Historical Events
Anglo-Ethiopian Treaty
May 14 Great Britain signs treaty with Ethiopian Emperor Menelik II settling border issues with British Somaliland
- May 14 Oldest continuously operating movie theater in the world, the State Theatre first opens in Washington, Iowa (Guinness World Records)
- May 15 The Greek army retreats with heavy losses in the Greco-Turkish War.
Scientific-Humanitarian Committee
May 15 The Scientific-Humanitarian Committee is founded in Berlin by Magnus Hirschfeld, the first-ever LGBT rights organization
1st Successful Submarine
May 17 The first successful submarine that can run submerged for any considerable distance and combines electric and gasoline engines is launched in the USA by its designer John Philip Holland
Dow Chemical Founded
May 18 Herbert Henry Dow founds Dow Chemical in Midland, Michigan
- May 18 Irish Music Festival 1st held in Dublin
- May 18 New York Giants third baseman Bill Joyce becomes last player in baseball history to hit 4 triples in a game as Giants beat Pittsburgh Pirates, 11-5 at Exposition Park
The Sorcerer’s Apprentice
May 18 Paul Dukas' symphonic scherzo "The Sorcerer’s Apprentice" (used in Disney's Fantasia film) premieres, based on poem by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Oscar Wilde Released
May 19 Oscar Wilde is released from Reading Gaol
37th British Open
May 20 37th British Open Men's Golf, Royal Liverpool GC: English amateur Harold Hilton wins 2nd Open title by 1 stroke from Scot James Braid
Dracula Published
May 26 "Dracula" by Irish author Bram Stoker is published by Archibald Constable and Company in London
- May 29 31st Belmont: Joe Scherrer aboard Scottish Chieftain wins in 2:23.25
Famous Birthdays
- May 2 J. Fred Coots, American songwriter ("Santa Claus Is Coming To Town"; "Love Letters In The Sand"), born in Brooklyn, New York (d. 1985)
- May 3 V. K. Krishna Menon, Indian nationalist, Minister of Defense (1957-62), born in Tellicherry, British India (d. 1974)
- May 6 Paul Alverdes, German writer (Pfeiferstube), born in Strasbourg, France (d. 1979)
- May 7 Kitty McKane (Godfree), English tennis player (Olympic gold, 2 silver, 2 bronze-1920, 24), born in Bayswater, England (d. 1992)
- May 10 Dalton Conyngham, South African cricket medium-pace bowler (1 Test, 2 wickets; Natal, Transvaal, Western Province), born in Durban, South Africa (d. 1979)
- May 10 Einar Gerhardsen, Prime minister of Norway (d. 1987)
- May 11 Boerneef [pen name for Izak Wilhelmus van der Merwe], South African writer (Tweetalige Woordeboek), born in Ceres, Cape Colony (d. 1967)
- May 11 Robert E. Gross, American businessman (d. 1961)
- May 13 Babe Dye, Canadian Hockey Hall of Fame right wing (Stanley Cup 1922; NHL scoring champion 1922–23, 24-25; Toronto St. Patricks/Maple Leafs), born in Hamilton, Ontario (d. 1962)
- May 14 Ed Ricketts, American marine biologist (d. 1948)
- May 14 Sidney Bechet, American jazz clarinetist, saxophonist, bandleader, and composer ("Petite Fleur"), born in New Orleans, Louisiana (d. 1959)
- May 16 Walther Geiser, Swiss violist, composer and conductor, born in Zofingen, Switzerland (d. 1993)
- May 17 Odd Hassel, Norwegian chemist (Nobel 1969 - the study of the three-dimensional geometric structure of molecules), born in Kristiana, Norway (d. 1981)
Frank Capra (1897-1991)
May 18 Italian-American Academy Award-winning film director (It's a Wonderful Life; It Happened One Nigh; Mr. Smith Goes to Washington), born in Bisacquino, Italy
- May 18 Jack Raine, British actor (Quartet), born in London, England (d. 1979)
- May 19 Frank Luke, American World War I pilot (d. 1918)
- May 19 Jerome Travers, American golfer (US Open 1915), born in New York City (d. 1951)
- May 20 Diego Abad de Santillán, Spanish anarchist (d. 1983)
- May 22 Marcelle Meyer, French concert pianist specializing in both contemporary classical (Les Six) and Baroque revivalist (Bach; Rameau) repertoires, born in Lille, France (d. 1958)
- May 22 Robert Neumann, Austrian-British author (Waters of Babylon), born in Vienna (d. 1975)
- May 23 Fred Guy, American jazz banjo player and guitarist (Joseph C. Smith's Orchestra; Duke Ellington's Washingtonians), born in Burkeville, Virginia (d. 1971)
- May 25 Alan Kippax, Australian cricket batsman (22 Tests, 2 x 100, 8 x 50, HS 145; NSW CA), born in Sydney, Australia (d. 1972)
- May 27 John Cockcroft, English physicist (development of Radar, Nobel Prize 1951 for 1st particle accelerator, Director of Atomic Energy Research Establishment), born in Todmorden, Yorkshire, England (d. 1967)
- May 28 Henry Kendall, British director and actor (Amazing Quest, Shadow, Rich & Strange), born in London, England (d. 1962)
- May 29 Erich Wolfgang Korngold, Austrian-American composer (Violanta; The Adventures of Robin Hood), born in Brünn, Austria-Hungary (d. 1957)
- May 29 Ignace Lilien, Dutch-Austrian composer, born in Lemberg (now in Lviv, Ukraine) (d. 1964)
- May 31 Margalo Gillmore, British actress (Skirts Ahoy, High Society), born in London, England (d. 1986)
Famous Deaths
- May 2 William Cleaver Francis Robinson, composer, dies at 63
- May 10 Andrés Bonifacio, Filipino revolutionary leader of 1896 Philippine revolt against Spain, dies at 33
- May 10 William Thomas Best, English organist and composer, dies at 70
- May 12 Minna Canth, Finnish playwright (Anna Liisa) and social activist, dies of a heart attack at 53
- May 12 Willem Roelofs, Dutch painter and lithographer, dies at 75
- May 21 Karol Mikuli, Polish composer, pianist, and friend of Frederic Chopin, dies at 77
- May 23 Aleko Konstantinov, Bulgarian writer (To Chicago & Back), dies at 34
- May 29 Julius von Sachs, German botanist and naturalist, dies at 64
