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On This Day in History — December 8
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Highlights of December 8
- 2024 — The Syrian civil war ended when Bashar al-Assad's party, the Syrian Ba'ath Party, surrendered to the Syrian opposition. Read more
- 2013 — After a fatal bus accident in the Little India subzone of Singapore, angry mobs of workers attacked the bus involved and emergency vehicles, the first riot in the country in over 40 years. Read more
- 2013 — Metallica (pictured) played a concert in Antarctica, becoming the first band to perform on all seven continents. Read more
- 2010 — The Japanese experimental spacecraft IKAROS flew by Venus at a distance of 80,800 km (50,200 mi), completing its planned mission to demonstrate solar-sail technology. Read more
- 2009 — Bombings in Baghdad carried out by the Islamic State of Iraq killed at least 127 people and injured at least 448 others. Read more
- 1998 — The Australian Cricket Board's cover-up of Shane Warne and Mark Waugh's involvement with bookmakers was revealed. Read more
- 1991 — Belarusian, Russian and Ukrainian leaders signed the Belovezh Accords, agreeing to dissolve the Soviet Union and establish the Commonwealth of Independent States. Read more
- 1987 — Arab–Israeli conflict: An Israeli army tank transporter killed four Palestinian refugees and injured seven others during a traffic accident at the Erez Crossing on the Israel–Gaza Strip border, sparking the First Intifada. Read more
- 1987 — A man shot and killed eight people at the Australia Post building in Melbourne, before jumping to his death. Read more
- 1980 — English musician John Lennon was murdered at the entrance of the Dakota, where he resided in New York City. Read more
- 1963 — After being struck by lightning while in a holding pattern, Pan Am Flight 214 crashed near Elkton, Maryland, U.S., killing all 81 people on board. Read more
- 1941 — The Holocaust: The Chełmno extermination camp in occupied Poland, the first such Nazi camp to kill Jews, began operations. Read more
- 1880 — At an assembly of 10,000 Boers, Paul Kruger announced the fulfilment of the decision to restore the government and volksraad of the South African Republic. Read more
- 1854 — Pope Pius IX promulgated the apostolic constitution Ineffabilis Deus, proclaiming the dogmatic definition of the Immaculate Conception, which holds that the Virgin Mary was conceived free of original sin. Read more
- 1777 — American Revolutionary War: British commander-in-chief Sir William Howe withdrew his troops from the Battle of White Marsh to Philadelphia. Read more
- 1660 — Margaret Hughes (pictured) appeared professionally on the English stage; she is thought to have been the first woman to do so. Read more
- 1504 — Ahmad ibn Abi Jum'ah wrote his Oran fatwa, arguing for the relaxation of Islamic law for forcibly converted Muslims in Spain. Read more
Events
- 2025 — Singapore, under the government's approval, published its now-declassified Albatross file, comprising information relating to the Proclamation of Singapore dating back six decades ago. Read more
- 2024 — Damascus falls to rebels after Syrian troops withdraw and president Bashar al-Assad leaves the country as his government collapses. Israel as a result invaded into the buffer zone between Syria and the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. Read more
- 2019 — First confirmed case of COVID-19 in China. Read more
- 2013 — Riots break out in Singapore, after a fatal accident in Little India. Read more
- 2013 — Metallica performs a show in Antarctica, making them the first musical act to perform on all seven continents. Read more
- 2010 — With the second launch of the Falcon 9, and the first launch of the Dragon, SpaceX becomes the first private company to successfully launch, orbit and recover a spacecraft. Read more
- 2010 — The Japanese solar-sail spacecraft IKAROS passes the planet Venus at a distance of about 80,800 km (50,200 mi). Read more
- 2009 — Bombings in Baghdad, Iraq kill 127 people and injure 448 others. Read more
- 2004 — The Cusco Declaration is signed in Cusco, Peru, establishing the South American Community of Nations. Read more
- 2004 — Columbus nightclub shooting: Nathan Gale opens fire at the Alrosa Villa nightclub in Columbus, Ohio, killing former Pantera guitarist Dimebag Darrell and three others before being shot dead by a police officer. Read more
- 2001 — A raid conducted by the Internal Security Department (ISD) of Singapore foils a Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) plot to bomb foreign embassies in Singapore. Read more
- 1998 — Eighty-one people are killed by armed groups in Algeria. Read more
- 1991 — The leaders of Russia, Belarus and Ukraine sign an agreement dissolving the Soviet Union and establishing the Commonwealth of Independent States. Read more
- 1988 — A United States Air Force A-10 Thunderbolt II crashes into an apartment complex in Remscheid, Germany, killing five people and injuring 50 others. Read more
- 1987 — Cold War: The Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty is signed by U.S. President Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev in the White House. Read more
- 1987 — An Israeli army tank transporter kills four Palestinian refugees and injures seven others during a traffic accident at the Erez Crossing on the Israel–Gaza Strip border, which has been cited as one of the events which sparked the First Intifada. Read more
- 1985 — The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation, the regional intergovernmental organization and geopolitical union in South Asia, is established. Read more
- 1980 — John Lennon is murdered by Mark David Chapman in front of The Dakota in New York City. Read more
- 1974 — A plebiscite results in the abolition of monarchy in Greece. Read more
- 1972 — United Airlines Flight 553, a Boeing 737, crashes after aborting its landing attempt at Chicago Midway International Airport, killing 45. This is the first-ever loss of a Boeing 737. Read more
- 1971 — Indo-Pakistani War: The Indian Navy launches an attack on West Pakistan's port city of Karachi. Read more
- 1969 — Olympic Airways Flight 954 strikes a mountain outside of Keratea, Greece, killing 90 people in the worst crash of a Douglas DC-6 in history. Read more
- 1966 — The Greek ship SS Heraklion sinks in a storm in the Aegean Sea, killing over 200. Read more
- 1963 — Pan Am Flight 214, a Boeing 707, is struck by lightning and crashes near Elkton, Maryland, killing all 81 people on board. Read more
- 1962 — Workers at four New York City newspapers (this later increases to nine) go on strike for 114 days. Read more
- 1955 — The Flag of Europe is adopted by Council of Europe. Read more
- 1953 — U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower delivers his "Atoms for Peace" speech, which leads to an American program to supply equipment and information on nuclear power to schools, hospitals, and research institutions around the world. Read more
- 1943 — World War II: The German 117th Jäger Division destroys the monastery of Mega Spilaio in Greece and executes 22 monks and visitors as part of reprisals that culminated a few days later with the Massacre of Kalavryta. Read more
- 1941 — World War II: U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt declares December 7 to be "a date which will live in infamy", after which the U.S. declares war on Japan. Read more
- 1941 — World War II: Japanese forces simultaneously invade Shanghai International Settlement, Malaya, Thailand, Hong Kong, the Philippines, and the Dutch East Indies. (See December 7 for the concurrent attack on Pearl Harbor in the Western Hemisphere.) Read more
- 1933 — Anarchist insurrection breaks out in Zaragoza, Spain. Read more
- 1922 — Two days after coming into existence, the Irish Free State executes four leaders of the Irish Republican Army: Dick Barrett, Joe McKelvey, Liam Mellows and Rory O'Connor. Read more
- 1914 — World War I: A squadron of Britain's Royal Navy defeats the Imperial German East Asia Squadron in the Battle of the Falkland Islands in the South Atlantic. Read more
- 1912 — Leaders of the German Empire hold an Imperial War Council to discuss the possibility that war might break out. Read more
- 1907 — King Gustaf V of Sweden accedes to the Swedish throne. Read more
- 1864 — Pope Pius IX promulgates the encyclical Quanta cura and its appendix, the Syllabus of Errors, outlining the authority of the Catholic Church and condemning various liberal ideas. Read more
- 1863 — Between two and three thousand churchgoers die in the Church of the Company Fire, possibly the largest single building fire by number of victims in modern history. Read more
- 1854 — In his Apostolic constitution Ineffabilis Deus, Pope Pius IX proclaims the dogmatic definition of Immaculate Conception, which holds that the Blessed Virgin Mary was conceived free of Original Sin. Read more
- 1851 — Conservative Santiago-based government troops defeat rebels at the Battle of Loncomilla, signaling the end of the 1851 Chilean Revolution. Read more
- 1660 — A woman (either Margaret Hughes or Anne Marshall) appears on an English public stage for the first time, in the role of Desdemona in a production of Shakespeare's play Othello. Read more
- 1504 — Ahmad ibn Abi Jum'ah writes his Oran fatwa, arguing for the relaxation of Islamic law requirements for the forcibly converted Muslims in Spain. Read more
- 877 — Louis the Stammerer (son of Charles the Bald) is crowned king of the West Frankish Kingdom at Compiègne. Read more
- 757 — The poet Du Fu returns to Chang'an as a member of Emperor Xuanzong's court, after having escaped the city during the An Lushan Rebellion. Read more
- 395 — Later Yan is defeated by its former vassal Northern Wei at the Battle of Canhe Slope. Read more
Born on December 8
- 2004 — Billie Starkz, American professional wrestler Read more
- 2004 — Momoe Mori, Japanese entertainer Read more
- 2002 — Sunghoon, South Korean singer Read more
- 2001 — Josh Christopher, American basketball player Read more
- 2000 — DeMario Douglas, American football player Read more
- 2000 — Bayron Matos, Dominican American football player Read more
- 2000 — Andy Pages, Cuban baseball player Read more
- 1999 — Reece James, English footballer Read more
- 1999 — Tyrus Wheat, American football player Read more
- 1998 — Josh Dunne, American ice hockey player Read more
- 1998 — Owen Teague, American actor Read more
- 1997 — Hakeem Adeniji, American football player Read more
- 1997 — Sam Hauser, American basketball player Read more
- 1996 — Scott McTominay, Scottish footballer Read more
- 1995 — Thatcher Demko, American ice hockey player Read more
- 1994 — Cyriel Dessers, Belgian-Nigerian footballer Read more
- 1994 — Conseslus Kipruto, Kenyan runner Read more
- 1994 — Raheem Sterling, English footballer Read more
- 1993 — Janari Jõesaar, Estonian basketball player Read more
- 1993 — Cara Mund, American model, Miss America 2018 Read more
- 1993 — Jordan Obita, English footballer Read more
- 1993 — AnnaSophia Robb, American actress Read more
- 1992 — Mattias Janmark, Swedish ice hockey player Read more
- 1992 — Yui Yokoyama, Japanese idol, model, and actress Read more
- 1991 — Philip Holm, Swedish ice hockey player Read more
- 1989 — Drew Doughty, Canadian ice hockey player Read more
- 1989 — Jen Ledger, English musician and singer Read more
- 1989 — Andrew Nicholson, Canadian basketball player Read more
- 1989 — Jesse Sene-Lefao, New Zealand rugby league player Read more
- 1986 — Enzo Amore, American wrestler and rapper Read more
- 1986 — Amir Khan, English boxer Read more
- 1986 — Sam Tagataese, New Zealand-Samoan rugby league player Read more
- 1986 — Kate Voegele, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and actress Read more
- 1985 — Josh Donaldson, American baseball player Read more
- 1985 — Meagan Duhamel, Canadian figure skater Read more
- 1985 — Dwight Howard, American basketball player Read more
- 1985 — Oleksiy Pecherov, Ukrainian basketball player Read more
- 1984 — Emma Green Tregaro, Swedish high jumper Read more
- 1984 — Greg Halford, English footballer Read more
- 1984 — Sam Hunt, American singer-songwriter Read more
Died on December 8
- 2024 — Jill Jacobson, American actress (born 1954) Read more
- 2024 — Clarke Reed, American businessman and politician (born 1928) Read more
- 2023 — Ryan O'Neal, American actor (born 1941) Read more
- 2021 — Robbie Shakespeare, Jamaican bass guitarist and record producer (born 1953) Read more
- 2019 — René Auberjonois, American actor (born 1940) Read more
- 2019 — Juice Wrld, American rapper, singer and songwriter (born 1998) Read more
- 2019 — Caroll Spinney, American puppeteer and actor (born 1933) Read more
- 2018 — David Weatherall, English physician, geneticist, and academic (born 1933) Read more
- 2016 — John Glenn, American astronaut and senator, first American to go into orbit (born 1921) Read more
- 2015 — Mattiwilda Dobbs, American soprano and actress (born 1925) Read more
- 2015 — Alan Hodgkinson, English footballer and coach (born 1936) Read more
- 2015 — Douglas Tompkins, American businessman, co-founded The North Face and Esprit Holdings (born 1943) Read more
- 2015 — John Trudell, American author, poet, and actor (born 1946) Read more
- 2015 — Elsie Tu, English-Hong Kong educator and politician (born 1913) Read more
- 2014 — Tom Gosnell, Canadian lawyer and politician (born 1951) Read more
- 2014 — Russ Kemmerer, American baseball player and coach (born 1930) Read more
- 2014 — Knut Nystedt, Norwegian organist and composer (born 1915) Read more
- 2013 — John Cornforth, Australian-English chemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (born 1917) Read more
- 2013 — Sándor Szokolay, Hungarian composer and academic (born 1931) Read more
- 2013 — Richard S. Williamson, American lawyer and diplomat (born 1949) Read more
- 2012 — Jerry Brown, American football player (born 1987) Read more
- 2012 — John Gowans, Scottish-English 16th General of The Salvation Army (born 1934) Read more
- 2012 — Johnny Lira, American boxer (born 1951) Read more
- 2009 — Luis Días, Dominican singer-songwriter and guitarist (born 1952) Read more
- 2008 — Oliver Postgate, English voice actor, director, producer, and screenwriter (born 1925) Read more
- 2008 — Robert Prosky, American actor (born 1930) Read more
- 2007 — Gerardo García Pimentel, Mexican journalist (born 1983) Read more
- 2006 — Martha Tilton, American singer (born 1915) Read more
- 2006 — José Uribe, Dominican baseball player (born 1959) Read more
- 2005 — Rose Heilbron, British barrister and judge (born 1914) Read more
- 2004 — Dimebag Darrell, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (born 1966) Read more
- 2003 — Rubén González, Cuban pianist (born 1919) Read more
- 2003 — Pekka Siitoin, Finnish neo-Nazi and Satanist (b. 1944) Read more
- 2001 — Mirza Delibašić, Bosnian basketball player and coach (born 1954) Read more
- 2001 — Betty Holberton, American computer scientist and programmer (born 1917) Read more
- 1999 — Péter Kuczka, Hungarian poet and author (born 1923) Read more
- 1997 — Bob Bell, American clown and actor (born 1922) Read more
- 1996 — Howard Rollins, American actor (born 1950) Read more
- 1996 — Kashiwado Tsuyoshi, Japanese sumo wrestler, the 47th Yokozuna (born 1938) Read more
- 1994 — Antônio Carlos Jobim, Brazilian singer-songwriter and pianist (born 1927) Read more
Holidays & observances
Battle Day (Falkland Islands); Bodhi Day (Japan); CARICOM–Cuba Day (Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and Cuba); Christian feast day:
Budoc (Beuzec) of Dol; Christian feast day:
Clement of Ohrid (Julian Calendar), and its related observances:
Student's Day (Bulgaria); Christian feast day:
Eucharius; Christian feast day:
Feast of the Immaculate Conception (public holiday in several countries, a holy day of obligation in others), and its related observances:
Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Anglican Communion), lesser commemoration; Christian feast day:
Feast of the Immaculate Conception (public holiday in several countries, a holy day of obligation in others), and its related observances:
Festa da Conceição da Praia, celebrating Yemanjá, Queen of the Ocean in Umbanda (Salvador, Bahia); Christian feast day:
Feast of the Immaculate Conception (public holiday in several countries, a holy day of obligation in others), and its related observances:
Festival of Lights (Lyon); Christian feast day:
Feast of the Immaculate Conception (public holiday in several countries, a holy day of obligation in others), and its related observances:
Mother's Day (Panama); Christian feast day:
Feast of the Immaculate Conception (public holiday in several countries, a holy day of obligation in others), and its related observances:
Lady of Camarin Day (Guam); Christian feast day:
Patapios of Thebes; Christian feast day:
Pope Eutychian; Christian feast day:
Richard Baxter (US Episcopal Church); Christian feast day:
Romaric; Christian feast day:
Theobald of Marly; Christian feast day:
December 8 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics); Constitution Day (Romania); Constitution Day (Uzbekistan); Liberation Day (Syria); Day of Finnish Music (Finland); Earliest day on which National Tree Planting Day can fall, while December 14 is the latest; celebrated on the second Monday in December. (Malawi); Hari-Kuyō (Kansai region, Japan); National Youth Day (Albania); Nations, Nationalities and Peoples' Day (Ethiopia)
Events, births and deaths from Wikipedia contributors, “December 8”, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Lists are selections; the full record lives at the source.