What Happened in May 1970

Historical Events

  • May 2 1st woman jockey at Kentucky Derby (Diane Crump)
  • May 2 96th Kentucky Derby: Mike Manganello on Dust Commander wins 2:03.4
  • May 2 KOAI (now KNAZ) TV channel 2 in Flagstaff, AZ (NBC) 1st broadcast
  • May 3 Trans-Arabian Pipeline delivery from Saudi Arabia to the Mediterranean interrupted in Syria, driving oil tanker rates to all time highs
  • May 3 World premiere of The Beatles' "Let it Be" documentary film directed by Michael Lindsay-Hogg, in New York City
  • May 4 National Guard kills 4 student anti-war protesters at Kent State University in Kent, Ohio
  • May 4 Pulitzer prize awarded to Erik H Erikson (Gandhi's Truth)

Event of Interest

May 4 Soviet Premier Alexei Kosygin confirms the existence of Russian military advisors in Egypt

  • May 5 US performs nuclear test at Nevada test Site
  • May 6 European Cup Final, San Siro, Milan: Feyenoord beats Celtic, 2-1; first time title won by a Dutch club

Event of Interest

May 6 Irish Prime Minister Jack Lynch sacks two ministers in the Irish government over allegations of illegal arms importation

  • May 6 Yuchiro Miura of Japan skis down Mt Everest
  • May 8 24th NBA Championship: NY Knicks beat LA Lakers 113 to 91 at Madison Square Garden, NYC; winning final series 4 games to 3
  • May 8 Beatles release 12th, and final, studio album, "Let It Be", in conjunction with the film of the same name
  • May 8 Construction workers break up an anti-war rally in NYC's Wall Street
  • May 8 NBA championship: Knicks beat Lakers, 113-99
  • May 8 Thousands of students protest against the Vietnam War following the Kent State University shootings in Ohio

Sports History

May 10 Atlanta Braves' Hoyt Wilhelm pitches in his 1,000th game, loses to Cards 6-5

Stanley Cup

May 10 Stanley Cup Final, Boston Garden, Boston, MA: Bobby Orr scores famous OT winner as Boston beats St. Louis Blues, 4-3 for 4-0 series sweep; Bruins its first title since 1941

  • May 11 "The Long and Winding Road" becomes Beatles' last American single release
  • May 11 Henry Marrow is murdered in a violent racially-motivated crime in Oxford, North Carolina.

Baseball Record

May 12 Ernie Banks hits his 500th home run

  • May 12 KTVM TV channel 6 in Butte, MT (NBC/ABC) begins broadcasting
  • May 12 Race riots in Augusta Georgia; 6 blacks killed (5 by cops)
  • May 12 US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site

Presidential Convention

May 14 Harry Blackmun (61), nominated by Richard Nixon, earns seat on US Supreme Court after confirmation by US Senate, 94-0; serves until 1994

Event of Interest

May 14 Militant leftist Red Army Faction leader Andreas Baader freed from prison after serving 2 years in West Berlin

  • May 14 NYC local newspaper "Our Town" begins publishing
  • May 15 Elizabeth Hoisington and Anna Mae Mays named 1st female US generals
  • May 15 France performs nuclear test at Mururoa atoll
  • May 15 International Olympic Committee votes to expel South Africa
  • May 15 Mississippi Highway Patrol kill 2 students during racial disturbance at Jackson State University in Mississippi

Music History

May 16 "Grover Henson Feels Forgotten" by Bill Cosby hits #70

Cannes Film Festival

May 16 23rd Cannes Film Festival: "M*A*S*H" film, directed by Robert Altman wins the Grand Prix du Festival International du Film

  • May 16 95th Preakness: Eddie Belmonte aboard Personality wins in 1:56.2

Music History

May 17 Anonymous buyer purchases one of the pairs of ruby slippers worn by Judy Garland in "The Wizard of Oz" for $15,000 at MGM Studio auction, and donates them to the Smithsonian Institution

Baseball Record

May 17 Hank Aaron becomes 9th player to get 3,000 hits

  • May 18 Beatles' last released LP, "Let It Be", released in US
  • May 20 100,000 march in NY supporting US policies in Vietnam
  • May 20 2 die and 70 injured when 2 NYC subway trains crash in Queens
  • May 20 The Beatles' "Let it Be" documentary film directed by Michael Lindsay-Hogg, premieres at the Liverpool Gaumont Cinema and the London Pavilion; none of the group attend
  • May 21 National Guard mobilizes to quell disturbances at Ohio State University
  • May 21 USSR performs nuclear test at Novaya Zemlya USSR
  • May 22 Arab terrorists kill 9 children & 3 adults on a school bus
  • May 22 France performs nuclear test at Mururoa atoll

Sports History

May 22 Mel Stottlemyre sets record by walking 11, but wins 2-0

  • May 23 A fire breaks out in the Britannia Bridge over the Menai Straits in north Wales contributing to its partial destruction and causing approximately £1,000,000 worth of fire damage
  • May 23 Grateful Dead's 1st performance outside US, as part of 'The Hollywood Rock Music Festival', in Newcastle under Lyme, England
  • May 23 San Diego Padres beat SF Giants 17-16 in 15 innings
  • May 23 USSR performs nuclear test (underground)
  • May 24 Peter Green quits Fleetwood Mac to join a religious cult
  • May 24 The drilling of the Kola Superdeep Borehole begins in the Soviet Union
  • May 25 3rd ABA Championship: Indiana Pacers beat LA Stars, 4 games to 2
  • May 26 The Soviet Tupolev Tu-144 becomes the first commercial transport to exceed Mach 2
  • May 27 British expedition climbs south face of Annapurna I in the Himalayas in north-central Nepal, 10th highest mountain
  • May 27 USSR performs nuclear test at the Semipalatinsk Test Site in northeast Kazakhstan
  • May 28 Arms Trial Begins: several men are charged in a Dublin court with conspiracy to illegally import arms for use by the Irish Republican Army (IRA)
  • May 28 The formerly united Free University of Brussels officially splits into two separate entities, the French-speaking Université Libre de Bruxelles and the Dutch-speaking Vrije Universiteit Brussel.
  • May 29 USSR performs underground nuclear test
  • May 30 "Minnie's Boys" closes at Imperial Theater NYC after 80 performances
  • May 30 Baseball All-Star voting is returned to fans

Indy 500

May 30 Indianapolis 500: Al Unser Snr joins his brother Bobby as the first duo of brothers to win the race; owner Parnelli Jones second to win as both a driver and owner

Sports History

May 30 Tigers Al Kaline collides with another player & swallows his tongue

  • May 31 7.75 Ancash earthquake off coast of Peru kills 66-70,000 and sets off world's deadliest avalanche

Cathedral of Brasília

May 31 Cathedral of Brasília, designed by architect Oscar Niemeyer is dedicated in the Brazilian capital Brasília

  • May 31 KDUB TV channel 40 in Dubuque, IA (ABC) begins broadcasting
1970 History

Famous Birthdays

Birthdays 1 - 100 of 103

  • May 1 Alex Van Pelt, American NFL quarterback (Buffalo Bills) and QB coach ; GB Packers, Cincinnati Bengals, Cleveland Browns), born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
  • May 1 Damon Diletti, Australian field hockey goal keeper (Olympic silver 1992; Champions Trophy gold 1999), born in Perth, West Australia

Bobby Cannavale (53 years old)

May 3 American stage and screen Emmy Award-winning actor (Will & Grace - "Vince"; Boardwalk Empire), born in Union, New Jersey

  • May 3 Ted Crowley, American hockey defenseman (Olympics 1994), born in Concord, Massachusetts
  • May 4 Dawn Staley, American Basketball HOF guard (6 × WNBA All-Star, Charlotte Sting, Houston Comets; Olympic gold 1996, 2000, 04) and coach (Olympic gold 2020), born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
  • May 4 Gregg Alexander, American pop-rock musician, songwriter, and producer (New Radicals- "You Get What You Give"), born in Grosse Pointe, Michigan
  • May 4 Will Arnett, Canadian-American actor (Arrested Development), born in Toronto, Ontario
  • May 5 Guillaume Connesson, French contemporary classical composer (Yu-Yan; The Ship of Ishtar; A Kind of Trane), born in Boulogne-Billancourt, France
  • May 5 Juan Acevedo, Mexican baseball player (Colorado Rockies), born in Ciudad Juárez, Mexico
  • May 5 Kyan Douglas, American TV personality (Queer Eye), born in Miami, Florida
  • May 5 LaPhonso Ellis, American NBA forward (Denver Nuggets), born in East St. Louis, Illinois
  • May 5 Naomi Klein, Canadian author (This Changes Everything: Capitalism vs. the Climate) and activist, born in Montreal, Quebec
  • May 5 Soheil Ayari, French-Iranian racer, born in Aix-les-Bains, Savoie, France
  • May 6 Emerson Martin, NFL guard (Pittsburgh Steelers, Carolina Panthers, Packers)
  • May 6 Kavan Smith, Canadian actor
  • May 7 Jenny Saville, English painter (Propped), born in Cambridge, England
  • May 7 Mark Smith, American outfielder (Baltimore Orioles), born in Pasadena, California
  • May 7 Sebastien Britten, Canadian figure skater (1995 Canadian Champ), born in Brossard, Quebec
  • May 8 Michael Bevan, Australian cricketer (dashing NSW & Australian lefty batsman)
  • May 9 Doug Christie, NBA guard/forward (Toronto Raptors)
  • May 10 Craig Mack, American rapper (Flava In Ya Ear), born in Trenton, New Jersey (d. 2018)
  • May 10 Dallas Roberts, American actor
  • May 10 Gabriela Montero, Venezuelan-American pianist, born in Caracas, Venezuala
  • May 10 Perry Blake, Irish singer-songwriter (The Hunchback of San Francisco), born in Sligo, Ireland
  • May 10 Sally Phillips, English comedian and actress (Smack the Pony, Miranda), born in Hong Kong
  • May 11 Dean Capobianco, Australian 200m/400m (Olympics 1992, 96)
  • May 11 Glenn Hugill, British television presenter and producer
  • May 11 Nicky Katt, American actor

Jim Furyk (53 years old)

May 12 American golfer (US Open 2003; 17 PGA Tour titles; first to shoot 58 2016), born in West Chester, Pennsylvania

  • May 12 Mark Foster, English swimmer (4 x World C'ship [SC] gold 50m freestyle; 2 x gold 50m butterfly), born in Billericay, England
  • May 12 Mike Weir, Canadian golfer (US Masters 2003), born in Sarnia, Ontario
  • May 12 Samantha Mathis, American actress (American Psycho, Billions), born in Brooklyn, New York
  • May 12 Stevie Anderson, NFL wide receiver (Arizona Cardinals)
  • May 13 Mark Beaufait, US hockey forward (Olympics 1994), born in Royal Oak, Michigan
  • May 13 Mitch Lyons, NFL tight end (Atlanta Falcons, Pittsburgh Steelers)
  • May 13 Selwyn Jones, American NFL defensive back, 1992-97 (Cleveland Browns, Seattle Seahawks, and 2 other teams), born in Houston, Texas
  • May 14 Natasha Ryan, American child actress (Days Of Our Lives, 1975-80; Ladies' Man, 1980-81), born in Los Angeles, California
  • May 15 Artie Smith, NFL defensive end (Cin Bengals)
  • May 15 Cory Philpot, CFL running back (BC Lions)
  • May 15 Desmond Howard, College Football Hall of Fame wide receiver (Heisman Trophy 1991, U of Michigan; Super Bowl MVP 1996, Green Bay Packers), born in Cleveland, Ohio
  • May 15 Frank de Boer, Dutch soccer star (Ajax)
  • May 15 Keith Tower, NBA center (LA Clippers)
  • May 15 Martin Rossiter, Welsh pop singer, keyboardist (Gene), and music educator, born in Wales
  • May 15 Nicola Walker, English actress (The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, Last Tango in Halifax), born in London
  • May 15 Prince Be [Attrell Cordes], American rapper (PM Dawn), born in Jersey City (d. 2016)
  • May 15 Rod Smith, Texarkana, Arkansas, American NFL wide receiver (Denver Broncos-Super Bowl 32)
  • May 15 Ronald de Boer, Dutch soccer player (Ajax)
  • May 15 Tony Brown, NFL cornerback (Seattle Seahawks)

Gabriela Sabatini (53 years old)

May 16 Argentine tennis player (US Open 1990), born in Buenos Aires, Argentina

  • May 17 Alan Wetmore, CFL fullback (Montreal Alouettes)
  • May 17 Giovanna Trillini, Italian fencer (2 x Olympic gold foil 1992), born in Iesi, Italy
  • May 17 Hubert Davis, American basketball guard (Dallas Mavericks, NY Knicks) and coach (Uni of North Carolina), born in Winston-Salem, North Carolina
  • May 17 Jordan Knight, American singer-songwriter (New Kids on the Block), born in Worcester, Massachusetts
  • May 17 Matt Lindland, American mixed martial arts fighter
  • May 17 Renzo Furlan, Italian tennis star
  • May 17 Stefania Croce, Italian golfer (Women's PGA C'ship 2000 runner-up), born in Bergamo, Italy
  • May 18 Clemens Zwijnenberg, Dutch soccer player (FC Twente)

Tina Fey (53 years old)

May 18 American actress and comedian (Saturday Night Live; 30 Rock), born in Upper Darby Township, Pennsylvania

  • May 18 Vicky Sunohara, Canadian ice hockey forward (Canada, Olympics 1998)
  • May 19 K. J. Choi, South Korean golfer (Players C'ship 2011; 8 PGA Tour titles), born in Wando, South Korea
  • May 20 Jason York, Nepean, NHL defenseman (Anaheim Mighty Ducks)

Louis Theroux (53 years old)

May 20 English television broadcaster (Louis Theroux's Weird Weekends; When Louis Met....), born in Singapore

  • May 20 Missy Cress, female catcher (Colo Silver Bullets), born in Burbank, California
  • May 20 Terrell Brandon, American basketball point guard (NBA All-Star 1996, 97 Cleveland Cavaliers), born in Portland, Oregon
  • May 21 Carl Veart, Australian footballer, born in Whyalla, Australia
  • May 21 Dorsey Levens, NFL running back (Green Bay Packers-Super Bowl 31)
  • May 21 Roman Turek, Czech hockey goalie (Team Czech Rep, Olympics 1998), born in Strakonice, Czechoslavkia
  • May 22 Eric Wunderlich, American 200m breaststroke (Olympic 7th 1996)
  • May 22 Marcus Dowdell, NFL wide receiver/kick returner (Arizona Cardinals)

Naomi Campbell (53 years old)

May 22 English model and actress (Cool as Ice, Unzipped), born in London, England

  • May 22 Pedro Diniz, Brazilian Formula One driver
  • May 23 Blake Schwendiman, American author
  • May 23 Bryan Herta, American race car driver
  • May 23 Matt Flynn, American drummer (Maroon 5, since 2006 - "Moves Like Jagger"), born in Woodstock, New York
  • May 23 Nanette Burstein, American director and producer
  • May 23 Ricky Gutierrez, infielder (Houston Astros), born in Miami, Florida
  • May 23 Yigal Amir, Israeli assassin of Yitzhak Rabin
  • May 24 Jeff Zgonina, American NFL defensive tackle (Carolina Panthers, Packers, Rams), born in Chicago, Illinois
  • May 24 Tommy Page, American pop singer ("I'll Be Your Everything"), born in Glenridge, New Jersey (d. 2017)
  • May 25 Heather Simmons-Carrasco, American synchronized swimmer (Olympic alt-96), born in Mountain View, California
  • May 25 Joey Eischen, American MLB pitcher (LA Dodgers), born in West Covina, California
  • May 25 Lindsay Greenbush, American twin actress (Carrie-Little House on Prairie), born in Hollywood, California
  • May 25 Michael Benyaer, Canadian-American actor (Deadpool) and writer (Pilot One), born in Vancouver, British Columbia
  • May 25 Octavia Spencer, American actress and producer (The Help, Hidden Figures), born in Montgomery, Alabama
  • May 25 Robert Croft, Welsh cricket spin bowler (21 Tests England, 49 wickets, BB 5/95; Glamorgan CCC) and broadcaster (Sky Sports), born in Swansea, Wales
  • May 25 Satsuki Yukino, Japanese voice actor, born in Kyoto, Japan
  • May 25 Sidney Greenbush, American twin actress (Carrie-Little House on Prairie), born in Hollywood, California
  • May 26 Nobuhiro Watsuki, Japanese manga artist (Rurouni Kenshin), born in Tokyo, Japan
  • May 26 Sam Mack, NBA forward/guard (Houston Rockets, Vancouver Grizzlies)
  • May 26 Sebastian Barrie, NFL defensive tackle (San Diego Chargers)

Joseph Fiennes (53 years old)

May 27 English actor (Enemy at the Gates, Shakespeare in Love), born in Salisbury, Wiltshire

  • May 27 Michael Blackburn, Australian laser sailor (Olympic bronze 2000), born in Sydney, New South Wales
  • May 27 Michele Bartoli, Italian cyclist
  • May 27 Tim Farron, British politician
  • May 28 Glenn Quinn, Irish actor (d. 2002)
  • May 28 Ian Cashmore, English actor and paranormal investigator
  • May 28 Jason Belser, NFL cornerback (Indianapolis Colts)
  • May 29 Natarsha Belling, Australian news presenter, born in Mudgee, Australia
  • May 29 Roberto Di Matteo, Italian soccer midfielder, manager (Italy 34 caps, Lazio, Chelsea), born in Schaffhausen, Switzerland
  • May 30 Ness Wadia, Indian industrialist
Born in 1970

Famous Weddings

Sammy Davis Jr.

May 11 American entertainer Sammy Davis Jr. (44) weds American entertainer Altovise Gore (26) in a Philadelphia, Pennsylvania courthouse, officiated by the Rev. Jesse Jackson:, his third marriage lasts until his death in 1990

  • May 15 American actor Christopher George weds American actress Linda Day in Palm Beach, Florida, until his death

Al Gore

May 19 US Vice President Al Gore weds (22) weds author Tipper Aitcheson (21) at the Washington National Cathedral in Washington, D.C.

John Kerry

May 23 US Secretary of State John Kerry (26) weds heiress Julia Stimson Thorne (25)


Famous Deaths

  • May 1 Yi Un, last Crown Prince of Korea, dies at 72
  • May 3 Candelario Huízar, Mexican violist, horn player, and classical and canción composer ("Surco"), dies at 82
  • May 4 Allison Beth Krause, American student, killed by soldiers of the Ohio Army National Guard at Kent State University while protesting against US military at 19
  • May 4 Jeffrey Miller, American student, killed by soldiers of the Ohio Army National Guard at Kent State University while protesting against US military, at 20
  • May 4 Sandra Scheuer, American student, killed by soldiers of the Ohio Army National Guard at Kent State University while protesting against US military, at 20
  • May 4 William Schroeder, American student, killed by soldiers of the Ohio Army National Guard at Kent State University while protesting against US military at 20
  • May 6 Wharton Esherick, American artist and sculptor who worked primarily in wood, dies at 82
  • May 7 Carlos Estrada, Uruguayan composer and conductor, dies at 60
  • May 9 Andrew Watson Myles, Canadian politician, dies at 86
  • May 9 Percy Brier, Australian composer, dies at 84
  • May 9 Walter P. Reuther, American worker's union leader & president of the CIO, dies in a plane crash at 62
  • May 10 Mari Blanchard, American actress and femme fatale (Kathy-Klondike), dies of cancer at 47
  • May 11 Johnny Hodges, American saxophonist, dies at 62

Nelly Sachs (1891-1970)

May 12 German-Swedish poet and playwright (O the Chimneys - Nobel Prize for Literature 1966), dies at 78

  • May 12 Wladyslaw Anders, Polish army general (WWI and WWII), and politician (Parliament-in exile), dies at 78
  • May 13 William Dobell, Australian portrait artist, dies at 70
  • May 14 (Mary) "Billie" Burke, American radio, stage, silent and sound film actress (Zieigfield Follies; The Wizard of Oz; Merrily We Live), dies at 85
  • May 17 Nigel Balchin, English author (My Executioner), dies at 61
  • May 19 Ray Schalk, American Baseball Hall of Fame catcher (World Series 1917; Chicago White Sox) and manager (Chicago White Sox 1927-28), dies from cancer at 78
  • May 19 Tadeusz Breza, Polish writer (The Bronze Gate), dies at 64
  • May 21 E. L. Grant Watson, Australian biologist (b. 1885)
  • May 21 Vinton Hayworth, American actor (Gen Schaeffer-I Dream of Jeannie), dies at 63
  • May 22 Joseph W Krutch, American writer (Measure of Man), dies at 76
  • May 23 Nydia Westman, actress (Going My Way, Young Mr Bobbins), dies at 68
  • May 27 Emmy van Lokhorst, Dutch writer and literary critic, dies at 78
  • May 29 Eve Hesse, German born Jewish American sculptor dies of a brain tumor aged 34
  • May 29 John Gunther, American author and host (John Gunther's High Road), dies at 68

Terry Sawchuk (1929-1970)

May 31 Canadian Hockey HOF goaltender who was a 4-time Vezina Trophy winner; Stanley Cup 1952, 54, 55 Detroit Red Wings, 67 Toronto Maple Leafs, dies from liver injuries at 40