- May 11 Francesco Stradivari, Italian violin maker/son of Antonius, dies at 70
- May 13 Ludwig IX, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt (b. 1719)
- May 14 Dominique Marie Valet, French RC/old-catholic bishop, dies at 64
- May 21 Lars Roberg, Swedish physician (b. 1664)
- May 26 Pylyp Orlyk, Ukrainian Zaporozhian Cossack starshina and diplomat, dies at 69