Historical Events
- May 1 Ambonese rebellion bombs Ambon, conquers Morotai
- May 1 Arturo Frondizi sworn in as President of Argentina
- May 2 Yanks threaten to broadcast games nationwide if NL goes ahead with plans to broadcast, games into NYC
- May 3 84th Kentucky Derby: Ismael Valenzuela aboard Tim Tam wins in 2:05
- May 3 WINS suspends disc jockey Alan Freed for being charged with inciting a riot at a Boston concert, he quits, charges are dropped
- May 4 Alberto Lleras Camargo chosen president of Colombia
- May 5 KNME TV channel 5 in Albuquerque, NM (PBS) begins broadcasting
- May 5 Pulitzer prize awarded to James Agee for Death in the Family
- May 5 US performs atmospheric nuclear test at Enwetak Atoll in the Marshall Islands
- May 7 US Air Force Major Howard Johnson sets world aircraft altitude record in a Lockhead F-104 Starfighter at 27,810 m
Dracula Released
May 8 Classic Hammer horror film "Dracula" film starring Christopher Lee as the eponymous vampire alongside Peter Cushing, directed by Terence Fisher released
Little Rock Crisis
May 8 US President Eisenhower orders National Guard out of Central High School, Little Rock, Arkansas
Nixon Stoned in Peru
May 8 US VP Richard Nixon is shoved, stoned, booed and spat upon by protesters in Peru
Vertigo Released
May 9 "Vertigo", American film noir psychological thriller directed by Alfred Hitchcock, starring Jimmy Stewart and Kim Novak, is released
Sports History
May 9 Russian Mikhail Botvinnik recaptures world chess championship
- May 11 US performs atmospheric nuclear test at Bikini Island
- May 11 US performs its second atmospheric nuclear test of the day, this one at Enewetak Atoll in the Marshall Islands
- May 12 "Nee Nee Na Na Na Na Nu Nu" by Dicky Doo & The Don'ts hits #40
- May 12 US & Canada form North American Air Defense Command (NORAD)
- May 12 US performs atmospheric nuclear test at Enewetak Atoll in the Marshall Islands
- May 13 French settlers riot against French army in Algeria
- May 13 Jordan & Iraq form Arab Federation
Baseball Record
May 13 MLB player Stan Musial is 8th to get 3,000 hits
Baseball Record
May 13 MLB San Francisco Giants teammates Willie Mays & Darryl Spencer each hit 2 HRs & a triple, and combine for 10 RBI in a 16-9 win over the Dodgers at Los Angeles
- May 13 Pierre Pflimlin forms French government
Nixon Attacked in Venezuela
May 13 The motorcade carrying US Vice President Richard Nixon is attacked in Caracas, Venezuela; several of Nixon's staff are injured
- May 13 The trade mark Velcro is registered
- May 15 USSR launches Sputnik III
- May 16 Eli Beeding experiences 83 g deceleration on a rocket sled, New Mexico
- May 16 Major Irwin, USAF, flies a Lockheed Starfight F-104 A to a record 1,404.18 MPH
- May 17 83rd Preakness: Ismael Valenzuela aboard Tim Tam wins in 1:57.2
- May 17 Emergency crisis proclaimed in Algeria
- May 18 11th Cannes Film Festival: "The Cranes Are Flying" directed by Mikhail Kalatozov wins the Palme d'Or
- May 19 "South Pacific" soundtrack album goes #1 & stays #1 for 31 weeks
Birthday Party
May 19 Premiere of Harold Pinter's play "Birthday Party" in London
- May 20 US performs nuclear test at Enwetak (atmospheric tests)
- May 21 Indonesian paratroopers reconquer Morotai Island
- May 21 US performs nuclear test at Bikini Island (atmospheric tests)
- May 22 Influential modernist skyscraper the Seagram Building designed by Mies van der Rohe officially opens in Manhattan, New York
- May 23 Explorer 1 ceases transmission.
Event of Interest
May 23 Mao Zedong starts the "Great Leap Forward" movement in China
- May 23 US schools 1st use Cliff's Notes
- May 24 "New Girl in Town" closes at 46th St Theater NYC after 432 performances
Battle of Interest
May 24 Cuban President Fulgencio Batista opens military offensive against Fidel Castro's armed rebellion
- May 24 United Press Association and International News Service merge to form United Press International
- May 26 Ceylon emergency crisis proclaimed
- May 26 Union Square, San Francisco becomes state historical landmark
- May 26 US performs nuclear test at Enwetak (atmospheric tests)
- May 27 Ernest Green becomes the 1st African-American to graduate from Little Rock's Central High School
- May 27 Maiden flight of the F-4 Phantom II
- May 27 Vanguard SLV-1 launched for Earth orbit (failed)
- May 28 European Cup Final, Brussels: Francisco Gento scores the winner in extra time as Real Madrid beats AC Milan, 3-2; 3rd consecutive title for Los Blancos
Event of Interest
May 28 French government of Prime Minister Pierre Pflimlin resigns; 200,000 demonstrate against Charles de Gaulle
- May 30 Indianapolis 500: Jimmy Bryan wins a race best known for a massive first-lap, 15-car pileup that results in death of fan-favourite driver Pat O'Connor
- May 30 Unidentified soldiers killed in WW II & Korean War buried in Arlington
- May 30 US performs nuclear test at Enwetak (atmospheric tests)
- May 31 57th Women's French Championships: Zsuzsi Kormoczy beats Shirley Bloomer (6-4, 1-6, 6-2)
- May 31 Dick Dale invents "surf music" with "Let's Go Trippin"
- May 31 French Championships Men's Tennis: Mervyn Rose wins his first and only French title; beats Luis Ayala of Chile 6-3, 6-4, 6-4
- May 31 US performs nuclear test at Bikini Island (atmospheric tests)
Famous Birthdays
- May 3 Dean Garcia, British session and touring guitarist and bass player (Curve, 1990-2005; Eurythmics, 1983-85), born in London, England
- May 3 Kevin Kilner, American actor (Earth:Final Conflict), born in Baltimore, Maryland
- May 3 Sandi Toksvig, Danish-British comedian and radio presenter (The Great British Baking Show), born in Copenhagen, Denmark
Keith Haring (1958-1990)
May 4 American graffiti artist (Vanity Fair, Paris Review) and social activist, born in Reading, Pennsylvania
- May 5 Ron Arad, Israeli Air Force weapon systems officer (WSO) who is officially classified as missing in action since October 1986, born in Hod HaSharon, Israel
- May 6 (María) "Lolita" Flores, Spanish-Gypsy singer ("Sarandonga"). and actress, born in Madrid, Spain
- May 7 Louis Orr, American college basketball coach (Bowling Green State University 2007–14, Seton Hall 2001-06), born in Cincinnati, Ohio (d. 2022)
- May 8 Lovie Smith, American football coach (NFL Coach of the Year 2005 Chicago Bears; TB Buccaneers, Houston Texans; Uni of Illinois), born in Gladewater, Texas
- May 9 Esko Rechardt, Finnish yachtsman (Olympic gold 1980)
- May 10 Ellen Ochoa, PhD/Astronaut (STS 56, 66), born in Los Angeles, California
- May 10 Rick Santorum, American politician (Rep-R-Penn 1995-2007), born in Winchester, Virginia
- May 10 Yu Suzuki, Japanese creator of Virtua Fighter series
- May 11 Peter Antonie, Australian rower (Olympic gold 1992), born in Melbourne, Victoria
- May 12 Andreas Petroulakis, Greek political caricaturist
- May 12 Beth Maitland, American actress (Traci-Young & Restless), born in Rapid City, South Dakota
- May 12 Christian Brando, son of Marlon who killed his sisters boyfriend, born in Los Angeles, California (d. 2008)
- May 12 Eric Singer [Mensinger], American hard rock drummer (KISS, 1991-present), born in Cleveland, Ohio
- May 12 Kim Greist, American actress (CHUD, Brazil, Payoff, Manhunter), born in Stamford, Connecticut
- May 13 Frances Barber, English actress (Castaway), born in Wolverhampton, England
- May 14 Christine Brennan, American sports columnist
- May 15 Ron Simmons, American professional wrestler
- May 16 Glenn Gregory, English rock vocalist (Heaven 17), born in Sheffield, England
- May 17 Vincent Henar, Surinam bassist (Fra Fra Sound), born in Surinam
- May 18 Ray Donaldson, NFL center (Dallas Cowboys), born in Rome, Georgia
- May 18 Toyah Wilcox, English singer ("I Want to Be Free"), actress, and Mrs. Robert Fripp, born in Birmingham, England
- May 20 Jane Wiedlin, American pop-rock singer, guitarist, and songwriter (The Go-Gos - "Vacation"; "We Got The Beat"; solo - Fur), born in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin
- May 20 Mike Stefanik, American auto racer (9 NASCAR Modified Championships), born in Wilbraham, Massachusetts (d. 2019)
- May 20 Ronald Prescot Reagan Jr, LA, TV host (Ron Reagon Show) and son of Ronald and Nancy Reagon
- May 21 Sabine Bischoff, German fencer (Olympic gold 1984), born in Tauberbischofsheim, Germany (d. 2013)
Drew Carey (65 years old)
May 23 American actor and comedian (Drew Carey Show), born in Cleveland, Ohio
- May 23 François Feldman, French pop singer and songwriter (Petit Frank), born in Paris, France
- May 23 Mitch Albom, American writer
- May 23 Shelly West, American country singer ("Red Hot"; "West by West"), born in Cleveland, Ohio
- May 23 Thomas Reiter, German cosmonaut (Soyuz TM-22)
- May 25 Dorothy Straight, American 4-year-old author (How the World Began), born in Washington, D.C.
- May 25 Paul Weller, English guitarist (Jam - "This is Modern World"; Style Council), born in Woking, Surrey, England
- May 26 Margaret Colin, American actress (Independence Day, Three Men & a Baby), born in Brooklyn, New York
- May 27 Linnea Quigley, Davenport Iowa, actress (Night of Demons, Virgin High)
- May 27 Neil Finn, New Zealand musician (Split Enz; Crowded House - "Don't Dream It's Over"), born in Te Awamutu, New Zealand
Annette Bening (65 years old)
May 29 American actress (Grifters, Bugsy, American Beauty), born in Topeka, Kansas
- May 29 Ivar Sisniega, Mexican pentathlete, politician (Sports Minister 1994-2000), born in Kenosha, Wisconsin, USA
- May 29 Uwe Rapolder, German soccer midfielder, coach (1. FC Köln), born in Hausen an der Zaber, Germany
- May 29 Willem Holleeder, Dutch criminal and murderer, born in Amsterdam, Netherlands
- May 30 Marie Fredriksson, Swedish singer (Roxette - Must Have Been Love), born in Össjö, Sweden (d. 2019)
- May 30 Michael E Lopez-Alegria, Lt Cmdr/astro (STS 73, sk 92), born in Madrid, Spain
- May 30 Steve Israel, American politician, member of the United States House of Representatives (D-New York)
- May 30 Ted McGinley, actor (Love Boat, MWC, Dynasty), born in Newport Beach, California
- May 31 Gary Hallberg, American golfer (3 PGA Tour titles), born in Berwyn, Illinois
- May 31 Kyle Secor, American actor (Tim Bayliss-Homicide), born in Tacoma, Washington
- May 31 Mkhuseli Jack, South African UDF-leader (consumer boycots)
Famous Weddings
- May 7 "The Mark of Zorro" actor Tyrone Power (44) weds Debbie Ann Minardos
Famous Deaths
- May 2 Alfred Weber, German economist and sociologist, dies at 89
- May 3 Frank Foster, English cricket all-rounder (11 Tests, 3 x 50, 45 wickets, BB 6/91; Warwickshire CCC), dies at 69
- May 5 James Branch Cabell, American novelist and essayist (Restless Heads), dies at 79
- May 7 Nyogen Senzaki, 1st Zen teacher to reside in USA, dies at 81
- May 8 Nasni Matni, Lebanese journalist, assassinated at 48 or 49
- May 8 Norman Bel Geddes, American theatrical designer (Rivals, Dead End), dies at 65
- May 9 Bill Goodwin, American television announcer (Jolson Story, Burns & Allen), dies at 47
- May 15 Michael G the Boer, historian (Harbor of Amsterdam), dies at 91
- May 16 Jeroom Verten [Jozef Frans Vermetten], Flemish playwright, dies at 49
- May 19 Archie Scott-Brown, English race car driver (b. 1927)
- May 19 Bruno Stürmer, German conductor, composer and educator dies at 65
Ronald Colman (1891-1958)
May 19 British actor (Lost Horizon, The Prisoner of Zenda, Phantom Shot), dies at 67
- May 22 Julien de Valckenaere, Belgian poet, dies at 60
- May 25 Rolland Beaumont, South African cricket batsman (5 Tests; Transvaal), dies at 74
- May 27 Ainslie Pryor, actor (Adventures of Hiram Holiday), dies at 46
- May 27 Samuel Stritch, US cardinal/archbishop (Chicago), dies
- May 28 Mikuláš Schneider-Trnavský, Slovak composer, dies at 77
- May 29 Juan Ramon Jiménez, Spanish poet (Nobel 1956), dies at 76
- May 30 Jozef van Mierlo, Belgian Jesuit and literary (Hadewych), dies at 79
