Historical Events
Marriage of Figaro
May 1 Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's opera "Marriage of Figaro" premieres in Vienna with Mozart himself directing
Famous Birthdays
- May 6 Ludwig Borne [Loeb Baruch], German-Jewish writer, born in Frankfurt (d. 1837)
- May 8 Jean Vianney, French Catholic priest, and eventual saint, born in Dardilly, Lyonnais, Kingdom of France (d. 1859)
- May 8 Thomas Hancock, British engineer, founded British rubber industry, born in Malborough, Wilshire (d. 1865)
- May 15 General Dimitris Plapoutas, a Revolutionary in the Greek War of Independence (d. 1864)
Famous Deaths
- May 19 John Stanley, English blind composer and organist, dies at 74
- May 21 Carl Wilhelm Scheele, Swedish pharmacist and chemist (lemon acid), dies of mercury poisoning at 43
- May 23 Móric Beňovský, Slovak military officer, explorer and self-declared King of Madagascar, dies of a fatal bullet wound to his chest at 39
- May 25 Pedro III, King of Portugal and the Algarves (1777-86) and consort of Queen Maria I of Portugal, dies at 68
Authors
Dictators
Explorers
Outlaws
Queens
Spies