May 17

 Holidays and Observances
(Alphabetical Order)

2024 Daily Holidays that fall on May 17, include:

• Endangered Species Day - May 17, 2024 (Third Friday in May)
• International Child Helpline Day 
  
• International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia, and Biphobia 
• International Defense Transportation Day - May 17, 2024 (Third Friday in May)
• International Virtual Assistants Day - May 17, 2024 (Third Friday in May)
• NASCAR Day - May 17, 2024 (Third Friday in May)
• National Bike to Work Day - May 17, 2024 (Third Friday in May)
• National Cherry Cobbler Day 
• National Defense Transportation Day - May 17, 2024 (Third Friday in May)
• National Mushroom Hunting Day 
• National Pack Rat Day 
• National Pizza Party Day - May 17, 2024 (Third Friday in May)
• National Walnut Day 
• O. Henry Pun-Off Day - May 17, 2024 (Third Friday in May)
• Pinot Grigio Day 
• World Hypertension Day 
• World Information Society Day 
• World Neurofibromatosis Day (NF Day) 
• World Telecommunication and Information Society Day 
• World Telecommunication Day 

2024 Weekly Holidays that include May 17, are:

• American Craft Beer Week - May 13-19, 2024
• Armed Forces Week - May 11-18, 2024 (Second Saturday to Third Saturday in May)
• Food Allergy Awareness Week - May 12-18, 2024 (Second Full Week in May)
• Frog Jumping Jubilee Day (Calaveras County, CA) - May 16-19, 2024
• Hospital Week - May 12-18, 2024 (Second Full Week of May)
  
• International Coaching Week - May 13-19, 2024
• National Bike to Work Week - May 13-19, 2024 
• National Charter Schools Week - May 13-17, 2024
• National Etiquette Week - May 13-19, 2024 (Begins Second Monday of Full Week in May)
• National Foul Ball Week - May 16-21
• National Hospital Week - May 12-18, 2024 (Second week in May)
  
• National Police Week - May 12-18, 2024
  
• National Prevention Week - May 12-18, 2024
• National Public Gardens Week - May 10-19, 2024 (Friday before to the Sunday after Mother's Day)
  
• National Return to Work Week - May 12-18, 2024 (Second Full Week in May)
• National Salvation Army Week - May 13-19, 2024
• National Skilled Nursing Care Week - May 12-18, 2024 (Starts on Mother's Day to Following Saturday)
• National Stationary Week - May 13-19, 2024
• National Stuttering Awareness Week - May 12-18, 2024 (Second Full Week in May)
• National Transportation Week - May 16-22, 2024 (Always has Third Friday in May)
• National Women's Health Week - May 12-18, 2024 (Week Starting With Mother's Day)
  
• Prepare Tomorrow's Parents Month - May 12 - June 16, 2024 (Mother's Day to Father's Day)
• Reading is Fundamental Week - May 12-18, 2024 (Second Full Week in May) 
  
• Salute to Moms 35+ Week - May 12-18, 2024 (Starts on Mother's Day)
• Work at Home Mom's Week - May 12-18, 2024 (Starts on Mother's Day)
  
• World Trade Week - May 12-18, 2024 (Third Week in May)

2024 Monthly Holidays that include May 17, are:

There are too many monthly holidays to include here, so please check out our May Holidays page to see all of the holidays that are celebrated the entire month of May.

NOTE:

1. A page on each holiday will be coming soon and linked above.
2. If a date is a movable holiday, that is different every year, I'll include the year as well as the date rule above. Otherwise, the holiday falls on the same date each year.

World Festivals and Events
(Date Order)

• PGA Championship - May 13-19, 2024
• Cannes International Film Festival - May 14-25, 2024 in Cannes, France is the most prestigious and most publicized film festival in the World.
• National Morel Mushroom Festival - May 16-19, 2024 (Weekend after Mother's Day)

Astrological Sign

The Astrological Sign for May 17 is Taurus.

Birth Flower of the Month

The Birth Flower(s) for the Month for May are:

• The Lily of the Valley - Humility, Chastity and Sweetness - signifies a return to happiness
• Hawthorn

Birthstone

The Birthstone(s) for May is the Emerald which is a symbol of rebirth and is believed to grant the owner foresight, good fortune, and youth.

Famous Birthdays

• 1931 - Marshall Applewhite, American cult leader who founded Heaven's Gate and organized their mass suicide in 1997 (d. 1997)
• 1934 - Ronald Wayne, American computer scientist and author who co founded Apple Inc., but sold his rights early on
• 1936 - Dennis Hopper, American actor and director (True Grit, Easy Rider) (d. 2010)
• 1955 - Bill Paxton, American actor and director (Aliens, Apollo 13, Titanic, Hatfield's & McCoy's)
• 1956 - Charles (Sugar Ray) Leonard, American Boxer and actor who received an Olympic Gold Medal in 1976
• 1956 - Bob Saget, American comedian, actor and television host (Full House)
• 1961- Enya (Eithne Ni Bhraonain), Irish singer, songwriter, and producer
• 1985 - Derek Hough, American dancer, singer, and actor (Dancing with the Stars)

Famous Deaths

• 1727 - Catherine I of Russia (b. 1684)
• 1875 - John C. Breckinridge, American lawyer and 14th Vice President of the United States (b. 1821)
• 1886 - John Deere, American blacksmith and businessman who founded the Deere & Company which manufactured agricultural equipment (b. 1804)
• 1992 - Lawrence Welk, American bandleader and accordionist (Lawrence Welk Show) (b. 1903)
• 2004 - Tony Randall, American actor, director, and producer (The Odd Couple) (b. 1920)
• 2012 - Donna Summer, American singer, songwriter and Queen of Disco! (b. 1948)

Famous Weddings and Divorces

• 1536 - The annulment of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn's marriage
• 1923 - Singer and Actress Marlene Dietrich marries assistant director Rudolf Sieber. They remained married until his death in 1976.
• 1997 - Actor Sylvester Stallone marries model, Jennifer Flavin

Quote of the Day

Healthy Diet Habit Tip of the Day 
or a Recipe of the Day

What does it mean to have good emotional health? Many times we emotionally eat, because we do not understand what it means to be emotionally healthy, and we have unrealistic expectations of ourselves. When we do not measure up to our expectations, we eat! Healthy diet habits, promote good emotional health!

The key to good emotional health, is the belief that you are a person of great worth, no matter what has happened in your past.  You are wonderfully and fearfully made!  That is a truly amazing Lifestyle Solution, to see yourself as a person of great worth!

Find out what good emotional health is not, and find out what Good Emotional Health is from Kerry of Healthy Diet Habits! (link goes to her website)

This Day in History

• 1590 - Anne of Denmark is crowned Queen of Scotland
• 1620 - The 1st merry-go-round is seen at a fair in Philippapolis, Turkey
• 1775 - During the American Revolutionary War, the Continental Congress prohibits trade with Canada
• 1792 - The New York Stock Exchange is formed
• 1804 - Lewis & Clark begin exploration of Louisiana Purchase
• 1814 - Denmark cedes Norway to Sweden
• 1845 - The rubber band is patented
• 1849 - St. Louis, Missouri is nearly burned to the ground by a large fire
• 1865 - The International Telegraph Union is established in Paris and later renamed as the International Telecommunication Union
• 1877 - The 1st telephone switchboard burglar alarm is installed by Edwin T. Holmes
• 1883 - Buffalo Bill Cody's 1st wild west show debuts in Omaha, Nebraska
• 1884 - Alaska becomes a U.S. territory
• 1890 - The 1st weekly comic paper, Comic Cuts is published in London
• 1898 - Camp Merritt forms in Presidio San Francisco
• 1906 - The Simplon Tunnel in Switzerland is open to rail traffic
• 1915 - The National Baptist Convention is chartered
• 1938 - U.S. Congress approves the Vinson Naval Act, which funds a two-ocean Navy
• 1940 - During World War II, Germany occupies Brussels, Belgium
• 1944 - General Eisenhower sets D-Day for June 5th
• 1973 - Televised hearings begin in the U.S. Senate over the Watergate scandal
• 1987 - The U.S. Navy warship USS Stark is fired on by an Iraqi Dassault Mirage F1 fighter who fires to missiles, killing 37 and injuring 21 of the crew.
• 1989 - Vincent Van Gogh's painting, Portrait of Dr. Gachet is auctioned for $825 million
• 2006 - The aircraft carrier USS Oriskany is sunk in the Gulf of Mexico to use as an artificial reef
• 2013 - A series of bombings across Iraq kill 90 people and injures 200 more

This Day in Music

• 1963 - The Monterey Folk Festival debuts with Bob Dylan, Pete Seeger, Joan Baez, and Peter, Paul and Mary
• 1971 - Knock Three Times by Dawn hits #1 on the UK singles chart
• 1973 - The Yes Album and Yessongs are certified gold
• 1975 - I'm Not in Love, by 10CC is released
• 1975 - That's the Way of the World by Earth Wind and Fire hits #1 on the album charts
• 1975 - Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy by Elton John is certified platinum.
• 1983 - Let's Dance by David Bowie hits #1 on the US charts
• 1986 - Greatest Love of All by Whitney Houston hits #1 
• 2008 - Madonna's album Hard Candy hits #1 on the US charts
• 2009 - 21st Century Breakdown by Green Day hits #1 on the UK album charts
• 2009 - Boom Boom Pow by the Black Eyed Peas hits #1 on the UK singles chart

Above, is Enya's Only Time - She was born on this day, May 17, 1961

Please check out our Music Holidays page!

This Day in Sports

• 1859 - Australian Rules Football first 'law of the game' is published
• 1860 - German football club TSV 1860 Munchen is founded
• 1875 - Oliver Lewis aboard Aristides wins the 1st Kentucky Derby in 2:37.75
• 1927 - The Chicago Cubs beat the Boston Braves, 4-3 in 22 innings
• 1928 - The 9th Olympic Games opens in Amsterdam.
• 1970 - Hank Aaron becomes the 9th player to get 3,000 hits

Word of the Day from Wiktionary

Wishing You a Great Day Today!