- May 1 Herbert Backe, German Nazi politician (Reich Minister for Food and Agriculture), born in Batumi, Kutais Governorate, Russian Empire (d. 1947)
- May 1 Mark W. Clark, American general, born in Madison Barracks, Sackets Harbor, New York (d. 1984)
- May 1 J. Lawton Collins, American general, born in New Orleans, Louisiana (d. 1987)
- May 2 Helen of Greece and Denmark, Queen Mother of Romania, born in Athens, Greece (d. 1982)
- May 3 Dodie Smith, English novelist and playwright (101 Dalmatians), born in Whitefield, Lancashire, England (d. 1990)
- May 3 Karl Allmenröder, German World War I flying Ace, born in Wald, Rhine Province, Germany (d. 1917)
- May 7 Pavel Sergeevich Aleksandrov, Russian mathematician (topology), born in Moscow, Russia (d. 1982)
- May 11 Josip Slavenski, Croatian composer and pedagogue, born in Čakovec, Croatia-Slavonia, Austria-Hungary (d. 1955)
- May 11 Philippo de Pisis, Italian painter
- May 13 Charles F Pahud de Mortanges, Dutch equestrian (Olympic gold 1928, 32)
- May 17 Brasílio Itiberê da Cunha Luz, Brazilian composer, born in Curitiba, State of Paraná, Brazil (d. 1967)
- May 17 Hannah Tillich, German-American writer (Harbor Mouse) and wife of Paul Tillich, born in Rotenburg an der Fulda, Germany (d. 1988)
- May 18 Walter Fitzgerald, English actor, born in Devonport, England (d. 1976)
- May 19 Michael Balcon, producer/father of Jill Balcon, born in Birmingham, England
- May 23 Felix Martin Julius Steiner, German Heer and Waffen-SS officer (d. 1966)
- May 25 Jan Nicolaas Bakhuizen van den Brink, Dutch theologist and church historian, born in Joure, Netherlands (d. 1987)
- May 28 Marius Monnikendam, Dutch choir composer, born in Haarlem, Netherlands (d. 1977)
- May 28 Warren Giles, American baseball National League president, born in Tiskilwa, Illinois (d. 1979)
- May 29 George L. Funke, Dutch botanist (Flower Physiology), born in The Hague, Netherlands
- May 30 Howard Hawks, American director and producer (Rio Bravo, Scarface), born in Goshen, Indiana (d. 1977)