Historical Events
- May 1 Flevo Boys Football Club is established in Emmeloord, the Netherlands
Radio Premiere
May 1 Larry King's 1st radio broadcast, on station WAHR (1490-AM) in Miami Beach, Florida
- May 1 US gives Poland credit of $95 million
- May 1 Vanguard TV-1 booster test reaches 195 km
Event of Interest
May 2 Eugene O'Neill's stage drama "A Moon for the Misbegotten" premieres at the Bijou Theatre, NYC; runs for 68 performances
Assassination Attempt
May 2 Gangster Frank Costello escapes an assassination attempt made by rival mobsters
The Curse of Frankenstein
May 2 Hammer Film Productions releases its 1st color horror title - "The Curse of Frankenstein" starring Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee
- May 4 83rd Kentucky Derby: Bill Hartack aboard Iron Liege wins in 2:02.2
- May 4 Alan Freed hosts "Rock n' Roll Show" 1st prime-time network rock show, cancelled after 4 episodes
Anne Frank Foundation
May 4 Anne Frank Foundation forms in Amsterdam
- May 5 Adolf Schärf (67) is elected President of Austria
Event of Interest
May 6 Italian government of Antonio Segni resigns
- May 6 Last broadcast of "I Love Lucy" on CBS-TV
Event of Interest
May 6 Pulitzer prize awarded to John F. Kennedy (Profiles in Courage)
Election of Interest
May 6 Rajendra Prasad re-elected President of India for a second term in a landslide
- May 7 Indians' pitcher Herb Score is hit by a line drive off Gil McDougald
Diệm Visits the US
May 8 South Vietnamese President, Ngô Đình Diệm, arrives in the United States on a state visit
- May 10 1st meeting of legislative of Cameroon
Music Premiere
May 10 Dmitri Shostakovich's 2nd Piano concerto premieres, played by his son Maxim at his graduation concert at Moscow's conservatory
- May 11 Gabriel Paris forms government of Colombia
- May 14 Bob Merrill's musical "New Girl in Town" opens at 46th St Theater, NYC; runs for 432 performances
Billy Graham's Crusade
May 15 Evangelist Billy Graham launches his "crusade" in front of 18,000 people at Madison Square Garden in NYC
UK Tests a Hydrogen Bomb
May 15 Operation Grapple: Britain tests its first hydrogen bomb near Christmas Island in the Indian Ocean
Copacabana Incident
May 16 NY Yankee players including Mickey Mantle, Yogi Berra, Whitey Ford, and Hank Bauer are involved in a brawl at the Copacabana nightclub while watching Sammy Davis Jr. perform, leads to Billy Martin trade
- May 16 US launches its 3rd atomic submarine, USS Skate, at Groton, Connecticut
10th Cannes Film Festival
May 17 10th Cannes Film Festival: "Friendly Persuasion" directed by William Wyler wins the Palme d'Or
- May 17 Prayer Pilgrimage, biggest civil rights demonstration to date (DC)
- May 17 School desegregation law, Brown v Board of education
Preakness Stakes
May 18 82nd Preakness: Eddie Arcaro aboard Bold Ruler wins in 1:56.2
- May 19 Adone Zoli forms Italian government
Event of Interest
May 21 French government of Guy Mollet resigns
- May 22 KBTX TV channel 3 in Bryan, TX (CBS) begins broadcasting
- May 22 Red Sox set AL record by smashing 4 HRs in 6th inning in 11-0 win
- May 22 South Africa's government approves race separation in universities
- May 24 Anti-American riots breakout in Taipei, Taiwan
- May 24 Heavy earthquake strikes Colombia
- May 25 "Shinbone Alley" closes at Broadway Theater NYC after 49 performances
Sports History
May 25 Legendary rugby player Colin Meads makes his All Black debut against Australia - New Zealand win 25-11 in Sydney
- May 27 Toronto's CHUM-AM, (1050 kHz) becomes Canada's first radio station to broadcast only top 40 Rock n' Roll music format
- May 28 NL approves baseball's Brooklyn Dodgers' & NY Giants' move to the US west coast
- May 28 US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site
- May 28 WPSD TV channel 6 in Paducah, KY (NBC) begins broadcasting
- May 29 Algerian rebels kill 336 collaborators
- May 29 Laos government of prince Suvanna Phuma resigns
- May 29 NYC Mayor Robert Wagner says he plans to confer with the Giants & Dodgers about the proposed move to the west coast
European Cup Final
May 30 European Cup Final, Madrid: Alfredo Di Stéfano and Francisco Gento score as defending champions Real Madrid beats Fiorentina, 2-0
- May 30 Indianapolis 500: Sam Hanks wins in his thirteenth attempt; first driver to win a $100,000 single-race payday
- May 30 Test Cricket debut for Rohan Kanhai v England at Edgbaston
- May 31 Great Britain performs nuclear test at Christmas Island (atmospheric)
Famous Birthdays
- May 1 Dick Swett, American politician and diplomat (Rep-D-New Hampshire 1991-5), born in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania
- May 1 Kow Otani, Japanese composer for anime, film and video games (Gamera), born in Toyko, Japan
- May 1 Paul D Ronney, American aeronautical engineer and NASA astronaut (STS 83 alt), born in Los Angeles, California
- May 1 Rick Darling, Australian cricket batsman (14 Tests, top score 91; 18 ODIs), born in Walkerie, Australia
- May 1 Steve Farris, American rock guitarist (Mr Mister - "Kyrie"; "Broken Wings"), born in Fremont, Nebraska
- May 2 Domonic L. Pudwill Gorie, American NASA astronaut (sk: STS-91), born in Lake Charles, Louisiana
- May 3 Rod Langway, American NHL ice hockey defenseman, 1978-93 (Montreal Canadiens, Washington Capitals), born in Taipei, Taiwan
- May 3 [Michael] Cactus Moser, American country singer (Highway 101), born in Montrose, Colorado
- May 4 Peter Sleep, Australian cricket all-rounder (14 Tests, 31 wickets, BB 5/72, 3 x 50; South Australia), born in Penola, Australia
- May 4 Soozie Tyrell, American session and touring violinist and vocalist (E-Street Band; Seeger Sessions Band; Buster Poindexter; Southside Johnny), born in Pisa, Italy
- May 5 Lisa Eilbacher, Saudi-American actress (Beverly Hills Cop), born in Dharan, Saudi Arabia
- May 5 Peter Howitt, British actor and film director (Laws of Attraction), born in Manchester, Lancashire, England
- May 5 Richard E. Grant, Swazi-English actor (Posse; Bram Stoker's Dracula), born in Mbabane, British Swaziland
- May 7 Hercules [Raymond Fernandez], American professional wrestler, born in Tampa, Florida (d. 2004)
- May 7 Paul Leary, American rock guitarist (Butthole Surfers), and music producer, born in San Antonio, Texas
- May 7 Shauna McDonald Brown, British TV producer, born in Walton-on-Thames, England (d. 1994)
- May 7 Sinjin Smith, American beach volleyballer (Men's FIVB Beach Volley World Tour Winner 1989-92 [Randy Stoklos], born in Los Angeles, California
Bill Cowher (66 years old)
May 8 American Pro Football HOF coach (Super Bowl 2005; NFL Coach of the Year 1992; Pittsburgh Steelers), born in Crafton, Pennsylvania
- May 8 Deana Deardurff, American swimmer (Olympic gold 4x100m medley relay 1972), born in Wyoming, Ohio
- May 8 Eddie Butler, Welsh rugby union #8 (16 caps; Cambridge University RFC, Pontypool RFC), journalist (The Observer Sport, The Guardian) and broadcaster (BBC), born in Newport, Wales (d. 2022)
- May 8 Jeff Wincott, Canadian actor (Night Heat), born in Toronto, Ontario
- May 9 Fred Markham, 1st man to pedal a bike 65 mph
- May 9 John Stuper, baseball pitcher (St Louis Cardinals)
- May 9 Tessa Peake-Jones, British television and film actress (Only Fools and Horses - "Raquel"), born in Hammersmith, London, England
- May 10 Phil Mahre, alpine slalom skier (Olympic gold/silver-80, 84), born in Yakima, Washington
Sid Vicious (1957-1979)
May 10 English musician and bassist (Sex Pistols), born in London
- May 10 Steve Mahre, twin alpine slalom skier (Olympic silver 1980, 84), born in Yakima, Washington
- May 11 Luca Urbani, MD/astronaut (STS 78-alt), born in Rome, Italy
- May 12 Lou Whitaker, American MLB 2nd baseman (Detroit Tigers, 1978 AL Rookie of the Year), born in Brooklyn, New York
- May 13 Alan Ball, American screenwriter, director, and producer
- May 13 Andrea Klump, German terrorist (attempt to murder Jewish emigrants in Hungary)
- May 13 Carrie Lam, Chinese politician, Chief Executive of Hong Kong (2017-22), born in Hong Kong
- May 13 Claudie Andre-Deshays, French cosmonaut (Soyuz TM-24)
- May 14 Big Van Vader [Leon White], American professional wrestler (WWF, AJPW), born in Lynwood, California (d. 2018)
- May 14 William G Gregory, American USAF Major and astronaut (STS 67), born in Lockport New York
- May 15 Juan José Ibarretxe, Basque Lehendakari (Prime Minister)
- May 15 Kevin Von Erich, American professional wrestler
- May 16 Joan Benoit Samuelson, American long distance athlete (Olympic gold, marathon 1984; WR 1980, 82; Boston Marathon 1979, 83), born in Cape Elizabeth, Maine
- May 17 Pascual Pérez, Dominican baseball pitcher (MLB All Star 1983; Atlanta Braves), born in San Cristóbal, Dominican Republic (d. 2012)
- May 18 Michael Cretu, Romanian-German rocker (Enigma - "Sadeness, Part 1"), born in Bucharest, Romania
- May 19 Bill Laimbeer, NBA forward (Cleveland Cavaliers, Detroit Pistons)
- May 21 Bruce Buffer, American Mixed Martial Arts Announcer, born in Tulsa, Oklahoma
- May 21 Judge Reinhold, American actor (Fast Times at Ridgemont High), born in Wilmington, Delaware
- May 21 Nadine Dorries, British politician (C), born in Liverpool, England
- May 21 Renée Soutendijk, Dutch actress (The Fourth Man), born in Amsterdam, Netherlands
- May 21 Sue Woodstra, American volleyball player (Olympic silver 1984), born in Colton, California
- May 22 Gary Sweet, Australian actor (Alexandra's Project - Steve), born in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- May 22 Lisa Murkowski, American politician (U.S. Senator from Alaska), born in Ketchikan, Territory of Alaska
- May 23 Jimmy McShane, Irish singer (Baltimora - "Tarzan Boy"), born in Derry, Northern Ireland (d. 1995)
- May 23 Mark Arnold, American actor
- May 23 Thereza Bazar, British-Canadian singer (Dollar - "Love's Gotta Hold on Me"), born in Toronto, Ontario
- May 24 John G. Rowland, American politician (86th Governor of Connecticut), born in Waterbury, Connecticut
- May 25 Edward Lee, American writer (Mr. Torso), born in Washington, D.C.
- May 25 Hillary B. Smith, American actress (Nora-One Life to Live), born in Boston, Massachusetts
- May 26 François Legault, French Canadian politician
- May 26 Kristina Olsen, American folk singer-songwriter ("I'm Keeping This Life of Mine"), and session musician, born in San Francisco, California
- May 26 Pontso S.M. Sekatle, Lesotho academic and politician
- May 27 Bruce Furniss, American swimmer (Olympic gold men's 200m freestyle WR, 4x200m freestyle relay WR 1976; WR men's 200m IM 2:06.08 1975), born in Fresno, California
- May 27 Duncan Goodhew, English 100m breast stroke swimmer (Olympic gold 1980), born in London, England
- May 27 Eddie Harsch [Hawrysch], Canadian keyboardist (Bulldog; The Black Crowes - "Hard To Handle"), born in Toronto, Ontario (d. 2016)
- May 27 Siouxsie Sioux [Susan Ballion], British rock musician, singer and songwriter (Siouxsie & the Banshees - "Peek-a-Boo'; "Kiss Them For Me"), born in Southwark, England
- May 28 Ben Howland, American college basketball coach, born in Lebanon, Oregon
- May 28 Kirk Gibson, Mich, outfield (Tigers, Dodgers, 1988 NL MVP)
- May 28 Walter R. Tucker III, American politician (Rep-D-California 1993-95), born in Compton, California
- May 29 Jeb Hensarling, American politician (Rep-R-Texas 2013-19), born in Stephenville, Texas
- May 30 Hervé Leroux, French fashion designer and founder of Hervé Léger fashion house, born in Bapaume, France (d. 2017)
- May 31 Jim Craig, American ice hockey goaltender (Olympic gold 1980; Atlanta Flames, Boston Bruins, Minnesota North Stars), born in North Easton, Massachusetts
- May 31 Stephen Jones, English milliner (John Galliano, Vivienne Westwood), born in the Wirral Peninsula, England
Famous Weddings
Chuck Noll
May 25 NFL coach Chuck Noll (25) weds first wife Marianne Noll
Famous Deaths
- May 1 Grant Mitchell, American actor (Great Lie, Laura, Cairo, Conflict), dies at 82
Joseph McCarthy (1909-1957)
May 2 American Senator (Rep - Wisconsin) who claimed communists infiltrated the US government, dies of acute hepatitis, exacerbated by chronic alcohol abuse at 48
- May 2 Tadeusz Zygfryd Kassern, Polish composer and cultural attache, dies at 53
- May 5 Joseph W Kennedy, American chemist (Manhattan Project; 1 of 4 discoverers of plutonium), and educator, dies of stomach cancer at 40
- May 5 Mikhail Gnesin, Russian composer (Vrubel; The Youth Of Abraham), dies at 74
- May 7 Wilhelm Filchner, German explorer who led the German Antarctic expedition of 1911–12, dies at 79
- May 8 Jan Sluyters, Dutch painter (Moderne Kunstkring), dies at 75
- May 9 Ernest de Silva, Sri Lankan business magnate & philanthropist, dies at 69
- May 9 Ezio Pinza, Italian American operatic bass (NY Metropolitan Opera, 1926-48), and Tony Award-winning singer (South Pacific), dies at 64
- May 9 Heinrich Campendonk, German painter and wood carver, dies at 67
- May 12 Alfonso de Portago, Spanish bobsledder and race car driver (b. 1928)
- May 12 Erich von Stroheim, Austrian-American film director and actor (Greed; La Grande Illusion; Sunset Boulevard), dies of prostate cancer at 71
- May 14 Marie Vassilieff [Mariya Vassiliéva], Russian-French Left Bank artist, dies at 73
- May 16 Dick Irvin, Canadian Hockey HOF center (Chicago Black Hawks) and coach (Stanley Cup 1932 Toronto Maple Leafs; 1944, 46, 53 Montreal Canadiens), dies at 64
- May 16 Eliot Ness, American federal agent "The Untouchables" (put away Al Capone), dies of a heart attack at 54
- May 17 Shalva Azmayparashvili, composer, dies at 54
- May 21 Aleksandr Vertinsky, Russian singer (b. 1889)
- May 21 Edwin St Hill, Trinidadian cricketer (two Tests for West Indies 1930-31), dies at 53
- May 29 George Bacovia [Vasiliu], Romanian poet and composer (Plumb), dies at 75
- May 29 James Whale, English film director (Frankenstein, Show Boat), commits suicide by drowning at 67
- May 30 Toivo R Pekkanen, Finnish writer (Black Ecstasy), dies
- May 31 John Kilbane, American featherweight boxer and World Featherweight Champion (1912-23), dies at 68
- May 31 Leopold Staff, Polish poet (b. 1878)
