Stuff that happened 50 years ago.
The US National Railroad Passenger Corporation, known as Amtrak, began operation on May 1. It replaced passenger services of private railroad companies that had operated for more than a century. The first official Amtrak service began at 12:05 am, when the Metroliner left New York City’s Penn Station for Washington, DC.
The Harris Poll announced on May 3 that a recent survey of American households found that 60 percent favored withdrawal of US troops from the Vietnam war even if that meant South Vietnam would be defeated. For the first time since the question had been asked, 58 percent of Americans believed it was morally wrong for the US to be engaged in the war.
Also on May 3, “All Things Considered,” National Public Radio’s flagship news program, was broadcast for the first time.
The Emmy Awards ceremony was held May 9 in Los Angeles. Emmys went to “All in the Family,” best comedy series; “The Flip Wilson Show,” best variety series; and “The Bold Ones: The Senator,” best drama.
The price of mailing a letter first-class rose by one-third on May 16. A first-class stamp cost 8 cents, up from 6.
The Magic Mountain amusement park opened in Valencia, Calif., on May 29. Tickets to ride all of the park’s rides were $5.00 for adults, $1.50 for children 12 and under.
Monday, May 31, was Memorial Day, completing a three-day holiday weekend. It was the first instance of the holiday falling on the last Monday in May, as called for in federal legislation establishing uniform Monday holidays for major observances. From 1868 to 1970, Memorial Day (previously “Decoration Day”) had been observed on May 30, whichever day of the week on which that date fell.