May 8 facts for kids

May 8th is a special day filled with many interesting events throughout history! From important battles and new discoveries to the birthdays of famous people and special holidays, this day has seen a lot happen around the world. Let's explore some of the most memorable moments of May 8th.

Historical Events

Ancient Times and Middle Ages

• 453 BC – In ancient China, during a time called the Spring and Autumn period, the Zhao family won a big battle against the Zhi family. This battle, known as the Battle of Jinyang, was a major conflict between powerful families in the Jin State.
• 413 – Emperor Honorius of the Roman Empire signed a special order. This order gave tax relief to several Italian provinces that had been attacked and robbed by the Visigoths.
• 589 – King Reccared I of Spain held an important meeting called the Third Council of Toledo. This event marked a big moment for Visigothic Spain, as it officially joined the Catholic Church.
• 1360 – The Treaty of Brétigny was created between King Edward III of England and King John II of France. This treaty was an attempt to bring peace during the Hundred Years' War.
• 1429 – The brave French hero, Joan of Arc, helped to end the Siege of Orléans. This victory was a turning point in the Hundred Years' War, giving France a big advantage.
• 1450 – People from Kent, England, started a rebellion against King Henry VI. This event is known as Jack Cade's Rebellion.
• 1541 – Explorer Hernando de Soto became one of the first Europeans to see the mighty Mississippi River. He saw it near what is now Walls, Mississippi.

From the 1600s to the 1900s

• 1608 – A silver mine in Scotland, which had just been taken over by the government, was reopened by Bevis Bulmer.
• 1639 – William Coddington founded the town of Newport, Rhode Island in America.
• 1758 – The Maratha Empire captured the city of Peshawar from the Durrani Empire in the Battle of Peshawar. This battle extended the Maratha Empire further than ever before.
• 1794 – During the Reign of Terror in France, a famous chemist named Antoine Lavoisier was accused of being a traitor. He was quickly tried and executed in Paris.
• 1821 – In the Greek War of Independence, Greek forces bravely defeated the Turks at the Battle of Gravia Inn.
• 1842 – A train accident in Paris caused a fire, leading to many deaths.
• 1846 – During the Mexican–American War, American forces led by Zachary Taylor won the first major battle of the war, the Battle of Palo Alto, against Mexican forces.
• 1877 – The very first Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show opened in New York City. It's still a famous dog show today!
• 1886 – Pharmacist John Pemberton first sold a new fizzy drink called "Coca-Cola". It was originally sold as a medicine.
• 1898 – The first games of the Italian football league system were played, marking the beginning of organized football in Italy.

Modern Events (1901-Present)

• 1902 – Mount Pelée erupted in Martinique, destroying the town of Saint-Pierre and killing over 30,000 people. Only a few people survived this terrible natural disaster.
• 1919 – Edward George Honey suggested the idea of having a moment of silence to remember the end of World War I. This led to the tradition of Remembrance Day.
• 1927 – French war heroes Charles Nungesser and François Coli tried to make the first non-stop flight across the Atlantic Ocean from Paris to New York. Sadly, they disappeared during their journey.
• 1933 – Mohandas Gandhi began a 21-day fast as part of his efforts to help the Harijan movement in India.
• 1941 – During World War II, the German Luftwaffe launched a bombing raid on the English cities of Nottingham and Derby.
• 1942 – In World War II, the Battle of the Coral Sea ended. During this battle, Japanese aircraft attacked and sank the American aircraft carrier USS Lexington.
• 1945 – World War II officially ended in Europe when the German Instrument of Surrender was signed in Berlin. This day is now celebrated as Victory in Europe Day.
• 1945 – The Prague uprising in Czechoslovakia came to an end. This is now a national holiday in the Czech Republic.
• 1950 – The incredibly well-preserved body of the Tollund Man was discovered in a peat bog in Denmark. He lived over 2,000 years ago!
• 1970 – The famous band The Beatles released their 12th and final studio album, Let It Be.
• 1972 – During the Vietnam War, U.S. President Richard Nixon announced that he would place naval mines in North Vietnamese ports. This was done to stop weapons and supplies from reaching the country.
• 1973 – A 71-day standoff between federal authorities and members of the American Indian Movement at Wounded Knee, South Dakota, came to an end.
• 1978 – Reinhold Messner and Peter Habeler became the first people to climb Mount Everest without using extra oxygen. This was a huge achievement!
• 1980 – The World Health Organization announced that smallpox, a very dangerous disease, had been completely wiped out. This was a massive success for global health.
• 1984 – The USSR announced that it would boycott the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. Many other countries joined them.
• 2019 – A 17-year-old British patient became the first person to receive a special treatment called phage therapy for a serious infection that resisted other medicines.

Famous Births

People Born Before 1900

• 1427 – John Tiptoft, 1st Earl of Worcester, an important English politician.
• 1521 – Peter Canisius, a Dutch-Swiss priest and saint.
• 1629 – Niels Juel, a famous Norwegian-Danish admiral.
• 1720 – William Cavendish, 4th Duke of Devonshire, who was a Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.
• 1737 – Edward Gibbon, a well-known English historian.
• 1753 – Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla, a Mexican priest and leader of a rebellion.
• 1828 – Henry Dunant, a Swiss businessman who helped start the Red Cross. He won a Nobel Peace Prize for his work.
• 1884 – Harry S. Truman, who became the 33rd President of the United States.
• 1899 – Friedrich Hayek, an Austrian economist and philosopher who won a Nobel Prize in Economics.

People Born After 1900

• 1902 – André Michel Lwoff, a French microbiologist who won a Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine.
• 1903 – Fernandel, a famous French actor and singer.
• 1906 – Roberto Rossellini, an important Italian film director.
• 1911 – Robert Johnson, a legendary American blues singer and guitarist.
• 1913 – Sid James, a popular South African-English actor.
• 1916 – João Havelange, a Brazilian sports official who led FIFA for many years.
• 1920 – Saul Bass, a famous American graphic designer and director.
• 1926 – David Attenborough, a beloved English environmentalist and television host, known for his nature documentaries.
• 1926 – Don Rickles, a well-known American comedian and actor.
• 1929 – Miyoshi Umeki, a Japanese-American actress and singer.
• 1937 – Thomas Pynchon, a famous American novelist.
• 1940 – Peter Benchley, the American author who wrote the book Jaws.
• 1940 – Ricky Nelson, a popular American singer and actor.
• 1945 – Keith Jarrett, a talented American jazz pianist and composer.
• 1951 – Philip Bailey, an American singer from the band Earth, Wind & Fire.
• 1953 – Alex Van Halen, the Dutch-American drummer for the band Van Halen.
• 1954 – David Keith, an American actor and director.
• 1957 – Bill Cowher, a famous American football coach.
• 1958 – Roddy Doyle, a well-known Irish novelist and playwright.
• 1959 – Ronnie Lott, a legendary American football player.
• 1961 – Bill de Blasio, who became the 109th Mayor of New York City.
• 1963 – Anthony Field, an Australian musician and songwriter, known from The Wiggles.
• 1963 – Michel Gondry, a French director and screenwriter.
• 1964 – Melissa Gilbert, an American actress, famous for her role in Little House on the Prairie.
• 1964 – Bobby Labonte, an American race car driver.
• 1966 – Cláudio Taffarel, a famous Brazilian footballer.
• 1969 – Akebono Tarō, an American-Japanese sumo wrestler who became a Yokozuna.
• 1970 – Naomi Klein, a Canadian author and activist.
• 1970 – Luis Enrique, a Spanish footballer and manager.
• 1972 – Darren Hayes, an Australian singer-songwriter, known from Savage Garden.
• 1975 – Enrique Iglesias, a very popular Spanish-American singer.
• 1977 – Joe Bonamassa, an American blues rock singer and guitarist.
• 1978 – Lúcio, a Brazilian footballer.
• 1981 – Stephen Amell, a Canadian actor.
• 1981 – Andrea Barzagli, an Italian footballer.
• 1982 – Buakaw Banchamek, a famous Thai kick-boxer.
• 1983 – Vicky McClure, an English actress.
• 1993 – Pat Cummins, an Australian cricketer.
• 1996 – 6ix9ine, an American rapper.
• 2003 – Moulay Hassan, Crown Prince of Morocco.

Notable Deaths

People Who Passed Away Before 1900

• 535 – Pope John II.
• 615 – Pope Boniface IV.
• 685 – Pope Benedict II.
• 997 – Tai Zong, a Chinese emperor.
• 1157 – Ahmed Sanjar, a Seljuk sultan.
• 1220 – Richeza of Denmark, a queen of Sweden.
• 1319 – Haakon V, a king of Norway.
• 1551 – Barbara Radziwiłł, a queen of Poland.
• 1794 – Antoine Lavoisier, a famous French chemist.
• 1819 – Kamehameha I, the first king of the Hawaiian Islands.
• 1842 – Jules Dumont d'Urville, a French admiral and explorer.
• 1880 – Gustave Flaubert, a well-known French novelist.
• 1891 – Helena Blavatsky, a Russian-English mystic and author.

People Who Passed Away After 1900

• 1903 – Paul Gauguin, a famous French painter.
• 1936 – Oswald Spengler, a German historian and philosopher.
• 1947 – Harry Gordon Selfridge, an American-English businessman who founded the famous Selfridges department store.
• 1952 – William Fox, an Austrian businessman who founded Fox Theatres.
• 1975 – Avery Brundage, an American businessman and art collector.
• 1982 – Gilles Villeneuve, a Canadian race car driver.
• 1988 – Robert A. Heinlein, a very influential American science fiction writer.
• 1995 – Teresa Teng, a popular Taiwanese singer.
• 1999 – Dirk Bogarde, an English actor.
• 2008 – Eddy Arnold, an American country music singer.
• 2012 – Maurice Sendak, a famous American author and illustrator, known for Where the Wild Things Are.
• 2018 – Anne V. Coates, a British film editor who won an Oscar for Lawrence of Arabia.
• 2022 – Dennis Waterman, a well-known English actor and singer.

Holidays and Special Days

May 8th is celebrated in different ways around the world:

• Emancipation Day is observed in Columbus, Mississippi.
• Furry Dance is a traditional event held in Helston, UK.
• Liberation Day is a national holiday in the Czech Republic.
• Miguel Hidalgo's birthday is celebrated in Mexico.
• Parents' Day is a special day in South Korea.
• Truman Day is observed in Missouri.
• Veterans Day (Norway) honors veterans in Norway.
• Victory in Europe Day (or VE Day) is widely celebrated across Europe. It marks the end of World War II in Europe.
  • This day is also part of the Time of Remembrance and Reconciliation for Those Who Lost Their Lives during the Second World War, which continues to May 9.
  • Day of Remembrance and Victory over Nazism in World War II 1939 – 1945 is celebrated in Ukraine.
• White Lotus Day is observed by followers of Theosophy.
• World Red Cross and Red Crescent Day is an international day that celebrates the work of the Red Cross and Red Crescent societies.

See also

In Spanish: 8 de mayo para niños