The Maydays That Never Were

This May Day, we're saying "mayday" while we look into famous distress calls and emergency measures, from the Bermuda Triangle to Waffle Houses. FACT OF THE DAY: May Day is an ancient holiday celebrated more than 2,000 years ago by the Romans, and in 1886 was adopted as an International Worker's Day. [Curiosity Daily logo]( Mayday! Mayday! Mayday! May Day is most popular in Northern Europe as a festival of spring—so how did it end up as the international code for "I need help"? We'll find out where the word comes from, solve the mystery of thousands of lost ships and planes, and examine another emergency alert system. One that comes with hashbrowns. Why Does "Mayday" Mean "Emergency?" [Why Do People Say "Mayday" In An Emergency?]( It doesn't have anything to do with the holiday, actually. Instead, the emergency alarm was chosen to be easily distinguishable over the radio and, unlike the word "help," unlikely to be said in casual conversation. In fact, it's derived from a French word, as are a few other radio alarms. [BRING IT IN FOR A LANDING]( The Truth About The Bermuda Triangle [The Bermuda Triangle Is No Mystery]( There's probably no nautical legend as persistant as that of the Bermuda Triangle. But the fact is that there's no mystery at all—the area between Bermuda, Florida, and Puerto Rico gets no more shipwrecks than any other similar region. Find out where the legend comes from below. [GET LOST IN KNOWLEDGE]( Use The Waffle House Index Next Time There's Trouble [Need To Know How Bad A Disaster Is? Check The Waffle House Index]( FEMA is the arm of the United States government that leaps into action when disaster strikes. But how does it know which areas in the worst condition? It uses the Waffle House Index, which measures how the local Waffle Houses are doing. Turns out, the resilient little diners are a good measure of how serious the situation is. [WAFFLES WITH A SIDE OF HURRICANE]( Follow us and smarten up your social media. [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Instagram]( [Google+]( [Pinterest]( [undefined]( [Advertise on Curiosity]( Not Curious Anymore? If you already know everything, you might as well hit the button below to unsubscribe, or just update your [email preferences](. [UNSUBSCRIBE]( Discover More Amazing Stories Every Day! Start following the subjects that interest you most. We do the work of writing, designing and curating can't-miss articles and videos in those subjects, so you can let your natural curiosity lead the way. [EXPLORE ALL SUBJECTS]( [Unsubscribe]( | [Update Preferences]( Beacon Solutions, Inc. 4809 Ravenswood Ave Chicago, IL 60640