Famous people and celebrities who died in May 1940

This page is dedicated to commemorating the celebrities and famous people who passed away in May 1940. This month marked the loss of influential and beloved figures whose contributions spanned various fields and touched many lives. Explore our detailed list to remember and celebrate their enduring legacies and the remarkable impact they had on the world

• May 2 Ernest Joyce

  English explorer (b. 1875).

• May 3 Roderick McKenzie
• May 5 Edgar Adams
• May 5 Georg Graf von Arco
• May 5 Giovanni Bagaini
• May 6 Ettore Berti
• May 6 James Melville Fulton
• May 6 Ernesto Vassallo
• May 7 George Lansbury

  English journalist and politician (b. 1859).

• May 7 János Boksay
• May 13 Antonio Pasinetti
• May 14 Emma Goldman

  Emma Goldman was a prominent Russian-born anarchist, political activist, and writer known for her advocacy of social and political freedoms, including free speech, birth control, and workers' rights. She was a leading figure in the American anarchist movement, best known for her powerful lectures and editorial work, particularly as the founder of the anarchist magazine 'Mother Earth.' Goldman's outspoken support … [bio]

• May 14 Menno ter Braak

  Prominent Dutch modernist author and intellectual who was a significant literary critic and essayist in the interwar period.

• May 18 Adolphe Guillaumat
• May 20 Carl Gustaf Verner von Heidenstam

  Prize laureate in recognition of his significance as the leading representative of a new era in our literature.

• May 20 Verner von Heidenstam

  Swedish author and poet, nobel prize laureate (b. 1859).

• May 20 Jozef Gregor Tajovský
• May 21 Billy Minter

  English footballer and manager (b. 1888).

• May 21 Ervin Mészáros
• May 22 Charles Montagne
• May 23 Paul Nizan

  French intellectual, journalist, and novelist known for his critical works and political engagement.

• May 24 Julien Vervaecke
• May 25 Joseph De Grasse
• May 25 Walter Roper Lawrence
• May 26 Francesco Buonanno