On May 8, 1775, the Transylvania Land Company, owned by Colonel Richard Henderson , named their new colony Transylvania and proclaimed Boonesborough as the capital.
On May 8, 1798, John Bradford & Son established The Guardian of Freedom , Kentucky’s 6th newspaper, in Frankfort. Kentucky in Retrospect by Lila Jones Kington, pg 39.
On May 8, 1825, The Marquis de Lafayette’s steamboat, The Mechanic , sank in the Ohio River , causing the General to lose his property and money. Having spent the night on the banks of the Ohio, The Paragon rescued the party and took them to Louisville. Lafayette continued his American tour of all the American states, a 6,000-mile journey accomplished by stagecoach, horseback, barge, and steamboat.
May 8, 1883, Hopkins County lynched Wat Cox, a black male, for attempted rape .
May 8, 1884, Guard George L. Ball, Kentucky Department of Corrections , died with his own service weapon during an escape attempt near Mount Vernon.
On May 8, 1915, Regret won the 41st running of the Kentucky Derby , the 1st filly to do so. She generated significant publicity for the race. Churchill Downs president Matt Winn observed that because of Regret’s win, the Derby became an American institution. Owner Harry Payne Whitney bred the filly in New Jersey and won his 1st Derby of two; he entered 19 horses throughout his life. Trainer James G. Rowe Sr. and jockey Joe Notter helped the filly run in 2:05.40 which earned $11,450.
May 8, 1920, Paul Jones won the 46th Kentucky Derby for owner Ral Parr, jockey Ted Rice, and trainer William M. Garth in 2:09 and won $30,375. John Madden bred the colt. Man o’ War did not run. Owner Sam Riddle did not like racing in Kentucky, nor did he think three-year-olds were ready to go 10 furlongs as early as May. He would change his mind by the time War Admiral came around. Man o’ War stayed in the east and prepared for the Preakness.
On May 8, 1928, Sheriff Arthur J. Brookshire, Estill County Sheriff’s Department , died from a gunshot by bootleggers during an investigation after the sheriff asked to search the wife’s saddlebags.
On May 8, 1929, locals reported a street fight between employees of the Louisville Herald-Post and the Louisville Courier-Journal on two different downtown blocks. Although the punches stopped before the police arrived and they saw bloody faces, nothing occurred in their presence to justify arrests.
On May 8, 1940, while 150 Harlan miners refused to work due to safety concerns , John Daniel resigned as chief mine inspector and director of the State Department of Mines and Minerals. The Union was not aware of the strike when asked for comment.
May 8, 1948, Patrolman Andrew Miller, Louisville Police Department , died from his own weapon after responding to a call at 439 Marshall Court.
Localtonians wish a Happy Birthday to Fort Campbell native Charton Christopher Frantz , born in 1951.
May 8, 1971, Patrolman Raymond Stetson Oyler, Jr. Louisville Police Department , died when a drunk driver struck his police car travelling approximately 80 mph.
May 8, 1972, President Nixon told the nation he would not consider resignation after officials released the Watergate tapes days earlier.
On Saturday, May 8, 1976, Dixie Belle made her maiden voyage on the Kentucky River, starting at Fort Boonesborough boat docks. The state’s newest attraction didn’t use wood or coal like the big river steamers, but it did have a giant smoke stack. The Dixie Belle moved by a German-made diesel engine. Today, you can ride her at Shaker Village at Pleasant Hill.
On May 8, 1983, Louisville native Dave Armstrong made his MLB debut as a Los Angeles Dodger.
May 8, 1986, Conley-Greene Rockshelter (15EL4) in Lytten, Elliott County , was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Excavations at the site suggest a single or limited occupation during the Early Woodland sometime between 569 to 624 B.C.
May 8, 1991, the National Education Association confirmed that teacher salaries in Kentucky rose by the highest percentage of any state in 1991, increasing 10.6% to $29,089.
May 8, 1993, Deputy Sheriff Poyster “Poss” Keene, Pike County Sheriff’s Office , died in an automobile accident when his patrol car was struck head-on by an oncoming car.
On Sunday, May 8, 1994, over a thousand people drove to a Pendleton County farm near Falmouth to see the mother of Jesus in a vision on Mother’s Day.
May 8, 2005, Penny Hopper caught a state record Crappie (White or Black) weighing 4.87 pounds in Watershed Lake in Christian County.
May 8, 2007, former Lt. Governor S. Beshear came under attack from three other Democratic gubernatorial candidates when they said he wrongly pinned the state’s future on expanding gambling.
On Sunday, May 8, 2011, President Lee Todd gave his last commencement speech, three in fact, to 4,100 graduates. Traditionally, UK presidents give speeches to their first and last classes. Todd made some changes before he left. Instead of having one large ceremony and separate college ceremonies, UK’s 144th commencement held three ceremonies at Rupp: two for undergraduates and one for graduate students.
On May 8, 2017, a federal report claimed eight Eastern Kentucky counties had the biggest decline in life expectancy in America between 1980 and 2104. Owsley County saw the most significant drop in the nation at 2.3 years or 2.3%. Lee, Leslie, Breathitt, Clay, Powell, Estill, and Perry followed.
May 8, 2021, the state announced the Workers’ Comp Fund paid more than $860,000 to dead people. The story behind the incompetence was disconcerting. Meanwhile, communities began to reopen slowly to prepare for outdoor summer activities.
On May 8, 2022, First Lady Jill Biden visited with Ukraine’s First Lady for Mother’s Day to promote the U.S. proxy war for fossil fuels. As a bonus Bono played an impromptu concert for all the war participants on the good side. Jill became the latest high-profile American to secretly enter the battered nation during the 10-month-old conflict. Celebrity forces pushed this war in an unprecedented fashion.
By May 8, 2023, Kentucky ranked 41st in the nation when it came to paying teachers the best. By May 2025, we had dropped to 42.
By May 8, 2024, Speaker Johnson funded the Ukrainian War to keep his seat. Andy and Thomas had differing opinions.
On May 8, 2024, Matt Jones posted a nice piece of trivia after SC released Trent. After a brief portal scare, Noah decided to stay for his sophomore year.
