Events in Sport
Baseball Record
May 1 Baseball Hall of Fame slugger Mickey Mantle hits his first career home run, on Mothers' Day
Mickey Mantle
- May 1 Cuban MLB outfielder Minnie Minoso, the first black player in Chicago White Sox franchise history - homers on debut
- May 3 Gil McDougald ties major league record with 6 RBIs in 1 inning
- May 3 NY Yankee Gil McDougald is 5th to get 6 RBIs in an inning (9th)
- May 5 77th Kentucky Derby: Conn McCreary aboard Count Turf wins in 2:02.6
- May 6 Pitts Pirate Cliff Chambers no-hits Boston Brave, 3-0
- May 7 International Olympic committee allows Russia to participate in 1952 Olympics
- May 19 76th Preakness: Eddie Arcaro aboard Bold wins in 1:56.4
Event of Interest
May 25 NY Giant Willie Mays 1st major league game (goes 0 for 5)
Willie Mays
- May 28 After going 0-for-12, Willie Mays connects for his 1st major league home run
Boxing Title Fight
May 30 Ezzard Charles beats Joey Maxim in 15 for heavyweight boxing title
Ezzard Charles
- May 30 Indianapolis 500: Lee Wallard wins in 3:57:38.103 (203.170 km/h)
Birthdays in Sport
- May 1 Gordon Greenidge, West Indies cricket opening batsman (19 Test centuries 1974-91), born in St. Peter, Barbados
- May 11 Mike Sleman, rugby player
- May 12 Gunnar Larrson, Swedish 200m/400m swimmer (Olympic gold 1972)
- May 18 Angela Voigt, German DR, long jumper (Olympic gold 1976)
- May 18 Rodger Davis, Australian golfer, born in Sydney, New South Wales
- May 18 Jim Sundberg, American baseball player
- May 23 Anatoly Karpov, Russian chess player (world champion 1975-85, 93-99), born in Zlatoust, Russia
- May 27 John Conteh, British boxer, WBC Light Heavyweight crown (1974-77), born in Liverpool
Deaths in Sport
Leo Diegel
May 5 Leo Diegel, American golfer, dies of throat and lung cancer at 52
Leo Diegel