160 Fun Facts About Month of May

The month of May is generally thought to be named after which Greek goddess?

She was one of the Pleiades and mother of Hermes, and was identified with a Roman fertility goddess whose festival fell in May.

Ovid said May honours the 'maiores'. What does that word mean?

By his logic June is named for the iuniores, the young people.

How many days does May have?

It is one of the seven long months and always has the same length.

May's birthstone is which green gem?

It is a variety of the mineral beryl, coloured green by traces of chromium or vanadium.

One of May's birth flowers, the lily of the valley, is notable for being what?

Its cardiac glycosides make it dangerous to eat; other names for it include May bells and Our Lady's tears.

May's later sign is the twins; which zodiac sign covers the first three weeks of the month?

The bull sign runs until 20 May, when the twins take over.

Which zodiac sign, beginning around 21 May, is represented by twins?

The twins are Castor and Pollux, the Dioscuri of Greek myth.

In the Southern Hemisphere, May is the seasonal equivalent of which Northern Hemisphere month?

May is spring in the north and autumn in the south.

May Day traditions include dancing around what?

Other customs include gathering greenery, 'bringing in the May' and crowning a May Queen.

International Workers' Day shares its 1 May date with May Day but is rooted in what?

The traditional spring festival of May Day is much older than the labour holiday.

Cinco de Mayo, on 5 May, celebrates Mexico's 1862 victory over French forces near which city?

It is not Mexican Independence Day, a common misconception; that is 16 September.

Mother's Day in the United States, on the second Sunday of May, was largely founded by whom?

She held the first service in 1908 in Grafton, West Virginia, and later fought against the holiday's commercialisation.

President Woodrow Wilson made Mother's Day a national holiday in which year?

He signed a proclamation fixing it on the second Sunday in May.

Memorial Day, the unofficial start of the US summer, falls on which day of May?

It was fixed as a Monday holiday in 1968; it began after the Civil War as Decoration Day.

Memorial Day began in 1868 under what earlier name?

People decorated the graves of Civil War dead with flowers, which gave the day its first name.

The Kentucky Derby, run on the first Saturday in May, is nicknamed 'The Run for the ___'.

The winning horse is draped in a blanket of roses; the race lasts only about two minutes.

The first Kentucky Derby, in May 1875, was run at which track?

A field of 15 three-year-olds ran before a crowd of about 10,000 in Louisville.

What does the Indianapolis 500 winner traditionally drink in victory lane?

The tradition began when Louis Meyer asked for buttermilk after his 1933 win.

The Indianapolis Motor Speedway is nicknamed the 'Brickyard' because of what?

The surface was laid in brick in 1909, and a strip of the original bricks survives at the start-finish line.

Star Wars Day is celebrated on 4 May because of a pun on which catchphrase?

'May the Fourth be with you' was first recorded in a 1979 newspaper congratulating Margaret Thatcher.

The Eurovision Song Contest, usually held in May, has been running annually since which year?

It is the longest-running international music competition on television, inspired by Italy's Sanremo Festival.

As of the 2025 contest, which two countries held the Eurovision record of seven wins each?

By 2025 Germany had competed the most times, missing only one contest.

A Canadian holiday held each May honours a monarch called the 'Mother of Confederation'. Who?

It falls on the last Monday before 25 May, her actual birthday.

International Nurses Day is observed on 12 May because it is the birthday of whom?

The pioneer of modern nursing was born in Florence, Italy, and became known as 'The Lady with the Lamp'.

The founder of modern nursing was born in 1820 in which Italian city, which gave her her first name?

Her parents were on a European tour when she was born there.

Japan's spring 'Golden Week' cluster of public holidays runs from 29 April to which May date?

It ends on Children's Day; the sheer number of holidays makes it one of the country's busiest travel periods.

The Christian feast of the Ascension is traditionally held on a Thursday how many days after Easter?

It commemorates the belief that the risen Jesus appeared for 40 days before ascending to heaven.

Charles Lindbergh flew solo nonstop from New York to Paris in May 1927 aboard which aircraft?

He flew alone for over 33 hours to win the $25,000 Orteig Prize.

The Golden Gate Bridge opened in May 1937 painted in which distinctive colour?

The US Navy had wanted black and yellow stripes; the chief engineer's orange won out.

When it opened in May 1883, the Brooklyn crossing was the world's longest span of which kind?

It was the first fixed crossing of New York's East River.

Which emperor died in exile on Saint Helena on 5 May 1821?

By coincidence he was also born in a summer month, on 15 August 1769.

The ocean liner Lusitania was sunk by a German U-boat on 7 May 1915 off the coast of which country?

Nearly 1,200 people died, and the sinking helped turn US opinion against Germany.

Mount St. Helens erupted in May 1980, causing what record-breaking event?

The collapse of its north face preceded the blast that killed about 57 people.

The Beatles' album Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band was released in the UK in May of which year?

It went on to win the Grammy for Album of the Year, a first for a rock album.

The Empire State Building was formally opened in May of which year?

It was the world's tallest building for nearly four decades.

The mineral in May's birthstone, beryl, ranks how hard on the Mohs scale?

That makes emerald quite hard, though its many inclusions can make it brittle.

May Day's older festival has a Gaelic counterpart marking the start of summer. What is it called?

Related traditions include Walpurgis Night in central Europe and the Welsh Calan Mai.

Late May marks the start of the US summer season, which traditionally ends on which holiday?

Memorial Day and Labor Day bracket the American summer.

In Greek myth, the goddess Maia who gives May its name was the mother of which god?

She was the eldest of the seven Pleiades, daughters of Atlas.

The woman who founded Mother's Day held the first celebration in 1908 in which US state?

The church in Grafton is now the International Mother's Day Shrine.

The first Indianapolis 500, held in May 1911, was won by whom?

He drove the Marmon Wasp, reportedly fitted with one of the first rear-view mirrors.

Which peak was first summited on 29 May 1953 by Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay?

News reached London just in time for Queen Elizabeth II's coronation.

Which meteor shower, visible from late April, peaks around May 6?

The Arietids follow from May 22 to July 2, peaking on June 7.

Which Roman goddess of fertility, identified with Maia, had her festival on May 1?

Her rites allowed Roman women strong wine and blood sacrifice, otherwise forbidden to them.

Which Roman god received a sacrifice on the Ides of May (May 15)?

Other May observances included the Argei, Agonalia and Ambarvalia.

Which Roman festival of the dead fell on 9, 11 and 13 May?

The Rosalia rose festivals were also held in May at Pergamon and by military units.

Besides lily of the valley, which plant is a May birth flower?

Both are native across the cool temperate Northern Hemisphere.

The trailing arbutus, nicknamed "Mayflower", is the floral emblem of Massachusetts and which Canadian province?

Its range runs from Newfoundland south to Florida.

In Catholic tradition, May is dedicated to whom?

May devotions often include a "May crowning" of Mary's statue with flowers.

Which group's US heritage is celebrated throughout May?

Jewish American and Haitian Heritage Months are also in May.

Which food does the US celebrate with a national month in May?

May is also National Golf Month, Bicycle Month and Mental Health Awareness Month.

Which Japanese term describes new students and workers tiring of their routine after Golden Week?

Japan's school and fiscal years both begin on April 1.

In the late Russian Empire, what was a "mayovka"?

"Proletarian mayovka" came to mean a revolutionary meeting posing as an innocent picnic.

Which Hawaiian celebration falls on May 1?

Beltane, Argentina's Constitution Day and International Workers' Day share the date.

Which UN-recognised international day is observed on May 3?

Poland and Japan both mark constitution days on May 3.

Which profession is honoured with an international day on May 4?

May 4 is also Star Wars Day and China's Youth Day.

Which two East Asian countries celebrate Children's Day on May 5?

Thailand marks Coronation Day the same date.

Which humanitarian movement has its world day on May 8?

May 8 is also VE Day in Western Europe and Truman Day in Missouri.

Which Channel Island marks Liberation Day on May 10, a day after Guernsey and Jersey?

The German occupation of the Channel Islands ended in May 1945.

Golden Spike Day on May 10 marks the 1869 completion of what at Promontory Summit, Utah?

Romania celebrates its 1877 independence from the Ottomans on the same day.

Which US state marks Statehood Day on May 11?

Rhode Island and Wisconsin mark theirs on May 29.

Which South American country celebrates independence on May 15?

Palestinians mark Nakba Day the same date; it is also the International Day of Families.

Which awareness day, known as IDAHOT, is held on May 17?

May 17 is also Norway's Constitution Day and World Hypertension Day.

Which cultural institution type is celebrated internationally on May 18?

Cuba's Independence Day and World Metrology Day fall two days later.

Which US civil-rights figure has a commemorative day on May 19, his birthday?

Ho Chi Minh's birthday and Turkey's Atatürk day fall on the same date.

Which two countries celebrate independence on May 20?

Cameroon marks its National Day and Indonesia its National Awakening Day the same day.

Which subculture has a world day on May 22?

May 22 is also the International Day for Biological Diversity and Harvey Milk Day in California.

Which animal is celebrated on World Turtle Day, May 23?

Germany marks its Constitution Day the same date.

Which two Slavic saints are honoured with an Eastern Orthodox feast on May 24?

Bulgaria marks Education, Culture and Slavonic Literature Day in their honour.

Which fan observance on May 25 honours Douglas Adams?

May 25 is also Africa Day, Argentina's national day and Geek Pride Day.

Argentina's national holiday on May 25 marks which event?

Jordan celebrates its independence on the same date.

Which English observance on May 29 celebrates the Restoration of the monarchy?

Castleton in Derbyshire marks it with Garland Day.

Which health observance falls on May 31?

Western Christianity marks the Visitation of Mary the same day.

Which US day of remembrance for police falls on May 15?

Malaysia, Colombia and South Korea all mark Teachers' Days in mid-May.

Which Triple Crown horse race is run on the third Saturday in May?

US Armed Forces Day and World Whisky Day share the same Saturday.

Which US observance, paired with a secular Day of Reason, falls on the first Thursday of May?

Secular groups mark a National Day of Reason the same day.

Which comics event shares the first Saturday of May with the Kentucky Derby?

Vermont's Green Up Day and World Naked Gardening Day round out the date.

Which Tokyo festival is held on the third weekend of May?

It is one of the city's three great Shinto festivals.

Which Quebec holiday falls on the same Monday as Victoria Day?

Before 2003 the date was unofficially the Fête de Dollard.

Bermuda Day is held on which date, or the nearest weekday?

It was once Empire Day, marking Queen Victoria's birthday.

Which Roman goddess of flowers was honoured at the Floralia?

Ovid says hares and goats were released during the games.

The Maiouma, a May festival every three years, celebrated Aphrodite and which god?

Its licentiousness led Emperor Constantine to suppress it.

Whose canonization on 1 May 870 gave Walpurgis Night its name?

Her relics were moved to Eichstätt on the same date; pilgrims still seek her oil there.

What is the Welsh name for the May Day festival?

Beltane is the Gaelic version, first attested in 900 AD.

Which pope made 1 May the feast of St Joseph the Worker in 1955?

It was a counterpoint to communist May Day celebrations.

Which fading May Day tradition involves leaving small gifts anonymously on neighbours' doorsteps?

They typically contain sweets or flowers.

In the Rhineland, what does a maypole wrapped only in white streamers signify?

Normally the streamer-covered tree is delivered secretly by a love interest.

Which German mountain region is famous for Walpurgisnacht bonfires?

The motto is "Tanz in den Mai" — dance into May.

In Sweden, most maypole traditions are held at which festival instead of May Day?

Sweden marks Walpurgis Night with bonfires on 30 April.

Which Dublin suburb was famous for its "May Games" and one of the city's last surviving maypoles?

The maypole anchored a week of games and competitions in the 18th century.

Along with Beltane, which three festivals make up the four main Gaelic seasonal celebrations?

Beltane is also known as Cétshamhain, possibly "first of summer".

Which Union veterans' leader proclaimed the first national Decoration Day in 1868?

Logan was Commander-in-Chief of the Grand Army of the Republic.

Which Georgia woman is credited by the National Cemetery Administration with originating Memorial Day?

She belonged to the Ladies Memorial Association of Columbus, Georgia.

Which state was the first to officially recognise Decoration Day as a holiday, in 1873?

Every state had adopted it by 1890.

Which 1968 law moved Memorial Day from May 30 to a fixed weekday?

Congress standardised the name "Memorial Day" in 1971.

Which Canadian physician wrote "In Flanders Fields", the poem behind Memorial Day poppies?

He wrote it in 1915 after the Second Battle of Ypres.

Which Pennsylvania village promotes itself as the birthplace of Memorial Day?

Waterloo, New York got a 1966 presidential proclamation as the holiday's birthplace.

Which Mexican general led the victory at Puebla on May 5, 1862?

He died of illness months later, and the French took Puebla the following year.

Which California town has held Cinco de Mayo celebrations annually since 1862?

Beer, wine and tequila advertising made the day nationally popular in the 1980s.

Cinco de Mayo generates US beer sales on a par with which event?

The day is more popular in the United States than in Mexico.

Which two hilltop forts did French troops fail to storm at the Battle of Puebla?

French commander Charles de Lorencez was dismissed after the defeat.

Mexico's actual Independence Day, often confused with Cinco de Mayo, is on which date?

It commemorates the 1810 Grito de Dolores.

Where did Anna Jarvis hold the first Mother's Day service in Grafton, West Virginia?

It is now the International Mother's Day Shrine in Grafton.

What phrase became attached to Mother's Day as Anna Jarvis grew resentful of its commercialisation?

Jarvis had begun the day as a liturgical service and never intended it to be commercial.

Since 1952, Victoria Day has also marked what in Canada?

The holiday has existed since at least 1845, originally on Victoria's actual birthday, May 24.

Where does Victoria Day always fall among the Mondays of May?

It is the Monday between May 18 and 24, before May 25.

Which 1886 Chicago event led the American Federation of Labor to choose May 1 for workers' demonstrations?

The Second International adopted the date in Paris in 1889 to press for the eight-hour day.

Which working-hours demand drove the first International Workers' Day demonstrations in 1890?

The 1889 International Workers Congress in Paris called for a "great international demonstration".

Over what distance is the Kentucky Derby run?

Colts carry 126 pounds and fillies 121.

Which English race inspired Meriwether Lewis Clark Jr. to found the Kentucky classic?

Clark was a grandson of William Clark of the Lewis and Clark Expedition.

What is the traditional drink of the Kentucky Derby?

It is bourbon, mint and sugar syrup, served in an ice-frosted silver cup.

Which Churchill Downs president coined "The Most Exciting Two Minutes in Sports"?

Sportswriter Grantland Rice's 1935 words are thought to have inspired the phrase.

Which driver started the Indy 500 milk tradition by asking for buttermilk after his 1933 win?

It was his second of three Indy victories.

How many cars make up the Indianapolis 500 starting field?

They line up in eleven rows of three; the limit was set in 1912.

Which song's chorus is sung before every Indianapolis 500?

The Indy 500 shares the Triple Crown of Motorsport with Le Mans and Monaco.

Roughly how many bricks paved the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 1909?

One yard of brick still shows at the start/finish line.

Which Italian music festival inspired the creation of Eurovision?

Broadcasters from 52 countries have taken part at least once.

What is the maximum number of points a country can award a single Eurovision song?

Countries give 1–8, 10 and 12 points to their ten favourites.

Which year's Eurovision was cancelled, the only gap since 1956?

The COVID-19 pandemic forced the cancellation.

Which trace element gives emerald its green colour?

Vanadium sometimes does the job instead; most emeralds have many inclusions.

From which Ancient Greek word meaning "green gem" does "emerald" derive?

The word reached English via Vulgar Latin esmaraldus and Old French esmeraude.

What is the French name for lily of the valley, often used for perfumes?

Other names include May bells and Our Lady's tears.

Which compounds make lily of the valley so poisonous?

In pre-modern England it was called glovewort, used for a hand salve.

How many of Golden Week's days are official Japanese public holidays?

Many workers take the whole 29 April–5 May period off.

Which Japanese holiday, similar in purpose to May Day, is celebrated instead of Labour Day?

Until 2006, 4 May was an unnamed holiday created by a rule about days between two holidays.

What is the ten-day period between Ascension and Pentecost called?

Some denominations move Ascension to the following Sunday.

Which 1979 UK newspaper advert first linked "May the Fourth" to a date?

"Dear Maggie, May the Fourth Be with You" ran in the London Evening News on election day.

The original Star Wars film's release date, May 25, 1977, is marked by some as what?

Star Wars Day itself was never declared by Lucasfilm but is now embraced by Disney.

Whit Monday was a British day off until 1972, when it was replaced by what?

Whitsun is the British name for Pentecost, seven Sundays after Easter.

Which North West England church parades still take place around Whitsun?

Children traditionally received a new set of clothes for Whitsun.

Norway's constitution, celebrated every 17 May, was signed in 1814 in which town?

It is the third-oldest written constitution still in use.

What is the Norwegian national costume worn in 17 May parades called?

Norwegians eat hot dogs, waffles and ice cream during the festivities.

The EU's Europe Day on 9 May commemorates which 1950 proposal?

It proposed pooling French, Italian and West German coal and steel; the Council of Europe marks 5 May instead.

Why does the Council of Europe celebrate Europe Day on 5 May?

It established the holiday in 1964; the EU's version followed in 1985.

Which Formula One race is the only one exempt from the 305-km minimum distance?

First run in 1929, it forms the Triple Crown of Motorsport with Indy and Le Mans.

Where was the first FA Cup final played, in March 1872?

Wanderers beat Royal Engineers 1–0.

Which Welsh club won the FA Cup in 1927?

Cardiff also reached the final in 1925 and 2008.

Which resort lost out to Cannes as host of France's new film festival in May 1939?

The festival was created partly to rival Venice.

Which magazine has organised the Met Gala since Anna Wintour took charge of it in 1995?

It benefits the Metropolitan Museum's Costume Institute.

In what year did the RHS flower show move to the Royal Hospital Chelsea?

It began as the Great Spring Show at Kensington in 1862.

Which newspaper created the Giro d'Italia in 1909 to boost its sales?

A subsidiary of the paper's owner still runs the race.

The French Open's stadium is named after a French pioneer in which field?

Roland Garros was also a WWI fighter pilot; the event became a Grand Slam in 1925.

Which UEFA member has no league competition and so cannot enter the Champions League?

The competition began as the European Cup in 1955.

How many people died in the Hindenburg disaster of May 6, 1937?

35 of the 97 aboard died, plus one person on the ground at Lakehurst, New Jersey.

Whose radio eyewitness report of the Hindenburg disaster was broadcast the next day?

The publicity ended the era of passenger airships.

Ash from the May 18, 1980 Mount St. Helens eruption fell in how many US states?

The eruption column rose 80,000 feet.

Which 1919 treaty decision sparked the May Fourth Movement protests in Beijing?

Students gathered in front of Tiananmen to protest the Versailles settlement.

What height for Mount Everest did a joint 2020 survey officially announce?

Nepal and China conducted the survey jointly.

Where was Israel's Declaration of Independence proclaimed on 14 May 1948?

David Ben-Gurion led the proclamation as the British Mandate ended at midnight.

Which earlier holiday did the Netherlands' 5 May Liberation Day replace?

It follows the Remembrance of the Dead on 4 May and became annual in 1990.

Vesak takes its name from which lunar month, considered the Buddha's birth month?

It marks the Buddha's birth, enlightenment and death in Theravada tradition.

Which Roman deity was Bona Dea most often identified as the wife, sister or daughter of?

Men were barred from some of her mysteries and only initiates knew her true name.

Which Sabine king was said to have established Flora's altar in Rome?

Flora had her own state priest, the flamen Florialis.

What type of cheese is chased down Cooper's Hill on England's Spring Bank Holiday each May?

The 7 to 9 pound wheel gets a one-second head start down a 50 percent slope, and the first runner over the line wins it.

Why was a foam replica used in the 2013 Cooper's Hill cheese-rolling?

The real wheel returned the following year; back in 1993 sixteen people were injured at the event.

Kyoto's Aoi Matsuri on 15 May is a festival of which two shrines?

It ranks with the Gion Festival and the Festival of the Ages as one of Kyoto's three great annual festivals and is also called the Kamo Festival.

At Hong Kong's Cheung Chau Bun Festival, what happens on three of its seven days?

Even the local McDonald's takes meat off the menu; the festival honours Pak Tai and coincides with Buddha's Birthday.

Hıdırellez, celebrated on the night of 5-6 May, marks the meeting of Elijah and which prophet?

Observed from Turkey and Crimea to the Balkans as a spring festival, it was inscribed on UNESCO's intangible heritage lists in 2017.

Poland's 3 May holiday celebrates a 1791 constitution that was the first of its kind where?

The Government Act banned the liberum veto, under which a single deputy could undo a whole session of legislation.

For roughly how long was Poland's Constitution of 3 May 1791 in force?

The Grodno Sejm declared it void in 1793, and the partitions of 1793 and 1795 ended Polish sovereignty for 123 years.