Today in History

May 8

1541 - Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto discovers the Mississippi River.

1794 - Antoine Lavoisier, the father of modern chemistry, is executed on the guillotine during France’s Reign of Terror.

1886 - The first Coca-Cola is sold at Jacob’s Pharmacy in Atlanta, US.

1897 - Greece asks major powers to intervene in its war with Turkey.

1902 - Mount Pelee on the French West Indian island of Martinique erupts, wiping out city of St Pierre and killing all but two of its 30,000 residents.

1921 - Sweden abolishes capital punishment.

1980 - World Health Organisation announces that smallpox has been eradicated.

1990 - Estonia declares itself a republic and drops the words ‘Soviet Socialist’ from its name.

1991 - CIA director William H. Webster resigns.

1994 - Erling Kagge becomes the first person to complete the Three Poles Challenge.

1995 - Sharjah issues a decree to establish the biggest airport free zone facility.

1999 - Nato mistakenly bombs Chinese embassy in Belgrade for a Yugoslav government office.

2000 - British troops arrive in Freetown to evacuate foreign nationals from troubled Sierra Leone.

2005 - McLaren’s Kimi Raikkonen wins the Spanish Grand Prix championship.

2006 - South African court acquits former deputy president Jacob Zuma of rape charge.

2009 - The Dubai Mall is officially opened.

2010 - Pakistan successfully testfires two ballistic missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads.

2016 - A prominent Pakistani rights and anti-militant activist, Khurram Zaki, is shot dead.