Historical Events
- May 1 7th National Film Awards (India): "Apur Sansar" wins the Golden Lotus
- May 1 India's Bombay state split into Gujarat & Maharashtra states
Event of Interest
May 1 Russia shoots down Francis Gary Powers' U-2 spy plane over Sverdlovsk
- May 2 Allen Drury wins Pulitzer Prize for Fiction for his novel "Advise and Consent"
Music Concert
May 2 Harry Belafonte's 2nd Carnegie Hall performance (New York City)
- May 2 US House of Representative investigating committee, looking into payola questions in broadcasting
- May 3 Musical "Fantasticks" by Harvey Schmidt and Tom Jones, opens in Greeenwich Village, NYC, becomes “the longest-running musical in the universe”
Event of Interest
May 3 The Anne Frank House opens in Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Event of Interest
May 6 US President Eisenhower signs Civil Rights Act of 1960
- May 7 86th Kentucky Derby: Bill Hartack on Venetian Way wins in 2:02.4
- May 7 Dodgers Larry & Norm Sherry are baseball's 10th brother battery
- May 7 LA Dodger Norm Sherry's 11th HR wins the game for brother Larry
Event of Interest
May 7 Leonid Brezhnev replaces Kliment Voroshilov as President of USSR
Sports History
May 7 Michael Tal beats Mikhail Botvinnik 12½-8½ for world chess championship
- May 7 Musical review "From A to Z" closes at Plymouth Theater, NYC, after 21 performances
Flower Drum Song
May 7 Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein's musical "Flower Drum Song", directed by Gene Kelly, and starring Miyoshi Umeki, closes at St James Theater. NYC, after 602 performances and 1 Tony Award win
- May 7 USSR announces Francis Gary Powers confesses to being a CIA spy
- May 7 Webster and Fain's musical "Christine", based on Hilda Wernher's novel "My Indian Family", closes at 46th St Theater, NYC, after 12 performances
- May 8 1st performance of Ferde Grofé's "San Francisco Suite", with Grofé conducting, in San Francisco
- May 8 USSR & Cuba resume diplomatic relations
- May 9 Nigeria becomes a member of British Commonwealth
- May 9 US becomes the first country to legalize the birth control pill
Event of Interest
May 10 John F. Kennedy wins presidential primary in West Virginia
- May 10 US atomic submarine USS Triton completes 1st submerged circumnavigation of the globe
- May 11 French liner "France" launched
'The Banality of Evil'
May 11 Israeli soldiers capture Adolf Eichmann in Buenos Aires
TV Show Appearance
May 12 Elvis Presley appears on a Frank Sinatra television special; Elvis sings Sinatra's 1957 Cy Coleman hit "Witchcraft", and Frank performs Presley's 1956 classic "Love Me Tender"
- May 13 1st launch of Delta satellite launching vehicle; it failed
- May 13 Phillies lose 3rd consecutive 1-0 game
- May 13 WOLE TV channel 12 in Aguadillo, PR
- May 14 Michael Flanders and Donald Swann's musical review "At the Drop of a Hat" closes at John Golden Theater, NYC, after 216 performances
- May 14 USSR launch 1st (unmanned) space capsule
- May 14 Virgil Thomson's "Missa Pro Defunctis" premieres in Potsdam, NY
- May 15 "L'Avventura", Italian film directed by Michelangelo Antonioni, starring Gabriele Ferzetti, Monica Vitti. premieres at Cannes
- May 15 Chic Cub Don Cardwell no-hits St Louis Cards, 4-0
Music History
May 15 Dmitri Shostakovich's 7th String quartet premieres in Leningrad
- May 15 KHVO TV channel 13 in Hilo, HI (ABC) begins broadcasting
- May 15 Sputnik 4 launched into Earth orbit; later recovery failed
- May 15 Taxes took 25% of earnings in US
- May 16 Big 4 summit in Paris collapses as USSR levels spy charges against US
- May 16 Theodore Maiman operates the first optical laser, at Hughes Research Laboratories in Malibu, California
- May 17 1st atomic reactor system patented by J W Flora of Canoga Park, California
- May 18 Eillen Fulton begins playing Lisa on As the World Turns (for almost 30 yrs)
European Cup Final
May 18 European Cup Final, Glasgow: Ferenc Puskás scores 4, Alfredo Di Stéfano 3 as Real Madrid routs Eintracht Frankfurt, 7-3; 5th consecutive title for Los Blancos
Le Balcon
May 18 Jean Genet's play "Le Balcon" (The Balcony) premieres in Paris
- May 19 Alan Freed & eight other radio DJs accused of taking radio payola (bribes from record companies)
- May 19 Belgian parliament requires rest day for self employed
Baseball History
May 19 SF Giants rookie Juan Marichal beats Philadelphia Phillies, 2-0 on debut at Candlestick Park; first National League hurler since 1900 to debut with a one-hitter
- May 19 USAF Maj Robert M White takes X-15 to 33,222 m
Cannes Film Festival
May 20 13th Cannes Film Festival: "The Sweet Life" directed by Federico Fellini wins the Palme d'Or
- May 20 Baseball game in Milwaukee postponed due to dense fog
- May 21 85th Preakness: Bobby Ussery aboard Bally Ache wins in 1:57.6
Music History
May 21 Leontyne Price becomes the first African American to sing the lead at Teatro alla Scala in Milan in "Aida"
- May 22 A magnitude 9.4-9.6 earthquake strikes near the city of Valdivia in Chile, the strongest ever recorded, causing multiple tsunamis and killing 1,000-7,000 people
- May 22 Tsunami generated by a magnitude 9.4-9.6 earthquake in Chile strikes Hilo, Hawaii at 01:04 AM, severely damaging virtually all coastal towns between the 37th and 44th parallels
- May 23 "Got A Girl" by The Four Preps hits #24
Execution
May 23 Israel announces capture of Nazi Adolf Eichmann in Argentina
- May 23 Revival of Burton Lane and Yip Harburg's musical "Finian's Rainbow" opens at 46th St Theater NYC for 12 performances
- May 23 WGTV TV channel 8 in Athens-Atlanta, GA (PBS) begins broadcasting
- May 23 WKBM TV (now WLII) channel 11 in Caguas/San Juan, PR 1st broadcast
- May 23 WRCA radio changes call letters back to WNBC (NYC)
- May 24 1 millionth Dutch telephone installed
- May 25 George Crowe's record 11th pinch-hit HR
- May 27 Baltimore manager Paul Richards devises oversized catcher's mitt, used by Baltimore Oriole Clint Courtney
- May 27 Military coup overthrows democratic government of Turkey
- May 28 59th Men's French Championships: Nicola Pietrangeli beats Luis Ayala (3-6, 6-3, 6-4, 4-6, 6-3)
French Open Women's Tennis
May 28 59th Women's French Championships: Darlene Hard beats Yola Ramirez (6-3, 6-4)
Greenwillow
May 28 Frank Loesser's musical "Greenwillow", starring Anthony Perkins, closes at Alvin Theater, NYC, after 95 performances
#1 in the Charts
May 29 Everly Brothers single "Cathy's Clown" hits #1
- May 30 Indianapolis 500: Greatest two-man duel in race history; winner Jim Rathmann and Rodger Ward battle out then-record 29 lead changes until Ward slows with tire trouble
Famous Birthdays
- May 2 Ravi Ratnayeke, Sri Lankan cricketer (Sri Lankan pace bowler & opening batsman), born in Colombo, Ceylon
- May 2 Stephen Daldry, English film director (Billy Elliot; The Hours), born in Dorset, England
- May 3 Amy Steel, American actress (April Fool's Day), born in Pennsylvania
- May 4 Andrew Denton, Australian television presenter and comedian, born in Sydney, Australia
- May 4 Martyn Moxon, English cricket batsman (10 Tests, 3 x 50; Yorkshire CCC, Northern Cape), born in Barnsley, England
- May 6 Bart de Boer, Dutch punk rock guitarist (Ivy Green), born in the Netherlands
- May 6 John Flansburgh, American alt-rock singer-songwriter, and guitarist (They Might Be Giants - "Istanbul (Not Constantinople)"; "Birdhouse Of Your Soul"), born in Lincoln, Massachusetts
- May 6 Julianne Phillips, American actress (Frankie Reed-Sisters), born in Lake Oswego, Oregon
- May 6 Larry Steinbachek, British rock synthesizer (Bronski Beat) (d. 2017)
- May 6 Phyllis Treigle, American operatic soprano, born in New Orleans, Louisiana
- May 7 Adam Bernstein, American music video and television director, born in Princeton, New Jersey
- May 7 Almudena Grandes, Spanish novelist (Las edades de Lulú), born in Madrid, Spain
- May 7 Arnon Ohad, co-pilot (El Al) plane that crashed on Bijlmer Amsterdam
- May 8 Eric Brittingham, American rock bassist (Cinderella - "Heartbreak Station"; "Nobody's Fool"), born in Salisbury, Maryland
- May 8 Franco Baresi, Italian soccer defender (81 caps; AC Milan 532 games), born in Travagliato, Italy
- May 9 Iain Butchart, cricket all-rounder (Zimbabwe, Test v Pak 1995)
- May 9 Jim Reilly, Northern Irish drummer (Red Rockers), born in Belfast, Northern Ireland
Tony Gwynn (1960-2014)
May 9 American Baseball HOF outfielder (15 x MLB All Star; 8 x NL batting champion; 5 × Gold Glove Award; SD Padres), born in Los Angeles, California
Bono (63 years old)
May 10 Irish rock singer and lyricist (U2 - "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For"; "Desire"; "Beautiful Day"; "One"), born in Dublin, Ireland
- May 10 Merlene Ottey, Jamaican/Italian running star (Olympics)
- May 10 Tauseef Ahmed, cricketer (leading Pakistani off-spinner of 80's)
- May 10 Victoria Rowell, American actress (The Young & The Restless - "Drucilla"), born in Portland, Maine
- May 11 Jorgen Schult, German FR, discus thrower (world record 1986)
- May 12 Lisa Martin, Australian marathoner (Olympic-silver 1988), born in Gawler, South Australia
- May 13 Dick van de Toorn, Dutch actor (Pastorale), born in Haarlem, Netherlands
- May 14 Anne Clark, British poet and avant garde recording artist, born in Croydon, Surrey, England
- May 14 Carlyle Best, cricketer (WI batsman late 80's)
- May 14 Frank Nobilo, New Zealand golfer, broadcaster (5 European Tour titles, CBS, Golf Channel), born in Auckland, NZ
- May 14 Steve Williams, American professional wrestler, known as "Dr. Death", and USFL football player, born in Lakewood, Colorado (d. 2009)
- May 15 Rob Bowman, American film director
- May 16 Anne Parillaud, French actress (Subway, Nikita, Innocent Blood), born in Paris, France
- May 16 Bruce Norris, American playwright ("Claybourne Park" - 1st play to win a Tony and a Pulitzer)
- May 17 Fiona Hutchison, actress (One Life to Live, Guiding Light), born in Miami, Florida
- May 17 Lou DiBella, American boxing promoter
Jari Kurri (63 years old)
May 18 Finnish NHL right wing (Edmonton Oilers), born in Helsinki, Finland
Yannick Noah (63 years old)
May 18 French tennis player (French Open 1983), born in Sedan, France
- May 19 Shujaat Khan, Indian sitar player, singer, and composer, born in Calcutta, India
- May 19 Yazz [Yasmin Evans], singer (Fine Time), born in London, England
- May 20 John Billingsley, American actor
- May 20 Susan Cowsill, American rock vocalist (The Cowsills - "We Can Fly"), born in Newport, Rhode Island
- May 20 Tony Goldwyn, American actor (Ghost, Scandal), born in Los Angeles, California
Jeffrey Dahmer (1960-1994)
May 21 American serial killer (Milwaukee Cannibal), born in West Allis, Wisconsin
- May 21 Kent Hrbek, American baseball player (Minnesota Twins), born in Minneapolis, Minnesota
- May 21 Mohanlal, Indian actor, born in Elanthoor, India
- May 22 Hideaki Anno, Japanese film director and animator (Neon Genesis Evangelion), born in Ube, Yamaguchi, Japan
- May 24 Guy Fletcher, British musician and keyboardist (Dire Straits, 1984-95; The Notting Hillbillies), born in Maidstone, Kent, England
- May 24 Ken Schaphorst, American jazz composer, performer, big band bandleader and educator (New England Conservatory), born in Abington, Pennsylvania
- May 24 Kristin Scott Thomas, British actress (The English Patient, Mission: Impossible), born in Redruth, Cornwall, England
- May 25 Amy Klobuchar, American politician (D), senator for Minnesota (2007-), born in Plymouth, Minnesota
- May 25 Wallace Roney, American post-bop jazz trumpeter, born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (d. 2020) [1]
- May 26 Rob Murphy, American baseball player
- May 27 Aleksandr Sidorenko, Ukrainian swimmer (Olympic gold USSR 400m IM 1980; World C'ship gold 200m IM 1982), born in Mariupol, Ukraine (d. 2022)
- May 27 Ray Armsetad, 4X400 runner (Olympic gold 1984), born in Kirksville, Missouri
- May 27 Vinodhan John, cricket pace bowler (Sri Lankan in 6 Tests 1983-84)
- May 28 Allan Green, cricketeer
- May 29 Adrian Paul, English actor (Dance to Win, Highlander), born in London, England
- May 30 Stephen Duffy, English rock singer, songwriter, and musician (The Lilac Time - "Paradise Circus"; solo - "Sugar High"; Duran Duran 1978-79), born in Alum Rock, England
- May 31 Chris Elliott, American screenwriter, comedian, and actor (David Letterman; Cabin Boy, Get A Life), born in New York City
- May 31 Norm Johnson, American football place kicker (First-team All-Pro 1984; Pro Bowl 1984, 93; Seattle Seahawks, Atlanta Falcons, Pittsburgh Steelers), born in Inglewood, California
- May 31 Peter Winterbottom, British rugby union flanker (58 caps England, 7 British & Irish Lions; Headingley, Harlequins RFC, Hawkes Bay, Transvaal), born in Otley, England
Famous Weddings
- May 6 English Princess Margaret marries Antony Armstrong-Jones (later Lord Snowdon) at Westminster Abbey
Famous Deaths
- May 2 Caryl Chessman, American kidnapper and rapist, executed in gas chamber at San Quentin (California) State Prison after 12 years of appeals at 38
- May 5 Sulho Ranta, Finnish composer, dies at 58
- May 6 Paul Abraham, Hungarian composer (Blume von Hawaii), dies at 67
- May 6 Vern Bickford, American baseball pitcher (MLB All Star 1949; no-hitter 1950; Boston / Milwaukee Braves), dies from cancer at 39
- May 8 Hugo Alfvén, Swedish violinist, conductor, and composer (Midsommarvaka - Midsummer Vigil), dies at 88
- May 8 J. H. C. Whitehead, British mathematician (one of the founders of homotopy theory), dies at 55
- May 10 Yuri Olesha, Russian writer, dies at 61
John D. Rockefeller Jr (1874-1960)
May 11 American financier and philanthropist, dies of pneumonia at 86
- May 12 (Cecil) Armstrong Gibbs, English composer, dies of pneumonia at 70
- May 12 Prince Aly Khan [Ali Salman Aga Khan], Pakistani socialite, jockey, political ambassador and third husband to Rita Hayworth, dies from injuries sustained in a car accident at 48
- May 17 Ioannis Georgiadis, Greek fencer (Olympic gold sabre 1896), dies at 84
- May 23 Georges Claude, French engineer and inventor (neon light), dies at 89
- May 27 Edward Brophy, American character actor (Champ, Dumbo, Great Guy, The Cameraman, Doughboys), dies at 65
- May 27 George Zucco, British actor (Fog Island, Black Raven, Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, Captain Fury), dies at 74
- May 27 James Montgomery Flagg, American illustrator, dies at 82
Boris Pasternak (1890-1960)
May 30 Russian novelist (Doctor Zhivago - Nobel Prize, 1958), and poet, dies at 70
- May 31 Walther Funk, German economist and Nazi politician, dies at 69
- May 31 Willem Elsschot [Alfons Josephus de Ridder], Flemish writer (Kas), dies at 78
