Lost in translation: Welcome, dear readers, to Seis de Mayo, which obviously doesn’t have that same … that same … como se dice … that same je ne sais quoi as “Cinco de Mayo,” but here we are.
Not only are we hurdling the hump of another breakneck workweek, but as suggested by our little Spanish/Italian/French romp right there, we’re leaning into the lingo of National Interpreter Appreciation Day – and that’s just for starters.
Scrubs: Hug a nurse today — and any other day you get the chance.
Nursing us through it: Yes, while it may lack the historical (and festive) punch of yesterday’s commemoration of Mexico’s victory over French invaders in 1862’s Battle of Puebla, May 6 is a busy day – starting with those linguistic middlemen (and women) and National Nurses Day, the official kickoff of National Nurses Week, and even a week is not enough to celebrate these indispensable healthcare practitioners.
It’s also National Tourist Appreciation Day, and we honestly should show extra-special appreciation to international tourists who still come here, because global tourism enjoyed a record-smashing year in 2025 – but not in these United States.
Eat up: Today’s holiday menu, alas, is a good news/bad news thing. The good news involves International No Diet Day, a gastronomical gallop through – well, whatever you want (within healthy limits).
The not-as-good news is May 6’s sparse selections – though National Beverage Day (also dealer’s choice) and National Crepe Suzette Day (indulging in caramelized sugar, butter and orange liqueur) are nothing to sneeze at.
Mr. Freeze: If you want that beverage on the rocks, better raise your glass to New Orleans-based inventor John Gorrie, who earned the first U.S. patent for an ice-making machine on this date in 1851.
Jug handled: The Republic P-47 Thunderbolt – a.k.a. “The Jug” — played a monumental role in the Allies’ World War II success.
Thunderbolts*: Also reaching new heights was the Republic P-47 Thunderbolt fighter, the WWII workhorse that was manufactured right here on Long Island and made its first test flight on May 6, 1941. (*It was also manufactured in Indiana.)
Dr. Strange: Also showing lots of heart – literally – was the world’s first successful open-heart surgery assisted by a cardiopulmonary bypass machine, completed on this date in 1953 by Jefferson Medical College Hospital surgeon John Heysham Gibbon Jr., who was a bit of a recluse.
The Flash: Also running away from things was English runner Roger Bannister, who notched history’s first recorded 4-minute mile 72 years ago today.
Heroic gesture: And it was May 6, 2001, when Pope John Paul II became the first Pontiff to enter a mosque during his groundbreaking pilgrimage to Syria.
Hailed by many as an important step toward brotherhood between Christians and Muslims, the visit sparked anger among some in the Muslim community, who accused the Pope of bringing Christianity by stealth to an Islamic holy site.
…and still asking about your mother: Austrian neurologist Sigmund Freud (1856-1939) – the undisputed Father of Psychoanalysis, who instilled the idea of clinical methods for treating mental disorders (including free association, dream interpretation and a heavily oedipal view of sexuality) – would be 170 years old today…
The Great Lover: The glamorous Rudolph Valentino was the Silver Screen’s first heartthrob.
Also born on May 6 were American Naval officer, adventurer and explorer Robert Edwin Peary Sr. (1856-1920), remembered best for his 19th and 20th century Arctic expeditions; Italian actor and dancer Rudolph Valentino (born Rodolfo Pietro Filiberto Raffaele Guglielmi di Valentina d’Antonguolla, 1895-1926), an iconic star of silent cinema; American manufacturer Frank Daniel Gerber (1898-1974), who founded a baby-food empire; American actor, writer, producer and director George Orson Welles (1915-1985), ranked among history’s most influential filmmakers; and American professional baseball superstar Willie Howard Mays Jr. (1931-2024), the one-and-only Say Hey Kid.
Just take those old records off the shelf: And take a bow, Robert Clark “Bob” Seger! The retired American singer, songwriter and musician – a Detroit Rock legend who’s somehow won only one Grammy (way back in 1981, with the rest of the Silver Bullet Band), despite seven total nominations – turns 81 today.
Wish the heartland rocker well at editor@innovateli.com, where we can’t Turn The Page without your news tips (honestly, we’re running Against The Wind without them) – and your calendar events pretty much determine our Night Moves. (We knew we could depend on you … Like A Rock!)
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BUT FIRST, THIS
Light touch: The Gold Hall is re-opened for special events, including tonight’s “Wicked” watch.
Open (for “Good”): The Hewlett-Woodmere Public Library is celebrating an innovative rehabilitation milestone with a quick trip to Oz.
The circa-1948 bibliothèque is marking the official reopening of its Gold Hall theater with a special screening of “Wicked For Good,” starting at 7 p.m. tonight. The library’s premier event space was closed throughout April for a lighting overhaul, including the installation of 24 energy-efficient LED high hats and updated wall sconces – the latest in a series of upgrades, following this Spring’s introduction of new contactless self-checkout kiosks (wired to support Apple Pay, Google Pay and more) and a high-definition security-camera system.
Next up: a comprehensive boiler-replacement project (scheduled to last two months at least), with an interactive touch table for the Children’s Room and other facility improvements on the way. “A library is more than its collection – it is a vital community infrastructure,” noted Library Director Michelle Young. “By modernizing our physical space, from the energy-efficient lighting in Gold Hall to our climate-control systems, we are ensuring that HWPL remains a sustainable and state-of-the-art environment for all residents.”
Special service: A Long Island-based lawmaker is proposing legislation that would expand public-service job access for people on the autism spectrum.
Citing New York State Department of Labor statistics showing that only 39.4 percent of New Yorkers with cognitive difficulties (including autism spectrum-related disorders) participate in the workforce – and roughly 85 percent of college-educated autistic adults are unemployed or underemployed – State Sen. Monica Martinez (D-Hauppauge) has crafted a bill that would authorize the state Civil Service Commission to designate certain state government positions as “noncompetitive,” opening them to Autism Spectrum Disorder individuals who meet specific job qualifications.
Employees hired through this pathway would be eligible to compete in promotional examinations, allowing room for advancement within the Civil Service system. “Talent and ability should never be overshadowed by a diagnosis,” Martinez noted. “New York’s workforce is stronger when it reflects the full range of talent across our state, and this legislation will expand opportunities for individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder … all candidates deserve to be considered based on their skills, and this helps make that possible in the public sector.”
TOP OF THE SITE
Working on it: Long Island colleges and universities are rolling out several new undergraduate- and graduate-degree programs designed to keep up with real-world workforce demands.
Secrets revealed! Daring aviation entrepreneurs, imaginative university leaders, ace communication professionals and many other innovation economy leaders, all sharing the secrets of their success on “Spark: The Innovate Long Island Podcast.” Laugh and learn with the best and brightest, thirty (or so) minutes at a time.
VOICES
Proven leaders in law, media, technology, healthcare, social services, environmental sciences and other sectors critical to your business success, sharing their front-row observations and best-practice solutions – that’s Innovate Long Island Voices, your best source for clarity, perspective and actionable business intel. Learn something new (and important) right now.
STUFF WE’RE READING
Red flag: An infamous “Trump Car” owner won’t settle his $25 million lawsuit challenging Long Beach’s anti-flag ordinance. The New York Post has a banner day.
White flag: Spirit Airlines says Iran War fuel prices forced its surrender, but MAGA still insists it was Biden’s fault. Time Magazine chronicles the blame game.
Blue flag: Rampant Republican gerrymandering is forcing Democratic activists (and lawmakers) to mobilize across the nation. Axios maps it all out.
RECENT FUNDINGS
+ Pacific Hybreed, a Hawaii-based aquaculture biotech focused on hatchery production and farm-specific breeding programs, raised $1 million in funding led by Hawaiʻi Angels and Blue Startups.
+ Trillium, a Tennessee-based bio-based chemical manufacturer, raised $13 million in Series B funding led by HS Hyosung Advanced Materials, with participation from Capricorn Partners.
+ Nace.AI, a California-based enterprise workflow metamodel, raised $21.5 million in Seed funding led Walden Catalyst, with participation from General Catalyst.
+ Astrocade, a California-based game-creation platform, raised $56 million in combined Series A/Series B funding led by Sea, Sequoia Capital, Google, Nvidia, LG Ventures, Dentsu Ventures and Conviction Embed.
+ RadixArk, a California-based AI infrastructure pioneer building scalable frontier-model training and operation systems, raised $100 million in Seed funding led by Accel and Spark Capital, with participation from NVentures, Salience Capital, A&E Investments, HOF Capital, Walden Catalyst Ventures, AMD, LDV Partners, WTT Investment, MediaTek, Igor Babuschkin, Lip-Bu Tan, Hock Tan, John Schulman, Soumith Chintala, Olivier Pomel, Thomas Wolf, William Fedus, Robert Nishihara, Eric Zelikman and Logan Kilpatrick.
+ Blitzy, a Massachusetts-based autonomous software-development platform, completed a $200 million funding round led by Northzone, with participation from PSG, Battery Ventures, Jump Capital, Morgan Creek Digital, Defiant, Flybridge, Link Ventures, NFX, Picus Capital, Venture Guides, Liberty Mutual Strategic Ventures, Erie Strategic Ventures and BAL Ventures.
Like this newsletter? Innovate Long Island newsletter, website and podcast sponsorships are a prime opportunity to reach the inventors, investors, entrepreneurs and executives you need to know – on Long Island, and soon, across New York State (just ask New York Tech). Gregory Zeller can tell you more.
BELOW THE FOLD (John Sterling Edition)
Homer: Few announcers support their teams more — or criticize them harder — than did the great John Sterling.
It is high…: Remembering that time Sterling took one for the team.
It is far…: The radio legend’s all-time best Yankees calls.
It is gone! We may never again see a team and an announcer so perfectly intertwined.
Theeeee Yankeeeees WIIIIIN! And so do you, with a degree (and fantastic higher-education experience) from the New York Institute of Technology, one of the innovative institutions that support Innovate Long Island. Check them out.
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