May Trivia and History

Name History

Latin: Maius. Named after the goddess Maia or the god Maius.

May Trivia:

• May has two days that the flag can be flown at half-mast, however for 2021, only one day in May had the flag flown at half-mast, then in this year 2022 two days will have the flag flown at half mast. Why? See Why

May is:

• Asian Pacific American Heritage Month
• Brain Tumor Awareness Month
• Haitian Heritage Month
• Hepatitis Awareness Month
• Jewish American Heritage Month
• Mental Health Awareness Month
• National ALS Awareness Month
• National Bicycle Month
• National Foster Care Month
• National Military Appreciation Month
• National Stroke Awareness Month
• National Water Safety Month
• Older Americans Month
• Steelmark Month (honoring the Steel Industry)

Special 2022 May weeks:

• Armed Forces Week - 21st-28th (3rd Sat-4th Sun)*
  
• National Defense Transportation Week - 15th-21st (week of National Defense Transportation day, which is 3rd Friday (20th))
• National Nurses Week - 6th-12th (ends on the anniversary of the birth of Florence Nightingale, the founder of modern nursing)
  
• Teacher Appreciation Week - 1st-7th (1st full week)
  

Special May Periods

• Kentucky Derby Festival - Saturday, April 23rd, 2022 - Saturday, May 7th, 2022
• For school Seniors, a Senior Week is chosen sometime within the last half of May and most of June.

Special 2022 Florence May Days:

• 14th (variable)
  • Day that Florence has a parade; has been 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Saturday. Florence Days for 2022 continues through Sunday, May 15th. Refer to the events page for full details.

Special 2022 May Days:

•  1st* • (Sunday)
  •  Law Day
  •  Loyalty Day
  •  May Day
•  3rd* • (Tuesday)  National Teacher Day (Tuesday of 1st full week)
•  4th* • (Wednesday)
  •  Bird Day
  •  Star Wars Day*
•  5th* • (Thursday)
  •  Cinco de Mayo
  •  National Day of Prayer Day (1st Thursday)
•  6th* • (Friday)  Military Spouse Day (Friday before Mother's Day)
•  7th* • (Saturday)
  •  148th Kentucky Derby
  •  Astronomy Day
•  8th* • (Sunday)
  •  Mother's Day (second Sunday)
  •  National Student Nurses Day
• 12th* • (Thursday)  International Nurses Day - (last day of National Nurses Week, which ends on the anniversary of the birth of Florence Nightingale, the founder of modern nursing)
• 14th* • (Saturday)
  •  International Migratory Bird Day (Second Saturday)
  •  World Migratory Bird Day (Second Weekend) - 14th-15th
• 15th* • (Sunday)
  •  International Day of Families
  •  Peace Officers Memorial Day - 15th*
• 17th* • (Tuesday)  World Information Society Day
• 19th* • (Thursday)  Global Accessibility Awareness Day
• 20th* • (Friday)  National Defense Transportation Day (3rd Friday)
• 21st* • (Saturday)
  •  Armed Forces Day (3rd Saturday)
  •  World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development
• 22nd* • (Sunday)
  •  International Day for Biological Diversity
  •  National Maritime Day
• 28th* • (Saturday)  National Burger Day*
• 30th* • (Monday)  Memorial Day (Last Monday)*

May special historical dates:

• 2020 - 30th - The first Space Shuttle delivery launch from the United States in nearly 10 years lifted off from Cape Canaveral.
• 2011 - 2nd - U.S. forces located and neutralized Osama bin Laden.
• 1975 - 6th - Tornado swipes through Omaha from Ralston to north of Dodge near 72nd St. 72nd St. S. from Dodge was destroyed for many blocks.
• 1961 - 5th - Alan Shepard, first American to travel into space. It was part of the Mercury-Redstone 3 mission.
• 1883 - 19th - William F. “Buffalo Bill” Cody opened Buffalo Bill's Wild West show in Omaha.
• 1776 - 5th - 2nd - The American Revolution gains support from King Louis XVI of France.

Lyrics relating to May

•  “Wild roses on a bed of leaves in the month of May ...” • Of Monsters and Men, Wild Roses
•  “At Oranmore in the county Galway; One pleasant evening in the month of May ... - From Galway Shawl” • - Traditional Irish Folksong