On This Day — December 8

🕰️ Notable Events on December 8

• 2016 — Syrian army starts final phase of the attack and progress has been made in the district of, "Sheikh Said" and preparing to storm the neighborhood "Sukkari" in East of Aleppo. Wikipedia ↗
• 2013 — Riots break out in Singapore after a fatal accident in Little India. Wikipedia ↗
• 2010 — With the second launch of the SpaceX Falcon 9 and the first launch of the SpaceX Dragon, SpaceX becomes the first private company to successfully launch, orbit and recover a spacecraft. Wikipedia ↗
• 2010 — The Japanese solar-sail spacecraft IKAROS passes the planet Venus at a distance of about 80,800 km. Wikipedia ↗
• 2009 — Bombings in Baghdad, Iraq, kill 127 people and injure 448 others. Wikipedia ↗
• 2004 — The Cusco Declaration is signed in Cusco, Peru, establishing the South American Community of Nations. Wikipedia ↗
• 1998 — Eighty-one people are killed by armed groups in Algeria. Wikipedia ↗
• 1991 — The leaders of Russia, Belarus and Ukraine sign an agreement dissolving the Soviet Union and establishing the Commonwealth of Independent States. Wikipedia ↗
• 1988 — A United States Air Force A-10 Thunderbolt II crashes into an apartment complex in Remscheid, Germany, killing 5 people and injuring 50 others. Wikipedia ↗
• 1987 — The Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty is signed. Wikipedia ↗
• 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. Wikipedia ↗
• 1985 — South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation, the regional intergovernmental organization and geopolitical union in South Asia is established. Wikipedia ↗
• 1980 — Former Beatle John Lennon is murdered in front of The Dakota in New York City. Wikipedia ↗
• 1974 — A plebiscite results in the abolition of monarchy in Greece. Wikipedia ↗
• 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. Wikipedia ↗
• 1971 — Indo-Pakistani War: The Indian Navy launches an attack on West Pakistan's port city of Karachi. Wikipedia ↗
• 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. Wikipedia ↗
• 1966 — The Greek ship SS Heraklion sinks in a storm in the Aegean Sea, killing over 200. Wikipedia ↗
• 1963 — Pan Am Flight 214, a Boeing 707, is struck by lightning and crashes near Elkton, Maryland, killing all 81 people on board. Wikipedia ↗
• 1962 — Workers at four New York City newspapers (this later increases to nine) go on strike for 114 days. Wikipedia ↗
• 1955 — The Flag of Europe is adopted by Council of Europe. Wikipedia ↗
• 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. Wikipedia ↗
• 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. Wikipedia ↗
• 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.) Wikipedia ↗
• 1927 — The Brookings Institution, one of the United States' oldest think tanks, is founded through the merger of three organizations that had been created by philanthropist Robert S. Brookings. Wikipedia ↗
• 1922 — Northern Ireland ceases to be part of the Irish Free State. Wikipedia ↗
• 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. Wikipedia ↗
• 1912 — Leaders of the German Empire hold an Imperial War Council to discuss the possibility that war might break out. Wikipedia ↗
• 1907 — King Gustaf V of Sweden accedes to the Swedish throne. Wikipedia ↗
• 1864 — Pope Pius IX promulgates the encylical Quanta cura and its appendix, the Syllabus of Errors, outlining the authority of the Catholic Church and condemning various liberal ideas. Wikipedia ↗
• 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. Wikipedia ↗
• 1813 — Premiere of Beethoven's Seventh Symphony. Wikipedia ↗
• 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. Wikipedia ↗
• 1432 — The first battle between the forces of Švitrigaila and Sigismund Kęstutaitis is fought near the town of Oszmiana (Ashmyany), launching the most active phase of the Lithuanian Civil War. Wikipedia ↗
• 877 — Louis the Stammerer (son of Charles the Bald) is crowned king of the West Frankish Kingdom at Compiègne. Wikipedia ↗
• 757 — Du Fu returns to Chang'an as a member of Emperor Xuanzong's court, after having escaped the city during the An Lushan Rebellion. Wikipedia ↗
• 395 — Later Yan is defeated by its former vassal Northern Wei at the Battle of Canhe Slope. Wikipedia ↗

🎂 Notable Births on December 8

• 1995 — Jordon Ibe, English footballer Wikipedia ↗
• 1994 — Conseslus Kipruto, Kenyan runner Wikipedia ↗
• 1993 — Janari Jõesaar, Estonian basketball player Wikipedia ↗
• 1993 — Jordan Obita, English footballer Wikipedia ↗
• 1993 — AnnaSophia Robb, American actress Wikipedia ↗
• 1993 — Cara Mund, Miss America 2018 Wikipedia ↗
• 1992 — Yui Yokoyama - Japanese idol, model, and actress Wikipedia ↗
• 1989 — Drew Doughty, Canadian ice hockey player Wikipedia ↗
• 1989 — Jesse Sene-Lefao, New Zealand rugby league player Wikipedia ↗
• 1987 — Jana Juricová, Slovak tennis player Wikipedia ↗
• 1986 — Enzo Amore, American wrestler Wikipedia ↗
• 1986 — Amir Khan, English boxer Wikipedia ↗
• 1986 — Sam Tagataese, New Zealand-Samoan rugby league player Wikipedia ↗
• 1986 — Kate Voegele, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and actress Wikipedia ↗
• 1985 — Josh Donaldson, American baseball player Wikipedia ↗
• 1985 — Meagan Duhamel, Canadian figure skater Wikipedia ↗
• 1985 — Dwight Howard, American basketball player Wikipedia ↗
• 1985 — Oleksiy Pecherov, Ukrainian basketball player Wikipedia ↗
• 1984 — Emma Green Tregaro, Swedish high jumper Wikipedia ↗
• 1984 — Greg Halford, English footballer Wikipedia ↗
• 1984 — Sam Hunt, American singer-songwriter Wikipedia ↗
• 1983 — Neel Jani, Swiss race car driver Wikipedia ↗
• 1983 — Valéry Mézague, Cameroonian footballer (d. 2014) Wikipedia ↗
• 1982 — Alfredo Aceves, American baseball player Wikipedia ↗
• 1982 — Chrisette Michele, American singer-songwriter Wikipedia ↗
• 1982 — Nicki Minaj, Trinidadian-American rapper and actress Wikipedia ↗
• 1981 — Jeremy Accardo, American baseball player Wikipedia ↗
• 1981 — Simon Finnigan, English rugby player Wikipedia ↗
• 1981 — Philip Rivers, American football player Wikipedia ↗
• 1980 — Yuliya Krevsun, Ukrainian runner Wikipedia ↗
• 1979 — Daniel Fitzhenry, Australian rugby player Wikipedia ↗
• 1979 — Johan Forssell, Swedish lawyer and politician Wikipedia ↗
• 1979 — Raymond Lam, Chinese actor and singer Wikipedia ↗
• 1979 — Ingrid Michaelson, American singer-songwriter and pianist Wikipedia ↗
• 1979 — José Peña, Venezuelan sprinter Wikipedia ↗
• 1979 — Christian Wilhelmsson, Swedish footballer Wikipedia ↗
• 1978 — John Oster, English-Welsh footballer Wikipedia ↗
• 1978 — Frédéric Piquionne, French footballer Wikipedia ↗
• 1978 — Anwar Siraj, Ethiopian footballer Wikipedia ↗
• 1978 — Ian Somerhalder, American actor Wikipedia ↗
• 1978 — Vernon Wells, American baseball player Wikipedia ↗
• 1977 — Ryan Newman, American race car driver Wikipedia ↗
• 1977 — Aleksandra Olsza, Polish tennis player Wikipedia ↗
• 1977 — Anita Weyermann, Swiss runner and journalist Wikipedia ↗
• 1976 — Brettina, Bahamian-American singer-songwriter and actress Wikipedia ↗
• 1976 — Reed Johnson, American baseball player Wikipedia ↗
• 1976 — Dominic Monaghan, German-born English actor Wikipedia ↗
• 1975 — Kevin Harvick, American race car driver Wikipedia ↗
• 1974 — Cristian Castro, Mexican singer Wikipedia ↗
• 1974 — Tony Simmons, American football player and coach Wikipedia ↗
• 1974 — Nick Zinner, American guitarist, songwriter, and producer Wikipedia ↗
• 1972 — Marco Abreu, Angolan footballer Wikipedia ↗
• 1972 — Indrek Allmann, Estonian architect Wikipedia ↗
• 1972 — Édson Ribeiro, Brazilian sprinter Wikipedia ↗
• 1971 — Abdullah Ercan, Turkish footballer and manager Wikipedia ↗
• 1969 — Kristin Lauter, American mathematician and cryptographer Wikipedia ↗
• 1968 — Mike Mussina, American baseball player and coach Wikipedia ↗
• 1968 — Doriano Romboni, Italian motorcycle racer (d. 2013) Wikipedia ↗
• 1967 — Jeff George, American football player Wikipedia ↗
• 1967 — Andy Kapp, German curler Wikipedia ↗
• 1967 — Kotono Mitsuishi, Japanese voice actress and singer Wikipedia ↗
• 1967 — Darren Sheridan, English footballer and manager Wikipedia ↗
• 1966 — Les Ferdinand, English footballer and coach Wikipedia ↗
• 1966 — Tyler Mane, Canadian wrestler and actor Wikipedia ↗
• 1966 — Sinéad O'Connor, Irish singer-songwriter Wikipedia ↗
• 1965 — David Harewood, English actor Wikipedia ↗
• 1965 — Theo Maassen, Dutch actor, producer, and screenwriter Wikipedia ↗
• 1964 — James Blundell, Australian singer-songwriter and guitarist Wikipedia ↗
• 1964 — Teri Hatcher, American actress Wikipedia ↗
• 1964 — Chigusa Nagayo, Japanese wrestler Wikipedia ↗
• 1964 — Óscar Ramírez, Costa Rican footballer and coach Wikipedia ↗
• 1963 — Greg Howe, American guitarist, songwriter, and producer Wikipedia ↗
• 1963 — Toshiaki Kawada, Japanese wrestler Wikipedia ↗
• 1963 — Ricky Walford, Australian rugby league player Wikipedia ↗
• 1962 — Steve Elkington, Australian-American golfer Wikipedia ↗
• 1962 — Marty Friedman, American-Japanese guitarist, songwriter, and television host Wikipedia ↗
• 1962 — Nikos Karageorgiou, Greek footballer and manager Wikipedia ↗
• 1962 — Berry van Aerle, Dutch footballer Wikipedia ↗
• 1961 — Ann Coulter, American lawyer, journalist, and author Wikipedia ↗
• 1961 — Mikey Robins, Australian comedian and television host Wikipedia ↗
• 1960 — Aaron Allston, American game designer and author (d. 2014) Wikipedia ↗
• 1960 — Lim Guan Eng, Malaysian accountant and politician, 4th Chief Minister of the State of Penang Wikipedia ↗
• 1960 — Bill McKibben, American author and environmentalist Wikipedia ↗
• 1959 — Stephen Jefferies, South African cricketer and coach Wikipedia ↗
• 1959 — Mark Steyn, Canadian-American author and critic Wikipedia ↗
• 1958 — Rob Byrnes, American author and blogger Wikipedia ↗
• 1958 — Rob Curling, Malayan-English journalist Wikipedia ↗
• 1958 — Michel Ferté, French race car driver Wikipedia ↗
• 1958 — Bob Greene, American physiologist and author Wikipedia ↗
• 1958 — Mirosław Okoński, Polish footballer Wikipedia ↗
• 1957 — James Cama, American martial artist and educator (d. 2014) Wikipedia ↗
• 1957 — Phil Collen, English singer-songwriter and guitarist Wikipedia ↗
• 1957 — Slick, American wrestler and manager Wikipedia ↗
• 1956 — Warren Cuccurullo, American singer-songwriter and guitarist Wikipedia ↗
• 1956 — Andrius Kubilius, Lithuanian academic and politician, 9th Prime Minister of Lithuania Wikipedia ↗
• 1955 — Kasim Sulton, American singer-songwriter, bass player, and producer Wikipedia ↗
• 1955 — Milenko Zablaćanski, Serbian actor, director, and screenwriter (d. 2008) Wikipedia ↗
• 1954 — Harold Hongju Koh, American lawyer, academic, and politician Wikipedia ↗
• 1954 — Frits Pirard, Dutch cyclist Wikipedia ↗
• 1953 — Kim Basinger, American actress Wikipedia ↗
• 1953 — Roy Firestone, American sportscaster and journalist Wikipedia ↗
• 1953 — Norman Finkelstein, American author, academic, and activist Wikipedia ↗
• 1953 — Sam Kinison, American comedian (d. 1992) Wikipedia ↗
• 1953 — Władysław Kozakiewicz, Lithuanian-Polish pole vaulter and coach Wikipedia ↗
• 1953 — Steve Yates, English footballer Wikipedia ↗
• 1952 — Khaw Boon Wan, Malayan-Singaporean politician, Singaporean Minister of Health Wikipedia ↗
• 1952 — Steve Atkinson, English-Hong Kong cricketer Wikipedia ↗
• 1951 — Bill Bryson, American essayist, travel and science writer Wikipedia ↗
• 1951 — Richard Desmond, English publisher and businessman, founded Northern & Shell Wikipedia ↗
• 1951 — Jan Eggum, Norwegian singer-songwriter and guitarist Wikipedia ↗
• 1950 — Rick Baker, American actor and makeup artist Wikipedia ↗
• 1950 — Tim Foli, American baseball player, coach, and manager Wikipedia ↗
• 1950 — Dan Hartman, American singer-songwriter and producer (d. 1994) Wikipedia ↗
• 1949 — Mary Gordon, American author, critic, and academic Wikipedia ↗
• 1949 — Nancy Meyers, American director, producer, and screenwriter Wikipedia ↗
• 1949 — Ray Shulman, English violinist, guitarist, and producer Wikipedia ↗
• 1949 — Robert Sternberg, American psychologist and academic Wikipedia ↗
• 1948 — John Waters, English-Australian actor, singer-songwriter, and guitarist Wikipedia ↗
• 1948 — Luis Caffarelli, Argentinian-American mathematician and academic Wikipedia ↗
• 1947 — Chava Alberstein, Polish-Israeli singer-songwriter and guitarist Wikipedia ↗
• 1947 — Gregg Allman, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 2017) Wikipedia ↗
• 1947 — Gérard Blanc, French singer, guitarist, and actor (d. 2009) Wikipedia ↗
• 1947 — Thomas Cech, American chemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate Wikipedia ↗
• 1947 — Kati-Claudia Fofonoff, Finnish author and poet Wikipedia ↗
• 1947 — Margaret Geller, American astrophysicist, astronomer, and academic Wikipedia ↗
• 1946 — John Rubinstein, American actor, director, and composer Wikipedia ↗
• 1945 — John Banville, Irish novelist and screenwriter Wikipedia ↗
• 1944 — George Baker, Dutch singer-songwriter Wikipedia ↗
• 1944 — Bertie Higgins, American singer-songwriter Wikipedia ↗
• 1944 — Ted Irvine, Canadian ice hockey player Wikipedia ↗
• 1944 — Vince MacLean, Canadian educator and politician Wikipedia ↗
• 1943 — Larry Martin, American paleontologist and ornithologist (d. 2013) Wikipedia ↗
• 1943 — Jim Morrison, American singer-songwriter and poet (d. 1971) Wikipedia ↗
• 1943 — James Tate, American poet (d. 2015) Wikipedia ↗
• 1943 — Bodo Tümmler, German runner Wikipedia ↗
• 1943 — Mary Woronov, American actress, director, and screenwriter Wikipedia ↗
• 1941 — Ed Brinkman, American baseball player and coach (d. 2008) Wikipedia ↗
• 1941 — Bob Brown, American football player Wikipedia ↗
• 1941 — Duke Cunningham, American commander and politician Wikipedia ↗
• 1941 — Bobby Elliott, English drummer Wikipedia ↗
• 1941 — Geoff Hurst, English footballer and manager Wikipedia ↗
• 1940 — Brant Alyea, American baseball player Wikipedia ↗
• 1939 — Red Berenson, Canadian ice hockey player and coach Wikipedia ↗
• 1939 — Jerry Butler, American singer-songwriter and producer Wikipedia ↗
• 1939 — James Galway, Irish flute player Wikipedia ↗
• 1939 — Felipe Gozon, Filipino lawyer and businessman Wikipedia ↗
• 1939 — Dariush Mehrjui, Iranian director, producer, and screenwriter Wikipedia ↗
• 1939 — Soko Richardson, American drummer (d. 2004) Wikipedia ↗
• 1937 — James MacArthur, American actor (d. 2010) Wikipedia ↗
• 1937 — Arne Næss, Jr., German-Norwegian mountaineer and businessman (d. 2004) Wikipedia ↗
• 1936 — David Carradine, American actor, director, and producer (d. 2009) Wikipedia ↗
• 1936 — Michael Hobson, American publisher Wikipedia ↗
• 1936 — Peter Parfitt, English cricketer Wikipedia ↗
• 1935 — Dharmendra, Indian actor, producer, and politician Wikipedia ↗
• 1935 — Tatiana Zatulovskaya, Russian-Israeli chess player Wikipedia ↗
• 1933 — Flip Wilson, American actor and comedian (d. 1998) Wikipedia ↗
• 1931 — Bob Arum, American boxing promoter, founded Top Rank Wikipedia ↗
• 1930 — Julian Critchley, English journalist and politician (d. 2000) Wikipedia ↗
• 1930 — Maximilian Schell, Austrian-Swiss actor, director, producer, and screenwriter (d. 2014) Wikipedia ↗
• 1928 — Bill Hewitt, Canadian journalist and sportscaster (d. 1996) Wikipedia ↗
• 1928 — Ulric Neisser, German-American psychologist, neuroscientist, and academic (d. 2012) Wikipedia ↗
• 1927 — Ferdie Pacheco, American physician and author Wikipedia ↗
• 1927 — Vladimir Shatalov, Kazakhstani general, pilot, and astronaut Wikipedia ↗

📅 National Days on December 8 (Calendar.cx)

Also observed on December 8

🏛️ Public Holidays

Also in: Immaculate Conception (AT,CH,CL,CO,ES,IT,PE,PT) · Immaculate Conception Day (AR,VE) · Inmaculada Concepción (ES,PE) · La Inmaculada Concepción (CL,CO) · Feast of the Immaculate Conception of Mary (PH) · Imaculada Conceição (PT) · Immacolata Concezione (IT) · Inmaculada Concepción de María (AR) · Mariä Empfängnis (AT)

✡️ Religious Observances

• Jewish: Chanukah: 5 Candles
• Buddhist: Bodhi Day