WARSAW — It’s the start of a new month! Observances in May include Arthritis Awareness Month, Better Sleep Month, Mental Health Awareness Month, National Walking Month and Women’s Health Care Month. May is also Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month and Military Appreciation Month.
MAY TRIVIA:
- The May birthstone is the emerald, which symbolizes success and love.
- May birth flower: Lily of the Valley and Hawthorn.
- People who are born In May have a Zodiac sign of either Taurus or Gemini.
- May used to have a very different name in Old English. Back then, the month was referred to as the “month of three milkings.” Unsurprisingly, this meant that during this month, you could milk your cows up to three times per day.
- May was once considered an incredibly ill-omened time to get married. There’s a saying; “Marry in May and you’ll rue the day.”
- May is a special time for Star Wars fans worldwide and always a good reason to re-watch the movies. May the 4th is celebrated as “Star Wars Day,” due to the way the date sounds similar to “May the Force.”
HOLIDAYS/OBSERVANCES:
- May 7 — Primary Election Day
- May 12 — Mother’s Day
- May 27 — Memorial Day
THIS MONTH IN MUSIC:
Top 20 Song Chart for May 20, 1972:
- “I’ll Take You There” by The Staple Singers
- “Oh Girl” by The Chi-Lites
- “The Candy Man” by Sammy Davis Jr.
- “Look What You’ve Done For Me” by Al Green
- “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face” by Roberta Flack
- “Nice to be With You” by Gallery
- “Vincent” by Don McLean
- “Walkin’ in the Rain with the One I Love” by Love Unlimited
- “Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard” by Paul Simon
- “Outa Space” by Billy Preston
- “Sylvia’s Mother” by Dr. Hook & the Medicine Show
- “Taxi” by Harry Chapin
- “Morning Has Broken” by Cat Stevens
- “Tumbling Dice” by The Rolling Stones
- “It’s Going to Take Some Time” by Carpenters
- “Lean on Me” by Bill Withers
- “The Diary” by Bread
- “(Last Night) I Didn’t Get to Sleep at All” by The 5th Dimensio
- “Hot Rod Lincoln” by Commander Cody And His Lost Planet Airmen
- “The Troglodyte (Cave Man)” by The Jimmy Castor Bunch
THIS MONTH IN HISTORY:
May 1, 1941 — The cereal “Cheerios” hits store shelves.
May 5, 1968 — Senator Robert F. Kennedy is assassinated.
May 4, 1964 — Soap operas “Another World” and “As the World Turns” premiere.
May 5, 1904 — Cy Young pitches the first perfect game in modern baseball history.
May 5, 1893 — The New York Stock Exchange crashes, causing the “Great Panic of 1893.”
May 31, 1889 — Over 2,300 persons were killed in the Johnstown flood in Pennsylvania. Heavy rains throughout May caused the Connemaugh River Dam to burst, sending a wall of water 75 feet high pouring down upon the city.
May 2, 1845 — Seventy-nine people died in a bridge collapse over the River Bure at Great Yarmouth, England, after a large crowd gathered to watch a clown in a bathtub being pulled upriver by four geese.
Trains from Norwich were packed as people traveled from far and wide to witness the great spectacle on the east coast of England. As people gathered along the banks of the River Bure that Friday evening in excited anticipation, no one could have predicted the day would end in great tragedy with the loss of 79 lives, many of them young children.
In a widely advertised publicity stunt designed to draw in crowds, Nelson the Clown, a performer with William Cooke’s Circus, would sail up the River Bure in a washtub pulled by four geese. As Nelson drew nearer to his destination, an estimated 300-400 spectators rushed onto the suspension bridge in an effort to get a better view as he passed beneath. When one of the rods gave way, chains began to snap along one side and the bridge tipped over, catapulting its occupants into the waters below.
There was a scene of panic as horrified bystanders attempted to rescue those who were struggling to reach the banks. Others managed to scramble ashore by themselves. A call was immediately put out for every medical person in town to respond. As the rescue proceeded, it became clear that not everyone had survived, as the bodies of those unfortunate victims who had either drowned or been crushed by sections of the collapsed bridge were pulled from the river.
The youngest victims were just 2 years old. The oldest was 64. Of the 79 who lost their lives, 58 of them were aged 16 or under.
May 14, 1796 — Smallpox vaccine was developed by Dr. Edward Jenner, a physician in rural England. He coined the term “vaccination” for the new procedure of injecting a milder form of the disease into healthy persons resulting in immunity. Within 18 months, 12,000 persons in England had been vaccinated and the number of smallpox deaths dropped by two-thirds.
May 3, 1494 — Christopher Columbus discovers “St Iago.” It is later renamed Jamaica.
EVENTS:
- May 4 — Touch-a-Truck, 10 a.m., 1013 N. Long Drive, Syracuse.
- May 4 — Nelson’s Chicken Benefit for New Hope Pet Rescue, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Neighborhood Fresh Syracuse, 726 S. Huntington St., Syracuse.
- May 11 — Pierceton Fire Department Fish and Tenderloin Fry, 4-7 p.m., 302 First St., Pierceton.
- May 17-May 19 — Fat & Skinny Tire Fest, 7 a.m. May 17 to 5:30 p.m. May 19, 700 Park Ave., Winona Lake.
- May 17 — Tenth Annual Rockin’ BBQ, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Kosciusko Fairgrounds, Warsaw.
