May 5 is day 125 of the year, or 126 in a leap year, with 240 days remaining after it.
It is Cinco de Mayo. It falls on a Wednesday in 2027 and a Friday in 2028.
Two of the date’s largest events are linked by one family. Napoleon Bonaparte died in exile on Saint Helena on May 5, 1821.
Forty-one years later to the day, Mexican forces loyal to Benito Juárez defeated an invading army sent by his nephew Napoleon III at Puebla — the victory Cinco de Mayo commemorates.
Table of Contents
What day of the week is May 5?
May 5 is day 125 in a common year and day 126 in a leap year.
| Year | Day of week |
|---|---|
| 2026 | Tuesday |
| 2027 | Wednesday |
| 2028 | Friday |
| 2029 | Saturday |
| 2030 | Sunday |
| 2031 | Monday |
| 2032 | Wednesday |
| 2033 | Thursday |
| 2034 | Friday |
| 2035 | Saturday |
Observances on May 5
| Observance | Scope | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Cinco de Mayo | US, Puebla | Not a national holiday in Mexico |
| Children’s Day, Kodomo no Hi | Japan | Public holiday, closing Golden Week |
| Liberation Day | Netherlands, Denmark | End of German occupation, 1945 |
| Constitution Day | Kyrgyzstan | |
| Europe Day | Council of Europe | Founding of the Council, 1949 |
| Cartoonists Day | United States |
Nothing closes in the United States on May 5. Cinco de Mayo appears nowhere in 5 U.S.C. 6103, and it is not a national public holiday in Mexico either — it is observed principally in the state of Puebla.
Historical events on May 5
1821 — Napoleon Bonaparte died in exile on the South Atlantic island of Saint Helena, aged 51 (Associated Press, Today in History).
1862 — Mexican forces loyal to Benito Juárez repelled French attacks on Puebla de los Ángeles in the Battle of Puebla, defeating troops sent by Napoleon III (Associated Press).
1891 — Carnegie Hall, then named Music Hall, held its opening night in New York City (Associated Press).
1925 — The Tennessee schoolteacher John T. Scopes was charged with violating a state law prohibiting the teaching of evolution. He was convicted, and the conviction was later set aside on a technicality (Associated Press).
1942 — Japanese forces landed on the Philippine island of Corregidor (Associated Press).
1945 — A Japanese balloon bomb exploded on Gearhart Mountain in Oregon, killing a pregnant woman and five children — the only fatal enemy attack on the United States mainland during the Second World War (Associated Press).
1955 — West Germany became a sovereign state (Associated Press).
1961 — Alan Shepard became the first American in space, making a fifteen-minute suborbital flight aboard the Mercury capsule Freedom 7, launched from Cape Canaveral (Associated Press).
1980 — British commandos and police ended the siege of the Iranian embassy in London. Nineteen hostages were rescued, two had already been killed, and four of the five hostage-takers died (Associated Press).
1981 — Bobby Sands, the IRA hunger striker, died at the Maze Prison in Northern Ireland on his 66th day without food (Associated Press).
1973 — Secretariat won the Kentucky Derby in 1:59.4, the first leg of his Triple Crown and a track record that still stands (Associated Press).
What the Battle of Puebla actually settled
Less than the celebration implies. The Mexican victory on May 5, 1862 was real and significant as a symbol — a smaller, poorly equipped force defeating an army then considered Europe’s finest — but it did not end the invasion.
French troops regrouped, took Puebla the following year, and installed Maximilian of Habsburg as emperor.
The occupation lasted until 1867. Cinco de Mayo marks a battle, not a war, and it is not Mexican Independence Day, which falls on September 16 and commemorates the 1810 declaration against Spain.
Notable births on May 5
| Year | Person | Known for |
|---|---|---|
| 1813 | Søren Kierkegaard | Danish philosopher |
| 1818 | Karl Marx | German philosopher and economist |
| 1943 | Michael Palin | English comedian and writer |
| 1988 | Adele | English singer |
Zodiac sign and birthstone for May 5
May 5 falls under Taurus, which runs from about April 20 to May 20. The date sits well inside the range.
| Value | |
|---|---|
| Zodiac sign | Taurus |
| Sign dates | About April 20 to May 20 |
| Element | Earth |
| Birthstone | Emerald |
| Birth flowers | Lily of the valley and hawthorn |
How many days until May 5?
The next May 5 falls on a Wednesday in 2027. It is day 125 of the year, leaving 240 days remaining after it.
May 5, 2027 sits four days after the Kentucky Derby on Saturday, May 1, four days before Mother’s Day on Sunday, May 9, and 26 days before Memorial Day on Monday, May 31.
Frequently asked questions
What day of the week is May 5th, 2027?
Wednesday. Cinco de Mayo 2027 falls midweek. It is not a federal holiday in the United States and closes nothing, so offices, banks and schools operate normally.
Is Cinco de Mayo Mexican Independence Day?
No. Mexican Independence Day is September 16, marking the 1810 declaration of independence from Spain. May 5 commemorates the Battle of Puebla in 1862, a victory over invading French forces 52 years later — and one that did not end the invasion.
Who was the first American in space?
Alan Shepard, on May 5, 1961, aboard the Mercury capsule Freedom 7. The flight was suborbital and lasted about fifteen minutes. John Glenn became the first American to orbit the Earth the following February.
