Some of what was happening in the U.S. and around the world 50 years ago.
The world’s newest ocean liner, Queen Elizabeth 2, departed Southampton, England, on May 2 on its maiden voyage. The ship was the first to make private use of a Global Positioning System, connecting with four U.S. Navy satellites to identify its position within 100 feet, and signaling what some said was “the end of dead reckoning and sextant.” The QE2 arrived in New York City five days later.
The U.S. Navy announced on May 6 that it would not seek courts martial against any member of the crew of the USS Pueblo, seized in early 1968 by North Korea. The crew had been held captive by North Korea for 11 months and were questioned for 80 days by a Naval Court of Inquiry, conducted in Coronado, Calif. The Court of Inquiry had recommended general courts martial of Pueblo skipper, CDR Lloyd Bucher, and the officer in charge of the ship’s intelligence section, LT Stephen Harris, for allowing North Korean seizure of the ship, equipment, and codebooks. Secretary of the Navy John Chafee said he overruled the court’s recommendation because the crew “had suffered long enough” and added, “I am convinced that neither individual discipline, nor the state of discipline or morale of the Navy, nor any other interest requires further legal proceedings.”
Saint Christopher, revered by many Catholics and others as the patron saint of travelers, was removed from the liturgical calendar by the Roman Catholic Church on May 9. He was among 40 others removed following Vatican research that determined none of them had existed.
The battle of Hamburger Hill, later demonstrated to be the most costly — in terms of lives lost — U.S. offensive in the Vietnam War began May 10 as an airstrike on Hill 937 of the Dong Ap Bia mountain range in South Vietnam. Members of the 101st Airborne Division were sent in the next day.
The last Chevrolet Corvair — a 1969 Corvair Monza sport coupe — rolled off the assembly line at General Motors’ plant near Ypsilanti, Mich., on May 14. During its 10-year production run, the rear-engine car had been popular — 1.7 million sold — and controversial — subject of Ralph Nadar’s book about it, Unsafe at Any Speed.
On May 18, Apollo 10 launched from Cape Canaveral on what was described as “a dress rehearsal of a lunar landing mission.”
The American press first used the term “Hamburger Hill” on May 19 to describe the military action between U.S. and North Vietnamese forces begun nine days earlier, as the total of U.S. forces killed exceeded 50. Reinforced by South Vietnamese troops, U.S. and South Vietnamese forces captured the hill on May 20, following 12 charges up the 3,000-foot hill to dislodge North Vietnamese troops. Seventy-two Americans were killed in the battle, with another eight missing in action; more than 400 were wounded. U.S. Army officials later acknowledged that capture of the hill had “no tactical significance.”
Apollo 10 returned to Earth on May 26, following a successful eight-day test of all the elements needed for the upcoming first manned Moon landing. The USS Princeton was within three miles of the splashdown target in the South Pacific and recovered the capsule.
Mario Andretti won his first and only Indianapolis 500 on May 29. Having won the 1967 Daytona 500, Andretti became the first driver to win races for both Formula One and NASCAR Stock carsl.