Dashed left edge = started before May 2019 ·
Dashed right edge = ongoing beyond May 2019
Events in May 2019 15
1915 – 2019Herman Wouk (1915-2019)Died 17 May 2019, aged 103Herman Wouk was an American novelist known for The Caine Mutiny, which won the Pulitzer Prize, and the war epics The Winds of War and War and Remembrance. He continued writing into his final years and published a memoir at age 100. He died at his home in Palm Springs, California, ten days short of his 104th birthday.
1917 – 2019I.M. Pei (1917-2019)Died 16 May 2019, aged 102I.M. Pei was a Chinese-American architect known for landmark modernist designs including the glass pyramid at the Louvre Museum and the East Building of the National Gallery of Art. He won the Pritzker Prize in 1983. He died in Manhattan at age 102.
1922 – 2019Doris Day (1922-2019)American actress and singer, one of the biggest box-office stars of the 1950s and 1960s and later a leading animal-welfare campaigner.
1927 – 2019Doris Day diesHollywood legend, age 97Doris Day, one of the most popular Hollywood actresses and recording artists of the 1950s and 1960s, died on May 13, 2019, aged 97.
1933 – 2019Tim Conway (1933-2019)Died 14 May 2019, aged 85Tim Conway was an American comedic actor best known for his work on The Carol Burnett Show, where his improvised bits with co-star Harvey Korman became legendary. He won six Emmy Awards over his career. He died in Los Angeles after a long illness.
1949 – 2019Niki LaudaF1 LegendThree-time Formula One World Champion known for his incredible comeback after a near-fatal crash.
1949 – 2019Niki Lauda (1949-2019)Died 20 May 2019, aged 70Niki Lauda was an Austrian Formula One driver who won three world championships and famously returned to racing weeks after a near-fatal fiery crash in 1976. He later became a successful airline entrepreneur and Formula One team executive. He died in Zurich following long-term health complications.
20192019 World Snooker ChampionshipJudd Trump First TitleWinner: Judd Trump; Runner-up: John Higgins. Score: 18–9.
2019Awarded the Presidential Medal of FreedomHonored for career achievementIn recognition of his historic comeback and career achievements, President Donald Trump awarded Woods the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian honor, in a ceremony at the White House.
2019 – presentEmperor Naruhito (Reiwa era)Reign 2019–present — the 126th emperorNaruhito became the 126th emperor on 1 May 2019, beginning the Reiwa era, after his father Akihito's abdication. Oxford-educated and a specialist in water policy, he is the first Japanese emperor born after World War II.
2019ParasitePlayed Park Dong-ik, the patriarch of the wealthy family, in Bong Joon-ho's Parasite. The film won the Palme d'Or at Cannes and four Academy Awards including Best Picture, making it the first non-English language film to win that honour.
2019Doris Day dies in Carmel ValleyDoris Day dies aged 97.
2019US blacklists HuaweiTrade restrictions cut Chinese tech giant off from suppliersThe United States added Huawei to a trade blacklist barring American companies from supplying it with technology without government approval, citing national security concerns. The move disrupted Huawei's smartphone business, notably cutting off access to Google's Android services. It escalated broader US-China trade and technology tensions.
2019Game of Thrones series finale airsHBO fantasy epic ends after eight seasonsHBO's Game of Thrones concluded its eight-season run with a divisive finale that drew a record 19.3 million viewers in the US. The final season faced significant fan backlash over its pacing and plot resolutions. It remained one of the most-watched and most-discussed television series of the decade.
2019Parasite wins the Palme d'Or at CannesBong Joon-ho's film becomes first Korean winnerBong Joon-ho's Parasite won the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival, the first South Korean film to receive the award. The dark comedy-thriller about class inequality went on to become a global critical and box-office phenomenon. It later made history as the first non-English-language film to win the Academy Award for Best Picture.