- May 1 Byron Stewart, Baxter Springs Ks, actor (Warren Coolidge-St Elsewhere)
- May 2 David Rhodes, English guitarist (Random Hold), born in London
- May 3 Marc Bellemare, French-Canadian lawyer and politician, born in Saint-Hyacinthe, Quebec
Akio Toyoda
May 3 Akio Toyoda, Japanese president of Toyota Motor Corporation, born in Nagoya, Japan
Akio Toyoda
- May 3 Gillian Rolton, Australian equestrian (Summer Olympics 1992, 1996- gold), born in Adelaide, South Australia (d. 2017)
- May 4 Michael L. Gernhardt, American NASA astronaut (STS 69, 83, 94, sk 100), born in Mansfield, Ohio
- May 4 Ulrike Meyfarth, German high jumper (Olympic gold 1972), born in Frankfurt, Germany
- May 4 David Guterson, American author (Snow Falling on Cedars), born in Seattle, Washington
- May 4 Ken Oberkfell, American baseball player, born in Highland, Illinois
- May 4 Sharon Jones, American soul singer (Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings), born in Augusta, Georgia (d. 2016)
- May 5 Dick Kemper, Dutch rock vocalist and bassist (Vandenberg), born in Eindhoven, Netherlands
- May 6 Tim Simpson, American golfer (4 PGA Tour titles, born in Atlanta, Georgia
- May 7 Jan Peter Balkenende, Prime Minister of the Netherlands (2002-10), born in Biezelinge, Netherlands
- May 7 Anne Dudley, British classical and film composer (The Full Monty), born in Beckenham, Kent
- May 7 Jean Lapierre, Canadian politician and television host, born in Bassin, Quebec, Canada (d. 2016)
- May 8 Jeff Madrigali, soling sailor (Olymp-bronze-96), born in Walnut Creek, California
- May 9 Wendy Crewson, Canadian actress (Saving Hope), born in Hamilton, Ontario
- May 10 Vladislav Listyev, Russian television anchor and journalist (d. 1995)
- May 11 Theresa Burke, Canadian journalist
- May 11 Alex Lester, British broadcaster
- May 12 Bernie Federko, Canadian ice hockey player
- May 12 Glenn Robbins, Australian comedian
Homer Simpson
May 12 Homer Simpson, fictional character from the long running television show "The Simpsons", born in Springfield
Homer Simpson
- May 13 Aleksandr Yuriyevich Kaleri, Russian cosmonaut (Soyuz TM-14)
- May 13 Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, Indian spiritual leader and founder of the Art of Living Foundation, born in Papanasam, India
- May 13 Richard Madeley, British TV presenter, journalist, columnist and novelist (Richard & Judy, The Wright Stuff), born in Romford, Essex
- May 14 Gillian [Marucha] Bradshaw, American sci-fi author (Hawk of May)
- May 14 Steve Hogarth, Kendal England, vocals (Marillion-Clutching at Straws)
- May 15 Alice Miller, American golfer (Nabisco Dinah Shore 1985), born in Marysville, CA
- May 15 Dan Patrick, American sportscaster
- May 17 Bob Saget, American comedian (Full House, America's Funniest Home Video), born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- May 17 Sue Carpenter, TV presenter/journalist
Sugar Ray Leonard
May 17 Sugar Ray Leonard, American boxer (Olympic gold 1976), born in Rocky Mount, North Carolina
Sugar Ray Leonard
- May 17 Dave Sim, Canadian cartoonist
- May 18 Naomichi 'Joe' Ozaki, Japanese golfer (32 Japan Tour titles), born in Tekushima, Japan
- May 19 Althea Gwyn, WBL center (NY Stars)
- May 19 Martyn Ware, rocker (Heaven 17-Electric Dreams)
- May 19 Steve Ford, actor (Young & Restless)/son of President Gerald Ford
- May 20 Andrew Hilditch, cricketer (Australian opening bat 1979-85)
- May 20 Tomas Smid, Czech, tennis star
- May 20 Ingvar Ambjørnsen, Norwegian author (Elling tetralogy, Brødre i blodet), born in Tønsberg, Norway
- May 20 Dean Butler, American actor
- May 20 William Michaelian, American novelist and poet
- May 20 John Carney, American politician, Governor of Delaware (2017-), born in Willington, Delaware
- May 22 Douglas Heyes Jr., American actor (Captains & Kings, Aspen), born in Los Angeles, California
- May 22 Natasha Shneider, Russian musician (Eleven), born in Riga, Latvia (d. 2008)
- May 22 Lucie Brock-Broido, American poet and academic (Noctuary), born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (d. 2018)
- May 23 Ursula Plassnik, Austrian politician and Minister of Foreign Affairs (2004-8), born in Klagenfurt, Austria
- May 23 Mark Shaw, New Zealand rugby union flanker (30 caps; Manawatu, Hawke's Bay), born in Palmerston North, New Zealand
- May 23 Buck Showalter, American baseball manager (AL Manager of the Year 1994, 2004, 14; NY Yankees, Arizona Diamondbacks, Texas Rangers, Baltimore Orioles) and analyst (ESPN, YES network), born in DeFuniak Springs, Florida
- May 24 Helen Terry, British rocker (Now You're Mine), born in England
- May 24 Michael Jackson, Northern Irish clergyman (Archbishop of Dublin), born in Lurgan, County Armagh, Northern Ireland
- May 25 Tatsutoshi Goto, Japanese professional wrestler (WAR/NJPW), born in Tokoname, Aichi, Japan
- May 25 Lincoln Barrington "Sugar" Minott, Jamaican singer (The African Brothers), born in Kingston, Jamaica (d. 2010)
- May 25 David P. Sartor, American music composer, born in Nashville, Tennessee
- May 25 Larry Hogan, American politician, Governor of Maryland (2015-), born in Washington, D.C.
- May 26 Frédéric Dutoit, French politician
- May 27 Lisa Niemi, actress (Dirty Dancing, Will Rodgers Follies), born in Houston, Texas
- May 27 Nick Lowery, NFL kicker (NY Jets)
- May 27 Cynthia McFadden, American television anchor
- May 28 Germaine Montenesdro, 2nd victim of NYC's Zodiac killer (survives)
- May 28 Jeff Dujon, cricket wicket-keeper (WI 1981-91, their most successful)
- May 28 Mark Alexander Lees, rowing Coach
- May 28 Markus Höttinger, Austrian racing driver (d. 1980)
- May 29 LaToya Jackson, American singer and model (If You Feel the Funk), posed for Playboy, born in Gary, Indiana
- May 29 Larry Blackmon, rocker (Cameo-Alligator Woman)
- May 30 Allison Roe MBE, New Zealand marathon runner (NYC, Boston 1981; Seoul 1982), born in Auckland, New Zealand
- May 30 Jonathan Idema, Poughkeepsie, New York, torturer, kidnapper and con artist (d. 2012)
- May 30 David-Maria Sassoli, Italian politician and journalist, European President (2019-), born in Florence, Italy
- May 31 Bart van Poppel, Dutch bassist/guitarist/singer (Tambourine)
- May 31 Yoshiko Sakakibara, Chiba Japan, actress (Sailor Moon, Vampire Hunter)
- May 31 Fritz Hilpert, German musician and sound engineer (Kraftwerk)
About May 1956
How Old? 64 years old
Generation: Baby Boomer
Leap Year: Yes