May 8
May 8 is the 129th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar; 237 days remain until the year's end. It falls in spring (northern hemisphere) and under the astrological sign of Taurus.
Day of year
129
Days remaining
237
ISO week
19
Zodiac
Taurus
Season
Spring
Sun declination
+17.2°
External references
Curated jump-off points to the major almanacs, encyclopaedias and primary sources for this date.
Wikipedia: this day →Britannica: this day →LoC: Today in History →History.com: this day →On-This-Day.com →BBC: On This Day →NYT: this day →Time and Date →NASA APOD archive →U.S. Naval Observatory →Wolfram|Alpha →Wikidata →Google Books →JSTOR →Internet Archive →
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Astronomy
Computed via Cooper's formula. Positive declination = Sun north of the celestial equator (Northern Hemisphere summer).
On May 8 the Sun's declination is approximately +17.2°. At this latitude the Sun is north of the celestial equator, giving the Northern Hemisphere longer days than nights.
For specific rise/set times at your location, see the U.S. Naval Observatory, or the NASA APOD archive for any imagery published on a May 8.
Position in the year
Holidays & observances
- Victory in Europe Day (V-E Day, marking Germany's surrender in 1945)
- White Lotus Day (Theosophy)
Events
A selection of widely-documented historical events that took place on this date. Years marked BCE follow standard astronomical convention.
- 1429 — The Siege of Orléans ended with French victory under Joan of Arc. ↗(597 years ago)
- 1886 — Coca-Cola was first sold to the public at a soda fountain in Atlanta. ↗(140 years ago)
- 1945 — V-E Day: World War II in Europe officially ended. ↗(81 years ago)
- 1980 — The World Health Organization announced the eradication of smallpox. ↗(46 years ago)
Notable births
Notable deaths
- 1873 — John Stuart Mill, English philosopher. ↗(153 years ago)
Numerical & calendrical curiosities
| Day-of-year (129) | 3 × 43 · composite (no) |
|---|---|
| Days remaining (237) | 3 × 79 |
| Date code DDMMYYYY | 08052026 · no palindrome in next 200 years |
| Sun declination | +17.24° (Cooper approximation) |
| Distance from solstice | 43 days |