May 8th, 1917

Born on May 8th, 1917

Age in days, weeks and months
Wow, over 39,000 days old!

Why not celebrate an alternative birthday? In 933 days, exactly on November 12th, 2026, people who were born on May 8th, 1917 will be 40,000 days old!

... in seconds, minutes and hours

What happened on May 8th?

May 8th, 1987

A British Special Air Service unit ambushed a Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) unit in Loughgall, Northern Ireland, killing eight IRA members and one civilian.

May 8th, 1970

Construction workers attacked students and others who were protesting the Vietnam War in New York City.

May 8th, 1963

In Huế, South Vietnam, soldiers opened fire into a crowd of Buddhists protesting against a government ban on the flying of the Buddhist flag on Phật Đản, killing nine and sparking the Buddhist crisis.

May 8th, 1957

South Vietnamese president Ngô Đình Diệm began a state visit to the United States, his regime's main sponsor.

May 8th, 1950

The Tollund Man (pictured), a naturally mummified corpse, was discovered in a peat bog near Silkeborg, Denmark.

May 8th, 1945

A parade in Sétif, French Algeria, celebrating the end of World War II in Europe became a riot and was followed by reprisals, carried out by colonial authorities over the following weeks, that killed thousands.

May 8th, 1942

World War II: The Axis launched a major counteroffensive, turning the tide of the Battle of the Kerch Peninsula.

May 8th, 1927

French aviators Charles Nungesser and François Coli aboard the biplane L'Oiseau Blanc took off from Paris, attempting to make the first non-stop flight to New York, only to disappear before arrival.

May 8th, 1924

Lithuania signed the Klaipėda Convention, making the Klaipėda Region (taken from East Prussia) into an autonomous region under Lithuanian rule.

May 8th, 1842

A train derailed and caught fire near Versailles, France, killing at least 52 people.

May 8th, 1821

Greek War of Independence: At the Battle of Gravia Inn, a 120-man Greek force led by Odysseas Androutsos repulsed an Ottoman army of 8,000 soldiers.

May 8th, 1643

First English Civil War: The first siege of Wardour Castle ended after six days with the surrender of the Royalist garrison under Lady Blanche Arundell (pictured).

May 8th, 2021

A car bomb explodes in front of a school in Kabul, capital city of Afghanistan killing at least 55 people and wounding over 150.

May 8th, 2019

British 17-year-old Isabelle Holdaway is reported to be the first patient ever to receive a genetically modified phage therapy to treat a drug-resistant infection.

May 8th, 1997

China Southern Airlines Flight 3456 crashes on approach into Bao'an International Airport, killing 35 people.

Birthdays
... of famous people, actors, celebrities and stars on May 8th

Born on May 8th, 1917

97

John Anderson, Jr.

36th Governor of Kansas (1917-2014)

*May 8th, 1917, Olathe †September 15th, 2014, Olathe

Same Day
Who's birthday is on May 8th?

71

Matti Geschonneck

German film director

*May 8th, 1952, Potsdam

92

Sofía Ímber

Venezuelan journalist and cultural activist

*May 8th, 1924, Soroca †February 20th, 2017, Caracas

97

David Attenborough

British broadcaster and naturalist (born 1926)

*May 8th, 1926, Isleworth

100

João Havelange

Brazilian businessman and athlete (1916-2016)

*May 8th, 1916, Rio de Janeiro †August 16th, 2016, Rio de Janeiro

60

Florence Parly

French politician

*May 8th, 1963, Boulogne-Billancourt

90

Don Rickles

American stand-up comedian (1926–2017)

*May 8th, 1926, Queens †April 6th, 2017, Beverly Hills

42

Jan Eichhorn

German luger

*May 8th, 1981, Sonneberg

35

Carola Rackete

German merchant navy captain

*May 8th, 1988, Preetz

77

Ruth Padel

British poet and author

*May 8th, 1946, Wimpole Street

73

Jean Giraud

French comics author (1938–2012)

*May 8th, 1938, Nogent-sur-Marne †March 10th, 2012, Montrouge

92

Friedrich Hayek

Austrian and British economist

*May 8th, 1899, Vienna †March 23rd, 1992, Freiburg im Breisgau

76

Álvaro Gómez Hurtado

Colombian politician

*May 8th, 1919, Bogotá †November 2nd, 1995, Bogotá

60

Michel Gondry

French film director, screenwriter and producer

*May 8th, 1963, Versailles

37

Nguyễn Hoàng Hải

Badminton player

*May 8th, 1986, Bắc Giang

59

Melissa Gilbert

American actress

*May 8th, 1964, Los Angeles

51

Sisse Graum Jørgensen

Danish film producer

*May 8th, 1972, Copenhagen

53

Naomi Klein

Canadian author and activist

*May 8th, 1970, Montreal

83

Toni Tennille

American singer

*May 8th, 1940, Montgomery

21

Lanny Tria Mayasari

Badminton player

*May 8th, 2002, Sleman

88

Harry S. Truman

President of the United States from 1945 to 1953

*May 8th, 1884, Lamar †December 26th, 1972, Kansas City

Same year
Born in 1917

46

John F. Kennedy

President of the United States from 1961 to 1963

*May 29th, 1917, Brookline †November 22nd, 1963, Parkland Memorial Hospital

87

Wee Chong Jin

Singaporean judge

*September 28th, 1917, Penang †June 5th, 2005, Singapore

66

Indira Gandhi

Prime Minister of India (1966–1977, 1980–1984)

*November 19th, 1917, Prayagraj †October 31st, 1984, New Delhi

72

Ferdinand Marcos

President of the Philippines from 1965 to 1986

*September 11th, 1917, Sarrat †September 28th, 1989, Honolulu

53

Bourvil

French actor and singer (1917–1970)

*July 27th, 1917, Prétot-Vicquemare †September 23rd, 1970, Paris

79

Ella Fitzgerald

American jazz singer (1917–1996)

*April 25th, 1917, Newport News †June 15th, 1996, Beverly Hills

88

John Raitt

American singer and actor (1917-2005)

*January 29th, 1917, Santa Ana †February 20th, 2005, Pacific Palisades

84

Katharine Graham

American publisher, editor and author (1917–2001)

*June 16th, 1917, New York City †July 17th, 2001, Boise

89

Barry Nelson

American actor (1917–2007)

*April 16th, 1917, San Francisco †April 7th, 2007, Bucks County

90

Arthur C. Clarke

British science fiction writer, inventor, and futurist (1917-2008)

*December 16th, 1917, Minehead †March 19th, 2008, Colombo

67

Heinrich Böll

German writer (1917–1985)

*December 21st, 1917, Cologne †July 16th, 1985, Langenbroich

103

Vera Lynn

British singer (1917–2020)

*March 20th, 1917, East Ham †June 18th, 2020, Ditchling

91

Robert Anderson

American playwright, screenwriter, and theater producer (1917-2009)

*April 28th, 1917, Manhattan †February 9th, 2009, Manhattan

61

Park Chung Hee

Leader of South Korea from 1961 to 1979

*November 14th, 1917, Gumi †October 26th, 1979, Jongno District

49

William Tracy

American actor (1917-1967)

*December 1st, 1917, Pittsburgh †July 18th, 1967, Hollywood

99

Kurt Gossweiler

German historian of modern age (1917-2017)

*November 5th, 1917, Stuttgart †May 17th, 2017, Berlin

92

Carl Ballantine

American entertainer (1917-2009)

*September 27th, 1917, Chicago †November 3rd, 2009, Hollywood Hills

87

Ramanand Sagar

Indian film director (1917-2005)

*December 29th, 1917, Lahore †December 12th, 2005, Mumbai

70

Henry Ford II

American automotive industry executive (1917–1987)

*September 4th, 1917, Detroit †September 29th, 1987, Detroit

91

Helga Tiemann

German painter and sculptor (1917–2008)

*October 11th, 1917, Remscheid †October 13th, 2008, Cologne

Birthdays of famous people

Public holidays on May 8th

Fixed holidays (Christian feast day, Victory in Europe Day, and its related observances) which are celebrated on May 8th.

Date as a Roman numeral / digit

Leap year

No: With 365 days 1917 is a normal year and no leap year.

Calendar
May 1917