- May 6 Chinese Exclusion Act: US Congress ceases Chinese immigration
Event of Interest
- May 6 Thomas Henry Burke and Lord Frederick Cavendish are stabbed and killed during the Phoenix Park Murders in Dublin
- May 8 David Belasco's "La Belle Russe" premieres in NYC
- May 9 Telegraph Hill RR Co (Cable Cars) in San Francisco organized
- May 13 Toba indians kill 20 members of French expedition in Argentina
- May 15 May Laws-Tsar Alexander III bans Jews from living in rural Romania
- May 16 8th Kentucky Derby: Babe Hurd aboard Apollo wins in 2:40.00
- May 20 Germany, Austria-Hungary and Italy sign the Triple Alliance
- May 20 Henrik Ibsen's "Ghosts" (Gengangere) premieres in Chicago
- May 20 Gotthard rail tunnel between Switzerland & Italy opens
- May 23 6" of snow falls in eastern Iowa
- May 27 10th Preakness: T Costello aboard Vanguard wins in 2:44.5