- May 4 Longest baseball game in Philadelphia's Veterans Stadium, Phillies beat Braves 5-4 in 20 innings
Kentucky Derby
May 5 99th Kentucky Derby: Ron Turcotte aboard Secretariat wins in 1:59.4 - fastest Kentucky Derby ever
Baseball History
May 8 Ernie Banks fills in for Cubs managerr Whitey Lockman who is ejected during the game, technically becoming baseball's 1st African American manager
Baseball History
May 9 For 2nd time, Johnny Bench hits 3 HRs in a game
- May 10 27th NBA Championship: NY Knicks beat LA Lakers, 4 games to 1
- May 10 Stanley Cup Final, Chicago Stadium, Chicago, IL: Yvan Cournoyer has a goal and 2 assists as Montreal Canadiens beat Chicago Blackhawks, 6-4 to take title, 4 games to 2
- May 12 6th ABA championship: Indiana Pacers beat Ky Colonels, 4 games to 3
Sports History
May 13 Bobby Riggs beats Margaret Smith Court in Mother's Day match in California
Sports History
May 15 California Angel Nolan Ryan's 1st no-hitter beats KC Royals, 3-0
- May 16 AC Milan of Italy win 13th European Cup Winner's Cup against Leeds of England 1-0 in Saloniki
- May 17 Angels outfielder Bobby Valentine breaks his leg trying to scale wall to prevent a Dick Green home run during a 5-4 loss to the A's
- May 17 Joe Ferguson, hits the 6,000th Dodger home run
- May 19 98th Preakness: Ron Turcotte aboard Secretariat wins in 1:54 - fastest Preakness race ever (recognized 2012)
- May 20 2 motorcycle racers killed and a dozen injured in a crash during the 1973 Nations Grand Prix in Monza,Italy
- May 27 American athlete Rick Wohlhuter runs world record 880 yards in 1:44.6
- May 28 Chicago White Sox beat Cleveland Indians, 6-3, in 21 innings (game started 5/26)
- May 28 Indianapolis 500: Gordon Johncock wins first of his two Indy triumphs after rain halts the race at lap 133
- May 30 17th European Cup: Ajax beats Juventus 1-0 at Belgrade
- May 31 Glenn Turner scores his 1,000th run of English cricket season
Baseball Players
Basketball Stars
Boxers
Footballers
NFL Stars
Tennis Champions