According to the early Roman calendar, May was the third month. Later, the ancient Romans used January 1 for the beginning of their year, and May became the fifth month. May has always had 31 days.

Several stories are passed around to show how the month of May was named. The most widely accepted explanation is that it was named for Maia, the Roman goddess of spring and growth. Her name related to a Latin word that means increase or growth.

May is of of the most beautiful months of the year in the North Temperate Zone. Usually the snow and ice are gone and the hot temperatures haven't arrived. The first garden begins to sprout in May. The wild flowers are blooming, and the trees and grasses have turned green. Wild flowers that bloom in different parts of America are the forsythia, dogwood, violets, and jack-in-the-box. Many birds have built their nests, and mother birds are sitting on the eggs, which will soon hatch.

1 Mother Goose Day 
2 Brothers and Sisters Day 
3 Lumpy Rug Day 
4 National Candied Orange Peel Day 
5 National Hoagie Day 
6 No Diet Day 
7 National Tourism Day 
8 No Socks Day 
9 Lost Sock Memorial Day 
10 Clean up Your Room Day 
11 Twilight Zone Day 
12 Limerick Day 
13 Friday the 13th 
14 Dance Like a Chicken Day 
15 National Chocolate Chip Day 
16 National Sea Monkey Day 
17 Pack Rat Day 
18 No Dirty Dishes Day 
19 Boy's Club Day 
20 Pick Strawberries Day 
21 National Waiters and Waitresses Day 
22 Buy a Musical Instrument Day 
23 Lucky Penny Day 
24 National Escargot Day 
25 National Missing Children's Day 
26 Sally Ride Day 
27 Sun Screen Day 
28 Amnesty International Day 
30 International Jazz Day
31 World No Tobacco Day 

Empire State Building opened May 1, 1931. 
Catherine the Great of Russia born May 2, 1729. 
Napoleon died on St. Helena, May 5, 1821. 
Mexicans defeated French at Puebla, May 5, 1862. 
Memorial Day first observed, May 5, 1866. 
First postage stamp issued in England May 6, 1840 
Tchaikovsky, Russian composer, born May 7, 1840. 
German sub sank the passenger liner Lusitania May 7, 1915. 
Harry S. Truman, born in Lamar, Mo., May 8, 1884. 
Mother's Day became a public holiday, May 9, 1914. 
First transcontinental railway completed May 10, 1869. 
Irving Berlin, American songwriter, born May 11,1888. 
Florence Nightingale, English nurse, born May 12, 1820.
United States declared war on Mexico May 13, 1846. 
Lewis and Clark began trip up Missouri River, May 14, 1804. . 
U.S. began first regular airmail service May 15, 1918. 
William Seward, statesman who purchased Alaska, born May 16, 1801. 
John Hopkins, American philanthropist, born May 19, 1795. 
Amelia Earhart began the solo flight across the Atlantic May 20, 1932. 
Charles Lindbergh finished first translantic solo flight May 21, 1927. 
Laurence Olivier, British actor, born May 22, 1907. 
South Carolina became the eighth state May 23, 1788 
First permanent English settlement in America established May 24, 1607. 
Constitutional Convention opened in Philadelphia May 25, 1787. 
Golden Gate Bridge opened at San Francisco May 27, 1937.
Patrick Henry, statesman and orator, born May 29, 1736.
Rhode Island becomes the 13th state, May 29, 1790.
John F. Kennedy, 35th President, born in Brookline, Mass, May 29, 1917.
Christopher Columbus began his third voyage May 30, 1498.
Walt Whitman, American poet, born May 31, 1819.