On May 20, 1932, the first solo flight by a woman across the Atlantic Ocean was made by Amelia Earhart.

On May 20, 1932, the first solo flight by a woman across the Atlantic Ocean was made by

Amelia Earhart

Amelia Mary Earhart was an American aviation pioneer and author. Earhart was the first female aviator to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean. She received the United States Distinguished Flying Cross for this accomplishment. She set many other records, wrote best-selling books about her flying experiences and was instrumental in the formation of The Ninety-Nines, an organization for female pilots. In 1935, Earhart became a visiting faculty member at Purdue University as an advisor to aeronautical engineering and a career counselor to women students. She was also a member of the National Woman’s Party and an early supporter of the Equal Rights Amendment.

Happy Cinco De Mayo

Cinco de Mayo means “5th of May” in Spanish. The date is observed to commemorate the Mexican army’s unlikely victory over French forces at the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862, under the leadership of General Ignacio Zaragoza Seguín. In the United States, Cinco de Mayo is sometimes mistaken to be Mexico’s Independence Day—the most important national holiday in Mexico—which is celebrated on September 16.

May Fun Facts

The 5th month of the year brings us Memorial Day, Mother’s Day, and the last full month of Spring.

According to the early Roman calendar, May was the third month. Later, the ancient Romans used January as the first month and therefore, became the fifth month and it always had 31 days. May was first named for Maia, the Roman goddess of spring and growth. In the North Temperate Zone, may is one of the most beautiful months of the year. Usually, the snow and ice are gone by this time but the hot temperature hasn’t arrived yet. In May, the first garden begins to sprout and the wild flowers start to bloom and the trees and grasses turn green. Wild flowers such as forsythia, dogwood, violets, and jack-in-the-box bloom and many birds build their nests to sit on the eggs that will soon hatch.

Below are some fun facts about May:

  1. The birthstone for May is the emerald which represents success or love.
  2. The zodiac sign for May are Taurus (April 20 – May 20) and Gemini (May 21 – June 20)
  3. The birth flower for May is the Crataegus monogyna and the Lily of the Valley.
  4. On May 1, 1931, the Empire State Building was officially opened.
  5. Armed Forces Day – celebrated the third Saturday of May
  6. Mother’s Day – celebrated on the second Sunday of May
  7. Memorial Day – celebrated on the last Monday in May.
  8. May 5 – Cinco De Mayo
  9. On the first Saturday in May, the Kentucky Derby takes place.
  10. On May 11, 1858, Minnesota was admitted to the Union.
  11. On May 14, 1804, Lewis and Clark, the great explorers began their trip up the Missouri River.
  12. On May 14, 1948, the last British troops left Palestine which led to Israel becoming an independent country.
  13. On May 15, 1918, the first regular airmail service began in the United States.
  14. On May 20, 1862, Abraham Lincoln signed the Homestead Act.
  15. On May 20, 1932, the first solo flight by a woman across the Atlantic Ocean was made by Amelia Earhart.
  16. On May 23, 1788, South Carolina became the eighth state.
  17. On May 24, 1607, the first permanent English settlement in America was established in Jamestown, VA.
  18. On May 27, 1937, the Golden Gate Bridge was opened in San Francisco.
  19. On May 29, 1790, Rhode Island became the 13th state.
  20. On May 29, 1848, Wisconsin became the 30th state.

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