413day.year
Emperor Honorius signs an edict providing tax relief for the Italian provinces Tuscia, Campania, Picenum, Samnium, Apulia, Lucania and Calabria, which were plundered by the Visigoths.
In 413, Western Roman Emperor Honorius issued an edict granting tax relief to Italian provinces ravaged by Visigothic incursions.
Facing the devastation wrought by Visigothic raids, Emperor Honorius responded by signing an edict on May 8, 413, to alleviate the tax burden on seven Italian provinces. The relief applied to Tuscia, Campania, Picenum, Samnium, Apulia, Lucania, and Calabria. By suspending taxes in these war-torn regions, Honorius aimed to promote recovery and stability. This move demonstrated the imperial administration’s attempt to maintain legitimacy amid external threats. Though limited in scope, the edict offered temporary respite to communities struggling under economic strain. It reflects the challenges of governance in a collapsing Western Roman Empire.
413
Honorius
edict
Tuscia
Campania
Picenum
Samnium
Apulia
Lucania
Calabria
Visigoths
589day.year
Reccared I opens the Third Council of Toledo, marking the entry of Visigothic Spain into the Catholic Church.
On May 8, 589, King Reccared I convened the Third Council of Toledo, ushering Visigothic Spain into the Roman Catholic fold.
After decades of Arian Christian practice among the Visigothic elite, King Reccared I embraced Catholicism and called the Third Council of Toledo on May 8, 589. Attended by bishops and nobles, the council formally renounced Arian doctrines. This decision united the Visigothic kingdom with the wider Latin Church and strengthened ties with the Papacy. The council produced canons addressing ecclesiastical discipline and reinforced the king’s authority. Reccared’s conversion reshaped religious and political landscapes in Iberia. His act helped integrate diverse populations under a common faith and laid foundations for the medieval Spanish Church.
589
Reccared I
Third Council of Toledo
Visigothic Spain
Catholic Church
1360day.year
Treaty of Brétigny drafted between King Edward III of England and King John II of France (the Good).
In 1360, the Treaty of Brétigny was drafted, pausing part of the Hundred Years’ War between England and France.
On May 8, 1360, diplomats for King Edward III of England and King John II of France met at Brétigny to draft a new peace treaty. The Treaty of Brétigny aimed to end hostilities by transferring vast territories in Aquitaine to English control. In exchange, Edward III agreed to relinquish his claim to the French throne. Though never ratified immediately, the draft laid groundwork for the formal treaty later that year. It marked a shifting balance in the protracted Hundred Years’ War and demonstrated the era’s complex feudal loyalties. The Brétigny negotiations highlight medieval warfare’s blend of chivalry, diplomacy, and territorial ambition.
1360
Treaty of Brétigny
Edward III of England
John II of France
1516day.year
A group of imperial guards, led by Trịnh Duy Sản, murdered Emperor Lê Tương Dực and fled, leaving the capital Thăng Long undefended.
In 1516, imperial guards led by Trịnh Duy Sản assassinated Emperor Lê Tương Dực, leaving the Vietnamese capital unprotected.
Emperor Lê Tương Dực’s reign in Đại Việt was known for extravagance and political turmoil. On May 8, 1516, disaffected palace guards under Trịnh Duy Sản murdered the emperor during a coup. The assassination stunned the court and left Thăng Long vulnerable to further unrest. Lê Tương Dực’s death triggered succession crises and power struggles among noble factions. This assassination highlighted the fragility of royal authority in early 16th-century Vietnam. The ensuing chaos paved the way for the rise of the Trịnh lords.
1516
murdered
Lê Tương Dực
Thăng Long
1639day.year
William Coddington founds Newport, Rhode Island.
In 1639, William Coddington founded Newport on Aquidneck Island, creating one of the earliest English settlements in Rhode Island.
In 1639, English colonist William Coddington led a group of settlers from Portsmouth to Aquidneck Island, founding the town of Newport. The new settlement was established under a patent from the Earl of Warwick and quickly became a thriving port and center of trade. Newport's strategic location on Narragansett Bay allowed it to develop a wealthy maritime economy, attracting merchants and artisans. Religious tolerance in the colony drew diverse groups seeking freedom of worship, shaping the town's inclusive character. Over time, Newport grew into a cultural and economic hub in colonial New England, known for its distinctive architecture and influential families.
1639
William Coddington
Newport, Rhode Island
1721day.year
In the Papal States, Cardinal Michelangelo dei Conti is elected Pope, and takes the name Innocent XIII.
In 1721, Cardinal Michelangelo dei Conti was elected Pope by the Papal conclave and adopted the name Innocent XIII.
Michelangelo dei Conti was chosen on May 8, 1721, succeeding Pope Clement XI after a lengthy conclave. Born into a noble Roman family in 1655, he had served as a diplomat and papal nuncio before his elevation. As Innocent XIII, he sought to continue his predecessor’s policies but faced challenges in balancing the interests of European monarchies and the Church. His brief pontificate was marked by disputes with Naples and the Jansenist controversy. Despite his short reign, he maintained a commitment to strengthening the papal finances and supporting missionary work. Innocent XIII died in 1724, leaving a legacy of fiscal reform and diplomatic negotiation.
1721
Papal States
elected
Pope
Innocent XIII
1788day.year
King Louis XVI of France attempts to impose the reforms of Étienne Charles de Loménie de Brienne by abolishing the parlements.
In 1788, King Louis XVI and his finance minister Brienne attempted to centralize royal power by abolishing France’s parlements.
Facing a crippling financial crisis, Louis XVI endorsed the reforms of Étienne Charles de Loménie de Brienne aimed at centralizing royal authority. On May 8, 1788, he ordered the abolition of the regional parlements, the high courts that had become centers of noble resistance. The royal edict was met with fierce backlash from magistrates and the public, igniting widespread unrest and the Day of the Tiles in Grenoble. This confrontation highlighted the deepening rift between the monarchy and the privileged estates. The failure to implement Brienne’s reforms undermined the king’s credibility and accelerated France’s descent toward revolution. These tensions culminated in the calling of the Estates-General in 1789 and eventually the fall of the ancien régime.
1788
Étienne Charles de Loménie de Brienne
1794day.year
Branded a traitor during the Reign of Terror, French chemist Antoine Lavoisier, who was also a tax collector with the Ferme générale, is tried, convicted and guillotined in one day in Paris.
On May 8, 1794, pioneering chemist Antoine Lavoisier was condemned as a traitor and executed by guillotine during the Reign of Terror.
Antoine Lavoisier, renowned for laying the foundations of modern chemistry, was arrested in April 1794 for his role as a tax collector with the Ferme générale. Despite his scientific achievements, revolutionary zeal branded him a counter-revolutionary. He was brought to trial, convicted, and executed by guillotine in a single day at the Place de la Révolution in Paris. His death shocked the intellectual community, leading figures to lament that 'the Republic has no use for geniuses.' Lavoisier’s pioneering work on oxygen and the law of conservation of mass survived his martyrdom and continued to influence chemical science. His execution remains a stark example of the revolution’s excesses and the peril faced by the Enlightenment elite.
1794
Reign of Terror
Antoine Lavoisier
Ferme générale
1921day.year
The creation of the Communist Party of Romania.
In 1921, the Communist Party of Romania was founded, marking the emergence of a major political force in Romanian history.
On May 8, 1921, the Socialist-Communist Party of Romania held its founding congress in Bucharest, formalizing its establishment. Inspired by the Bolshevik Revolution in Russia, its founders aimed to represent workers and peasants in the post–World War I climate. The party faced immediate repression under Romania's government and was forced underground. Despite legal bans and internal splits, it persisted and later played a significant role in Romania's mid-century political transformation. After World War II, the party consolidated power and shaped Romania's communist regime until the 1989 revolution. The founding event of 1921 remains a key moment in understanding Romania's modern political development.
1921
Communist Party of Romania
1924day.year
The Klaipėda Convention is signed formally incorporating Klaipėda Region (Memel Territory) into Lithuania.
In 1924, the Klaipėda Convention formally integrated the Klaipėda Region into Lithuania under international agreement.
The Klaipėda Convention, signed on May 8, 1924, solidified the transfer of the former Memel Territory to Lithuania following World War I. Delegates from France, Britain, Italy, and Japan joined Lithuanian representatives to ratify terms in Geneva. The agreement granted Lithuania full sovereignty over Klaipėda while ensuring minority rights and free port usage. It stabilized regional tensions and marked a diplomatic success for Lithuania's young republic. The Convention also influenced the region's economic growth by reopening shipping routes and improving infrastructure. This peaceful resolution exemplifies interwar Europe's complex border negotiations and nation-building efforts.
1924
Klaipėda Convention
Klaipėda Region
1946day.year
Estonian schoolgirls Aili Jõgi and Ageeda Paavel blow up the Soviet memorial which preceded the Bronze Soldier of Tallinn.
Two young Estonian schoolgirls detonated explosives at a Soviet war memorial in Tallinn as a bold act of resistance against Soviet occupation.
Estonian schoolgirls Aili Jõgi and Ageeda Paavel staged a daring act of protest on May 8, 1946, by blowing up the Soviet Victory Monument in Tallinn.
Their action was a direct challenge to Soviet occupation and the imposition of a foreign narrative on Estonian history.
Arrested shortly after the explosion, they were sentenced to long prison terms and deported to labor camps in Siberia.
Despite severe punishment, their defiance became a symbol of national resistance and inspired later generations of Estonian activists.
The incident underscores the deep resentment of Soviet rule in postwar Estonia.
1946
Aili Jõgi
Ageeda Paavel
Bronze Soldier of Tallinn
1957day.year
South Vietnamese President Ngo Dinh Diem began a state visit to the United States, his regime's main sponsor.
President Ngo Dinh Diem of South Vietnam arrived in Washington for a landmark state visit, cementing U.S. support for his regime.
South Vietnamese President Ngo Dinh Diem arrived in Washington, D.C., on May 8, 1957, for a landmark state visit that solidified U.S. support for his government.
Meeting with President Dwight D. Eisenhower, Diem secured economic and military aid critical to his anti-communist campaign.
The visit included diplomatic receptions, public speeches, and tours of American institutions to showcase South Vietnam’s alignment with the West.
This high-profile trip helped strengthen bilateral ties and laid groundwork for deeper U.S. involvement in the Vietnam conflict.
It also boosted Diem’s domestic standing and international legitimacy.
1957
Ngo Dinh Diem
state visit