What are the important events that happened on May 8? Here are historical events, facts, and some myths about this day.
May 8: Facts & Myths About This Day
May 8 is the 128th day of the year 2025 in the Gregorian calendar. There are 237 days remaining until the end of this year. The day of the week is Thursday.
Under the Julian calendar, this day is April 25, 2025 – a Thursday. Both day of the week are the same but did you notice the difference with the Gregorian calendar?
When this day started, 29,111,040 minutes has elapsed since midnight of January 1, 1970 – the Unix epoch.
Strange as it may, if we name this day after a polygon then it will be called ‘hectaicosaoctagon’ day.
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Taurus is the zodiac sign of a person born on this day. Emerald is the modern birthstone for this month. Sapphire is the mystical birthstone from Tibetan origin that dates back over a thousand years.
According to the lunisolar Chinese calendar, there are 285 days remaining before the start of the next Chinese New Year.
The ancient Maya civilization believes that the end of the world will happen on December 21, 2012. There are now 4,521 days since this fabled cataclysmic event.
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May 8 Historical Events
- 589 –Reccared summons the Third Council of Toledo.
- 1541 –Hernando de Soto reaches the Mississippi River and names it Río de Espíritu Santo.
- 1794 –Branded a traitor during the Reign of Terror by revolutionists, French chemist Antoine Lavoisier, who was also a tax collector with the Ferme Générale, is tried, convicted, and guillotined all on the same day in Paris.
- 1942 –World War II: The Battle of the Coral Sea comes to an end with Japanese Imperial Navy aircraft carrier aircraft attacking and sinking the United States Navy aircraft carrier USS Lexington. The battle marks the first time in the naval history that two enemy fleets fight without visual contact between warring ships.
- 1970 –The Hard Hat riot occurs in the Wall Street area of New York City as blue-collar construction workers clash with demonstrators protesting the Vietnam War.
- 1973 –A 71-day standoff between federal authorities and the American Indian Movement members occupying the Pine Ridge Reservation at Wounded Knee, South Dakota ends with the surrender of the militants.
- 1980 –The eradication of smallpox is endorsed by the World Health Organization.
- 1984 –Corporal Denis Lortie enters the Quebec National Assembly and opens fire, killing three and wounding 13. René Jalbert, sergeant-at-arms of the assembly, succeeds in calming him, for which he will later receive the Cross of Valour.
- 1987 –The Loughgall Ambush: The SAS kills eight Provisional Irish Republican Army volunteers and a civilian during an ambush in Loughgall, Northern Ireland.
- 1997 –A China Southern Airlines Boeing 737 crashes on approach into Bao'an International Airport, killing 35 people.
Who were born on May 8?
- 1521 –Petrus Canisius, Dutch Jesuit (d. 1597)
- 1587 –Victor Amadeus I, Duke of Savoy (d. 1637)
- 1893 –Teddy Wakelam, English sports broadcaster and rugby player (d. 1963)
- 1905 –Red Nichols, American musician (d. 1965)
- 1915 –Milton Meltzer, American writer (d. 2009)
- 1920 –Sloan Wilson, American author (d. 2003)
- 1963 –Rick Zombo, American ice hockey player
- 1972 –Ray Whitney, Canadian ice hockey player
- 1977 –Theodoros Papaloukas, Greek basketball player
- 1982 –Buakaw Por. Pramuk, Thai Muaythai kickboxer
Who died on May 8?
- 1672 –Jean-Armand du Peyrer, Comte de Tréville and French Officer (b. 1598)
- 1842 –Jules Dumont d'Urville, French explorer (b. 1790)
- 1975 –Avery Brundage, President of the International Olympic Committee (b. 1887)
- 1985 –Dolph Sweet, American actor (b. 1920)
- 1988 –Robert A. Heinlein, American science fiction writer (b. 1907)
- 1994 –George Peppard, American actor (b. 1928)
- 1996 –Larry Levis, American poet (b. 1946)
- 2000 –Alexander Chislenko, Russian-American transhumanist (b. 1959)
- 2008 –Eddy Arnold, country music star (b. 1918)
- 2008 –François Sterchele, Belgian football player (b. 1982)
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