May 1 - Several Soviet surface-to-air missiles shoot down an American Lockheed U-2 spy plane. Its pilot, Francis Gary Powers, of the Central Intelligence Agency is captured. - In India, May 1 is declared as 'Maharashtra Divas', i.e., Maharashtra Day (also celebrated as 'Kaamgaar Divas', i.e., Workers Day).

May 3 - European Free Trade Association (EFTA) established. - The Fantasticks, the world's longest-running musical, opens at New York City's Sullivan Street Playhouse where it will play for 42 years.

May 4 - West German refugee minister Theodor Oberländer is fired because of his past with Nazi Germany. - A.J. Liebling promulgates Liebling's Law in The New Yorker magazine: "Freedom of the press is guaranteed only to those who own one."

May 6 - President of the United States Dwight D. Eisenhower signs the Civil Rights Act of 1960 into law.

May 9 - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announces that it will approve birth control as an additional indication for Searle's Enovid, making it the world's first approved oral contraceptive pill.

May 10 - The nuclear submarine USS Triton, under the command of Captain Edward L. Beach, Jr., completes the first underwater circumnavigation of the Earth codenamed Operation Sandblast.

May 11 - In Buenos Aires, four Mossad agents abduct the fugitive Nazi criminal against humanity, Adolf Eichmann, in order that he could be taken to Israel and put on trial. Eichmann was later convicted and executed.

May 13 - A joint Swiss & Austrian expedition makes the first ascent of the Asian mountain, Dhaulagiri, the world's 7th highest mountain.

May 14 - The Kenyan African National Congress Party is founded in Kenya, when 3 political parties join forces.

May 15 - The satellite Sputnik 4 is launched into orbit by the Soviet Union.

May 16 - Soviet premier Nikita Khrushchev demands an apology from President Dwight D. Eisenhower for the U-2 reconnaissance plane flights over the Soviet Union, thus aborting the summit meeting scheduled for Paris in 1960. - Theodore Maiman operates the first laser.

May 20 - In Japan, police carry away socialist members of the Diet of Japan. The Diet next approves a mutual security treaty with the United States.

May 22 - The Great Chilean Earthquake: Chile's subduction fault ruptures from Talcahuano to Taitao Peninsula, causing the most powerful earthquake on record (with a magnitude of 9.5) and a tsunami. Because of its power, the seismographs in the city of Valdivia are overloaded and malfunction through the entire earthquake.

May 23 - Prime Minister of Israel David Ben-Gurion announces that Nazi war criminal Adolf Eichmann has been captured.

May 24 - Network programer Michael D Erne

May 27 - In Turkey, a bloodless military coup d'état removes President Celal Bayar and installs General Cemal Gürsel the as head of state.

May 30 - Cemal Gürsel forms the new government of Turkey (its 24th government, composed mostly of so-called "technocrats") (source: Wikipedia)