MAY 8
Daily Historical Chronicle UPSC CSE • State PSC • SSC CGL Matrix

8 May: What Happened On This Day in History

Curated historical timeline of momentous political pacts, freedom struggle uprisings, constitutional developments, scientific breakthroughs, and prominent birthdays recorded on 8 May.

Historic Milestones

Major Events on 8 May

Year 1815

Malaun of Nepal was captured by General David Ochterlony.

Year 1886

John Pemberton first sold a carbonated beverage named β€œCoca-Cola” as a patent medicine.

Year 1899

Execution of Indian revolutionary Vasudev Chafekar.

Year 1901

British commission claims famine has taken 1.25 mil. lives since 1899; blames overpopulation.

Year 1910

Tolstoy replies to Gandhiji that question of Passive Resistance is of greatest importance, not only for India but for humanity.

Year 1912

Establishment of Paramount Pictures.

Year 1915

Indian freedom fighters Master Amir Chand and Bhai Balamukund were executed by the British government.

Year 1930

Gandhi followers mob Bombay to protest his arrest.

Year 1933

Gandhi starts hunger strike to protest the British repression of untouchables.

Year 1933

Mohandas Gandhi began a 21-day fast of self-purification and launched a one-year campaign to help the Harijan movement.

Year 1945

World War II – Europe Victory Day – The surrender of Germany to the Allied forces.

Year 1954

Indian Government decided to integrate Chandranagar in West Bengal which was under the rule of the French.

Year 1959

Dalai Lama will not be allowed to campaign for Tibetan independence in India. India wants to maintain friendly relations with Communist China.

Year 1962

Establishment of Ravindra Bharati University at Kolkata, West Bengal.

Year 1962

Ravindra Bharti University established in West Bengal.

Year 1963

Centenary of Indian Red Cross was celebrated. Today is birthday of its founder.

Year 1978

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

Year 1980

The World Health Organization confirmed the eradication of smallpox.

Year 1990

A 255 kmph cyclone lashes Andhra Pradesh coast causing heavy losses to life and property.

Year 1997

India decides to import currency notes for the first time.

Year 1998

Sheikh Hasina, Bangladesh Prime Minister, gets the Gandhi award for 1998.

Year 2004

Muralitharan of Sri Lanka set the record for most Test cricket wickets with 521 wickets.

National & Global Icons

Prominent Births & Anniversaries

Born 1828

Henry Dunant, co-founder of the Red Cross.

Born 1884

Harry Truman, the 33rd President of the United States.

Born 1906

Prannath Thapar, former General of India, was born.

Born 1916

Chinmayananda Saraswati, Indian spiritual leader and educator (d. 1993)

Born 1916

Ramananda Sengupta, Indian cinematographer

Born 1925

Gururaja Shyamacharya Amur, an Indian literary critic, and author.

Born 1929

Girija Devi, an Indian classical singer of the Seniya and Banaras gharanas.

Born 1938

Javed Burki, Indian-Pakistani cricketer

Born 1970

Michael Bevan, a former Australian cricketer.

Legacy & Remembrance

Death Anniversaries & Tributes

Died 1725

John Lovewell, US Indian fighter, passed away in a battle.

Died 1777

Mir Qasim, the Nawab of Bengal.

Died 1794

Antoine Lavoisier, a French nobleman, and chemist

Died 1915

Indian freedom fighters Master Amir Chand and Bhai Balamukund were executed by the British government.

Died 1929

Girija Devi,an Indian classical singer of the Seniya and Banaras gharanas.

Died 1952

William Fox, founder of the Fox Theater.

Died 1972

Pandurang Vaman Kane, a notable Indologist, and Sanskrit scholar.

Died 1992

Gul Mahomed, cricketer (8 Tests for India & one for Pakistan), passed away.

Died 1994

Harikant Jethwani, famous Sindhi litterateur, passed away.

Died 1995

Prem Bhatia, journalist, passed away at 83.

Died 2013

Zia Fariduddin Dagar, an Indian classical vocalist.

Died 2014

Roger Lee Easton, the principal co-inventor and designer of the Global Positioning System.