About the day » Thursday May 8, 1873Calender converter

• Andries Dekker, Amsterdam, Noord-Holland, Nederland († 1873)
• Alouisius Elst, Wouw, Roosendaal, Noord-Brabant, Netherlands
• Adriaan Blok, Vlaardinger-Ambacht
• Anna Margaretha Hubertina Kusters, Oirsbeek, Limburg, Nederland († 1938)
• Almeda Bates, Ophir, Tooele, Utah, United States († 1930)
• Anna Francina Hilleman, (ZH) Delfshaven
• Adrianus Elisa Meijers, Geertruidenberg († 1873)
• Anna Francisca Julia Hermans‏‎, Herentals, België († 1924)
• Anna Cornelia Loon van, Bergen op Zoom († 1873)
• Albert Ellsworth Blanchard, Chickasaw, Iowa, Verenigde Staten († 1947)

• "Joannes" Johannes Johannes (61), Waalre, NL
• Anna Maria Martijn (1), Leiden
• Adriaan Zandijk (42), Oosterland
• Agatha Mooijekind
• Albert Karel van den Berg (2), Beusichem (Buren) (GL)
• * Gerrit den Hertog (87), Everdingen
• Anna Magrieta Stoffels (80), Zwolle, Overijssel, Nederland
• Adriaan Cornelis van Belkom (53)
• Ariaantje (Jaantje) de Bruin (71)
• Anna Maria Wilhelmina van Rooij (0), Gennep, Noord-Brabant, Nederland

• 1853 » Dan Brouthers, American baseball player and manager († 1932)
• 1856 » Pedro Lascuráin, Mexican politician, president for 45 minutes on February 13, 1913. († 1952)
• 1858 » Heinrich Berté, Slovak-Austrian composer († 1924)
• 1858 » J. Meade Falkner, English author and poet († 1932)
• 1859 » Johan Jensen, Danish mathematician and engineer († 1925)
• 1867 » Margarete Böhme, German novelist († 1939)
• 1879 » Wesley Coe, American shot putter, discus thrower, and tug of war competitor († 1926)
• 1884 » Harry S. Truman, American colonel and politician, 33rd President of the United States († 1972)
• 1885 » Thomas B. Costain, Canadian journalist and author († 1965)
• 1892 » Adriaan Pelt, Dutch journalist and diplomat († 1981)

• 1828 » Mauro Giuliani, Italian guitarist, cellist, and composer (b. 1781)
• 1837 » Alexander Balashov, Russian general and politician, Russian Minister of Police (b. 1770)
• 1842 » Jules Dumont d'Urville, French admiral and explorer (b. 1790)
• 1853 » Jan Roothaan, Dutch priest, 21st Superior General of the Society of Jesus (b. 1785)
• 1880 » Gustave Flaubert, French novelist (b. 1821)
• 1891 » Helena Blavatsky, Russian-English mystic and author (b. 1831)
• 1891 » John Robertson, English-Australian politician, 5th Premier of New South Wales (b. 1816)
• 1893 » Manuel González Flores, Mexican general and president, 1880–1884 (b. 1833)
• 1903 » Paul Gauguin, French painter and sculptor (b. 1848)
• 1907 » Edmund G. Ross, American soldier and politician, 13th Governor of New Mexico Territory (b. 1826)

• Koning Willem III (Huis van Oranje-Nassau) was from 1849 till 1890 sovereign of the Netherlands (also known as Koninkrijk der Nederlanden)
• From July 6, 1872 till August 27, 1874 the Netherlands had a cabinet De Vries - Fransen van de Putte with the prime ministers Mr. G. de Vries Azn. (liberaal) and I.D. Fransen van de Putte (liberaal).
• The Netherlands had about 4.0 million citizens.
• April 1 » The White Star steamer RMSAtlantic sinks off Nova Scotia, killing 547 in one of the worst marine disasters of the 19th century.
• May 20 » Levi Strauss and Jacob Davis receive a U.S. patent for blue jeans with copper rivets.
• August 2 » The Clay Street Hill Railroad begins operating the first cable car in San Francisco's famous cable car system.
• September 15 » Franco-Prussian War: The last Imperial German Army troops leave France upon completion of payment of indemnity.
• September 18 » The bank Jay Cooke & Company declares bankruptcy, contributing to the Panic of 1873.
• October 9 » A meeting at the U.S. Naval Academy establishes the U.S. Naval Institute.

The temperature on May 8, 1873 was about 9.8 °C. There was 0.3 mm of rain. The air pressure was 15 kgf/m² and came mainly from the southwest. The airpressure was 75 cm mercury. The atmospheric humidity was 89%.