Historical Events
- May 1 Adam Weishaupt founds secret society of Illuminati
- May 2 France and Spain agreed to supply weapons to American rebels
- May 4 Rhode Island declares independence from Great Britain
- May 12 French First Minister of State and Controller-General of Finances Anne Robert Jacques Turgot resigns after being ordered to do so
Famous Birthdays
- May 4 Johann Friedrich Herbart, German philosopher and psychologist, born in Oldenburg, Germany (d. 1841)
- May 10 George Thomas Smart, English composer and conductor (Covent Garden), born in London (d. 1867)
- May 13 Charles Ots, Belgian composer, born in Brussels, Austrian Netherlands (now Belgium) (d. 1845)
- May 13 Rodrigo Ferreira da Costa, Portuguese composer, born in Setúbal, Portugal (d. 1825)
- May 20 Simon Fraser, Canadian explorer and fur trader (explored the Fraser River), born in Mapletown, New York (d. 1862) [1]
