May 8th

Josh Hamilton of the Texas Rangers became the 16th major league baseball player to hit four home runs in a game.

A new Northern Ireland Executive is formed with Ian Paisley (Democratic Unionist Party) as First Minister and Martin McGuinness (Sinn Féin) as Deputy First Minister.

The Citadel, South Carolina's formerly all-male military school, graduated its first female cadet.

Gary Hart, dogged by questions about his personal life, withdrew from the race for the Democratic presidential nomination.

Moscow announces that the USSR will not take part in the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles. Several other countries, such as Cuba, Afghanistan, Bulgaria, Ethiopia, Eastern Germany, Hungary, Poland, and Vietnam joined the boycott. 4 years earlier, the United States had not sent any athletes to the Summer Olympics in Moscow.

World Health Organization announced smallpox had been eradicated.

David Berkowitz, a.k.a. the “Son of Sam,” plead guilty to killing six people in New York City.

Militant American Indians who had held the South Dakota hamlet of Wounded Knee for 10 weeks surrendered.

Construction workers broke up an anti-war protest on New York City's Wall Street.

Jim 'Catfish' Hunter of the Oakland Athletics pitched a perfect game against the Minnesota Twins in Oakland.

Vice President Richard Nixon was shoved, stoned, booed and spat upon by anti-American protesters in Lima, Peru.

President Harry S. Truman announced in a radio address that World War II had ended in Europe.

The first 'eye bank' was established, in New York City.

The White Bird and its crew mysteriously disappear. French aviators, Charles Nungesser and François Coli, had taken off from Paris in their Levasseur PL.8 biplane in an attempt to make the first non-stop transatlantic flight. Their disappearance remains a mystery. Charles Lindbergh succeeded two weeks later.

Mount Pelee on Martinique erupted, destroying the town of St. Pierre, and killing 40,000 people.

China cedes Taiwan to Japan under Treaty of Shimonoseki.

Atlanta pharmacist John Styth Pemberton invented the flavor syrup for Coca-Cola.

The first Westminister Dog Show was held.

The first major battle of the Mexican War was fought at Palo Alto, Texas, resulting in victory for Gen. Zachary Taylor's forces.

1st installment of Hans Christian Andersen "Fairy Tales" published by C. A. Reitzel in Copenhagen, Denmark.

Antoine Lavoisier, the father of modern chemistry, was executed on the guillotine during France's Reign of Terror.

English parliament declares Charles Stuart to be King Charles II of England.

Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto reached the Mississippi River.