TODAY IN HISTORY
May 8, 1429: The Siege of Orléans ends with the withdrawal of the besieging English forces and, therefore, a French victory. This siege was the first victory by the French army under the leadership of Joan of Arc and helped reverse French fortunes in the Hundred Years’ War. It was not a devastating defeat for the English army, but had the English army captured Orléans it likely would have been able to conquer all of France so the victory prevented a total French defeat. The ensuing Loire Campaign was more decisive, opening up the city of Reims to the French army and giving the French Dauphin Charles the legitimacy to have himself crowned King Charles VII.
May 8, 1945: The German high command in Berlin signs the “instrument of unconditional surrender,” providing for the withdrawal and disarmament of the German military and the ouster of the Nazi-led government and ending World War II in Europe. Because the instrument was signed late into the evening, and thanks to the wonder of time zones, Victory in Europe, or “V-E,” Day is celebrated on May 8 in points west of Berlin and on May 9 in most points east of Berlin, like Russia and Israel.
MIDDLE EAST
LEBANON
Another Israeli military (IDF) killing spree has left at least 50 people dead in Lebanon over the past two days, according to Lebanese Health Ministry figures. Those figures do not differentiate between civilians and combatants. Hezbollah is continuing to harass the IDF with drone strikes, wounding at least two soldiers in northern Israel and one in southern Lebanon on Friday.
