Of the eighteenth century, many countries, such as the United States and Europe gradually by the development of imperialism, capitalism stage, in order to stimulate the economy high speed development, to extract more surplus value, in order to maintain the capitalism of the high-speed machines, take the capitalists increasing labor time and intensity of labor to ruthlessly exploited workers.

In the United States, workers work 14 to 16 hours a day, some as long as 18 hours, but the pay is very low.The overseer of a shoe factory in Massachusetts once said, "Put a strong, able-bodied boy of eighteen to work at any of these machines, and I can make his hair grey by the time he is twenty-two."Heavy class oppression aroused great anger among the proletarians.They knew that the only way to fight for survival was to unite and fight the capitalists through a strike movement.The workers demanded an eight-hour working day as the condition of their strike.

1877 The first national strike in American history began.The working class took to the streets to demonstrate, and proposed to improve the working and living conditions of the government, demanding shorter working hours and the implementation of the eight-hour working day system.Shortly after the strike, the ranks grew, the number of union members increased, and workers from all over the country also joined the strike movement.

Under strong pressure from the labor movement, the United States Congress was forced to enact an eight-hour work day law.But some capitalists did not pay any attention to it. The law was nothing but a piece of paper, and the workers still lived in misery at the hands of the capitalists.The workers, fed up, decided to push the struggle for the right to live to a new climax, preparing to hold a larger strike.

In October 1884, the United States and Canada's eight international and national worker groups, held a rally in Chicago, the United States, decided to hold a general strike on May 1, 1886, forcing the capitalist implementation of the eight-hour working day system.The day has finally arrived.On May 1, 1886, 350,000 workers of more than 20,000 enterprises in the United States stopped working and took to the streets. They held a massive demonstration, and all kinds of skin color and workers of all kinds carried out a general strike together.In Chicago alone, 45,000 workers took to the streets.The great industries of the United States were paralysed, the trains were frozen, the stores were silent, and all the warehouses were closed and sealed.

In 1886, the First International Conference of Geneva proposed the slogan of the eight-hour work day.On May 1, 1886, centered in Chicago, the United States, about 350,000 people were held in the United States to participate in a large-scale strike and demonstration, the demonstrators demanded to improve working conditions, the implementation of the eight-hour working system.On May 3, 1886, the Chicago government sent the police to crack down and shot dead two people. The situation expanded. On May 4, striking workers held a protest in Haymarket Square.Known as "Haymarket Riot" or "Haymarket Massacre."In the sentencing that followed eight anarchists were charged with murder, four were hanged, and one committed suicide in prison.

In commemoration of this great labor movement and the verdict that followed, workers' protests were held around the world.These events became the forerunner of International Labour Day.

In July 1889, in the organization of Engels held the second international founding conference announced that the annual May 1 as International Labor Day.

Victory was won after a hard and bloody struggle.In order to commemorate the workers' movement, on July 14, 1889, the socialist congress convened by marxists of all countries was solemnly opened in Paris, France.On the conference, will represent unanimous agreement: May 1 as the international proletariat common festival.This decision immediately got the positive response of workers all over the world.On May 1, 1890, the working class in Europe and the United States took the lead in going to the streets, holding grand demonstrations and rallies to fight for their legitimate rights and interests.Since then, every time on this day the world's working people have to rally, parade, to celebrate, and the public holiday.

Chinese people celebrate the Labor Day activities can be traced back to 1918.The Central People's Government Administration Council in December 1949 will be May 1 as a legal Labor Day.

May 1, 1920, New Youth, Volume 7, No. 6, "Labor Day Memorial," published.
He published articles such as Cai Yuanpei's inscription on "Sacred Labor", Sun Yat-sen's inscription on "The World is for the Public", Li Dazhao's "History of the May Day Movement" and Chen Duxiu's "Problems of Hunan Women Workers in Shanghai Health Textile Factory".
At the same time, it also published the "General Regulations of the Chinese Workers' Union in France" and the survey of the labor conditions in Tangshan, Shanxi and Changjiang.

On May 1, the masses of workers in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Jiujiang, Tangshan and other industrial cities marched to the streets and held a huge parade and rally.
Li Dazhao published "May Day Movement History" in the "New Youth", introduced the origin of the "May Day" festival and the United States and France and other countries workers to commemorate the "May Day" activities, called on Chinese workers to this year's "May Day" as the awakening date.
In order to celebrate this festival, Chen Duxiu published an article entitled "Problems of Female Workers in Hunan of Shanghai Health Textile Factory", exposing the truth that capitalists exploit the surplus value of workers.
Chen duxiu also made a speech on "the consciousness of the laborer" in the Shanghai shipping-building industry federation, and explained that "labor creates the world" and "workers are the most useful and valuable".
On that day, workers and intellectuals from all over the country gathered together.
In Shanghai, under the guidance of Chen Duxiu, more than 5,000 workers held the World Labor Memorial Conference jointly prepared by seven organizations including the All-China Federation of Industry Associations (ACFTU). Chen Duxiu was elected as the consultant for the preparatory conference.
At the memorial meeting, representatives from all walks of life made a speech, and the workers demanded the "three-eight system" of 8 hours of work, 8 hours of rest and 8 hours of education, and shouted slogans such as "Long live the workers" and "Long live the Chinese workers".
After the meeting, issued the Shanghai workers' declaration and the circular in reply to the Russian labor and peasant government.
The special issue of New Youth also published important articles such as Li Dachuang's "History of the May Day Movement", Chen Duxiu's "Worker's Awareness" and "Problems of Hunan Women Workers in Shanghai Health and Welfare Textile Factory", as well as investigation reports on the current situation of workers in more than ten cities and regions such as Shanghai, Beijing, Tianjin and Wuhan.
In Beijing, Li Dazhao led commemorative activities centered on Peking University.
Students at Peking University went on strike on this day, and the "Peking University Student Weekly" published the "Labor Memorial" issue.
The school held more than 500 school workers and students to participate in the commemoration of the conference, Li Dazhao attended the speech.
He Mengxiong, eight PKU students and some young people were arrested by police after they went out to publicise the May 1 Beijing Labor Declaration, which called on workers to fight against exploitation and fight for their rights.
Deng Zhongxia went to Beijing Changxin Store, distributed the May 1 Beijing Labor Declaration to railway workers and made a speech.
This is China's first commemoration of May Day, and also the first May Day in Chinese history.