May 8

 Holidays and Observances
(Alphabetical Order)

2024 Daily Holidays that fall on May 8, include:

• Donate a Day's Wages to Charity - May 8, 2024 (Second Wednesday in May)
• Emancipation Day - (Columbus, Mississippi) 
  
• Free Trade Day 
• Iris Day 
• National Coconut Cream Pie Day 
• National Empanada Day 
• National Give Someone a Cupcake Day 
• National Have a Coke Day 
• National Night Shift Workers Day - May 8, 2024 (Second Wednesday in May)
• National Receptionists Day - May 8, 2024 (Second Wednesday in May)
• National Root Canal Appreciation Day - May 8, 2024 (Second Wednesday in May)
• National School Nurse Day - May 8, 2024 (Wednesday of National Nurse Week on May 6-12)
• National Student Nurses Day 
• National Third Shift Workers Day - May 8, 2024 (Second Wednesday in May)
• National Walk Bike & Roll to School Day 
• No Socks Day 
• Truman Day - May 8, 2024 (On or around May 8)
  
• V-E Day 
• World Facilities Management Day - May 8, 2024 (Wednesday of the Second Full Week in May)
• White Lotus Day 
• World Donkey Day 
• World Ovarian Cancer Day 
• World Red Cross Day 

2024 Weekly Holidays that include May 8, are:

• Air Quality Awareness Week - May 6-10, 2024
• Arson Awareness Week - May 5-11, 2024 (First Full Week in May)
• Be Kind to Animals Week - May 5-11, 2024 (First Full Week in May)
• Dating and Life Coach Recognition Week - May 5-11, 2024 (First Full Week in May)
  
• Drinking Water Week - May 5-11, 2024 (First Full Week in May)
• Economic Development Week - May 6-10, 2024
• Flexible Work Arrangement Week - May 5-11, 2024 (First Full Week in May) 
• Goodwill Industries Week - May 5-11, 2024 (First Full Week in May)
• Holocaust Remembrance Week - May 5-12, 2024 (Starts the Sunday before Yom HaShoah, Holocaust Remembrance Day, and continues through the following Sunday)
  
• International Building Safety Week - May 5-11, 2024 (First Full Week in May)
• International Clitoris Awareness Week - May 5-11, 2024 (First Full Week in May)
• Kids Win Week - May 5-11, 2024 (First Full Week in May)
  
• National Alcohol & Other Drug-Related Birth Defects Week - May 5-11, 2024 (First Full Week in May)
• National Anxiety & Depression Awareness Week - May 5-11, 2024 (First Full Week in May)
• National Children's Book Week - May 6-12, 2024, and also November 4-10, 2024
• National Children's Mental Health Week - May 5-11, 2024, and also February 4-10, 2024 (First Full Week in February and May)
• National Correctional Officer's Week - May 5-11, 2024 (First Full Week in May)
• National Family Week - May 5-11, 2024 (First Full Week in May)
  
• National Herb Week - May 5-11, 2024 (Week Prior to Mother's Day)
• National Hug Holiday Week - May 7-13
• National Hurricane Preparedness Week - May 5-11, 2024 (First Full Week in May)
• National Nurses Week - May 6-12
• National Pet Week - May 5-11, 2024 (First Full Week in May)
• National Postcard Week - May 5-11, 2024 (First Full Week in May)
  
• National Raisin Week - May 5-11, 2024 (First Full Week in May)
• National Safety Stand Down Week - May 6-10, 2024
• National Sun Safety Week - May 6-12, 2024
• National Tourism Week - May 5-11, 2024 (First Full Week in May)
• National Wildflower Week - May 6-12, 2024 (First Full Week in May Starting on Monday)
• North American Occupational Safety and Health Week (NAOSH) - May 5-11, 2024 (First Full Week in May)
• Public Service Recognition Week - May 5-11, 2024 (First Full Week in May)
• Puppy Mill Action Week - May 6-12, 2024 (Begins the Monday before Mother's Day)
• Root Canal Appreciation Week - May 5-11, 2024 (First Full Week in May)
• Salvation Army Week - May 5-11, 2024 (Second Week in May)
• Screen-Free Week (Digital Detox Week - Formerly TV Turnoff Week) - May 6-12, 2024 (First Full Week in May)
• Teacher Appreciation Week - May 6-10, 2024 (First Full Monday-Friday week in May)
• The Biggest Week in American Birding - May 3-12, 2024
  
• Time of Remembrance and Reconciliation for those who Lost their Lives during the Second World War - May 8-9
• Update Your References Week - May 5-11, 2024 (First Full Week in May)
• Week of the Classroom Teacher - May 5-11, 2024 (First Full Week in May)
• Wildfire Preparedness Week (In California) - May 5-11, 2024
• World Cocktail Week - May 6-13
• World Dystonia Awareness Week - May 3-11

2024 Monthly Holidays that include May 8, are:

There are too many monthly holidays to include here, so please check out our May Holidays page to see all of the holidays that are celebrated the entire month of May.

NOTE:

1. A page on each holiday will be coming soon and linked above.
2. If a date is a movable holiday, that is different every year, I'll include the year as well as the date rule above. Otherwise, the holiday falls on the same date each year.

Astrological Sign

The Astrological Sign for May 8 is Taurus.

Birth Flower of the Month

The Birth Flower(s) for the Month for May are:

• The Lily of the Valley - Humility, Chastity and Sweetness - signifies a return to happiness
• Hawthorn

Birthstone

The Birthstone(s) for May is the Emerald which is a symbol of rebirth and is believed to grant the owner foresight, good fortune, and youth.

Famous Birthdays

• 1884 - Harry S. Truman, American colonel and politician, 33rd President of the United States from 1945-1953 (d.1972)
• 1926 - Don Rickles, American comedian and actor (Don Rickles Show)
• 1935 - Princess Elisabeth of Denmark
• 1940 - Peter Benchley, American author and screenwriter (Jaws, The Deep) (d. 2006)
• 1940 - Ricky Nelson, American singer, songwriter, guitarist and actor (Garden Party) (d. 1985)
• 1940 - Toni Tennille, American singer, songwriter (Captain & Tennille)
• 1964 - Melissa Gilbert, American actress and director (Little House on the Prairie)
• 1972 - Darren Hayes, Australian singer, songwriter (Savage Garden)
• 1975 - Enrique Iglesias, Spanish singer, songwriter, producer, actor (Hero)

Famous Deaths

• 1967 - LaVerne Andrews, American singer (The Andrews Sisters (b. 1911) (See our January 2 page for their "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy" song)
• 1994 - George Peppard, American actor and producer (The A-Team) (b. 1928)
• 1999 - Dana Plato, American actress (Different Strokes) (b. 1964)

Famous Weddings and Divorces

• 1783 - Betsy Ross, the seamstress for the first American flag marries John Claypoole
• 1967 - Actress Ann-Margaret marries actor and screenwriter Roger Smith
• 1978 - Singer Donny Osmond marries Debra Glenn
• 1981 - Author John Grisham marries Renee Jones

Quote of the Day

Healthy Diet Habit Tip of the Day 
or a Recipe of the Day

The month of May is Gifts From the Garden Month. Our Healthy Diet Habit Tip of the Day for May 8th, is to look at the Vegetable Guidelines that are recommended for a Healthy Diet, and some tips from Kerry of Healthy Diet Habits on how to meet the Vegetable Guidelines daily and enjoy eating healthy! (link goes to her website)

This Day in History

• 1877 - The 1st Westminster Dog Show is held at Gilmore's Gardens in New York City
• 1886 - Pharmacist John Pemberton sells Coca-Cola for the 1st time as a patent medicine. The first coke recipe contained cocaine.
• 1901 - The Australian Labour Party is is formed
• 1902 - On Martinique, an island in the Caribbean Sea, Mount Pelee erups and destroys the town of Saint Pierre and kills over 30,000 people
• 1912 - Parmount Pictures is founded
• 1942 - U.S. Navy aircraft carrier USS Lexington is attacked and sunk by the Japanese Imperial Navy
• 1945 - V-E Day - World War II ends in Europe with Germany signing an unconditional surrender
• 1952 - Mad Magazine debuts
• 1976 - The first steel roller coaster with a vertical loop, called the Revolution opens at Six Flags Magic Mountain in Santa Clarita, CA
• 2021 - In Kabul, the capital city of Afghanistan, a car bomb explodes in front of a school killing 55 people and wounding over 150 people

This Day in Music

• 1969 - 'Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In' from the 5th Dimension hits #1
• 1970 - The Beatles release their 'Let It Be' album
• 1988 - 'Anything For You' from Gloria Estefan & Miami Sound Machine hits #1
• 1993 - Aerosmith's 'Get a Grip' album debuts at #1 and goes on to sell over 20 million copies worldwide. Aerosmith wins two Grammy awards for the album
• 1999 - 'Livin La Vida Loca' by Ricky Martin hits #1 and stays on top for 5 weeks

Happy Birthday, Enrique Iglesias - with his song, Hero above, featuring Jennifer Love Hewitt!

This Day in Sports

• 1898 - The first games of the Italian football league are played
• 1946 - Johnny Pesky, of the Red Sox scores 6 runs in 1 game
• 1984 - USSR announces that it will boycott eh 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles
• 1994 - The first all female pro baseball team, the Colorado Silver Bullets play their 1st game

Word of the Day from Wiktionary

Wishing You a Great Day Today!