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, 1961
Day of Week 1st » The Prime Minister of Cuba, Fidel Castro, proclaims Cuba a socialist nation and abolishes elections.
Day of Week 4th » American civil rights movement: The "Freedom Riders" begin a bus trip through the Southern United States known as South.
Day of Week 5th » Project Mercury called The Mercury program: Mercury-Redstone 3 Alan Shepard becomes the first American to travel into outer space, on a sub-orbital flight.
Day of Week 9th » FCC Chairman Newton N. Minow gives his Wasteland Speech.
Day of Week 14th » American civil rights movement: The Freedom Riders bus is fire-bombed near Anniston, Alabama, and the civil rights protesters are beaten by an angry mob.
Day of Week 19th » Venera program: 'Venera 1' becomes the first man-made object to fly-by another planet by passing Venus (the probe had lost contact with Earth a month earlier and did not send back any data).
19th » At Silchar Railway Station, Assam, 11 Bengalis die when police open fire on protesters demanding state recognition of Bengali language in the Bengali Language Movement Legacy e.g Bengali Language Movement.
Day of Week 21st » African-American Civil Rights Movement (1954–68) e.g American civil rights movement: Alabama Governor John Malcolm Patterson declares martial law in an attempt to restore order after race riots break out.
Day of Week 22nd » An 1961 New South Wales earthquake e.g earthquake rocks New South Wales.
Day of Week 24th » American civil rights movement: Freedom Riders are arrested in Jackson, Mississippi, for "disturbing the peace" after disembarking from their bus.
24th » Cyprus joins the Council of Europe.
Day of Week 25th » Apollo program: The President of the United States named U.S. President John F. Kennedy announces before a special joint session of the United States Congress called Congress his goal to initiate a project to put a "man on the Moon" before the end of the
25th » The Bukit Ho Swee Fire, the biggest fire in Singapore history.
Day of Week 30th » The long-time Dominican dictator Rafael Trujillo is assassinated in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.
Day of Week 31st » The Union of South Africa becomes the South Africa named Republic of South Africa.
31st » In Moscow City Court, the Rokotov–Faibishenko case known as Rokotov–Faibishenko show trial begins, despite the Khrushchev Thaw to reverse Stalinism or Stalinist elements in Soviet society.
Famous Birthdays on May in 1961
1st » Clint Malarchuk, Canadian ice hockey player and coach
1st » Marilyn Milian, American judge
1st » Vasiliy Sidorenko, Russian hammer thrower
2nd » Steve James (snooker player) e.g Steve James, English snooker player
2nd » Sophie Thibault, Canadian journalist
2nd » Phil Vickery (chef) called Phil Vickery, English chef and author
3rd » Steve McClaren, English footballer and manager
3rd » Joe Murray (animator) or Joe Murray, American animator, producer, and screenwriter
3rd » David Vitter, American lawyer and politician
3rd » Leyla Zana, Kurdish activist and politician
4th » Jay Aston, English singer-songwriter and dancer (Bucks Fizz (band) or Bucks Fizz)
4th » Luis Herrera, Colombian cyclist
4th » Chris Packham, English television host
5th » Hiroshi Hase, Japanese wrestler and politician
5th » Rob Williams (basketball) named Rob Williams, American basketball player (d. 2014)