TODAY IN HISTORY
Today is Wednesday,
May 8, the 129th day of 2024. There are 237 days left in the year.
ON THIS DATE IN HISTORY
On May 8, 1996, South Africa took another step from apartheid to democracy by adopting a constitution that guaranteed equal rights for Blacks and whites.
1541 — Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto reached the Mississippi River.
1846 — The first major battle of the Mexican-American War was fought at Palo Alto, Texas; US forces led by Gen. Zachary Taylor were able to beat back Mexican forces.
1915 — Regret became the first filly to win the Kentucky Derby.
1984 — The Soviet Union announced it would boycott the upcoming Summer Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
1993 — The Muslim-led government of Bosnia-Herzegovina and rebel Bosnian Serbs signed an agreement for a nationwide cease-fire.
2003 — The Senate unanimously endorsed adding to NATO seven former communist nations: Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia.
2023 — The Associated Press won two Pulitzer Prizes in journalism for its coverage of the Russian invasion in Ukraine, in the categories of public service and breaking news photography.
TODAY’S BIRTHDAYS
Naturalist Sir David Attenborough is 98. Singer Toni Tennille is 84. Actor James Mitchum is
83. Country singer Jack Blanchard is 82. Jazz musician Keith Jarrett is 79. Actor Mark Blankfield is
76. Singer Philip Bailey (Earth, Wind and Fire) is
73. Rock musician Chris Frantz (Talking Heads) is
73. Rockabilly singer Billy Burnette is 71. Rock musician Alex Van Halen is 71.