May 8

Today is V-E Day. 1786: Thomas Hancock, who founded the British rubber industry, was born. 1792: The U.S. established the military draft. 1847: The rubber tire (for a carriage) was patented in the U.S. by Robert W. Thompson, of England. 1886: Pharmacist Dr. John Stith Pemberton produced the syrup for Coca-Cola, and carried a jug of the new product down the street to Jacobs' Pharmacy and placed it on sale for five cents a glass as a soda fountain drink. 1914: C.W. Post, founder of Post Cereal Company, died. 1919: The first transatlantic flight took off by a navy seaplane. 1926: The first flight over North Pole was made by Bennett and Byrd. 1945: Victory was won in Europe (V-E Day), as Winston Churchill officially announced the end of the war with Germany. 1952: Mad Magazine debuted. 1961: The first practical seawater conversion plant in the U.S. was opened in Freeport, TX. 1962: The era of the trolleybus in London ended. 1999: The first female cadet graduated from The Citadel military college.