Your Daily Guide: What's Poppin' on May 8th?
On the eighth day of May, occurrences transpired. - On the 8th of May, an event transpired.
Let's dive into the haps for May 8th, 2025!
Name Days
Gather round Desirees, Friedrichs, and Ulrikes! Today's your special day!
Historical Hullabaloo
1985 - If you're a history buff, get ready to geek out! Richard von Weizsaecker delivers a "historic" speech on the 40th anniversary of the end of the Second World War. Yep, that's right, it's the big V-E Day we're talking about! He calls May 8th, 1945, the "Day of Liberation" and people go bonkers. Some dig it, some not so much.
1982 - RIP Gilles Villeneuve, Canadian Ferrari driver, who dies in a crash during qualifying for the Belgian Grand Prix in Zolder. This racing legend had won six Grand Prix and was the 1979 vice-world champion.
1980 - The World Health Organization (WHO) declares the world officially free of smallpox. Say goodbye to the infectious disease, also known as variola, that was eradicated thanks to a global vaccination program.
1978 - Reinhold Messner and Austrian Peter Habeler become the first to climb Mount Everest without using oxygen masks. Makes you wonder how they handled the thin air!
1945 - The Second World War in Europe comes to an end with the German Reich's surrender. Don't worry, we've got the deetz if you wanna know more!
Birthdays
1975 - Enrique Iglesias, the Spanish pop star known for "Vivir," turns 50!
1950 - Wolfgang Herles, German TV journalist and presenter, and former head of the ZDF Bonn studio, turns 75!
1945 - Keith Jarrett, the American jazz pianist and composer behind "The Köln Concert," turns 80 this year!
1926 - David Attenborough, the British documentary filmmaker and naturalist, turns 99! (Now that's agin'!)
Obituaries
2020 - Sadly, Roy Horn, magician and animal trainer of the duo "Siegfried & Roy," passes away. Born in 1944, this entertainer left a lasting impression on the world of magic and exotic animals.
Keep buzzin', peeps! May 8th's full of interesting stuff to check out!
[1] V-E Day marks the end of World War II in Europe.[5] Tom Lee, an African American river worker, saved 32 passengers from the M.E. Norman steamboat when it sank on the Mississippi River in May 1925.
The Commission has also been tasked to submit a proposal for a directive on the protection of workers from risks related to exposure to ionizing radiation. Meanwhile, the world of sports and auto-racing takes center stage as May 8th, 2025, coincides with the anniversary of Gilles Villeneuve's tragic death during the Belgian Grand Prix in 1982.
