Events in Sport
- May 2 Yanks threaten to broadcast games nationwide if NL goes ahead with plans to broadcast, games into NYC
- May 3 84th Kentucky Derby: Ismael Valenzuela aboard Tim Tam wins in 2:05
- May 9 Russian Mikhail Botvinnik recaptures world chess championship
Baseball Record
May 13 MLB player Stan Musial is 8th to get 3,000 hits
- May 17 83rd Preakness: Ismael Valenzuela aboard Tim Tam wins in 1:57.2
- May 28 European Cup Final, Brussels: Francisco Gento scores the winner in extra time as Real Madrid beats AC Milan, 3-2; 3rd consecutive title for Los Blancos
- May 30 Indianapolis 500: Jimmy Bryan wins a race best known for a massive first-lap, 15-car pileup that results in death of fan-favourite driver Pat O'Connor
- May 31 French Championships Men's Tennis: Mervyn Rose wins his first and only French title; beats Luis Ayala of Chile 6-3, 6-4, 6-4
- May 31 57th Women's French Championships: Zsuzsi Kormoczy beats Shirley Bloomer (6-4, 1-6, 6-2)
Birthdays in Sport
- May 8 Lovie Smith, American football coach (NFL Coach of the Year 2005 Chicago Bears; TB Buccaneers, Houston Texans; Uni of Illinois), born in Gladewater, Texas
- May 9 Esko Rechardt, Finnish yachtsman (Olympic gold 1980)
- May 11 Peter Antonie, Australian rower (Olympic gold 1992), born in Melbourne, Victoria
- May 14 Christine Brennan, American sports columnist
- May 18 Ray Donaldson, NFL center (Dallas Cowboys), born in Rome, Georgia
- May 20 Mike Engleman, Sonoma California, cyclist (Olympics 1996)
- May 20 Mike Stefanik, American auto racer (9 NASCAR Modified Championships), born in Wilbraham, Massachusetts (d. 2019)
- May 21 Monte Lynch, Guyanese-born English cricketer (Surrey batsman, WI Rebel, England ODI player), born in Plaisance, British Guiana
- May 21 Sabine Bischoff, German fencer (Olympic gold 1984), born in Tauberbischofsheim, Germany (d. 2013)
- May 29 Ivar Sisniega, Mexican pentathlete, politician (Sports Minister 1994-2000), born in Kenosha, Wisconsin, USA
- May 29 Uwe Rapolder, German soccer midfielder, coach (1. FC Köln), born in Hausen an der Zaber, Germany
- May 31 Gary Hallberg, American golfer (3 PGA Tour titles), born in Berwyn, Illinois
Baseball Players
Basketball Stars
Boxers
Footballers
NFL Stars
Tennis Champions