On This Day — January 8

Famous events, births, and deaths from January 8 in history, plus the public holidays, religious observances, sports, and national days happening on this date today.

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51 events · 243 births · 125 deaths recorded for January 8.

🕰️ Notable Events on January 8

2011 — The attempted assassination of Arizona Representative Gabrielle Giffords and subsequent shooting in Casas Adobes, Arizona, in which five people were shot dead. Wikipedia ↗
2010 — Gunmen from an offshoot the Front for the Liberation of the Enclave of Cabinda attack a bus carrying the Togo national football team on its way to the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations, killing three. Wikipedia ↗
2009 — A 6.1-magnitude earthquake in northern Costa Rica kills 15 people and injures 32. Wikipedia ↗
2005 — The nuclear sub USS San Francisco collides at full speed with an undersea mountain south of Guam. One man is killed, but the sub surfaces and is repaired. Wikipedia ↗
2004 — The RMS Queen Mary 2, the largest ocean liner ever built, is christened by her namesake's granddaughter, Queen Elizabeth II. Wikipedia ↗
2003 — Turkish Airlines Flight 634 crashes near Diyarbakır Airport, Turkey, killing the entire crew and 70 of the 75 passengers. Wikipedia ↗
2003 — Air Midwest Flight 5481 crashes at Charlotte-Douglas Airport, Charlotte, North Carolina, killing all 21 people on board. Wikipedia ↗
2002 — President George W. Bush signs into law the No Child Left Behind Act. Wikipedia ↗
1996 — An Antonov An-32 cargo aircraft crashes into a crowded market in Kinshasa, Zaire, killing up to 223 on the ground; two of six crew members are also killed. Wikipedia ↗
1994 — Russian cosmonaut Valeri Polyakov on Soyuz TM-18 leaves for Mir. He would stay on the space station until March 22, 1995, for a record 437 days in space. Wikipedia ↗
1992 — US President George H. W. Bush vomits on Japanese Prime Minister Kiichi Miyazawa Wikipedia ↗
1989 — Kegworth air disaster: British Midland Flight 92, a Boeing 737-400, crashes into the M1 motorway, killing 47 of the 126 people on board. Wikipedia ↗
1982 — Breakup of the Bell System: AT&T agrees to divest itself of twenty-two subdivisions. Wikipedia ↗
1981 — A local farmer reports a UFO sighting in Trans-en-Provence, France, claimed to be "perhaps the most completely and carefully documented sighting of all time". Wikipedia ↗
1979 — Password Plus debuts on NBC. Wikipedia ↗
1977 — Three bombs explode in Moscow, Russia, Soviet Union, within 37 minutes, killing seven. The bombings are attributed to an Armenian separatist group. Wikipedia ↗
1975 — Ella T. Grasso becomes Governor of Connecticut, the first woman to serve as a Governor in the United States other than by succeeding her husband. Wikipedia ↗
1973 — Soviet space mission Luna 21 is launched. Wikipedia ↗
1973 — Watergate scandal: The trial of seven men accused of illegal entry into Democratic Party headquarters at Watergate begins. Wikipedia ↗
1971 — Bowing to international pressure, President of Pakistan Zulfikar Ali Bhutto releases Bengali leader Sheikh Mujibur Rahman from prison, who had been arrested after declaring the independence of Bangladesh. Wikipedia ↗
1964 — President Lyndon B. Johnson declares a "War on Poverty" in the United States. Wikipedia ↗
1963 — Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa is exhibited in the United States for the first time, at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. Wikipedia ↗
1961 — In France a referendum supports Charles de Gaulle's policies in Algeria. Wikipedia ↗
1956 — Operation Auca: Five U.S. missionaries are killed by the Huaorani of Ecuador shortly after making contact with them. Wikipedia ↗
1945 — World War II: Philippine Commonwealth troops under the Philippine Commonwealth Army units enter the province of Ilocos Sur in Northern Luzon and attack Japanese Imperial forces. Wikipedia ↗
1940 — World War II: Britain introduces food rationing. Wikipedia ↗
1936 — Kashf-e hijab decree is enforced by Reza Shah ordering the police to physically remove the Hijab from any woman in public. Wikipedia ↗
1926 — Crown Prince Nguyễn Phúc Vĩnh Thuỵ ascends the throne, the last monarch of Vietnam. Wikipedia ↗
1920 — The steel strike of 1919 ends in a complete failure for the Amalgamated Association of Iron, Steel and Tin Workers labor union. Wikipedia ↗
1918 — U.S. President Woodrow Wilson announces his "Fourteen Points" for the aftermath of World War I. Wikipedia ↗
1912 — The African National Congress is founded. Wikipedia ↗
1904 — The Blackstone Library is dedicated, marking the beginning of the Chicago Public Library system. Wikipedia ↗
1889 — Herman Hollerith is issued US patent #395,791 for the 'Art of Applying Statistics' — his punched card calculator. Wikipedia ↗
1877 — Crazy Horse and his warriors fight their last battle against the United States Cavalry at Wolf Mountain, Montana Territory. Wikipedia ↗
1867 — African American men are granted the right to vote in Washington, D.C. Wikipedia ↗
1863 — American Civil War: Second Battle of Springfield Wikipedia ↗
1835 — The United States national debt is zero for the only time. Wikipedia ↗
1828 — The Democratic Party of the United States is organized. Wikipedia ↗
1815 — War of 1812: Battle of New Orleans: Andrew Jackson leads American forces in victory over the British. Wikipedia ↗
1811 — An unsuccessful slave revolt is led by Charles Deslondes in St. Charles and St. James, Louisiana. Wikipedia ↗
1806 — Cape Colony becomes a British colony. Wikipedia ↗
1790 — George Washington delivers the first State of the Union address in New York City. Wikipedia ↗
1746 — Second Jacobite rising: Bonnie Prince Charlie occupies Stirling. Wikipedia ↗
1735 — Premiere performance of George Frideric Handel's Ariodante at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden. Wikipedia ↗
1547 — The first Lithuanian-language book, Simple Words of Catechism, is published in Königsberg. Wikipedia ↗
1499 — Louis XII of France marries Anne of Brittany. Wikipedia ↗
1454 — The papal bull Romanus Pontifex awards the Kingdom of Portugal exclusive trade and colonization rights to all of Africa south of Cape Bojador. Wikipedia ↗
1297 — François Grimaldi, disguised as a monk, leads his men to capture the fortress protecting the Rock of Monaco, establishing his family as the rulers of Monaco. Wikipedia ↗
871 — Alfred the Great leads a West Saxon army to repel an invasion by Danelaw Vikings. Wikipedia ↗
387 — Siyaj K'ak' conquers Waka Wikipedia ↗
307 — Jin Huidi, Chinese Emperor of the Jin dynasty, is poisoned and succeeded by Jin Huaidi. Wikipedia ↗

🎂 Notable Births on January 8

2000 — Noah Cyrus, American actress and singer Wikipedia ↗
1998 — Manuel Locatelli Italian footballer Wikipedia ↗
1993 — Giovanni Galbieri, Italian sprinter Wikipedia ↗
1993 — James Tedesco, Australian rugby league player Wikipedia ↗
1992 — Stefanie Dolson, American basketball player Wikipedia ↗
1992 — Koke, Spanish footballer Wikipedia ↗
1992 — Apostolos Vellios, Greek footballer Wikipedia ↗
1991 — Jorge Enríquez, Mexican footballer Wikipedia ↗
1991 — Josh Hazlewood, Australian cricketer Wikipedia ↗
1991 — Josh Jackson, Australian rugby league player Wikipedia ↗
1991 — Stefan Savić, Montenegrin footballer Wikipedia ↗
1991 — Shin Ji-min, South Korean singer and rapper Wikipedia ↗
1991 — Emiliano Tabone, Argentinian footballer Wikipedia ↗
1990 — Hassan Adhuham, Maldivian footballer Wikipedia ↗
1990 — Jeff Allen, American football player Wikipedia ↗
1990 — Sascha Bigalke, German footballer Wikipedia ↗
1990 — Scott Pye, Australian race car driver Wikipedia ↗
1989 — Aaron Cruden, New Zealand rugby player Wikipedia ↗
1989 — Kristján Einar, Icelandic race car driver Wikipedia ↗
1989 — Lee Yi-kyung, South Korean actor Wikipedia ↗
1988 — Vitaliy Hoshkoderya, Ukrainian footballer Wikipedia ↗
1988 — Adrián López, Spanish footballer Wikipedia ↗
1988 — Michael Mancienne, English footballer Wikipedia ↗
1987 — Carmen Klaschka, German tennis player Wikipedia ↗
1986 — David Silva, Spanish footballer Wikipedia ↗
1984 — Jeff Francoeur, American baseball player Wikipedia ↗
1984 — Stephen Simpson, South African race car driver Wikipedia ↗
1984 — Jeon Ji-ae, South Korean actress Wikipedia ↗
1984 — Kim Jong-un, North Korean soldier and politician, 3rd Supreme Leader of North Korea Wikipedia ↗
1983 — Jon Daly, Irish footballer Wikipedia ↗
1983 — Chris Masters, American wrestler and actor Wikipedia ↗
1982 — Emanuele Calaiò, Italian footballer Wikipedia ↗
1982 — Gaby Hoffmann, American actress Wikipedia ↗
1981 — Jeff Francis, Canadian baseball player Wikipedia ↗
1981 — Ioannis Kokkodis, Greek swimmer Wikipedia ↗
1981 — Virgil Spier, Dutch sprinter and hurdler Wikipedia ↗
1981 — Trent Waterhouse, Australian rugby league player Wikipedia ↗
1980 — Adam Goodes, Australian footballer Wikipedia ↗
1980 — Rachel Nichols, American actress and producer Wikipedia ↗
1979 — Torry Castellano, American drummer Wikipedia ↗
1979 — Seol Ki-hyeon, South Korean footballer and manager Wikipedia ↗
1979 — Adrian Mutu, Romanian footballer Wikipedia ↗
1979 — Stipe Pletikosa, Croatian footballer Wikipedia ↗
1979 — Sarah Polley, Canadian actress, director, and screenwriter Wikipedia ↗
1979 — Tomasz Schafernaker, Polish-English meteorologist Wikipedia ↗
1979 — Mirella van Melis, Dutch cyclist Wikipedia ↗
1976 — Kenneth Andam, Ghanaian sprinter and businessman Wikipedia ↗
1976 — Carl Pavano, American baseball player Wikipedia ↗
1975 — Harris Jayaraj, Indian composer and producer Wikipedia ↗
1973 — Mike Cameron, American baseball player Wikipedia ↗
1973 — Henning Solberg, Norwegian race car driver Wikipedia ↗
1973 — Jason Stevens, Australian rugby league player and sportscaster Wikipedia ↗
1972 — Paul Clement, English footballer, coach, and manager Wikipedia ↗
1972 — Giuseppe Favalli, Italian footballer Wikipedia ↗
1971 — Jason Giambi, American baseball player Wikipedia ↗
1971 — Jesper Jansson, Swedish footballer Wikipedia ↗
1971 — Mike Süsser, German chef and author Wikipedia ↗
1971 — Pascal Zuberbühler, Swiss footballer and coach Wikipedia ↗
1970 — Rachel Friend, Australian actress and journalist Wikipedia ↗
1970 — Rod Maybon, Australian rugby league player Wikipedia ↗
1969 — J. Hunter Johnson, American game designer, author, and translator Wikipedia ↗
1967 — Torsten Gowitzke, German footballer and manager Wikipedia ↗
1967 — Steven Jacobs, Australian television host and actor Wikipedia ↗
1967 — R. Kelly, American singer-songwriter, record producer, and former professional basketball player Wikipedia ↗
1967 — Tom Watson, English politician Wikipedia ↗
1966 — Willie Anderson, American basketball player Wikipedia ↗
1966 — Igor Vyazmikin, Russian ice hockey player (d. 2009) Wikipedia ↗
1966 — Andrew Wood, American singer-songwriter (d. 1990) Wikipedia ↗
1964 — Marc Quinn, English sculptor Wikipedia ↗
1964 — Ron Sexsmith, Canadian singer-songwriter Wikipedia ↗
1961 — Keith Arkell, English chess player Wikipedia ↗
1961 — Shoaib Mohammad, Pakistani cricketer Wikipedia ↗
1960 — Lee Tomboulian, American pianist, accordion player, composer, and educator Wikipedia ↗
1960 — Dave Weckl, American drummer Wikipedia ↗
1959 — Kim Duk-koo, South Korean boxer (d. 1982) Wikipedia ↗
1959 — Mike Harwood, Australian golfer Wikipedia ↗
1959 — Paul Hester, Australian drummer (d. 2005) Wikipedia ↗
1959 — Keith Rodden, American NASCAR crew chief Wikipedia ↗
1958 — Betsy DeVos, American businesswoman and politician, 11th Secretary of Education Wikipedia ↗
1958 — Rey Misterio, Sr., Mexican wrestler, trainer, and actor Wikipedia ↗
1957 — Nacho Duato, Spanish dancer and choreographer Wikipedia ↗
1957 — David Lang, American composer and academic Wikipedia ↗
1955 — Joan Kingston, Canadian nurse, educator, and politician Wikipedia ↗
1955 — Spiros Livathinos, Greek footballer and coach Wikipedia ↗
1955 — Mike Reno, Canadian singer and drummer Wikipedia ↗
1954 — Konstantinos Kypriotis, Greek martial artist (d. 1995) Wikipedia ↗
1953 — Bruce Sutter, American baseball player Wikipedia ↗
1952 — Vladimir Feltsman, Russian-American pianist and educator Wikipedia ↗
1952 — Peter McCullagh, Irish mathematician and academic Wikipedia ↗
1952 — Mel Reynolds, American academic and politician Wikipedia ↗
1951 — Kenny Anthony, Saint Lucian politician, 5th Prime Minister of Saint Lucia Wikipedia ↗
1951 — John McTiernan, American director and producer Wikipedia ↗
1951 — Franz Pachl, German chess player and composer Wikipedia ↗
1951 — Karen Tei Yamashita, American author and academic Wikipedia ↗
1949 — John Podesta, American lawyer and politician, 20th White House Chief of Staff Wikipedia ↗
1949 — Lawrence Rowe, Jamaican cricketer Wikipedia ↗
1948 — Gillies MacKinnon, Scottish director and screenwriter Wikipedia ↗
1947 — Don Bendell, American rancher and author Wikipedia ↗
1947 — David Bowie, English singer-songwriter, producer, and actor (d. 2016) Wikipedia ↗
1947 — David Gates, American journalist and novelist Wikipedia ↗
1947 — Antti Kalliomäki, Finnish pole vaulter and politician Wikipedia ↗
1947 — Samuel Schmid, Swiss lawyer and politician, 90th President of the Swiss Confederation Wikipedia ↗
1947 — Terry Sylvester, English singer and guitarist Wikipedia ↗
1947 — Luke Williams, New Zealand-American wrestler Wikipedia ↗
1946 — Robby Krieger, American guitarist and songwriter Wikipedia ↗
1945 — Nancy Bond, American author and academic Wikipedia ↗
1945 — Kadir Topbaş, Turkish architect and politician, 31st Mayor of Istanbul Wikipedia ↗
1944 — Terry Brooks, American lawyer and author Wikipedia ↗
1943 — Charles Murray, American political scientist and author Wikipedia ↗
1942 — Robin Ellis, English actor Wikipedia ↗
1942 — Stephen Hawking, English physicist and author Wikipedia ↗
1942 — Junichirō Koizumi, Japanese politician, 56th Prime Minister of Japan Wikipedia ↗
1942 — Yvette Mimieux, American actress Wikipedia ↗
1942 — Royce Waltman, American basketball player and coach (d. 2014) Wikipedia ↗
1941 — Graham Chapman, English actor and screenwriter (d. 1989) Wikipedia ↗
1940 — Mark Bretscher, English biologist and academic Wikipedia ↗
1940 — Cristy Lane, American country and gospel singer Wikipedia ↗
1939 — Carolina Herrera, Venezuelan-American fashion designer Wikipedia ↗
1939 — Ruth Maleczech, American actress (d. 2013) Wikipedia ↗
1939 — Alan Wilson, English mathematician and academic Wikipedia ↗
1938 — Bob Eubanks, American game show host and producer Wikipedia ↗
1938 — Anthony Giddens, English sociologist and academic Wikipedia ↗
1938 — Yevgeny Nesterenko, Russian opera singer and educator Wikipedia ↗
1937 — Shirley Bassey, Welsh singer Wikipedia ↗
1936 — Zdeněk Mácal, Czech-American conductor Wikipedia ↗
1936 — Robert May, Baron May of Oxford, Australian-English zoologist, ecologist, and academic Wikipedia ↗
1935 — Lewis H. Lapham, American publisher, founded Lapham's Quarterly Wikipedia ↗
1935 — Elvis Presley, American singer, guitarist, and actor (d. 1977) Wikipedia ↗
1934 — Jacques Anquetil, French cyclist (d. 1987) Wikipedia ↗
1934 — Gene Freese, American baseball player and manager (d. 2013) Wikipedia ↗
1934 — Roy Kinnear, British actor (d. 1988) Wikipedia ↗
1934 — Alexandra Ripley, American author (d. 2004) Wikipedia ↗
1933 — Nolan Miller, American fashion and jewelry designer (d. 2012) Wikipedia ↗
1933 — Charles Osgood, American soldier and journalist Wikipedia ↗
1933 — Jean-Marie Straub, French director and screenwriter Wikipedia ↗
1933 — Willie Tasby, American baseball player Wikipedia ↗
1931 — Bill Graham, German-American businessman (d. 1991) Wikipedia ↗
1931 — Clarence Benjamin Jones, American lawyer and scholar Wikipedia ↗
1928 — Slade Gorton, American colonel, lawyer, and politician, 14th Attorney General of Washington Wikipedia ↗
1928 — Gaston Miron, Canadian poet and author (d. 1996) Wikipedia ↗
1928 — Luther Perkins, American country guitarist (d. 1968) Wikipedia ↗
1927 — Charles Tomlinson, English poet and academic (d. 2015) Wikipedia ↗
1926 — Evelyn Lear, American operatic soprano (d. 2012) Wikipedia ↗
1926 — Kelucharan Mohapatra, Indian dancer and choreographer (d. 2004) Wikipedia ↗
1926 — Hanae Mori, Japanese fashion designer Wikipedia ↗
1926 — Soupy Sales, American comedian and actor (d. 2009) Wikipedia ↗
1925 — Mohan Rakesh, Indian author and playwright (d. 1972) Wikipedia ↗
1924 — Benjamin Lees, Chinese-American soldier and composer (d. 2010) Wikipedia ↗
1924 — Ron Moody, English actor and singer (d. 2015) Wikipedia ↗