January 8
January 8 is the 8th day of the year in the
Gregorian calendar. There are 357 days remaining (358 in
leap years).
*
871 -
Battle of Ashdown -
Ethelred of Wessex defeats
Danish invasion army.
*
1198 -
Innocent III becomes
Pope.
*
1297 -
Monaco gains its independence.
*
1499 -
Louis XII of France marries
Anne of Brittany.
*
1734 - Premiere of
George Frideric Handel's
Ariodante at the
Royal Opera House,
Covent Garden.
*
1746 -
Bonnie Prince Charlie occupies
Stirling.
*
1790 -
George Washington delivers the first
State of the Union Address address in
New York City.
*
1806 -
Cape Colony becomes a
British colony.
*
1811 - Unsuccessful slave revolt led by
Charles Deslandes in St. Charles and St. James, Louisiana.
*
1815 -
War of 1812:
Battle of New Orleans -
Andrew Jackson leads
American forces in victory over the
British.
*
1838 -
Alfred Vail demonstrates a
telegraph using dots and dashes (this is the forerunner of
Morse code).
*
1863 -
American Civil War:
Second Battle of Springfield *
1863 -
Yorkshire County Cricket Club is founded at the
Adelphi Hotel in
Sheffield,
England.
*
1867 -
African American men granted the right to vote in the
District of Columbia.
*
1877 -
Crazy Horse and his warriors fight their last battle with the
United States Cavalry (
Montana).
*
1889 -
Herman Hollerith receives a patent for his electric
tabulating machine.
*
1900 -
United States President William McKinley places
Alaska under military rule.
*
1906 - A landslide in
Haverstraw, New York kills 20 due to the excavation of clay along the
Hudson River.
*
1908 - A train collision occurs in the
Park Avenue Tunnel in
New York City killing 17, injuring 38 and leading to increased demand for electric trains.
*
1912 - The
African National Congress was founded.
*
1916 -
World War I: Allied forces withdraw from
Gallipoli.
*
1918 -
President Woodrow Wilson announces his "
Fourteen Points" for the aftermath of
World War I.
*
1920 - The
Czechoslovak Hussite Church was founded by Dr.
Karel Farský.
*
1922 - The
Social Democratic Youth League of Norway is founded.
*
1926 -
Abdul-Aziz ibn Saud becomes the King of
Hejaz and renames it
Saudi Arabia.
*
1935 -
A.C. Hardy patents the
spectrophotometer.
*
1953 -
René Mayer becomes Prime Minister of
France.
*
1956 -
Operation Auca: Five
U.S. missionaries are killed by the
Huaorani of
Ecuador shortly after making contact with them.
*
1958 - 14 year old
Bobby Fischer wins the
United States Chess Championship.
*
1959 - Conquest of
Cuba by
Fidel Castro is completed with the conquest of
Santiago de Cuba.
* 1959 -
Michel Debré becomes Prime Minister of
France.
*
1962 -
Leonardo da Vinci's
Mona Lisa is exhibited in the
United States for the first time (
National Gallery of Art in
Washington, D.C.).
* 1962 -
Harmelen train disaster kills 93 in
The Netherlands.
*
1964 - President
Lyndon B. Johnson declares a "
War on Poverty" in the
United States.
*
1973 -
Watergate scandal: The trial of seven men accused of placing bugs in
Democratic Party headquarters at
Watergate begins.
*
1975 -
Ella Grasso becomes
Governor of Connecticut, becoming the first woman to serve as a Governor in the
United States who did not succeed her husband.
*
1977 - Soviet space mission
Luna 21 is launched.
*
1979 - The tanker Betelgeuse explodes in
Bantry Bay,
The Betelgeuse incident*
1982 -
AT&T agrees to
divest itself of twenty-two subdivisions.
*
1987 - The
Dow Jones Industrial Average gains 8.30 to close at 2,002.25 -- The Dow's
first close above 2,000.
*
1989 -
Kegworth air disaster kills 47 in
Great Britain.
* 1989 - Beginning of Japanese
Heisei era.
*
1994 -
Russian
cosmonaut Valeri Polyakov on
Soyuz TM-18 leaves for
Mir. He will stay on the
space station till
March 22,
1995, for a record 437 days in space.
*
1996 - An
Antonov 32 cargo jet crashes into the central market in Kinshasa,
Zaire killing more than 350.
*
2004 -
RMS Queen Mary 2, the largest
passenger ship ever built, was christened by her namesake's granddaughter,
Queen Elizabeth II.
*
2006 - A magnitude 6.9
earthquake epicentered just off the Greek island of
Kythira hits much of the country and is felt throughout the entire eastern
Mediterranean Sea.
*
1556 -
Uesugi Kagekatsu, Japanese samurai and warlord (d.
1623)
*
1583 -
Simon Episcopius, Dutch theologian (d.
1643)
*
1601 -
Baltasar Gracián y Morales, Spanish writer (d.
1658)
*
1628 -
François Henri de Montmorency-Bouteville, duc de Luxembourg, French general (d. (
1695)
*
1632 -
Samuel Pufendorf, German jurist (d.
1694)
*
1635 -
Luis Manuel Fernández de Portocarrero, Spanish Archbishop of Toledo (d.
1709)
*
1735 -
John Carroll (priest), first American Catholic archbishop (d.
1815)
*
1763 -
Edmond Charles Genêt, French ambassador to the United States (d.
1834)
*
1786 -
Nicholas Biddle, President of the Second Bank of the United States (d.
1844)
*
1788 -
Pavel Kiselyov, Russian general and politician (d.
1874)
*
1792 -
Lowell Mason, American composer (d.
1872)
*
1805 -
John Bigler, Governor of California (d.
1871)
*
1805 -
Orson Hyde, American religious leader (d.
1878)
*
1817 - Sir
Theophilus Shepstone, South African statesman (d.
1893)
*
1821 -
James Longstreet, American Confederate general (d.
1904)
*
1821 -
W.H.L. Wallace, American Union general {d.
1862)
*
1823 -
Alfred Russel Wallace, British naturalist and biologist (d.
1913)
*
1824 -
Francisco González Bocanegra, Mexican poet (d.
1861)
*
1824 -
Wilkie Collins, British novelist (d.
1889)
*
1836 -
Lawrence Alma-Tadema, Dutch artist (d.
1912)
*
1843 -
Frederick Abberline, British police investigator (d.
1929)
*
1852 -
James Milton Carroll, was a Baptist pastor, leader, historian, and author (d.
1931)
*
1860 -
Emma Booth, the fourth child of
William and
Catherine Booth (d.
1903)
*
1867 -
Emily Greene Balch, American writer and pacifist,
Nobel Peace Prize laureate (d.
1961)
*
1870 -
Miguel Primo de Rivera, dictator of Spain (d.
1930)
*
1871 -
James Craig, 1st Viscount Craigavon, first
Prime Minister of Northern Ireland (d.
1940)
*
1873 -
Iuliu Maniu, Romanian politician (d.
1953)
*
1881 -
Henrik Shipstead, U.S. Senator from Minnesota (d.
1960)
*
1883 -
Patrick J. Hurley, U.S. Secretary of War (d.
1963)
* 1883 -
Pavel Filonov, Russian painter (d.
1941)
*
1885 -
John Curtin, fourteenth
Prime Minister of Australia (d.
1945)
*
1885 -
A. J. Muste, Dutch-born civil rights activist and pacifist (d.
1967)
*
1888 -
Matthew Moore, Irish actor (d.
1960)
*
1891 -
Walther Bothe, German physicist,
Nobel Prize in Physics laureate (d.
1957)
*
1891 -
Bronislava Nijinska, Russian choreographer (d.
1972)
*
1896 -
Arthur Ford, American psychic spiritual medium, clairaudient (d.
1971)
*
1897 -
Dennis Wheatley, British author (d.
1977)
*
1902 -
Carl Rogers, American psychologist (
1883)
*
1903 -
Igor Kurchatov, Russian physicist (d.
1960)
*
1904 -
Karl Brandt, Nazi war ciminal (d.
1948)
*
1905 -
Franjo Cardinal Seper, Croatian Catholic cardinal (d.
1981)
*
1908 -
William Hartnell, British actor (d.
1975)
*
1909 -
Willy Millowitsch, German actor (d.
1999)
*
1909 -
Evelyn Wood, American educator (d.
1995)
*
1910 -
Galina Sergeyevna Ulanova, Russian ballerina (d.
1988)
*
1912 -
José Ferrer, Puerto Rican actor (d.
1992)
*
1915 -
Walker Cooper, baseball player (d.
1991)
*
1923 -
Larry Storch, American actor
*
1923 -
Johnny Wardle, English cricketer (d.
1985)
*
1923 -
Joseph Weizenbaum, German-born computer scientist
*
1924 -
Ron Moody, English actor
*
1926 -
Evelyn Lear, American soprano
*
1926 -
Hanae Mori, Japanese fashion designer
*
1926 -
Soupy Sales, American comedian
*
1931 -
Bill Graham, German music promoter (d.
1991)
*
1933 -
Charles Osgood, American journalist and commentator
*
1934 -
Jacques Anquetil, French cyclist (d.
1987)
* 1934 -
Roy Kinnear, English actor (d.
1988)
* 1934 -
Alexandra Ripley, American writer (d.
2004)
* 1934 -
Gene Freese, baseball player
*
1935 -
Elvis Presley, American singer and guitarist (d.
1977)
*
1937 -
Shirley Bassey, Welsh singer
*
1937 -
John Hume, Irish politician
*
1938 -
Bob Eubanks, American game show host
*
1941 -
Graham Chapman, British comedian (d.
1989)
*
1941 -
Boris Vallejo, Peruvian illustrator
*
1942 -
Stephen Hawking, English physicist and author
*
1942 -
Junichiro Koizumi,
Prime Minister of Japan*
1942 -
Yvette Mimieux, American actress
*
1944 -
Terry Brooks American writer
*
1946 -
Robby Krieger, American musician (
The Doors)
*
1947 -
David Bowie, English musician
*
1947 -
Samuel Schmid, Swiss Federal Councilor
*
1951 -
Kenny Anthony,
Prime Minister of Saint Lucia*
1953 -
Bruce Sutter, baseball player
*
1955 -
Mike Reno, Canadian musician (
Loverboy)
*
1959 -
Paul Hester, Australian drummer (
Crowded House) (d.
2005)
*
1961 -
Calvin Smith, American athlete
*
1967 -
Michelle Forbes, American actress
*
1967 -
R. Kelly, American singer
*
1969 -
Ami Dolenz, American actress
*
1969 -
Jeff Abercrombie, American musician (
Fuel (band))
*
1970 -
Dave Eggers, American writer, publisher
*
1971 -
Jason Giambi, baseball player
*
1971 -
Pascal Zuberbühler, Swiss football (soccer) goalkeeper
*
1973 -
Mark Knight, English video game composer, sound designer, and electric violin player
*
1973 -
Sean Paul, Jamaican singer
*
1974 -
Xzibit, American hip hop performer, actor, and television personality
*
1976 -
Jenny Lewis, American actress and musician (
Rilo Kiley)
*
1977 -
Amber Benson, American actress
*
1977 -
Lee Yoo-jin, Korean actress
*
1978 -
Marco Fu, Hong Kong snooker player
*
1979 -
Adrian Mutu, Romanian soccer player
*
1980 -
Rachel Nichols, American actress
*
1981 -
Jeff Francis, Canadian baseball player
*
1982 -
Gaby Hoffmann, American actress
*
1983 -
Chris Mordetsky, American professional wrestler
*
1985 -
Rachael Lampa, American singer
*
1986 -
Jaclyn Linetsky, Canadian actress (d.
2003)
*
1991 -
Asuka Hinoi, Japanese singer
*
482 -
Saint Severinus*
1100 -
Antipope Clement III (bc.
1029)
*
1107 - King
Edgar of Scotland (b.
1074)
*
1198 -
Pope Celestine III (bc.
1106)
*
1324 -
Marco Polo, Italian explorer (b.
1254)
*
1337 -
Giotto di Bondone, Italian artist (b.
1267)
*
1464 -
Thomas Ebendorfer, Austrian historian (b.
1385)
*
1557 -
Albert the Warlike, Prince of Bayreuth (b.
1522)
*
1570 -
Philibert de l'Orme, French architect (bc.
1510)
*
1642 -
Galileo Galilei, Italian astronomer and physicist (b.
1564)
*
1707 -
John Dalrymple, 1st Earl of Stair, Scottish politician (b.
1648)
*
1713 -
Arcangelo Corelli, Italian composer (b.
1653)
*
1775 -
John Baskerville, English printer (b.
1706)
*
1789 -
Jack Broughton, English boxer (bc.
1703)
*
1794 -
Justus Möser, German statesman (b.
1720)
*
1815 -
Edward Pakenham, British general (killed in battle) (b.
1778)
*
1825 -
Eli Whitney, American inventor (b.
1765)
*
1854 -
William Carr Beresford, 1st Viscount Beresford, British general and politician (b.
1768)
*
1865 -
Aimé, duc de Clermont-Tonnerre, French general (b.
1779)
*
1874 -
Charles-Étienne Brasseur de Bourbourg, French writer and historian (b.
1814)
*
1878 -
Nikolai Alekseevich Nekrasov, Russian poet (b.
1821)
*
1880 -
Joshua A. Norton, "Emperor Norton I of the United States" (b.
1811)
*
1896 -
William Raine Marshall, Governor of Minnesota (b.
1825)
* 1896 -
Paul Verlaine, French poet (b.
1844)
*
1916 -
Ada Rehan, Stage Actress (b.
1860)
*
1932 -
Eurosia Fabris, Italian Catholic
Blessed (b.
1866)
*
1934 -
Andrei Bely, Russian writer (b.
1880)
*
1941 - Lord
Robert Baden-Powell, English soldier, writer, and founder of Scouting (b.
1857)
*
1942 -
Joseph Franklin Rutherford, American religious publisher (b.
1869)
*
1948 -
Kurt Schwitters, German painter (b.
1887)
*
1950 -
Joseph Schumpeter, Austrian economist (b.
1883)
*
1956 -
Jim Elliot, American Christian missionary and martyr (b.
1928)
*
1958 -
Paul Pilgrim, American athlete (b.
1883)
*
1963 -
Kay Sage, American artist and poet (b.
1898)
*
1969 -
Albert Hill, British athlete (b.
1889)
*
1970 -
Georges Guibourg, French performer (b.
1891)
*
1972 -
Kenneth Patchen, American poet and painter (b.
1911)
*
1975 -
Richard Tucker, American tenor (b.
1913)
*
1976 -
Zhou Enlai,
Premier of the People's Republic of China (b.
1898)
*
1979 -
Sara Carter, American country musician (b.
1898)
*
1980 -
John Mauchly, American physicist and computer engineer (b.
1907)
*
1981 -
Matthew "Stymie" Beard, American actor (b.
1925)
*
1983 -
Tom McCall, Governor of Oregon (b.
1913)
*
1986 -
Pierre Fournier, French cellist (b.
1906)
*
1989 -
Bruce Chatwin, English novelist (b.
1940)
*
1990 -
Terry-Thomas, British actor, comedian (b.
1911)
*
1991 -
Steve Clark, English guitarist (
Def Leppard) (b.
1960)
*
1993 -
Eleanor Hibbert, British author (b.
1906)
*
1994 -
Pat Buttram, American actor (b.
1915)
* 1994 -
Harvey Haddix, baseball player (b.
1925)
*
1995 -
Carlos Monzon, Argentinian boxer (b.
1942)
*
1996 -
François Mitterrand,
President of France (b.
1916)
*
1997 -
Melvin Calvin, American chemist,
Nobel Prize laureate (b.
1911)
*
1998 -
Michael Tippett, English composer (b.
1905)
*
2000 -
Fritz Thiedemann, German equestrianist (b.
1918)
*
2002 -
Alexander Prochorow, Russian physicist,
Nobel Prize in Physics laureate (b.
1916)
* 2002 -
Dave Thomas, American fast food entrepreneur (b.
1932)
*
2003 -
Ron Goodwin, British composer and conductor (b.
1925)
*
2004 -
John A. Gambling, American radio talk-show host (b.
1930)
*
2005 -
Campbell McComas, Australian impersonator and broadcaster (b.
1952)
* 2005 -
Warren Spears, American choreographer and dancer
* 2005 -
Michel Thomas, Polish linguist (b.
1914)
*
2006 -
Tony Banks, British politician (b.
1943)
*
Commonwealth Day is celebrated in
Northern Mariana Islands.
*The feast day of
Our Lady of Prompt Succor in the
Roman Catholic Church*
BBC: On This Day*
NY Times: On this day*
Today in History: January 8January 7 -
January 9 -
December 8 -
February 8 â€"
listing of all days
