Events in Sport
- 1868 Australian Aboriginal Cricket tour of England begins v Surrey Gentlemen
- 1876 4th Preakness: G Barbee aboard Shirley wins in 2:44.75
- 1895 20th Preakness: Fred Taral aboard Belmar wins in 1:50.5
- 1899 33rd Belmont: R Clawson aboard Jean Beraud wins in 2:23
- 1900 Retired London fire master Eyre Massey Shaw aged 70 reputedly becomes oldest gold medalist in Olympics for sailing (disputed)
- 1904 38th Belmont: George Odom aboard Delhi wins in 2:06.6
- 1906 After 20 straight wins, Boston Pilgrims lose to Chicago White Sox 3-0
- 1919 Casey Stengel releases a sparrow from under his baseball cap
World Record
1935 Track and field athlete Jesse Owens equals or breaks 4 world records in 45 minutes at a Big Ten meet at Ferry Field in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Remembered as "the greatest 45 minutes ever in sport".
Jesse Owens
Event of Interest
1941 Ted Williams raises his batting average over .400 for 1st time in 1941
Ted Williams
Golf Major
Event of Interest
1951 NY Giant Willie Mays 1st major league game (goes 0 for 5)
Willie Mays
Boxing Title Fight
1965 Muhammad Ali KOs Sonny Liston in 1 for heavyweight boxing title rematch
Muhammad Ali
Sonny Liston
Boxing Title Fight
1972 Heavyweight Joe Frazier KOs Ron Stander
Joe Frazier
- 1975 29th NBA Championship: Golden Warriors sweep Wash Bullets in 4 games
- 1975 Indianapolis 500: Bobby Unser wins in 2:54:55.064 (240.135 km/h)
- 1977 21st European Cup: Liverpool beats Borussia Monchengladbach 3-1 at Rome
- 1978 Stanley Cup: Montreal Canadiens beat Boston Bruins, 4 games to 2
- 1980 Jacek Wszoka of Poland sets high jump record (7'8")
- 1980 Indianapolis 500: Johnny Rutherford wins in 3:29:59.572 (229.914 km/h)
- 1981 Bobby Unser becomes 1st Indy 500 winner to be disqualified
Baseball Record
1981 Carl Yastrzemski is 4th to play 3,000 baseball games (Cobb, Musial & Aaron)
Carl Yastrzemski
- 1982 Ferguson Jenkins becomes 7th pitcher to strike out 3,000 batters
- 1983 Kirk Gibson (Tigers) & Jorge Orta (Blue Jays) hit inside park HRs
- 1983 27th European Cup: Hamburg beats Juventus 1-0 at Athens
- 1984 Det Tigers lose to Seattle 7-3 ends record tying 17 consecutive wins
- 1984 Red Sox trade pitcher Dennis Eckersley to Cubs for Bill Buckner
- 1985 Allan Border scores 4th successive 1st class 100 (v Derbyshire)
Baseball Record
1986 KC Royal George Brett gets his 2,000th hit
George Brett
- 1986 Laurie Rinker wins LPGA Corning Golf Classic
- 1988 32nd European Cup: PSV Eindhoven beats Benfica (0-0, 6-5 on penalties) at Stuttgart
- 1989 Stanley Cup: Calgary Flames beat Montreal Canadiens, 4 games to 2
- 1991 Stanley Cup: Pittsburgh Penguins beat Minn North Star, 4 games to 2
- 1992 NY Yankees score 9 runs before 1st out in 8th inn, beat Brewers 13-7
Event of Interest
1994 Mark Messier scores a natural hat trick for the New York Rangers in game 6 of the NHL Eastern Conference Finals
Mark Messier
Event of Interest
1997 Minnesota Twins retire Kirby Puckett's uniform #
Kirby Puckett
- 1997 Rosie Jones wins LPGA Corning Classic
- 1997 NHL Eastern Conference Final: Philadelphia Flyers beat New York Rangers, 4 games to 1
- 2002 Crusaders win 4th Super 12 Rugby title with a 31-13 thumping of the ACT Brumbies at Jade Stadium, Christchurch; flyhalf Andrew Mehrtens boots 3 penalties, 2 conversions and a dropped goal for the winners
- 2003 Indianapolis 500: Gil de Ferran wins in 3:11:56.989 (251.526 km/h)
- 2005 13th UEFA Champions League Final: Liverpool beats Milan (3-3, 3-2 on penalties)
- 2008 Indianapolis 500: Scott Dixon wins in 3:28:57.6792 (231.049 km/h)
- 2012 NHL Eastern Conference Finals: New Jersey Devils beat New York Rangers, 4 games to 2
- 2013 21st UEFA Champions League Final: Bayern Munich beats Borussia Dortmund 2-1 at London
- 2014 Indianapolis 500: Ryan Hunter-Reay wins in 2:40:48.2305 (300.244 km/h)
Birthdays in Sport
- 1845 Lip Pike, American baseball player (d. 1883)
- 1852 William Muldoon, US wrestler and owner of NY health institute "The Olympia," (d. 1933)
- 1897 Alan Kippax, cricketer (22 Tests for Australia 1924-34, brilliant batsman)
- 1898 Gene Tunney, American boxer, world heavyweight boxing champion (1926-30), born in NYC, New York (d. 1978)
- 1918 Peder Lunde, Norwegian yachtsman (Olympic silver 1952)
- 1919 Lindsey Nelson, American sportscaster (NY Mets), born in Pulaski, Tennessee
- 1924 István Nyers, Hungarian footballer (d. 2005)
- 1925 Don Liddle, baseball player (d. 2000)
Bill Sharman
1926 Bill Sharman, American Hall of Fame basketball player (Boston Celtics), born in Abilene, Texas (d. 2013)
Bill Sharman
- 1932 K C Jones, Taylor Tx, basketball player (Olympic gold 1956)
- 1933 Ray Spencer, English footballer
- 1935 Cookie Gilchrist, American football player, born in Brackenridge, Pennsylvania (d. 2011)
- 1936 Rusi Surti, cricketer (Indian slow lefty, hat-trick for Qld 1969), *d. 2013)
- 1938 Ludmil Buldakova, USSR, volleyball player (Olympic gold 1972)
- 1942 Ron Davies, Holywell, Wales, footballer (29 Welsh caps), (d. 2013)
- 1946 Irnema Szewinski Kirszenstein, Polish 200m runner (1968 Olym Gold)
- 1949 Lalith Kaluperuma, cricketer (two Tests for Sri Lanka 1982)
- 1953 Donald Albert Weibring Jr, Quincy IL, PGA golfer (1979 Quad Cities)
- 1953 Daniel Passarella, Argentine footballer
- 1962 Amy Read, golfer (1994 Healthsouth Palm Beach-15th), born in Birmingham, Michigan
- 1962 Zulqarnain, cricketer (last person in alphabetical order to play Test)
- 1964 David Shaw, St Thomas, NHL defenseman (Tampa Bay Lightning)
- 1965 Stefka Kostadinova, Bulgaria high jumper (world record 1987), born in Plovdiv, Bulgaria
- 1966 Bill Haselman, Long Branch NJ, catcher (Boston Red Sox)
- 1966 Dave Hollins, infielder (Minnesota Twins), born in Buffalo, New York
- 1966 Melissa McNamara, LPGA golfer (1991 Stratton Mt Classic), born in Tulsa, Oklahoma
- 1967 Danny Gonzales, jockey
- 1967 Juan Jimenez, WLAF quarterback/receivers coach (Barcelona Dragons)
- 1967 Luc Nilis, Belgian soccer player (RSC Anderlecht/PSV)
- 1967 Ruthie Bolton, McClain Miss, basketball guard (Olympic gold 1996)
- 1968 Debbi Miho Koyama, LPGA golfer (1995 US Women's Open-28th)
- 1968 Kendall Gill, NBA guard/forward (NJ Nets)
- 1968 Nathalie Schneyder, synchronized swimmer (Olympic gold 1996), born in San Francisco, California
- 1968 Shawn Bouwens, NFL guard (Jacksonville Jaguars)
- 1970 Danni Roche, Australian field hockey midfielder (Olympics 1996), born in Melbourne, Victoria
- 1970 Heather Simmons-Carrasco, Mt View Ca, synchronized swimmer (Olympic alt-96)
- 1970 Joey Eischen, pitcher (LA Dodgers), born in West Covina, California
- 1970 Robert Croft, cricketer (Glamorgan off-spinner, England 1996-)
- 1970 Sandra Dopfer, Lustenau Austria, tennis star (1995 Futures-Lerida)
- 1971 Alan Kline, NFL tackle (New Orleans Saints)
- 1971 Keith Hamilton, NFL defensive tackle (NY Giants)
- 1971 Larry Thompson, CFL/NFL wide receiver (Seattle Seahawks, BC Lions)
- 1971 Tim Kroeker, Chilliwack BC, 110m hurdler (Olympics 1996)
- 1972 Antonio Lang, NBA forward (Cleveland Cavaliers)
- 1972 Tony Ronaldson, Adelaide SA Australia, basketball forward (Olympics 1996)
- 1973 Duncan Free, Australian rower (Olympics 1996)
- 1973 Earl Mackey, NFL linebacker (Minnesota Vikings)
- 1973 Jeff Smith, NFL/WLAF corner (Scotland Claymores/KC Chiefs)
- 1973 Josee Corbeil, Pointe-Claire Quebec, volleyball player (Olympics 1996)
- 1973 Maria Jose Gaidano, tennis star (1993 Belgium doubles), born in Buenos Aires, Argentina
- 1973 Racquel Spurlock, WNBA center (Houston Comets)
- 1974 Dennis Stallings, linebacker (Tennessee Oilers)
- 1975 Adam Saathoff, running target (Olympics 1996), born in Tucson, Arizona
- 1976 Tarik Glenn, offensive tackle (Indianapolis Colts)
- 1978 Brian Urlacher, American football player
- 1979 Sam Sodje, Nigerian footballer
- 1979 Jonny Wilkinson, English international and Newcastle Falcons rugby player
- 1979 Caroline Ouellette, French Canadian ice hockey player
- 1980 David Navarro, Spanish footballer
- 1982 Adam Boyd, English footballer
- 1982 Daniel Braaten, Norwegian footballer
- 1982 Ryan Gallant, American skateboarder
- 1984 Kyle Brodziak, Canadian ice hockey player
- 1984 Shawne Merriman, American football player
- 1986 Yoan Gouffran, French footballer
- 1987 Timothy Derijck, Belgian footballer
- 1987 Yves De Winter, Belgian goalkeeper
- 1992 Kendall Coyne Schofield, American hockey player (2018 Olympi Gold), born in Oak Lawn, Illinois
- 1994 Alexandra Rose "Aly" Raisman, American gymnast (two-time Olympic medalist, Fierce Five, Final Five), born in Needham, Massachusetts
Weddings in Sport
Wedding of Interest
1940 MLB outfielder Stan Musial (19) weds his high school sweetheart Lillian Labash in Daytona Beach
Stan Musial
Wedding of Interest
1957 NFL coach Chuck Noll (25) weds first wife Marianne Noll
Chuck Noll
Wedding of Interest
1965 Boxing champion Sugar Ray Robinson (44) weds Millie Bruce in Los Angeles
Sugar Ray Robinson
Deaths in Sport
- 1916 Jack Marsh, cricketer (Aboriginal bowler played for NSW 1900-03), dies
- 1958 Rolland Beaumont, cricketer (5 Tests for South Africa), dies
- 1974 Frank Ward, cricketer (4 Tests for Australia 1936-38), dies
- 1981 Roy Brown, American boxer/rocker, dies of a heart attack at 55
- 1983 Black Jack Stewart, Canadian NHL hockey player (b. 1917)
- 1992 Danny Biasone, persuaded NBA to use 24 second clock, dies at 83
- 1995 Krešimir Ćosić, Croatian basketball player (b. 1948)
- 1997 Jay Hebert, American golfer (PGA Championship 1960), dies at 74
- 2010 Alexander Belostenny, Ukrainian basketball player (b. 1959)
- 2010 Alan Hickinbotham, Australian businessman, football player, & football coach (b. 1925)
- 2011 Paul Splittorff, American MLB pitcher and broadcaster (KC Royals), dies of oral cancer at 64
- 2011 Terry Jenner, Australian cricketer (b. 1944)
- 2018 Bill Mallory, College Football coach (Miami, Colorado, Northern Illinois, Indiana), dies after brain surgery from a fall at 82
May in History
Memories of Elvis
Only one actor has appeared on film with both the Beatles and Elvis Presley: the little-known Norman Rossington.
May 21, 1999
President Falls From Grace
Paul Deschanel had the makings of a fine President of France – until a series of bizarre incidents culminated in him falling out the window of a moving train.
May 23, 1920
Ship that Changed the Face of Britain
Britain was on its knees after the Second World War, its economy and infrastructure in tatters. For help the Mother Country turned to the Commonwealth.
May 27, 1948
A Modern Major-General of Light Entertainment
William Gilbert, celebrated as the unique lyricist behind the highly popular Gilbert and Sullivan comic operas, met his death in highly unexpected circumstances.
May 29, 1911