Historical Events
- May 1 2nd International Congress calls for 1st International Workers Day 1st May 1890 to mark protests in Chicago in 1886
Treaty of Wichale
May 2 Abyssinian Emperor Menelik II and Italy sign Treaty of Wichale
Exposition Universelle
May 6 Exposition Universelle (World's Fair) in Paris opens with the recently completed Eiffel Tower serving as the entrance arch
Esclarmonde
May 18 Jules Massenet's opera "Esclarmonde" premieres in Paris
Michelin Tyre Company
May 28 Édouard and André Michelin incorporate the Michelin tyre company
Famous Birthdays
- May 1 John Evans, English cricket batsman (1 Test) and author ('The Escaping Club'), born in Newtown, Hampshire (d. 1960)
- May 3 Beulah Bondi, American actress (It's a Wonderful Life), born in Chicago, Illinois (d. 1981)
- May 4 Francis Spellman, American Bishop and Cardinal of Roman Catholic Church, born in Whitman, Massachusetts (d. 1967)
- May 5 Herbie Taylor, South African cricket batsman and captain (42 Tests; 2,936 runs @ 40.77; 7 x 100s), born in Durban, South Africa (d. 1973)
- May 6 Stanley Morison, British typographer, born in Wanstead, Essex (d. 1967)
- May 10 Mae Murray, American silent screen actress, born in Portsmouth, Virginia (d. 1965)
- May 12 Otto Frank, German born father of Anne Frank who saw her diaries published, born in Frankfurt (d. 1980)
- May 13 Merie Earle [Ireland], American film and television character actress (The Waltons - "Maude Gormley"), born in Morrow, Ohio (d. 1984)
- May 15 Bessie Abramowitz Hillman, Russian-American labor leader and founder of Amalgamated Clothing Workers of America, born in Linoveh, Russia (d. 1970)
- May 16 Joan Collette, Dutch graphic artist and painter (New Church, Delft), born in Delft, Netherlands (d. 1958)
- May 17 Alfonso Reyes, Mexican writer (Simpatías y diferencias) and diplomat (Higenia Cruel), born in Monterrey, Mexico (d. 1959)
- May 18 Gunnar Gunnarsson, Icelandic writer (The Church on the Mountain), born in Fljótsdalur, Iceland (d. 1975)
- May 18 Thomas Midgley, American chemist and inventor (leaded gasoline), born in Beaver Fall, Pennsylvania (d. 1944)
- May 20 Felix Arndt, American organist, pianist, arranger, and composer ("Desecration Rag"; "Nola"), born in New York City (d. 1918) [1]
- May 20 William Lawther, English union leader (National Union of Mine Workers 1939-54), born in Choppington, England (d. 1976)
- May 23 Ernst Niekisch, German politician (d. 1967)
- May 23 Virginia True Boardman, American actress of the silent era (A Blind Bargain; The Lady Lies), born in Fort Davis, Texas (d. 1971)
- May 24 Creighton Hale, Irish actor (Gorilla Man, Way Down East), born in Cork, Ireland (d. 1965)
- May 25 Gilardo Gilardi, Argentine composer, pianist and conductor (La leyenda del urutaú; Réquiem; Misa de Gloria), born in San Fernando, Argentina (d. 1963)
Igor Sikorsky (1889-1972)
May 25 Russian-American pioneer of aviation in both helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft, born in Kyiv, Ukraine
- May 25 Sverre Jordan, Norwegian composer, orchestra conductor and pianist (Norwegian Rapsody), born in Bergen, Norway (d. 1972)
- May 28 José Padilla, Spanish composer and pianist (La Violetera - City Lights; Ça c'est Paris - Moulin Rouge), born in Almería, Spain (d. 1960)
- May 31 Athene Seyler, British actress (Make Mine Mink), born in London, England (d. 1990)
Famous Weddings
Ignacy Jan Paderewski
May 31 Polish pianist, and politician Ignacy Jan Paderewski (38) weds Polish baroness, social activist, and humanitaran Helena Maria von Rosen (32) in Warsaw, Russian Empire, until hear death in 1934
Famous Deaths
- May 9 William S. Harney, American general, dies at 88
- May 10 Mikhail Saltykov-Shchedrin, Russian satirist (b. 1826)
- May 14 Volney E. Howard, American politician, dies at 79
- May 15 Alfred Potocki, premier Austrian/governor/viceroy of Galicia, dies
- May 17 Marie of Prussia, Queen consort of Bavaria (1848-64), dies at 63
- May 17 William Roxby Beverly, artist, dies
- May 18 Isabella Glyn Dallas, Scottish Shakepearean actress, dies at 65
