On This Day

May 1953 in Sports History

Events in Sport

  • May 2 79th Kentucky Derby: Hank Moreno aboard Dark Star wins in 2:02
  • May 6 St. Louis Browns pitcher Bobo Holloman MLB debut; no-hits Philadelphia A's, 6-0

Sports record brokenBaseball Record

May 13 NY Giants Willie Mays & Darryl Spencer each hit 2 HRs & a triple

MLB Legend Willie Mays
MLB Legend
Willie Mays

Sport defeatBoxing Title Fight

May 15 In his first world heavyweight title defence, Rocky Marciano KOs former champion Jersey Joe Walcott in the 1st round at Chicago Stadium

Heavyweight Boxing Champion Rocky Marciano
Heavyweight Boxing Champion
Rocky Marciano
World Heavyweight Boxing Champion Jersey Joe
World Heavyweight Boxing Champion
Jersey Joe
  • May 16 Phillies Curt Simmons gives up a single, then retires next 27 in a row
  • May 17 Yanks & Browns use record 41 players in a game
  • May 22 Yankee Irv Noren hits into a triple-play, Yanks beat Wash 12-4
  • May 23 78th Preakness: Eric Guerin aboard Native Dancer wins in 1:57.8
  • May 25 Braves Max Surkont strikes out record 8 Reds in a row
  • May 30 1st major league network baseball game-Cleveland 7, Chicago 2
  • May 30 Indianapolis 500: Bill Vukovich wins in 3:53:01.668 (207.187 km/h)

Sport awardFrench Open Men's Tennis

May 30 French Championships Men's Tennis: Ken Rosewall of Australia wins his 2nd Grand Slam title, beating American Vic Seixas 6-3, 6-4, 1-6, 6-2

Tennis Player and Eight-Time Major Champion Ken Rosewall
Tennis Player and Eight-Time Major Champion
Ken Rosewall
Tennis Player Vic Seixas
Tennis Player
Vic Seixas
  • May 30 French Championships Women's Tennis: Maureen Connolly beats fellow American Doris Hart 6-2, 6-4 for the 2nd leg of her Grand Slam

Birthdays in Sport

  • May 1 Elquemedo Willett, West Indian cricket spin bowler (5 Tests, 11 wickets), born in Charlestown, Nevis
  • May 2 Jamaal Wilkes, American NBA forward (Golden State-Rookie of Yr 1975), born in Berkeley, California
  • May 6 Graeme Souness, Scottish footballer/manager
  • May 9 Ron Jackson, baseball player

Person of interestGeorge Brett

May 15 George Brett, American Baseball Hall of Fame 3rd baseman (13 x MLB All Star; World Series 1985; AL MVP 1980; KC Royals), born in Glen Dale, West Virginia

MLB Third Baseman George Brett
MLB Third Baseman
George Brett
  • May 16 Rick Rhoden, American MLB pitcher (NY Yankees), born in Boynton Beach, Florida
  • May 19 Shavarsh Karapetyan, Soviet Armenian finswimmer
  • May 22 Cha Bum-Kun, South Korean footballer and manager, born in Hwaseong, South Korea
  • May 25 D. A. Weibring Jr, American golfer (Senior Players C'ship 2008), born in Quincy Illinois
  • May 25 Daniel Passarella, Argentine footballer, born in Chacabuco, Argentina
  • May 26 Dan Roundfield, American basketball forward (3-time NBA All Star), born in Detroit, Michigan (d. 2012)
  • May 29 Ranjy Nanan, West Indian cricket spin bowler (WI 1 Test; Trinidad & Tobago), born in Preysal, Trinidad

Deaths in Sport

  • May 7 Ormy Pearse, South African cricketer (55 runs & 3 wkts in 3 Tests for S Af), dies at 68
  • May 18 Tom Killick, English cricketer (at the crease 2 Tests for Eng 1929), dies at 69
  • May 27 Jesse Burkett, American Baseball Hall of Fame left fielder (NL batting champion 1895-96, 1901; 240 hits in 1896 MLB record for 15 years), dies at 84


1953 in Sport History