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.
Today in history
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 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.
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 18 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.
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.
1999 – New Coligny Calendar, NCC, the beginning of a new era of the Coligny calendar, the oldest material Celtic calendar.
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.
2004 – Martha Stewart begins her prison sentence after being convicted of securities fraud, obstruction of justice, and conspiracy in the ImClone stock trading case.
2005 – The Kashmir earthquake hits parts of northern South Asia at 03:50 UTC.
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)
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 – Gus Hall, American union organizer and head of the U.S. Communist Party (d. 2000)
1910 – Ray Lewis, Canadian runner (d. 2003)
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 football midfielder and coach (d. 2007)
1924 – Alphons Egli, member of the Swiss Federal Council
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 – Sarah Purcell, American television host
1948 – Johnny Ramone, American musician (The Ramones) (d. 2004)
1948 – Pedro López, Colombian serial killer
1948 – Claude Jade, French actress (d. 2006)
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 racecar driver
1955 – Bill Elliott, American racecar driver
1955 – Lonnie Pitchford, American blues musician (d. 1998)
1955 – Darrell Hammond, American comedian (SNL)
1956 – Stephanie Zimbalist, American actress
1956 – Jeff Lahti, American baseball player
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 – Lorenzo Milá, Spanish newscaster
1960 – François Pérusse, Quebec humorist
1960 – Reed Hastings, American businessman and entrepreneur
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 – Ardal O'Hanlon, Irish comedian and actor
1965 – C-Jay Ramone, American musician (The Ramones)
1965 – Peter Greene, American actor
1966 – Art Barr, American wrestler (d. 1994)
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 football player
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 – Gauri Khan, wife of Indian actor Shahrukh Khan
1970 – Tetsuya Nomura, Japanese video-game designer
1970 – Soon-Yi Previn, Korean American actress
1972 – Stanislav Varga, Slovakian footballer
1972 – Kim Myung Min, Korean actor
1974 – Fredrik Modin, Swedish hockey player
1974 – DJ Q-Ball, American musician (Bloodhound Gang)
1974 – Martin Henderson, New Zealand actor
1974 – Koji Murofushi, Japanese hammer thrower
1976 – Galo Blanco, Spanish tennis player
1976 – Renate Groenewold, Dutch speed skater
1977 – Anne-Caroline Chausson, French mountain-bike rider
1977 – Erna Siikavirta, Finnish musician (Lordi)
1977 – Jamie Marchi, American Voice Actor
1978 – Mick O'Driscoll, Irish rugby player
1978 – Antonino D'Agostino, Italian footballer
1979 – Kristanna Loken, American actress
1979 – Paul Burchill, English professional wrestler
1979 – Gregori Chad Petree, American musician (Shiny Toy Guns)
1980 – Mike Mizanin, American wrestler
1980 – Nick Cannon, American actor
1981 – Raffi Torres, Canadian ice hockey player
1981 – Ruby (Egyptian singer), Egyptian singer
1983 – Mario Cassano, Italian footballer
1983 – Steve Cronin, American soccer player
1983 – Michael Fraser, Scottish footballer
1983 – Travis Pastrana, American motor sports competitor
1985 – Eiji Wentz, Japanese entertainer
1987 – Aya Hirano, Japanese voice actress
1989 – Armand Traoré, French footballer
Deaths
976 – Jelena of Zadar, Croatian queen
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
RC Saints – Palatia and Laurentia
Bolivia – reportedly, Che Guevara is honoured on this day at which he was captured in La Higuera, as San Ernesto, answering prayers for rain.
Also see October 8 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
French Republican Calendar – Citrouille (Pumpkin) Day, seventeenth day in the Month of Vendémiaire
Independence Day in Croatia
Navy Day in Peru
Town Meeting Day in Massachusetts
