Timeline May 2001

Events in May 2001 8

• 1906 – 2001 R. K. Narayan (1906-2001) Died 13 May 2001, aged 94 Narayan was one of the first Indian writers in English to reach a global readership, setting his gentle, ironic novels and stories in the fictional town of Malgudi. Works such as The Guide and Swami and Friends drew admirers including Graham Greene. He wrote steadily for more than sixty years.
• 1912 – 2001 Perry Como (1912-2001) Died 12 May 2001, aged 88 Como was a singer and television host whose relaxed baritone sold millions of records from the 1940s onward, including Catch a Falling Star and Magic Moments. A former barber, he presented long-running variety and Christmas specials. His easy manner made him a fixture of American living rooms.
• 1952 – 2001 Douglas Adams (1952-2001) Died 11 May 2001, aged 49 Adams wrote The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, which began as a BBC radio series in 1978 and became a bestselling series of comic science-fiction novels. He was also an early enthusiast for personal computers and an environmental campaigner. He died suddenly of a heart attack in California.
• 2001 2001 World Snooker Championship O’Sullivan First Title The first world title for Ronnie O’Sullivan. Winner: Ronnie O’Sullivan; Runner-up: John Higgins. Score: 18–14.
• 2001 Silvio Berlusconi returns as Prime Minister of Italy Media magnate's coalition wins the election Silvio Berlusconi's House of Freedoms coalition won the Italian general election of 13 May 2001, returning him to the premiership he had briefly held in 1994. He went on to lead the longest-serving government of the postwar republic. His business interests and legal troubles dominated Italian politics for a decade.
• 2001 Shrek #3 film of 2001 — $484m worldwide Directed by Andrew Adamson at DreamWorks Animation. An ogre sets out to rescue a princess, accompanied by a talking donkey.
• 2001 Apple opens its first retail stores Company enters bricks-and-mortar retail Apple opened its first two retail stores, in Virginia and California, on 19 May 2001, a move many analysts predicted would fail. The stores emphasised hands-on product displays and a help counter later called the Genius Bar. The chain became among the most profitable retail operations by floor area.
• 2001 – present Iga Świątek Tennis Champion World No. 1 tennis player and multiple Grand Slam winner.