May is named for the Roman goddess Maia, who oversaw the growth of plants.
Daily Calendar for Thursday, May 1, 2025
Ancient spring rites that related human fertility to crop fertility gave birth to most modern May Day festivities. May 1 is the traditional day to crown the May queen, dance around the maypole, perform mummers’ plays, and generally celebrate the return of spring. Although our Pilgrim fathers were horrified by these reminders of a pagan past and outlawed all such activities, the maypole dance remains an enduring event. In Great Britain, the custom of “bringing in the May” involves gathering “knots,” or branches with buds, on the eve or early morning of May 1. In England, a favorite branch is hawthorn. In Scotland and Wales, people choose the rowan, or mountain ash. In North America, we often select forsythia, lilac, or pussy willow branches to bring spring and the prospect of new life into our homes. Learn more about May Day here!
Died
- Pope Pius V –
- Dr. David Livingstone (explorer, missionary) –
- Spike Jones (band leader, musician, & comedian) –
Born
- Benjamin Henry Latrobe (architect) –
- Glenn Ford (actor) –
- Jack Paar (entertainer) –
- Joseph Heller (novelist) –
- Rita Coolidge (singer) –
- Joanna Lumley (actress) –
- Tim McGraw (country singer) –
- Ariel Gade (actress) –
Events
- Great Britain formed–
- Electric streetlights installed in Ottawa, Ontario–
- Scofield Mine disaster occurred in Utah–
- The Empire State Building was dedicated in New York City–
- Gwendolyn Brooks became the first African American to win a Pulitzer Prize–
- Existence of Van Allen radiation belts announced–
- Harper Lee won Pulitzer Prize for her novel, To Kill a Mockingbird–
- Elvis Presley married Priscilla Beaulieu in Las Vegas–
Weather
- Polebridge, Montana, had a temperature of -5 degrees F–
- Ice out, Dublin Lake in Dublin, New Hampshire (home of The Old Farmer’s Almanac)–
