May 30 is the 150th day of the year (151st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. There are 215 days remaining until the end of the year.
- 1416 - The Council of Constance, called by the Emperor Sigismund, a supporter of Antipope John XXIII, burns Jerome of Prague following a trial for heresy.
- 1431 - Hundred Years' War: in Rouen, France, 19-year-old Joan of Arc is burned at the stake by an English-dominated tribunal.
- 1434 - Hussite Wars (Bohemian Wars): Battle of Lipany - effectively ending the war, Utraquist forces led by Diviš Bořek of Miletínek defeat and almost annihilate Taborite forces led by Prokop the Great.
- 1536 - King Henry VIII of England marries Jane Seymour, a lady-in-waiting to his first two wives.
- 1539 - In Florida, Hernando de Soto lands at Tampa Bay with 600 soldiers with the goal of finding gold.
- 1574 - Henry III becomes King of France.
- 1588 - The last ship of the Spanish Armada sets sail from Lisbon heading for the English Channel.
- 1635 - Thirty Years' War: the Peace of Prague (1635) is signed.
- 1642 - From this date all honours granted by Charles I are retrospectively annulled by Parliament
- 1806 - Andrew Jackson kills Charles Dickinson in a duel after Dickinson had accused Jackson's wife of bigamy.
- 1814 - Napoleonic Wars: War of the Sixth Coalition - the Treaty of Paris (1814) is signed returning French borders to their 1792 extent.
- 1832 - The Rideau Canal in eastern Ontario is opened.
- 1842 - John Francis attempts to murder Queen Victoria as she drives down Constitution Hill, London with Prince Albert.
- 1854 - The Kansas-Nebraska Act becomes law establishing the US territories of Nebraska and Kansas.
- 1868 - Decoration Day (the predecessor of the modern "Memorial Day") is observed in the United States for the first time (By "Commander-in-chief of the Grand Army of the Republic" John A. Logan's proclamation on May 5).
- 1871 - The Paris Commune falls.
- 1876 - Ottoman sultan Abd-ul-Aziz is deposed and succeeded by his nephew Murat V.
- 1879 - New York City's Gilmores Garden is renamed Madison Square Garden by William Henry Vanderbilt and is opened to the public at 26th Street and Madison Avenue.
- 1879 - An F4 tornado strikes Irving, Kansas, killing 18 and injuring 60.
- 1883 - In New York City, a rumor that the Brooklyn Bridge is going to collapse causes a stampede that crushes twelve people.
- 1911 - At the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the first Indianapolis 500 ends with Ray Harroun in his Marmon Wasp becoming the first winner of the 500-mile auto race.
- 1913 - First Balkan War: the Treaty of London, 1913 is signed ending the war. Albania becomes an independent nation.
- 1914 - The new and then largest Cunard ocean liner RMS Aquitania, 45,647 tons, sets sails on her maiden voyage from Liverpool, England to New York City.
- 1917 - Alexander I becomes king of Greece.
- 1922 - In Washington, D.C. the Lincoln Memorial is dedicated.
- 1925 - In China protests erupt against the Great Powers infringing on Chinese sovereignty.
- 1941 - World War II: Germany captures Crete.
- 1941 - World War II: Manolis Glezos and Apostolos Santas climb on the Athenian Acropolis, tear down the Nazi swastika and replace it with the Greek flag.
- 1942 - World War II: 1000 British bombers launch a 90-minute attack on Cologne, Germany.
- 1948 - A dike along the flooding Columbia River breaks, obliterating Vanport, Oregon within minutes. Fifteen people die and tens of thousands are left homeless.
- 1959 - The Auckland Harbour Bridge is officially opened today in Auckland, New Zealand.
- 1958 - Memorial Day: the remains of two unidentified American servicemen, killed in action during World War II and the Korean War respectively, are buried at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington National Cemetery.
- 1961- Long time Dominican dictator Rafael Trujillo is assassinated in Santo Domingo,Dominican Republic.
- 1966 - Former Congolese Prime Minister Evariste Kimba and several other politicians are publicly executed in Kinshasa on the orders of President Joseph Mobutu.
- 1967 - At the Ascot Park in Gardena, California, daredevil Evel Knievel jumps his motorcycle over 16 cars lined up in a row.
- 1967 - The Nigerian Eastern Region declares independence as the Republic of Biafra, sparking a civil war.
- 1969 - Riots on the Caribbean island of Curaçao
- 1971 - Mariner program: Mariner 9 is launched to map 70% of the surface, and to study temporal changes in the atmosphere and surface, of Mars.
- 1972 - The Angry Brigade goes on trial over a series of 25 bombings throughout Britain.
- 1972 - In Tel Aviv members of the Japanese Red Army carry out the Lod Airport Massacre, killing 24 people and injuring 78 others.
- 1982 - Spain becomes the 16th member of NATO and the first nation to enter the alliance since West Germany's admission in 1955.
- 1989 - Tiananmen Square protests of 1989: the 33-foot high "Goddess of Democracy" statue is unveiled in Tiananmen Square by student demonstrators.
- 1998 - A magnitude 6.6 earthquake hits northern Afghanistan, killing up to 5,000.
- 1010 - Emperor Renzong of China (d. 1063)
- 1423 - Georg Purbach, German mathematician and astronomer (d. 1461)
- 1623 - John Egerton, 2nd Earl of Bridgewater, English politician (d. 1686)
- 1653 - Claudia Felicitas of Austria, Empress consort of Germany (d. 1676)
- 1713 - Princess Caroline Elizabeth of Great Britain (d. 1757)
- 1718 - Wills Hill, 1st Marquess of Downshire, English politician (d. 1793)
- 1719 - Roger Newdigate, English politician (d. 1806)
- 1757 - Henry Addington, 1st Viscount Sidmouth, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (d. 1844)
- 1814 - Mikhail Bakunin, Russian anarchist (d. 1876)
- 1814 - Eugène Charles Catalan, Belgian mathematician (d. 1894)
- 1819 - William McMurdo, British army officer (d. 1894)
- 1820 - Pierre-Joseph-Olivier Chauveau, French Canadian politician (d. 1890)
- 1845 - King Amadeo I of Spain (d. 1890)
- 1846 - Peter Carl Fabergé, Russian goldsmith and jeweler (d. 1920)
- 1858 - Siegfried Alkan, German composer (d. 1941)
- 1871 - Olga Engl, Austrian actress (d. 1946)
- 1875 - Giovanni Gentile, Italian philosopher (d. 1944)
- 1878 - Mike Donlin, American baseball player (d. 1933)
- 1879 - Colin Blythe, English cricketer (d. 1917)
- 1881 - Georg von Küchler, German field marshal (d. 1968)
- 1882 - Wyndham Halswelle, Scottish runner (d. 1915)
- 1886 - Randolph Bourne, American writer (d. 1918)
- 1892 - Fernando Amorsolo, Filipino painter (d. 1972)
- 1895 - Maurice Tate, English cricketer (d. 1956)
- 1896 - Howard Hawks, American film director (d. 1977)
- 1899 - Irving Thalberg, American film producer (d. 1936)
- 1901 - Cornelia Otis Skinner, American writer and actress (d. 1979)
- 1902 - Stepin Fetchit, American dancer and actor (d. 1985)
- 1903 - Countee Cullen, American writer (d. 1946)
- 1906 - Bruno Gröning, German mystic (d. 1959)
- 1907 - Elly Beinhorn, German pilot (d. 2007)
- 1907 - Germaine Tillion, French anthropologist, member of French Resistance (d. 2008)
- 1908 - Hannes Alfvén, Swedish physicist, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1995)
- 1908 - Mel Blanc, American voice actor (d. 1989)
- 1909 - Benny Goodman, American clarinetist and bandleader (d. 1986)
- 1910 - Ralph Metcalfe, American athlete (d. 1978)
- 1910 - Inge Meysel, German actress (d. 2004)
- 1912 - Julius Axelrod, American biochemist and Nobel Prize laureate (d. 2004)
- 1912 - Erich Bagge, German physicist
- 1912 - Hugh Griffith, Welsh actor (d. 1980)
- 1918 - Guadalupe "Pita" Amor, Mexican poet (d. 2000)
- 1918 - Bob Evans, American restaurateur (d. 2007)
- 1919 - René Barrientos, President of Bolivia (d. 1969)
- 1920 - Franklin Schaffner, American film director (d. 1989)
- 1922 - Hal Clement, American writer (d. 2003)
- 1926 - Christine Jorgensen, American transsexual activist (d. 1989)
- 1927 - Clint Walker, American actor
- 1928 - Agnès Varda, French director
- 1928 - Pro Hart, Australian artist (d. 2006)
- 1930 - Mark Birley, British nightclub owner (d. 2007)
- 1930 - Robert Ryman, American painter
- 1932 - Pauline Oliveros, American composer and accordionist
- 1934 - Aleksei Leonov, Russian cosmonaut
- 1934 - Alketas Panagoulias, Greek footballer and coach
- 1936 - Keir Dullea, American actor
- 1936 - Ruta Lee, Canadian actress
- 1937 - Harry Statham, American basketball coach
- 1939 - Michael J. Pollard, American actor
- 1939 - Dieter Quester, Austrian racing driver
- 1940 - Gilles Villemure, Canadian ice hockey player
- 1943 - James Chaney, American civil rights activist (d. 1964)
- 1943 - Gale Sayers, American football player
- 1944 - Meredith MacRae, American actress (d. 2000)
- 1945 - Norman Eshley, English actor
- 1947 - Jocelyne Bourassa, French Canadian golfer
- 1948 - Michael Piller, American screenwriter (d. 2005)
- 1949 - P.J. Carlesimo, American basketball coach
- 1950 - Bertrand Delanoë, French politician
- 1950 - Paresh Rawal, Indian actor
- 1951 - Stephen Tobolowsky, American actor
- 1951 - Zdravko Čolić, Yugoslav-Bosnian singer
- 1951 - Fernando Lugo, Paraguayan politician
- 1953 - Colm Meaney, Irish actor
- 1955 - Jake "The Snake" Roberts, American wrestler
- 1955 - Topper Headon, British musician (The Clash)
- 1958 - Marie Fredriksson, Swedish singer and songwriter (Roxette)
- 1958 - Ted McGinley, American actor
- 1958 - Steve Israel, American politician
- 1958 - Ted McGinley, American actor
- 1959 - Frank Vanhecke, Belgian politician
- 1961 - Harry Enfield, British comedian
- 1961 - Bob Yari, Iranian-born American film producer
- 1962 - Kevin Eastman, American comic book creator
- 1962 - Tonya Pinkins, American actress
- 1964 - Wynonna Judd, American country singer
- 1964 - Tom Morello, American guitarist (Audioslave, Rage Against the Machine)
- 1964 - Andrea Montermini, Italian racing driver
- 1965 - Billy Donovan, American college basketball coach
- 1966 - Stephen Malkmus, American musician (Pavement)
- 1967 - Tim Burgess, English singer (The Charlatans)
- 1968 - Zacarias Moussaoui, French convicted terrorist
- 1968 - Kelley Armstrong, Canadian author
- 1970 - Flora Chan, Hong Kong television actress
- 1970 - Ness Wadia, Indian industrialist
- 1971 - Idina Menzel, American actress and singer
- 1972 - Manny Ramírez, Dominican Republic baseball player
- 1972 - Soichiro Hoshi, Japanese seiyuu
- 1973 - Leigh Francis, British comedian
- 1974 - Cee-Lo, American musician
- 1974 - Big L, American rapper (d. 1999)
- 1974 - Konstantinos Chalkias, Greek footballer
- 1974 - Shin Ha-kyun, South Korean actor
- 1974 - David Wilkie, American ice hockey player
- 1975 - Brian Fair, American singer
- 1975 - Andrew Farrell, English rugby league and union footballer
- 1976 - Radoslav Nesterovič, Slovenian basketball player
- 1976 - Magnus Norman, Swedish tennis player
- 1976 - Margaret Okayo, Kenyan athlete
- 1977 - Akwá, Angolan footballer
- 1977 - Rachael Stirling, British actress
- 1978 - Eric Searle American Musician
- 1978 - Lyoto Machida, Brazilian mixed martial artist
- 1979 - Mike Bishai, Canadian ice hockey player
- 1979 - Kugimiya Rie, Japanese seiyuu (voice actress)
- 1980 - Steven Gerrard, English footballer
- 1981 - Devendra Banhart, American singer and songwriter
- 1981 - Andrey Arshavin, Russian Footballer
- 1981 - Blake Bashoff, American actor
- 1981 - Gianmaria Bruni, Italian racing driver
- 1981 - Ahmad Elrich, Australian footballer
- 1981 - Remy Ma, American rapper
- 1981 - Lars Møller Madsen, Danish handball player
- 1982 - Eddie Griffin, American basketball player (d. 2007)
- 1984 - Matt Maguire, Australian rules footballer
- 1984 - Jordan Palmer, American football player
- 1989 - Kevin Covais, American singer
- 1990 - Dean Collins, American actor
- 1159 - Wladislaus II the Exile of Poland (b. 1105)
- 1252 - King Ferdinand III of Castile
- 1416 - Jerome of Prague, Czech theologian (b. 1379)
- 1431 - Joan of Arc, French heroine and saint (b. 1412)
- 1434 - Prokop the Great, Hussite general
- 1469 - Lope de Barrientos, Spanish bishop
- 1574 - King Charles IX of France (b. 1550)
- 1576 - Harada Naomasa, Japanese retainer and samurai
- 1593 - Christopher Marlowe, English playwright (b. 1564)
- 1640 - Peter Paul Rubens, Flemish painter (b. 1577)
- 1696 - Henry Capell, 1st Baron Capell, First Lord of the British Admiralty (b. 1638)
- 1718 - Arnold Joost van Keppel, 1st Earl of Albemarle, Dutch favorite of William III of England (b. 1670)
- 1730 - Arabella Churchill, English mistress of James II of England (b. 1648)
- 1744 - Alexander Pope, English writer (b. 1688)
- 1770 - François Boucher, French painter (b. 1703)
- 1778 - Voltaire, French philosopher and author (b. 1694)
- 1865 - John Catron, United States Supreme Court Justice
- 1868 - Souji Okita, 1st Captain of the Shinsengumi (b. 1823)
- 1901 - Victor D'Hondt, Belgian mathematician (b. 1841)
- 1912 - Wilbur Wright, aviation pioneer (Wright Brothers) (b. 1867)
- 1918 - Georgi Plekhanov, Russian revolutionary and Marxist theoretician (b. 1856)
- 1925 - Arthur Moeller van den Bruck, German historian (b. 1876)
- 1926 - Vladimir Steklov, Russian physicist (b. 1864)
- 1934 - Togo Heihachiro, Japanese admiral (b. 1848)
- 1939 - Floyd Roberts, Auto racer, killed during 1939 Indianapolis 500 (b. 1904)
- 1941 - Prajadhipok, Rama VII, king of Thailand (b. 1893)
- 1946 - Louis Slotin, Canadian Scientist at Los Alamos (b. 1910)
- 1947 - Georg Ritter von Trapp, World War I Austrian submarine commander (b. 1880)
- 1951 - Hermann Broch, Austrian author (b. 1886)
- 1953 - Dooley Wilson, American musician and actor (b. 1886)
- 1955 - Bill Vukovich, Auto racer, killed during 1955 Indianapolis 500 (b. 1918)
- 1960 - Boris Pasternak, Russian writer, Nobel Prize laureate (declined) (b. 1890)
- 1961 - Rafael Leónidas Trujillo, dictator of the Dominican Republic (b. 1891)
- 1964 - Leó Szilárd, Hungarian nuclear physicist (b. 1898)
- 1964 - Eddie Sachs, American auto racer (b. 1927)
- 1964 - Dave MacDonald, American auto racer (b. 1936)
- 1967 - Claude Rains, English actor (b. 1889)
- 1971 - Marcel Dupré, French organist and composer (b. 1886)
- 1975 - Steve Prefontaine, American runner (b. 1951)
- 1975 - Michel Simon, French actor (b. 1895)
- 1976 - Max Carey, American baseball player (b. 1890)
- 1975 - Tatsuo Shimabuku, Japanese martial artist (b. 1908)
- 1980 - Carl Radle, American bass guitarist (b. 1942)
- 1981 - Don Ashby, Canadian ice hockey player (b. 1955)
- 1981 - Ziaur Rahman, President of Bangladesh (b. 1936)
- 1986 - Perry Ellis, American fashion designer (b. 1940)
- 1993 - Sun Ra, American musician (b. 1914)
- 1994 - Ezra Taft Benson, American religious leader
- 1994 - Marcel Bich, French industrialist (b. 1914)
- 1994 - Agostino Di Bartolomei, Italian footballer (b. 1955)
- 1995 - Ted Drake, English footballer (b. 1912)
- 1995 - Lofty England, English automotive engineer and race team manager (b. 1911)
- 1995 - Bobby Stokes, former English footballer (b. 1951)
- 2000 - Tex Beneke, American bandleader and musician (b. 1914)
- 2000 - Doris Hare, Welsh actress (b. 1905)
- 2003 - Mickie Most, English record producer (b. 1938)
- 2005 - Fazal Mahmood, Pakistani cricketer (b. 1927)
- 2005 - Tomasz Pacyński, Polish writer (b. 1958)
- 2006 - Shohei Imamura, Japanese film director (b. 1926)
- 2006 - Robert Sterling, American actor (b. 1917)
- 2006 - David Lloyd, New Zealand biologist (b. 1938)
- 2007 - Jean-Claude Brialy, French actor and author (b. 1933)
- 2008 - Lorenzo Odone, American medical figure (b. 1978)
