Famous people born on May 8 — and what else happened that day
If your birthday is May 8, you share it with Harry S. Truman, David Attenborough, Enrique Iglesias — and you were born under Taurus, the sign of the steady, loyal, and a lover of life’s comforts.
Birthday basics for May 8
Taurus ♉
Zodiac sign
Emerald
Birthstone
Lily of the Valley
Birth flower
128th
Day of the year
May 8 is the 128th day of the year (129th in leap years), with 237 days still to come.
Famous people born on May 8
Harry S. Truman — 33rd President of the United States (born 1884).
David Attenborough — English broadcaster and naturalist behind Planet Earth (born 1926).
Enrique Iglesias — Spanish singer with dozens of number-one Latin pop hits (born 1975).
Also sharing the day:
Henry Dunant (b. 1828) — Swiss founder of the Red Cross and co-recipient of the first Nobel Peace Prize.
Robert Johnson (b. 1911) — Delta blues guitarist whose recordings shaped rock and roll.
Melissa Gilbert (b. 1964) — American actress who grew up on screen as Laura Ingalls in Little House on the Prairie.
May 8 in history
1886 — Pharmacist John Pemberton sold the first Coca-Cola in Atlanta, Georgia.
1945 — V-E Day: World War II ended in Europe as Germany's surrender took effect.
1980 — The World Health Organization confirmed the worldwide eradication of smallpox.
1877 — The first Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show opened at Gilmore's Gardens in New York City.
1970 — The Beatles released Let It Be, their twelfth and final studio album.
1984 — The Soviet Union announced it would boycott the Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.
May 8 birthday questions
What zodiac sign is May 8?
Anyone born on May 8 is a Taurus — steady, loyal, and a lover of life’s comforts.
What is the birthstone for May 8?
The birthstone for a May 8 birthday is Emerald, and the birth flower is the Lily of the Valley.
Who is the most famous person born on May 8?
Harry S. Truman is among the best known — 33rd President of the United States (born 1884).
What happened on May 8?
In 1886, Pharmacist John Pemberton sold the first Coca-Cola in Atlanta, Georgia.
What day of the year is May 8?
May 8 is the 128th day of the year (129th in leap years), with 237 days still to come.
Make their day unforgettable
Know someone born on May 8? See the full story of their exact birthday — the headlines, the #1 song, what things cost — and turn it into a personalized front-page newspaper they can keep.