-93 and 2019-20), born in New York City
May 24 Jo Ann Washam, American golfer (3 LPGA Tour titles), born in Auburn, Washington
May 24 Larry Seidlin, American judge (judge during the infamous Anna Nicole Smith body custody hearing after her death), born in The Bronx, New York
May 24 Sun Chunlan, Chinese politician (highest-ranking female government official as Vice Premier People's Republic of China 2018-2023), born in Shenyang, China
May 25 (Elizabeth) Ann Crumb, American stage and screen actress and singer, born in Charleston, West Virginia (d. 2019)
May 25 Robby Steinhardt, American rock violinist and singer (Kansas - "Carry On Wayward Son"), born in Lawrence, Kansas
May 27 Dee Dee Bridgewater (née Garrett), American Grammy Award-winning jazz singer-songwriter, Tony Award-winning stage actress (The Wiz), and radio host (NPR's "JazzSet"), born in Memphis, Tennessee
May 28 Ian Bradley, British writer and academic
May 29 (Maureen) "Rebbie" Jackson, American singer (R U Tuff Enuff), born in Gary, Indiana
May 29 Talat Ali, Pakistani cricket batsman (Pakistan 10 Tests), born in Lahore, Punjab
May 30 Bertrand Delanoë, French politician
May 30 Paresh Rawal, Indian Bollywood actor (Woh Chokri, Woh Chokri), born in Bombay, India
May 31 Edward Barker, English cartoonist, born in Birmingham, England
May 31 Gregory Harrison, American actor (Trapper John, M.D. - "Gonzo"; Falcon Crest; Logan's Run), born in Catalina, California

Born in 1950

Famous Weddings

Jayne Mansfield

May 6 American student, and aspiring actress, Vera Jayne (Palmer) Peers (later known as Jayne Mansfield) (17) weds American student Paul Mansfield (20), in Fort Worth, Texas; divorce in 1958

Elizabeth Taylor

May 6 English-American actress Elizabeth Taylor (18) marries for the 1st time to American hotel heir Conrad "Nicky" Hilton (23); divorce in 1951

Jack Lemmon

May 7 Actor Jack Lemmon (25) weds tv actress Cynthia Stone (24)

Famous Deaths

May 6 Agnes Smedley, writer, dies
May 7 Bertha "Chippie" Hill, American blues and vaudeville singer (King Oliver's Jazz Band), struck and killed by a car in New York City at 45
May 8 Franklin Dyall, British actor (Easy Virtue, Atlantic), dies at 80
May 8 Vital Brazil, Brazilian physician (b. 1865)
May 9 Esteban Terradas i Illa, Catalan mathematician, scientist and engineer, dies at 66
May 10 Belle da Costa Greene, American librarian, bibliographer and archivist, dies at 66
May 10 John Gould Fletcher, American poet (Epic of Arkansas; Burning Mountain), drowns himself in a pond at 64 [1]
May 17 Eduardo Fabini, composer, dies at 67
May 24 Archibald Wavell, 1st Earl Wavell, British general, dies at 67
May 26 Antonina Nezhdanova, Russian soprano (Bolshoi Theater), dies at 77
May 28 Vicente Sotto, Filipino politician and author (Sotto Law, Republic Act No. 53), dies at 73

On This Day