May 8
1541 - Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto reached the Mississippi River.
1794 - Antoine Laurent Lavoisier, the father of modern chemistry, was guillotined during the Reign of Terror.
1846 - The first major battle of the Mexican-American War was fought at Palo Alto, Texas; U.S. forces led by Gen. Zachary Taylor were able to beat back Mexican forces.
1877 - The first Westminster Dog Show was held.
1902 - Mount Pelee on Martinique erupted, destroying the town of St. Pierre and killing more than 40,000.
1945 - V-E Day was celebrated, marking the end of the European conflict of World War II as President Harry S. Truman announced on radio that Nazi Germany's forces had surrendered, and that "the flags of freedom fly all over Europe."
1972 - President Richard Nixon announced that he had ordered the mining of Haiphong Harbor during the Vietnam War.
1973 - The 10-week Wounded Knee occupation ended when members of the American Indian Movement surrendered.
1978 - David Berkowitz, a.k.a the "Son of Sam," plead guilty to killing six people in New York City. (Berkowitz was later sentenced to six consecutive life sentences.)
1993 - The Muslim-led government of Bosnia-Herzegovina and rebel Bosnian Serbs signed an agreement for a nationwide cease-fire.
1996 - South Africa took another step from apartheid to democracy by adopting a constitution that guaranteed equal rights for Blacks and Whites.
1999 - The Citadel, South Carolina's state military institute, graduated its first female cadet, Nancy Mace.
2003 - The U.S. Senate unanimously endorsed adding to NATO seven former communist nations: Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia, and Slovenia.
2013 - A jury in Phoenix convicted Jodi Arias of first-degree murder in the 2008 death of her one-time boyfriend, Travis Alexander (Arias was later sentenced to life in prison).
2018 - President Donald Trump withdrew the U.S. from the nuclear accord with Iran and restored harsh sanctions; Trump had been a severe critic of the deal negotiated by the Obama administration in which Iran agreed to restrictions on its nuclear program.
2020 - The unemployment level surged to 14.7%, a level last seen when the country was in the throes of the Great Depression; the government reported that 20 million Americans had lost their jobs in April amid the economic fallout from the coronavirus pandemic.
2022 - The summer movie season got off to a blockbuster start thanks to “Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness.” The superhero extravaganza grossed an estimated $185 million in ticket sales in its first weekend in U.S. and Canadian theaters.
Birthdays
21 - Ethan Wacker (actor)
23 - Nikki Roumel (actress)
31 - Olivia Culpo (actress/model)
33 - Iyo Sky (professional wrestler)
33 - Kemba Walker (basketball player)
34 - Nora Anezeder (actress)
39 - Julia Whelan (actress)
40 - Elyes Gabel (actor)
42 - Stephen Amell (actor)
45 - Matt Davis (actor)
48 - Enrique Iglesias (singer)
51 - Darren Hayes (singer)
59 - Melissa Gilbert (actress)
66 - Bill Cowher (football player)
69 - David Keith (actor)
70 - Alex Van Halen (singer)
75 - Mark Blankfield (actor)
82 - James Mitchum (actor)
83 - Toni Tennille (singer)
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Today in Sports History - May 8
1866 - Australian Rules Football was created.
1878 - Paul Hines made baseball's first unassisted triple play.
1915 - Regret became the first filly to win the Kentucky Derby.
1935 - Ernie Lombardi (Cincinnati Reds) hit four doubles on consecutive at-bats against four different Philadelphia pitchers.
1961 - New Yorkers selected a new name for their new National League baseball franchise. They chose the Mets.
1967 - Muhammad Ali was indicted for refusing induction in U.S. Army.
1970 - The New York Knicks won their first NBA championship, defeating the Los Angeles Lakers in seven games.
1971 - Joe Frazier defeated Muhammad Ali at Madison Square Garden, handing Ali the first loss of his professional career.
1973 - In Cincinnati, Ralph Miller, the last of the 19th century baseball players, died at the age of 100.
1984 - The Soviet Union announced it would boycott the upcoming Summer Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
1984 - The Chicago White Sox beat the Milwaukee Brewers 7-6 in 25 innings. The game was actually completed on May 9.
1988 - Michael Jordan (Chicago Bulls) completed the first round the playoffs with 226 points in five games against Cleveland.
2000 - Jason and Jeremy Giambi (Oakland) became the 10th set of brothers to hit home runs in the same game.
2012 - Josh Hamilton (Texas Rangers) became the 16th major league baseball player to hit four home runs in one game.
2014 - The Houston Texans select South Carolina defensive end/linebacker Jadeveon Clowney with the first pick in the NFL Draft.
1541 - Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto reached the Mississippi River.
1794 - Antoine Laurent Lavoisier, the father of modern chemistry, was guillotined during the Reign of Terror.
1846 - The first major battle of the Mexican-American War was fought at Palo Alto, Texas; U.S. forces led by Gen. Zachary Taylor were able to beat back Mexican forces.
1877 - The first Westminster Dog Show was held.
1902 - Mount Pelee on Martinique erupted, destroying the town of St. Pierre and killing more than 40,000.
1945 - V-E Day was celebrated, marking the end of the European conflict of World War II as President Harry S. Truman announced on radio that Nazi Germany's forces had surrendered, and that "the flags of freedom fly all over Europe."
1972 - President Richard Nixon announced that he had ordered the mining of Haiphong Harbor during the Vietnam War.
1973 - The 10-week Wounded Knee occupation ended when members of the American Indian Movement surrendered.
1978 - David Berkowitz, a.k.a the "Son of Sam," plead guilty to killing six people in New York City. (Berkowitz was later sentenced to six consecutive life sentences.)
1993 - The Muslim-led government of Bosnia-Herzegovina and rebel Bosnian Serbs signed an agreement for a nationwide cease-fire.
1996 - South Africa took another step from apartheid to democracy by adopting a constitution that guaranteed equal rights for Blacks and Whites.
1999 - The Citadel, South Carolina's state military institute, graduated its first female cadet, Nancy Mace.
2003 - The U.S. Senate unanimously endorsed adding to NATO seven former communist nations: Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia, and Slovenia.
2013 - A jury in Phoenix convicted Jodi Arias of first-degree murder in the 2008 death of her one-time boyfriend, Travis Alexander (Arias was later sentenced to life in prison).
2018 - President Donald Trump withdrew the U.S. from the nuclear accord with Iran and restored harsh sanctions; Trump had been a severe critic of the deal negotiated by the Obama administration in which Iran agreed to restrictions on its nuclear program.
2020 - The unemployment level surged to 14.7%, a level last seen when the country was in the throes of the Great Depression; the government reported that 20 million Americans had lost their jobs in April amid the economic fallout from the coronavirus pandemic.
2022 - The summer movie season got off to a blockbuster start thanks to “Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness.” The superhero extravaganza grossed an estimated $185 million in ticket sales in its first weekend in U.S. and Canadian theaters.
Birthdays
21 - Ethan Wacker (actor)
23 - Nikki Roumel (actress)
31 - Olivia Culpo (actress/model)
33 - Iyo Sky (professional wrestler)
33 - Kemba Walker (basketball player)
34 - Nora Anezeder (actress)
39 - Julia Whelan (actress)
40 - Elyes Gabel (actor)
42 - Stephen Amell (actor)
45 - Matt Davis (actor)
48 - Enrique Iglesias (singer)
51 - Darren Hayes (singer)
59 - Melissa Gilbert (actress)
66 - Bill Cowher (football player)
69 - David Keith (actor)
70 - Alex Van Halen (singer)
75 - Mark Blankfield (actor)
82 - James Mitchum (actor)
83 - Toni Tennille (singer)
==============================
Today in Sports History - May 8
1866 - Australian Rules Football was created.
1878 - Paul Hines made baseball's first unassisted triple play.
1915 - Regret became the first filly to win the Kentucky Derby.
1935 - Ernie Lombardi (Cincinnati Reds) hit four doubles on consecutive at-bats against four different Philadelphia pitchers.
1961 - New Yorkers selected a new name for their new National League baseball franchise. They chose the Mets.
1967 - Muhammad Ali was indicted for refusing induction in U.S. Army.
1970 - The New York Knicks won their first NBA championship, defeating the Los Angeles Lakers in seven games.
1971 - Joe Frazier defeated Muhammad Ali at Madison Square Garden, handing Ali the first loss of his professional career.
1973 - In Cincinnati, Ralph Miller, the last of the 19th century baseball players, died at the age of 100.
1984 - The Soviet Union announced it would boycott the upcoming Summer Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
1984 - The Chicago White Sox beat the Milwaukee Brewers 7-6 in 25 innings. The game was actually completed on May 9.
1988 - Michael Jordan (Chicago Bulls) completed the first round the playoffs with 226 points in five games against Cleveland.
2000 - Jason and Jeremy Giambi (Oakland) became the 10th set of brothers to hit home runs in the same game.
2012 - Josh Hamilton (Texas Rangers) became the 16th major league baseball player to hit four home runs in one game.
2014 - The Houston Texans select South Carolina defensive end/linebacker Jadeveon Clowney with the first pick in the NFL Draft.
