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, 1945
Day of Week 1st » World War II: A German newsreader officially announces that Adolf Hitler has "fallen at his command post in the Reich Chancellery fighting to the last breath against Bolshevism and for Germany". The Soviet flag is raised over the Reich Chancellery, by ord
1st » World War II: Nazi propaganda minister Joseph Goebbels and his wife Magda Goebbels named Magda commit suicide in the Reich Garden outside the Führerbunker. Their Goebbels children or children are murdered by Magda by having cyanide pills inserted into the
1st » World War II: Yugoslav Partisans free Trieste.
Day of Week 2nd » World War II: Fall of Berlin: The Soviet Union announces the capture of Berlin and Soviet soldiers hoist their red flag over the Reichstag (building) named 'Reichstag' building.
2nd » World War II: Italian Campaign (World War II) or Italian Campaign General Heinrich von Vietinghoff signs the official instrument of surrender of all Wehrmacht forces in Italy.
2nd » World War II: The US 82nd Airborne Division liberates Wöbbelin concentration camp finding 1000 dead prisoners, most of whom starved to death.
Day of Week 3rd » World War II: Sinking of the prison ships 'Cap Arcona, Thielbek' and 'Deutschland IV (liner) known as Deutschland' by the Royal Air Force in Lübeck Bay.
Day of Week 4th » World War II: Neuengamme concentration camp near Hamburg is liberated by the British Army.
4th » World War II: German surrender at Lüneburg Heath, the North German Army surrenders to Field Marshal Bernard Law Montgomery, 1st Viscount Montgomery of Alamein e.g Bernard Montgomery.
4th » World War II: Denmark is granted liberation, when Germany was forced to step out of Denmark thus ending 5 years of occupation.
Day of Week 5th » World War II: Canadian and British troops liberate the Netherlands and Denmark from Nazism named German occupation when Wehrmacht troops capitulate.
5th » World War II: The Prague uprising begins as an attempt by the Czech resistance to free the city from German occupation of Czechoslovakia named German occupation.
Day of Week 6th » World War II: Mildred Gillars e.g Axis Sally delivers her last propaganda broadcast to Allies of World War II or Allied troops.
6th » World War II: The Prague Offensive, the last major battle of the Eastern Front (World War II) e.g Eastern Front, begins.
Day of Week 8th » Hundreds of Algerian civilians are killed by French Army soldiers in the Sétif massacre.
8th » World War II: V-E Day, combat ends in Europe. German forces agree in Reims, France, to an German Instrument of Surrender, 1945 or unconditional surrender.
8th » Halifax Riot or The Halifax Riot starts when thousands of civilians and servicemen rampage through City of Halifax known as Halifax.
8th » End of the Prague uprising, celebrated now as a national holiday in the Czech Republic.
8th » Dissolution and German Instrument of Surrender named surrender of Nazi Germany and all its forces.
Day of Week 9th » World War II: The Channel Islands are liberated by the British after five years of German occupation.
Day of Week 11th » World War II: Off the coast of Okinawa, the aircraft carrier USS Bunker Hill CV-17 6 is hit by two kamikazes, killing 346 of its crew. Although badly damaged, the ship is able to return to the U.S. under its own power.
Day of Week 12th » Argentina Argentinian Labour movement labour leader José Peter declares the 'Meat Industry Workers Federation Federación Obrera de la Industria de la Carne' dissolved.
Day of Week 15th » World War II: The Battle of Poljana, the final skirmish in Europe is fought near Prevalje, Slovenia.
Day of Week 22nd » Operation Paperclip United States Army Major Robert B. Staver recommends that the U.S. evacuate German scientists and engineers to help in the development of rocket technology.
Day of Week 23rd » World War II: Heinrich Himmler, the head of the Schutzstaffel, commits suicide while in Allies of World War II named Allied custody.
23rd » World War II: The Flensburg Government under President of Germany (1919–1945) known as Reichspräsident Karl Dönitz is dissolved when its members are captured and arrested by United Kingdom called British forces at Flensburg in Northern Germany.
Day of Week 29th » First combat mission of the Consolidated B-32 Dominator heavy bomber.
6th » Jimmie Dale Gilmore, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, producer, and actor (The Flatlanders)
6th » Bob Seger, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
7th » Christy Moore, Irish singer-songwriter and guitarist (Planxty and Moving Hearts)
7th » Robin Strasser, American actress
8th » Mike German, Baron German, Welsh politician, Deputy First Minister for Wales
8th » Keith Jarrett, American pianist and composer
9th » Peter J. Hammond (economist) known as Peter Hammond, British economist
9th » Jupp Heynckes, German footballer and manager
9th » Steve Katz (musician) known as Steve Katz, American guitarist, songwriter, and producer (Blood, Sweat & Tears, Blues Project, and American Flyer (band) named American Flyer)
9th » Nicholas Wilson, Lord Wilson of Culworth, English lawyer and judge
10th » John Laws (judge) e.g John Laws, English lawyer and judge
11th » Floyd Adams, Jr., American publisher and politician, 63rd Mayor of Savannah, Georgia (d. 2014)
12th » Alan Ball, Jr., English footballer and manager (d. 2007)
12th » Nicky Henson, English actor
12th » Ian McLagan, English singer-songwriter and keyboard player (Small Faces Faces (band) e.g Faces, and The New Barbarians (band) called The New Barbarians)
12th » Patrick Ricard, French businessman (d. 2012)
21st » Ernst Messerschmid, German physicist and astronaut
23rd » Padmarajan, Indian director, screenwriter, and author (d. 1991)
23rd » Lauren Chapin, American actress
24th » Terry Callier, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 2012)
24th » Steven Norris, English politician
24th » Richard Ottaway, English lieutenant and politician
24th » Priscilla Presley, American actress and businesswoman
26th » Vilasrao Deshmukh, Indian lawyer and politician, 17th Chief Minister of Maharashtra (d. 2012)
26th » Alistair MacDuff, English judge
26th » Garry Peterson, Canadian-American drummer (The Guess Who and Bachman–Turner Overdrive)
27th » Bruce Cockburn, Canadian singer-songwriter and guitarist (The Esquires (Canadian band) or The Esquires and The Flying Circus (Canada) called The Flying Circus)
28th » Patch Adams, American physician and author, founded the Gesundheit! Institute
28th » John N. Bambacus, American politician
28th » John Fogerty, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer (Creedence Clearwater Revival and The Golliwogs)
28th » Jean Perrault, Canadian politician, List of mayors of Sherbrooke known as Mayor of Sherbrooke
28th » Helena Shovelton, English physician
29th » Gary Brooker, English singer-songwriter and pianist (Procol Harum and The Paramounts)
29th » Peter Fraser, Baron Fraser of Carmyllie, Scottish politician, Solicitor General for Scotland (d. 2013)
29th » Catherine Lara, French singer-songwriter and violinist
29th » Julian Le Grand, English economist and author
29th » Martin Pipe, English horse trainer
29th » Joyce Tenneson, American photographer
29th » Jean-Pierre Van Rossem, Belgian scholar and author