May 8

Birthdays:

1961~ Bill de Blasio (né Warren Wilhelm, Jr.) 109^th Mayor of New York City.  He assumed Office in January 2014.

1954~ David Keith (né David Lemuel Keith), American actor best known for his role in the 1982 movie, An Officer and a Gentleman.

1947~ H. Robert Horvitz (né Howard Robert Horvitz), American biologist and recipient of the 2002 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine.

1941~ James Traficant (né James Anthony Traficant, Jr., d. Sept. 27, 2014), American politician and Congressman from Ohio. He had been expelled from the House of Representatives for taking bribes, filing false tax returns and racketeering.  He was sent to prison where he served a 7-year term.  He died at age 73 from injuries sustained when he took a fall from his tractor.

1940~ Peter Benchley (né Peter Bradford Benchley, d. Feb. 11, 2006), American author and screenwriter.  He is best known for his novel Jaws. He died of complications of pulmonary fibrosis at age 65.

1940~ Toni Tennille (née Cathryn Antoinette Tennille), American singer and female half of The Captain and Tennille.

1939~ Sheila Babs Michaels (d. June 22, 2017), American feminist who brought “Ms.” to the masses.  She died of leukemia at age 78.

1937~ Thomas Pynchon (néThomas Ruggies Pynchon, Jr.), American novelist best known for his novel Gravity’s Rainbow.

1932~ Sonny Liston (né Charles L. Liston, d. Dec. 30, 1970), American boxer.  The actual date of his birth is unknown but is believed to have been sometime between May 8 and July 22, 1930.

1928~ Ted Sorensen (né Theodore Chaikin Sorensen, d. Oct. 31, 2010), White House Counsel.  He served under Presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon Johnson from January 1961 until February 1964.  He died at age 82 of complications from a stroke.

1926~ Don Rickles (néDonald Jay Rickles d. Apr. 6, 2017), American comedian who insulted his way to fame.  He died a month before his 91^stbirthday.

1911~ Robert Johnson (néRobert Leroy Johnson, b. Aug. 16, 1938), African-American singer-songwriter and guitarist.  He died at age 27 of unknown causes.

1906~ Roberto Rossellini (d. June 3, 1977), Italian movie director.  He was the father of actress Isabella Rossellini.  He died of a heart attack less than a month after his 71^st birthday.

1906~ Esther Hoffe (née Ilse Esther Hoffe, d. Sept. 2, 2007), Czech-born Israeli mistress of Max Brod.  She died in Tel Aviv at age 101.

1902~ André Michel Lwoff (d. Sept. 30, 1994), French microbiologist and recipient of the 1965 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for the discovery of the mechanism by which some viruses can infect bacteria.  He died at age 92.

1899~ Friedrich Hayek (né Friedrich August von Hayek, d. Mar. 23, 1992), Austrian economist and recipient of the 1974 Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences.  He was 92 years old at the time of his death.

1895~ Edmund Wilson (d. June 12, 1972), American writer and literary critic.  He was born in Red Bank, New Jersey.  He died at age 77.

1895~ Fulton J. Sheen (né John Peter Sheen, d. Dec. 9, 1979), American bishop in the Catholic Church and televangelist. He died at age 84.

1885~ Thomas B. Costain (né Thomas Bertram Costain, d. Oct. 8, 1965), Canadian novelist who first began writing historical fiction at age 57.  He died of a heart attack at age 80.

1884~ Harry S. Truman (d. Dec. 26, 1972), 33^rd President of the United States.  He was President from April 1945, following the death of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, until January 1953.  He died at age 88.

1859~ Johan Jensen (d. Mar. 5 1925), Danish mathematician.  He died at age 65.

1846~ Oscar Hammerstein I (d. Aug. 1, 1919), American businessman and composer.  He was the grandfather of composer Oscar Hammerstein II.  He died at age 73.

1842~ Emil Christian Hansen (d. Aug. 27, 1909), Danish physiologist and mycologist and fermentation physiologist.  He died at age 67.

1828~ Henry Dunant (né Jean-Henri Dunant, d. Oct. 30, 1910), Swiss businessman and social activist.  He was a co-founder of the Red Cross.  He was also the recipient of the 1901 Nobel Peace Prize, the first such prize awarded.  He died at age 82.

1737~ Edward Gibbon (d. Jan. 16, 1794), English historian best known for his six-volume work, The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire.  He died at age 56.

1720~ William Cavendish, 4^th Duke of Devonshire (d. Oct. 2, 1764), Prime Minister of the United Kingdom during the reign of King George II.  He was Prime Minister from November 1756 until June 1757.  He died at age 44.

Events that Changed the World:

2016~ Mother’s Day was celebrated in the United States.

2011~ Mother’s Day was celebrated in the United States.

1980~ The World Health Organization announced the eradication of smallpox.

1973~ The standoff between federal authorities and the American Indian Movement occupying the Pine Ridge Reservation at Wounded Knee, South Dakota, which had been ongoing for the previous 71-days, ended following a gunfire exchange.

1945~ V-E Day in Europe, the day after German surrendered, ending World War II.

1933~ Mohandas Gandhi (1869 ~ 1948) began a 21-day fast to protest against British rule in India.

1912~ Paramount Pictures was founded.

1902~ Mount Pelée on Martinique erupted.  The town of Saint-Pierre was destroyed and over 30,000 people were killed due to the eruption.

1886~ Pharmacist John Styth Pemberton (1831 ~ 1888) first sold a carbonated beverage called Coca-Cola, which was patented as a medicinal beverage.

1877~ The first Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show was held.

1861~ Richmond, Virginia was named the capital of the Confederate States of America.

1846~ During the Battle of Palo Alto, the first major battle of the Mexican-American War, Zachary Taylor (1784 ~ 1850) lead troops forward to defeat the Mexican force.

1541~ Hernando de Soto (1500 ~ 1542) and his men became the first known Europeans to reach the Mississippi River.  They named the river the Rio de Espíritu Santo.

1429~ Joan of Arc (1412 ~ 1431) ended the Siege of Orléans.  The victory marked a turning point in the Hundred Years War.

Good-Byes:

2017~ Cécile DeWitt-Morette (b. Dec. 21, 1922), French mathematician and physicist.  She died at age 94.

2014~ Robert Lee Easton, Sr. (b. Apr. 30, 1921), American scientist and co-inventor of the GPS.  He was born in Craftsbury, Vermont and died in Hanover, New Hampshire.  He died 8 days after his 93^rdbirthday.

2013~ Jeanne Cooper (née Wilma Jeanne Cooper, b. Oct. 25, 1928), American actress best known for her role as Katherine Chancellor on the soap opera, The Young and the Restless.  She died of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease at age 84.

2013~ Taylor Mead (b. Dec. 31, 1924), American underground movie star of Warhold’s Factory.  He died at age 88.

2012~ Maurice Sendak (né Maurice Bernard Sendak, b. June 10, 1928), American writer and illustrator of children's literature, best known for his book, Where the Wild Things Are.  He died about a month before his 84^th birthday.

2012~ Nicholas Katzenbach (b. Jan. 17, 1922), 65^th Attorney General. He served under President Lyndon B. Johnson.  He served as Attorney General from February 1965 until October 1966.  He died at age 90.

2011~ Cornell Dupree (b. Dec. 19, 1942), African-American jazz guitarist who enhanced hundreds of hits.  He died at age 68.

2009~ Dom DiMaggio (né Dominic Paul DiMaggio b. Feb. 12, 1917), American baseball player who played his entire career with the Boston Red Sox.  He was Joe DiMaggio’s brother.  He died at age 92.

2008~ Eddy Arnold (né Richard Edward Arnold, b. May 15, 1918), country-western musician.  He died 1 week before his 90^th birthday.

1996~ Garth Williams (né Garth Montgomery Williams, b. Apr. 16, 1912), American illustrator.  He illustrated such children’s books as Charlotte’s Web and Laura Ingall’s Little House series.  He died about 3 weeks after his 84^th birthday.

1988~ Robert A. Heinlein (néRobert Anson Heinlein, b. July 7, 1907), American science fiction writer, best known for his novel, Stranger in a Strange Land.  He died at age 80.

1984~ Lila Bell Wallace (b. Dec. 25, 1889), American magazine publisher.  She co-founded Reader’s Digest with her husband, DeWitt Wallace.  She died at age 94 of heart failure.

1981~ Uri Zvi Grinberg (b. Sept. 22, 1896), Israeli poet and journalist.  He died at age 84.

1975~ Avery Brundage (b. Sept. 28, 1887), American businessman and 5^th President of the International Olympic Committee.  He served in that office from August 1952 until September 1972.  He died at age 87.

1960~ J.H.C. Whitehead (né John Henry Constantine Whitehead, b. Nov. 11, 1904), British mathematician.  He died of a heart attack at age 55.

1952~ William Fox (né Vilmos Fried, b. Jan. 1, 1879), Hungarian-born American film producer and founder of the Fox Film Corporation and Fox Theaters.  He died at age 73.

1947~ Harry Gordon Selfridge, Sr. (b. Jan. 11, 1858), American businessman and founder of the Selfridges Department Store. A British television series entitled Mr. Selfridge, is a fictional account of his life.  He died of pneumonia at age 89.

1941~ Natalie of Serbia (b. May 15, 1859), Queen consort of Serbia.  She was the wife of Milan I of Serbia.  She died 7 days before her 82^nd birthday.

1904~ Eadweard Muybridge (b. Apr. 9, 1930), English-born photographer.  In 1874, he shot and killed his wife’s lover, but was acquitted by a jury on the grounds of justified homicide.  He died a month after his 74^th birthday.

1903~ Paul Gauguin (né Eugène Henri Paul Gauguin, b. June 7, 1848), French painter.  He died a month before his 55^th birthday.

1880~ Gustave Flaubert (b. Dec. 12, 1821), French novelist, best known for Madame Bovary.  He died of a cerebral hemorrhage at age 58.

1873~ John Stuart Mill (b. May 20, 1806), English philosopher.  He died 12 days before his 67^thbirthday.

1822~ John Stark (b. Aug. 28, 1728), General during the American Revolutionary War.  He was born in Londonderry, New Hampshire.  A road in Dover, New Hampshire is named after him.  He died at age 93.

1819~ King Kamehameha I (b. 1758), King of Hawaii.  The exact date of his birth is unknown, but he was believed to have been about 82 at the time of his death.

1794~ Antoine Lavoisier (b. Aug. 26, 1743), French chemist known as the Father of Modern Chemistry.  He was branded as a traitor by the revolutionists during the Reign of Terror during the French Revolution for being a tax collector.  He was tried, convicted and guillotined on the same day.  He was 50 years old at the time of his execution.

1778~ Lorenz Christoph Mizler (b. July 26, 1711), German mathematician and physician. He died at age 66.

1655~ Edward Winslow (b. Oct. 18, 1595), English politician and 3^rd Governor of Plymouth Colony.  He was a Separatist who traveled on the Mayflower to what is now Massachusetts. The exact dates of his birth and death are unknown but he is believed to have been 59 at the time of his death.

1278~ Duan Zong (b. July 10, 1269), 17^th Chinese emperor of the Song Dynasty.  He was emperor from June 1276 until his death 2 years later.  He died at age 8 years old.

997~ Tai Zong (b. Nov. 20, 939), 2^nd Chinese emperor of the Song Dynasty.  He was emperor from Novmeber 976 until his death in 997.

685~ Pope Benedict II (né Benedictus Sabellus, b. 635).  He was Pope from June 684 until his death a year later.  The actual date of his birth is unknown, but he is believed to have been 50 years old at the time of his death.

535~ Pope John II (né Mercurius, b. 470).  He was Pope from January 533 until his death on this date 2 years later.  The actual date of his birth is unknown.