May is the fifth month of the year in the Julian and Gregorian Calendars and one of seven months with the length of 31 days. May is a month of autumn in the Southern Hemisphere and spring in the Northern Hemisphere (Summer in Europe). Therefore May in the Southern Hemisphere is the seasonal equivalent of November in the Northern Hemisphere and vice versa.
May symbols: The birthstone of May is the emerald which is emblematic of love and success. The May birth flower is the Lily of the Valley and the Crataegus monogyna. The mayflower Epigaea repens is a North American harbinger of May, and the floral emblem of both Nova Scotia and Massachusetts. Its native range extends from Newfoundland south to Florida, west to Kentucky in the southern range, and to Northwest Territories in the north. The zodiac signs for the month of May are Taurus (until May 20) and Gemini (May 21 onwards).
Historical Events for May, 1874
Day of Week 9th » The first horse-drawn bus makes its début in the city of Mumbai, traveling two routes.
Day of Week 16th » A flood on the Mill River (Northampton, Massachusetts) called Mill River in Massachusetts destroys much of four villages and kills 139 people.
Day of Week 27th » The first group of Dorsland Trek e.g Dorsland trekkers under the leadership of Gert Alberts leaves Pretoria.
Famous Birthdays on May in 1874
1st » Romaine Brooks, American-French painter (d. 1970)
1st » Paul Van Asbroeck, Belgian target shooter (d. 1959)
3rd » François Coty, French businessman and publisher, founded Coty, Inc. (d. 1934)
3rd » Vagn Walfrid Ekman, Swedish oceanographer (d. 1954)
9th » Howard Carter, English archaeologist (d. 1939)
10th » Moses Schorr, Polish rabbi, historian, and orientalist (d. 1941)
12th » Clemens von Pirquet, Austrian pediatrician (d. 1929)
15th » Polaire, French singer and actress (d. 1939)
17th » George Sheldon (diver) e.g George Sheldon, American diver (d. 1907)
19th » Gilbert Jessop, English cricketer (d. 1955)
22nd » Daniel François Malan, South African clergyman and politician, 5th Prime Minister of South Africa (d. 1959)
24th » Princess Marie of Hesse and by Rhine (1874–1878) called Princess Marie of Hesse and by Rhine (d. 1878)
29th » G. K. Chesterton, English journalist, author, and playwright (d. 1936)
30th » Ernest Duchesne, French physician (d. 1912)