- May 4 Augustus Pitt Rivers, English archaeologist, dies at 73
- May 5 Ivan Aivazovsky, Russian painter (b. 1817)
- May 10 Richard Storrs Willis, American composer, mostly of hymns ("Carol"; "Fairest Lord Jesus"), dies at 81
- May 18 Jean Gaspard Felix Ravaisson-Mollien, French philosopher, dies at 86
- May 20 Gustav Heinrich Graben-Hoffman, composer, dies at 80
- May 28 George Grove, English biblical scholar and misicographer, dies at 79
- May 31 James Loudon, Dutch politician, Governor-General of Dutch East Indies (1872-75), dies at 75
- May 31 John Power, Irish baronet and whiskey manufacturer (Powers Whiskey), dies in battle
Assassination
Car Crash
Hanging
Killed in Action
Plane Crash
Poisoning