1907 – Canadian Tommy Burns retains his world heavyweight boxing title after beating Philadelphia Jack O’Brien on points in 20 rounds in Los Angeles, California
1959 – Little Caesars Pizza is founded by Mike Ilitch and his wife Marian Ilitch in Garden City, Michigan
1969 – Cambodia recognizes the German Democratic Republic (East Germany)
1970 – Thousands of students protest against the Vietnam War following the Kent State University shootings in Ohio
1973 – Wounded Knee Occupation ends after 10 weeks as 200 Oglala Lakota of the American Indian Movement surrender the South Dakota hamlet
1976 – The rollercoaster Revolution (roller coaster), the first steel coaster with a vertical flip, opens at Six Flags Magic Mountain
1988 – François Mitterrand elected President of France
2013 – 33 people are killed after an overloaded bus falls into a river in Himachal Pradesh, India
2018 – President Trump pulls the US out of the multilateral Iran nuclear deal
2024 – New York has more millionaires than any other city in the world, one in 24, with 744 centi-millionaires worth more than 100 million and 60 billionaires according to new ranking
Author: gil7
Today in History for 8th May 2025
Historical Events
1862 – Valley Campaign: Federals repulsed at Battle of McDowell, Virginia
1949 – West German constitution approved
1959 – Three-deck Nile River excursion steamer springs a leak, panicking passengers who capsize the ship; 200 drown just yards from shore
1980 – Sabres take only 15 shots, Islanders 22, in a playoff game
1993 – Lennox Lewis beats Tony Tucker in 12 for heavyweight boxing title
Famous Birthdays
1750 – Elias Mann, American composer, born in Weymouth, Massachusetts (d. 1825)
1895 – Fulton J. Sheen, America bishop (Life is Worth Living), born in El Paso, Illinois (d. 1979)
1930 – Alex Shigo, American Biologist and Plant Pathologist known for his study of tree decay and contributions to modern arboricultural practices, born in Duquesne, Pennsylvania (d. 2006)
1935 – Lucius Cary, 15th Viscount Falkland, British peer (Lib-Dem), born in UK
1982 – Anthony Roth Costanzo, American operatic countertenor (Akhnaten), actor, and educator, born in Durham, North Carolina
Famous Deaths
1688 – Pierre de Troyes, French officer and explorer in North America (re-took James Bay forts from the English), dies at Fort Niagara
1818 – Franz Ignaz Kaa, German composer, dies at 78
1842 – Jules Dumont d’Urville, French explorer and naval officer, dies at 51
1984 – Gino Bianco, Brazilian racing driver (b. 1916)
2020 – Roy Horn [Uwe Ludwig Horn], German-American Las Vegas entertainer (Siegfried and Roy), dies of COVID-19 at 75
Famous Deaths for 7th May 2025
1166 – William I, the Bad, Norman King of Sicily (1154-66) dies at about 46
1814 – Franz Volrath Buttstett, German composer, dies at 79
1825 – Antonio Salieri, Italian composer (Tarare; La Fiera), opera director (Habsburg Court, 1774-92), and Kapellmeister (Austrian Imperial Court, 1788-1824), dies in Vienna at 74
1840 – Caspar David Friedrich, German painter, chiefly of landscapes with contemplative figures in the Romantic style, dies at 65
1985 – Dawn Addams, British actress (A King in New York, Star Maidens) who married the Prince of Roccasecca, dies of cancer at 54
1998 – Eddie Rabbitt, American songwriter (“Kentucky Rain”), and country singer (“I Love a Rainy Night”), dies of lung cancer at 56
2006 – Richard Carleton, Australian television news journalist, dies of a heart attack, while covering press conference of Beaconsfield Mine collapse, at 62
2007 – Bianco [Eugene Capobianco], American jazz, easy-listening, and session harpist, dies at 80
2010 – Adele Mara [Adelaida Delgado], American actress (Sands of Iwo Jima; Angel in Exile), dies at 87
2019 – Georg Katzer, German composer (electro-acoustic music), dies at 84
Historical Events for 7th May 2025
1771 – Samuel Hearne explores Copper Mine River of Canada
1800 – Indiana Territory organized
1862 – Battle of West Point, Virginia at Eltham’s Landing, Barnhamsville
1934 – Princess Juliana of the Netherlands opens Juliana Canal between Maastricht and Maasbracht
1960 – Webster and Fain’s musical “Christine”, based on Hilda Wernher’s novel “My Indian Family”, closes at 46th St Theater, NYC, after 12 performances
1992 – US space shuttle STS-49 launched, the maiden voyage of Endeavour
1992 – Champion Puerto Rican jockey Ángel Cordero Jr. retires after winning 7,057 thoroughbred horse races
2007 – Ehud Netzer of Hebrew University announces he has discovered the tomb of Herod the Great at Herodium, West Bank
2011 – 137th Kentucky Derby: John Velazquez aboard Animal Kingdom wins in 2:02.04
2013 – 4 people are killed after the Mayon Volcano erupts in the Philippines
Today in History for 7th May 2025
Historical Events
1697 – Stockholm’s medieval royal castle is destroyed by fire, the Codex Gigas (world’s largest extant medieval illuminated manuscript) survives by being thrown out a window
1930 – Duleepsinhji scores 333 for Sussex v Northants in 330 mins
1987 – 105°F in Sacramento, California
1989 – Panamanian voters reject dictator Manuel Noriega’s bid for presidency
2019 – Hackers seize control of the computer system of the US city of Baltimore, demanding a ransom in Bitcoins to unlock them
Famous Birthdays
1868 – Władysław Reymont [Rejment], Polish novelist (Chłopi (The Peasants) – Nobel Prize for Literature, 1924), born in Kobiele Wielkie, Petrokov Governorate, Congress Poland, Russian Empire (now Poland) (d. 1925)
1923 – Anne Baxter, American actress, (The Razor’s Edge; All About Eve), and singer, born in Michigan City, Indiana (d. 1985)
1950 – Tim Russert, American television journalist and host of NBC’s Meet the Press, born in Buffalo, New York (d. 2008)
1953 – Ian McKay, British soldier (VC recipient), born in Wortley, South Yorkshire, England (d. 1982)
1979 – Nikki Hayes [Eimear O’ Keeffe], Irish radio personality, born in Bray, Ireland
Famous Deaths
685 – Marwan I, 4th Umayyad Caliph (684-85), dies (date disputed)
1868 – Henry Brougham, 1st Baron Brougham and Vaux, English statesman (Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain, 1830-34; Slavery Abolition Act 1833). and carriage designer, dies at 89
1941 – David Wijnkoop, Dutch socialist, and later communist politician, and journalist, dies of a heart attack at 65
1990 – Berta Waterstradt, German writer and actress, dies at 82
1995 – Maria Luisa Bemberg, Argentine filmmaker, dies at 73
Famous Deaths for 6th May 2025
1776 – James Kent, English composer, dies at 76
1891 – Thomas Hare, English barrister and political reformer, dies at 85
1951 – Henri Carton de Wiart, Belgian count and politician (Prime Minister of Belgium 1920-21), dies at 82
1963 – Theodore von Kármán, Hungarian-born American physicist and aeronautic engineer (co-founder of NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory), dies at 81
2014 – Farley Mowat, Canadian author, dies at 92
2014 – William H Dana, American aeronautical engineer, US Navy pilot, NASA test pilot (X-15), and astronaut, dies at 83
2016 – Reg Grundy, Australian media and television mogul (Neighbours, Prisoner), dies at 92
2018 – Khaled Mohieddin, Egyptian military officer (member of the Revolutionary Command Council), dies at 95
2020 – Steve Blackmore, Welsh rugby union prop (4 caps; Cardiff RFC), dies from a brain tumour at 58
2024 – Judy Devlin Hashman, English-American badminton player (World Team Championship gold US – 1957, 1960, 1963, 1966), dies at 88
Historical Events for 6th May 2025
878 – Battle of Edington: Alfred the Great and his West Saxon army defeat Viking army of Guthrum the Old [earliest possible date]
1787 – 1st African American Masonic Lodge (African # 459) forms Prince Hall, Boston
1853 – 1st major US rail disaster kills 46 at Norwalk, Connecticut
1934 – MLB Boston Red Sox score 12 runs in 4th inning, including record 4 consecutive triples hit by Carl Reynolds, Moose Solters, Rick Ferrell, and B Walters
1944 – 70th Kentucky Derby: Conn McCreary aboard Pensive wins in 2:04.2
1975 – 3 people die in tornado that strikes Omaha, Nebraska
1978 – 104th Kentucky Derby: Steve Cauthen wins aboard Affirmed – first and only Derby victory and 1st-leg of Triple Crown
1987 – Mario Andretti sets one-lap speed record at Indy at 218.204 MPH
1996 – Howard Stern Radio Show premieres in Hartford, Connecticut on WCCC 106.9 FM
2012 – Greek parliamentary election results in 60% support for parties opposed to austerity measures
Today in History for 6th May 2025
Historical Events
1915 – The Allies on Cape Helles launch three attacks to enlarge their beachheads; after terrible losses, they advance about three miles
1935 – British King George V and Queen Mary celebrate their Silver Jubilee
1979 – Louis LaRusso II’s stage drama “Knockout”, starring Danny Aiello, opens at the Helen Hayes Theater, NYC: runs for 154 performances
1984 – Jose Napoleon Duarte wins El Salvador presidential election
2013 – Brazilian neobank Nubank founded in Brazil by David Vélez, Cristina Junqueira and Edward Wible
Famous Birthdays
1861 – Motilal Nehru, Indian lawyer and freedom fighter, born in Agra, British India (d. 1931)
1890 – Claire Whitney, American silent film actress (Blind Fools, Haunted Mine), born in New York City (d. 1969)
1922 – Pat Harder, American NFL fullback (Cardinals, Lions), born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin (d. 1992)
1927 – Ettore Manni, Italian actor (Street People, Divine Nymph, Fatal Desire, Heroes in Hell), born in Rome, Italy (d. 1979)
1946 – David Avshalomov, American classical composer, vocalist, and conductor, born in New York City
Famous Deaths
1727 – Catharine I of Russia [Marta Samuilovna], wife of Peter the Great, dies at about 42
1951 – Henri Carton de Wiart, Belgian count and politician (Prime Minister of Belgium 1920-21), dies at 82
1951 – Élie Cartan, French mathematician (b. 1869)
1989 – Earl Blaik, American College Football coach (NCAA C’ship 1944–46; AFCA Coach of the Year 1946; Army) and executive (AD Army 1948–59, dies at 92
2007 – Đorđe Novković, Croatian pop singer-songwriter (Pro Arte), and television personality (Hrvatski Idol), dies at 63
Famous Deaths for 5th May 2025
311 – Galerius, Emperor of Rome (305-311) ended persecution of Christianity in the East, dies of disease
1194 – Casimir II, the Just, grand duke of Poland (1177-94), dies. Born 1138
1316 – Elizabeth of Rhuddlan, youngest daughter of King Edward I and Queen Eleanor of Castile, dies at 33
1504 – Anton of Burgundy, the Great Bastard, knight, dies at about 82
1971 – Violet Jessop, Titanic survivor (b. 1887)
1998 – Syd Lawrence, British bandleader (Syd Lawrence Orchestra), dies at 74
2001 – Cliff Hillegass, American publisher (Cliffsnotes), dies at 83
2005 – Ted Atkinson, American jockey (US Champion 1944, 46), dies of a stroke at 88
2008 – Thomas Boggs, American rock drummer (Box Tops), dies at 63
2018 – Ermanno Olmi, Italian film director (The Tree of Wooden Clogs), dies at 86
Historical Events for 5th May 2025
1665 – Dutch politician Nicolaas Witsen visits the politically powerful Patriarch Nikon, head of the Russian Orthodox church in Moscow
1917 – Eugene Bullard gains his pilot’s license from Aéro-Club de France and becomes the 1st African-American military pilot (French Air Service)
1921 – First ranger for Cleveland Metroparks is hired
1962 – “West Side Story” soundtrack album goes #1 and stays #1 for 54 weeks, more than 20 weeks longer than any other album
1971 – Courtney, Courtney, and Link’s musical “Earl of Ruston” opens at Billy Rose Theater, NYC, runs for 5 performances
1999 – 34th Academy of Country Music Awards: Garth Brooks, Faith Hill and Tim McGraw win
2008 – American/Columbia Records releases “Home Before Dark”, the twenty-seventh studio album by Neil Diamond; tops charts in US, UK and NZ
2018 – Childish Gambino [Donald Glover] releases the music video to new single “This is America” to wide acclaim
2020 – São Luis, in Maranhão state becomes the first Brazilian city to enter lockdown because of COVID-19 as its health services struggle to cope
2021 – Baltimore Orioles pitcher John Means no-hits Seattle Mariners, 6-0 at T-Mobile Park, Seattle