Historical Events
Saint Petersburg Founded
May 27 Saint Petersburg (Leningrad) founded by Russian Tsar Peter the Great
Famous Birthdays
- May 8 Gottlob Harrer, German composer, born in Görlitz (d. 1755)
Famous Deaths
- May 3 Eglon van de Down, still-life painter, dies
Charles Perrault (1628-1703)
May 16 French author and fairy tale writer (Tales of Mother Goose), dies at 75
- May 21 Roemer Vlacq, Dutch admiral, dies in battle
Samuel Pepys (1633-1703)
May 26 English navy administrator and Member of Parliament famous for his Diary of the English Restoration period, dies at 70
Authors
Dictators
Explorers
Outlaws
Queens
Spies