Holidays, Celebrations on

Each year, May 15th marks a confluence of celebrations and observations that range from the delightfully sweet to the warmly familial, with various other quirky commemorations in between.

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Illustration of paper family, father, mother, two children and trees in the background

International Day of Families

#Family

Emphasizing the importance of families as basic units of society.

Many dark chocolate chips on a table

National Chocolate Chip Day

#Food#Dessert#Chocolate

Honoring the tiny morsels of chocolate that bring sweetness to various desserts.

Young woman wearing pantyhose

Nylon Stockings Day

#Fashion

Commemorating the impact of nylon stockings on fashion and women's liberation.

Interesting Facts of May 15th

  1. 1. May 15th marks the International Day of Families, which the United Nations proclaimed in 1993 to reflect the importance the international community attaches to families.
  2. 2. In 1940, McDonald's opened its first restaurant in San Bernardino, California; this date is considered the birth of the American fast-food restaurant chain by Richard and Maurice McDonald.
  3. 3. May 15th is the feast day of Saint Isidore the Laborer, who is the patron saint of farmers and laborers in the Roman Catholic Church, and is celebrated especially in rural areas and by agricultural workers.
  4. 4. On May 15, 1941, the British Royal Air Force used the Gloster E.28/39, the first British jet-engined aircraft, for its maiden flight, marking a significant advancement in aeronautical engineering during World War II.
  5. 5. In 1718, James Puckle, a London lawyer, patented the world's first machine gun known as the Puckle gun, which was capable of firing 63 shots in seven minutes—a considerable feat at the time.