- May 7 Cornelis S Goyer takes possession of Mauritius (uninhabited)
- May 12 Emperor Shah Jahan commissions construction of the Red Fort at Shahjahanabad, Mughal Empire (now Dehli, India)
- May 13 Construction of the Red Fort begins at Shahjahanabad, Mughal Empire (now Dehli, India)
- May 14 Admiral Adam Westerwolt conquers Batticaloa, Ceylon