At A Glance

8 May 1942 at a glance

Day of the week
8 May 1942 was a Friday.
Top Film of 1942
The highest-grossing film worldwide released in 1942 was Bambi.
Star sign
The star sign for 8 May is Taurus.
Chinese zodiac
In the Chinese zodiac, 8 May 1942 fell in the Year of the Horse.
Birthstone
The birthstone for May is Emerald.
Moon phase
The moon phase on 8 May 1942 was Waning Crescent.

On this day: 8 May

  • 1942 World War II: The German 11th Army begins Operation Trappenjagd (Bustard Hunt) and destroys the bridgehead of the three Soviet armies defending the Kerch Peninsula.
  • 1942 World War II: The Battle of the Coral Sea comes to an end with Imperial Japanese Navy aircraft carrier aircraft attacking and sinking the United States Navy aircraft carrier USS Lexington.
  • 1945 World War II: The German Instrument of Surrender signed at Berlin-Karlshorst comes into effect. This is commemorated as Victory in Europe Day.
  • 1945 End of the Prague uprising, celebrated now as a national holiday in the Czech Republic.
  • 1946 Estonian schoolgirls Aili Jõgi and Ageeda Paavel blow up the Soviet memorial which preceded the Bronze Soldier of Tallinn.

Famous people born on 8 May

  • David Attenborough, English environmentalist and television host (born 1926)
  • Harry S. Truman, American colonel and politician, 33rd President of the United States (1884–1972)
  • Fulton J. Sheen, American archbishop (1895–1979)
  • Enrique Iglesias, Spanish-American singer-songwriter, producer, and actor (born 1975)

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

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Events of 1942 in Australia

A selection from Wikipedia's '1942 in Australia'. Not a complete list.

  • 15 February – Singapore falls to the Japanese, with approximately 15,000 Australian troops taken prisoner.
  • 1 March – The cruiser HMAS Perth is torpedoed by Japanese destroyers in the Battle of Sunda Strait, sinking with the loss of 350 crew and three civilians.
  • 4 May – The Battle of the Coral Sea begins.
More events of 1942 →Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Life in Australia in 1942

Prime Minister

John Curtin

Monarch

King George VI

Petrol (per litre)

$0.01

Loaf of Bread

$0.06

Average House

$1,300

Weekly Wage

$3.40

Or

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Famous Faces Born in the 1940s

Well-known people born in the same decade as you, not on your birthday.

Olivia Newton-John26 September 1948SingerView their day →Angry Anderson5 August 1947Rock singerView their day →Rick Springfield23 August 1949Musician & singer-songwriterView their day →Bon Scott9 July 1946SingerView their day →Miriam Margolyes18 May 1941ActressView their day →John Farnham1 July 1949SingerView their day →Cassandra Harris15 December 1948ActressView their day →Helen Reddy25 October 1941Singer & actressView their day →

Sources: Wikidata and Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

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