Historical Events
- May 1 Hundreds march through Nigerian capital calling for the release of schoolgirls abducted by Islamic militants, Boko Haram, who oppose Western education
- May 2 The Kiev regime launch a raid against pro-Russian forces, who respond by shooting down two helicopters
- May 3 140th Kentucky Derby: Victor Espinoza aboad California Chrome wins in 2:03.66
- May 3 61st National Film Awards (India): "Ship of Theseus" wins the Golden Lotus
- May 4 Juan Carlos Varela is elected President of Panama
- May 5 China announces it will upgrade Ethiopia's infrastructure in an effort to improve a China-Africa strategic partnership
Event of Interest
May 5 World Snooker Championship, Crucible Theatre, Sheffield: Briton Mark Selby beats countryman Ronnie O'Sullivan 18-14, the first of 3 world titles
Ronnie O'Sullivan
- May 6 Boko Haram's leader, Abubakar Shekau, releases a 57 minute video boasting about abducting schoolgirls in Nigeria
- May 7 Fighting between pro-Russian and Kiev forces continue amid fears internationally of a civil war in the Ukraine
- May 8 NFL Draft: South Carolina outside linebacker Jadeveon Clowney first pick by Houston Texans
Event of Interest
May 8 World's oldest astrolabe (mariner's navigator tool) c. 1498 from Portuguese shipwreck of explorer Vasco da Gama found near Al Hallaniyah Island, Oman
Vasco da Gama
- May 10 The African National Congress wins the 2014 South African General Election
- May 10 59th Eurovision Song Contest: Conchita Wurst for Austria wins singing "Rise Like a Phoenix" in Copenhagen
- May 11 Thousands protest against the construction of a waste incineration plant in Hangzhou, China
- May 11 PGA Players Championship, TPC at Sawgrass: German Martin Kaymer leads after each round to win by 1 stroke ahead of Jim Furyk; first 8-figure purse in golf with winner's share $1.8 million
- May 12 Voters in Eastern Ukraine vote for self-rule in referendum
- May 13 Unidentified shipwreck is discovered off the northern coast of Haiti by marine archaeologist Barry Clifford
- May 13 301 miners are killed by an underground explosion and mine fire in Soma Mine, Manisa, Turkey
- May 16 Paris Saint-Germain F.C. & Manchester City F.C. are each fined €60 million for breaching Fair Play Regulations
- May 17 Atlético Madrid win the 2013–14 La Liga
- May 17 English FA Cup Final, Wembley Stadium, London (89,345): Arsenal beats Hull City, 3–2 (a.e.t.); Aaron Ramsey scores 109' winner
- May 17 Bayern Munich defeats Borussia Dortmund to win the 2013–14 DFB-Pokal
- May 17 139th Preakness: Victor Ezpinoza aboard California Chrome wins in 1:54.84
- May 17 The center-right Hindu Nationalist Party, the BJP, wins landslide election victory in India
- May 17 St Johnstone FC win the Scottish Cup for 1st time in 130 years, defeating Dundee United 2-0
- May 18 Swiss voters reject a $25 per hour minimum wage
- May 18 60th British Academy Television Awards: "A League of Their Own" Best Comedy, "Broadchurch" Best Drama
- May 18 The Tradition Senior Men's Golf, Shoal Creek G&CC: Kenny Perry wins his third of 4 Champions Tour majors by 1 stroke from Mark Calcavecchia
- May 19 Decorated Dutch coach Louis van Gaal confirmed as manager of Manchester United; Ryan Giggs named assistant, confirms retirement as a player at age 40 after 963 games and English record 22 major trophies
- May 21 José Mário Vaz is elected President of Guinea-Bissau
Agreement of Interest
May 21 Russian President Putin signs agreements with China in Beijing in relation to trade and infrastructure
Vladimir Putin
- May 21 Thai army declared martial law and closes down several news stations
- May 22 Royal Thai Armed Forces, led by General Prayut Chan-o-cha stage a coup in Thailand, suspending the kingdom's constitution and taking control of the government, the 12th since the country's first coup in 1932
- May 23 Russia and China veto the U.N. Security Council resolution to establish an International Criminal Court for war crimes in Syria
Music Premiere
May 23 "Pauline" a chamber opera by Margaret Atwood and Tobin Stokes premieres at the York Theatre in Vancouver
Margaret Atwood
- May 24 Yingluck Shinawatra, former prime minister of Thailand, is detained by the army after a military coup
- May 24 UEFA Champions League Final, Lisbon: Real Madrid beats cross town rivals Atlético Madrid, 4-1 after extra time; scores locked at 1-1 in regulation; Los Blancos record 10th title
- May 25 Petro Poroshenko is elected President of Ukraine
- May 25 Dalia Grybauskaitė is re-elected President of Lithuania
- May 25 Indianapolis 500: Ryan Hunter-Reay wins in 2:40:48.2305 (300.244 km/h)
- May 25 67th Cannes Film Festival: "Winter Sleep" directed by Nuri Bilge Ceylan wins the Palme d'Or
Event of Interest
May 25 Senior PGA Championship Men's Golf, GC at Shore Harbor: Colin Montgomerie of Scotland wins first of 3 Champions Tour majors by 4 strokes from Tom Watson
Tom Watson
Event of Interest
May 26 Narendra Modi becomes the 15th Prime Minister of India
Narendra Modi
Event of Interest
May 27 The director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Christine Lagarde calls for "tougher regulation and tighter supervision" of banking sector
Christine Lagarde
- May 28 Abdel Fattah el-Sisi is elected President of Egypt
Event of Interest
May 29 President Obama approves US military training of 'moderate' Syrian rebels to fight the regime of Bashar al-Assad and al Qaeda-linked groups
Bashar al-Assad
Barack Obama
- May 29 NHL Eastern Conference Final: New York Rangers beat Montreal Canadians, 4 games to 2
Film Release
May 30 Seth MacFarlane's "A Million Ways to Die in the West" is released to theatres, MacFarlane's first live-action role on the big screen
Seth MacFarlane
- May 30 Former military chief al-Sisi wins 93 percent of the vote in Egypt's presidential election
Famous Weddings
Wedding of Interest
May 24 Rapper and record producer Kanye West (36) weds model Kim Kardashian (33) at Fort di Belvedere in Florence, Italy
Kim Kardashian
Kanye West
- May 25 Happy Endings actress Casey Wilson (33) weds comedy writer David Caspe (35) in Ojai, California
- May 25 Actress Lisa Edelstein (48) weds artist Robert Russell in Los Angeles
- May 31 Rock singer-songwriter Melissa Etheridge (53) weds tv actress Linda Wallem (53) at San Ysidro Ranch in Montecito, California
Famous Deaths
- May 1 Juan de Dios Castillo, Mexican soccer coach (Honduras, Copa Centroamericana 2011), dies of skin cancer at 63
- May 2 Efrem Zimbalist, Jr., American actor, dies at 95
- May 2 Jessica Cleaves, American soul singer and songwriter (The Friends of Distinction - "Grazing In The Grass"; Earth, Wind & Fire; Parliament Funkadelic), dies of complications from a stroke at 65
- May 3 Gary Becker, American economist (Nobel 1992) and recipient of Presidential Medal of Freedom 2007, dies from complications following surgery at 83
- May 3 Jim Oberstar, American politician, dies at 79
- May 3 Bobby Gregg, American drummer and record producer (Bob Dylan's "Like a Rolling Stone"), dies at 78
- May 6 Farley Mowat, Canadian author, dies at 92
- May 6 Jimmy Ellis, American boxer & WBA heavyweight champion, dies from dementia at 74
- May 6 Leslie Thomas, Welsh writer (The Virgin Soldiers), dies at 83
- May 7 Will Gaines, American-British tap dancer, dies at 86
- May 8 Roger L. Easton, American scientist, inventor and designer of GPS, dies at 93
- May 9 Mel Patton, American sprinter, double Olympic champion, dies at 89
- May 9 Mary Stewart, British sci-fi author (Crystal Cave), dies at 97
- May 11 Ed Gagliardi, American bass guitarist, dies from cancer at 62
- May 11 Reg Gasnier, Australian Rugby League Hall of Fame centre and captain (36 Tests; 3 World Cup; St. George), dies at 74
- May 12 H. R. Giger, Swiss Oscar-winning surrealist artist, dies from injuries from a fall at 74
- May 12 Cornell Borchers, German actress (The Big Lift, Floodtide, Istanbul), dies at 89
- May 14 Stephen Sutton, English cancer blogger (Stephen's Story), dies at 19
- May 15 Jean-Luc Dehaene, Belgian Prime Minister (1992-99), dies from a fall at 73
- May 17 Gerald Edelman, American biochemist (Nobel 1972), dies from natural causes at 84
- May 18 Wubbo Ockels, Dutch physicist & astronaut, dies from renal cell cancer at 68
- May 18 Jerry Vale, American singer, dies at 83
- May 18 Dobrica Cosic, Serbian writer & President (1992-93), dies at 92
- May 19 Michael Aldrich, British inventor (Online shopping), dies at 72
- May 19 Jack Brabham AO, OBE, Australian auto racer and team owner (World F1 champion 1959-60, 66), dies of liver disease at 88
- May 20 Phil Sharpe, English cricketer, dies at 77
- May 21 Teodor Grigoriu, Romanian composer, dies at 87
- May 22 Mathew Cowles, American actor, dies at 69
- May 23 Mona Freeman, American actress, dies at 87
- May 24 David Allen, English cricketer (England off-spinner of 60's), dies at 78
- May 24 Stormé DeLarverie, American gay rights leader (Stonewall protests), dies at 93
- May 25 Wojciech Jaruzelski, Polish general and 1st President of Poland (1989-90), dies at 90
- May 25 Herb Jeffries [Umberto Alejandro Ballentino], American actor and director (The Bronze Buckaroo, Mundo depravados), dies of heart failure at 100
- May 26 Manuel Uribe Garza, Mexican man who suffered from morbid obesity (peak weight of 600 kg), dies at 48
- May 26 Didymos I, Catholicos of the East and Malankara Metropolitan (2005-10), dies at 92
- May 27 Helma Sanders-Brahms, German director and writer (Apple Trees; Germany, Pale Mother), dies of cancer at 73
Maya Angelou
May 28 Maya Angelou [Marguerite Johnson], American author ("I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings"), poet and actress (Nyo-Roots), dies at 86
Maya Angelou
- May 28 James K. Randall, American composer, dies at 84
- May 29 Karlheinz Böhm, Austrian actor, dies at 86
- May 29 Stefans Grové, South African composer (Nonyana, The Ceremonial Dancer; Cyclops; Glimpses), dies at 91
- May 31 Martha Hyer, American actress (Day of the Wolves, Night of the Grizzly), dies at 89
