Historical Events
- May 2 Dartmoor Prison in England opens to house French prisoners of war
- May 5 Citizenship is denied to Jews of Aargau Canton, Switzerland
- May 5 Mary Kies is the first woman too be issued a US patent for weaving straw
- May 17 Papal States annexed by France
Battle of Aspern-Essling
May 21 Battle of Aspern-Essling: Austrian Archduke Charles beats Napoleon and his army. Napoleon's first defeat in 10 years.
Famous Birthdays
- May 6 William Walker, American composer (The Southern Harmony), born in Martin's Mills, Cross Keys, South Carolina (d. 1875)
Famous Deaths
- May 8 Augustin Pajou, French sculptor (Bachante), dies at 78
- May 17 Leopold Auenbrugger, Austrian physician (invented percussion as a diagnostic technique), dies at 86
- May 30 Johan B Scheffer, portrait painter, dies at about 43
- May 31 Ferdinand von Schill, Prussian officer who led rebellion against the French, dies at the Battle of Stralsund at 33
Joseph Haydn (1732-1809)
May 31 Austrian composer of the classical period (The Creation; Trumpet Concerto), dies at 77
- May 31 Jean Lannes, French military commander (Marshal of the Empire and friend of Napoleon Bonaparte), dies of his wounds from the Battle of Aspern-Essling at 40
