Historical Events
- May 1 Chicago White Sox outfielder Herm McFarland hits first grand slam in American League history in 19-9 win at home against Detroit; Tigers commit 12 errors
- May 1 Pan-American Exposition opens in Buffalo, New York (runs till 2 November)
- May 3 Fire destroys 1,700 buildings in Jacksonville, Florida
- May 8 A British appointed commission estimates today that some 1,250,000 Indians have died after a severe drought, lasting since 1899
- May 8 In their long-delayed AL home opener, Boston defeats Philadelphia 12-4
- May 9 A financial panic begins in the USA following the struggle between two groups to control the railroads between the Great Lakes and the Pacific
- May 9 Cleveland's Earl Moore no-hits Chicago White Sox 9 inn but loses in 10th 4-2
First Australian Parliament
May 9 The first Australian Parliament opens in Melbourne, though the first working session will not be until 21 May
US Captures Aguinaldo
May 23 US captures leader of Filipino rebels, Emilio Aguinaldo
Manru
May 29 Ignacy Jan Paderewski's opera "Manru" has its world premiere in Dresden, Germany
Famous Birthdays
- May 1 Antal Szerb, Hungarian author and historian, born in Budapest, Hungary (d. 1945)
- May 1 Heinz Roemheld, American film composer (Yankee Doodle Dandy; Ruby Gentry), born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin (d. 1985)
- May 1 Slats Gill, Basketball Hall of Fame coach (36 seasons Oregon State 1928-64), born in Salem, Oregon (d. 1966)
- May 2 Bob Wyatt, English cricket all-rounder and captain (40 Tests, 2 x 100, HS 149, 18 wickets; Warwickshire CCC, Worcestershire CCC), born in Milford, England (d. 1995)
- May 2 Lev Lunts, Russian writer (Outside the Law, City of Truth), born in Saint Petersburg, Russian Empire (d. 1924)
- May 2 Willi Bredel, German writer, born in Hamburg (d. 1964)
- May 3 Gino Cervi, Italian actor (Les Miserables, Naked Maja), born in Bologna, Emilia-Romagna, Kingdom of Italy (d. 1974)
- May 5 Blind Willie McTell, American ragtime singer and guitarist, born in Thomson, Georgia (d. 1959)
Gary Cooper (1901-1961)
May 7 American actor (Sgt York, High Noon), born in Helena, Montana
- May 7 Lowell T. Coggeshall, American medical scientist and US Secretary of HEW (1956-58), born in Saratoga, Indiana (d. 1987)
- May 7 Marcel Poot, Belgian baron and composer, born in Vilvoorde, Belgium (d. 1988)
- May 8 Turkey Stearnes, American Baseball HOF outfielder (5 × NgL All-Star; 2 × Negro NL batting champion; KC Monarchs, Chicago American Giants), born in Nashville, Tennessee (d. 1979)
- May 9 George Duckworth, English cricket wicket-keeper (24 Tests, 60 dismissals), born in Warrington, Lancashire, England (d. 1966)
- May 9 John Forest "Fuzzy" Knight, American actor (Oklahoma Annie, Cowby & the Lady), born in Fairmont, West Virginia (d. 1976)
- May 10 Albert Dondeyne, Belgian philosopher and theologist, born in Lo, Belgium (d. 1985)
- May 11 Mari Sandoz, American author (Cheyenne Autumn), born in Hay Springs, Nebraska (d. 1966)
- May 12 Hyam Greenbaum, British violinist, composer and conductor of the 1st TV orchestra (BBC), born in England (d. 1942)
Witold Pilecki (1901-1948)
May 13 Polish WWII resistance fighter (volunteered to go to Auschwitz, Witold's Report), born in Olonets, Russian Empire
- May 14 Robert Ritter, German psychologist (d. 1951)
- May 15 Edmond Hall, American jazz clarinetist (Red Allen; Teddy Wilson), bandleader (Café Society Band), and composer (Profoundly Blue), born in Reserve, Louisiana (d. 1967)
- May 15 Luis Monti, Argentine-Italian footballer (d. 1983)
- May 15 Xavier Herbert, Australian author (d. 1984)
- May 17 Werner Egk, German composer (Die Zaubergeige), born in Donauwörth, Germany (d. 1983)
- May 18 Harry Robert Wilson, American composer, born in Salina, Kansas (d. 1968)
- May 18 Henri Sauguet [Poupard], French organist and composer (Symphonie Expiatoire; La Chotta), born in Bordeau, France (d. 1989)
- May 18 Vincent du Vigneaud, American biochemist (1955 Nobel Prize for Chemisty for work on cyclic peptide oxytocin), born in Chicago, Illinois (d. 1978)
- May 19 Manuel Ivo Cruz, Portuguese composer and founder of Philharmonic Orchestra of Lisbon, born in Corumbá, Brazil (d. 1985)
- May 20 Max Euwe, Dutch World Chess Champion (1935-37), born in The Netherlands (d. 1981)
- May 20 Otto Waldis, Austrian actor (Port of Hell, Unknown World), born in Vienna, Austria-Hungary (d. 1974)
- May 21 Horace Heidt, American orchestra leader (Swift Show Wagon), born in Alameda, California (d. 1986)
- May 21 Sam Jaffe, American music and film producer (Born Free, The Fighting Sullivans), born in Harlem, New York (d. 2000)
- May 21 Suzanne Lilar, Belgian writer (Le burlador), born in Ghent, Belgium (d. 1992)
- May 22 Maurice J. Tobin, 56th Governor of Massachusetts, born in Boston, Massachusetts (d. 1953)
- May 23 Edmund Rubbra, English composer (Morning Watch), born in Semilong, Northampton, England (d. 1986)
- May 24 Frank Signorelli, American swing jazz pianist (Original Dixieland Jazz Band; Joe Venuti's Blue Four), and songwriter (Stairway to the Stars), born in New York City (d. 1975)
- May 24 José Nasazzi, Uruguayan soccer defender (41 caps; captain FIFA World Cup 1930; CA Bella Vista 322 games), born in Montevideo, Uruguay (d. 1968)
- May 25 Milenko Živković, Serbian composer, conductor, and pedagogue, born in Belgrade, Kingdom of Serbia (d. 1964)
- May 27 Conrad Elvehjem, American biochemist and nutrition scientist (discovered niacin), born in McFarland, Wisconsin (d. 1962)
- May 30 Cornelia Otis Skinner, American actress and writer (When Our Hearts Were Young & Gay), born in Chicago, Illinois (d. 1979)
- May 31 Alfredo Antonini, Italian-American Emmy Award-winning conductor (CBS Symphony; Columbia Pan-American Orchestra), and composer (The Great City), born in Alessandria, Kingdom of Ital (d. 1983)
Famous Weddings
Anton Chekhov
May 25 Russian physician, dramatist, and author Anton Chekhov (41) weds Russian actress Olga Knipper (31) at the Church of the Exaltation of the Cross, in Moscow. until his death in 1904
Famous Deaths
- May 1 Lewis Waterman, American insurance agent and inventor of an improved fountain pen, dies at 63
- May 4 John Jones Ross, Canadian politician, 7th Premier of Quebec (1884-87), dies at 69
- May 5 Dinshaw Maneckji Petit, Parsi entrepreneur and founder of the first textile mills in India, dies at 77
- May 13 Leopoldo Alas, Spanish novelist (La Regenta), dies at 49
- May 19 Marthinus Wessels Pretorius, 1st president of the Republic South Africa, dies at 81
- May 22 Gaetano Bresci, Italian-American anarchist (assassinated King Umberto I of Italy on July 29, 1900), dies at 31
- May 30 Victor D'Hondt, Belgian mathematician, dies at 60
