May 1951 in History

Events in History

May 15 First vaginoplasty procedure (sex reassignment surgery) in the UK performed on Roberta Cowell by Harold Gillies

May 15 Polish cultural attache in Paris, Czesław Miłosz, asks the French government for political asylum
May 16 The first regularly scheduled transatlantic flights begin between Idlewild Airport (New York International Airport) and Heathrow Airport (London), operated by El Al Israel Airlines
May 18 US General Collins predicts use of atom bomb in Korea
May 21 The opening of the Ninth Street Show, otherwise known as the 9th Street Art Exhibition - a gathering of a number of notable artists, and the stepping-out of the post war New York avant-garde, collectively know as the New York School.
May 23 Seventeen Point Agreement for the Peaceful Liberation of Tibet signed in Beijing, formally establishes Chinese sovereignty over Tibet
May 24 Racial segregation in Washington, D.C. restaurants ruled illegal
May 24 US performs nuclear test at Enwetak (atmospheric tests)
May 26 Vaughan Williams' "Pilgrim's Progress" premieres in London

May 27 Chinese Communists force Dalai Lama to surrender his army to Beijing

May 28 Bernardus J Alfrink appointed Coadjutor Archbishop of Utrecht and Titular Archbishop of Tyana
May 29 1st North Pole flight in single engine plane-CF Blair
May 31 Netherlands & South Africa sign cultural accord

May 1 Antony Worrall Thompson, English celebrity chef
May 3 Tatyana Tolstaya, Russian writer, born in St Petersburg, Russia
May 6 Samuel Doe, President of Liberia (d. 1990)
May 10 Steve Gunderson, American politician (Rep-R-WI, 1981-97), born in Eau Claire, Wisconsin
May 13 Jim Douglas, American politician, Governor of Vermont (2003-11), born in Springfield, Massachusetts
May 15 Frank Wilczek, American Physicist (2004 Nobel Prize), born in Mineola, New York
May 16 Christian Lacroix, French fashion designer, born in Arles, France
May 17 I R Evans, CEO (Hyder, Welsh Water)
May 17 Simon Hughes, British politician and government minister (SD)
May 20 Mike Crapo, American politician (Senator-R-Idaho 1999-, Rep-R-Idaho 1993-99), born in Idaho Falls, Idaho
May 20 Thomas D Akers, American former astronaut (STS 41, 49, 61, 79), born in St. Louis, Missouri
May 23 Antonis Samaras, Greek politician
May 24 Ronald Parise, Italian-American astronaut (STS 35, STS 67), born in Warren, Ohio
May 26 Madeleine Taylor-Quinn, Irish politician
May 26 Muhammed Ahmad Faris, Syria, cosmonaut (Soyuz TM-3)

May 26 American astronaut (first American woman to go to space), born in Los Angeles, California

May 27 Norma Jean Almodovar, American author (Cop to Call Girl) and sex worker activist, born in Binghampton, New York
May 29 Peter Chernin, American businessman, President of News Corporation, born in Harrison, New York
May 30 Fernando Lugo, Paraguayan politician

May 6 Élie Cartan, French mathematician (b. 1869)
May 6 Henri Carton de Wiart, Belgian count and politician (Prime Minister of Belgium 1920-21), dies at 82
May 12 Oscar DePriest, American politician (Rep-D-Ill), dies at 80
May 13 Marianne Philips, Dutch author (Issue Beukennoot), dies at 65
May 25 Paula von Preradović, Croatian-Austrian poet and writer, dies at 63
May 26 Lincoln Ellsworth, Arctic explorer, dies at 71
May 27 Thomas Blamey, Australian general (WWI, WWII), dies at 67
May 30 Hermann Broch, Austrian novelist (Sleepwalkers, Bewitchment), dies at 64