Today in history...
May 8 1842
Following a birthday celebration for King Louis Philippe, 59 Parisians returning home by train are trapped in their railcars and incinerated when their train collides with another. In these early days of rail travel, coaches were locked and no means of escape was available.
May 8 1902
Mt. Peleé erupts on the West Indies island of Martinique. A wall of superheated ash and rock cascades down the slopes, slamming directly into the community of Saint Pierre. The shockwave and intense heat even manage to destroy twenty ships in the harbor. Only two of the town's 28,000 residents survive the cataclysm.
May 8 1988
Science fiction author Robert A Heinlein dies of emphysema, leaving behind a legacy of subversive novels -- many of which meditating on unconventional sexual mores.
May 8 1991
In a room at Little Rock's Excelsior Hotel, Arkansas Governor Bill Clinton exposes his penis to state employee Paula Jones and propositions her to perform fellatio. In her civil deposition, Jones will later claim to have witnessed certain "distinguishing characteristics" of the governor's genitalia, the precise nature of which soon becomes the subject of much speculation. For her trouble, Jones eventually receives an out-of-court settlement for $850,000 and a nude pictorial in Penthouse magazine.
May 8 1998
Former Senator and onetime Presidential candidate Bob Dole tells television interviewer Larry King that he participated in the Viagra impotence drug trials, and thoroughly enjoyed himself in the process. Dole's name soon becomes synonymous with erectile dysfunction.
May 8 1999
Actress Dana Plato, who played Kimberly Drummond on Diff'rent Strokes, dies in Oklahoma of an overdose of Valium and Loritab. Just the previous day, Plato had appeared on the Howard Stern syndicated radio program claiming to be clean and sober.
Birthdays today...
* 1326 – Joanna I of Auvergne, queen of France (d. 1360)
* 1460 – Frederick I, Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach (d. 1536)
* 1521 – Petrus Canisius, Dutch Jesuit (d. 1597)
* 1587 – Victor Amadeus I, Duke of Savoy (d. 1637)
* 1622 – Claes Rålamb, Swedish statesman (d. 1698)
* 1629 – Niels Juel, Danish admiral (d. 1697)
* 1632 – Heino Heinrich Graf von Flemming, German marshal (d. 1706)
* 1653 – Claude-Louis-Hector de Villars, Marshall of France (d. 1734)
* 1668 – Alain-René Lesage, French writer (d. 1747)
* 1670 – Charles Beauclerk, 1st Duke of St Albans, English soldier (d. 1726)
* 1735 – Sir Nathaniel Dance-Holland, English painter (d. 1811)
* 1738 – Mikhail Kamensky, Russian general (d. 1809)
* 1753 – Miguel Hidalgo Mexican revolutionary (d. 1811)
* 1786 – Jean Vianney, French Catholic priest (d. 1859)
* 1821 – William Henry Vanderbilt, member of the Vanderbilt family (d. 1885)
* 1825 – George Bruce Malleson, Indian officer (d. 1898)
* 1828 – Jean Henri Dunant, Founder of the Red Cross; Nobel laureate (d. 1910)
* 1828 – Sharbel Makhluf, Lebanese monk (d. 1898)
* 1829 – Louis Moreau Gottschalk, American musician (d. 1869)
* 1835 – Bertalan Székely, Hungarian painter (d. 1910)
* 1839 – Adolphe-Basile Routhier, French Canadian lyricist
* 1842 – Emil Christian Hansen, Danish physiologist (d. 1909)
* 1847 – Oscar Hammerstein I, American theater producer and impresario (d. 1919)
* 1850 – Ross Barnes, baseball player (d. 1915)
* 1853 – Dan Brouthers, baseball player (d. 1932)
* 1858 – John Meade Falkner, English novelist (d. 1932)
* 1859 – Johan Jensen, Danish mathematician (d. 1925)
* 1884 – Harry S Truman, President of the United States (d. 1972)
* 1893 – Edd Roush, baseball player (d. 1988)
* 1893 – Teddy Wakelam, English sports broadcaster and rugby union player (d. 1963)
* 1893 – Francis Ouimet, American golfer and businessman (d. 1967)
* 1895 – James H. "Dutch" Kindelberger, American aerospace pioneer (d. 1962)
* 1895 – Fulton J. Sheen, American bishop (d. 1979)
* 1895 – Edmund Wilson, American writer (d. 1972)
* 1899 – Arthur Q. Bryan, American voice actor (d. 1959)
* 1899 – Friedrich Hayek, Nobel laureate (d. 1992)
* 1901 – Turkey Stearnes, baseball player (d. 1979)
* 1902 – Andre Michael Lwoff, Nobel laureate (d. 1994)
* 1903 – Fernandel, French actor (d. 1971)
* 1904 – John Snagge, British radio personality (d. 1996)
* 1905 – Red Nichols, American musician (d. 1965)
* 1906 – Roberto Rossellini, Italian director (d. 1977)
* 1910 – Andrew E. Svenson, American children's book author and publisher (d. 1975)
* 1911 – Robert Johnson, American blues musician (d. 1938)
* 1913 – Bob Clampett, American animator (d. 1984)
* 1914 – Romain Gary, Polish writer (d. 1980)
* 1915 – Milton Meltzer, American writer
* 1916 – João Havelange, Brazilian industrialist
* 1916 – Swami Chinmayananda, Indian spiritualist (d. 1993)
* 1919 – Lex Barker, American actor (d. 1973)
* 1920 – Saul Bass, American graphic designer (d. 1996)
* 1920 – Tom of Finland, Finnish fetish artist (d. 1991)
* 1920 – Sloan Wilson, American author (d. 2003)
* 1925 – Ali Hassan Mwinyi, President of Tanzania
* 1926 – David Attenborough, English naturalist
* 1926 – Don Rickles, American comedian
* 1927 – Chumy Chúmez, Spanish film director (d. 2003)
* 1928 – Theodore Sorenson, American writer
* 1929 – Claude Castonguay, Quebec politician
* 1929 – Miyoshi Umeki, Japanese-born actress (d. 2007)
* 1930 – Heather Harper, Irish singer
* 1930 – Gary Snyder, American poet
* 1932 – Julieta Campos, Cuban-Mexican writer (d. 2007)
* 1932 – Phyllida Law, Scottish actress
* 1932 – Sonny Liston, American boxer (d. 1970)
* 1935 – Princess Elisabeth of Denmark, 7th in the Line of succession to the Danish Throne
* 1935 – Jack Charlton, English footballer
* 1937 – Carlos Gaviria Díaz, Colombian politician
* 1937 – Thomas Pynchon, American novelist
* 1937 – Mike Cuellar, baseball player
* 1940 – Peter Benchley, American author (d. 2006)
* 1940 – Irwin Cotler, Canadian politician
* 1940 – Ricky Nelson, American singer (d. 1985)
* 1940 – Toni Tennille, American singer
* 1941 – Mahmoud Ahmed, Ethiopian singer
* 1941 – John Fred, American singer (d. 2005)
* 1941 – Bill Lockyer, American politician
* 1942 – Terry Neill, Northern Irish footballer
* 1943 – Paul Samwell-Smith, British bassist (The Yardbirds)
* 1944 – Gary Glitter, English singer
* 1945 – Keith Jarrett, American musician
* 1946 – André Boulerice, Quebec politician
* 1947 – H. Robert Horvitz, Nobel laureate
* 1948 – Felicity Lott, English singer
* 1948 – Steve Braun, baseball player
* 1948 – Stephen Stohn, Canadian television producer (Degrassi)
* 1950 – Robert Mugge, American music documentary film maker
* 1951 – Philip Bailey, American singer (Earth, Wind & Fire)
* 1951 – Mike D'Antoni, NBA coach (New York Knicks)
* 1951 – Chris Frantz, American musician (Talking Heads)
* 1953 – Alex Van Halen, Dutch drummer (Van Halen)
* 1953 – Billy Burnette, American singer and guitarist (Fleetwood Mac)
* 1954 – Stephen Furst, American actor
* 1954 – David Keith, American actor
* 1957 – Bill Cowher, American football coach
* 1957 – Marie Myriam, French singer
* 1958 – Lovie Smith, American football coach
* 1959 – Ronnie Lott, American football player
* 1960 – Franco Baresi, Italian footballer
* 1960 – Eric Brittingham, American bassist
* 1961 – Janet McTeer, British actress
* 1961 – David Winning, Canadian film director
* 1961 – Akira Taue, Japanese professional wrestler
* 1963 – Terry Christian, British radio presenter
* 1963 – Sylvain Cossette, Quebec singer and songwriter
* 1963 – Anthony Field, Australian musician and actor
* 1963 – Robin Jarvis, British writer
* 1963 – Izabela Kloc, Polish politician
* 1964 – Melissa Gilbert, American actress
* 1964 – Bobby Labonte, American race car driver
* 1964 – Dave Rowntree, British musician (Blur)
* 1966 – Claudio Taffarel, Brazilian footballer
* 1966 – Marta Sánchez, Spanish singer
* 1968 – Jamie Summers, American porn star
* 1968 – Johan Pehrson, Swedish politician
* 1968 – Nathalie Normandeau, Quebec politician
* 1969 – Akebono Taro, sumo wrestler
* 1970 – Luis Enrique, Spanish football player
* 1972 – Darren Hayes, Australian singer
* 1972 – Ray Whitney, Canadian ice hockey player
* 1973 – Hiromu Arakawa, Japanese artist
* 1973 – Marcus Brigstocke, English comedian
* 1973 – Kris Hudson-Lee, English musician
* 1974 – Jon Tickle, English entertainer
* 1974 – Korey Stringer, American football player (d. 2001)
* 1975 – Enrique Iglesias, Spanish singer
* 1975 – Jussi Markkanen, Finnish ice hockey player
* 1975 – Gastón Mazzacane, Argentine racing driver
* 1976 – Martha Wainwright, Canadian musician and songwriter
* 1976 – Ian "H" Watkins, pop singer (Steps)
* 1977 – Jennifer Walcott, American Playboy Playmate
* 1978 – Jang Woo Hyuk, Korean singer
* 1978 – Matthew Davis, American actor
* 1978 – Lúcio, Brazilian footballer
* 1978 – Josie Maran, American model
* 1980 – Michelle McManus, Scottish singer
* 1980 – Benny Yau, Canadian entertainer
* 1981 – Andrea Barzagli, Italian footballer
* 1981 – Björn Dixgård, Swedish guitarist
* 1981 – Yasuko Tajima, Japanese swimmer
* 1981 – John Maine, American baseball player
* 1982 – Adrian Gonzalez, American baseball player
* 1983 – Matt Willis, British singer
* 1984 – Nadine Chandrawinata, 2006 Miss Universe Pageant (Indonesia)
* 1985 – Mashio Miyazaki, Japanese actress
* 1986 – Marvell Wynne, American soccer player
* 1987 – Felix Jones, American football player
Famous deaths...
* 1192 – Duke Ottokar IV of Styria (b. 1163)
* 1278 – Emperor Duanzong of China (b. 1268)
* 1319 – King Haakon V of Norway (b. 1270)
* 1473 – John Stafford, 1st Earl of Wiltshire, English politician (b. 1420)
* 1538 – Edward Fox, English bishop
* 1672 – Jean-Armand du Peyrer, Comte de Tréville and French Officer (b. 1598)
* 1766 – Samuel Chandler, English non-conformist minister (b. 1693)
* 1773 – Ali Bey Al-Kabir, Mamluk Sultan of Egypt (b. 1728)
* 1781 – Richard Jago, English poet (b. 1715)
* 1785 – Étienne François, duc de Choiseul, French statesman (b. 1719)
* 1785 – Pietro Longhi, Venetian painter (b. 1701)
* 1788 – Giovanni Antonio Scopoli, Italian-born physician and naturalist (b. 1723)
* 1794 – Antoine Lavoisier, French chemist (executed) (b. 1743)
* 1819 – Kamehameha I, King of Hawaii
* 1828 – Mauro Giuliani, Italian composer (b. 1781)
* 1837 – Alexander Balashov, Russian general and statesman (b. 1770)
* 1842 – Jules Dumont d'Urville, French explorer (b. 1790)
* 1853 – Jan Roothaan, Dutch priest (b. 1785)
* 1873 – John Stuart Mill, English philosopher (b. 1806)
* 1880 – Gustave Flaubert, French novelist (b. 1821)
* 1891 – Helena Blavatsky, Russian-born author (b. 1831)
* 1903 – Paul Gauguin, French painter (b. 1848)
* 1907 – Edmund G. Ross, American Senator (b. 1826)
* 1936 – Oswald Spengler, German historian and philosopher (b. 1880)
* 1943 – Mordechaj Anielewicz, Polish Resistance Fighter (b. 1919)
* 1945 – Wilhelm Rediess, SS and Police leader of Nazi-occupied Norway (b. 1900)
* 1945 – Bernhard Rust, Nazi education minister (b. 1883)
* 1945 – Josef Terboven, Reichskommissar of Nazi-occupied Norway (b. 1898)
* 1947 – Harry Gordon Selfridge, American-born department store founder (b. 1858)
* 1948 – U Saw, Burmese politician (b. 1900)
* 1950 – Vital Brazil, Brazilian physician (b. 1865)
* 1952 – William Fox, Austrian-born film producer (b. 1879)
* 1960 – J. H. C. Whitehead, British mathematician (b. 1904)
* 1967 – LaVerne Andrews, American singer (The Andrews Sisters) (b. 1911)
* 1969 – Remington Kellogg, American naturalist (b. 1892)
* 1975 – Avery Brundage, President of the International Olympic Committee (b. 1887)
* 1982 – Neil Bogart, American record executive (b. 1943)
* 1982 – Gilles Villeneuve, Canadian race car driver (b. 1950)
* 1984 – Lila Bell Wallace, American magazine publisher (Reader's Digest) (b. 1890)
* 1984 – Gino Bianco, Brazilian racing driver (b. 1916)
* 1985 – Theodore Sturgeon, American science fiction writer (b. 1918)
* 1985 – Dolph Sweet, American actor (b. 1920)
* 1986 – Ernle Bradford, English historian and writer (b. 1922)
* 1987 – Doris Stokes, British psychic medium (b. 1920)
* 1988 – Robert A. Heinlein, American science fiction writer (b. 1907)
* 1990 – Luigi Nono, Italian composer (b. 1924)
* 1991 – Jean Langlais, French composer and pianist (b. 1907)
* 1991 – Rudolf Serkin, Austrian pianist (b. 1903)
* 1993 – Avram Davidson, American writer (b. 1923)
* 1994 – George Peppard, American actor (b. 1928)
* 1995 – Teresa Teng, Asian superstar (b. 1953)
* 1996 – Beryl Burton, English cyclist (b. 1937)
* 1996 – Dominguín, Spanish bullfighter (b. 1926)
* 1996 – Garth Williams, American illustrator (b. 1912)
* 1998 – Bebe Rebozo, American banker and Watergate figure (b. 1912)
* 1999 – Dirk Bogarde, British actor (b. 1921)
* 1999 – Ed Gilbert, American actor (b. 1931)
* 1999 – Shel Silverstein, american poet (b. 1930)
* 1999 – Dana Plato, American actress (b. 1964)
* 2000 – Guadalupe "Pita" Amor, Mexican poet (b. 1918)
* 2000 – Alexander Chislenko, Russian-American transhumanist (b. 1959)
* 2000 – Henry Nicols, AIDS activist (b. 1973)
* 2005 – Nicolás Vuyovich, Argentine racing driver (b. 1981)
* 2006 – Iain Macmillan, Abbey Road photographer (b. 1938)
* 2008 – Eddy Arnold, Country music star (b. 1918)
* 2008 – François Sterchele, Belgian football player (b. 1982)
Holidays and observances...
* World Red Cross Red Crescent Day
* United Nations: Time of Remembrance and Reconciliation for Those Who Lost Their Lives during the Second World War
(continues on May 9)
* Europe: Victory in Europe Day
* Missouri: Truman Day
* South Korea: Parents' Day
* Theosophy: White Lotus Day
Have a great Friday.
~Brian
