This Day in History is DUE’s daily dose of trivia for all the history buffs out there. So sit back and take a ride of all the fascinating things that happened today!
People are trapped in history and history is trapped in people, and hence, every day has been a significant one in the foibles of history. Now, let’s take a tour of “This Day in History – 8th May”.
1899: Friedrich A. Hayek was born
Friedrich A. Hayek was an Austrian-born British economist. He was born on this day in Vienna in a family involved in academics and research. He held the position of lecturer in various universities like the University of Chicago and that of London. He shared the Nobel Prize with another economist Gunnar Myrdal. Friedrich is mainly remembered for his criticism of the Keynesian welfare state and totalitarian socialism.
1945: Second World War ends in Europe
The second World War in Europe ended with Germany’s unconditional surrender, which happened twice. Therefore there is a bit of variation as Russians celebrate May 9th as Victory Day. Meanwhile, 8th May is celebrated as V-E, Victory in Europe. The ceasefire was to begin from this day officially. The war in the Pacific region continued until the Japanese surrendered in September.
1948: First Red Cross day celebrated
The World Red Cross Day is celebrated to commemorate and reaffirm the principles of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. It is also the birth anniversary of Henry Dunant, who founded the International Committee of the Red Cross. To celebrate it, people have been thanking the unstoppable volunteers and medical staff who have been working tirelessly in the pandemic.
1970: The last album by The Beatles released
This has been a constant topic of discussion among the fanbase. ‘Let It Be’ was the last album to be released by the group. Though ‘Abbey Road’ was the final Beatles album to be recorded but not their last to be released. Let It Be was released alongside the film of the same name. It was released after almost a month of Paul McCartney’s announcement of leaving the Beatles.
1980: Smallpox officially declared ‘eradicated’
Smallpox became the first disease to have been fought on a global scale. It is often called to be the biggest achievement in international public health. It was on this day that WHO announced that Smallpox has been eradicated. It was in 1967 when WHO intensified its vaccination programme. Smallpox is believed to have existed for at least 3000 years. It is an acute contagious disease caused by the variola virus.
