- May 1 Athletics' Elmer Valo is the first AL baseball player to hit 2 bases-loaded triples in a game
- May 1 Gerard Kuiper discovers Nereid, (2nd satellite of Neptune)
Event of Interest
May 2 Arthur Miller wins a Pulitzer Prize for his play "Death of a Salesman"
- May 2 Bolivian state of siege proclaimed
- May 3 1st firing of a US Viking rocket; reached 80 km
- May 4 Plane carrying the entire Torino Serie A soccer squad crashes on the outskirts of Turin, Italy; 31 killed; Torino awarded League title at the request of their rivals
- May 5 Detroit Tigers second baseman Charlie Gehringer is elected in the Baseball Hall of Fame
- May 5 KGO TV channel 7 in San Francisco, California (ABC) begins broadcasting
- May 5 Statute of Council of Europe drawn up
- May 7 75th Kentucky Derby: Steve Brooks aboard Ponder wins in 2:04.2
- May 7 Roem–Van Roijen Agreement negotiated in Jakarta between Indonesian Republican Mohammad Roem and Jan Herman van Roijen for Netherlands - paves the way for independence
- May 8 West German constitution approved
- May 9 Britain's 1st launderette opens in Queensway, London
Rainier III
May 9 Prince Rainier III becomes monarch of Monaco
- May 11 By a vote of 37-12, Israel becomes 59th member of UN
- May 11 Siam renames itself Thailand
1st Foreign Woman Ambassador
May 12 1st foreign woman ambassador received in USA (Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit of India)
Cape Canaveral Test Range
May 14 US President Harry Truman signs bill establishing a rocket test range at Cape Canaveral
- May 17 British government recognises Republic of Ireland (previously Irish Free State)
- May 18 Antiquarian Booksellers Association of America incorporates
- May 22 Brooklyn Dodgers Don Newcombe, in 1st MLB start, shuts out Cincinnati on 5 hits to win 3-0
- May 23 Federal Republic of [West] Germany created out of the American, British and French occupation zones
- May 25 Chinese Red army occupies Shanghai
- May 27 Martin Canine, cartoon character, spoofs Martin Kane
- May 27 MLB Cleveland Indians start 12-17, owner Bill Veeck arranges a "Second Opening Day"
- May 28 French Championships Men's Tennis: Frank Parker retains title; beats fellow American Budge Patty 6-3, 1-6, 6-1, 6-4
- May 28 French Championships Women's Tennis: Margaret Osborne duPont wins her second French singles crown; beats Nelly Adamson Landry of France 7-5, 6-2
- May 29 1st British Film and Television Awards (BAFTAs): "The Best Years of Our Lives" Best Film
- May 29 2nd British Film and Television Awards (BAFTAs): "Hamlet" Best Film
- May 29 Candid Camera, TV comedy show, moves to NBC
33rd Indianapolis 500
May 30 33rd Indianapolis 500: After finishing runner-up the previous 2 years, Bill Holland finally wins giving car owner Lou Moore his 3rd consecutive Indy victory; 1947-48 winner Mauri Rose fired after the race for ignoring team orders
- May 30 East German constitution approved
- May 30 NPS/VHP win 1st general election in Suriname
- May 30 WRTV TV channel 6 in Indianapolis, IN (ABC) begins broadcasting
- May 31 31st PGA Championship Men's Golf, Hermitage CC: Sam Snead beats fellow American Johnny Palmer, 3 & 2; first time reigning Masters champion wins PGA Championship in the same calendar year.
- May 31 Charley Lupica begins stay on 4 foot square platform atop a 60' pole, vowing to stay until Indians clinch pennant. (They don't, & stays 117 days)
Authors
Dictators
Explorers
Outlaws
Queens
Spies