Famous Birthdays May 2 Athanasius Kircher, German Jesuit priest and inventor (magic lantern), born in Abbacy of Fulda, Germany (d. 1680) May 27 Antoine Daniel, French Jesuit missionary and martyr, born in Dieppe, Normandie, France (d. 1648) Born in 1601 Famous Deaths May 19 Costanzo Porta, Italian composer Apr 1601 History by Year Jun 1601 Famous People Who Were Authors Dictators Explorers Outlaws Queens Spies