A chronological timetable of historical events that occurred on this day in history. Historical facts of the day in the areas of military, politics, science, music, sports, arts, entertainment and more. Discover what happened today in history.
Today in History
January 8
| 1681 | The Treaty of Radzin ends a five year war between the Turks and the allied countries of Russia and Poland. | |
| 1745 | England, Austria, Saxony and the Netherlands form an alliance against Russia. | |
| 1815 | A rag-tag army under Andrew Jackson defeats the British on the fields of Chalmette in the Battle of New Orleans. | |
| 1871 |
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| 1892 | A coal mine explosion kills 100 in McAlister, Oklahoma. | |
| 1900 | The Boers attack the British in Ladysmith, South Africa, but are turned back. | |
| 1908 | A subway line opens linking the New York boroughs of Brooklyn and Manhattan. | |
| 1940 | Great Britain begins rationing sugar, meat and butter. | |
| 1946 | President Harry S. Truman vows to stand by the Yalta accord on self-determination for the Balkans. | |
| 1954 | President Dwight Eisenhower proposes stripping convicted Communists of their U.S. citizenship. | |
| 1963 | President John F. Kennedy attends the unveiling of the Mona Lisa. | |
| 1975 | Ella T. Grasso becomes Governor of Connecticut, the first female governor in the US who did not come into office by succeeding her husband. | |
| 1979 | The United States advises the Shah to leave Iran. | |
| 1982 | AT&T agrees to divest 22 subdivisions as part of an antitrust agreement. | |
| 1994 | Valeri Polyakov, a Russian cosmonaut leaves earth, bound for the Mir space station; he will spend a record 437 days in space. | |
| 2002 | US President George W. Bush signs into law the No Child Left Behind Act, intended to improve America’s educational system. | |
| 2004 | The largest passenger ship in history, the RMS Queen Mary 2, is christened by Queen Elizabeth II, granddaughter of Queen Mary. | |
| 2011 | An attempted assassination of Arizona Representative Gabrielle Giffords is part of a shooting spree in which Jared Lee Loughner kills 6 and wounds 13. | |
| Born on January 8 | ||
| 1587 | Johannes Fabricus, astronomer who discovered sunspots. | |
| 1786 | Nicholas Biddle, head of the first United States bank. | |
| 1862 | Frank Nelson Doubleday, founder of Doubleday publishing house. | |
| 1935 | Elvis Presley, rock ‘n roll singer, actor in over thirty films. | |
| 1938 | Bob Eubanks, popular US TV game show host (The Newlywed Game). | |
| 1941 | Graham Chapman, comedian, actor, member of Monty Python group. | |
| 1947 | David Bowie, singer, songwriter, producer, actor (“Starman”). | |
| 2011 | Princess Josephine of Denmark, Countess of Monpezat (Josephine Sophia Ivalo Mathilda), and Prince Vincent of Denmark, Count of Monpezat (Vincent Frederik Minik Alexander). | |
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