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On This Day in History — February 8
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Highlights of February 8
- 1983 — The Irish-bred race horse Shergar was stolen by gunmen, who demanded a £2 million ransom. Read more
- 1981 — Rhodesian Bush War: Zimbabwe African National Liberation Army cadres in Gwelo attacked Zimbabwe People's Revolutionary Army troops, killing over 60 of them and starting the 1981 Entumbane uprising. Read more
- 1979 — Denis Sassou Nguesso (pictured) was chosen as the new President of the Republic of the Congo after Joachim Yhombi-Opango was forced from power. Read more
- 1968 — Law enforcement officers in Orangeburg, South Carolina (pictured), fired into a crowd of college students who were protesting segregation, killing three and injuring twenty-seven others. Read more
- 1965 — After taking evasive action to avoid a mid-air collision just after taking off from New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport, Eastern Air Lines Flight 663 crashed into the Atlantic Ocean, killing all 84 people on board. Read more
- 1960 — The official groundbreaking of the Walk of Fame took place in Hollywood, Los Angeles, in California. Read more
- 1948 — The closing ceremony of the first Olympics held after World War II was held in St. Moritz, Switzerland. Read more
- 1924 — Gee Jon became the first person in the United States to be executed by lethal gas. Read more
- 1910 — William D. Boyce established the Boy Scouts of America, expanding the Scout Movement into the United States. Read more
- 1879 — Angered by a controversial umpiring decision, cricket spectators rioted and attacked the England team during a match in Sydney, Australia. Read more
- 1837 — Richard Mentor Johnson became the only person ever to be elected Vice President of the United States by the Senate. Read more
- 1693 — The William III and Mary II of England charter the College of William & Mary, establishing what is now the second-oldest university in the United States. Read more
- 1587 — Mary, Queen of Scots, was executed at Fotheringhay Castle for her involvement in the Babington Plot to murder her cousin, Elizabeth I of England. Read more
- 1575 — William of Orange founded Leiden University, the oldest university in the Netherlands. Read more
- 1250 — Seventh Crusade: The Ayyubid Sultanate of Egypt defeated and captured King Louis IX of France at the Battle of Fariskur. Read more
- 421 — Honorius declared Constantius III to be his co-emperor of the Western Roman Empire. Read more
Events
- 2023 — Two children are killed and six others are injured when a bus crashes into a daycare centre in Laval, Quebec, Canada. The driver is arrested and charged with homicide and dangerous driving. Read more
- 2020 — A soldier opens fire in a military camp and a shopping center in Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand, killing 29 people and injuring 58 others before being shot dead by police the next day. It is considered the deadliest mass shooting in the country's history. Read more
- 2014 — A hotel fire in Medina, Saudi Arabia, kills 15 Egyptian pilgrims with 130 others injured. Read more
- 2013 — A blizzard kills at least 18 and leaves hundreds of thousands of people without electricity in the northeastern United States and parts of Canada. Read more
- 2010 — Over 2 miles (3.2 km) of road are buried after a storm in the Hindu Kush mountains of Afghanistan triggers a series of avalanches, killing at least 172 people and trapping over 2,000 others. Read more
- 1993 — An Iran Air Tours Tupolev Tu-154 and an Iranian Air Force Sukhoi Su-24 collide mid-air near Qods, Iran, killing all 133 people on board both aircraft. Read more
- 1989 — Independent Air Flight 1851 strikes Pico Alto mountain while on approach to Santa Maria Airport in the Azores, killing all 144 passengers on board. Read more
- 1986 — Twenty-three people are killed when a VIA Rail passenger train collides with a Canadian National freight train near the town of Hinton, Alberta, making it one of the worst rail accidents in Canada. Read more
- 1983 — A dust storm hits Melbourne, resulting in the worst drought on record and severe weather conditions in the city. Read more
- 1974 — The crew of Skylab 4, the last mission to visit the American space station Skylab, returns to Earth after 84 days in space. Read more
- 1971 — South Vietnamese ground troops launch an incursion into Laos to try to cut off the Ho Chi Minh trail and stop communist infiltration into the country. Read more
- 1968 — American civil rights movement: An attack on Black students from South Carolina State University who are protesting racial segregation leaves three dead and 28 injured in Orangeburg, South Carolina. Read more
- 1965 — Eastern Air Lines Flight 663 crashes into the Atlantic Ocean and explodes, killing all 84 people on board. Read more
- 1963 — The regime of Prime Minister of Iraq Abd al-Karim Qasim is overthrown by the Ba'ath Party. Read more
- 1962 — Nine protestors are killed at Charonne station, Paris, by French police under the command of ex-Vichy official and Parisian Prefect of Police Maurice Papon. Read more
- 1960 — Queen Elizabeth II issues an Order-in-Council, proclaiming the House of Windsor and declaring that her descendants will take the name Mountbatten-Windsor. Read more
- 1950 — The Stasi, the secret police of East Germany, is established. Read more
- 1946 — The People's Republic of Korea is dissolved in the North and replaced by the communist-controlled Provisional People's Committee of North Korea. Read more
- 1945 — World War II: British and Canadian forces commence Operation Veritable to occupy land between the Maas and Rhine rivers. Read more
- 1945 — World War II: Mikhail Devyataev escapes with nine other Soviet POWs from a Nazi concentration camp in Peenemünde, Usedom. Read more
- 1942 — World War II: Japan invades Singapore. Read more
- 1937 — Spanish Civil War: Republican forces establish the Interprovincial Council of Santander, Palencia and Burgos in Cantabria. Read more
- 1924 — The first state execution in the United States by gas chamber takes place in Nevada. Read more
- 1910 — The Boy Scouts of America is incorporated by William D. Boyce. Read more
- 1904 — Japanese forces launch a surprise attack against Russian-controlled Port Arthur, marking the start of the Russo-Japanese war. Read more
- 1904 — The Dutch Colonial Army's Marechaussee regiment led by General G.C.E. van Daalen launch a military campaign in the Dutch East Indies' Northern Sumatra region, leading to the deaths of thousands of civilians. Read more
- 1887 — The Dawes Act is enacted, authorizing the U.S. President to divide Native American tribal land into individual allotments. Read more
- 1885 — The first Japanese immigrants arrive in Hawaii. Read more
- 1879 — Sandford Fleming first proposes the adoption of Universal Standard Time at a meeting of the Royal Canadian Institute. Read more
- 1879 — England's cricket team, led by Lord Harris, is attacked in a riot during a match in Sydney. Read more
- 1865 — Delaware refuses to ratify the Thirteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, delaying the criminalization of slavery until the amendment's national adoption on December 6, 1865. The amendment is ultimately ratified by Delaware on February 12, 1901, the 92nd anniversary of Abraham Lincoln's birth. Read more
- 1837 — Richard Johnson becomes the first and only Vice President of the United States chosen by the Senate. Read more
- 1817 — An army led by Grand Marshal Las Heras crosses the Andes to join San Martín in the liberation of Chile from Spain. Read more
- 1807 — Napoleon defeats the coalition forces of Russian General Bennigsen and Prussian General L'Estocq at the Battle of Eylau. Read more
- 1693 — The College of William & Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia, the second-oldest institution of higher education in the Thirteen Colonies, is granted a charter by King William III and Queen Mary II. Read more
- 1601 — Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex, unsuccessfully rebels against Queen Elizabeth I. Read more
- 1587 — Mary, Queen of Scots is executed on suspicion of having been involved in the Babington Plot to murder her cousin, Queen Elizabeth I. Read more
- 1347 — The Byzantine civil war of 1341–47 ends with a power-sharing agreement between John VI Kantakouzenos and John V Palaiologos. Read more
- 1250 — Seventh Crusade: Crusaders engage Ayyubid forces in the Battle of Al Mansurah. Read more
- 1238 — The Mongols burn the Russian city of Vladimir. Read more
- 421 — Constantius III becomes co-emperor of the Western Roman Empire. Read more
Born on February 8
- 2001 — I.N, South Korean singer Read more
- 1999 — Alessia Russo, English footballer Read more
- 1998 — Rui Hachimura, Japanese basketball player Read more
- 1997 — Kathryn Newton, American actress Read more
- 1996 — Kenedy, Brazilian footballer Read more
- 1996 — Leighton Vander Esch, American football player Read more
- 1995 — Gabriel Deck, Argentine basketball player Read more
- 1995 — Joshua Kimmich, German footballer Read more
- 1994 — Hakan Çalhanoğlu, Turkish footballer Read more
- 1994 — Nikki Yanofsky, Canadian singer-songwriter Read more
- 1992 — Bruno Martins Indi, Portuguese-Dutch footballer Read more
- 1991 — Nam Woo-hyun, South Korean singer Read more
- 1990 — Bethany Hamilton, American surfer Read more
- 1990 — Klay Thompson, American basketball player Read more
- 1989 — Zac Guildford, New Zealand rugby player Read more
- 1989 — JaJuan Johnson, American basketball player Read more
- 1989 — Julio Jones, American football player Read more
- 1989 — Brendan Smith, Canadian ice hockey player Read more
- 1989 — Courtney Vandersloot, American-Hungarian basketball player Read more
- 1988 — Keegan Meth, Zimbabwean cricketer Read more
- 1987 — Javi García, Spanish footballer Read more
- 1987 — Carolina Kostner, Italian figure skater Read more
- 1986 — Anderson .Paak, American singer, songwriter, rapper, and record producer Read more
- 1985 — Petra Cetkovská, Czech tennis player Read more
- 1985 — Jeremy Davis, American bass player and songwriter Read more
- 1985 — Félix Pie, Dominican baseball player Read more
- 1985 — Brian Randle, American basketball player and coach Read more
- 1984 — Sean Bergenheim, Finnish ice hockey player Read more
- 1984 — Cecily Strong, American actress Read more
- 1984 — Panagiotis Vasilopoulos, Greek basketball player Read more
- 1983 — Jermaine Anderson, Canadian basketball player Read more
- 1983 — Cory Jane, New Zealand rugby player Read more
- 1981 — Steve Gohouri, Ivorian footballer (died 2015) Read more
- 1981 — Myriam Montemayor Cruz, Mexican singer Read more
- 1981 — Jim Parrack, American actor Read more
- 1980 — William Jackson Harper, American actor Read more
- 1979 — Aaron Cook, American baseball player Read more
- 1978 — Ranveer Brar, Indian chef, author, restauranteur, and television personality Read more
- 1978 — Mick de Brenni, Australian politician Read more
- 1977 — Dave Farrell, American musician and songwriter Read more
Died on February 8
- 2025 — Dick Jauron, American football player and coach (born 1950) Read more
- 2025 — Sam Nujoma, Namibian politician, 1st President of Namibia (born 1929) Read more
- 2025 — Gyalo Thondup, Brother of the 14th Dalai Lama (born 1928) Read more
- 2023 — Arto Heiskanen, Finnish professional hockey player (born 1963) Read more
- 2021 — Marty Schottenheimer, American football player and coach (born 1943) Read more
- 2021 — Mary Wilson, American singer (born 1944) Read more
- 2020 — Robert Conrad, American actor (born 1935) Read more
- 2017 — Peter Mansfield, English physicist, Nobel laureate (born 1933) Read more
- 2017 — Rina Matsuno, Japanese idol singer (born 1998) Read more
- 2017 — Alan Simpson, English scriptwriter (born 1929) Read more
- 2016 — Amelia Bence, Argentine actress (born 1914) Read more
- 2016 — Nida Fazli, Indian poet and songwriter (born 1938) Read more
- 2016 — Margaret Forster, English historian, author, and critic (born 1938) Read more
- 2016 — Violette Verdy, French ballerina (born 1933) Read more
- 2015 — Rauni-Leena Luukanen-Kilde, Finnish physician and parapsychologist (born 1939) Read more
- 2014 — Els Borst, Dutch physician and politician, Deputy Prime Minister of the Netherlands (born 1932) Read more
- 2014 — Maicon Pereira de Oliveira, Brazilian footballer (born 1988) Read more
- 2014 — Nancy Holt, American sculptor and painter (born 1938) Read more
- 2013 — Giovanni Cheli, Italian cardinal (born 1918) Read more
- 2013 — James DePreist, American conductor and educator (born 1936) Read more
- 2013 — Maureen Dragone, American journalist and author (born 1920) Read more
- 2013 — Nevin Scrimshaw, American scientist (born 1918) Read more
- 2012 — Wando, Brazilian singer-songwriter (born 1945) Read more
- 2012 — Luis Alberto Spinetta, Argentinian singer-songwriter (born 1950) Read more
- 2011 — Tony Malinosky, American baseball player and soldier (born 1909) Read more
- 2010 — John Murtha, American colonel and politician (born 1932) Read more
- 2008 — Ruby Garrard Woodson, American educator and cultural historian (born 1931) Read more
- 2007 — Anna Nicole Smith, American model and actress (born 1967) Read more
- 2007 — Ian Stevenson, Canadian-American psychiatrist and academic (born 1918) Read more
- 2006 — Elton Dean, English saxophonist, songwriter, and producer (born 1945) Read more
- 2006 — Thierry Fortineau, French actor (born 1953) Read more
- 2006 — Akira Ifukube, Japanese composer (born 1914) Read more
- 2005 — A. Chandranehru, Sri Lankan sailor and politician (born 1944) Read more
- 2004 — Julius Schwartz, American journalist and author (born 1915) Read more
- 2002 — Ong Teng Cheong, Singaporean architect and politician, 5th President of Singapore (born 1936) Read more
- 2001 — Ivo Caprino, Norwegian director and screenwriter (born 1920) Read more
- 2000 — Sid Abel, Canadian-American ice hockey player, coach, and sportscaster (born 1918) Read more
- 2000 — Derrick Thomas, American football player (born 1967) Read more
- 1999 — Iris Murdoch, Irish-born British novelist and philosopher (born 1919) Read more
- 1998 — Halldór Laxness, Icelandic author, poet, and playwright, Nobel Prize laureate (born 1902) Read more
Holidays & observances
Christian feast day:
Cuthmann of Steyning; Christian feast day:
Elffled of Whitby; Christian feast day:
Elisabetta Martinez; Christian feast day:
Gerolamo Emiliani; Christian feast day:
Josephine Bakhita; Christian feast day:
Juventius of Pavia; Christian feast day:
Mengold of Huy; Christian feast day:
Stephen of Muret; Christian feast day:
February 8 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics); Parinirvana Day (some Mahayana Buddhism traditions; most celebrate on February 15); Prešeren Day (Slovenia); Propose Day (India); Military Foundation Day (North Korea)
Events, births and deaths from Wikipedia contributors, “February 8”, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Lists are selections; the full record lives at the source.