Today in History

Today is Friday, May 8, the 128th day of 2015. There are 237 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:

On May 8, 1945, President Harry S. Truman announced on radio that Nazi Germany's forces had surrendered, and that "the flags of freedom fly all over Europe."

On this date:

In 1541, Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto reached the Mississippi River.

In 1794, Antoine Lavoisier, the father of modern chemistry, was executed on the guillotine during France's Reign of Terror.

In 1884, the 33rd president of the United States, Harry S. Truman, was born in Lamar, Missouri.

In 1915, Regret became the first filly to win the Kentucky Derby.

In 1921, Sweden's Parliament voted to abolish the death penalty.

In 1945, the Setif Massacre began in Algeria as French authorities clashed with protesters celebrating the surrender of Nazi Germany and calling for freedom from colonial rule; tens of thousands of Algerians are believed to have died in weeks of violence.

In 1958, Vice President Richard Nixon was shoved, stoned, booed and spat upon by anti-American protesters in Lima, Peru.

In 1962, the musical comedy "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum" opened on Broadway.

In 1972, President Richard Nixon announced that he had ordered the mining of Haiphong Harbor during the Vietnam War.

In 1973, militant American Indians who'd held the South Dakota hamlet of Wounded Knee for ten weeks surrendered.

In 1984, the Soviet Union announced it would boycott the upcoming Summer Olympic Games in Los Angeles.

In 1999, The Citadel, South Carolina's formerly all-male military school, graduated its first female cadet, Nancy Ruth Mace. British actor Sir Dirk Bogarde died in London at age 78.

Ten years ago: President George W. Bush and Vladimir Putin, meeting in Moscow, went out of their way to take a unified stand on Middle East peace and terrorism after sharp words in recent days about democratic backsliding and postwar Soviet domination. Steve Nash edged Shaquille O'Neal by 34 points to win the NBA's most valuable player award. Lloyd Cutler, White House counsel to Presidents Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton and adviser to presidents of both parties, died at his Washington home at age 87.

Five years ago: Republican Sen. Bob Bennett of Utah, targeted by tea party activists and other groups, lost his bid to serve a fourth term after failing to advance past the GOP state convention in Salt Lake City. A coal mine in western Siberia was rocked by the first of two methane explosions that claimed the lives of 90 miners. Andor Lilienthal, 99, the last surviving member of the 27 original grandmasters of chess players, died in Budapest. Actress Betty White hosted NBC's "Saturday Night Live" as the result of a Facebook campaign.

One year ago: Syrian rebels leveled a historic hotel being used as an army base in the northern city of Aleppo by detonating bomb-packed tunnels beneath it, killing a still-undetermined number of soldiers. House Republicans jumped into a new election-season investigation of the deadly Benghazi assault, naming majority members of a special House committee. Veteran actress, director and producer Nancy Malone, 79, died in Duarte, California.

Today's Birthdays: Comedian Don Rickles is 89. Naturalist Sir David Attenborough is 89. Singer Toni Tennille is 75. Actor James Mitchum is 74. Country singer Jack Blanchard is 73. Jazz musician Keith Jarrett is 70. Actor Mark Blankfield is 67. Singer Philip Bailey (Earth, Wind and Fire) is 64. Rock musician Chris Frantz (Talking Heads) is 64. Rockabilly singer Billy Burnette is 62. Rock musician Alex Van Halen is 62. Actor David Keith is 61. Actor Stephen Furst is 61. New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio is 54. Actress Melissa Gilbert is 51. Rock musician Dave Rowntree (Blur) is 51. Country musician Del Gray is 47. Rock singer Darren Hayes is 43. Singer Enrique Iglesias is 40. Blues singer-musician Joe Bonamassa is 38. Actor Matt Davis is 37. Singer Ana Maria Lombo (Eden's Crush) is 37. Actor Domhnall Gleeson is 32. Actress Julia Whelan is 31.

Thought for Today: "A man who works with his hands is a laborer; a man who works with his hands and his brain is a craftsman; but a man who works with his hands and his brain and his heart is an artist." -- Louis Nizer, American lawyer (1902-1994).

Copyright 2015, The Associated Press. All rights reserved.