May 8
1541 - Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto reached the Mississippi River.
1794 - Antoine Lauren 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 people.
1945 - President Harry S. Truman announced on radio that Nazi Germany’s forces had surrendered, and that “the flags of freedom fly all over Europe" as V-E Day was celebrated.
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 in South Dakota 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 sentenced to six consecutive life prison terms.)
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, the state military college of South Carolina, graduated its first female cadet, Nancy Mace.
2003 - The U.S. Senate unanimously endorsed adding to seven former communist nations to NATO: 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.
Birthdays
22 - Ethan Wacker (actor)
24 - Nikki Roumel (actress)
32 - Olivia Culpo (model/actress)
34 - Iyo Sky (professional wrestler)
35 - Nora Anezeder (actress)
37 - Adam Huber (actor)
40 - Julia Whelan (actress)
46 - Matt Davis (actor)
49 - Enrique Iglesias (singer)
52 - Darren Hayes (singer)
60 - Melissa Gilbert (actress)
67 - Bill Cowher (football coach/sportscaster)
69 - Raoul Max Trujillo (actor)
70 - David Keith (actor)
71 - Alex Van Halen (musician)
76 - Mark Blankfield (actor)
82 - Jack Blanchard (singer)
83 - James Mitchum (actor)
84 - Toni Tennille (singer)
98 - David Attenborough (TV host)
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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.
1954 - Parry O'Brien became the first to toss a shot put over 60 feet. O'Brien achieved a distance of 60 feet 5 1/4 inches.
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 title when they defeated Los Angeles in Game 7 of the Finals.
1971 - Joe Frazier defeated Muhammad Ali at New York's Madison Square Garden. It was Ali's first defeat of his pro career.
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.
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 selected South Carolina defensive end Jadeveon Clowney with the first pick in the NFL Draft.
1541 - Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto reached the Mississippi River.
1794 - Antoine Lauren 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 people.
1945 - President Harry S. Truman announced on radio that Nazi Germany’s forces had surrendered, and that “the flags of freedom fly all over Europe" as V-E Day was celebrated.
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 in South Dakota 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 sentenced to six consecutive life prison terms.)
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, the state military college of South Carolina, graduated its first female cadet, Nancy Mace.
2003 - The U.S. Senate unanimously endorsed adding to seven former communist nations to NATO: 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.
Birthdays
22 - Ethan Wacker (actor)
24 - Nikki Roumel (actress)
32 - Olivia Culpo (model/actress)
34 - Iyo Sky (professional wrestler)
35 - Nora Anezeder (actress)
37 - Adam Huber (actor)
40 - Julia Whelan (actress)
46 - Matt Davis (actor)
49 - Enrique Iglesias (singer)
52 - Darren Hayes (singer)
60 - Melissa Gilbert (actress)
67 - Bill Cowher (football coach/sportscaster)
69 - Raoul Max Trujillo (actor)
70 - David Keith (actor)
71 - Alex Van Halen (musician)
76 - Mark Blankfield (actor)
82 - Jack Blanchard (singer)
83 - James Mitchum (actor)
84 - Toni Tennille (singer)
98 - David Attenborough (TV host)
======================================
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.
1954 - Parry O'Brien became the first to toss a shot put over 60 feet. O'Brien achieved a distance of 60 feet 5 1/4 inches.
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 title when they defeated Los Angeles in Game 7 of the Finals.
1971 - Joe Frazier defeated Muhammad Ali at New York's Madison Square Garden. It was Ali's first defeat of his pro career.
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.
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 selected South Carolina defensive end Jadeveon Clowney with the first pick in the NFL Draft.