India is a hierarchical society with incredible diversity in almost every facet of life. There are numerous diversities, including ethnic, linguistic, regional, economic, religious, class, and caste groups, among others. Important Days are an important part of any competitive examination preparation. In this article, I am discussing the list of important days in May, national and international days, events, and festivals. This will aid in the preparation of various government exams such as SSC, Bank PO, SBI PO, IBPS PO, IBPS SO, Bank Clerk like SBI Clerk, IBPS Clerk, and PSC, among others. This will also give you an idea of what events are taking place in the month of May.
Let us have a look at the events that we celebrated in the month of May 2021, their theme and the reason behind their celebration.
The Month May
The month of May is the fifth month of the year. It is one of seven months with a 31-day calendar. The month is named after the Ancient Greek goddess Maia. May was the third month of the year in early incarnations of the ancient Roman calendar. When January and February were added to the calendar, it became the fifth month.
May commemorates a variety of work gatherings and imprint days, such as International Labor Day, Coal Miners Day, International Firefighters Day, International Nurses Day, World Asthma Day, National Anti-Terrorism Day, and National Endangered Species Day are all observed during the month, which addresses various important issues.
Important Days in May
| Important Days in May | |||
| Date | Name of Important Days | Theme 2021 | For Your Information |
| 1 May | International Labour Day or May Day | Maintaining safety and security at the workplace (2020), No theme for 2021 | In India, Labour Day is referred to as Antarrashtriya Shramik Diwas or Kamgar Din. |
| 1 May | Maharashtra Day | No Theme | Maharashtra Diwas is another name for it in Marathi. It is a state holiday in Maharashtra. On May 1, 1960, the state of Maharashtra was formed by the division of the Bombay State. |
| 1 May | Gujarat Day | No Theme | It is a state holiday in Gujarat. The state of Gujarat was formed on 1 May, 1960 after the division of Bombay State. |
| 2 May | World Tuna Day | No Theme | It is observed on 2 May and is established by the United Nations (UN) to raise awareness about the importance of tuna fish. The day was first observed in 2017. |
| 2 May | World Laughter Day (first Sunday of May) | No Theme | In 1998, the first celebration took place in Mumbai, India. It was arranged by Dr. Madan Kataria, founder of the worldwide Laughter Yoga movement. |
| 3 May | Press Freedom Day | Information as a Public Good | Observed to evaluate press freedom around the world and to pay tribute to journalists who have lost their lives in the exercise of their profession. |
| 4 May | Coal Miners Day | No Theme | Coal Miners Day is observed to honour the coal miners. |
| 4 May | International Firefighters Day | No Theme | This day is observed to recognise and honour the sacrifices that firefighter’s make to ensure that their communities and environment are as safe as possible. |
| 4 May | World Asthma Day (First Tuesday of May) | Uncovering Asthma Misconceptions | The event is organised by the Global Initiative for Asthma. Asthma is a chronic inflammation of bronchitis causing cough, breathlessness, chest tightness etc. |
| 7 May | World Athletics Day | No Theme | Observed to raise awareness about sports among youth, in schools and institutions to promote athletics as the primary sport. |
| 7 May | Rabindranath Tagore Jayanti | No Theme | One of India’s top artists, novelist, author, Bengali poet, humanist, philosopher etc. In 1913, he was honoured with the Nobel Prize in Literature. |
| 8 May | World Red Cross Day | Together we are unstoppable | The founder of the Red Cross was Henry Dunant as well as the founder of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). He was born in Geneva in 1828. He became the first recipient of the 1st Nobel Peace prize. |
| 8 May | World Thalassaemia Day | Addressing Health Inequalities Across the Global Thalassaemia Community | Observed in honour of all patients suffering from Thalassaemia and for their parents who have never lost hope for life, despite the burden of their disease. |
| 9 May | Mother’s Day (Second Sunday of May) | No Theme | Mother’s Day was founded by Anna Jarvis who had given the idea of celebrating Mother’s Day in honour of mothers and motherhood in 1907. Nationally this day was recognised in 1914. |
| 11 May | National Technology Day | Science and Technology for a Sustainable Future | Observed to highlight the important role of Science in our daily lives and encourage students to opt science as an option for a career. On this day Shakti, the Pokhran nuclear test was held on 11 May, 1998. |
| 12 May | International Nurses Day | A Voice to Lead-A Vision for Future Healthcare | Celebrated to commemorate the anniversary of Florence Nightingale’s birthday. |
| 15 May | International Day of Families | Families and new technologies | The day provides an opportunity to raise awareness about the issues related to the families and to increase knowledge about the social, economic and demographic processes that affect them. |
| 15 May | Armed Forces Day (Third Saturday of the May) | Teamed for Defense | The day is celebrated to pay tribute to the men and women who served the United States Armed Forces. |
| 17 May | World Telecommunication Day | Accelerating Digital Transformation in challenging times | It is also known as World Telecommunication and International Society Day. Since 1969, it has been celebrated annually. |
| 17 May | World Hypertension Day | Measure Your Blood Pressure Accurately, Control It, Live Longer | The day promotes awareness about hypertension and to encourage people to prevent and control this silent killer epidemic. |
| 18 May | World AIDS Vaccine Day | Global solidarity, shared responsibility | This day marks the efforts of thousands of researchers, scientists, and health professionals who have contributed to the process of finding safe and effective AIDS medicine. It also focuses on the need of the vaccine. |
| 18 May | International Museum Day | The Future of Museums: Recover and Reimagine | To raise awareness about the museum and their role in society. The International Council of Museums (ICOM) created International Museum Day in 1977. |
| 21 May | National Anti-Terrorism Day | No Theme | To spread awareness about the violence caused by the terrorists and also in the memory of former Indian PM Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated on this day. |
| 21 May | National Endangered Species Day (Third Friday in May) | Sustaining All Life on Earth | To raise awareness about the importance of wildlife conservation and restoration efforts for all imperilled species |
| 22 May | International Day for Biological Diversity | We’re part of the solution | To increase awareness and understanding of the issues of biodiversity. |
| 26 May | Buddha Jayanti or Buddha Purnima | No Theme | Gautama Buddha is also known as ‘Jyoti Punj of Asia’ or ‘Light of Asia’. |
| 31 May | National Memorial Day (last Monday of May) | No Theme | It is also known as Decoration Day which originated during the years of Civil War and in 1971 it became an official holiday. On this day, people used to decorate the graves of the soldiers. So, it became a tradition of decorating graves with flowers, wreaths and flags. |
| 31 May | Anti-Tobacco Day/World No Tobacco Day | Quit tobacco to be a Winner | To make people aware and educate them about the harmful effects of tobacco on health which causes cardiovascular diseases, cancer, tooth decay, staining of teeth and more. |
Conclusion
Most government exams, such as RRB, SSC, and many other competitive exams, include a portion called General Awareness or General Knowledge in which questions about important dates are asked. So, in order to make your preparations easier, I’ve provided a detailed list of important days in May.
Staying up to date with Daily Current Affairs is important for competitive exam preparation. But, we mostly lag behind in practicing this habit in daily life. If you are also like me then learn all the weekly and monthly updates at BeePedia. BeePedia is a weekly and monthly general awareness capsule.
Also Read:
World No Tobacco Day 2021: Theme, History, and Significance
Anti-Terrorism Day 2021: Importance, Significance, and History of May 21
Importance of May 18: Worlds AIDS Vaccine Day; International Museum Day
Happy International Day of Families: 2021
Eid-ul-Fitr 2021: Celebration, Significance and Importance
May 12: International Nurses Day and Other Important Events
May 7: Historical Important Events of May 7
All You Need To Know About National Technology Day
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