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.
Day of year
122
Days remaining
244
ISO week
18
Zodiac
Taurus
Season
Spring
Sun declination
+15.2°
External references
Curated jump-off points to the major almanacs, encyclopaedias and primary sources for this date.
Wikipedia: this day →Britannica: this day →LoC: Today in History →History.com: this day →On-This-Day.com →BBC: On This Day →NYT: this day →Time and Date →NASA APOD archive →U.S. Naval Observatory →Wolfram|Alpha →Wikidata →Google Books →JSTOR →Internet Archive →
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Astronomy
Computed via Cooper's formula. Positive declination = Sun north of the celestial equator (Northern Hemisphere summer).
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)
- 1886 — In Chicago, a general strike for the eight-hour workday began that would lead to the Haymarket affair. ↗(140 years ago)
- 1931 — The Empire State Building was officially opened in New York City. ↗(95 years ago)
- 1960 — American U-2 pilot Francis Gary Powers was shot down over the Soviet Union. ↗(66 years ago)
- 2011 — U.S. Navy SEALs killed al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden in Abbottabad, Pakistan. ↗(15 years ago)
Notable births
Notable deaths
- 1873 — David Livingstone, Scottish explorer. ↗(153 years ago)
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 |