On This Day in History

May 8

Historical Events

1660 English Parliament proclaims Charles II, King of England and invites him to return.

1835 First installment of Hans Christian Andersen "Fairy Tales" published by C. A. Reitzel in Copenhagen, Denmark.

1895 China cedes Taiwan to Japan under the Treaty of Shimonoseki.

1902 Mount Pelée on the French overseas island of Martinique erupts, wiping out the city of Saint-Pierre, killing 30,000 and leaving only two survivors.

German commander Wilhelm Keitel signs the final unconditional surrender of Germany in the ruins of Berlin

1945 V-E Day: World War II ends in Europe after Germany signs an unconditional surrender.

1980 World Health Organization announces smallpox has been eradicated.

2007 A new Northern Ireland Executive is formed with Ian Paisley (Democratic Unionist Party) as First Minister and Martin McGuinness (Sinn Féin) as Deputy First Minister.

More Historical Events

Famous Birthdays

Edward Gibbon 1737 - 1794 Phillis Wheatley 1753 - 1784

Harry Truman 1884 - 1972 David Attenborough 98th Birthday

Also Ricky Nelson, Gary Glitter (80) and Enrique Iglesias (49).

More Famous Birthdays

Famous Deaths

Kamehameha I 1738 - 1819 Mordecai Anielewicz 1919 - 1943

Also John Stuart Mill and Paul Gauguin.

More Famous Deaths

Suicide Woman Floats To Safety

Nobody could expect to survive a fall from the 100-metre high Clifton Suspension Bridge. But one woman was saved on this day by her billowing skirt.

How She Survived a Fall from 100m