Grete Waltz: Norwegian marathoner

Victory in Europe Day (V-E Day or VE Day) was on May 8, 1945, the date when the World War II Allies formally accepted the unconditional surrender of the armed forces of Nazi Germany and the end of Adolf Hitler's Third Reich. On 30 April Hitler committed suicide during the Battle of Berlin, and so the surrender of Germany was authorized by his replacement, President of Germany Karl Dönitz. The administration headed up by Dönitz was known as the Flensburg government. The act of military surrender was signed on 7 May in Reims, France, and ratified on 8 May in Berlin, Germany.

Labour Day or Labor Day is an annual holiday celebrated all over the world that resulted from the labor union movement, to celebrate the economic and social achievements of workers. The majority of countries celebrate Labor Day on May 1, and it is popularly known as May Day and International Workers' Day, while some celebrate on the first Monday of September.

The celebration of Labor Day has its origins in the Eight-hour day movement, which advocated eight hours for work, eight hours for recreation, and eight hours for rest.

Sonja Henie: Norwegian figure skater and actress

The Alexander L. Keilland Oil Rig capsized during a heavy storm in the Norwegian sector of the North Sea.

Henrik Ibsen was a major 19th-century Norwegian playwright, theater director, and poet. He is often referred to as "the god father" of modern drama and is one of the founders of Modernism in the theater. His plays were considered scandalous to many of his era, when Victorian values of family life and propriety largely held sway in Europe. Ibsen's work examined the realities that lay behind many facades, possessing a revelatory nature that was disquieting to many contemporaries. It utilized a critical eye and free inquiry into the conditions of life and issues of morality.