WAY BACK WHEN for Friday, May 1, 2026
It’s May Day. A traditional springtime festival day that marks the arrival of spring and the turning toward summer. Traditional activities include dancing around a maypole. Leaving flower baskets on neighbors’ doors, bonfires and outdoor celebrations.
1931 The Empire State Building opened in New York City. At a height of 1,250 feet, it was the world’s tallest building. Of course the One World Trade center is now the tallest in the big apple standing at 1776 feet.
1950 The new AT&T model 500 telephone became widely available to Bell System operating companies. The 500’s numbers and letters were positioned to the outside of the dial to make them more visible. This helped reduce dialing time and dialing errors.
Music History:
1982 Paul McCartney and Michael Jackson’s song of Unity, ‘Ebony and Ivory’ hit #1 where it stayed for seven weeks.
Notable Birthdays:
Actor Jamie Dornan – 50 Shades of Gray is 44
Singer Rita Coolidge 81
Judy Collins 87
Credit to:
Thisdayinmusic.com and Thisdaytrivia.com
