- May 5 Soviet Communist Party newspaper Pravda begins publishing (4/22 OS)
Historic Event
May 7 Columbia University approves plans for awarding the Pulitzer Prize in several categories, after established by Joseph Pulitzer
- May 18 Philadelphia Athletics rout Detroit Tigers, 24-2 at Shibe Park; Tigers use amateurs in protest at Ty Cobbs suspension from the game
- May 18 Maurits Binger establishes 2 Dutch movie companies
- May 19 AL President Ban Johnson tells Tigers if they continue protest of Ty Cobb's suspension, they will be banned from baseball
- May 28 Jackie Matthews takes 2 cricket hat-tricks same day Australia v South Africa
- May 29 15 young women are fired by Curtis Publishing in Philadelphia for dancing the "Turkey Trot" during their lunch break
- May 29 Ballets Russes premieres their ballet L'après-midi d'un faune (The Afternoon of a Faun) in Paris, choreographed by Vaslav Nijinsky
- May 30 US Marines sent to Nicaragua
- May 30 Indianapolis 500: Joe Dawson in the American-manufactured, 4-cylinder National, wins in race record 6:21:06; time is 21:02 faster than previous 1911 record
- May 31 US marines land on Cuba