CBn takes a look at some of the birthdays and past events of the James Bond series that have taken place during the month of May… Note: This article was originally posted on 1 May 2005.

1 May

• 1971: The cast and crew of Diamonds Are Forever, the seventh “official” James Bond film began filming the moonbuggy scenes at the John Mansville Gypsum Plant outside of Las Vegas.


• 1998: The 1st UK printing of The Facts Of Death, Raymond Benson’s second James Bond novel was released.


• 2000: The 1st UK printing of Doubleshot, Raymond Benson’s fourth James Bond novel was released.

2 May

• 2002: The 1st UK printing of The Man With The Red Tattoo, Raymond Benson’s sixth James Bond novel was released.

3 May

• 1957: A letter by G. Wren Howard (the director of Jonathan Cape) in the London Times Literary Supplement settled the question of whether or not James Bond would be returning in another novel. Concerns had been raised by faithful readers because of the surprise ending to Ian Fleming’s fifth James Bond novel, From Russia With Love.


• 1985: In A View To A Kill, the fourteenth “official” James Bond film, this date appears on the check for five-million dollars written by Max Zorin to Stacey Sutton for her shares of Sutton Oil.


• 2001: The 1st UK printing of Never Dream Of Dying, Raymond Benson’s fifth James Bond novel was released.

5 May

• 1967: Nancy Sinatra and John Barry recorded the theme song to You Only Live Twice, the fifth “official” James Bond film.

6 May

• 1967: A riot erupted in downtown Boston at 4 AM after “several thousand” people were denied entry to a showing of Casino Royale, the “unofficial” James Bond film in 1967. The screening, sponsored by radio station WRKO, promised free admission to anyone who showed up wearing a trench coat. Fifteen people were arrested, 30 injured, and several stores in the area were looted.

8 May

• 1963: Dr. No, the first “official” James Bond film, was initially released in the United States at roughly 450 theaters.

12 May

• 1952: Ian Fleming told his friend Willaim Polmer that he has been writing a novel. Polmer was intrigued and asked to see the manuscript. Of course, this is what became Casino Royale, the first James Bond novel.

13 May

• 1987: Happy Anniversary 007, an hour-long special hosted by Roger Moore celebrating 25 years of James Bond films, was broadcast in the United States on ABC.

24 May

• 1985: A View To A Kill, the fourteenth “official” James Bond film, was released in the United States.

25 May

• 1971: At Universal Studios the stunt crew of Diamonds Are Forever assembled at 7pm to film the Mustang entering the alley on two wheels.

27 May

• 1959: Ernest Cuneo wrote a brief outline of a story that is to become Thunderball, the ninth James Bond novel.


• 1964: From Russia With Love, the second “official” James Bond film, was released in the United States

• 1st - 1944, Rita Coolidge (Title Song Performer, Octopussy)
• 2nd - 1932, Bruce Glover (Mr. Wint, Diamonds Are Forever)
• 5th - 1944, John Rhys-Davies (General Leonid Pushkin, The Living Daylights)
• 6th - 1915, Orson Welles (Le Chiffre, Casino Royale)
• 8th - 1935, Robert Dix (Hamilton, Live And Let Die)
• 9th - 1912, Pedro Armendáriz (Kerim Bey, From Russia With Love)
• 13th - 1946, Tim Pigott-Smith (British Foreign Secretary, Quantum of Solace)
• 15th - 1918, Joseph Wiseman (Dr. No, Dr. No)
• 15th - 1932, John Glen (Director, For Your Eyes Only-Licence To Kill)
• 16th - 1948, Jesper Christensen (Mr. White, Casino Royale, Quantum of Solace)
• 16th - 1953, Pierce Brosnan (James Bond, GoldenEye-Die Another Day)
• 19th - 1937, Pat Roach (Lippe, Never Say Never Again)
• 19th - 1941, Tania Mallet (Tilly Masterson, Goldfinger)
• 19th - 1948, Grace Jones (Mayday, A View To A Kill)
• 20th - 1927, David Hedison (Felix Leiter, Live And Let Die, Licence To Kill)
• 20th - 1936, Anthony Zerbe (Milton Krest, Licence To Kill)
• 24th - 1931, Michael Lonsdale (Hugo Drax, Moonraker)
• 26th - 1909, Richard Maibaum (Writer, Various)
• 26th - 1925, Alec McCowen (Algernon, Never Say Never Again)
• 27th - 1922, Christopher Lee (Francisco Scaramanga, The Man With The Golden Gun)
• 28th - 1908, Ian Fleming (Creator, Various)
• 28th - 1944, Gladys Knight (Title Song Performer, Licence To Kill)
• 29th - 1921, Clifton James (Sheriff J.W. Pepper, Live And Let Die-The Man With The Golden Gun)

• 3rd - 1972, Bruce Cabot (Bert Saxby, Diamonds Are Forever)
• 5th - 1997, Walter Gotell (General Gogol, Various)
• 25th - 1968, Charles K. Feldman (Producer, Casino Royale)