On this day

May 8, 2012

Revisit the music, news, notable people, and historical moments connected to this date.

Historical Context for May 8, 2012

In 2012, the world population was approximately 7,201,202,485 people[†]

Music on My Birthday

Billboard 200

The Top 50 albums for the chart week of May 2, 2012, covering May 8, 2012.

  1. 1
    Album cover for Tuskegee by Lionel Richie

    Tuskegee

    Lionel Richie

    Last week
    1
    Peak
    1
    Weeks
    4
  2. 2
    Album cover for Love Is A Four Letter Word by Jason Mraz

    Love Is A Four Letter Word

    Jason Mraz

    Last week
    Peak
    2
    Weeks
    1
  3. 3
    Album cover for 21 by Adele

    21

    Adele

    Last week
    2
    Peak
    1
    Weeks
    61
  4. 4
    Album cover for California 37 by Train

    California 37

    Train

    Last week
    Peak
    4
    Weeks
    1
  5. 5
    Album cover for Up All Night by One Direction

    Up All Night

    One Direction

    Last week
    5
    Peak
    1
    Weeks
    6
  6. 6
    Album cover for Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded by Nicki Minaj

    Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded

    Nicki Minaj

    Last week
    3
    Peak
    1
    Weeks
    3
  7. 7
    Album cover for Making Mirrors by Gotye

    Making Mirrors

    Gotye

    Last week
    7
    Peak
    7
    Weeks
    16
  8. 8
    Album cover for Pluto by Future

    Pluto

    Future

    Last week
    Peak
    8
    Weeks
    1
  9. 9
    Album cover for Slipstream by Bonnie Raitt

    Slipstream

    Bonnie Raitt

    Last week
    6
    Peak
    6
    Weeks
    2
  10. 10
    Album cover for Tailgates & Tanlines by Luke Bryan

    Tailgates & Tanlines

    Luke Bryan

    Last week
    13
    Peak
    2
    Weeks
    37

Notable Deaths

Maurice Sendak

2012Maurice Sendak, American author and illustrator (born 1928)[†]

Maurice Bernard Sendak was an American author and illustrator of children's books. Born to Polish-Jewish parents, his childhood was impacted by the death of many of his family members during the Holocaust. Sendak illustrated many works by other authors, such as the Little Bear books by Else Holmelund Minarik. He achieved acclaim with Where the Wild Things Are (1963), the first of a trilogy followed by In the Night Kitchen (1970) and Outside Over There (1981). He designed sets for operas, notably Mozart's The Magic Flute.

Ampon Tangnoppakul

2012Ampon Tangnoppakul, Thai criminal (born 1948)[†]

Ampon Tangnoppakul, commonly known in Thai as Ah Kong or in English as Uncle SMS, was a Thai national accused of sending four Short Message Service (SMS) messages from his cell phones to Somkiat Khrongwatthanasuk, secretary of then Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva that were deemed offensive to the King and Queen of Thailand, as proscribed by section 112 of the Criminal Code of Thailand and the law on computer-related offences. Having been found guilty of four charges in November 2011, he was sentenced by the Criminal Court to four consecutive five-year terms, for a total of twenty years in prison. His death in prison during the first year of his sentence attracted national and international criticism, prompting a national discussion of Thailand's lèse majesté law.

Roman Totenberg

2012Roman Totenberg, Polish-American violinist and educator (born 1911)[†]

Roman Totenberg was a Polish-American violinist and educator. A child prodigy, he lived in Poland, Moscow, Berlin, and Paris, before formally immigrating to the U.S. in 1938, at age 27. He performed and taught nationally and internationally throughout his life.

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Headlines from May 8, 2012

AMC Said to Be Talking to Chinese Buyer

By Michael Cieply and Brooks Barnes

AMC Entertainment, which owns the second-largest movie theater chain in North America, is in talks to sell itself or a significant stake to one of China’s largest theater owners, according to those briefed on discussions.

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