2024 May Trivia and History

Name History

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

May Trivia:

• Prior to 2023, May has had 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 since then until May 2023) two days had/have the flag flown at half mast. Starting in May 2023, the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial moved from October to May, so the flag can be flown at half-mast for three days in May. 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 2024 May weeks

• Holocaust Memorial Days (May 5-12, 2024)
• Emergency Services Week - 19th-25th (Sun - Sat)*
  
• Armed Forces Week - 11th-18th (2nd Sat-3rd Sun)*
  
• National Defense Transportation Week - 12th-18th (week of National Defense Transportation day, which is 3rd Friday (17th))
• National Boat Safety Week - 18th-24th (Sat - Fri preceding Memorial Day)*
  
• National Nurses Week - 6th-12th (ends on the anniversary of the birth of Florence Nightingale, the founder of modern nursing)
  
• Teacher Appreciation Week - 5th-11th (1st full week)
  

Special May Periods

• Kentucky Derby Festival - Saturday, April 20th, 2024 - Saturday, May 4th, 2024
• For school Seniors, a Senior Week is chosen sometime within the last half of May and most of June.

Special Florence May Days

• 11th (variable)
  • Day that Florence has a parade; has been 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Saturday. Florence Days for 2024 continued through Sunday, May 12th. Refer to the events page for full details.

Special May Days

•  1st* • (Wednesday)
  •  Law Day
  •  Loyalty Day
  •  May Day
•  2nd* • (Thursday)  National Day of Prayer Day (1st Thursday)
•  4th* • (Saturday)
  •  150th Kentucky Derby
  •  Bird Day
  •  Star Wars Day*
•  5th* • (Sunday)
  •  Cinco de Mayo
  •  National Fallen Firefighters Memorial Day
•  6th* • (Monday)  Yom HaShoah Ve-Hagevurah/Holocaust and Heroism Remembrance Day - Varies (in April or May)*
•  7th* • (Tuesday)  National Teacher Day (Tuesday of 1st full week)
•  8th* • (Wednesday)  National Student Nurses Day
• 10th* • (Friday)  Military Spouse Day (Friday before Mother's Day)
• 11th* • (Saturday)  World Migratory Bird Day (Second Weekend) - 11th-12th*
• 12th* • (Sunday)
  •  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)
  •  Mother's Day (second Sunday)*
• 15th* • (Wednesday)
  •  International Day of Families
  •  Peace Officers Memorial Day - 15th*
• 16th* • (Thursday)  Global Accessibility Awareness Day
• 17th* • (Friday)
  •  National Defense Transportation Day (3rd Friday)
  •  World Information Society Day
• 18th* • (Saturday)
  •  149th Preakness Stakes
  •  Armed Forces Day (3rd Saturday)
  •  Astronomy Day
• 21st* • (Tuesday)  World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development
• 22nd* • (Wednesday)
  •  International Day for Biological Diversity
  •  National Maritime Day
• 27th* • (Monday)  Memorial Day (Last Monday)*
• 29th* • (Wednesday)  National Burger Day*

Special May 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.
• 1879 - 12th - Ponca Chief Standing Bear wins in landmark decision declaring Native Americans are "persons within the meaning of the law".
• 1776 - 5th - 2nd - The American Revolution gains support from King Louis XVI of France.

Lyrics relating to May

•  “BOOK: - From Month of May” • - Arcade Fire (third studio album, The Suburbs)
•  “BOOK: - From End of May” • - The Actual Tigers (2001 album, Gravelled & Green)
•  “BOOK: - From Month of May” • - Arcade Fire (third studio album, The Suburbs)
•  “BOOK: - From The May Queen” • - Robert Plant (album, Carry Fire (2017))
•  “BOOK: - From Galway Shawl” • - Traditional Irish Folksong
•  “BOOK: - From Month of May” • - Arcade Fire (third studio album, The Suburbs)
•  “BOOK: - From Night Of The 4th Of May” • - Al Stewart (album, Orange)
•  “BOOK: - From Stormy May Day” • - AC-DC (album, Black Ice)

Poetry of May

Maiden, that read'st this simple rhyme,
Enjoy thy youth, it will not stay;
Enjoy the fragrance of thy prime,
For oh, it is not always May!
• It Is Not Always May by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Men unto whom sufficient for the day
And minds not stinted or untilled are given,
Sound, healthy, children of the God of heaven,
Are cheerful as the rising sun in May.
...
• October* by William Wordsworth

Art relating to May

•  “BOOK: - From Spanish painter Francisco Goya,” • The Second of May 1808 (The Charge of the Mamelukes) (El 2 de mayo de 1808 en Madrid) (1814))