May Day in the U.S.: A story not taught in school that the whole world celebrates

There is an irony that few Americans truly understand. International Workers’ Day, celebrated every May 1st in more than 140 countries around the world, did not originate in Russia, nor in socialist Europe, nor under any communist regime. It was born in the United States. In Chicago, to be precise. And it was written in the blood of workers who wanted only one thing: to return home in the evening before their children went to bed. In 1886. On construction sites, in factories, and in American workshops, workdays could exceed 14 hours under often extreme and unsanitary conditions. The workers had a single goal: to secure the 8-hour workday. On May 1 of that year, something happened. More than 300,000 workers from 13,000 companies walked off the job across the country, 40,000 in Chicago alone. It was the largest coordinated strike in American history up to that point. On May 4, a peaceful demonstration was held in Haymarket Square in Chicago to protest police violence during the strikes. But a bomb exploded, killing several police officers. The ensuing crackdown was brutal: eight labor activists were arrested. Despite the lack of solid evidence, they were convicted. Four were hanged. They would go down in history as the “Chicago Martyrs.” In 1889, at the Socialist Workers’ Congress of the Second International held in Paris, delegates chose May 1 to commemorate these martyrs and make it an international day for demanding workers’ rights. The whole world adopted this date. Everyone, except the United States itself. In 1894, the country chose instead to create its own “Labor Day,” on the first Monday in September, far removed from the memories of Haymarket. Yet, on this May 1, 2026, Chicago is once again at the center of history. Nearly 500 organizations have planned more than 750 events across the country, under the slogan “Workers Over Billionaires.” In New York, Washington, Minneapolis, Los Angeles, and of course Chicago, marches, rallies, and economic boycotts are being organized. The mayor of Chicago himself has lent his support, noting that the city owes a debt of gratitude to those who sacrificed everything so that we could have weekends, paid time off, and humane working hours. This year also marks the 140th anniversary of the Haymarket Affair, and the World Federation of Trade Unions, which represents more than 105 million workers worldwide, is calling for international mobilization. There is something moving about this continuity 140 years after Chicago. The tools have changed. Digital platforms have replaced leaflets. But the demand remains the same: to be treated as a human being, not as a resource. American May Day is a story of rare power. A story born in pain, exported to the entire world, and which today returns home with renewed vitality. Chicago has not forgotten it. And neither has the world.