- May 1 Rex O'Malley, British actor (Camille, Zara, Midnight, Thief), dies at 75
- May 1 Alexandros Panagoulis, Greek poet who fought the military junta in Greece (b. 1939)
- May 1 T.R.M. Howard, civil rights leader, entrepreneur, surgeon (b. 1908)
- May 3 David Bruce [Marden Andrew McBroom], American actor (The Mad Ghoul, Flying Tigers), dies from a heart attack at 60
- May 3 Ernie Nevers, American College, Pro Football Hall of Fame fullback, coach (Stanford, Chicago Cardinals), dies of heart & kidney ailments at 72
- May 4 Henri Bosco, French author and poet (Gogol), dies at 87
- May 5 Thomas Burnett Swann, American sci-fi author (Day of Minotaur), dies at 47
- May 6 Karel M J F Cruysberghs, Flemish author (On the Pulpit), dies at 85
- May 7 Alan Baxter, American actor (Big Town Girl, Rags to Riches), dies at 67
- May 8 Ulrike Meinhof, German journalist who lead Germany Red Army Faction ( "Baader-Meinhof gang"), dies in uncertain circumstances in prison at 41
- May 8 Fred McLeod, Scottish golfer (US Open 1908), dies at 94
- May 9 Raymond Chevreuille, Belgian composer, dies at 74
- May 9 Valentino Bucchi, Italian composer, dies at 59
- May 9 Jens Bjørneboe, Norwegian poet & writer (Dikt, Jonas), dies at 55
- May 10 George Curzon, dies at 77
- May 10 Elias Aslaksen, Leader of Smith's Friends (b. 1888)
- May 11 Alvar Aalto, Finnish architect (Finlandia House) and designer, dies at 78
- May 11 Camille Schmit, Belgian composer, dies at 68
- May 12 Rudolf Kempe, German conductor (Tonhalle Orch 1965-72), dies at 65
- May 14 Keith Relf, British blues-rock singer and harmonica player (The Yardbirds - "For Your Love"; Renaissance, 1969-71), electrocuted while playing an improperly earthed electric guitar at 33
- May 15 Samuel Eliot Morison, American historian (Admiral of the Ocean Sea), dies at 88
- May 20 Syd Howe, Canadian Hockey HOF left wing (Stanley Cup 1936, 37, 43 Detroit Red Wings), dies from throat cancer at 64
- May 20 Zelmar Michelini, Uruguayan politician, member of the Christian-Democrat party, and Héctor Gutiérrez Ruiz "disappeared"
- May 21 Sulo Nikolai Salonen, Finnish composer, dies at 77
- May 21 Harold Blair, Australian tenor and Aboriginal activist, dies at 51
- May 24 Henk [Hendrik Johannes] Lankhorst, Dutch politician (PSP), dies at 62
- May 24 Melle Oldeboerrigter, Dutch painter and cartoonist, dies at 65
Martin Heidegger
May 26 Martin Heidegger, German philosopher (Being & Time), dies at 86
- May 26 Juan Maino, Chilean leader of MAPU, "disappeared"
- May 26 Edgar Moon, Australian tennis player (Australian C'ships 1930), dies at 71
- May 27 Ruth McDevitt, actress (Jo-All in the Family), dies at 80
- May 28 Steffan Danielsen, Faroese painter (b. 1922)
- May 30 Max Carey, American Baseball Hall of Fame outfielder (World Series 1925; 10 × NL stolen base leader; Pittsburgh Pirates, Brooklyn Robins) and manager (Brooklyn Dodgers), dies at 86
- May 30 Vic Ghezzi, American golfer (PGA C'ship 1941), dies of cancer at 65
- May 31 Jacques Monod, French biochemist, dies
- May 31 Martha Mitchell [nee Beall], wife of Attorney General John Mitchell, dies of multiple myeloma at 57