- May 1 Howard Barlow, American conductor (Voice of Firestone), born in Plain City, Ohio (d. 1972)
The Red Baron (1892-1918)
May 2 German World War I fighter ace, born in Wrocław, Poland
Archibald MacLeish (1892-1982)
May 7 American poet (Conquistador) and playwright (J.B.), born in Glencoe, Illinois
Josip Broz Tito (1892-1980)
May 7 Yugoslav communist revolutionary and leader of Yugoslavia (1943-80), born in Kumrovec, Hrvatsko Zagorje, Kingdom of Croatia-Slavonia
- May 9 Eric Westberg, Swedish composer, born in Hudiksvall, Sweden (d. 1944)
- May 9 Zita of Bourbon-Parma, Empress of Austria and Queen of Hungary, born in Villa Pianore, Tuscany, Kingdom of Italy (d. 1989)
- May 11 Margaret Rutherford, English actress (Murder Most Foul, The V.I.P.s), born in London (d. 1972)
- May 12 Fritz Kortner, Austrian-born director (d. 1970)
- May 14 Arthur Vincent Lourie, Russian composer, born in Propoysk, Russia (d. 1966)
- May 14 Felix Petyrek, Austrian composer, born in Brno, Kingdom of Moravia, Austria-Hungary (d. 1951)
- May 15 Jimmy Wilde, Welsh boxer (Flyweight World Champion, 1916-23), referee, and columnist (News of the World), born in Quakers Yard, Wales (d. 1969)
- May 18 Ezio Pinza, Italian American operatic bass (NY Metropolitan Opera, 1926-48), and Tony Award-winning singer (South Pacific), born in Rome, Italy (d. 1957)
- May 19 George "Pops" Foster, American jazz double bassist, tuba player, and trumpeter (Louis Armstrong; Sidney Bechet; Earl Hines), born in Macoll, Louisiana (d. 1969)
- May 21 John Peale Bishop, American poet (This Side of Paradise), born in Charles Town, West Virginia (d. 1944)
- May 22 Louis van Tulder, Dutch tenor (From Office Stool to High C), born in Amsterdam (d. 1969)
- May 23 Rafael Moreno Aranzadi [Pichichi], Spanish soccer forward (5 caps; Athletic Bilbao), born in Bilbao, Spain (d. 1922)
- May 27 Sara Heyblom, Dutch actress (Pygmalion, Fietsen naar de Maan), born in Amsterdam, Noord-Holland, Netherlands (d. 1990)
- May 28 Minna Gombell, American actress (Bad Girl, Thin Man, Hello Sister), born in Baltimore, Maryland (d. 1973)
- May 29 Alfonsina Storni, Argentine poet (La inquietud del rosal), born in Sala Capriasca, Switzerland (d. 1938)
- May 30 Fernando Amorsolo, Filipino painter (d. 1972)
- May 31 Gregor Strasser, German political activist and NSDAP-Reich organization leader, born in Geisenfeld, Germany (d. 1934)
- May 31 Konstantin Paustovsky, Russian author (Bespokojnaja Joenostj), born in Moscow, Russian Empire (d. 1968) [NS]
- May 31 Louis Fourestier, French cellist, composer (Polynice; Patria), conductor (Paris Opera, 1938-65), and pedagogue (Paris Conservatoire, 1945-65), born in Montpellier, France (d. 1976)
- May 31 Michel Kikoine, Lithuanian-French expressionist painter (Paysage Cezannien), born in Rechytsa, Russian Empire (d. 1968)
- May 31 Willem Ravelli, Dutch baritone singer (St Matthew Passion), born in The Hague, Netherlands (d. 1980)
20-29
30-39
40-49
50-59
80-89
Over 90