World Health Organisation(WHO) has earmarked May 31 as 'World No Tobacco Day', to highlight the risks associated with tobacco usage and reduce its consumption .

The theme of this year's 'World No Tobacco Day' is "Ban tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship." 

World No Tobacco Day 2013: 10 ads that can make smokers quit

http://ibnlive.in.com/news/world-no-tobacco-day-2013-10-ads-that-can-make-smokers-quit/395149-17.html

Gland is a cell or organ in man and other animals that synthesizes chemical substances and secretes them for the body to use or eliminate, either through a duct (exocrine gland) or directly into the bloodstream (endocrine gland)

Endocrine Glands secrete their products (hormones) directly into the bloodstream (ductless glands) or release hormones (paracrines) that affect only target cells nearby the release site.

1. Hypothalamus:

The hypothalamus is a small but important part of the brain. It plays an important role in the nervous system as well as in the endocrine system. Hormones produced by the hypothalamus are stored in the pituitary gland.

It is a neuroendocrine gland, synthesizes and secretes neuro hormones, control and regulate the secretion of pituitary hormones.

Functions:

• controls the release of 8 major hormones by the pituitary gland
• controls body temperature
• control of food and water intake, hunger and thirst
• control of sexual behavior and reproduction
• control of daily cycles in physiological state and behaviour also known as circadian rhythm
• mediation of emotional responses

Important Hormones:

Vasopressin (ADH, antidiuretic hormone):Vasopressin helps prevent the loss of water from the body by reducing urine output and helping the kidneys reabsorb water in the body. Vasopressin also raises blood pressure by constricting (narrowing) blood vessels.

Diabetes insipidus, which is caused by a lack of Vasopressin in the body.

Oxytocin: used clinically to stimulate contractions of the uterus during labour, to control bleeding following delivery, and to stimulate the secretion of breast milk (Milk injecting hormone).

2. Pituitary Gland:

The pituitary is a small, bean-shaped gland located below the brain in the skull. It is often called the "master gland" since it controls the secretion of hormones.

Important Hormones:

Growth hormone(Somatotrophin) which regulates growth, metabolism and body composition.

Prolactin stimulates milk production from the breasts after childbirth to enable nursing. It also affects sex hormone levels from ovaries in women and from testes in men.

Adrenocorticotropic hormone which stimulates the adrenal glands to secrete steroid hormones, principally cortisol

Luteinising hormone and follicle stimulating hormone, also known as gonadotrophins. They act on the ovaries or testes to stimulate sex hormone production and egg and sperm maturity.

Thyroid stimulating hormone(TSH) which stimulates the thyroid gland to secrete thyroid hormones.

Vasopressin & Oxytocin are produced by the hypothalamus and then stored in the posterior pituitary gland prior to being released into the bloodstream.  

4. Pineal Gland: 

The pineal gland is a pine cone shaped gland of the endocrine system. It produces the serotonin derivative Melatonin, a hormone that affects the modulation of wake/sleep patterns and seasonal functions. Pineal gland is also called Biological Clock.

4. Thyroid Gland: 

The thyroid hormones, triiodothyronine (T3) and thyroxine (T4), are primarily responsible for regulation of metabolism. Iodine is necessary for the production of T3 and T4. A deficiency of iodine leads to decreased production of T3 and T4, enlarges the thyroid tissue and will cause the disease known as goitre.

The thyroid gland also produces calcitonin from cells called C-cells. Calcitonin is understood to play a role in regulating calcium levels in the body.

Abnormal increase in production of thyroid hormone is known as thyrotoxicosis or hyperthyroidism and reduced thyroid function is known as myxoedema or hypothyroidism.

Your doctor may order blood tests to determine levels of certain hormones, including:

• Thyroid stimulating hormone (The release of thyroid hormones from the thyroid gland is controlled by TSH from the hypothalamus )
• Triodothyronine (T3)
• Thyroxine (T4)

4. Parathyroid Gland:

The sole purpose of the parathyroid glands is to control calcium within the blood.

The parathyroid gland secretes the hormone parathormone or parathyroid hormone (PTH).
The function of PTH is to increase the concentration of calcium in the blood, whereas calcitonin (a hormone produced by the parafollicular cells (C cells) of the thyroid gland) acts to decrease calcium concentration.
A parathyroid hormone (PTH) blood test  is used to help identify hyperparathyroidism or to find the cause of abnormal calcium levels. PTH controls calcium and phosphorus levels in the blood.

5. Thymus Gland:

The thymus is located in the upper part of the chest. The thymus is an important part of immune systems. It grows larger until puberty and then begins to shrink. 

The gland produces thymosins, which are hormones that stimulate the development of antibodies. 
The thymus also produces T-lymphocytes which are white blood cells that fight infections and destroy abnormal cells.

5. Adrenal Gland:

The adrenal glands sit on top of the kidneys. The right adrenal gland is triangular shaped, while the left is semilunar shaped.
It has an inner medulla and outer cortex. The inner medulla produces epinephrine (adrenaline) and norepinephrine( while the outer cortex produces cortisol.

Medula: • Epinephrine has many functions in the body, regulating heart rate, blood vessel and air passage diameters, and metabolic shifts; epinephrine release is a crucial component of the fight-or-flight response of the sympathetic nervous system. 
Epinephrine (adrenaline) is used to treat cardiac arrest and/or cardiac dysrhythmias.

              • Noradrenaline increasing blood pressure and heart rate, and by the endings of sympathetic nerves, when it acts as a neurotransmitter both centrally and peripherally. This enables the body to perform well in stressful situations.

Cortex:   • Cortisol. The adrenal glands increase their production of cortisol in response to stress. Cortisol raises blood sugar and blood pressure levels and moderates immune function

               • Aldosterone This hormone helps to keep salt and water balanced in the body.

Estrogen and testosterone are produced in small but significant amounts by the adrenals as well as by the ovaries and testicles.

Exocrine Glands are glands that secrete their products (excluding hormones and other chemical messengers) into ducts (duct glands) which lead directly into the external environment. 

1953 may 29, 11:30:00 am, The New Zealander Edmund Hillary, and the Nepalese Sherpa Tenzing Norgay, have become the first to reach the summit of Mount Everest on the Nepal-Tibet border. They reached the top of the world after a grueling climb up the southern face. 

 Mount Everest was named after Sir George Everest, the surveyor-general of India who was the first to produce detailed maps of the Indian subcontintent including the Himalayas.

Important timeline in 2013: 

May 17 – Ningthoujam Bidyapati Devi, 30, became the first woman from Manipur, India, to summit Mount Everest.

May 18 - Wansuk Myrthong became the first woman from Meghalaya to scale Mount Everest. 

May 18 – Raha Moharrak, 25, of Saudi Arabia, became the first Saudi woman and youngest Arab to summit Mount Everest.

May 19 – Samina Baig, 21, became the first Pakistani woman and the third Pakistani to scale Mount Everest.

May 19 - 21-year-old Indian sisters Tashi Malik and Nancy Malik became the first twin sisters to climb the Mount Everest.

May 21 - Arunima Sinha became the first female amputee to summit Mount Everest

 May 23 - 80-year-old Japanese national Yuichiro Miura set a new world record by becoming the oldest climber to reach the summit of Mount Everest.

Defence secretary Shashi Kant Sharma was on Tuesday named as the new Comptroller & Auditor General of India (CAG), succeeding Vinod Rai who demitted office today after an eventful five-and-a-half years during which the audit body was locked in confrontations with the government.

 The CAG is appointed for a term of six years or till the incumbent attains the age of 65 years, whichever is earlier.

Lydia Davis, an American author best known for her short stories, has won this year's Man Booker International Prize. Davis, 65, has had six collections of short stories published. She has also translated a number of French classics, including Flaubert's Madame Bovary, and has written one novel. 

The prize, worth £60,000, recognizes one writer for his or her achievement in fiction. It is awarded every two years to a living author who has published fiction either originally in English or whose work is available in translation in the English language.

The United Nations has proclaimed May 22 The International Day for Biological Diversity (IDB) to increase understanding and awareness of biodiversity issues. 

When first created by the Second Committee of the UN General Assembly in late 1993, 29 December (the date of entry into force of the Convention of Biological Diversity), was designated The International Day for Biological Diversity. In December 2000, the UN General Assembly adopted 22 May as IDB, to commemorate the adoption of the text of the Convention on 22 May 1992 by the Nairobi Final Act of the Conference for the Adoption of the Agreed Text of the Convention on Biological Diversity. This was partly done because it was difficult for many countries to plan and carry out suitable celebrations for the date of 29 December, given the number of holidays that coincide around that time of year.

Source & Thanks:  http://www.cbd.int/idb/

The death anniversary of ex-prime minister of India, Shri Rajiv Gandhi is also observed as Anti Terrorism Day all over the country on 21 May.

The day is observed to generate awareness in the country among all sections of people, about the danger of terrorism and violence and its effect on the people, society and the country as a whole.

The objective behind the observance of Anti-Terrorism Day is to wean away the people from terrorism and violence.

The purpose of  World Telecommunication and Information Society Day (WTISD) is to help raise awareness of the possibilities that the use of the Internet and other information and communication technologies (ICT) can bring to societies and economies, as well as of ways to bridge the digital divide. 17 May marks the anniversary of the signing of the first International Telegraph Convention and the creation of the International Telecommunication Union.

The day had previously been known as World Telecommunication Day to commemorate the founding of the International Telecommunication Union in 17 May 1865. It was instituted by the Plenipotentiary Conference in Malaga -Torremolinos in 1973.

Source: http://www.itu.int/en/wtisd/Pages/default.aspx

International Day of Families was brought about by the United Nations Programme on the Family and will stress the importance of having healthy and happy relationships with your relatives.

Families are the 'basic core' of our society - we are born into them and some of the most important developing years of our lives are spent growing up with our families.

Each year there is a different theme for the day and in 2013 the theme will be 'Advancing Social Integration and Intergenerational Solidarity'.

World Red Cross Day celebrates the work of those who volunteer with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC).

IFRC is the world's largest humanitarian organisation, providing worldwide relief during times of disease, famine, disaster or war. It has around 97 million members and volunteers in some 170 countries and helps more than 230 million people every year.

World Red Cross Day is held on 8 May, the birthday of Jean Henri Dunant, founder of the International Committee of the Red Cross. The theme for 2012 is 'Together for humanity'. The Red Crescent is used in place of the Red Cross in many Islamic countries.

Source: http://www.educationscotland.gov.uk/resources/w/worldredcrossredcrescentday.asp

World Asthma Day is an annual event organized by the Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA) to improve asthma awareness and care around the world. World Asthma Day takes place on the first Tuesday of May. The theme of 2012's event was "You Can Control Your Asthma"

Dadasaheb Phalke, the father of Indian Cinema, released his epochal feature film Raja Harishchandra on 3rd May 1913, it is unlikely that either the exhibitors or the pioneer film maker realized they were unleashing a mass entertainment medium that would hold millions in sway for the next hundred years. The French might have introduced the concept of moving images, but little did anyone know that India would one day become the largest film industry in the world. It's a miracle that Indian cinema has withstood the test of time despite the vast cultural differences in the past 100 years.