Events in Sport
- May 4 72nd Kentucky Derby: Warren Mehrtens aboard Assault wins in 2:06.6
- May 8 Red Sox Johnny Pesky scores 6 runs in 1 game
- May 10 Red Sox win 15th straight beat Yanks 5-4, DiMaggio hits Grand Slam
- May 11 1st night game at Boston Braves Field (Giants 5, Braves 1)
- May 11 71st Preakness: Warren Mehrtens aboard Assault wins in 2:01.4
- May 20 Cubs Claude Passeau makes his 1st error since September 21, 1941, ending pitcher's fielding record of 273 consecutive errorless chances
- May 26 2-for-42 & hitting .048 for 1946, Mel Ott stops playing baseball
- May 30 Braves Bernard Malamud HR shatters Bulova clock in Ebbets Field
- May 30 Indianapolis 500: George Robson wins in 4:21:16.711 (184.785 km/h)
Birthdays in Sport
- May 3 Greg Gumbel, American sportscaster (CBS TV, WFAN), born in New Orleans, Louisiana
- May 3 Norm Chow, American football coach, born in Honolulu, Hawaii
- May 4 Renee Powell, American golfer, broadcaster (first woman to compete in a men's golf tournament), born in East Canton, Ohio
- May 4 John Watson, Northern Irish racecar driver, born in Belfast, Northern Ireland
- May 12 Leonard Baichan, cricketer (WI opener, 103 v Pakistan on debut 1975)
- May 17 Sinaida Turchina, USSR, team handball (Olympic gold 1976)
Reggie Jackson
May 18 Reggie Jackson, American Baseball Hall of Fame right fielder (14-time All Star)), born in Wyncote, Pennsylvania
Reggie Jackson
- May 20 Bakhaavaa Buidaa, Mongolia, wrestler (Olympic silver 1972) disqualified
- May 20 Craig Patrick, NHL coach
- May 20 Bobby Murcer, American baseball outfielder (5-time MLB All Star), born in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma (d. 2008)
- May 21 David Hill, Australian TV-reporter/owner (Fox Sports)
- May 22 George Best, Northern Irish footballer (Manchester United, Northern Ireland), born in Belfast
- May 22 Howard Kendall, English footballer and football manager (Everton), born in Ryton, County Durham (d. 2015)
- May 23 Tom Dorris, horse trainer
- May 23 David Graham, Australian golfer (PGA C'ship 1979, US Open 1981), born in Windsor, NSW
- May 24 Irina Szewińska, Polish athlete, administrator (Olympic various sprint gold 1964, 68, 76), born in Leningrad, Russia (d. 2018)
- May 25 Irena Szewińska, Polish 200m runner (Olympic Gold 1964, 68, 76), born in Leningrad, Russian SSR, Soviet Union
- May 28 Skip Jutze, American baseball player
- May 31 Steve Bucknor, cricketer (West Indian Test umpire, FIFA referee)