- May 1 Oscar Torp, Norwegian premier, dies
Carlos Saavedra Lamas (1878-1959)
May 5 Argentine politician (Nobel Peace Prize 1936), dies at 80
- May 8 Renato Caccioppoli, Italian mathematician and pianist, takes his own life at 55
- May 14 Sidney Bechet, American jazz clarinetist, saxophonist, bandleader, and composer ("Petite Fleur"), dies of lung cancer on his 62nd birthday
- May 16 Elisha Scott, Irish soccer goalkeeper (31 caps Ireland [IFA]; Liverpool 430 games), dies at 65
- May 16 Joe Cook [Lopez}, American vaudeville and radio comedian, dies at 69
- May 20 Alfred Schütz, Austrian-American architect and philosopher, dies at 60
John Foster Dulles (1888-1959)
May 24 US Secretary of State (1953-59), dies at 71
Ed Walsh (1881-1959)
May 26 American Baseball HOF pitcher (World Series 1906; no-hitter 1911; MLB record 1.82 career ERA; Chicago White Sox) and manager (Chicago WS 1924), dies at 78
Assassination
Car Crash
Hanging
Killed in Action
Plane Crash
Poisoning