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, 1809
Day of Week 5th » Mary Kies becomes the first woman awarded a U.S. patent, for a technique of weaving straw with silk and yarn known as thread.
5th » The Swiss Cantons of Switzerland named canton of Aargau denies citizenship to Jews.
Day of Week 21st » The first day of the Battle of Aspern-Essling between the Austrian army led by Archduke Charles, Duke of Teschen known as Archduke Charles and the French army led by Napoleon named Napoleon I of France sees the French attack across the Danube held.
Day of Week 22nd » On the second and last day of the Battle of Aspern-Essling (near Vienna, Austria), Napoleon I is repelled by an enemy army for the first time.
Day of Week 25th » Chuquisaca Revolution: a group of Patriot (Spanish American Revolution) named patriots in Chuquisaca (modern day Sucre) revolt against the Spanish Empire, starting the South American Wars of Independence.