Historical Events
Historic Publication
May 2 French newspapers publish lists of Jules Verne's unpublished work
- May 5 Robert S Abbott published 1st issue of newspaper "Chicago Defender"
- May 8 Union of Unions organizes In Russia under the chairmanship of Paul Miliukov and joins liberal groups demanding parliamentary government and universal suffrage
- May 10 31st Kentucky Derby: Jack Martin aboard Agile wins in 2:100.75
Jeffries Retires Undefeated
May 13 World heavyweight boxing champion James J. Jeffries retires undefeated after 7 title defences; returns in 1910 to be beaten by Jack Johnson
- May 15 Las Vegas founded in Nevada
Brazza Reaches Leopoldville
May 15 Pierre Savorgnan de Brazza reaches Leopoldville in the Congo
- May 17 Waseda U of Tokyo defeats LA High School 5-3 in baseball
- May 19 Tom Jenkins beats Frank Gotcha for heavyweight wrestling champ
- May 22 Royal Academy in Delft Holland becomes Technical High School
- May 24 39th Belmont: Eugene Hildebrand aboard Tanya wins in 2:08
- May 26 A pogrom against Jews in Minsk, Belorussia
- May 27 30th Preakness: Willie Davis aboard Cairngore wins in 1:45.8
Battle of Tsushima
May 27 Japanese fleet destroys the Russian East Sea fleet in the Battle of Tsushima, the only decisive clash between modern steel battleships in history
- May 29 Pogrom against Jewish community in Brisk, Lithuania
Famous Birthdays
- May 1 Chris 'Red' Cagle, College Football Hall of Fame halfback (All American 1927, 28, 29; Army; NFL: New York Giants, Brooklyn Dodgers), born in DeRidder, Louisiana (d. 1942)
- May 1 Leila Hyams, American actress (Big House, Ruggles of Red Gap), born in New York City (d. 1977)
- May 1 Nikolai Tikhonov, Soviet politician (Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Soviet Union 1980-85), born in Kharkiv, Kharkov Governorate, Russian Empire (d. 1997)
- May 1 Paul Desruisseaux, Canadian lawyer and politician (Senator for Wellington, Quebec), born in Sherbrooke, Quebec (d. 1982)
- May 3 Albrecht Luitpold Ferdinand Michael, duke of Bavaria, born in Munich, German Empire (d. 1996)
- May 4 Mátyás Seiber, Hungarian-British classical and jazz composer (Scherzando), born in Budapest, Hungary (d. 1960)
- May 5 Arnold Meijer, Dutch leader of fascist Dutch National & Black Front, born in Haarlemmermeer, Netherlands (d. 1965)
- May 5 Robert Houben, Belgian politician (Minister of Public health 1958), born in Sint-Niklaas, Belgium (d. 1992)
- May 6 Bernard "Toots" Shor, New York restaurateur (Toots Shor's Restaurant), born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (d. 1977)
- May 8 (Ernest) "Red" Nichols, American jazz cornetist, composer and jazz bandleader (His Five Pennies - "Ida, Sweet as Apple Cider"; "Bugler's Lament"), born in Ogden, Utah (d. 1965) [1]
- May 8 Inglis Gundry, British composer, musicologist and novelist, born in Wimbledon, London (d. 2000)
- May 9 Lilí Álvarez, Spanish tennis player (Wimbledon 1926-28 runner-up), born in Rome, Italy (d. 1998)
- May 10 Angus Paton, English civil engineer (wrote economic and infrastructure reports for Canada and Syria, hydroelectric dams), born in Jersey (d. 1999)
- May 10 Markos Vamvakaris, Greek rebetiko musician and songwriter, born in Ano Syros, Greece (d. 1972)
- May 11 Marjorie Sykes, British educator, peace activist, and Indian independence campaigner, born in Mexborough, Yorkshire, England (d. 1995)
- May 13 Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed, Indian leader and 5th President of India (1974-77), born in Delhi, British India (d. 1977)
- May 14 Jean Daniélou, French cardinal (d. 1974)
- May 15 Joseph Cotten, American actor (Citizen Kane, The Third Man, Airport 77, Hearse), born in Petersburg, Virginia (d. 1994)
- May 16 H. E. Bates [Herbert Ernest Bates ], English writer (Love for Lydia, The Darling Buds of May), born in Rusden, England (d. 1974)
Henry Fonda (1905-1982)
May 16 American stage and screen actor (Mr. Roberts; 12 Angry Men; On Golden Pond), born in Grand Island, Nebraska
- May 17 John Patrick, American screenwriter and playwright (Pulitzer Prize 1954), born in Louisville, Kentucky (d. 1995)
- May 18 Dick McPartland, American jazz guitarist, born in Chicago, Illinois (d. 1957)
- May 18 Eric Zeisl, Austrian-American composer (Requiem Ebraico), born in Vienna (d. 1959)
- May 18 Hedley Verity, English cricket spin bowler (40 Tests, 144 wickets @ 24.37), born in Leeds, Yorkshire (d. 1943)
- May 18 Theodor Berger, Austrian composer (Sinfonia Parabolica), born in Traismauer an der Donau, Austria (d. 1992)
- May 20 Gerrit Achterberg, Dutch poet (Sailing), born in Nederlangbroek, Netherlands (d. 1962)
- May 20 Harry Campion, English statistician (1st Director of British Central Statistical Office), born in Worsley, England (d. 1996)
- May 20 John Emery, American actor (Ship Ahoy, Kronos), born in New York City (d. 1964)
- May 21 Edward Lockspeiser, British composer and musicologist (Debussy: His Life and Mind), born in London (d. 1973)
- May 24 George Nakashima, American furniture maker and architect (American Craft Movement), born in Spokane, Washington (d. 1990)
- May 24 Mikhail Sholokhov, Soviet writer (And Quiet Flows the Don, Nobel 1965), born in Veshenskaya, Don Host Oblast, Russian Empire (d. 1984)
- May 24 Zdeněk Blažek, Czech composer and music theorist (Verchovina), born in Žarošice, Moravia (d. 1988)
- May 25 Joseph C. Harsch, American newscaster (Background), born in Toledo, Ohio (d. 1998)
- May 25 Martín Dihigo, Cuban Baseball HOF two-way player (2 × Negro League All-Star New York Cubans; 4 × Cuban League MVP), born in Matanzas, Cuba (d. 1971)
- May 26 Hans Holewa, Austrian-born Swedish composer, born in Vienna (d. 1991)
- May 29 Fela Sowande, Nigerian musician and composer, born in Abeokuta, Nigeria (d. 1987)
- May 29 Johannes "Jan" Teulings, Dutch actor (Lentelied, The Three Wishes), born in Hilversum, Netherlands (d. 1989)
- May 29 Sebastian Shaw, British actor, director, playwright and poet (High Season, Ace of Spades, Caste), born in Holt, England (d. 1994)
- May 31 Florence Desmond, English actress and comedian, born in Islington, London (d. 1993)
Famous Deaths
- May 9 Ernst Pauer, Austrian composer and pianist, dies at 78
- May 23 Martinus W van AA Meerbeke, head-editor (Time), dies at 75
- May 23 Mary Ashton Livermore, American social reformer and women's suffrage leader (President of American Woman Suffrage Association 1878-95), dies at 84
- May 26 Alphonse de Rothschild, French banker, dies at 78
- May 29 Leon Francis Victor Caron, French-Australian composer (Caron Opera Company), dies at 55
