May 23

 Holidays and Observances
(Alphabetical Order)

2026 Daily Holidays that fall on May 23, include:

• Amateur Radio Military Appreciation Day (ARMAD) - May 23, 2026 (Saturday of Memorial Day Weekend)
• Declaration of the Bab Day (Bahai Faith)
• International Day to End Obstetric Fistula 
• International Heritage Breeds Day - May 23, 2026 (Saturday of Third Full Week in May)
• International Jazz Day - May 23, 2026 (Saturday of Memorial Day Weekend) Also observed on April 30 each year
• International Turtle Day 
• Julia Pierpont Day - May 23, 2026 (Fourth Saturday in May)
• Lucky Penny Day
• National Heritage Breeds Day - May 23, 2026 (Saturday of Third Full Week in May)
• National Italian Beef Day - May 23, 2026 (Fourth Saturday in May)
• National Taffy Day
• World Crohn's and Colitis Day 
• World Turtle Day

2026 Weekly Holidays that include May 23, are:

• Click It or Ticket Mobilization (Covers Memorial Day Weekend) - May 18-31, 2026
• Emergency Medical Services Week (EMS) - May 17-23, 2026 (Third Full Week in May)
• Healthcare Documentation Integrity Week - May 17-23, 2026
• Healthy and Safe Swimming Week - May 18-24, 2026 (Week before Memorial Day Mon-Sun)
• International Heritage Breeds Week - May 17-23, 2026 (Third Week of May)
• International Pickles Week - May 17-23, 2026 (Third Week in May)
• Medical Transcriptionist Week - May 17-23, 2026 (Third Week in May)
• Mudbug Madness Days - May 22-24, 2026 (Memorial Day Weekend)
• National African Violet Week - May 18-24, 2026
• National Backyard Games Week - May 17-23, 2026 (Week before Memorial Day)
• National Eosinophil Awareness Week - May 17-23, 2026 (Third Week in May)
• National Healthcare Documentation Integrity Week - May 17-23, 2026
• National New Friends, Old Friends - May 17-23, 2026 (Third Week in May)
• National Polka Weekend - May 22-24, 2026 (Memorial Day Weekend)
• National Public Works Week - May 17-23, 2026
• National Safe Sun Week - May 18-24, 2026
• National Unicycle Week - May 17-23, 2026 (Begins on Third Sunday in May)
• National Vegetarian Awareness Week - May 18-24, 2026
• Old Time Player Piano Weekend - May 21-24, 2026 (Memorial Day Weekend)
• Prepare Tomorrow's Parents Month - May 10 - June 21, 2026 (Mother's Day to Father's Day)
• World Orienteering Week - May 16-24, 2026
• World Schizophrenia Awareness Week - May 18-24, 2026

2026 Monthly Holidays that include May 23, 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)

• Cannes International Film Festival - May 12-23, 2026, in Cannes, France is the most prestigious and most publicized film festival in the World.
• Vivid Sydney - May 21 - June 12, 2026, located in Sydney, Australia is where art, technology, and commerce intersect, and is an event of light, music, and ideas. Featuring outdoor lighting sculptures, cutting edge contemporary music, and the illumination of the Sydney Opera House. Check out our Holidays in Australia page!

Astrological Sign

The Astrological Sign for May 23 is Gemini.

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

• 1052 - King Philip I of France (d. 1108)
• 1893 - Ulysses S. Grant IV, American geologist and paleontologist (d. 1977)
• 1928 - Rosemary Clooney, American singer and actress (d. 2002)
• 1933 - Joan Collins, English actress, singer, and author (Dynasty)
• 1974 - Jewel Kilcher, American singer, songwriter, guitarist, actress, and poet

Famous Deaths

• 1868 - Kit Carson, American trapper, scout, and Indian agent (b. 1809)
• 1934 - Clyde Barrow - American outlaw (Bonnie & Clyde) who was killed in a police ambush
• 1937 - John D. Rockefeller, American businessman and philanthropist who founded the Standard Oil Company (b. 1839)
• 2002 - Sam Snead, American golfer (b. 1912)
• 2017 - Roger Moore, English Actor (James Bond Movies, The Saint) (b. 1927)

Famous Weddings and Divorces

• 1953 - Eunice Kennedy, sister of John F. Kennedy marries activist and attorney Sargent Shriver
• 1992 - Actress Sela Ward marries actor Howard Sherman
• 2004 - Singer Michella Branch marries musician Teddy Landau

Quote of the Day

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

The month of May is NATIONAL BARBEQUE MONTH. The Healthy Diet Habits tip of the day for May 23 is tips on Summer Cooking from Kerry.  It's not quite summer officially yet, but many of us start putting the grill to good use in Spring time depending on where we live! 

Season

May 23rd falls within the Spring Season in the Northern Hemisphere.

Spring is one of the four seasons. It follows the Winter Season, and is before the Summer Season. The weather warms up from the dreary cold, rainy and snowy weather, and you can spend more time outside.

The land comes alive in Spring, with grass turning green and early flowers like daffodils, tulips and California poppy's and other wildflowers bringing beauty back into your life!

Check out our Spring Season page for information about Spring, Spring Dates, Major Spring Holidays and Observances, Major Spring Festivals, Fun Facts About Spring, Spring Food Tips, Spring Gardening, Spring Preparation, Spring Quotes, and Spring Weather Information.

Kerry has put together some great information and tips on Spring foods: 

• Spring Weight Loss Tips

If you live in the Southern Hemisphere, this day falls in the Fall Season. 

• Fall Cooking

• Fall Foods

• Fall Snacks

• Fall Weight Loss Tips

This Day in History

• 1430 - Joan of Arc is captured at Compiegne and sold to the English
• 1568 - The Netherlands declare their independence from Spain
• 1701 - Captain William Kidd is hanged in London after being convicted of piracy and murdering William Moore.
• 1785 - Benjamin Franklin announces his invention of bifocals
• 1788 - South Carolina becomes the 8th state to ratify the U.S. Constitution
• 1844 - Declaration of Bab - Bahai festival
• 1873 - Canada's North West Mounted Police Force forms
• 1911 - The New York Public Library is dedicated by President Taft
• 1934 - Bonnie and Clyde, American bank robbers are ambushed by police and killed in Black Lake, Louisiana.
• 1939 - The U.S. Navy submarine USS Squalus sinks off the coast of New Hampshire, causing the death of 26
• 1990 - Cost of bailing out savings & loan failures is estimated at $130 billion
• 2013 - The Interstate 5 bridge over the Skagit River collapses in Mount Vernon, Washington

This Day in Music

• 1829 - Cyrill Demian of Vienna, Austria is granted a patent for the accordion
• 1964 - I Get Around by the Beach Boys is their #1 hit
• 1965 - Help Me, Rhonda by the Beach Boys hits #1
• 1966 - Paperback Writer is released by The Beatles
• 1975 - Hey, Won't You Play Another Somebody Done Somebody Wrong Song, by B.J. Thomas is certified gold.
• 1970 - Grateful Dead performs outside the U.S. for the 1st time in England
• 1979 - We Are Family by Sister Sledge is certified platinum.
• 2006 - Dixie Chicks release their seventh album Taking the Long Way which goes on to win five Grammy Awards.

Above, is the Dixie Chicks single Taking the Long Way, from their Taking the Long Way album released on this May 23 in 2006.

Please check out our Music Holidays page!

This Day in Sports

• 1873 - The 1st Preakness is won by G. Barbee aboard Survivor in 2:43
• 1926 - Hack Wilson is the 1st to hit a home run off the Wrigley Field scoreboard
• 1948 - Joe DiMaggio hits 3 consecutive home runs
• 1970 - San Diego Padres beat the San Francisco Giants 17-16 in 15 innings
• 1982 - Colin Wilson rides a surfboard 294 miles
• 1990 - New York Yankees beat the Minnesota Twins 12-0 with 6 home runs

Word of the Day from Wiktionary

Wishing You a Great Day Today!