Featured sports in May include MLB, the NBA and NHL, the Kentucky Derby, the PGA Championship, and the French Open. May 1 has witnessed many memorable sports moments and outstanding personal achievements. Read on to find out more.
Unforgettable Games and Remarkable Records
Great moments in sport that occurred on May 1 include:
- 1920: Babe Ruth recorded his first home run for the New York Yankees.
- 1925: Catcher Jimmie Foxx made his MLB debut at age 17 for the Philadelphia A’s.
- 1926: Pitcher Satchel Paige debuted in the Negro Southern League for Chattanooga.
- 1943: Johnny Longden won the Kentucky Derby with the heavy favorite, Count Fleet.
- 1948: Eddie Arcaro won the Kentucky Derby with Citation, becoming the first jockey to win the event four times.
- 1951: Slugger Mickey Mantle hit his first official career home run.
- 1955: Pitcher Bob Feller threw a record 12th one-hitter.
- 1955: Babe Didrikson Zaharias won the Peach Blossom LPGA Tournament.
- 1959: Floyd Patterson secured his fourth heavyweight championship with an 11th-round KO of Brian London.
- 1965: Dick Duff recorded a goal and two assists as the Montreal Canadiens defeated the Chicago Blackhawks 4-0 in Game 7 to win the Stanley Cup.
- 1965: Bill Shoemaker won the Kentucky Derby aboard Lucky Debonair, securing the third of his four victories.
- 1976: Angel Cordero Jr. recorded the second of three Kentucky Derby wins riding Bold Forbes.
- 1977: Gene Littler won the Houston Open, marking his career’s 29th and final PGA title.
- 1988: Michael Jordan scored 55 points in the Chicago Bulls’ Game 2 106-101 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers. He scored 50 in Game 1, becoming the first player to score 50+ points in consecutive playoff games.
- 1991: Oakland A’s outfielder Rickey Henderson became an MLB record holder when he stole his 939th base.
- 2000: Barry Bonds became the first MLB player to hit a homer into the San Francisco Bay.
- 2005: Lionel Messi scored his first senior league goal for FC Barcelona at the age of 17.
- 2010: Calvin Borel won the Kentucky Derby with Super Saver, recording his third victory in four years.
- 2021: Medina Spirit gave jockey John Velazquez his fourth Kentucky Derby win and trainer Bob Baffert a record seventh victory in the race.
Looking back on these May 1 events, the moments that stand out are Michael Jordan’s consecutive 50-point playoff games, Bob Feller’s one-hitter record, and Eddie Arcaro’s Kentucky Derby success.
Jordan still holds the record for back-to-back 50-point games in the playoffs. Only four players have scored 50 or more points more than once in the same series: Jordan, Allen Iverson, Donovan Mitchell, and Jamal Murray. Feller is tied with Nolan Ryan for the most one-hitters in MLB history, with 12. Arcaro and Bill Hartack share the record for the most Kentucky Derby wins, with five each.
