On May 8, 1945, both Great Britain and the United States
celebrated Victory in Europe Day. Cities in both nations,
as well as formerly occupied cities in Western Europe,
put out flags and banners, rejoicing in the defeat of the
Nazi war machine during World War II.

Canadian soldiers celebrating VE-Day, Piccadilly Circus, London, England.

 
     SANDY KOZEL                                    

The airship Hindenburg, the largest dirigible ever built and the
pride of Nazi Germany, burst into flames upon touching its
mooring mast in Lakehurst, New Jersey, killing 36 passengers
and crew-members, on May 6, 1937. 

The Hindenburg above New York City before the disaster.

On May 5, 1961, Navy Commander Alan Bartlett Shepard Jr.
was launched into space aboard the Freedom 7 space
capsule, becoming the first American astronaut to travel
into space. 

The suborbital flight, which lasted 15 minutes and reached
a height of 116 miles into the atmosphere, was a major triumph 
for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).

The view from Freedom 7.

Cinco de Mayo , (Spanish for "Fifth of May") is a yearly celebration
held on May 5 to celebrate Mexico’s victory over the Second French Empire at the Battle of Puebla in 1862 which was led by General
Ignacio Zaragoza.

Ignacio Zaragoza Seguín (1829 – 1862)

Anonymous paintings depicting the Battle of Puebla.