Following up from my more extensive individual birthday posts for all 30 days in April, (the first full month of pandemic lockdown), I thought it would be fun to continue. Note this list includes both native New Yorkers and those who adopted New York as their home and made their careers here. You will find a link to their bios:
May 1st: Author Joseph Heller of "Catch 22" (which coined the famous phrase).
May 2nd: Lyricist Lorenz Hart, who partnered with Richard Rodgers, another native New Yorker; singer Leslie Gore; sportswriter, columnist and actor Maury Allen.
May 3rd: Pete Seeger, folksinger, songwriter, activist and environmentalist.
May 4th: Artist Keith Haring
May 5th: Nellie Bly, pioneering 19th century journalist (pictured).
May 6th: Willie Mays, one of the greatest baseball player who played for the New York and San Francisco Giants and the NY Mets.
May 7th: Amy Heckerling, movie director from The Bronx (Fast Times at Ridgemont High,National Lampoon's European Vacation,Look Who's Talking, and Clueless)..
May 8th: Mary Lou Williams, Jazz pianist and composer; Peter Benchley, novelist ("Jaws"); Don Rickles, actor and comedian from Queens; and Mayor Bill de Blasio.
May 9th: Billy Joel (born in The Bronx, raised in Long Island).
May 10th: Fred Astaire, dancer and actor.
May 11th: Martha Graham, famous dancer and choreographer of modern dance; composer Irving Berlin ("God Bless America." "Alexander's Ragtime Band," White Christmas").
May 12th: Katherine Hepburn, Actress.
May 13th: Stephen Colbert, talk show host; drama critic Clive Barnes; Brooklyn born actor Harvey Keitel.
May 14th: Sophia Coppola, movie director and screenwriter ("Lost in Translation:); Diane Arbus, pioneering photographer.
May 15th: Richard Avedon; fashion and portrait photographer, Chazz Palminteri, actor, playwright, producer, from The Bronx (wrote "A Bronx Tale").