May 1
May 1 is the 122nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar; 244 days remain until the year's end. It falls in spring (northern hemisphere) and under the astrological sign of Taurus.
External references
Curated jump-off points to the major almanacs, encyclopaedias and primary sources for this date.
Astronomy
On May 1 the Sun's declination is approximately +15.2°. At this latitude the Sun is north of the celestial equator, giving the Northern Hemisphere longer days than nights.
For specific rise/set times at your location, see the U.S. Naval Observatory, or the NASA APOD archive for any imagery published on a May 1.
Position in the year
Holidays & observances
- International Workers' Day (May Day, worldwide)
- Beltane (Gaelic seasonal festival)
- Lei Day (Hawaii)
Events
A selection of widely-documented historical events that took place on this date. Years marked BCE follow standard astronomical convention.
1707 — The Acts of Union 1707 came into force, joining England and Scotland into Great Britain. ↗(319 years ago)more
The Acts of Union refer to two acts of Parliament, one by the Parliament of Scotland in March 1707, followed shortly thereafter by an equivalent act of the Parliament of England. They put into effect the international Treaty of Union agreed on 22 July 1706, which politically joined the Kingdom of England and Kingdom of Scotland into a single "political st...
1886 — In Chicago, a general strike for the eight-hour workday began that would lead to the Haymarket affair. ↗(140 years ago)more
The Haymarket affair, also known as the Haymarket massacre, the Haymarket riot, the Haymarket Square riot, or the Haymarket Incident, was the aftermath of a bombing that took place at a labor demonstration on May 4, 1886, at Haymarket Square in Chicago.
- 1931 — The Empire State Building was officially opened in New York City. ↗(95 years ago)
more
The Empire State Building is a 102-story, supertall skyscraper in the Midtown South neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City, United States. The building was designed in the Art Deco style by Shreve, Lamb & Harmon and constructed between 1930 and 1931. Its name is derived from "Empire State", the nickname of New York state.
1960 — American U-2 pilot Francis Gary Powers was shot down over the Soviet Union. ↗(66 years ago)more
On 1 May 1960, a United States U-2 spy plane, having taken off from Peshawar in Pakistan, was shot down by the Soviet Air Defence Forces in Sverdlovsk, Russia. It was conducting photographic aerial reconnaissance inside Soviet territory while being flown by American pilot Francis Gary Powers, as it was hit by a surface-to-air missile.
2011 — U.S. Navy SEALs killed al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden in Abbottabad, Pakistan. ↗(15 years ago)more
On May 2, 2011, the United States conducted Operation Neptune Spear, in which SEAL Team Six shot and killed Osama bin Laden at his "Waziristan Haveli" in Abbottabad, Pakistan. Bin Laden, who founded al-Qaeda and orchestrated the September 11 attacks, had been the subject of a United States military manhunt since the beginning of the war in Afghanistan, bu...
Notable births
1672 — Joseph Addison, English essayist. ↗(354 years ago)more
Joseph Addison was a British writer and politician. He was the eldest son of Lancelot Addison. His name is usually remembered alongside that of his long-standing friend Richard Steele, with whom he founded The Spectator magazine. His simple prose style marked the end of the mannerisms and conventional classical images of the 17th century.
Notable deaths
1873 — David Livingstone, Scottish explorer. ↗(153 years ago)more
David Livingstone was a Scottish doctor, Congregationalist, pioneer Christian missionary with the London Missionary Society, and an explorer in Africa. Livingstone was married to Mary Moffat Livingstone, from the prominent 18th-century Moffat missionary family.
Numerical & calendrical curiosities
| Day-of-year (122) | 2 × 61 · composite (no) |
|---|---|
| Days remaining (244) | 2^2 × 61 |
| Date code DDMMYYYY | 01052026 · no palindrome in next 200 years |
| Sun declination | +15.20° (Cooper approximation) |
| Distance from solstice | 50 days |