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Today in History, May 8th

On May 8, 1945, the Allies celebrated V-E Day as German troops laid down their arms. Plus Mount Pelée's eruption and the end of smallpox.

By Today in History Updated November 10, 2026 3 min read Sources checked

Published May 8, 2026 · Last updated November 10, 2026

May 8 is best known as V-E Day: in 1945, German troops across Europe laid down their arms and the Allies celebrated victory in Europe. The date also saw Mount Pelée destroy the city of Saint-Pierre on Martinique in 1902 and the World Health Organization announce the eradication of smallpox in 1980.

The big story: Victory in Europe (1945)

The paperwork was done a day early. On May 7, General Alfred Jodl signed Germany’s unconditional surrender at Reims. May 8 was when it became real on the ground. German soldiers put down their weapons in Copenhagen, Oslo, Prague, northern Latvia, Karlshorst outside Berlin, and even the tiny Channel Island of Sark. More than 13,000 British prisoners of war were freed and sent home. Flags and banners went up from Australia to Canada, Times Square filled with people, and Wall Street was jammed with office workers. Moscow marked the victory a day later, on May 9, because fighting in Silesia went on long enough to cost the Soviets another 600 soldiers. Stalin then went on the radio to say the war was over. For the Pacific, it wasn’t. Fighting against Japan continued for months until Japan announced its surrender on August 14.

More events on May 8

Year	What happened
1429	English troops ended their siege of Orléans, a turning point in the Hundred Years’ War credited largely to Joan of Arc.
1541	Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto reached the Mississippi River, among the first Europeans to do so.
1846	U.S. troops under Zachary Taylor beat a larger Mexican force at the Battle of Palo Alto, the first clash of the Mexican-American War.
1877	The first Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, then called the First Annual New York Bench Show of Dogs, began.
1902	Mount Pelée erupted on Martinique, destroying the city of Saint-Pierre and killing about 30,000 people.
1942	The USS Lexington became the first U.S. aircraft carrier sunk in World War II, during the Battle of the Coral Sea.
1950	Police in Silkeborg, Denmark, were alerted to a body discovered in a peat bog. The remarkably well-preserved corpse was later named Tollund Man.
1973	American Indian Movement members surrendered at Wounded Knee, South Dakota, ending a 71-day occupation.
1980	The World Health Organization announced that smallpox had been eradicated.
1984	The Soviet Union announced it would boycott the Los Angeles Olympics.
2010	Betty White became the oldest person to host Saturday Night Live, at age 88.
2025	Robert Francis Prevost was elected pope, taking the name Leo XIV. He was the first American pope.

Born on May 8

1884: Harry S. Truman, 33rd U.S. president, born in Lamar, Missouri.
1910: Mary Lou Williams, American jazz pianist and composer, born in Atlanta.
1926: David Attenborough, English naturalist and broadcaster known for the Life series, born in London.