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On This Day in History — March 8
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Highlights of March 8
- 2017 — The Azure Window, a limestone natural arch in Gozo, Malta, collapsed during a stor Read more
- 2014 — Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 disappeared en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing with 239 people on board, with aircraft debris subsequently washing ashore a few years later in the Indian Ocean. Read more
- 1983 — Cold War: In a speech to the National Association of Evangelicals in Orlando, Florida, U.S. president Ronald Reagan described the Soviet Union as an "evil empire". Read more
- 1979 — Images taken by Voyager 1 proved the existence of volcanoes on Io (pictured), a moon of Jupiter. Read more
- 1978 — BBC Radio 4 began broadcasting Douglas Adams's The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, a science fiction radio series that was later adapted into novels, a television series, and other formats. Read more
- 1966 — Nelson's Pillar, a large granite pillar topped by a statue of Lord Nelson in Dublin, Ireland, was severely damaged by a bomb. Read more
- 1963 — The Ba'ath Party came to power in a coup d'état by a clique of quasi-leftist Syrian Army officers calling themselves the National Council for the Revolutionary Command. Read more
- 1924 — Three violent explosions at a coal mine near Castle Gate, Utah, killed all 171 miners working there. Read more
- 1919 — During the Egyptian Revolution, British authorities arrested rebel leader Saad Zaghloul and exiled him to Malta. Read more
- 1910 — French aviator Raymonde de Laroche became the first woman to receive a pilot's licence. Read more
- 1736 — Nader Shah, the founder of the Afsharid dynasty, was crowned Shah of Iran. Read more
- 1702 — Anne (pictured) became the Queen of England, Scotland and Ireland, succeeding her brother-in-law William III. Read more
- 1658 — After a devastating defeat in the Second Northern War, King Frederick III of Denmark–Norway was forced to give up nearly half his Danish territory to Sweden to save the remainder. Read more
- 1655 — The court of Northampton County, Virginia, issued a ruling that made John Casor the first person of African descent in the Thirteen Colonies to be declared a slave for life as a result of a civil suit. Read more
- 1576 — A Spanish colonial officer wrote a letter to King Philip II containing the first known mention of the Maya ruins of Copán in present-day Honduras. Read more
Events
- 2021 — International Women's Day marches in Mexico become violent with 62 police officers and 19 civilians injured in Mexico City alone. Read more
- 2021 — Twenty-eight political institutions in Myanmar establish the National Unity Consultative Council, a historic alliance of ethnic armed organizations and democratically elected leaders, in response to the 2021 Myanmar coup d'état. Read more
- 2018 — The first Aurat March (social/political demonstration) is held on International Women's Day in Karachi, Pakistan, since then held annually across Pakistan, and the feminist slogan "Mera Jism Meri Marzi" (My body, my choice), in demand for women's right to bodily autonomy and against gender-based violence, came into vogue in Pakistan. Read more
- 2017 — The Azure Window, a natural arch on the Maltese island of Gozo, collapses in stormy weather. Read more
- 2014 — In one of aviation's greatest mysteries, Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, carrying a total of 239 people, disappears en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing. The fate of the flight remains unknown. Read more
- 2010 — Headlined by Hulk Hogan and Ric Flair, TNA Wrestling moves its flagship program, TNA Impact!, to Monday night. This effort to go "big time live" failed but is notable in the history of professional wrestling television. Read more
- 2004 — A new constitution is signed by Iraq's Governing Council. Read more
- 2001 — Space Shuttle Discovery launches on STS-102, carrying the Expedition 2 crew to the International Space Station. Read more
- 1994 — A collision at Indira Gandhi International Airport kills 9 people. Read more
- 1988 — Aeroflot Flight 3379 is hijacked by the Ovechkin family and diverted to Veshchevo in the Soviet Union. Read more
- 1985 — A supposed failed assassination attempt on Islamic cleric Sayyed Mohammad Hussein Fadlallah in Beirut, Lebanon kills 80 and injures 200 others. Read more
- 1983 — Cold War: While addressing a convention of Evangelicals, U.S. President Ronald Reagan labels the Soviet Union an "evil empire". Read more
- 1979 — Philips demonstrates the compact disc publicly for the first time. Read more
- 1979 — Images taken by Voyager 1 prove the existence of volcanoes on Io, a moon of Jupiter. Read more
- 1966 — Nelson's Pillar in Dublin, Ireland, is destroyed by a bomb. Read more
- 1965 — Vietnam War: US Marines arrive at Da Nang. Read more
- 1965 — Aeroflot Flight 513 crashes during takeoff from Kuybyshev Airport, killing 30 and injuring 9. Read more
- 1963 — The Ba'ath Party comes to power in Syria in a coup d'état. Read more
- 1962 — A Turkish Airlines Fokker F27 Friendship crashes into Mount Medetsiz in the Taurus Mountains of Turkey, killing all 11 people on board. Read more
- 1950 — The iconic Volkswagen Type 2 "Bus" begins production. Read more
- 1949 — President of France Vincent Auriol and ex-Vietnamese emperor Bảo Đại sign the Élysée Accords, giving Vietnam greater independence from France and creating the State of Vietnam to oppose Viet Minh-led Democratic Republic of Vietnam. Read more
- 1942 — World War II: The Dutch East Indies surrender Java to the Imperial Japanese Army. Read more
- 1942 — World War II: Imperial Japanese Army forces capture Rangoon, Burma from the British. Read more
- 1937 — Spanish Civil War: The Battle of Guadalajara begins. Read more
- 1936 — Daytona Beach and Road Course holds its first oval stock car race. Read more
- 1924 — A mine disaster kills 172 coal miners near Castle Gate, Utah. Read more
- 1921 — Spanish Prime Minister Eduardo Dato Iradier is assassinated while on his way home from the parliament building in Madrid. Read more
- 1917 — International Women's Day protests in Petrograd mark the beginning of the February Revolution (February 23 in the Julian calendar). Read more
- 1917 — The United States Senate votes to limit filibusters by adopting the cloture rule. Read more
- 1916 — World War I: A British force unsuccessfully attempts to relieve the siege of Kut (present-day Iraq) in the Battle of Dujaila. Read more
- 1910 — French aviatrix Raymonde de Laroche becomes the first woman to receive a pilot's license. Read more
- 1868 — Sakai incident: Japanese samurai kill 11 French sailors in the port of Sakai, Osaka. Read more
- 1844 — King Oscar I ascends to the thrones of Sweden and Norway. Read more
- 1844 — The Althing, the parliament of Iceland, is reopened after 45 years of closure. Read more
- 1801 — War of the Second Coalition: At the Battle of Abukir, a British force under Sir Ralph Abercromby lands in Egypt with the aim of ending the French campaign in Egypt and Syria. Read more
- 1782 — Gnadenhutten massacre: Ninety-six Native Americans in Gnadenhutten, Ohio, who had converted to Christianity, are killed by Pennsylvania militiamen in retaliation for raids carried out by other Indian tribes. Read more
- 1775 — An anonymous writer, thought by some to be Thomas Paine, publishes "African Slavery in America", the first article in the American colonies calling for the emancipation of slaves and the abolition of slavery. Read more
- 1736 — Nader Shah, founder of the Afsharid dynasty, is crowned Shah of Iran. Read more
- 1722 — The Safavid Empire of Iran is defeated by an army from Afghanistan at the Battle of Gulnabad. Read more
- 1702 — Queen Anne, the younger sister of Mary II, becomes Queen regnant of England, Scotland, and Ireland. Read more
- 1658 — Treaty of Roskilde: After a devastating defeat in the Northern Wars (1655–1661), Frederick III, the King of Denmark–Norway is forced to give up nearly half his territory to Sweden. Read more
- 1558 — The city of Pori (Swedish: Björneborg) is founded by Duke John on the shores of the Gulf of Bothnia. Read more
- 1262 — Battle of Hausbergen between bourgeois militias and the army of the bishop of Strasbourg. Read more
- 1126 — Following the death of his mother, queen Urraca of León, Alfonso VII is proclaimed king of León. Read more
- 1010 — Ferdowsi completes his epic poem Shahnameh. Read more
Born on March 8
- 2004 — Kit Connor, English actor Read more
- 2003 — Montana Jordan, American actor Read more
- 1999 — Nathan McSweeney, Australian cricketer Read more
- 1997 — Tijana Bošković, Serbian volleyball player Read more
- 1996 — Kyle Allen, American football player Read more
- 1995 — Marko Gudurić, Serbian basketball player Read more
- 1995 — Isaiah Whitehead, American basketball player Read more
- 1994 — Claire Emslie, Scottish footballer Read more
- 1993 — Rui Machida, Japanese basketball player Read more
- 1991 — Yoon Ji-sung, South Korean singer and actor Read more
- 1990 — Kristinia DeBarge, American singer-songwriter and actress Read more
- 1990 — Asier Illarramendi, Spanish footballer Read more
- 1990 — Brandon Kozun, American-Canadian ice hockey player Read more
- 1990 — Petra Kvitová, Czech tennis player Read more
- 1990 — Kevin Zeitler, American football player Read more
- 1989 — Robbie Hummel, American basketball player and sportscaster Read more
- 1988 — Benny Blanco, American record producer Read more
- 1988 — Tommy Pham, American baseball player Read more
- 1987 — Milana Vayntrub, Uzbekistani-American actress and comedian Read more
- 1987 — Jonathan Wright, Australian rugby league player Read more
- 1986 — Chad Gable, American wrestler Read more
- 1986 — Thomas Morstead, American football player Read more
- 1985 — Maria Ohisalo, Finnish politician and researcher Read more
- 1984 — Yoshihisa Hirano, Japanese baseball player Read more
- 1984 — Ross Taylor, New Zealand cricketer Read more
- 1984 — Sasha Vujačić, Slovenian basketball player Read more
- 1983 — André Santos, Brazilian footballer Read more
- 1983 — Mark Worrell, American baseball player Read more
- 1982 — Erik Ersberg, Swedish ice hockey player Read more
- 1982 — Leonidas Kampantais, Greek footballer Read more
- 1982 — Keemstar, American YouTuber Read more
- 1982 — Kat Von D, American tattoo artist and model Read more
- 1979 — Tom Chaplin, English singer-songwriter and musician Read more
- 1978 — Nick Zano, American actor Read more
- 1977 — James Van Der Beek, American actor (died 2026) Read more
- 1977 — Johann Vogel, Swiss footballer Read more
- 1976 — Chris Clark, American ice hockey player Read more
- 1976 — Juan Encarnación, Dominican baseball player Read more
- 1976 — Freddie Prinze Jr., American actor, producer, and screenwriter Read more
- 1976 — Hines Ward, Korean-American football player Read more
Died on March 8
- 2025 — Athol Fugard, South African actor, director, and playwright (born 1932) Read more
- 2020 — Max von Sydow, Swedish actor (born 1929) Read more
- 2019 — Marshall Brodien, American actor (born 1934) Read more
- 2019 — Cedrick Hardman, American football player and actor (born 1948) Read more
- 2018 — Kate Wilhelm, American author (born 1928) Read more
- 2016 — George Martin, English composer, conductor, and producer (born 1926) Read more
- 2015 — Sam Simon, American director, producer, and screenwriter (born 1955) Read more
- 2014 — Leo Bretholz, Austrian-American Holocaust survivor and author (born 1921) Read more
- 2014 — William Guarnere, American sergeant (born 1923) Read more
- 2013 — John O'Connell, Irish politician, Irish Minister of Health (born 1927) Read more
- 2013 — Ewald-Heinrich von Kleist-Schmenzin, German soldier and publisher (born 1922) Read more
- 2012 — Simin Daneshvar, Iranian author and academic (born 1921) Read more
- 2009 — Hank Locklin, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (born 1918) Read more
- 2007 — John Inman, English actor (born 1935) Read more
- 2007 — John Vukovich, American baseball player and coach (born 1947) Read more
- 2005 — César Lattes, Brazilian physicist and academic (born 1924) Read more
- 2005 — Aslan Maskhadov, Chechen commander and politician, President of the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria (born 1951) Read more
- 2004 — Muhammad Zaidan, Syrian militant, founded the Palestinian Liberation Front (born 1948) Read more
- 2003 — Adam Faith, English singer (born 1940) Read more
- 2003 — Karen Morley, American actress (born 1909) Read more
- 1999 — Adolfo Bioy Casares, Argentinian journalist and author (born 1914) Read more
- 1999 — Peggy Cass, American actress and comedian (born 1924) Read more
- 1999 — Joe DiMaggio, American baseball player and coach (born 1914) Read more
- 1998 — Ray Nitschke, American football player (born 1936) Read more
- 1996 — Jack Churchill, British colonel (born 1906) Read more
- 1993 — Billy Eckstine, American jazz singer (born 1914) Read more
- 1983 — Alan Lennox-Boyd, 1st Viscount Boyd of Merton, English lieutenant and politician (born 1904) Read more
- 1983 — William Walton, English composer (born 1902) Read more
- 1982 — Hatem Ali Jamadar, Bengali politician (born 1872) Read more
- 1975 — George Stevens, American director, producer, and screenwriter (born 1904) Read more
- 1973 — Ron "Pigpen" McKernan, American keyboard player and songwriter (born 1945) Read more
- 1971 — Harold Lloyd, American actor, director, and producer (born 1893) Read more
- 1961 — Thomas Beecham, English conductor and composer (born 1879) Read more
- 1957 — Othmar Schoeck, Swiss composer and conductor (born 1886) Read more
- 1948 — Hulusi Behçet, Turkish dermatologist and scientist (born 1889) Read more
- 1944 — Fredy Hirsch, German Jewish athlete who helped thousands of Jewish children in the Holocaust (born 1916) Read more
- 1943 — Cipto Mangunkusumo, Indonesian independence leader (born 1886) Read more
- 1942 — José Raúl Capablanca, Cuban chess player (born 1888) Read more
- 1941 — Sherwood Anderson, American novelist and short story writer (born 1876) Read more
- 1937 — Howie Morenz, Canadian ice hockey player (born 1902) Read more
Holidays & observances
Christian feast day:
Edward King (Church of England); Christian feast day:
Felix of Burgundy; Christian feast day:
John of God; Christian feast day:
Philemon the actor; Christian feast day:
March 8 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics); International Women's Day, and its related observances:
International Women's Collaboration Brew Day
Events, births and deaths from Wikipedia contributors, “March 8”, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Lists are selections; the full record lives at the source.