Events in Sport
Kentucky Derby
May 4 111th Kentucky Derby: Puerto Rican jockey Ángel Cordero Jr.wins aboard Spend A Buck for his third Derby triumph
- May 11 56 die and at least 265 are injured at Bradford City football ground in the worst fire in English football history
Sports History
May 16 Michael Jordan named NBA Rookie of Year
- May 16 NHL Clarence Campbell Conference Final: Edmonton Oilers beat Chicago Black Hawks, 4 games to 2
- May 16 NHL Prince of Wales Conference Final: Philadelphia Flyers beat Quebec Nordiques, 4 games to 2
Preakness Stakes
May 18 110th Preakness: Pat Day aboard Tank's Prospect wins in 1:53.4
- May 20 Indians-Brewers game at Cleveland Stadium is 1st rain-out of 1985, ends record string of 458 ML games since Opening Day without a rain-out
Boxing Title Fight
May 20 Larry Holmes beats Carl Williams in 15 for heavyweight boxing title
Cricket History
May 25 Allan Border scores 4th successive 1st class 100 (vs Derbyshire)
Indy 500
May 26 Indianapolis 500: Danny Sullivan wins by 24 seconds from Mario Andretti after surviving famous 360° spin on lap 120
- May 29 29th European Cup: Juventus beats Liverpool 1-0 at Brussels
- May 29 Amputee Steve Fonyo completes cross-Canada marathon at Victoria, British Columbia, after 14 months
Stanley Cup
May 30 Stanley Cup Final, Northlands Coliseum, Edmonton, AL: Edmonton Oilers take back-to-back titles; beat Philadelphia Flyers, 8-3 for a 4-1 series victory; Wayne Gretzky and Jari Kurri each post a goal and 3 assists
- May 31 New Orleans Saints are sold for $70,204,000
Birthdays in Sport
- May 2 David Nugent, English footballer, born in Huyton, England
- May 2 Jarrod Saltalamacchia, American baseball player, born in West Palm Beach, Florida
Kyle Busch (38 years old)
May 2 American auto racer, (NASCAR Cup Series Champion 2015), born in Las Vegas, Nevada
- May 2 Sarah Hughes, American figure skater, born in Great Neck, New York
- May 4 Ravi Bopara, English cricket batsman (13 Tests, 3 x 100, HS 143; 120 ODIs; Essex CCC, Sussex CCC, born in London, England
- May 5 P. J. Tucker, American basketball player (Houston Rockets), born in Raleigh, North Carolina
- May 5 Terrence Wheatley, American football player (New England Patriots), born in Walnut Creek, California
- May 6 Chris Paul, American basketball point guard (9-time NBA All Star), born in Winston-Salem, North Carolina
- May 7 Drew Neitzel, American college basketball player, born in Grand Rapids, Michigan
- May 9 Jake Long, American football player
- May 10 Ryan Getzlaf, Canadian ice hockey player
- May 12 Jeroen Simaeys, Belgian footballer, born in Mechelen, Belgium
- May 12 Tally Hall, American soccer player, born in SeaTac, Washington
- May 13 Travis Zajac, Canadian ice hockey player (New Jersey Devils), born in Winnipeg, Manitoba
- May 15 Cristiane, Brazilian footballer
- May 16 Anja Mittag, German soccer striker (158 caps; Turbine Potsdam, FC Rosengård; Olympic gold 2016), born in Chemnitz, Germany
- May 16 Corey Perry, Canadian ice hockey left wing (Stanley Cup 2007 Mighty Ducks of Anaheim; Hart Memorial Trophy 2011; Olympic gold 2010, 14; World C'ship gold 2016 [captain]; NHL All-Star 2008, 11, 12, 16), born in New Liskeard, Ontario
- May 17 Matt Ryan, American football player
- May 19 (Marcellous) "Tyrell" Johnson, American NFL football safety, 2008-12 (Minnesota Vikings, Detroit Tigers), born in Rison, Arkansas
Chris Froome (38 years old)
May 20 British road cyclist (Tour de France 2013, 15, 16, 17; Giro d'Italia 2018; Vuelta a España 2011, 17; Olympic bronze time trial 2012, 16), born in Nairobi, Kenya
- May 21 Andrew Miller, American MLB baseball pitcher, 2006-present (Detroit Tigers, Florida Marlins, and 5 other teams), born in Gainesville, Florida
- May 21 Mark Cavendish MBE, British road cyclist (UCI Road World C'ships 2011; Points classification winner Tour de France 2011, 21; Giro d'Italia 2013; Vuelta a España 2010), born in Douglas, Isle of Man
- May 22 Marc-Antoine Pouliot, Canadian ice hockey player
- May 22 Tranquillo Barnetta, Swiss footballer
- May 23 Ross Wallace, Scottish footballer
- May 24 Tim Bridgman, British racing driver, born in Harlow, England
- May 25 Demba Ba, French footballer (played for Senegal), born in Sèvres, France
- May 27 Chien-Ming Chiang, Taiwanese baseball player
- May 30 Sam Baker, American NFL football tackle, 2008-14 (Atlanta Falcons), born in Tustin, California
- May 31 Ian Vouyoukas, Greek basketball player (Panathinaikos), born in London, England
- May 31 Jordy Nelson, American NFL player (Green Bay Packers), born in Manhattan, Kansas
Deaths in Sport
- May 6 Pete Desjardins, American diver (Olympic gold 10m platform, 3m springboard 1928), dies at 78
- May 18 Harald Andersson, Swedish discus thrower (world record 52.42m 1934), dies at 78
- May 29 39 people die in a confrontation at Heysel Stadium in Brussels, Belgium when Juventus and Italian fans are crushed against a wall escaping a breach by Liverpool fans
