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 2024 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 2024 May Days:

•  0th* • (Tuesday)
  • (1st Thursday) NNN - HHH*
  • (3rd Friday) NNN - HHH*
  • (3rd Saturday) NNN - HHH*
  • (Friday before Mother's Day) NNN - HHH*
  • (Last Monday) NNN - The National Moment of Remembrance, established by Congress, asks Americans, wherever they are at 3 p.m. local time on Memorial Day, to pause in an act of national unity for a duration of one minute.*
  • (Second Saturday) NNN - HHH*
  • (Second Weekend) 11th-12th - HHH*
  • (Tuesday of 1st full week) NNN - HHH*
  • (second Sunday) NNN - First celebrated in 1907, 7 years before it became an official holiday. In 1914, Woodrow Wilson signed a proclamation designating Mother's Day, held on the second Sunday in May, as a national holiday to honor mothers.*
  • - Varies (in April or May) NNN - HHH*
  • EEE (last day of National Nurses Week, which ends on the anniversary of the birth of Florence Nightingale, the founder of modern nursing) - HHH*
  • EEE 15th - Typically, the U.S. Flag is flown at half-mast, unless the 15th is also on Armed Forces Day, in which the flag is flown at full-mast.*
  • EEE NNN - As opposed to "National Burger Day" on December 21st, and regular "Hamburger Day" on July 28th. Plus National Double Cheesburger Day on September 15th, and National Cheeseburger Day on September 28th. For the U.S., do we need this many National Days dedicated to a hamburger or cheeseburger?<br><br> Other countries have a National Burger Day on other days of the year (U.K. May 28).*
  • EEE NNN - HHH*
  • EEE NNN - HHH*
  • EEE NNN - HHH*
  • EEE NNN - HHH*
  • EEE NNN - HHH*
  • EEE NNN - HHH*
  • EEE NNN - HHH*
  • EEE NNN - HHH*
  • EEE NNN - HHH*
  • EEE NNN - HHH*
  • EEE NNN - HHH*
  • EEE NNN - HHH*
  • EEE NNN - HHH*
  • EEE NNN - HHH*
  • EEE NNN - May the 4th be with you*
• 147th* • (Tuesday) EEE NNN - HHH*
• 150th* • (Friday) EEE NNN - HHH*

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.
• 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

•  “It's just a spring clean for the May Queen ... - From Stairway to Heaven” • - Led Zepplin (album, untitled fourth studio album (often titled Led Zeppelin IV) (1971))
•  “End of May, a year has come and gone, and I still feel this way ... - From End of May” • - The Actual Tigers (2001 album, Gravelled & Green)
•  “I took you down to a party, on the night of the 4th of May ... - From Night Of The 4th Of May” • - Al Stewart (album, Orange)
•  “[Ed note: the word May is not in the lyrics, only the title] ... - From The May Queen” • - Robert Plant (album, Carry Fire (2017))
•  “And the other guy turned and spilled Three boys blood, did they know a trap had been lain? They're ok the last days of May, I'll be breathing dry air. I'm leaving soon, the others are already there ... - From Then Came the Last Days of May” • - Blue Oyster Cult (album, Blue Oyster Cult - The Cult - 1972)
•  “At Oranmore in the county Galway; One pleasant evening in the month of May ... - From Galway Shawl” • - Traditional Irish Folksong
•  “When we stood outside in the month of May, and watched the violent wind blow the wires away ... - From Month of May” • - Arcade Fire (third studio album, The Suburbs)
•  “Gonna make a record in the month of May ... - From Month of May” • - Arcade Fire (third studio album, The Suburbs)

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

•  “Depicts French rebels who lost against the Spanish army being shot in a firing line. - From Spanish painter Francisco Goya,” • The Third of May 1808 (El tres de mayo de 1808 en Madrid) (1814))
•  “Depicts one of the many people's rebellions against the French occupation of Spain that sparked the Peninsular War. - From Spanish painter Francisco Goya,” • The Second of May 1808 (The Charge of the Mamelukes) (El 2 de mayo de 1808 en Madrid) (1814))