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What happened in history on this day: May 8?
On May 8 in ...
- 1784 - Only known deaths by hailstones in US (Winnsborough, South Carolina).
- 1792 - US establishes military draft.
- 1792 - US Congress approves copper purchase for coinage, and outlaws private copper coinage.
- 1792 - Congress extends redemption of Continental Currency to March 7, 1793.
- 1820 - The US National Botanic Garden is established.
- 1846 - First major battle of Mexican War fought at Palo Alto, Texas. American brigadier general Zachary Talyor's army defeats a much larger Mexican force.
- 1862 - Valley Campaign: Federals repulsed at Battle of McDowell, Virginia.
- 1864 - James Samuel Wadsworth, General-Major (USA), dies in battle at age 56.
- 1864 - Actions at Stony Creek/Nottoway Bridge, Virginia (Drewry's Bluff).
- 1864 - Atlanta Campaign: severe fighting near Dalton.
- 1864 - Battle of Antietam, Virginia (Spotslyvania Court House, Laurel Hill).
- 1869 - First American transcontinental train departs from Sacramento, California.
- 1871 - English-US treaty ends Alabama dispute.
- 1886 - In Atlanta, Georgia, USA, pharmacist (Jacob's Pharmacy) Dr John Styth Pemberton invents a carbonated beverage he calls "Coca Cola" (containing cocaine).
- 1914 - Paramount Pictures is formed.
- 1914 - US Congress approves a resolution designating the second Sunday in May as Mother's Day.
- 1919 - First transatlantic flight take-off by a navy seaplane.
- 1942 - Battle of Coral Sea ends; American aircraft carrier Lexington sunk by Japanese air attack.
- 1944 - First eye bank opens (New York City).
- 1945 - Chinese counter-attack at Tsjangte, supports by US 14th air fleet.
- 1945 - US Secretary of Treasury announces the US cost of the war so far is US$275 billion.
- 1945 - (0900 hours US Eastern War Time) In Washington, D.C., US President Harry Truman officially announces the unconditional surrender of Germany. He then calls on Japan to surrender unconditionally, or face "utter destruction".
- 1950 - China's Chiang Kai-shek asks US for weapons.
- 1951 - US performs atmospheric nuclear test at Enwetak.
- 1952 - Mad Magazine debuts.
- 1958 - US Vice President Richard Nixon is shoved, stoned, booed and spat upon by protesters in Peru.
- 1961 - First practical sea water conversion plant-Freeport, Texas, USA.
- 1961 - Alan Shepard receives NASA Distinguished Service Medal, Washington.
- 1963 - US President John Kennedy offers Israel assistance against aggression.
- 1970 - Construction workers break up an anti-war rally in New York City's Wall Street.
- 1973 - Indians surrender after holding South Dakota hamlet of Wounded Knee for ten weeks.
- 1974 - George P. Shultz's term as Treasury Secretary of the US ends.
- 1974 - William E. Simon takes office as US Treasury secretary.
- 1976 - The first steel coaster with a vertical flip opens at Six Flags Magic Mountain.
- 1977 - David Berkowitz pleads guilty in "Son of Sam" 44-caliber shootings.
- 1984 - The Soviet Union announces that it will boycott the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, California.
- 1985 - 20th Academy of Country Music Awards: Alabama and Judds win.
- 1987 - U.S. Senator Gary Hart drops out of the running for the Democratic presidential nomination, amid allegations of an extramarital affair with Donna Rice.
- 1991 - US Central Intelligence Agency director William H Webster resigns.
- 1993 - Sixteen-year old Keron Thomas disguises himself as a motorman and takes New York City subway train and 2,000 passengers on a three hour ride.
- 1994 - US President Bill Clinton announces US will no longer repatriate boat people.
- 1999 - Nancy Mace becomes the first female cadet to graduate from The Military College of South Carolina.
- 2008 - H.R. 5512 "The Coin Modernization and Taxpayer Savings Act of 2008" passes the House of Representatives. The bill proposes changing the 1-cent and 5-cent coins to a core of steel.
- 2009 - Fannie Mae, the largest provider of U.S. home mortgage funding, reports a US$23.2 billion loss in the first quarter, and seeks US$19 billion in additional funding from the US Treasury.
- 2018 - U.S. President Donald Trump announces his intention to withdraw the United States from the Iranian nuclear agreement.
Births on May 8
- 1884 - Birth of Harry S Truman in Lamar, Missouri, USA; 33rd US President (Democrat) (1945-1953).
- 1893 - Birth of Francis Quimet in Massachusetts, USA; shop assistant who won golf's US Open (1913).
- 1895 - Birth of Fulton J Sheen in El Paso, Illinois, USA; bishop (Life is Worth Living).
- 1906 - Birth of David Van Vactor in Plymouth, Indiana, USA; composer (Chaconne).
- 1915 - Birth of John Archer in Osceola, Nebraska, USA; actor (Destination: Moon).
- 1920 - Birth of Sloan Wilson in Norwalk, Connecticut, USA; novelist (Man in the Gray Flannel Suit).
- 1926 - Birth of Don Rickles in Queens, New York, USA; comedian (Don Rickles Show, CPO Sharkey).
- 1930 - Birth of Doug Atkins in Humbolt, Tennessee, USA; NFL hall of famer (Cleveland Browns, Chicago Bears, New Orleans Saints).
- 1935 - Birth of Salome Jens in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; actress (From Here to Eternity).
- 1939 - Birth of Otis Paul Drayton in Glen Cove, New York, USA; 4x100 metre runner (Olympics-gold-1964).
- 1940 - Birth of Peter Benchley in New York City, New York, USA; novelist (Jaws, The Deep).
- 1940 - Birth of Rick [Eric Hilliard] Nelson in Teaneck, New Jersey, USA; rock star ("Hello Mary Lou", "It's Late", "Garden Party") (dies 1985).
- 1941 - Birth of Jim Mitchum in Bridgeport, Connecticut, USA; actor (Blackout, Invincible Six).
- 1943 - Birth of Toni Tennille in Montgomery, Alabama, USA; female Beachboy (Captain and Tennille).
- 1947 - Birth of Rick Zehringer in Celina, Ohio, USA; rocker (McCoys).
- 1950 - Birth of Mark Blankfield in Pasadena, Texas, USA; comedian (Fridays, Good and Evil).
- 1951 - Birth of Chris Frantz in Fort Campbell, Kentucky, USA; rock drummer (Talking Heads, Tom Tom Club).
- 1952 - Birth of Beth Henley in Jackson, Mississippi, USA; actress/playwright (Miss Firecracker).
- 1952 - Birth of Charles J Camarda in New York City, New York, USA; PhD/astronaut.
- 1954 - Birth of David Keith in Knoxville, Tennessee, USA; actor (Back Roads, Firestarter).
- 1955 - Birth of Stephen Furst in Norfolk, Virginia, USA; actor (Animal House, Elliot - St Elsewhere).
- 1956 - Birth of Jeff Madrigali in Walnut Creek, California, USA; soling yachter (Olympics-bronze-1996).
- 1959 - Birth of Ronnie Lott in Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA; NFL defensive back (San Francisco 49ers).
- 1964 - Birth of Cheryl Richardson in Palo Alto, California, USA; actress (Jennie - General Hospital).
- 1964 - Birth of Melissa Gilbert [Boxleitner/Brinkman] in Los Angeles, California, USA; actress (Little House on the Prairie).
- 1968 - Birth of Franklin Langham in Augusta, Georgia, USA; Nike golfer (1993 Permian Basin Open).
- 1972 - Birth of Keelin Curnuck; Miss New York USA (1996)/Ms Venus Swimwear (1994).
- 1973 - Birth of Wolf Wigo in Abington, Pennsylvania, USA; water polo driver (Olympics-1996).
- 1978 - Birth of Cindy Parlow in Memphis, Tennessee; soccer forward (Olympics-1996).
- 1979 - Birth of Jayna Cronin in Geneva, New York; dance skater (and Dreger-1997 National-13th).
Deaths on May 8
- 1864 - James Samuel Wadsworth, General-Major (USA), dies in battle at age 56.
- 1967 - Elmer Rice, New York playwright/director/novelist, dies at age 74.
- 1967 - Death of LaVerne Andrews from cancer at age 55; singer (Andrew Sisters, 19 gold records, "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy", "Don't Sit Under the Apple Tree", "Rum and Coca Cola").
- 1973 - Ralph Miller, last 19th century baseball player, dies in Cincinnati, Ohio, USA at age 100.
- 1979 - Talcott Parsons, US sociologist, dies at age 76.
- 1988 - Robert A Heinlein, American science-fiction writer (Friday), dies of heart failure at age 80 (born 1907).
- 1994 - George Peppard, American actor (Breakfast at Tiffanys, The A-Team), dies at age 65 (born 1928).
- 2005 - Death of Lloyd Cutler, American attorney and Presidential advisor (born 1917).
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