May 8th

1899: The Irish Literary Theatre in Dublin opens... with 75 straight productions about alcoholism.


1980: The eradication of smallpox is endorsed by the World Health Organization. For some reason, the WHO had previously been in favor of the disease.


1984: The Soviet Union announces that it will boycott the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles as a way of protesting Mary Lou Retton's fat ass.