Events in Sport
- May 1 74th Kentucky Derby: Eddie Arcaro wins aboard Citation to become first 4-time Derby winning jockey
Donald Bradman
- May 15 73rd Preakness: Eddie Arcaro wins aboard Citation, 2nd leg of successful Triple Crown
- May 15 Bradman scores 187 Aust v Essex, 124 minutes, 33 fours 1 five
- May 16 First chess world championship since WWII; Russian player Mikhail Botvinnik wins a 5-player tournament to begin 20-year Russian domination
- May 20 Cleveland Indians tie AL record of 18 walks (beat Red Sox 13-4)
Event of Interest
May 21 NY Yank Joe DiMaggio hits for cycle (single, double, triple, HR)
Joe DiMaggio
- May 23 Joe DiMaggio hits 3 consecutive HRs
Golf Major
Event of Interest
May 27 Hank Greenberg buys an interest in the Cleveland Indians
Hank Greenberg
Baseball Record
May 30 Schenectady Blue Jays Tom Lasorda strikes out 25 in 15-inning game
Tom Lasorda
- May 31 Indianapolis 500: Mauri Rose wins in 4:10:23.286 (192.822 km/h)
Birthdays in Sport
- May 4 Billy O'Donnell, Canadian harness racer driver of year (1984), born in Springhill, Nova Scotia, Canada
- May 4 Hurley Haywood, American race car driver, and three-time winner of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, born in Chicago, Illinois
- May 9 John Mahaffey, American golfer (PGA Championship 1978), born in Kerrville, Texas
- May 9 Calvin Murphy, American basketball player
- May 11 Alfred Matt, Austrian slalom (Olympic bronze 1968)
- May 14 Bob Woolmer, cricketer (England batsman mid-70's)
- May 14 Dave LaRoche, baseball pitcher (NY Yankees)
- May 23 Reggie Cleveland, baseball player
- May 26 Geoff Greenidge, cricketer (no relation to Gordon, WI opener 1972-74)
- May 28 Bob Shearer, Australian golfer, born in Melbourne, Victoria