MAY





Mother's Day was first established in 1914, and is always celebrated ont he second Sunday of this month.
  1. May Day
    is celebrated on the first day of this month to welcome the summer. In some countries this day is even a labor holiday.
    Construction on the first skyscraper -a 10 story building-started in Chicago, 1884
    The Boston News-letter published the first newspaper ad in the United States 1704.

  2. Alaska's flag which was designed by a 7th-grade student, was officially adopted, 1927.

    Tennis pro Gabriela Sabatini was born, 1970.


  3. Golda Meir, Israel's prime minister from 1969 to 1974, was born, 1898.
    Police in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, chased an 800-pound rampagin bull through the streets, 1983.

  4. Kentucky Derby
    Bob Watson of the Houston Astros scored major league baseball's one-millionth run, 1975.
    National Teacher Day
    Peter Minuit purchased Manhattan Island from the Manhattan Indians for $24 in trinkets, 1626.

  5. Alan B. Shepard became the first American in space, 1961.
    Cinco de Mayo Day
    Boston Red Sox pitcher Cy Young, the winningest pitcher in baseball history, hurled a perfect game against Philadelphia, 1904.

  6. The airship Hindenburg exploded as it prepared to land in Lakehurst, New Jersey, after a transatlantic flight, 1937.

  7. A kite-flying team kept a kite aloft for 169 hours, setting a new record, 1977.
    What high-flying part did kites play in World War I?
    A German submarine torpedoed and sank the British passenger liner Lusitania off the coast of Ireland, 1915.

  8. The French celebrate Joan of Arc Day in honor of this French herione and matyr.
    No Socks Day

    The first U.S. Transcontinental auto race began, 1905.

  9. National Police Week
    Sir James Barrie, author of Peter Pan , was born, 1860.
    Smokey Bear's birthday
    Smokey Bear celebrated his 50th birthday in 1994. The citizens of Capitan, New Mexico, had a special party. In 1950, 6 years after Smokey was first featured on a poster, a real bear cub who'd been badly burned in a forest fire was rescued near the town. The cub recovered and was later named Smokey. Students can investigate ways they can help prevent forest fires.

    • Golden Spike Day : Two large railroads were connected by a golden spike on this day in 1869. This mad eit possible to travel by train from one coast of the United States to the other.
    • The first planetarium in the United States opened in Chicago, Illinios, 1930.



  11. Skunks are always born in the spring.
    Why do skunks get so much respect? (Learning 93, p41)

  12. A sculpture by Alberto Giacometti sold for a rrecord $3.63 million in New York City, 1987.
    A 20-ton meteor fell near Blackston, Virginia, 1922.

  13. The "Super Bowl" of frog jumping contests starts today in Calaveras County, California, Who wrote the story that inspired this competition? (Learning 93, p41)
    Norma Klein, author of Mom, the Wolfman and Me, was born, 1938.

  14. The Lewis and Clark expedition left St. Louis, Missouri, for the Pacific Ocean, 1804.
    A veterinarian in Woolich, Michigan untangled, six young squirrels who'd gotten thieir tails tied in a knot, 1985.

  15. L. Frank Baum, author of the Wizard of Oz stories, was born, 1856.
    Which piece of office furniture inspired Baum to call his imaginary kingdom "Oz"?
    Scientist discovered a 225-million-year-old dinosaur skelton, 1985. What is the destination? (Learning 93, p41)

  16. The first Academy Awards were presented in Los Angeles, 1929.
    Singer and actress, Janet Jackson was born, 1956.

  17. A group of 24 merchants founded what is now the New York Stock Exchange, 1792.
    In the landmaark case Brown vs. the Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas, the U.S. Supreme Court declared racial segration in schools unconstitutional, 1954.

  18. Massachusetts became the first state to make school attendance mandatory, 1852.
    The world's largest Lego tower was completed, 1990. It stood 59.5 feet high.

  19. The five Ringling brothers founded their circus in Baraboo, Wisconsin, 1884.
    Malcolm X, influential black nationalist and civil rights leader, was born, 1925.

    • Flight Anniversary: Pilot Amelia Earhart was the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean. Her historic flight began on May 20, 1932.
    • Mavis Hutchinson, age 53, successfully completed her jog across America, 1978. She covered 3,000 miles in 69 days.
    • Twisters struck Codell, Kansas, 3 years in a row--1916, 1917, and 1918.
    • During what hour of the day is a tornado most likely to strike?
      Tornadoes are most likely to strike between 5p.m. and 6 p.m. By late afternoon the sun has heated the earth sufficiently to cause warm, humid air to rise. If other weather conditions are right, this air can serve as fuel for a tornado. Most tornadoes last less than 15 minutes.

  21. Linderbergh Day
    Clara Barton founded the American Red Cross, 1881.
    Armed Forces Day

  22. Children's author Arnold Lobel was born, 1933.
    American impressionist Mary Cassatt was born, 1844.
    What are the hallmarks of impressionistic paintings?

  23. Victoria Day (Canada)
    Scott O'Dell, author of The Island of the Blue Dolphins, was born, 1903.
    A physician, his chauffeur, and their dog departed from San Francisco, CA, on the first successful transcontinental auto trip, 1903. They arrived in New York City 63 days later.

  24. Astronaut Scott Carpenter became the second American to orbit the earth 1962
    Major league baseball's first night game took place in Cincinnati, Ohio, 1935. The Cincinnati Reds defeated the Philadelphia.

  25. Thor Heyerdahl set sail from Egypt in a reed boat bound for the Americas, 1969. What was he trying to prove? (Learning 93, p41)
    The Constitutional convention convened in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 1787.
  26. Jazz muscian Miles Davis was born, 1926.

  27. Memorial Day
    • Birthday! Julia Ward Howe : She wrote the words to the patrotic song "The Battle Humn of the Republic."

    • People in Rockport, Texas reported seeing a bright white UFO, 1985. How is NASA searching for signs of extraterrestrial life?

  28. Jim Thorpe, one of the most accomplished all-around athletes in history was born, 1988.
    The first color movie, On with the Show, was released, 1929.
    May 28 is the feast day of Saint Bernard. Big, friendly Saint Bernard dogs are named after this saint because he used them to help guide and rescue people traveling in the mountains.

  29. Memorial Day
    • Birthday! John F. Kennedy :The 35th president of the United States felt that physical fitness was very important.

    • A whooping crane was first hatched in captivity, 1975.

      How do scientist raise "whoopers" to survive in the wild?

    • Janet Guthrie became the first woman to qualify for the Indianapolis 500 auto race, 1977.

  30. The Lincoln Memorial was dedicated 1922.
    The ice-cream freeezer was patented by William G. Young, 1848.

  31. Connecticut proclaiimed the European praying mantis its official state insect, 1977.
    Actor Clint Eastwood was born, 1930.
    Memorial Day

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