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The Learning Calendar
The Learning Calendar is a free resource brought to you by the Homeschool Learning Network. Each month, we will highlight historical birthdays, anniversaries, and holidays, and provide teaching resources to help you learn about each topic.
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| May 01 | Lei Day | | | Lei Day is the Hawaiian version of May Day… leis are made, worn, given, and entered in contests. Schools have celebrations and performances to celebrate this special day. |
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| May 01 | May Day | | | This holiday has been observed since ancient times. Since the 19th century, May day is also Labor day and workers have a day off from work. In the US it is a Spring festival with flowers and maypoles. |
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| May 1 - 6, 2006 | Astronomy Week | | | This week is dedicated to learning more about Astronomy and its importance and history. |
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| May 01-31 | National Bike Month | | | This month is the annual celebration of bicycling as a form of both recreation and transpiration. |
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| May 01-31 | National Mental Health Month | | | This month is set aside to bring awareness to the importance of mental health for people of all ages. |
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| May 01-31 | National Physical Fitness and Sports Month | | | This month encourages individuals to promote fitness activities and programs - both in school and in every day life. |
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| May 02, 1519 | Leonardo Da Vinci's Death | | | Da Vinci was an Italian artist, inventor and scientist during the High Renaissance. He is famous for painting The Last Supper and the Mona Lisa, and was the inventor of the first parachute. |
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| May 02-08, 2005 | National Historic Preservation Week | | | This week is dedicated to drawing attention to historic preservation of neighborhoods and buildings. |
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| May 04, 2006 | National Day of Prayer | | | This holiday was created by Presidential Proclamation. It is a day set aside to honor the importance of prayer for those in whom it holds significance. |
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| May 06, 1937 | Hindenburg Disaster | | | On this day the dirigible Hindenburg exploded in air as it approached its landing in Lakehurst, NJ after traveling across the Atlantic ocean. 36 of 97 people on board perished. |
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| May 07, 1840 | Peter Tchaikovsky's Birthday | | | Tchaikovski is considered one of the most talented composers of all time. He was born in Vatkinsk, Russia. His famous works include the ballets Sleeping Beauty and Nutcracker. |
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| May 08, 1884 | Harry Truman's Birthday | | | Harry Truman was the 33rd President of the United States. He was the last of 9 presidents who had never attended college. |
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| May 08, 1945 | V-E Day | | | V-E stands for Victory in Europe during World War II, and it commemorates the unconditional surrender of Germany to the Allied Forces. |
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| May 09, 1950 | European Union Observance | | | Member countries of the European Union commemorate their announcement for establishing a single authority over certain industries throughout France and Germany. This organization was the forerunner of the European Union. |
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| May 09, 2006 | National Teacher Day | | | This day is set aside to pay tribute to American teachers and is sponsored b the National Education Association. |
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| May 10, 1869 | Golden Spike Driving Anniversary | | | The golden spike is the last, ceremonial railroad spike which was placed by Leland Stanford to officially recognize the completion of the world's First Transcontinental Railroad, when the Central Pacific and Union Pacific railroads met on May 10, 1869 at Promontory, Utah in Box Elder County in the northern Utah Territory (now part of the State of Utah). |
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| May 12, 1820 | Florence Nightengale's Birthday | | | Florence Nightingale was a nurse during the Crimean War, and contributed more than any other person in the development of modern nursing procedures and the dignity of the nursing profession overall. |
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| May 14, 1804 | Lewis and Clark Expedition | | | On this date, Lewis and Clark left St. Louis and set off on an exploratory expedition with a crew of 33. The crew was skilled in botany, zoology and survival. |
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| May 14, 1796 | Smallpox Vaccine Discovered | | | During the 18th Century, Small Pox was a deadly disease of epidemic proportions. Edward Jenner, a physician in England, found the vaccine in cowpox after a 10 year process. This date marks this discovery and honors Jenner. |
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| May 14, 2006 | Mother's Day | | | Mother's Day has been observed since 1907, and is set aside to honor all mothers. It was started by Anna Jarvis in Philadelphia PA, who asked her church to honor all mothers in memory of her mother. |
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| May 16, 1929 | First Academy Awards | | | On this date in 1929, the first Academy Awards were given to celebrate great movies and actors that were released that year. |
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| May 17, 1872 | New York Stock Exchange Established | | | Two dozen merchants and brokers agreed to establish what is known today as the New York Stock Exhange. They operated under a buttonwood tree on Wall street in New York City. |
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| May 18, 1980 | Mount St. Helen's Eruption | | | A major eruption of Mount St. Helens in Washington state took place on this dat in 1980, blowing steam and ash more than 11 miles into the sky! |
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| May 19, 1925 | Malcom X's Birthday | | | Malcolm X was a civil rights activist who transformed his life through finding the Islamic faith while in prison. He was assassinated in New York, NY on Feb 21, 1965. |
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| May 20, 1862 | Homestead Act is Signed by Lincoln | | | On this date, President Lincoln signed the Homestead Act, which opened millions of acres of government-owned land in the West to settlers - also known as "homesteaders". |
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| May 20, 1927 | Lindbergh Flight | | | This date is the anniversary of the first solo trans-Atlantic flight by Charles Lindbergh at the age of 25. He flew from Long Island, NY to Paris France - a journey that started on this date and ended one day later. |
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| May 22-29, 2006 | Buckle Up America! Week | | | This week has been set aside to remind Americans of the importance of wearing seatbelts. |
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| May 23, 2005 | World Turtle Day | | | This day is set aside by the American Tortoise Rescue to celebrate and protect turtles and tortoise - and their habitats. |
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| May 24, 1883 | Brooklyn Bridge Opens | | | After 14 years under construction, the Brooklyn Bridge in Manhattan opened on this date. It was designed by John Roebling, and is a steel suspension bridge that spans the East River. It was 1,593 feet long! |
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| May 25, 1977 | Release of the First Star Wars Movie | | | Star Wars is an influential science fantasy saga and fictional universe created by writer/producer/director George Lucas in the early 1970s. |
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| May 26, 2005 | Australia - Sorry Day | | | This Australian holiday is set aside to express sorrow and regret for the forced removal of Aboriginal children from their parents. |
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| May 27, 2006 | International Jazz Day | | | This day is set aside to celebrate jazz and honor its musicians. It is an international holiday. |
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| May 29, 1453 | Constantinople Falls to the Turks | | | On this date, the city of Constantinople was captured by the Turks, who renamed it Istanbul. This conquest marked the end of the Byzantine Empire. |
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| May 29, 1736 | Patrick Henry's Birthday | | | Patrick Henry was an American revolutionary leader and orator. He is especially remembered for his speech to the Virginia militia during the War. |
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| May 29, 1917 | John F. Kennedy's Birthday | | | John F. Kennedy was the 35th president of the US. He was the youngest man ever elected president, the first Catholic, and the first man to have served in the Navy. He was assassinated on Nov 22, 1963. |
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| May 29, 1917 | Mount Everest Reached | | | On this date, New Zealand explorer Sir Edmund Hillary and a Sherpa guide became the first team to reach the summit of Mt. Everest, the world's highest mountain. |
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| May 29, 1953 | Memorial Day | | | This date is a legal holiday in the US, and is set aside to honor all those who have died in battle, fighting for our freedom. |
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| May 30, 1783 | First American Daily Newspaper Published | | | On this day in 1783, the Pennsylvania Evening Post ran its first edition. It was published in Philadelphia, PA by Benjamin Towne. |
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| May 31, 1819 | Walt Whitman's Birthday | | | Walt Whitman was a poet and journalist and is best known for his work, "Leaves of Grass." All his poems celebrate modern life. |
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