Historical Events
Edward VII Visits Paris
May 1 King Edward VII of Great Britain visits Paris, where he is feted in a first step toward improving Anglo-French relations, culminating in the signing of the Entente Cordiale on 8 April, 1904
Roosevelt in San Francisco
May 14 President Theodore Roosevelt visits San Francisco
- May 16 1st transcontinental motorcycle trip began in San Francisco by George A. Wyman (arrives in New York July 6)
- May 17 Cleveland Indians beat NY Highlanders 9-2 in Columbus Ohio
- May 20 Britain's House of Commons begins a debate on the charges of poor administration and ill treatment of natives in Belgium's colony in the Congo Free State
- May 22 Launch of the White Star Liner SS Ionic.
- May 23 1st automobile trip across US leaves San Francisco for New York, (arrives July 26)
- May 23 1st direct primary election law in US adopted, by Wisconsin
- May 27 37th Belmont: John Bullman aboard Africander wins in 2:21.75
Beurs van Berlages
May 27 Queen Wilhelmina opens the new Amsterdam stock exchange Beurs van Berlages, designed by influential architect Hendrik Petrus Berlage
Famous Birthdays
Benjamin Spock (1903-1998)
May 2 American pediatrician and writer (Common Sense Book of Baby Care), born in New Haven, Connecticut
- May 2 Øivin Fjeldstad, Norwegian conductor and composer, born in Oslo, Norway (d. 1983)
Bing Crosby (1903-1977)
May 3 American singer ("White Christmas", "Peace on Earth/Little Drummer Boy") and actor ("Going My Way"), born in Tacoma, Washington
- May 4 Elmer Layden, College Football Hall of Fame fullback (Notre Dame legendary 4-horsemen, 1st NFL Commissioner), born in Davenport, Iowa (d. 1973)
- May 4 Luther Adler, American actor (D.O.A., The Desert Fox), born in New York City (d. 1984)
- May 5 James Beard, American culinary expert and author (Delights & Prejudices), born in Portland, Oregon (d. 1985)
- May 6 Cliff Carlisle, American country and blues musician, singer, songwriter, and yodeler ("Goin' Down The Road Feelin' Bad"), born in Taylorsville, Kentucky (d. 1983)
- May 7 Basil Nield, British judge and politician (Conservative Party) (d. 1996)
- May 8 Fernandel [Fernand Contandin], French actor (The Little World of Don Camillo), born in Marseille, Bouches-du-Rhône, France (d. 1971)
- May 9 Walter Dehmel, German writer, born in Berlin (d. 1960)
- May 10 Otto Bradfisch, Nazi leader (d. 1994)
- May 11 Charlie Gehringer, American Baseball HOF 2nd baseman (6 x MLB All Star; World Series 1935; AL MVP & batting champion 1937; Detroit Tigers), born in Fowlerville, Michigan (d. 1993)
- May 12 Lennox R. F. Berkeley, British composer and pedagogue (Castaway), born in Boars Hill, England (d. 1989)
- May 12 Wilfrid Hyde-White, British actor (My Fair Lady, Peyton Place), born in Gloucestershire, England (d. 1991)
- May 13 Alfred Pugsley, English civil engineer (R101 airship), born in London, England (d. 1998)
- May 13 Jim Sims, English cricket spin bowler (4 Tests, 11 wickets; Middlesex), born in Leyton, England (d. 1973)
- May 13 Paul Page, American actor (Girl From Havana, Moth), born in Birmingham, Alabama (d. 1974)
- May 14 Billie Dove [Lilian Bohny], American actress (Black Pirate, Stolen Bride), born in New York City (d. 1997)
- May 15 Maria Reiche, German-born mathematician and archaeologist (d. 1998)
- May 17 Douglas Packard, British Lieutenant General (d. 2000)
Cool Papa Bell (1903-1991)
May 17 American Baseball HOF center fielder (NgL WorLd Series 1943, 44 Homestead Grays; 8 x NgL All Star; career BA .337), born in Starkville, Mississippi
- May 18 George E Stone, Polish actor (Viva Villa; Last Mile; 5 Star Final; Front Page), born in Łódź, Poland (d. 1967)
- May 20 Jerzy Fitelberg, Polish composer, born in Warsaw, Russian Empire (d. 1951)
- May 21 Ali Sastroamidjojo, Indonesian attorney, minister and Prime Minister of Indonesia (1953-7), born in Grabag, Central Java, Dutch West Indies (d. 1975)
- May 21 Manly Wade Wellman, Angolan born American sci-fi author (After Dark, Devil's Planet), born in Kamundongo, Portuguese West Africa (d. 1986)
- May 21 Pedro Aramburu, Argentine army leader, President and Dictator of Argentina (1955-58), born in Río Cuarto, Argentina (d. 1970)
- May 22 Yves Rocard, French physicist (helped develop the atomic bomb for France), born in Vannes, France (d. 1992)
- May 23 Walter Reisch, Austrian-American director and screenwriter (Ninotchka, Gaslight, Titanic), born in Vienna, Austria-Hungary (d. 1983)
- May 24 Hilding Hallnäs, Swedish composer (Kärlekens ringdans), born in Halmstad, Sweden (d. 1984)
- May 26 Estes Kefauver, American politician (Sen-D-Tn), born in Madisonville, Tennessee (d. 1963)
- May 27 Walt Kiesling, American Pro Football Hall of Fame guard (NFL 1920s All-Decade Team; First-team All-Pro 1929, 30, 32; Chicago Cardinals, Chicago Bears) and coach (Pittsburgh Pirates/Steelers), born in Saint Paul, Minnesota (d. 1962)
- May 28 Gaston Duribreux, Flemish writer (Golden Sail), born in Ostend, Belgium (d. 1986)
Bob Hope (1903-2003)
May 29 English-born American actor, comedian and entertainer, born in London
Famous Deaths
Paul Gauguin (1848-1903)
May 8 French painter who worked in French Polynesia, dies at 54
- May 13 Apolinario Mabini, Filipino political theoretician and 1st Prime Minister of the Philippines, dies at 38
- May 16 Eduard Rappoldi, composer, dies at 72
- May 19 Arthur Shrewsbury, English cricket batsman (23 Tests [7 captain]; 1277 runs @ 35 47; Nottinghamshire), dies at 47
- May 29 Bruce Price, American architect (Château Frontenac), dies at 57
