On the 1st of May 1561 a lily of the valley was given as a lucky charm to King Charles IX of France. From then on, he continued the habit of offering lilies of the valley to all the ladies of the king as a sign of good luck and happiness, starting what today is one of the most beautiful and sentimental customs of the country: the wonderfully scented tradition of exchanging flowers.

May 1 is the birthday of American landscape painter GEORGE INNESS (1825-1894)

"Now recognized as one of the most influential American artists of the nineteenth century, Inness was influenced by the Hudson River School at the start of his career. He also studied the Old Masters, and artists of the Barbizon school during later trips to Europe. There he was introduced to the theology of Emanuel Swedenborg, which was significant for him; he expressed that spiritualism in the works of his maturity (1879–1894)." (Wikipedia)

To see examples of Inness’s art, CLICK HERE.

May 1 is the birthday of French painter JULES BRETON (1827-2006).

Breton "was a 19th-century French naturalist painter. His paintings are heavily influenced by the French countryside and his absorption of traditional methods of painting helped make Jules Breton one of the primary transmitters of the beauty and idyllic vision of rural existence." (Wikipedia)

To see examples of Breton’s art, CLICK HERE.

May 1 is the birthday of Pre-Raphaelite painter and illustrator FREDERICK AUGUSTUS SANDYS (1829-1904).

Sandys "never became a popular painter. He painted little, and the dominant influence upon his art was the influence exercised by lofty conceptions of tragic power. There was in it a sombre intensity and an almost stern beauty which lifted it far above the ideals of the crowd. The Scandinavian Sagas and Le Morte d'Arthur gave him subjects after his own heart." (Wikipedia)

To see examples of Sandys’ art, CLICK HERE.

May 1 is the birthday of American frontierswoman, sharpshooter, and storyteller CALAMITY JANE (1852-1903).

Mary Jane Cannary, aka Calamity Jane, "was known for being an acquaintance of Wild Bill Hickok. Late in her life, she appeared in Buffalo Bill's Wild West show and at the 1901 Pan-American Exposition. She is said to have exhibited compassion to others, especially to the sick and needy. This facet of her character contrasted with her daredevil ways and helped to make her a noted frontier figure. She was also known for her habit of wearing men's attire." (Wikipedia)

May 1 is the birthday of French painter JACQUELINE COMERRE-PATON (1859-1955).

Comerre-Paton "studied at the École des Beaux-arts under Alexandre Cabanel. She was friends with portrait painter Fanny Caillé who reproduced one of her most famous paintings, At the spring .

She received an honorable mention in 1881 and a medal at the Versailles exhibition." (Wikipedia)

To see examples of Comerre-Paton’s art, CLICK HERE.

THIS DAY IN HISTORY: On May 1, 1840, the world's first adhesive postage stamp, known as the PENNY BLACK, was used in a public postal system. The stamp featured a profile of Queen Victoria.

"In 1837, British postal rates were high, complex and anomalous. To simplify matters, Sir Rowland Hill proposed an adhesive stamp to indicate pre-payment of postage. At the time it was normal for the recipient to pay postage on delivery, charged by the sheet and on distance travelled. By contrast, the Penny Black allowed letters of up to 1⁄2 ounce (14 grams) to be delivered at a flat rate of one penny, regardless of distance." (Wikipedia)

THIS DAY IN HISTORY: On May 1, 1851, Queen Victoria opened the Great Exhibition at The Crystal Palace in London.

"It was the first in a series of World's Fairs, exhibitions of culture and industry that became popular in the 19th century. The Great Exhibition was organised by Henry Cole and by Prince Albert, husband of the reigning monarch of the United Kingdom, Queen Victoria. Famous people of the time attended, including Charles Darwin, Karl Marx, Samuel Colt, members of the Orléanist Royal Family and the writers Charlotte Brontë, Charles Dickens, Lewis Carroll, George Eliot, Alfred Tennyson and William Makepeace Thackeray." (Wikipedia)

THIS DATE IN HISTORY: On May 1, 1931, the Empire State Building was dedicated.