1st » Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo declares the existence of "a state of rebellion", hours after thousands of supporters of her arrested predecessor, Joseph Estrada, storm towards the Malacañan Palace or presidential palace at the height of the
3rd » The United States loses its seat on the U.N. Human Rights Commission for the first time since the commission was formed in 1947.
6th » During a trip to Syria, Pope John Paul II becomes the first pope to enter a mosque.
9th » In Ghana 129 football fans die in what became known as the Accra Sports Stadium disaster. The deaths are caused by a stampede (caused by the firing of teargas by police personnel at the stadium) that followed a controversial decision by the referee.
21st » French Christiane Taubira e.g Taubira law is enacted, officially recognizing the Atlantic slave trade and slavery as crimes against humanity.
24th » Mountain climbing: Temba Tsheri, a 16-year-old Sherpa people or Sherpa, becomes the youngest person to climb to the top of Mount Everest.
24th » The Versailles wedding hall disaster in Jerusalem, Israel kills 23 and injures over 200.
25th » Erik Weihenmayer, 32 years old, of Boulder, Colorado, becomes the first blind person to reach the summit of Mount Everest.
27th » Members of the Islamism e.g Islamist separatist group Abu Sayyaf Dos Palmas kidnappings called seize twenty hostages from an affluent island resort on Palawan in the Philippines; the hostage crisis would not be resolved until June 2002.
29th » The Supreme Court of the United States or U.S. Supreme Court rules that the disabled golfer Casey Martin can use a cart to ride in tournaments.
Famous Deaths for May 2001
2nd » Gina Mastrogiacomo, American actress (b. 1961)
2nd » Ted Rogers (comedian) e.g Ted Rogers, English comedian and actor (b. 1935)
3rd » Billy Higgins, American drummer and educator (b. 1936)
4th » Bonnie Lee Bakley, American murder victim (b. 1956)
5th » Clifton Hillegass, American publisher, created 'CliffsNotes' (b. 1918)
6th » Mike Hazlewood, English songwriter and musician (b. 1941)
7th » Jacques de Bourbon-Busset, French author and politician (b. 1912)
10th » James E. Myers, American actor, songwriter, and producer (b. 1919)
10th » Sudhakarrao Naik, Indian politician, 16th Governor of Himachal Pradesh (b. 1934)
10th » Deborah Walley, American actress (b. 1943)
11th » Douglas Adams, English author and screenwriter (b. 1952)
12th » Perry Como, American singer and actor (b. 1912)
12th » Alexei Tupolev, Russian engineer, designed the Tupolev Tu-144 (b. 1925)
13th » Jason Miller (playwright) e.g Jason Miller, American actor and playwright (b. 1939)
13th » R. K. Narayan, Indian author (b. 1906)
14th » Gil Langley, Australian cricketer, footballer, and politician (b. 1919)
17th » Frank G. Slaughter, American physician and author (b. 1908)
18th » Irene Hunt, American author and illustrator (b. 1907)
19th » Alexey Maresyev, Russian soldier and pilot (b. 1916)
19th » Susannah McCorkle, American singer (b. 1946)
20th » Renato Carosone, Italian singer-songwriter and pianist (b. 1920)
26th » Vittorio Brambilla, Italian race car driver (b. 1937)
26th » Anne Haney, American actress (b. 1934)
26th » Moven Mahachi, Zimbabwean politician, Ministry of Defence (Zimbabwe) called Minister of Defence of Zimbabwe (b. 1952)
26th » Dona Massin, Canadian actress and choreographer (b. 1917)