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 2022 (and after then) two days will had/have the flag flown at half mast until the 15th is the 3rd Saturday again. 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 2021 May weeks:

• Armed Forces Week - 8th-15th (2nd Sat-3rd Sun)*
  
• National Defense Transportation Week - 16th-22nd (week of National Defense Transportation day, which is 3rd Friday (21st))
  
• National Nurses Week - 6th-12th (ends on the anniversary of the birth of Florence Nightingale, the founder of modern nursing)
  
• National Women's Health Week - 9th-15th
  
• Teacher Appreciation Week - 2nd-8th (1st full week)
  

Special May Periods

• Kentucky Derby Festival - Saturday, April 10th, 2021 - Saturday, May 1st, 2021
• For school Seniors, a Senior Week is chosen sometime within the last half of May and most of June.

Special 2021 Florence May Days:

• 8th (variable)
  • Day that Florence has a parade; has been 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Saturday. Florence Days for 2021 would likely have been on the 8th, but it was canceled due to COVID-19 Pandemic.

Special 2021 May Days:

•  1st* • (Saturday)
  •  147th Kentucky Derby
  •  Law Day
  •  Loyalty Day
  •  May Day
•  4th* • (Tuesday)
  •  Bird Day
  •  National Teacher Day (Tuesday of 1st full week)
  •  Star Wars Day*
•  5th* • (Wednesday)  Cinco de Mayo
•  6th* • (Thursday)  National Day of Prayer Day (1st Thursday)
•  7th* • (Friday)  Military Spouse Day (Friday before Mother's Day)
•  8th* • (Saturday)
  •  International Migratory Bird Day (Second Saturday)
  •  National Student Nurses Day
  •  World Migratory Bird Day (Second Weekend) - 8th-9th
•  9th* • (Sunday)  Mother's Day (second Sunday)
• 12th* • (Wednesday)  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)
• 15th* • (Saturday)
  •  Armed Forces Day (3rd Saturday)
  •  Astronomy Day
  •  International Day of Families
  •  Peace Officers Memorial Day - 15th*
• 17th* • (Monday)
  •  Tax Day - Delayed to May 2021 due to COVID-19 Pandemic*
  •  World Information Society Day
• 20th* • (Thursday)  Global Accessibility Awareness Day
• 21st* • (Friday)
  •  National Defense Transportation Day (3rd Friday)
  •  World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development
• 22nd* • (Saturday)
  •  International Day for Biological Diversity
  •  National Maritime Day
• 28th* • (Friday)  National Burger Day*
• 31st* • (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