- May 3 Johan H. Westerveld, Dutch WW II resistance fighter and leader of Order Service (OD), executed at 61
- May 3 Thorvald Stauning, Prime Minister of Denmark (1924-26, 1929-42), dies at 68
- May 5 Qemal Stafa, Albanian politician (b. 1920)
- May 7 Felix Paul von Weingartner, Austria conductor/composer, dies at 79
- May 9 Graham McNamee, American early sportscaster (1st Rose Bowl), dies at 53
- May 10 Joseph M Weber, comedian/singer (Weber & Lewis Fields), dies at 74
- May 13 Hyam Greenbaum, composer, dies at 41
- May 16 Bronislaw Kasper Malinowski, anthropologist, dies
- May 17 Alfred Hollins, British composer, dies at 76
- May 19 Nicoline Magdalene Roll Anker, Norwegian author (Enken), dies at 69
- May 29 John Barrymore, American actor (Beloved Rogue, Dinner at 8), dies from cirrhosis of the liver and kidney failure at 60
- May 29 Akiko Yosano, Japanese poet (Tangled Hair), dies at 63