1. On May 8, 1921, the Massachusetts State House was officially dedicated. The building, located in Boston's Beacon Hill neighborhood, was completed in 1798 and is still used today as the home of the Massachusetts government.

2. May 8, 1872 marks the birth of Harry S. Knight, an influential physician and public health advocate who played a key role in establishing tuberculosis sanatoriums in Massachusetts.

3. In 1945, May 8 was designated as V-E Day, or Victory in Europe Day, marking the formal surrender of Nazi Germany and the end of World War II in Europe. Celebrations erupted throughout Massachusetts and the United States.

4. On May 8, 2019, Massachusetts became the first state in the United States to declare a public health emergency in response to the surge in vaping-related illnesses and deaths.

5. In 1837, the Massachusetts state legislature officially incorporated Lowell as a city, marking a significant milestone in the history of the American Industrial Revolution. Lowell became a hub for textile manufacturing and was home to numerous factories and mills that employed thousands of workers.