Historical events on May 8
MAY 8, 1942
World War II: The Axis launched a major counteroffensive, turning the tide of the Battle of the Kerch Peninsula.
World War II or the Second World War was a global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies and the Axis powers. Nearly all
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MAY 8, 1963
In Huế, South Vietnam, soldiers opened fire into a crowd of Buddhists protesting against a government ban on the flying of the Buddhist flag on Phật Đản, killing nine and sparking the Buddhist crisis.
Huế is the southernmost coastal city in the North Central Coast region, the Central of Vietnam, approximately in the center of the
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MAY 8, 1945
A parade in Sétif, French Algeria, celebrating the end of World War II in Europe became a riot and was followed by reprisals, carried out by colonial authorities over the following weeks, that killed thousands.
Sétif is the capital city of the Sétif Province and the 5th most populous city of Algeria, with an estimated population of
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MAY 8, 1842
A train derailed and caught fire near Versailles, France, killing at least 52 people.
On 8 May 1842, a train crashed in the cutting between Meudon and Bellevue stations on the railway between Versailles and Paris,
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MAY 8, 1924
Lithuania signed the Klaipėda Convention, making the Klaipėda Region (taken from East Prussia) into an autonomous region under Lithuanian rule.
The Klaipėda Convention was an international agreement between Lithuania and the countries of the Conference of Ambassadors signed in Paris on May
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MAY 8, 1821
Greek War of Independence: At the Battle of Gravia Inn, a 120-man Greek force led by Odysseas Androutsos repulsed an Ottoman army of 8,000 soldiers.
The Greek War of Independence, also known as the Greek Revolution or the Greek Revolution of 1821, was a successful war of
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MAY 8, 1972
Four members of Black September hijacked Sabena Flight 571 to demand the release of 315 Palestinians convicted on terrorism charges.
The Black September Organization was a Palestinian militant organization, which was founded in September 1970. Besides other actions, the group was responsible
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MAY 8, 1950
The Tollund Man (pictured), a naturally mummified corpse, was discovered in a peat bog near Silkeborg, Denmark.
The Tollund Man is a naturally mummified corpse of a man who lived during the 5th century BC, during the period characterised
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MAY 8, 1927
French aviators Charles Nungesser and François Coli aboard the biplane L'Oiseau Blanc took off from Paris, attempting to make the first non-stop flight to New York, only to disappear before arrival.
Charles Eugène Jules Marie Nungesser was a French ace pilot and adventurer. Nungesser was a renowned ace in France, ranking third highest
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MAY 8, 1987
A British Special Air Service unit ambushed a Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) unit in Loughgall, Northern Ireland, killing eight IRA members and one civilian.
The Special Air Service (SAS) is a special forces unit of the British Army. It was founded as a regiment in 1941
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MAY 8, 1970
Construction workers attacked students and others who were protesting the Vietnam War in New York City.
The Hard Hat Riot occurred in New York City on May 8, 1970, when around 400 construction workers and around 800 office
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MAY 8, 1643
First English Civil War: The first siege of Wardour Castle ended after six days with the surrender of the Royalist garrison under Lady Blanche Arundell (pictured).
The First English Civil War took place in England and Wales from 1642 to 1646, and forms part of the 1639 to
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MAY 8, 1957
South Vietnamese president Ngô Đình Diệm began a state visit to the United States, his regime's main sponsor.
South Vietnam, officially the Republic of Vietnam, was a country in Southeast Asia that existed from 1955 to 1975. It first garnered
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