Today is May 1 2015

National Chocolate Parfait Day: More

• School Principals' Day: More
  
• National Loyalty Day: More
  From Wikipedia: 'Loyalty Day is observed on May 1 in the United States. It is a day set aside for the reaffirmation of loyalty to the United States and for the recognition of the heritage of American freedom.'
• National Mother Goose Day: More
  Since 1987.
• May Day: More
  A spring festival day or in some countries a day honoring workers.
• Law Day: More
  From Wikipedia: 'On May 1 the United States officially recognizes Law Day. It is meant to reflect on the role of law in the foundation of the country and to recognize its importance for society.'
• Space Day: More
  From 1999. A day to get everyone interested in space and aviation
• New Home Owners Day: More
• Lei Day: More
  City and County of Honolulu's Annual Lei Day Celebration.
• Beltane: More
  A Gaelic May Day festival
• Save the Rhino Day: More
• Star Service Banner Day: More
  Senate Res. 136: 'Resolved, That the Senate supports the designation of May 1, 2015, as “Silver Star Service Banner Day” and calls upon the people of the United States to observe the day with appropriate programs, ceremonies, and activities.'
• International Tuba Day: More
  First Friday in May

• In 1844, Samuel Morse sends the first telegraphic message.
  From Wikipedia: 'Morse traveled to Washington, D.C. in 1838 seeking federal sponsorship for a telegraph line but was not successful. He went to Europe, seeking both sponsorship and patents, but in London discovered that Cooke and Wheatstone had already established priority. After his return to the US, Morse finally gained financial backing by Maine congressman Francis Ormand Jonathan Smith.
  
  'Morse made his last trip to Washington, D.C., in December 1842, stringing "wires between two committee rooms in the Capitol, and sent messages back and forth" to demonstrate his telegraph system. Congress appropriated $30,000 in 1843 for construction of an experimental 38-mile (61 km) telegraph line between Washington, D.C., and Baltimore along the right-of-way of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad. An impressive demonstration occurred on May 1, 1844, when news of the Whig Party's nomination of Henry Clay for U.S. President was telegraphed from the party's convention in Baltimore to the Capitol Building in Washington.
  
  On May 24, 1844, the line was officially opened as Morse sent the now-famous words, "What hath God wrought," from the Supreme Court chamber in the basement of the U.S. Capitol building in Washington, D.C., to the B&O's Mount Clare Station in Baltimore
  - At FamousDaily: More
  - At Wikipedia: More
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• In 1885, The first skyscraper, a 10-story building located on the corner of LaSalle and Adams in Chicago, begins construction.
  From Wikipedia: 'A skyscraper is a tall, continuously habitable building of over 40 floors, mostly designed for office, commercial and residential uses. A skyscraper can also be called a high-rise, but the term skyscraper is often used for buildings higher than 150 m (492 ft). For buildings above a height of 300 m (984 ft), the term Supertall can be used, while skyscrapers reaching beyond 600 m (1,969 ft) are classified as Megatall.'
  
  'The term "skyscraper" was first applied to buildings of steel framed construction of at least 10 stories in the late 19th century, a result of public amazement at the tall buildings being built in major cities like Chicago, New York City, Philadelphia, Detroit, and St. Louis. The first steel-frame skyscraper was the Home Insurance Building (originally 10 stories with a height of 42 m or 138 ft) in Chicago, Illinois in 1885. Some point to Philadelphia's 10-story Jayne Building (1849–50) as a proto-skyscraper, or to New York's seven-floor Equitable Life Building (New York City), built in 1870, for its innovative use of a kind of skeletal frame, but such designation depends largely on what factors are chosen. Even the scholars making the argument find it to be purelyacademic'.
  - At FamousDaily: More
  - At Wikipedia: More
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• In 1893, The World's Colombian Exposition opens in Chicago.
  From Wikipedia: 'The World's Columbian Exposition (the official shortened name for the World's Fair: Columbian Exposition, also known as The Chicago World's Fair and Chicago Columbian Exposition) was a world's fair held in Chicago in 1893 to celebrate the 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus's arrival in the New World in 1492. The iconic centerpiece of the Fair, the large water pool, represented the long voyage Columbus took to the New World. Chicago bested New York City; Washington, D.C.; and St. Louis for the honor of hosting the fair. The Exposition was an influential social and cultural event and had a profound effect on architecture, sanitation, the arts, Chicago's self-image, and American industrial optimism.
  
  Dedication ceremonies for the fair were held on October 21, 1892, but the fairgrounds were not actually opened to the public until May 1, 1893. The fair continued until October 30, 1893. In addition to recognizing the 400th anniversary of the discovery of the New World by Europeans, the fair also served to show the world that Chicago had risen from the ashes of the Great Chicago Fire, which had destroyed much of the city in 1871'.
  - At Wikipedai: More
  - On YouTube: More
• In 1901, The Pan-American Exposition opens in Buffalo, New York.
  From Wikipedia: 'The Pan-American Exposition was a World's Fair held in Buffalo, New York, United States, from May 1 through November 2, 1901. The fair occupied 350 acres (1.4 km2) of land on the western edge of what is now Delaware Park, extending from Delaware Avenue to Elmwood Avenue and northward to Great Arrow Avenue. It is remembered today primarily for being the location of the assassination of President William McKinley. The event was organized by the Pan-American Exposition Company, formed in 1897. Cayuga Island was initially chosen as the place to hold the Exposition because of the island's proximity to Niagara Falls, which was a huge tourist attraction. When the Spanish–American War broke out in 1898, plans were put on hold. After the war, there was a heated competition between Buffalo and Niagara Falls over the location. Buffalo won for two main reasons. First, Buffalo had a much larger population—with roughly 350,000 people, it was the eighth-largest city in the United States. Second, Buffalo had better railroad connections—the city was within a day's journey by rail for over 40 million people. In July 1898, Congress pledged $500,000 for the Exposition to be held at Buffalo. The " "Pan American" theme was carried throughout the event with the slogan "commercial well being and good understanding among the American Republics." The advent of the alternating current power transmission system in the US allowed designers to light the Exposition in Buffalo using power generated 25 miles (40 km) away at Niagara Falls'.
  - At Wikipedia: More
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• In 1931, Kate Smith began her radio career on CBS.
  From Wikipedia: 'Smith was a major star of radio, usually backed by Jack Miller's Orchestra. She began with her twice-a-week NBC series, Kate Smith Sings (quickly expanded to six shows a week), followed by a series of shows for CBS: Kate Smith and Her Swanee Music (1931–33), sponsored by La Palina Cigars; The Kate Smith Matinee (1934–35); The Kate Smith New Star Revue (1934–35); Kate Smith's Coffee Time (1935–36), sponsored by A&P; and The Kate Smith A&P Bandwagon (1936–37).
  
  The Kate Smith Hour was a leading radio variety show, offering comedy, music and drama with appearances by top personalities of films and theater for eight years (1937–45). The show's resident comics, Abbott and Costello and Henny Youngman, introduced their comedy to a nationwide radio audience aboard her show, while a series of sketches based on the Broadway production of the same name led to The Aldrich Family as separate hit series in its own right in 1940.
  
  Smith also made a dramatic appearance, starring in "Little Johnny Appleseed" on Silver Theater May 14, 1944'.
  - At Wikipedia: More
  - On YouTube: More
• In 1931, Empire State Building opens in NY.
  From Wikipedia: 'The Empire State Building is a 102-story skyscraper located in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, on Fifth Avenue between West 33rd and 34th Streets. It has a roof height of 1,250 feet (381 m), and with its =antenna spire included, it stands a total of 1,454 feet (443 m) high. Its name is derived from the nickname for New York, the Empire State. It stood as the world's tallest building for nearly 40 years, from its completion in early 1931 until the topping out of the original World Trade Center's North Tower in late 1970. Following the September 11 attacks in 2001, the Empire State Building was again the tallest building in New York, until One World Trade Center reached a greater height in April 2012. The Empire State Building is currently the fifth-tallest completed skyscraper in the United States and the 29th-tallest in the world. It is also the fifth-tallest freestanding structure in the Americas. When measured by pinnacle height, it is the fourth-tallest building in the United States.'
  
  Excavation of the site began on January 22, 1930, and construction on the building itself started on March 17—St. Patrick's Day—per Al Smith's influence as Empire State, Inc. president. The project involved 3,400 workers, mostly immigrants from Europe, along with hundreds of Mohawk iron workers, many from the Kahnawake reserve near Montreal. According to official accounts, five workers died during the construction. Governor Smith's grandchildren cut the ribbon on May 1, 1931. Lewis Wickes Hine's photography of the construction provides not only invaluable documentation of the construction, but also a glimpse into common day life of workers in that era'.
  - At FamousDailY; More
  - At Wikipedia: More
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• In 1941, General Mills introduces Cheerios.
  From Wikipedia: 'Cheerios is an American brand of breakfast cereals manufactured by General Mills, consisting of pulverized oats in the shape of a torus. In some countries, including the United Kingdom, Cheerios is marketed by Cereal Partners under the Nestlé brand; in Australia and New Zealand, Cheerios is sold as an Uncle Tobys product. It was first manufactured in 1941 and was originally called CheeriOats.'
  
  'Cheerios was introduced on May 1, 1941 as CheeriOats, but the name was changed to Cheerios in 1945. Cinnamon Nut Cheerios were the first departure from original Cheerios in mid-1976, while the second were Honey Nut Cheerios, introduced in 1979. Successful marketing led General Mills to become highly successful and sell approximately 1.8 million cases of Honey Nut Cheerios in its first year alone'.
  - At Wikipedia: More
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• In 1941, 'Citizen Kane', directed and starring Orson Welles, premieres in NY.
  From Wikipedia: 'Citizen Kane is a 1941 American drama film by Orson Welles, its producer, co-author, director and star. The picture was Welles's first feature film. Nominated for Academy Awards in nine categories, it won an Academy Award for Best Writing (Original Screenplay) by Herman J. Mankiewicz and Welles. Considered by many critics, filmmakers, and fans to be the greatest film of all time, Citizen Kane was voted as such in five consecutive Sight and Sound polls of critics, until it was displaced by Vertigo in the 2012 poll. It topped the American Film Institute's 100 Years ... 100 Movies list in 1998, as well as AFI's 2007 update. Citizen Kane is particularly praised for its cinematography, music, and narrative structure, which were innovative for its time. newspapers. Kane's career in the publishing world is born of idealistic social service, but gradually evolves into a ruthless pursuit of power. Narrated principally through flashbacks, the story is told through the research of a newsreel reporter seeking to solve the mystery of the newspaper magnate's dying word: "Rosebud"'.
  - At Wikipedia: More
  - On YouTube: More
• In 1965, The Supremes 'Back In My Arms Again' was released.
  From Wikipedia: '"Back in My Arms Again" is a 1965 song recorded by The Supremes for the Motown label.
  
  Written and produced by Motown's main production team Holland–Dozier–Holland, "Back in My Arms Again" was the fifth consecutive and overall number-one song for the group on the Billboard Hot 100 pop singles chart in the United States from June 6, 1965 through June 12, 1965, also topping the soul chart for a week'.
  - At Wikipedia: More
  - On YouTube: More
• In 1971, Amtrak (the National Railroad Passenger Corporation) takes over operation of U.S. passenger rail service.
  From Wikipedia: 'The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak, is a partially government-funded American passenger railroad service. It is operated and managed as a for-profit corporation, and provides medium- and long-distance intercity service in the contiguous United States. Amtrak was founded in 1971 through the government-sponsored consolidation of most of the preexisting passenger rail companies in the United States.
  
  Amtrak operates more than 300 trains each day on 21,300 miles (34,000 km) of track with select segments having civil operating speeds of 150 mph (240 km/h) and connecting more than 500 destinations in 46 states in addition to three Canadian provinces. In fiscal year 2015, Amtrak served 30.8 million passengers and had $2.185 billion in revenue, while employing more than 20,000 people. Nearly two-thirds of passengers come from the ten largest metropolitan areas and 83% of passengers travel on routes shorter than 400 miles. Its headquarters is at Union Station in Washington, D.C.
  
  The name "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "trak", the latter itself a sensational spelling of "track"'.
  - At Wikipedia: More
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• In 1982, The 1982 World's Fair opens in Knoxville, Tennessee.
  From Wikipedia: 'The 1982 World's Fair, formally known as the Knoxville International Energy Exposition, was held in Knoxville, Tennessee, United States. The theme of the exposition was "Energy Turns the World."
  
  It opened on May 1, 1982, and closed on October 31, 1982 after receiving over 11 million visitors. Participating nations included Australia, Belgium, Canada, China, Denmark, Egypt, France, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Mexico, the Netherlands, Panama, Peru, the Philippines, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, the United Kingdom, the United States, and West Germany.
  - At Wikipedia: More
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• In 2011, Barack Obama announces that Osama bin Laden, the suspected mastermind behind the September 11 attacks has been killed by United States special forces in Abbottabad, Pakistan. Due to the time difference between the United States and Pakistan, bin Laden was actually killed on May 2.
  From Wikipedia: 'Osama bin Laden, the founder and head of the Islamist militant group Al-Qaeda, was killed in Pakistan on May 2, 2011, shortly after 1:00 am PKT (20:00 UTC, May 1) by United States Navy SEALs of the U.S. Naval Special Warfare Development Group (also known as DEVGRU or SEAL Team Six). The operation, code-named Operation Neptune Spear, was carried out in a Central Intelligence Agency-led operation. In addition to DEVGRU, participating units included the U.S. Army Special Operations Command's 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne) and CIA operatives. The raid on bin Laden's compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan, was launched from Afghanistan. U.S. military officials said that after the raid, U.S. forces took bin Laden's body to Afghanistan for identification, then buried him at sea within 24 h ours of his death in accordance with Islamic tradition. According to a Pakistani official, the United States had direct evidence that Inter-Services Intelligence ( (ISI) chief, Lt. Gen. Ahmad Shuja Pasha, knew of bin Laden's presence in Abbottabad'.
  - At Wikipedia: More
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Tomorrow's food holiday will be 'National Chocolate Parfait Day';
[The Hankster says] Parfait is 'Perfect' in French. It is more perfect when it is in me.

Tomorrow is 'National Mother Goose Day'. Since 1987.

Toot your horn, well tuba. Tomorrow is 'International Tuba Day'. First Friday in May

Awareness and observance days tomorrow:
- 'School Principals' Day'.
[The Hankster says] You teenagers, don't get excited. It's the position, not a crackdown on ethics. But, it is the Principal, hum.
- 'National Loyalty Day'. From Wikipedia: 'Loyalty Day is observed on May 1 in the United States. It is a day set aside for the reaffirmation of loyalty to the United States and for the recognition of the heritage of American freedom.'
- 'May Day'. A spring festival day or in some countries a day honoring workers.
- 'Law Day'.
- 'Space Day'. From 1999. A day to get everyone interested in space and aviation
- 'Lei Day'. City and County of Honolulu's Annual Lei Day Celebration.
- 'Beltane'. A Gaelic May Day festival
- 'Save the Rhino Day'.
- 'Star Service Banner Day'. Senate Res. 136: 'Resolved, That the Senate supports the designation of May 1, 2015, as “Silver Star Service Banner Day” and calls upon the people of the United States to observe the day with appropriate programs, ceremonies, and activities.'

Robert H. Schuller once said 'Tough times never last, but tough people do.'
[The Hankster says] We look at both good and bad times in this section of the post. And I bet history is full of people who had the right stuff. I bet we can find one on May 1 in the past.

In 1844, Samuel Morse sends the first telegraphic message.

In 1885, The first skyscraper, a 10-story building located on the corner of LaSalle and Adams in Chicago, begins construction.

In 1893 – The World's Columbian Exposition opens in Chicago.

In 1901, The Pan-American Exposition opens in Buffalo, New York.

In 1931, The Empire State Building opens in NY.

In 1971 – Amtrak (the National Railroad Passenger Corporation) takes over operation of U.S. passenger rail service.

In 1982, The 1982 World's Fair opens in Knoxville, Tennessee.

In 2011, Barack Obama announces that Osama bin Laden, the suspected mastermind behind the September 11 attacks has been killed by United States special forces in Abbottabad, Pakistan. Due to the time difference between the United States and Pakistan, bin Laden was actually killed on May 2.

No. 1 song

• Game of Love - Wayne Fontana and The Mindbenders: More
  'I'm Telling You Now' has been displaced by 'Game of Love', which will hold the no. 1 spot until May 11 1965, when 'Mrs. Brown You've Got a Lovely Daughter - Herman's Hermits', takes over.

Top movie

• The Sound of Music (again) More
  Having displaced 'In Harm's Way', it will be there until the weekend box office of May 9 1965 when, 'Brainstorm', takes over.

• FamousBirthdays.com: May 1 Birthdays More
• FamousDaily.com: May 1 History More
• History.com: Historical Events on 1st May More
• HistoryOrb.com: Famous Deaths on 1st May More
• On-This-day.com history 1st May More
• On-This-day.com music history 1st May More
• Wikipedia.com: History May 1 More

Monthly holiday / awareness days in May

Food
Aramanth May Grain of the Month
Gifts From The Garden Month
International / National Mediterranean Diet Month
National Barbeque Month
National Egg Month
National Hamburger Month
National Salsa Month
National Sweet Vidalia Onions Month
National Vinegar Month
National Youth Traffic Safety Month

Health and Well-Being
Descriptions are simple dictionary definitions and are not meant to be a full medical description.
ALS Awareness Month (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis)
Arthritis Awareness Month
Asthma Awareness Month
Better Hearing and Speech Month (communication disorders)
Borderline Personality Disorder Month
Brain Tumor Awareness Month
Celiac Awareness Month (gluten sensitivity)
Cystic Fibrosis Awareness Month
EDS Awareness Month ((Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome - inherited disorder affecting connective tissues)
Family Wellness Month
Fibromyalgia Education and Awareness Month (musculoskeletal pain, fatigue,)
Global Civility Awareness Month
Global Health and Fitness Month
Heal the Children Month (provides critical medical care to children all around the world)
Healthy Vision Month
Huntington's Disease Awareness Month (hereditary disease marked by degeneration of the brain cells)
Lupus Awareness Month (chronic, autoimmune disease effecting skin, joints, organs)
Melanoma/Skin Cancer Detection and Prevention Month
National Allergy/Asthma Awareness Month
National Better Hearing Month
National Hepatitis Awareness Month (inflammation of the liver)
National High Blood Pressure Education Month
Neurofibromatosis / NF Awareness Month (gentic disorder, most concerned with tumors of the nerves)
Lyme Disease Awareness Month (inflammatory disease transmitted by bacteria via ticks)
National Mental Health Month
National Osteoporosis Prevention Month ( brittle and fragile bone disease)
National Physical Fitness and Sports Month
National Physiotherapy Month
National Stroke Awareness Month
National Toddler Immunization Month
National Tuberous Sclerosis Month
National Water Safety Month
Prader-Willi Syndrome Awareness Month (genetic condition of Infants, slow growth, weakness)
Preeclampsia Awareness Month (a condition in pregnancy)
Strike Out Strokes Month
Tay-Sachs and Canavan Diseases Month (progressive deterioration of nerve cells )
Tourettes Syndrome Awareness (neurological disorder characterized by involuntary tics)
Women's Health Care Month

Environmental
American Wetlands Month
Clean Air Month
Gardening for Wildlife Month

Other
APS Awareness Month (American Physical Society)
Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month
Building Safety Month
Creative Beginnings Month
Drum Month (music)
Get Caught Reading Month
Golf Month
Haitian Heritage Month
International Audit Month
International Business Image Improvement Month
Latino Books Month
Motorcycle Safety Month
National Bike Month
National Foster Care Month
National Good Car Keeping Month
National Inventors Month
National Military Appreciation Month
National Photo Month
National Preservation Month (by The National Register of Historic Places)
National Smile Month
Older Americans Month
Personal History Month
Social Security Education Awareness Month
Tennis Month
Young Achievers of Tomorrow Month

Pets
Chip Your Pet Month
Go Fetch! Food Drive for Homeless Animals Month
National Pet Month
National Service Dog Eye Examination Month
Pet Cancer Awareness Month

May is:

May origin (from Wikipedia):
The month May was named for the Greek goddess Maia, who was identified with the Roman era goddess of fertility, Bona Dea, whose festival was held in May. Conversely, the Roman poet Ovid provides a second etymology, in which he says that the month of May is named for the maiores, Latin for 'elders,' and that the following month (June) is named for the iuniores, or 'young people'

May ' is the fifth month of the year in the Julian and Gregorian Calendars and one of seven months with the length of 31 days.
May is a month of Autumn in the Southern Hemisphere and spring in the Northern Hemisphere (Summer in Europe). Therefore May in the Southern Hemisphere is the seasonal equivalent of November in the Northern Hemisphere and vice versa. '

May at Wikipedia: More

If you couldn't afford 90 cents for a movie ticket, 50 years ago, or your 45 RPM record player was broke, you might watch one of these shows on TV.
From this Wikipedia article: More

Best selling books of 1965 More

• Astronomy Picture of the Day: More
• NOAA: - National Hurricane Center - Atlantic Graphical Tropical Weather Outlook: More
• Listen to Old Radio Shows: (streaming mp3 with schedule) More
• NASA TV: (video feed) More
  NASA TV schedule: More
• Public Domain eBook Links

  Sites for downloading or reading free Public Domain eBooks. Available in various formats. More

• Podcast: A Moment of Science. Approximately 1 minute general science facts.
  Home page: More
  RSS: More
• Podcast: The Naked Scientists. Current science, medicine, space and other science
  Home page: More
  RSS: More
• Podcast: Quirks & Quarks. Current science news.
  Home page: More
  RSS: More
• Articles and videos: Universe Today. Current space and astronomy news.
  Home page: More
  RSS: More
• Old Picture of the Day - "Each day we bring you one stunning little glimpse of history in the form of a historical photograph."
  Home page: More
  RSS: More

Below, are listed several holiday sites that I reference in addition to other holiday researches.

US Government Holidays

• 2015 Postal Holidays More
• 2015 Official Federal Holidays More

Holidays Worldwide

• List of holidays by country More
• Holidays and Observances around the World More