May's birthstone is Emerald.
May's flower is Lily of the Valley.
Tomorrow's food holiday is
'National Chocolate Parfait Day'.
From Wikipedia: 'Parfait is a type of food that is eaten as a dessert. It is a French word that means perfect.'
'Parfaits are made differently in different countries.
A common parfait is the French kind. A French parfait mixes sugar, whip cream, an egg yolk, sauce, cold fruit and frozen ice cream. French parfaits are usually served on a plate not in a glass.
[The Hankster says] I'll take mine American style, in a tall parfait glass.
Other celebrations/observances tomorrow:
- '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.
Loyalty Day is celebrated with parades and ceremonies in several U.S. communities'.
- 'May Day'.
From Wikipedia: 'May Day on May 1 is an ancient northern hemisphere spring festival and usually a public holiday; it is also a traditional spring holiday in many cultures. Dances, singing, and cake are usually part of the celebrations that the day includes.
In the late 19th century, May Day was chosen as the date for International Workers' Day by the Socialists and Communists of the Second International to commemorate the Haymarket affair in Chicago. International Workers' Day may also be referred to as "May Day", but it is a different celebration from the traditional May Day'.
Modern May Day ceremonies in the U.S. vary greatly from region to region and many unite both the holiday's "Green Root" (pagan) and "Red Root" (labour) traditions. In 2006, after the passing of the "Illegal Immigration Control Act," May Day was the date of protests, largely around the issue of immigration reform'.
[The Hankster says] No worry here. Just like my Christmas tree, my May Pole is still standing from last year. I only hope my neighbor who got caught up in all the streamers, finally got loose.
- 'National Mother Goose Day'.
From Wikipedia: 'Mother Goose is the name given to an archetypal country woman. She is credited with the Mother Goose stories and rhymes popularized in the 17th century in English-language literature, although no specific writer has ever been identified with such a name.
17th century English readers would have been familiar with Mother Hubbard, a stock figure when Edmund Spenser published his satire Mother Hubberd's Tale in 1590; as well as with similar fairy tales told by "Mother Bunch" (the pseudonym of Madame d'Aulnoy) in the 1690s. An early mention appears in an aside in a French versified chronicle of weekly happenings, Jean Loret's La Muse Historique, collected in 1650. His remark, comme un conte de la Mère Oye ("like a Mother Goose story") shows that the term was
readily understood. Additional 17th century Mother Goose/Mere l'Oye references appear in French literature in the 1620s and 1630s.
'Charles Perrault, the initiator of the literary fairy tale genre, published a collection of fairy tales in 1695 called Histoires ou contes du temps passés, avec des moralités under the name of his son, which became better known under its subtitle of Contes de ma mère l'Oye or Tales of My Mother Goose. Perrault's publication marks the first authenticated starting-point for Mother Goose stories'.
[The Hankster says] She learned me everything I knew as a kid, well until Rocky and Bullwinkle finished my higher education.
- 'Law Day'.
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.
- 'Lei Day'.
From Wikipedia: 'Lei Day is a statewide celebration in all of Hawaii. The celebration begins in the morning of May first every year and continues throughout the entire day and even continues onto the next day. Lei day was established as a holiday in the year of 1929 and continues to this day. Each Hawaiian island has a different type of lei that is used for the celebration and for its people to wear. The festivities have consistently grown each year and the state of Hawaii has had to move the location of
the event. Lei day was
first held in the Courts and Town Halls but has since been moved to Kapi'olani park where it is still being held today'.
- 'Lemonade Day (Youth Entrepreneurs)'. Mentoring youth to become Entrepreneurs.
- 'Star Service Banner Day'.
From Wikipedia: 'The Silver Star Families of America (SSFOA) is a 501(c) tax exempt organization dedicated to honoring and supporting wounded, ill and injured veterans of all branches of the armed forces of the United States of America. The organization was founded in 2004 by Steve and Diana Newton with the assistance of Joseph and Sharon Newton and the entire Newton family. It is not related to the military decoration designated the Silver Star.
'The tradition of a service banner with a blue star covered with silver threads to represent wounded service personnel began in 1917 or 1918 following the suggestion of Women’s Committee of the Council of National Defenses, but faded from use sometime between World War I and World War II. When the use of Blue and Gold Star Service Banners was formally adopted into the United States Code and made official, the tradition of the Silver Star Banner was overlooked.
The Department of Defense, given the authority to govern the use of the service banners, concluded that existing Blue Star Service Banner or Gold Star Service Banners and Flags could not be altered. A new Silver Star Service Flag and Banner were designed and were quickly accepted widely used throughout the United States.
The Silver Star Service Flag/Banner are trademarked. The name "Silver Star Service Banner" is TM.
The Silver Star Service Flag and Banner are symbols to remind Americans of the sacrifice made for them by so many.
The Silver Star Service Flag may be flown by anyone as a symbols of remembrance and honor.
It may be flown during war or peace time.
It was also believed that there should be a day set aside to remember the sacrifices of the wounded and ill: So the SSFOA petitioned the states to make May 1 Silver Star Service Banner Day'.
Awareness / Observance Days on: May 1
o Health
- 'World Laughter Day'.
From Wikipedia: 'World Laughter Day takes place on the first Sunday of May of every year . The first celebration was on January 10, 1998, in Mumbai, India, and was arranged by Dr. Madan Kataria, founder of the worldwide Laughter Yoga movement.
Laughter Yoga says: Laughter is a positive and powerful emotion that has all the ingredients required for individuals to change themselves and to change the world in a peaceful and positive way.
The day is now celebrated worldwide'.
- 'NSW Seniors Festival'. By Department of Family and Community Services (FACS) to celebrate all aspects of being senior.
o Other
- 'Beltane'.
From Wikipedia: 'Beltane is the anglicised name for the Gaelic May Day festival. Most commonly it is held on 1 May, or about halfway between the spring equinox and the summer solstice. Historically, it was widely observed throughout Ireland, Scotland and the Isle of Man. In Irish the name for the festival day is Lá Bealtaine in Scottish Gaelic Là Bealltainn and in Manx Gaelic Laa Boaltinn/Boaldyn. It is one of the four Gaelic seasonal festivals—along with Samhain, Imbolc and Lughnasadh—and is
similar Welsh Calan Mai'.
- 'Global Love Day'. By The Love Foundation. Promoting love among mankind. The theme: 'Love Begins With Me'.
Historical events in the past on: May 1
- 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
- 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'.
- In 1893, The World's 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'.
- 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
hadbetter 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'.
- 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'.
- 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'.
- 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'.
- 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 Ver
tigo 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"'.
- 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'.
- 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"'.
- 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.
- 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.AhmadShuja Pasha, knew of bin Laden's presence in Abbottabad'.
No. 1 song
Top movie
Monthly holiday / awareness days in May
Food
Aramanth Month - Grain of the month
Gifts From The Garden Month
International Mediterranean Diet Month
National Barbeque Month
National Egg Month
National Hamburger Month
National Mediterranean Diet Month
National Salad Month
National Salsa Month
National Sweet Vidalia Onions Month
National Vinegar Month
Health
ALS Awareness Month - (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis or Lou Gehrig's Disease)
APS Awareness Month - Antiphospholipid Antibody Syndrome
Arthritis Awareness Month
Asthma Awareness Month
Better Hearing and Speech Month
Borderline Personality Disorder Month
Brain Tumor Awareness Month
Celiac Awareness Month
Cystic Fibrosis Awareness Month
EDS (Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome) Awareness Month
Family Wellness Month
Fibromyalgia Education and Awareness Month
Food Allergy Action Month
Global Health and Fitness Month
Heal the Children Month
Healthy Vision Month
Huntington's Disease Awareness Month
Lupus Awareness Month
Melanoma/Skin Cancer Detection and Prevention Month
National Allergy/Asthma Awareness Month
National Better Hearing Month
National Hepatitis Awareness Month
National High Blood Pressure Education Month
National Meditation Month
National Mental Health Month
National Osteoporosis Prevention Month
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
National Youth Traffic Safety Month
Neurofibromatosis Awareness Month
Neurofibromatosis Awareness Month
Prader-Willi Syndrome Awareness Month
Preeclampsia Awareness Month
Skin Cancer Awareness Month
Spiritual Literacy Month
Strike Out Strokes Month
Tay-Sachs and Canavan Diseases Month
Tourettes Syndrome Awareness Month
Toxic Encephalopathy and Chemical Injury Awareness Month
Ultra-violet Awareness Month
Women's Health Care Month
World Lyme Disease Awareness Month
Animal / Pet
Chip Your Pet Month
Gardening for Wildlife Month
Go Fetch! Food Drive for Homeless Animals Month
National Guide Dog Month
National Pet Month
National Service Dog Eye Examination Month
Pet Cancer Awareness Month
Other
American Wetlands Month
Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month
Building Safety Month
Clean Air Month
Creative Beginnings Month
Family Reunion Month
Get Caught Reading Month
Global Civility Awareness Month
Golf Month
Haitian Heritage Month
Home Schooling Awareness Month
International Audit Month
International Business Image Improvement Month
International Victorious Woman Month
Jewish-American Heritage Month
Latino Books Month
Motorcycle Safety Month
Mystery Month
National Bike Month
National Foster Care Month
National Good Car Keeping Month
National Inventors Month
National Photo Month
National Smile Month
Personal History Month
Social Security Education Awareness Month
Tennis Month
Textile Month
Young Achievers of Tomorrow 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.
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Sites for downloading or reading free Public Domain eBooks. Available in various formats. More