Events in Film & TV
Event of Interest
1968 Movie star James Stewart retires from the US Air Force after 27 years of service
James Stewart
Film Release
2004 "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban", the 3rd film based on the books by J. K. Rowling is released in UK cinemas
- 2004 British children's cartoon "Peppa Pig" created by Astley Baker Davies premieres on Channel 5
- 2014 Psy's "Gangnam Style" becomes the first video to reach 2 billion views on YouTube
- 2015 5th Critics' Choice Television Awards: Silicon Valley wins Best Comedy Series, The Americans win Best Drama Series
Event of Interest
2017 Comedienne Kathy Griffin fired from CNN after photo of her holding bloody head resembling Donald Trump by Tyler Shields posted
Donald Trump
Event of Interest
2018 Matt LeBlanc announces he is leaving TV show "Top Gear"
Matt LeBlanc
Meeting of Interest
2018 Kim Kardashian West meets US President Trump at the White House to discuss prison reform
Kim Kardashian
Donald Trump
Birthdays in Film & TV
- 1888 Jack Holt, American golddigger and actor (Cat People, San Francisco, Brimstone), born in NYC, New York (d. 1951)
- 1889 Athene Seyler, British actress (Make Mine Mink), born in London, England (d. 1990)
- 1894 Fred Allen, comedian (Fred Allen Radio Show), born in Cambridge, Massachusetts
- 1897 Margalo Gillmore, British actress (Skirts Ahoy, High Society), born in London, England (d. 1986)
- 1902 Henk Schaer [Hendricus Schaareman], Dutch actor and conductor (Majoor Barbara, Lijmen), born in Delft, Zuid-Holland, Netherlands (d. 1982)
- 1905 Florence Desmond, English actress and comedian, born in Islington, London (d. 1993)
- 1908 Dominic "Don" Ameche, American actor (Cocoon, Trading Places), born in Kenosha, Wisconsin (d. 1993)
- 1908 Nils Poppe, Swedish actor (the Seventh Seal, Dum-Bom), born in Malmö, Skåne län, Sweden (d. 2000)
- 1912 Dave O'Brien [Fronabarger], American actor and writer (Reefer Madness, Kiss Me Kate, 1st Aid), born in Big Spring, Texas (d. 1969)
- 1914 Akira Ifukube, Japanese composer, best known for his film scores in the Godzilla films, born in Kushiro Hokkaido, Japan (d. 2006)
- 1915 Barbara Pepper [Marion], American actress (Foreign Correspondent, Green Acres, Rogue Tavern), born in NYC, New York (d. 1969)
- 1916 John Vivyan, actor (Mr Lucky, Wrong Man, Imitation of Life)
- 1916 Judy Campbell [Judith Mary Gamble], British actress (Convoy, Bonnie Prince Charlie), born in Grantham, England (d. 2004)
- 1921 Alida Valli [Baroness Alida von Marckenstein-Frauenberg], Italian actress (The Paradine Case, The Third Man), born in Rome, Italy (d. 2006)
- 1921 Howard Reig, American radio and television announcer
- 1922 Denholm Elliott, actor (Alfie, Raiders of the Lost Ark), born in London, England (d. 1992)
- 1929 Elaine Stewart, American actress and model (The Bad and the Beautiful, Take the High Ground), born in Montclair, New Jersey (d. 2011)
Clint Eastwood
1930 Clint Eastwood, American actor (Dirty Harry)/mayor (Carmel, California), born in San Francisco, California
Clint Eastwood
- 1934 Jim Hutton, Binghamton NY, actor (Ellery Queen)
- 1940 Elfi Mikesch, cinematographer (Erotique, Out of America, Malina)
- 1943 Sharon Gless, American actress (Chris Cagney-Cagney & Lacey), born in Los Angeles, California
- 1945 Rainer Werner Fassbinder, German filmmaker and director (Marriage of Maria Braum), born in Bad Worishofen, Bavaria, West Germany (d. 1982)
- 1948 Lynda Bellingham, Canadian-born English actress (Sweeney, Scarlet Tunic), born in Montreal, Quebec, (d. 2014)
- 1949 Steven Kampmann, actor (Kirk-Newhart), born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- 1949 Tom Berenger, actor (Big Chill, Someone to Watch Over Me), born in Chicago, Illinois
- 1950 Gregory Harrison, Catalina California, actor (Trapper John, Logan's Run)
- 1953 Pirkka-Pekka Petelius, Finnish actor
- 1956 Yoshiko Sakakibara, Chiba Japan, actress (Sailor Moon, Vampire Hunter)
- 1958 Kyle Secor, actor (Tim Bayliss-Homicide), born in Tacoma, Washington
- 1960 Chris Elliott, actor/comedian (Get a Life, David Letterman Show), born in NYC, New York
- 1961 Lea Thompson, actress (Back to the Future, Caroline In The City)
- 1962 Sebastian Koch, German actor
Brooke Shields
1965 Brooke Shields, American model/actress (Blue Lagoon, Suddenly Susan), born in NYC, New York
Brooke Shields
Colin Farrell
1976 Colin Farrell, Irish actor (In Bruges, Minority Report), born in Dublin, Ireland
Colin Farrell
Weddings in Film & TV
Divorces in Film & TV
Divorce of Interest
- 2007 Actress Billie Piper and radio DJ Chris Evans divorce after 6 years of marriage
Deaths in Film & TV
- 1947 Adrienne Ames, actress (Black Sheep, 24 Hours), dies at 39
- 1977 William Castle, American film director (b. 1914)
- 1987 Dorothy Patrick, actress (Torch Song, New Orleans, High Wall), dies
- 1989 Terry Drinkwater, CBS news correspondent, dies at 53 of cancer
- 1993 John Granger, actor (Advise & Consent), dies at 69
- 1994 Sidney Gilliat, British screenwriter/director, dies at 86
- 1996 Colin Morris, playwright/documentary filmmaker, dies at 80
- 2001 Arlene Francis, American television personality (d. 1907)
- 2004 Étienne Roda-Gil, French songwriter and screenwriter, dies at 62
- 2010 Brian Duffy, British photographer and film producer (b. 1933)
- 2010 William A. Fraker, American cinematographer (b. 1923)
- 2010 Merata Mita, New Zealander filmmaker (b. 1942)
- 2013 Jean Stapleton, American actress (Damn Yankees, Klute, All in the Family), dies at 90
- 2013 Marta Romero, Puerto Rican actress & singer (La Divina Infiel, The Shadow of the Bat), dies at 85
May in History
Ship that Changed the Face of Britain
Britain was on its knees after the Second World War, its economy and infrastructure in tatters. For help the Mother Country turned to the Commonwealth.
May 27, 1948
A Modern Major-General of Light Entertainment
William Gilbert, celebrated as the unique lyricist behind the highly popular Gilbert and Sullivan comic operas, met his death in highly unexpected circumstances.
May 29, 1911
Voltaire: Writer, Wit, Philosopher and Rebel
They burned his books, sent him to the Bastille and into exile, but Voltaire, who died on this day, remained rich, successful – and defiant.
May 30, 1778
Cloak And Dagger World of Walter Raleigh
Sir Walter Raleigh's secret marriage to a lady-in-waiting was uncovered on this day. It ruined his career, but things were to get much worse.
May 31, 1592