- 757 Stephen II, Catholic Pope (752-757), dies at
- 1192 Emperor Go-Shirakawa of Japan (b. 1127)
- 1196 Alfonso II, King of Aragon (1162-96), dies
- 1444 Robert Campin, South Neth painter/porter of Doornik, dies at about 65
- 1476 Simonetta Vespucci, inspiration of Botticelli (b.1453)
- 1478 Giuliano de' Medici, Medeheerser of Florence, murdered at about 24
- 1489 Ashikaga Yoshihisa, Japanese shogun (b. 1465)
- 1558 Jean Francois Fernel, French physician, dies
- 1716 John Somers, 1st Baron Somers, Lord Chancellor of England (b. 1651)
- 1726 Jeremy Collier, Engl bishop/historian/opponent to theater, dies at 75
- 1784 Nano Nagle, Irish convent founder (b. 1718)
- 1789 Peter I Panin, Russian general (Pugatshov-uprising), dies at about 67
- 1805 Jean BG d'ansse the Villoison, classic (Anecdota Graeca), dies at 55
- 1881 Ludwig Freiherr von und zu der Tann-Rathsamhausen, German general (b. 1815)
- 1892 Sir Provo Wallis, British Admiral and naval hero (b. 1791)
- 1910 Bjornstjerne Bjornson, Norwegian writer (Mary, Nobel 1903), dies at 77
- 1920 Srinivasa Ramanujan, Indian mathematician (number theory), dies of illness at 32
- 1938 Edmund Husserl, German philosopher (study of phenomenon), dies at 79
- 1940 Carl Bosch, German chemist (BASF, IG Farben, Nobel 1931), dies at 65
- 1941 Jean Demoor, Belgian physician and physiologist, dies at 74
- 1945 Pavlo Skoropadsky, Ukrainian politician and general, dies at 71
- 1945 Sigmund Rascher, Nazi doctor (b. 1909)
- 1946 Hermann Keyserling, count/philosopher (Unsterblichkeit), dies at 65
- 1950 G. Murray Hulbert, American politician (b. 1881)
- 1951 Arnold Sommerfeld, German physicist (b. 1868)
- 1957 Gichin Funakoshi, Japanese martial artist, Father of Japanese Shotokan Karatedo, dies at 88
- 1958 Johan N C "Joan" Collette, painter, dies at 68
- 1960 Wander J de Haas, Dut physicist (Einstein-De Haas effect), dies at 82
- 1964 Edwin John Pratt, Canadian poet (Towards the Last Spike), dies at 81
- 1964 Pieter van der Lijn, Dutch geologist (Boulder Book), dies at 93
- 1969 Morihei Ueshiba, Japanese martial artist and founder of aikido (b. 1883)
- 1970 John Knittel, Swiss writer, dies at 79
- 1970 Paul Celan, writer, dies at 49 [or May 5]
- 1970 Erik Bergman, Lutheran pastor (b. 1886)
- 1972 Fernando Amorsolo, Filipino painter (b. 1892)
- 1981 Madge Evans, TV panelist (Masquerade Party), dies at 71
- 1986 Dechko Uzunov, Bulgarian painter (b. 1899)
- 1987 John Ernest Silkin, British politician (b. 1923)
- 1990 Carlos Pizarro Leongomez, Colombian presidential candidate, assassinated
- 1991 Richard Hatfield, Canadian politician (b. 1931)
- 1992 Clyde Hartley, entertainer, dies at 68
- 1994 Masutatsu Oyama, Founder of Japanese Kyokushin Karate, dies at 70
- 1995 Hugh Morton, Baron Morton of Shuna, Scottish lawyer and judge, dies at 65
- 1996 Burton Stein, American historian, dies at 69
- 1996 John Norrie McArthur, malariologist/microscopist, dies at 94
- 1997 Peng Zhen, mayor of Beijing China (1951-66), dies
- 1997 Yegorov, Russian leader (1994-95), dies
- 2002 Robert Steinhäuser German spree killer (b.1983)
- 2003 Rosemary Brown, Canadian politician (b. 1930)
- 2003 Max Nicholson, Irish environmentalist (b. 1904)
- 2003 Peter Stone, American writer (b. 1930)
- 2004 Hubert Selby Jr., American author (Last Exit to Brooklyn), dies at 75
- 2005 Augusto Roa Bastos, Paraguayan author (b. 1917)