Historical Events
Whig Convention
May 1 Whig convention nominates Henry Clay as presidential candidate
1st Telegraph Message
May 24 Samuel Morse taps out "What hath God wrought" in the world's first telegraph message
- May 25 1st telegraphed news dispatch is published in Baltimore Patriot
Famous Birthdays
Elijah McCoy (1844-1929)
May 2 Canadian-American inventor of African descent, notable for his 57 US patents (lubrication of steam engines), born in Colchester, Ontario
- May 3 Édouard Drumont, French anti-semitic journalist, born in Paris (d. 1917)
- May 3 Richard D'Oyly Carte, English opera impresario (Gilbert & Sullivan operas), born in London (d. 1901)
- May 3 Thomas Kelly, Irish-Australian cricket batsman (2 Tests, 1877-79; HS 35; Victoria CA), born in County Waterford, Ireland (d. 1893)
- May 8 Hermann Gradener, German composer, born in Kiel, Germany (d. 1929)
- May 9 (Maria) Catharina Beersmans, Belgian stage actress (Medea; The Empty Cradle; The Bad Shepherds), born in Turnhout, Belgium (d. 1899)
- May 17 Julius Wellhausen, German biblical scholar (analysis of the structure and dating of the Pentateuch), born in Hamelin, Hanover, Germany (d. 1918)
- May 21 Henri Rousseau, French post-impressionist painter (The Dream, The Hungry Lion Throws Itself on the Antelope), born in Laval, France (d. 1910)
- May 22 Mary Cassatt, American impressionist painter (Woman Bathing), born in Allegheny City, Pennsylvania (d. 1926)
- May 23 `Abdu'l-Bahá, Successor to Prophet of the Bahá'í Faith (d. 1921)
- May 28 Léon Vasseur, French composer, born in Bapaume, France (d. 1917)
- May 30 Louis Varney, French composer, born in New Orleans, Louisiana (d. 1908)
