Holidays Calendar for May 5, 2012
May 5 is Constitution Day in Kyrgyzstan. It marks the anniversary of the adoption of the country’s first post-Soviet constitution on May 5, 1993.
Liberation Day (Bevrijdingsdag) is a public holiday in the Kingdom of the Netherlands celebrated annually on May 5. It marks the liberation of the Netherlands from the Nazi occupation during the Second World War.
Children's Day in the Republic of Korea (South Korea) is celebrated annually on May 5. It was founded in 1923 by Bang Jeong-hwan, a pioneer of Korean juvenile literature and a children's rights activist.
Children’s Day (Kodomo no Hi) is the final holiday of the so-called Golden Week in Japan. It has been celebrated as a national holiday since 1948, but the roots of the celebration can be traced back to the 6th century.
Patriots' Victory Day is an Ethiopian public holiday that marks the end of the Italian occupation. It commemorates those who died during the occupation and honors veterans of the resistance movement. The holiday is celebrated on May 5.
Indian Arrival Day is a holiday celebrated in some Caribbean countries and Mauritius. All countries holds celebrations on various days, in Guyana the holiday is observed on May 5.
Senior Citizens' Day is a public holiday in the Republic of Palau celebrated annually on May 5. This holiday focuses on celebrating senior citizens as the link to the country's traditions and national heritage. It is dedicated to people who are 55 years old and older.
Public Holidays →
Bangladesh,
Cambodia,
Malaysia,
Singapore,
Thailand,
Indonesia,
Nepal
Vesak (Buddha's Day)
Vesak (also known as Vesakha, Wesak, Buddha Purnima, Buddha's Day, Buddha Jayanti) is one of the most important Buddhist holidays. It is sometimes referred to as Buddha's birthday, but Vesak actually commemorates the birth, enlightenment and passing away of Gautama Buddha.
International Midwives' Day, also known as International Day of the Midwife, is an annual observance held on May 5 in more than 50 countries around the world.
African World Heritage Day is observed annually on May 5. It was proclaimed by the General Conference of UNESCO in November 2015 to celebrate the natural and cultural heritage of Africa.
World Hand Hygiene Day (WHHD) is observed annually on May 5. It is a global awareness campaign that was launched by the World Health Organization (WHO) to raise the profile of the importance of clean hands for saving lives.
World Pulmonary Hypertension Day (WPHD), also known as World PH Day, is observed annually on May 5. It was created to raise awareness of a severe health condition that affects the lungs and heart and is frequently misdiagnosed.
World Ankylosing Spondylitis Day, also known as World AS Day or WAS Day, is typically observed on the first Saturday of May, but it moves to the next Saturday if the first one falls on May 1. It was created to raise awareness of a form of arthritis that usually affects the joints where the spine meets the pelvis.
World Naked Gardening Day (WNGD) is an annual gardening event held across the world on the first Saturday of May (with some exceptions). It is mostly celebrated by two categories of people: avid gardeners and naturists (and, of course, by those who are both avid gardeners and naturists).
Press Day, sometimes also translated as Printing Day, is a professional holiday celebrated on Belarus on May 5. It is the professional holiday of all print media employees in the country, although those who work in the independent media beg to differ.
National Astronaut Day is observed annually on May 5 to celebrate all the people who are brave enough to travel through space and reach for the stars. It commemorates the day when Alan Shepard became the first American to travel into space.
National Cartoonist Day is observed annually on May 5. It was created to celebrate the talented, creative, and hard-working visual artists who both write and illustrate cartoons, comic books, and graphic novels.
Arbor Day, also known as Tree Planting Day, is a holiday celebrated in many countries. Each country selects its own date depending on the suitable tree planting season. For example, the Dominican Republic celebrates its Arbor Day on May 5.
National Ferret Day is celebrated in the United Kingdom annually on May 5. It was created to raise positive awareness of domesticated ferrets and dispel common myths about these cute and intelligent animals.
Cinco de Mayo is an annual celebration held in the United States and some localities in Mexico on May 5. It commemorates the Battle of Puebla that ended in a Mexican army's unlikely victory over a larger and better equipped French army.
Cultural Observances →
Austria,
Azerbaijan,
Albania,
Andorra,
Armenia,
Belgium,
Bulgaria,
Bosnia and Herzegovina,
United Kingdom,
Hungary,
Germany,
Greece,
Georgia,
Denmark,
Ireland,
Iceland,
Spain,
Italy,
Cyprus,
Latvia,
Lithuania,
Liechtenstein,
Luxembourg,
North Macedonia,
Malta,
Moldova,
Monaco, ...
Europe Day in the Council of Europe
May 5 is Europe Day, celebrated by the European countries. This holiday commemorates the establishment of the Council of Europe.
Cultural Observances →
Portugal,
Brazil,
Angola,
Mozambique,
Cape Verde,
Guinea-Bissau,
Sao Tome and Principe,
Senegal,
Equatorial Guinea,
Mauritius
International Day of the Portuguese Language and Culture (Lusophone Culture Day)
May 5 is annual celebration of International Day of the Portuguese Language and Culture. The celebration was introduced in the Community of Portuguese Language Countries (CPLP), that includes 9 members and 6 associate observers.
On May 5, Denmark celebrates Liberation Day. It is the anniversary of the end of the occupation of Denmark by Nazi Germany. Liberation Day is not a public holiday, but special events are held on the occasion.
Martyrs' Day is a remembrance day in Albania observed annually on May 5. It honors the memory of those who gave their lives for the country's liberation during the Second World War. May 5 marks the anniversary of the death of Qemal Stafa in 1942.
Anniversaries and Memorial Days →
Austria
Day of Remembrance Against Violence and Racism in Memory of the Victims of National Socialism in Austria
The Day of Remembrance Against Violence and Racism in Memory of the Victims of National Socialism (Gedenktag gegen Gewalt und Rassismus im Gedenken an die Opfer des Nationalsozialismus) is a national remembrance day in Austria observed annually on May 5.
Anniversaries and Memorial Days →
USA,
Canada
National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls
The National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, also know as Red Dress Day, is observed in the United States and Canada on May 5. It was established to raise awareness of missing and murdered indigenous women, girls and 2SLGBTQQIA people.
May 5 is National Hoagie Day. This type of sandwich has several names, but one thing remains common: bread and different kinds of fillings used to make it.
The first Saturday of May is Free Comic Book Day in the USA. This an annual promo effort by the North American comic book industry aimed to find new readers and attract them to comic book stores.
Vesak is an important Buddhist holiday that celebrates the birth, enlightenment and passing of Gautama Buddha. In 1999, the General Assembly officially declared the Day of Vesak as a United Nations international day.
National Homebrew Day is observed annually on the first Saturday of May. It was created to raise the profile of homebrewing and bring homebrewers from across the nation together to share and learn from each other.
Join Hands Day is an annual event launched by the American Fraternal Alliance and organized by Assured Life Association. Held on the first Saturday of May, it celebrates volunteering and its role in bringing different generations together.
National Scrapbook Day, also referred to as International Scrapbook Day and National Scrapbooking Day, is celebrated annually on the first Saturday of May. It was created to raise awareness of a fun creative hobby that is popular in many parts of the world.
The first Saturday of May is a perfect day to get moving and pledge to live a healthier lifestyle because it is National Fitness Day. It was created to celebrate strength and empowerment through fitness and inspire people to find new ways to stay fit and healthy.
Festivals on May 5, 2012
- Brighton Fringe in Brighton, United Kingdom
- Eurovision Young Musicians in Vienna, Austria
- Baltimore Kinetic Sculpture Race in Baltimore, USA
- Rochester Sweeps Festival in Rochester, United Kingdom
- Tennessee Renaissance Festival in Arrington, USA
- Brighton Festival in Brighton, United Kingdom
- Tulip Time Festival in Holland, USA
- Oklahoma Renaissance Festival in Muskogee, USA
- Bray Jazz Festival in Bray, Ireland
- Utah Renaissance Festival and Fantasy Faire in Marriott-Slaterville, USA
- Canadian Tulip Festival in Ottawa, Canada
- EUROPAfest in Bucharest, Romania
- Anifilm in Trebon, Czech Republic
- Festival Accès Asie in Montreal, Canada
- Hiroshima Flower Festival in Hiroshima, Japan
This Day in History
- 2024 Died: Bernard Hill, English actor. He is known for playing Théoden in The Lord of the Rings film trilogy, Captain Edward Smith in Titanic, and Luther Plunkitt in True Crime.
- 2023 The World Health Organization officially declared that the COVID-19 pandemic was over, ending the public health emergency of international concern declared on January 30, 2020.
- 2011 Died: Claude Choules, English-Australian who was the last combat veteran of WWI and the last veteran to have served in both world wars.
- 2008 Died: Irv Robbins, Canadian-born American businessman best known for co-founding the Baskin-Robbins ice cream parlor with Burt Baskin.
- 1999 Born: Nathan Chen, American figure skater. He is the 2022 Olympic champion, a three-time World champion, the 2017 Four Continents champion, and a three-time Grand Prix Final champion.
- 1995 Died: Mikhail Botvinnik, Soviet and Russian chess Grandmaster and three-time World Chess Champion. He is one of the greatest chess players of all time.
- 1988 Born: Adele (born Adele Laurie Blue Adkins), English singer and songwriter. In 2013, she received an Academy Award for her song "Skyfall".
- 1985 Died: Donald Bailey, English civil engineer who is best known for having invented the Bailey bridge, a type of portable, pre-fabricated, truss bridge.
- 1983 Born: Henry Cavill, British actor known for his roles as Superman in the DC Extended Universe, Napoleon Solo in The Man from U.N.C.L.E., and Geralt of Rivia in The Witcher.
- 1981 Born: Craig David, English singer-songwriter whose best known songs include "7 Days", "Walking Away", "Rise & Fall" (featuring Sting), "Unbelievable".
- 1979 Born: Vincent Kartheiser, American actor known for playing Connor on Angel, Pete Campbell on Mad Men, and Dr. Jonathan Crane on Titans.
- 1978 Born: Santiago Cabrera, Chilean actor known for his roles as Isaac Mendes in Heroes, Lancelot in Merlin, Aramis in The Musketeers, and Cristóbal Rios in Star Trek: Picard.
- 1977 Died: Ludwig Erhard, German politician who served as Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany (West Germany) from 1963 to 1966.
- 1972 Alitalia Flight 112 crashed into Mount Longa near Palermo, Italy, while approaching Palermo International Airport. All 155 people on board were killed.
- 1964 Born: Don Payne, American screenwriter and producer. He wrote several episode of The Simpsons as well as a number of feature films.
- 1961 Mercury-Redstone 3, or Freedom 7, was launched. It was the first United States human spaceflight, piloted by astronaut Alan Shepard.
- 1959 Born: Peter Molyneux, British video game designer and programmer who is best known for creating the Fable series and other popular games.
- 1957 Born: Richard E. Grant, Swazi-English actor and presenter. He received critical acclaim for his role as Jack Hock in Marielle Heller's drama film Can You Ever Forgive Me?
- 1950 Bhumibol Adulyadej was crowned King Rama IX of Thailand at the age of 22. By that time, he had already been reigning for almost four years.
- 1949 Ten European countries signed the Treaty of London, also known as the Statute of the Council of Europe. As of 2024, it has been ratified by 46 European states.
- 1945 The Prague Uprising began during the Second World War. It was an attempt by the Czech resistance to liberate Prague from Nazi occupation.
- 1944 Born: John Rhys-Davies, Welsh actor best known for portraying Sallah in the Indiana Jones franchise and Gimli in The Lord of the Rings trilogy.
- 1943 Born: Michael Palin, English actor, comedian, television presenter, and writer. He is known as one of the members of the comedy group Monty Python.
- 1939 Born: Ray Gosling, English journalist, broadcaster, writer, and activist. He created numerous programs for BBC Radio 4 and Granada Television.
- 1936 Addis Ababa was captured by the Italian forces as a result of the so-called March of the Iron Will. It marked the end of the Second Italo-Ethiopian War.
- 1921 Died: Alfred Hermann Fried, Austrian journalist, publicist, and pacifist who was awarded the 1911 Nobel Peace Prize, along with Tobias Asser.
- 1920 Italian-born American anarchists Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti were arrested for alleged robbery of a shoe factory and murder.
- 1919 Born: Georgios Papadopoulos, Greek colonel and politician who was the leader of the junta that ruled Greece after the 1967 coup until 1974.
- 1911 Born: Andor Lilienthal, Hungarian and Soviet chess Grandmaster. In his long career, he played against ten male and female world champions.
- 1892 Died: August Wilhelm von Hofmann, German chemist known for his significant contributions to organic chemistry, which earned him several awards.
- 1891 Carnegie Hall (then Music Hall) in New York City officially opened. The first public concert was conducted by Pyotr Tchaikovsky and Walter Damrosch.
- 1859 Died: Peter Gustav Lejeune Dirichlet, German mathematician who is primarily remembered for his contributions to mathematical analysis.
- 1846 Born: Henryk Sienkiewicz, Polish novelist, journalist, and philanthropist who was awarded the 1905 Nobel Prize in Literature for his outstanding merits as an epic writer.
- 1821 Died: Napoléon Bonaparte, French military and political leader who was Emperor of the French from 1804 to 1814 and briefly in 1815. He died in exile on Saint Helena island.
- 1818 Born: Karl Marx, German philosopher, sociologist, economist, and socialist. His best known works are The Communist Manifesto and Das Kapital.
- 1809 Mary Dixon Kies became the first woman to be granted a United States patent, which was for a technique of weaving straw with thread and silk.
- 1762 Russia and Prussia signed the Treaty of Saint Petersburg, ending the Seven Years' War. Two years later, they would enter into a defensive alliance.
- 1705 Died: Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor, King of Hungary and Croatia and King of Bohemia. His reign is known for his rivalry with King Louis XIV of France.