Events in Sport
- May 6 70th Kentucky Derby: Conn McCreary aboard Pensive wins in 2:04.2
- May 9 Joe McCarthy returns as Yankee manager after an illness
Birthdays in Sport
- May 5 Bo Larsson, Swedish football striker, born in Malmö, Sweden
- May 6 Masanori Murakami, Japanese baseball player in major leagues, born in Ōtsuki, Yamanashi, Japan
- May 10 Abdul Kadir, cricketer (Pakistani batsman-keeper in 4 Tests 1964-65)
- May 11 John Benaud, Australian cricket batsman (3 Tests, 1 x 100; NSW CA), born in Sydney, Australia
- May 13 Clive Radley, cricketer (England batsman in 8 Tests 1978)
- May 15 Miruts Yifter 'Yifter the Shifter', Ethiopian runner (Olympic golds 1980), born in Adigrat (d. 2016)
- May 17 Arif Butt, Pakistani cricketer (pace bowler for Pakistan in three Tests 1964-65), born in Lahore, Punjab, British India (d. 2007)
- May 20 Keith Fletcher, cricket captain (Essex & England)
- May 20 Joseph Benz, Swiss bobsledder (Olympic gold 2-man 1980; World C'ship gold 4-man 1975; 2-man 1978, 79), born in Zurich, Switzerland (d. 2021)
- May 23 John Newcombe, Australian tennis player (7 Grand Slam singles, 17 Grand Slam doubles titles), born in Sydney, Australia
- May 26 Sam Posey, American auto racer (12 Hours of Sebring 1975; 24 Hours of Le Mans 1971 3rd) and TV commentator (ABC Sports), born in NYC, New York
Weddings in Sport
Ted Williams
May 4 Baseball player Ted Williams marries Doris Soule (divorced 1954)
Sugar Ray Robinson
May 29 Boxing champion Sugar Ray Robinson (23) weds Edna Mae Holly
Deaths in Sport
- May 26 Cyril Francois, South African cricket all-rounder (5 Tests, 252 runs, 6 wickets), dies in a motor accident at 46