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, 2001
Day of Week 1st » Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo declares the existence of "a state of rebellion", hours after thousands of supporters of her arrested predecessor, Joseph Estrada, storm towards the Malacañan Palace or presidential palace at the height of the
Day of Week 3rd » The United States loses its seat on the U.N. Human Rights Commission for the first time since the commission was formed in 1947.
Day of Week 6th » During a trip to Syria, Pope John Paul II becomes the first pope to enter a mosque.
Day of Week 9th » In Ghana 129 football fans die in what became known as the Accra Sports Stadium disaster. The deaths are caused by a stampede (caused by the firing of teargas by police personnel at the stadium) that followed a controversial decision by the referee.
Day of Week 21st » French Christiane Taubira e.g Taubira law is enacted, officially recognizing the Atlantic slave trade and slavery as crimes against humanity.
Day of Week 24th » Mountain climbing: Temba Tsheri, a 16-year-old Sherpa people or Sherpa, becomes the youngest person to climb to the top of Mount Everest.
24th » The Versailles wedding hall disaster in Jerusalem, Israel kills 23 and injures over 200.
Day of Week 25th » Erik Weihenmayer, 32 years old, of Boulder, Colorado, becomes the first blind person to reach the summit of Mount Everest.
Day of Week 27th » Members of the Islamism e.g Islamist separatist group Abu Sayyaf Dos Palmas kidnappings called seize twenty hostages from an affluent island resort on Palawan in the Philippines; the hostage crisis would not be resolved until June 2002.
Day of Week 29th » The Supreme Court of the United States or U.S. Supreme Court rules that the disabled golfer Casey Martin can use a cart to ride in tournaments.
Famous Deaths for May 2001
2nd » Gina Mastrogiacomo, American actress (b. 1961)
2nd » Ted Rogers (comedian) e.g Ted Rogers, English comedian and actor (b. 1935)
3rd » Billy Higgins, American drummer and educator (b. 1936)
4th » Bonnie Lee Bakley, American murder victim (b. 1956)
5th » Clifton Hillegass, American publisher, created 'CliffsNotes' (b. 1918)
6th » Mike Hazlewood, English songwriter and musician (b. 1941)
7th » Jacques de Bourbon-Busset, French author and politician (b. 1912)
10th » James E. Myers, American actor, songwriter, and producer (b. 1919)
10th » Sudhakarrao Naik, Indian politician, 16th Governor of Himachal Pradesh (b. 1934)
10th » Deborah Walley, American actress (b. 1943)
11th » Douglas Adams, English author and screenwriter (b. 1952)
12th » Perry Como, American singer and actor (b. 1912)
12th » Alexei Tupolev, Russian engineer, designed the Tupolev Tu-144 (b. 1925)
13th » Jason Miller (playwright) e.g Jason Miller, American actor and playwright (b. 1939)
13th » R. K. Narayan, Indian author (b. 1906)
14th » Gil Langley, Australian cricketer, footballer, and politician (b. 1919)
17th » Frank G. Slaughter, American physician and author (b. 1908)
18th » Irene Hunt, American author and illustrator (b. 1907)
19th » Alexey Maresyev, Russian soldier and pilot (b. 1916)
19th » Susannah McCorkle, American singer (b. 1946)
20th » Renato Carosone, Italian singer-songwriter and pianist (b. 1920)
26th » Vittorio Brambilla, Italian race car driver (b. 1937)
26th » Anne Haney, American actress (b. 1934)
26th » Moven Mahachi, Zimbabwean politician, Ministry of Defence (Zimbabwe) called Minister of Defence of Zimbabwe (b. 1952)
26th » Dona Massin, Canadian actress and choreographer (b. 1917)