October 8

October 8 is the 281st day of the year (282nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. There are 84 days remaining until the end of the year.

Events

• 314 – Roman Emperor Licinius is defeated by his colleague Constantine I at the Battle of Cibalae, and loses his European territories.
• 451 – At Chalcedon, a city of Bithynia in Asia Minor, the first session of the Council of Chalcedon begins (ends on November 1).
• 1075 – Dmitar Zvonimir is crowned King of Croatia.
• 1200 – Isabella of Angoulême is crowned Queen consort of England.
• 1480 – Great standing on the Ugra river, a standoff between the forces of Akhmat Khan, Khan of the Great Horde, and the Grand Duke Ivan III of Russia, which results in the retreat of the Tataro-Mongols and the eventual disintegration of the Horde.
• 1573 – End of the Spanish siege of Alkmaar, the first Dutch victory in Eighty Years War.
• 1582 – Because of the implementation of the Gregorian calendar this day does not exist in this year in Italy, Poland, Portugal and Spain.
• 1600 – San Marino adopts its written constitution.
• 1806 – Napoleonic Wars: Forces of the British Empire lay siege to the port of Boulogne in France by using Congreve rockets, invented by Sir William Congreve.
• 1813 – The Treaty of Ried was signed between Bayern and Austria.
• 1821 – The government of general José de San Martín establishes the Peruvian Navy.
• 1829 – Rail transport: Stephenson's The Rocket wins The Rainhill Trials.
• 1856 – The Second Opium War between several western powers and China begins with the Arrow Incident on the Pearl River.
• 1860 – Telegraph line between Los Angeles and San Francisco opens.
• 1862 – American Civil War: Battle of Perryville – Union forces under General Don Carlos Buell halt the Confederate invasion of Kentucky by defeating troops led by General Braxton Bragg at Perryville, Kentucky.
• 1871 – Four major fires break out on the shores of Lake Michigan in Chicago, Peshtigo, Wisconsin, Holland, Michigan, and Manistee, Michigan including the Great Chicago Fire, and the much deadlier Peshtigo Fire.
• 1879 – War of the Pacific: the Chilean Navy defeats the Peruvian Navy in the Battle of Angamos, Peruvian Admiral Miguel Grau is killed in the encounter.
• 1895 – Eulmi incident- Queen Min of Joseon, the last empress of Korea, is assassinated and her corpse burnt by the Japanese in Gyeongbok Palace.
• 1912 – First Balkan War begins: Montenegro declares war against Turkey.
• 1918 – World War I: In the Argonne Forest in France, United States Corporal Alvin C. York leads an attack that kills 25 German soldiers and captures 132.
• 1925 – Cubana de Aviación founded.
• 1928 – Joseph Szigeti gives the first performance of Alfredo Casella's Violin Concerto.
• 1932 – The Indian Air Force is established.
• 1939 – World War II: Germany annexes Western Poland.
• 1941 – World War II: In their invasion of the Soviet Union, Germany reaches the Sea of Azov with the capture of Mariupol.
• 1944 – World War II: The Battle of Crucifix Hill occurs on Crucifix Hill just outside Aachen. Capt. Bobbie Brown receives a Medal of Honor for his heroics in this battle.
• 1952 – The Harrow and Wealdstone rail crash kills 112 people.
• 1956 – New York Yankees's Don Larsen pitched the only perfect game in a World Series; one of only 20 perfect games in MLB history.
• 1962 – Spiegel scandal: Der Spiegel publishes the article "Bedingt abwehrbereit" ("Conditionally prepared for defense") about a NATO manoeuver called "Fallex 62", which uncovered the sorry state of the Bundeswehr (Germany's army) facing the communist threat from the east at the time. The magazine is soon accused of treason.
• 1962 – Algeria joins the United Nations.
• 1967 – Guerrilla leader Che Guevara and his men are captured in Bolivia.
• 1968 – Vietnam War: Operation Sealords – United States and South Vietnamese forces launch a new operation in the Mekong Delta.
• 1969 – The opening rally of the Days of Rage occurs, organized by the Weather Underground in Chicago, Illinois.
• 1970 – Vietnam War: In Paris, a Communist delegation rejects US President Richard Nixon's October 7 peace proposal as "a maneuver to deceive world opinion".
• 1973 – Yom Kippur War: Gabi Amir's armored brigade attacks Egyptian occupied positions on the Israeli side of the Suez Canal, in hope of driving them away. The attack fails, and over 150 Israeli tanks are destroyed.
• 1974 – Franklin National Bank collapses due to fraud and mismanagement; at the time it is the largest bank failure in the history of the United States.
• 1978 – Australia's Ken Warby sets the current world water speed record of 317.60mph at Blowering Dam, Australia.
• 1982 – Poland bans Solidarity and all trade unions.
• 1990 – Israeli-Palestinian Conflict: In Jerusalem, Israeli police kill 17 Palestinians and wound over 100 near the Dome of the Rock mosque on the Temple Mount.
• 1998 – Oslo's Gardermoen airport opens after the close down of Fornebu airport.
• 2001 – A twin engine Cessna and Scandinavian Airlines System (SAS) jetliner collide in heavy fog during takeoff from Milan, Italy killing 118.
• 2001 – U.S. President George W. Bush announces the establishment of the Office of Homeland Security.

Births

• 1515 – Margaret Douglas, Countess of Lennox (d. 1578)
• 1676 – Benito Jerónimo Feijóo y Montenegro, Spanish scholar (d. 1764)
• 1713 – Yechezkel Landau, Polish rabbi and Talmudist (d. 1793)
• 1715 – Michel Benoist, French Jesuit missionary (d. 1774)
• 1720 – Jonathan Mayhew, American minister (d. 1766)
• 1747 – Jean-François Rewbell, French politician (d. 1807)
• 1765 – Harman Blennerhassett, Irish lawyer (d. 1831)
• 1789 – John Ruggles, American politician (d. 1874)
• 1789 – William John Swainson, English naturalist and artist (d. 1855)
• 1818 – John Henninger Reagan, American politician (d. 1905)
• 1834 – Walter Kittredge, American musician (d. 1905)
• 1847 – Rose Scott, Social Reformer (d. 1925)
• 1850 – Henri Louis le Chatelier, French chemist (d. 1936)
• 1863 – Edythe Chapman, American actress (d. 1948)
• 1864 – Ozias Leduc, Québécois painter (d. 1955)
• 1870 – Louis Vierne, French organist (d. 1937)
• 1876 – Frederick Montague, 1st Baron Amwell, British Labour politician (d. 1966)
• 1877 – Hans Heysen, German-born landscape artist (d. 1968)
• 1883 – Otto Heinrich Warburg, German physician, Nobel laureate (d. 1970)
• 1883 – Dick Burnett, American musician (d. 1977)
• 1884 – Walther von Reichenau, German military officer (d. 1942)
• 1887 – Huntley Gordon, Canadian actor (d. 1956)
• 1888 – Ernst Kretschmer, German psychiatrist (d. 1964)
• 1889 – C. E. Woolman, American airline founder (d. 1966)
• 1890 – Edward Rickenbacker, American pilot (d. 1973)
• 1890 – Philippe Thys, Belgian cyclist (d. 1971)
• 1895 – Juan Perón, President of Argentina (d. 1974)
• 1895 – Zog I, King of Albania (d. 1961)
• 1896 – Julien Duvivier, French film director (d. 1967)
• 1897 – Rouben Mamoulian, Armenian-American film director (d. 1987)
• 1901 – Eivind Groven, Norwegian composer (d. 1977)
• 1910 – Kirk Alyn, American actor (d. 1999)
• 1910 – Paulette Dubost, French actress
• 1910 – Gus Hall, American union organizer and head of the U.S. Communist Party (d. 2000)
• 1910 – Ray Lewis, Canadian runner (d. 2003)
• 1913 – Robert Gilruth, American aviation and space pioneer (d. 2000)
• 1917 – Billy Conn, American boxer (d. 1993)
• 1917 – Walter Lord, American author (d. 2002)
• 1917 – Danny Murtaugh, American baseball player (d. 1976)
• 1917 – Rodney Robert Porter, English biochemist, Nobel laureate (d. 1985)
• 1918 – Ron Randell, film character actor (d. 2005)
• 1918 – Jens Christian Skou, Danish chemist, Nobel laureate
• 1919 – Kiichi Miyazawa, 78th Prime Minister of Japan (d. 2007)
• 1920 – Frank Herbert, American writer (d. 1986)
• 1921 – Abraham Sarmiento, Filipino Supreme Court jurist
• 1922 – Nils Liedholm, Swedish footballer and coach (d. 2007)
• 1924 – Alphons Egli, member of the Swiss Federal Council
• 1924 – Thirunalloor Karunakaran, Indian poet (d.2006 )
• 1927 – Jim Elliot, American missionary (d. 1956)
• 1927 – César Milstein, Argentine scientist, Nobel laureate (d. 2002)
• 1928 – M. Russell Ballard, LDS apostle
• 1928 – Neil Harvey, Australian cricketer
• 1928 – Bill Maynard, British actor
• 1929 – Valdir Pereira, Brazilian footballer (d. 2001)
• 1930 – Tōru Takemitsu, Japanese composer (d. 1996)
• 1932 – Ray Reardon, Welsh snooker player
• 1936 – Rona Barrett, American gossip columnist
• 1938 – Walter Gretzky, father of Wayne Gretzky
• 1938 – Fred Stolle, Australian tennis player
• 1939 – Paul Hogan, Australian actor
• 1939 – Harvey Pekar, American author
• 1939 – Lynne Stewart, American civil liberties lawyer
• 1940 – Fred Cash, American singer (The Impressions)
• 1941 – Jesse Jackson, American clergyman and civil rights activist
• 1943 – Chevy Chase, American comedian and actor
• 1943 – R. L. Stine, American author
• 1944 – Susan Raye, American singer
• 1946 – Jean-Jacques Beineix, French film director
• 1946 – Dennis Kucinich, American politician
• 1947 – Emiel Puttemans, Belgian athlete
• 1948 – Benjamin Cheever, American novelist and editor
• 1948 – Claude Jade, French actress (d. 2006)
• 1948 – Pedro López, Colombian serial killer
• 1948 – Sarah Purcell, American television host
• 1948 – Johnny Ramone, American musician (The Ramones) (d. 2004)
• 1949 – Sigourney Weaver, American actress
• 1950 – Robert Kool Bell, American musician (Kool & the Gang)
• 1951 – Jack O'Connell, American politician
• 1952 – Jan Marijnissen, Dutch politician
• 1952 – Edward Zwick, American film director
• 1954 – Michael Dudikoff, American actor
• 1954 – Huub Rothengatter, Dutch racing driver
• 1955 – Bill Elliott, American racing driver
• 1955 – Lonnie Pitchford, American blues musician (d. 1998)
• 1955 – Darrell Hammond, American comedian (SNL)
• 1956 – Jeff Lahti, American baseball player
• 1956 – Stephanie Zimbalist, American actress
• 1957 – Antonio Cabrini, Italian footballer
• 1957 – Joe Castiglione, American college athletic director
• 1958 – Steve Coll, American journalist
• 1959 – Nick Bakay, American actor
• 1959 – Mike Morgan, American baseball player
• 1960 – Reed Hastings, American businessman and entrepreneur
• 1960 – Lorenzo Milá, Spanish newscaster
• 1960 – François Pérusse, Quebec humorist
• 1961 – Ted Kooshian, American jazz pianist
• 1962 – Bruno Thiry, Belgian rally driver
• 1964 – Igor Jijikine, Russian actor (Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull)
• 1964 – CeCe Winans, American singer
• 1965 – Peter Greene, American actor
• 1965 – Ardal O'Hanlon, Irish comedian and actor
• 1965 – C-Jay Ramone, American musician (The Ramones)
• 1965 – Matt Biondi, American swimmer
• 1966 – Art Barr, American wrestler (d. 1994)
• 1966 – Felipe Camiroaga, Chilean television presenter
• 1966 – Camille Coduri, British actress
• 1966 – Karyn Parsons, American actress
• 1967 – Yvonne Reyes, Venezuelan actress
• 1968 – Ali Benarbia, former Algerian footballer
• 1968 – Zvonimir Boban, Croatian footballer
• 1968 – Emily Procter, American actress
• 1968 – Leeroy Thornhill, British musician (The Prodigy)
• 1969 – Julia Ann, American pornographic actress
• 1969 – Jeremy Davies, American actor
• 1969 – Dylan Neal, Canadian actor
• 1970 – Matt Damon, American actor
• 1970 – Tetsuya Nomura, Japanese video-game designer
• 1970 – Soon-Yi Previn, Korean American actress
• 1971 – Monty Williams, American basketball player
• 1972 – Kim Myung Min, Korean actor
• 1972 – Stanislav Varga, Slovakian footballer
• 1974 – Martin Henderson, New Zealand actor
• 1974 – Fredrik Modin, Swedish ice hockey player
• 1974 – Koji Murofushi, Japanese hammer thrower
• 1974 – DJ Q-Ball, American musician (Bloodhound Gang)
• 1976 – Galo Blanco, Spanish tennis player
• 1976 – Renate Groenewold, Dutch speed skater
• 1977 – Anne-Caroline Chausson, French mountain-bike rider
• 1977 – Jamie Marchi, American Voice Actor
• 1977 – Erna Siikavirta, Finnish musician (Lordi)
• 1978 – Mick O'Driscoll, Irish rugby player
• 1978 – Antonino D'Agostino, Italian footballer
• 1979 – Paul Burchill, English wrestler
• 1979 – Kristanna Loken, American actress
• 1979 – Gregori Chad Petree, American musician (Shiny Toy Guns)
• 1980 – Nick Cannon, American actor
• 1980 – Mike Mizanin, American wrestler
• 1980 – Rajesh Sharma, Canadian Born Indian Politician
• 1981 – Ruby, Egyptian singer
• 1981 – Raffi Torres, Canadian ice hockey player
• 1983 – Mario Cassano, Italian footballer
• 1983 – Steve Cronin, American footballer
• 1983 – Michael Fraser, Scottish footballer
• 1983 – Travis Pastrana, American motor sports competitor
• 1983 – Abhishek Nayar, Indian Cricketer
• 1985 – Eiji Wentz, Japanese entertainer
• 1985 – Andrew Garcia, American singer
• 1986 – Louis Dodds, English footballer
• 1986 – Michele Sepe, Italian rugby player
• 1986 – Bruno Mars, American singer-songwriter
• 1987 – Aya Hirano, Japanese voice actress
• 1989 – Armand Traoré, French footballer
• 1993 – Angus T. Jones, American actor
• 1993 – Molly C. Quinn, American actress
• 1997 – Bella Thorne, American actress

Deaths

• 976 – Jelena of Zadar, Croatian queeen
• 1286 – John I of Dreux, Duke of Brittany (b. 1217)
• 1317 – Fushimi, Emperor of Japan (b. 1265)
• 1621 – Antoine de Montchrétien, French dramatist
• 1647 – Christian Sørensen Longomontanus, Danish astronomer (b. 1562)
• 1652 – John Greaves, English mathematician (b. 1602)
• 1656 – John George I, Elector of Saxony (b. 1585)
• 1659 – Jean de Quen, French Jesuit missionary
• 1735 – Yongzheng Emperor of China (b. 1678)
• 1754 – Henry Fielding, English author (b. 1707)
• 1772 – Jean Joseph de Mondonville, French composer (b. 1711)
• 1793 – John Hancock, American revolutionary (b. 1737)
• 1795 – Andrew Kippis, English non-conformist clergyman (b. 1725)
• 1804 – Thomas Cochran (judge), Canadian judge (b. 1777)
• 1809 – James Elphinston, Scottish philologist (b. 1721)
• 1834 – François-Adrien Boïeldieu, French composer (b. 1775)
• 1869 – Franklin Pierce, 14th President of the United States (b. 1804)
• 1879 – Miguel Grau Seminario, Peruvian Admiral (b. 1834)
• 1886 – Austin F. Pike, American politician from New Hampshire (b. 1819)
• 1897 – Alexei Savrasov, Russian painter (b. 1830)
• 1928 – Larry Semon, comedian (b. 1889)
• 1931 – Sir John Monash, Australian soldier general (b. 1865)
• 1936 – William Henry Stark, American business leader (b. 1851)
• 1936 – Red Ames, American baseball player (b. 1882)
• 1942 – Sergei Chaplygin, Soviet engineer (b. 1869)
• 1944 – Wendell Willkie, American politician (b. 1892)
• 1945 – Felix Salten, Austrian author (b. 1869)
• 1952 – Joe Adams, American baseball player (b. 1877)
• 1953 – Nigel Bruce, British actor (b. 1895)
• 1953 – Kathleen Ferrier, British contralto (b. 1912)
• 1955 – Iry LeJeune, Cajun musician (b. 1928)
• 1958 – Ran Bosilek, Bulgarian author (b. 1886)
• 1962 – Solomon Linda, South African singer and composer (b. 1909)
• 1967 – Clement Attlee, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (b. 1883)
• 1970 – Mitr Chaibancha, Thai film actor (b. 1934)
• 1970 – Jean Giono, French author (b. 1895)
• 1973 – Gabriel Marcel, French philosopher (b. 1889)
• 1977 – Giorgos Papasideris, Greek country singer , composer , lyricist (b. 1902)
• 1982 – Fernando Lamas, Argentine actor (b. 1915)
• 1982 – Philip Noel-Baker, Baron Noel-Baker, Canadian-born peace activist, Nobel laureate (b. 1889)
• 1983 – Joan Hackett, American actress (b. 1934)
• 1985 – Malcolm Ross, American balloonist and atmospheric physicist (b. 1919)
• 1987 – Konstantinos Tsatsos, 2nd President of Greece (b. 1899)
• 1990 – B.J. Wilson, English musician (Procol Harum) (b. 1947)
• 1992 – Willy Brandt, Chancellor of Germany, Nobel laureate (b. 1913)
• 1995 – Christopher Keene, American conductor (b. 1946)
• 1997 – Bertrand Goldberg, American architect (b. 1913)
• 1999 – John McLendon, American basketball coach (b. 1915)
• 2000 – Sheila Holland (Sheila Coates, Charlotte Lamb, Sheila Lancaster, Victoria Wolf, Laura Hardy), English writer (b. 1937)
• 2002 – Jacques Richard, French Canadian ice hockey player (b. 1952)
• 2004 – Jacques Derrida, French philosopher (b. 1930)
• 2004 – James Chace, American historian (b. 1931)
• 2005 – Alekos Alexandrakis, Greek actor (b. 1928)
• 2006 – Mark Porter, New Zealand racing driver (b. 1975)
• 2007 – Constantine Andreou, Greek artist (b. 1917)
• 2008 – George Emil Palade, Romanian cell biologist (b. 1912)
• 2008 – Eileen Herlie, American actress (b. 1918)
• 2008 – Bob Friend (newscaster), British newscaster (b. 1938)

Holidays and observances

• Christian Feast Day
  • Palatia and Laurentia
  • October 8 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
• Earliest date on which Columbus Day can fall, on the second Monday of October. (United States)
  • Discoverer's Day (Hawaii)
• Earliest date on which the first day of Fire Prevention Week can fall, while October 14 is the latest. (United States and Canada)
• Independence Day, celebrate the official separation of Croatia from Yugoslavia in 1991.
• Navy Day (Peru)

External links

• BBC: On This Day
• The New York Times: On This Day
• On This Day in Canada