Historical Events
- May 22 Foundation stone laid for German Baroque palace the Würzburg Residence (completed 1744)
- May 25 The Ship "Le Grand St Antoine" reaches Marseille, bringing Europe's last major plague outbreak. Kills around 100,000.
Famous Birthdays
- May 8 William Cavendish, 4th Duke of Devonshire, 5th Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (1756-57), born in Hardwicke, England (d. 1764)
- May 11 Baron Münchhausen, German adventurer, soldier and storyteller (The Adventures of Baron Munchausen), born in Hanover (d. 1797)
- May 15 Maximilian Hell, Slovakian astronomer (d. 1792)
- May 21 Antonio Corbisiero, Italian composer (d. 1790)
Abolitionists
Dictators
Explorers
Outlaws
Queens
Spies