Discover what happened on May 8 in history, along with notable events that shaped world history, business, and American culture.
What Happened on May 8 in History?
Important events on this day include the declaration of VE Day ending World War II in Europe, the invention of Coca-Cola, and the founding of Little Caesars Pizza.
MAY 8 – TODAY IN HISTORY:
1794 – The United States Post Office was established.
1847 – The rubber tire was patented by Robert W. Thompson. He called them “air wheels”.
1877 – At Gilmore’s Gardens in New York, NY, the first Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show opened.
1879 – George Selden applied for the first automobile patent.
1886 – Pharmacist Dr. John Styth Pemberton invented a medicinal carbonated beverage that would later be called “Coca-Cola”.
1912 – Paramount Pictures was founded.
1914 – The U.S. Congress passed a Joint Resolution that designated the second Sunday in May as Mother’s Day.
1915 – H.P. Whitney’s Regret became the first filly to win the Kentucky Derby.
1919 – The first transatlantic flight took-off by a navy seaplane.
1921 – The world’s first riding lawnmower was introduced by the Ideal Power Mower Company of Lansing, MI. The mower company was sold to the Indian Motorcycle Co. in 1945.
1942 – A plant in Kalamazoo, MI turned out the first World War II amphibious cargo carrier.
1945 – President Harry Truman announced that World War II had ended in Europe. Germany unconditionally surrendered to Allied troops. The war in Europe ended and VE day was proclaimed.
1956 – Alfred E. Neuman appeared on the cover of “Mad Magazine” for the first time.
1958 – President Dwight Eisenhower ordered the National Guard out of Little Rock, AR, as Ernest Green became the first black to graduate from an Arkansas public school.
1959 – Mike and Marian Ilitch founded “Little Caesars Pizza Treat” in Garden City, MI.
1961 – New Yorkers selected a new name for their new National League baseball franchise. They chose the Mets.
1963 – The first James Bond movie, “Doctor No”, is released in the US.
1973 – Carolyn King, of Ypsilanti, MI, became the first girl to play in Little League.
1976 – The rollercoaster “The New Revolution”, the first steel coaster with a vertical loop, opened at Six Flags Magic Mountain.
1977 – County Commissioners in Parker County voted Buck Naked, Texas, out of existence. It was decided that Buck Naked’s road signs caused too many misunderstandings. Originally, residents chose the name as a joke.
1978 – New York’s “Son of Sam,” David Berkowitz, pleaded guilty to six murder charges.
1980 – The World Health Organization confirmed the eradication of smallpox.
1984 – The Soviet Union announced that they would not participate in the 1984 Summer Olympics Games in Los Angeles, CA.
1984 – Joanie (Erin Moran) and Chachi (Scott Baio) got married on the ABC television show “Happy Days”.
1986 – Reporters were told that 84,000 people had been evacuated from areas near the Chernobyl nuclear plant in Soviet Ukraine.
1997 – Larry King received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
1998 – Johnny Winter was inducted into Hollywood’s Rock Walk.
1999 – The first female cadet graduated from The Citadel military college.
2010 – Betty White hosted TV’s “Saturday Night Live”. At the age of 88, she set a record as the show’s oldest host.
2018 – The largest-ever wave was recorded in the South Hemisphere at Campbell Island by New Zealand scientists. The wave was 78 feet high.
2020 – Golf carts were once again allowed on Michigan golf courses. They had been banned due to COVID-19 restrictions.
CELEBRITY BIRTHDAYS ON MAY 8:
Gary Snyder – 96 years old (1930) – Poet, essayist, and translator
Thomas Pynchon – 89 years old (1937) – Novelist
Toni Tennille – 86 years old (1940) – Singer-songwriter and keyboard player
Bill Lockyer – 85 years old (1941) – Academic and politician, 30th Attorney General of California
Keith Jarrett – 81 years old (1945) – Pianist and composer
H. Robert Horvitz – 79 years old (1947) – Biologist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate
Philip Bailey – 75 years old (1951) – Singer-songwriter, drummer, and actor
Mike D'Antoni – 75 years old (1951) – Basketball player and coach
Chris Frantz – 75 years old (1951) – Drummer and producer
Alex Van Halen – 73 years old (1953) – Dutch-American drummer
David Keith – 72 years old (1954) – Actor and director
Patrick Hanrahan – 71 years old (1955) – Computer graphics researcher
Bill Cowher – 69 years old (1957) – Football player, coach, and analyst
Brooks Newmark – 68 years old (1958) – American-English businessman and politician, Lord of the Treasury
Ronnie Lott – 67 years old (1959) – Football player and sportscaster
Bill de Blasio – 65 years old (1961) – Politician, 109th Mayor of New York City
David Winning – 65 years old (1961) – Canadian-American director, producer, and screenwriter
Melissa Gilbert – 62 years old (1964) – Actress and director
Eileen Bowman – 60 years old (1966) – Actress
Candice Night – 55 years old (1971) – Singer-songwriter
Enrique Iglesias – 51 years old (1975) – Spanish-American singer-songwriter, producer, and actor
Martha Wainwright – 50 years old (1976) – Canadian-American singer-songwriter and guitarist
Joe Bonamassa – 49 years old (1977) – Singer-songwriter and guitarist
Adrián González – 44 years old (1982) – Baseball player
Tommaso Ciampa – 41 years old (1985) – Wrestler
Galen Rupp – 40 years old (1986) – Runner
Felix Jones – 39 years old (1987) – Football player
Trisha Paytas – 38 years old (1988) – Media personality
Lane Johnson – 36 years old (1990) – Football player
Kemba Walker – 36 years old (1990) – Basketball player
Olivia Culpo – 34 years old (1992) – Model and actress
Kevin Hayes – 34 years old (1992) – Ice hockey player
6ix9ine – 30 years old (1996) – Rapper
DAYS OF THE YEAR FOR MAY 8:
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For additional information check out websites like: www.on-this-day.com, www.born-today.com, www.famousbirthdays.com, www.daysoftheyear.com, and www.nationaldaycalendar.com.
