May 1 in Pop Culture History

May 1 Facts, Fun Trivia and History

May 1 History Highlights

  • 1707 – The Act of Union, uniting England and Scotland to form the Kingdom of Great Britain took effect.
  • 1893 – The influential Columbian Exposition opened in Chicago.
  • 1939 – Batman debuted in Detective Comics #27
  • 1956 – The polio vaccine developed by Jonas Salk was made available to the public.
  • 1961Fidel Castro, proclaimed Cuba a socialist nation and abolished elections.
  • May 1 is Law Day, begun in 1958. “A national day set aside to celebrate the rule of law. Law Day underscores how law and the legal process have contributed to the freedoms that all Americans share.”
  • May 1, 23019 T.A. (fiction) Aragon II was crowned King Elessar Telcontar of Gondor, Lord of the Rings, Book  
  • If you were born on May 1st,
    You were likely conceived the week of… August 8th (prior year)

The First of May is May Day

May Day is a May 1 celebration with an interesting and varied history, dating back millennia. Throughout the years there have been many different events and festivities worldwide, most with the express purpose of welcoming in the change of season (Spring). In 1871 International Workers’ day became popular as the labor movement grew stronger on this special occasion.

May Day features crowning the May Queen, and dancing around a maypole. Maypole dancing is a folk dance that originated in Germany, England, and Sweden. There are two basic forms of the dance: the first form consists of circle dances around an elevated pole which is often decorated with garlands; while in the second row dancers move in circles around a smaller pole to intertwine their ribbons as they go round it.
May-day is also the sea-faring ocean distress call, from the French m’aidez (help me).

May 1 is…

Batman Day
Chocolate Parfait Day
Hug Your Cat Day
Law Day
Lei Day (in Hawaii)
Make a Book Day
May Day
Mother Goose Day
New Homeowners Day
No Pants Day
School Principal’s Day
Space Day

May 1 Birthday Quotes

“Too often, the opportunity knocks, but by the time you push back the chain, push back the bolt, unhook the two locks and shut off the burglar alarm, it’s too late.”
– Rita Coolidge

“I look in the mirror through the eyes of the child that was me.”
– Judy Collins

“It has been said that genius is only the power of making continuous effort. The line between failure and success is so fine that we scarcely know when we pass it. We are told that there is no failure, except in no longer trying – no defeat, except from within, no really insurmountable barrier save our own weakness of purpose.”
– Kate Smith

“We all take different paths in life, but no matter where we go, we take a little of each other everywhere.”
– Tim McGraw

“Looking back, my life so far seems like one long obstacle race, with me as its chief obstacle.”
– Jack Paar

May 1 Birthdays

1672 – Joseph Addison, English essayist (died in 1719)
1764 – Benjamin Henry Latrobe, English-American architect (died in 1820)
1830 – Mary ‘Mother Jones’, Irish-American labor leader (died in 1930)
1852 – Calamity Jane, American frontierswoman and professional scout (died in 1903)
1907 – Kate Smith, American singer and actress (died in 1986)
1913 – Louis Nye, American comedic actor (died in 2005)
1916 – Glenn Ford, Canadian-American actor (died in 2006)
1918 – Jack Paar, American comedian, author and talk show host (died in 2004)
1939 – Judy Collins, American singer-songwriter
1945 – Rita Coolidge, American singer-songwriter
1967 – Tim McGraw, American singer-songwriter
1972 – Julie Benz, American actress
2004 – Charli D’Amelio, American social media influencer

May 1 History

526 (Earthquake) Antioch, Byzantine Empire (Turkey)

1707 – The Act of Union joined the Kingdom of England and Kingdom of Scotland to form the Kingdom of Great Britain.

1759 – Josiah Wedgwood founded the Wedgwood pottery company in Great Britain.

1849 – The telegraph register was patented (#6,420) by Samuel F. B.Morse.

1851 -The Great Exhibition of the Works of Industry of All Nations opened in Hyde Park, London, England.

1884 – Construction of the world’s first skyscraper began in Chicago. At 10 stories high, the Home Insurance Company building opened in 1885.

1888 – Nikola Tesla was issued several patents (#381,968, #381,969, #381,970; #382,279, #381,980, #381,981, #381,982) relating to the induction magnetic motor, alternating current (AC) sychronous motor, AC transmission and electricity distribution.

1899 – Bayer introduced aspirin in powder form, in Germany. The pill came about in 1915.

1931 – The Empire State Building in New York City was dedicated by President Hoover from the White House in Washington DC.

1941 – Citizen Kane premiered in New York City, at the RKO Palace.

1951 – Great Exhibition opened in the Crystal Palace in London with over 10,000 exhibitors.

1958 – The discovery of the Van Allen radiation belts that surround Earth by James Van Allen was published in the Washington Evening Star.

1941 – Citizen Kane debuted at the RKO Palace Theater in New York City.

1960 – American U-2 spy plane shot down over the Soviet Union.

1964 – The BASIC computer program was used for the first time at Dartmouth University by John G. Kemeny and Thomas E. Kurtz. The name is an acronym for ‘Beginner’s All-purpose Symbolic Instruction Code’.

1965 #1 Hit May 1, 1965 – May 21, 1965: Herman’s Hermits – Mrs. Brown, You’ve Got a Lovely Daughter

1967 – Elvis Presley and Priscilla Beaulieu were married in Las Vegas.

1971 – Amtrak took over the operation of the American passenger rail service.

1976 #1 Hit May 1, 1976 – May 7, 1976: The Bellamy Brothers – Let Your Love Flow

1982 – The 1982 World’s Fair opened in Knoxville, Tennessee.

1983V miniseries began broadcasting on NBC.

1989 – Disney/MGM Studios opened at Walt Disney World near Orlando, Florida, United States.

1993 #1 Hit May 1, 1993 – May 14, 1993: Silk – Freak Me

1999Spongebob SquarePants premiered on Nickelodeon after the 1999 Kids’ Choice Awards.

1999 – The body of British climber George Mallory was found on Mount Everest, 75 years after his disappearance in 1924.

2009 – Same-sex marriage was legalized in Sweden.

2010 #1 Hit May 1, 2010 – May 14, 2010: B.o.B featuring Bruno Mars – Nothin’ on You

2011 – Osama bin Laden was reported killed by U.S. forces in Pakistan.

Today’s Random Trivia and Shower Thoughts

“As God is my witness, I’ll never be hungry again.” – Scarlett O’Hara (Vivien Leigh) in Gone with the Wind, 1939

Tardis (T.A.R.D.I.S) – Time And Relative Dimensions In Space: the time-machine and spacecraft from the series Doctor Who.

The clothing you are wearing right now will look hilarious to future generations.

“I’m just a notch in your bedpost. But you’re just a line in a song.” #songlyrics

“Speaking of names, I know a man with a wooden leg named Smith.” – Bert, in Mary Poppins #moviequotes

“A relationship, I think, is like a shark. You know? It has to constantly move forward or it dies. And I think what we got on our hands is a dead shark.” – Alvy Singer in Annie Hall  #moviequotes

“Hello darkness my old friend.” #songlyrics

Useless Pronunciation: P as in psalm

‘Grease’ may be the word, but it’s never said even once in the entire film.

“I saved you so you’d save the world, ’cause you’re the one.” #songlyrics

I wonder how many online contests I’ve won, but deleted the email saying so because I thought it was spam.

If you don’t take a hint and make a move, you’re being postsumptuous. #newword

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