- May 2 Zygmunt Noskowski, Polish composer, conductor, and pedagogue, born in Warsaw, Russian Poland (now Poland) (d. 1909)
- May 5 Federico Chueca, Spanish composer, born in Madrid, Spain (d. 1908)
- May 8 Oscar Hammerstein, German opera and playwright (Kohinoor), born in Stettin, Kingdom of Prussia (d. 1919)