Music History
May 1 Musical "My One and Only", incorporating songs by George Gershwin and Ira Gershwin, opens at St James Theater, NYC; runs for 767 performances
Event of Interest
May 3 Soviet leader Yuri Andropov decreases nuclear weapons in Europe
- May 3 US bishops condemn nuclear weapons
- May 4 China performs nuclear test at Lop Nor, PRC
- May 5 US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site
- May 7 109th Kentucky Derby: Ed Delahoussaye wins aboard Sunny's Halo for consecutive Derby victories (1982 Gato Del Sol)
- May 7 August Hoffman performs record 29,051 consecutive sit-ups
- May 7 NHL Prince of Wales Conference Final: New York Islanders beat Boston Bruins, 4 games to 2
- May 9 18th Academy of Country Music Awards: Alabama, Ronnie Milsap, and Sylvia win
- May 10 Lee Chin Yong performs 170 continuous chin-ups in Seoul
Television Finale
May 10 TV sitcom "Laverne & Shirley" last airs on ABC-TV
- May 11 Aberdeen of Scotland win 23rd European Cup Winner's Cup against Real Madrid of Spain 2-1 in Gothenburg
Dance a Little Closer
May 11 Alan Jay Lerner and Charles Strouse's musical "Dance a Little Closer" opens & closes at Minskoff Theater, NYC, after 1 performance
- May 11 Comet C/1983 H1 (IRAS-Araki-Alcock) approaches 0.0312 AUs of Earth
- May 12 Julie Lynne Hayek representing California crowned 32nd Miss USA
Sports History
May 13 Reggie Jackson is 1st major leaguer to strike out 2,000 times
- May 14 "She Blinded Me with Science" by Thomas Dolby hits #5
- May 15 Madison Hotel (Boston) destroyed by implosion
- May 16 Lebanese parliament accepts peace accord with Israel
Music History
May 16 NBC broadcasts "Motown 25", a concert celebrating the anniversary of Motown Record held in Pasadena, California in March; performers include: The Miracles; The Temptations; The Four Tops; Diana Ross and the Supremes; The Jackson 5; and Michael Jackson, who unveils his "moonwalk" dance move
- May 16 Sudan People's Liberation Army and Movement rebels against the Sudanese government
- May 17 Israel & Lebanon sign a peace treaty
- May 17 Stanley Cup Final, Nassau Coliseum, Uniondale, NY: 4 consecutive titles for NY Islanders; sweep Edmonton Oilers in 4 games with a 4-2 Game 4 win
- May 18 Senate revises immigration laws, gives millions of illegal aliens legal status under an amnesty program
- May 19 36th Cannes Film Festival: "Narayama Bushiko" directed by Shohei Imamura wins the Palme d'Or
- May 19 NASA launches Intelsat V satellite, no. 506
Music History
May 19 Weird Al Yankovic gives live performance at Wax Museum in Washington, D.C.
- May 20 "Every Breath You Take" single released by The Police (Billboard Song of the Year, 1983)
Boxing Title Fight
May 20 American heavyweight boxer Larry Holmes beats countryman Tim Witherspoon by split decision to retain his WBC title at the Dunes Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas
Boxing Title Fight
May 20 Michael Dokes & Mike Weaver fight to a draw in 15 for heavyweight boxing title
Sports History
May 20 MLB Philadelphia Phillies Steve Carlton passes W Johnson with 2nd most strike outs
- May 21 "Bang The Drum All Day" single by Todd Rundgren hits #63
- May 21 108th Preakness: Donald Miller Jr on Deputed Testamony wins in 1:55.4
- May 21 Challenger moves to Vehicle Assembly Building at Kennedy Space Center (Florida), for mating for STS-7 mission
#1 in the Charts
May 21 David Bowie's "Let's Dance" single goes #1
- May 22 Toronto Blue Jay Cliff Johnson hits record 18th pinch hit HR
- May 23 Radio Moscow announcer Vladimir Danchev praises Afghanistan Muslims standing up to Russia; he is removed from the air
- May 24 Fred Sinowatz succeeds Bruno Kreisky as Chancellor of Austria
- May 24 Supreme Court rules government can deny tax breaks to schools that racially discriminated against students
Return of the Jedi
May 25 "Return of the Jedi" (Star Wars Episode VI), produced by George Lucas first released
- May 25 1st US National Missing Children's Day is proclaimed
- May 25 27th European Cup: Hamburg beats Juventus 1-0 at Athens
- May 25 Fire in Nassermeer, Egypt, kills 357
- May 25 France performs nuclear test
- May 25 Kirk Gibson (Tigers) & Jorge Orta (Blue Jays) hit inside park HRs
- May 26 29th Walker Cup: US, 13½ - 10½
- May 26 LA Lakers set NBA playoff game record of fewest free throws
- May 26 NASA launches Exosat
- May 26 Space Shuttle Challenger moves to launch pad for STS-7
- May 26 US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site
- May 27 Former EPA official Rita Lavelle indicted for contempt of Congress
- May 28 "Ricky", parody song by Weird Al Yankovic hits #63
- May 29 Indianapolis 500: Tom Sneva wins his first Indy 500; represents record 7th Indy victory for chief mechanic George Bignotti
- May 29 Yuri Dumchev of USSR throws discus a record 71.86 m
Baseball History
May 30 AL President Lee MacPhail suspends Yankees owner George Steinbrenner for one week, for his public criticism of umpires
- May 30 Surrey all out for 14 vs Essex, their lowest score ever
- May 31 37th NBA Championship: Philadelphia 76ers sweep LA Lakers in 4 games
Authors
Dictators
Explorers
Outlaws
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