On This Day - May 8th 1541 – Spanish conquistador Hernando de Soto reaches the Mississippi River and names it Río de Espíritu Santo.
On This Day - May 8th 1886 – A carbonated beverage is invented by pharmacist John Styth Pemberton. It would later be named "Coca-Cola".
On This Day - May 8th 1902 – Mount Pelée erupts in Martinique. The town of Saint-Pierre is destroyed, killing over 30,000 people.
On This Day - May 8th 1914 – Famous Players Film Company is formed later becoming Paramount Pictures.
On This Day - May 8th 1919 – The idea of a moment of silence to commemorate the Armistice of World War I is proposed by Edward George Honey and would later become Remembrance Day.
On This Day - May 8th 1933 – Gandhi begins a 21-day fast.
On This Day - May 8th 1945 – Its Victory in Europe Day (V-E Day) as German forces agree to an unconditional surrender.
On This Day - May 8th 1970 – The Hard Hat riot occurs in the Wall Street area of New York City as blue-collar construction workers attack Vietnam War demonstrators.
On This Day - May 8th 1978 – Reinhold Messner and Peter Habeler make the first ascent of Mount Everest without supplemental oxygen.
On This Day - May 8th 1980 – The World Health Organization endorses the eradication of smallpox.
On This Day - May 8th 1984 – The Soviet Union announces that its boycott of the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.
Today's Birthdays
Born On This Day - May 8th 1326 – Joanna I of Auvergne, queen of France (d. 1360)
Born On This Day - May 8th 1668 – Alain-René Lesage, French writer (d. 1747)
Born On This Day - May 8th 1753 – Miguel Hidalgo Mexican revolutionary (d. 1811)
Born On This Day - May 8th 1847 – Oscar Hammerstein I, American theater producer and impresario (d. 1919)
Born On This Day - May 8th 1884 – Harry S Truman, President of the United States (d. 1972)
Born On This Day - May 8th 1895 – Fulton J. Sheen, American bishop (d. 1979)
Born On This Day - May 8th 1916 – Today is the birthday of João Havelange, former president of FIFA.
Born On This Day - May 8th 1926 – Today is the birthday of David Attenborough, English naturalist.
Born On This Day - May 8th 1926 – Today is the birthday of Don Rickles, American comedian.
Born On This Day - May 8th 1932 – Sonny Liston, American boxer and former world heavyweight champion (d. 1971)
Born On This Day - May 8th 1935 – Today is the birthday of Jack Charlton, English footballer, member of 1966 World Cup winning team.
Born On This Day - May 8th 1937 – Today is the birthday of Thomas Pynchon, American novelist.
Born On This Day - May 8th 1940 – Ricky Nelson, American singer (d. 1985)
Born On This Day - May 8th 1951 – Philip Bailey, American singer (Earth, Wind & Fire)
Born On This Day - May 8th 1976 – Martha Wainwright, Canadian musician and songwriter.
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