On This Day May 8th

 OTD

May 8th is the one-hundred-twenty-eighth day of the year in the Gregorian calendar; 237 days remain until the end of the year.

 

Events

1429 – Joan of Arc lifts the Siege of Orléans, turning the tide of the Hundred Years' War.

1846 – Mexican-American War: American forces led by Zachary Taylor defeated a Mexican force north of the Rio Grande in the war's first major battle.

1886 – Pharmacist John Pemberton first sold a carbonated beverage named "Coca-Cola" as a patent medicine.

1912 – Paramount Pictures is founded.

1941 – World War II: The German Luftwaffe launches a bombing raid on Nottingham and Derby.

1976 – The rollercoaster The New Revolution, the first steel coaster with a vertical loop, opens at Six Flags Magic Mountain.

1978 – The first ascent of Mount Everest without supplemental oxygen, by Reinhold Messner and Peter Habeler.

 

Birthdays

1551 – Thomas Drury, English government informer and swindler (d. 1603)

1628 – Angelo Italia, Sicilian Jesuit and architect (d. 1700). He was the rebuilding of the cities after the 1693 Sicilian earthquakes.

1737 – Edward Gibbon, English historian and politician (d. 1794)

1828 – Henry Dunant, the Swiss businessman and activist, co-founded the Red Cross Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1910)

1846 – Oscar Hammerstein I, American businessman and composer (d. 1919)

1884 – Harry S. Truman, American colonel, and politician, 33rd President of the United States (d. 1972)

1899 – Friedrich Hayek, Austrian economist, and philosopher, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1992)

1911 – Robert Johnson, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 1938)

1926 – David Attenborough, English environmentalist and television host

1928 - Don Rickles, American comedian and actor (d. 2017)

1940 – Peter Benchley, American author and screenwriter (d. 2006)

 

Holiday Highlight

World Donkey Day

Ark Raziq, a scientist who studies desert animals, created World Donkey Day. He realized that the hardworking donkey wasn’t being recognized for its efforts in building our society. Their input has improved the quality of life for people worldwide. He started by creating a Facebook group about the animal. In 2018, World Donkey Day was officially established, and it’s been celebrated every year since. Its purpose is to spread information about donkeys and how they impact human lives.

 

The modern donkey has two ancestors, both subspecies of the African wild ass, namely, the Somali wild ass and the Nubian wild ass. Current evidence suggests that donkeys have been working for humans for centuries. Donkeys are bred all around the world for their various uses. Donkeys helped build a society by providing energy before electricity or steam power. They can travel long distances, are sturdy, somewhat self-sufficient, and bear some harsh conditions.

 

These animals are respected and celebrated for their strength and diligence. They do not shy away from work. They can pull cargo for miles, which is where the idea of donkey pull carts comes from. They can work much longer and harder than most other animals. Their running speed can get up to 31 miles per hour. Their life span is between 50 to 54 years. They are considered a wonderful gift from nature. There are millions of donkeys worldwide, and they have had a significant impact.

 

Holidays And Observance

Donate a Day's Wages to Charity - May 8, 2024 (Second Wednesday in May)

Free Trade Day

Iris Day

National Receptionists Day - May 8, 2024 (Second Wednesday in May)

National School Nurse Day

National Student Nurses Day

National Third Shift Worker's Day

National Walk Bike & Roll to School Day

No Socks Day

V-E Day

White Lotus Day

World Ovarian Cancer Day

World Red Cross Day

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