Today in History
May 08
1945: Victory in Europe (VE) Day to end World War II in Europe. German forces surrendered to Supreme Allied Commander Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower who was elected president of the United States in 1952.
1886: Dr. John S. Pemberton, a pharmacist and inventor of patent medicines, sold the first Coca-Cola at Jacob's Pharmacy in Atlanta, Georgia. Pemberton's bookkeeper, Frank Robinson, coined the name and it is his handwriting we recognize as the Coca-Cola trademark. By the late 1890s, Coca-Cola was one of America's most popular fountain drinks. Between 1890 and 1900, servings of the beverage increased from one million to 100 million. (Source: Library of Congress)
1884: Harry S. Truman, 33rd president of the United States, was born in Lamar, Missouri. He became president upon the death of President Roosevelt in 1945. He served until 1953.
SCIENCE IN HISTORY
RECOMMENDED READING
Pathfinder Pilot Recalls D-Day
Editor's Note: In May 2019 I traveled to Oxford, Connecticut for media day hosted by the D-Day Squadron as they prepared to depart to...
See the Forest AND the Trees at Redwood National Park
Editor's Note: In 2015, I visited a redwood forest in northern California for the first time. Before arriving at the edge of the forest,...
Take a Hike – Into a Cauldron!
Editor's Note: In 2015, I visited Lassen Volcanic National Park in northern California. Its history is the history of the National Park Service because...
Glass: a Hot and Cool Combo of Art and Science
Editor's note: One of the hottest and coolest stories I have covered was my 2016 visit to the Toledo Museum of Art's Glass Pavilion...
Sneakers Have Soles – and Soul
Editor's note: In December 2015 I learned of a new exhibit at the Toledo Museum of Art - The Rise of Sneaker Culture. Curated...
A Graphic Novel: On the Front Lines with Larry Lather*
Editor's note: Feb. 11, 2026 - In 2020 as the pandemic unfolded, I decided to create a graphic novel about the importance of handwashing...
Book Recommendation: The Berlin Candy Bomber
March 20, 2026 - The Berlin Candy Bomber by Gail Halvorsen (2010, 244 pages) is Halvorsen's autobiography...
Book Recommendation: Rosa Parks: A Life
March 17, 2026 - In the 1990s, Douglas Brinkley, author and historian, was searching for a definitive...
Book Recommendation: The Bishop’s Boys: A Life of Wilbur and Orville Wright
March 8, 2026 - Recommended by the Wright B Flyer Museum in Dayton, Ohio, The Bishop's Boys:...