May 8

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May 8 is one of the twentieth century‘s true hinge-dates — the day the guns fell silent across Europe. But the calendar was busy long before 1945, and has been busy since.

On This Date

1945: Victory in Europe Day. The war in Europe ends. Churchill announces the German surrender from 10 Downing Street at 3 p.m. Celebrations erupt across London, Paris, New York. In Moscow, the celebration waits until May 9, when the ratified surrender takes effect. Millions of displaced persons, prisoners, and refugees begin the long process of trying to find home. The war in the Pacific will continue until August.

1828: Henri Dunant is born in Geneva. He will grow up to witness the aftermath of the Battle of Solferino in 1859 — 40,000 dead and wounded, many left without medical care — and be so horrified that he founds the International Committee of the Red Cross. He wins the first Nobel Peace Prize in 1901 and dies nearly destitute in 1910. World Red Cross Day is observed on his birthday.

1886: John Pemberton serves the first glass of Coca-Cola at Jacobs’ Pharmacy in Atlanta, Georgia. The original formula includes coca leaf extract. It sells nine glasses a day.

1980: The World Health Organization certifies that smallpox has been eradicated — the first (and, as of this writing, only) human disease to be deliberately eliminated from the planet.

Folk Traditions and Superstitions

In several English county traditions, flowers picked on May 8 were believed to carry wishes. The practice: pick a flower before dawn, whisper what you want into the blossom, then press it in a book until midsummer. If the flower kept its color, the wish was heard. If it faded to brown, try again next year.

May 8 also falls within what French tradition calls the Saints de glace (Ice Saints) period — May 11-13 — when a final cold snap often strikes. Gardeners in France, Belgium, and parts of Germany still avoid planting frost-tender crops until after the Ice Saints pass. May 8 is the last “safe” day for planting before caution takes over.

Astronomical Notes

By May 8, the sun sets noticeably later in the Northern Hemisphere — roughly 8:15 p.m. at 40°N latitude. The days feel long but not yet at their longest. This is the sweet spot of spring evenings: warm enough to sit outside, dark enough by 9:30 to see planets.

Observances

World Iris Day celebrates the genus Iris, named for the Greek goddess of the rainbow and messenger between gods and humans. The iris has symbolized royalty (the fleur-de-lis), communication (Iris as messenger), and wisdom (iris root was used in ancient medicine). It is the birth flower of February but blooms in May — one of the calendar’s many small contradictions.

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