✦ DateLore

On This Day · The 39th day of the year

February 8

A look at February 8 through the almanac — historic events, famous birthdays including Benigno Aquino III and Dmitri Mendeleev, and the day's notable deaths and observances.

♒ZodiacAquarius ◈BirthstoneAmethyst ❀Birth flowerViolet
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Events

10 notable moments
  1. 2010

    Hindu Kush

    Over 2 miles (3.2 km) of road are buried after a storm in the Hindu Kush mountains of Afghanistan triggers a series of avalanches, killing at least 172 people and trapping over 2,000 others.

    Mountain range near the
  2. 1960

    Elizabeth II

    Queen Elizabeth II issues an Order-in-Council, proclaiming the House of Windsor and declaring that her descendants will take the name Mountbatten-Windsor.

    Queen of the United
  3. 1942

    World War II

    World War II: Japan invades Singapore.

    1939–1945 global conflict
  4. 1937

    Spanish Civil War

    Spanish Civil War: Republican forces establish the Interprovincial Council of Santander, Palencia and Burgos in Cantabria.

    1936–1939 civil war in
  5. 1865

    Delaware

    Delaware refuses to ratify the Thirteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, delaying the criminalization of slavery until the amendment's national adoption on December 6, 1865. The amendment is ultimately ratified by Delaware on February 12, 1901, the 92nd anniversary of Abraham Lincoln's birth.

    U.S. state
  6. 1837

    Richard Mentor Johnson

    Richard Johnson becomes the first and only Vice President of the United States chosen by the Senate.

    Vice President of the
  7. 1807

    Napoleon

    Napoleon defeats the coalition forces of Russian General Bennigsen and Prussian General L'Estocq at the Battle of Eylau.

    French general and emperor
  8. 1587

    Mary, Queen of Scots

    Mary, Queen of Scots is executed on suspicion of having been involved in the Babington Plot to murder her cousin, Queen Elizabeth I.

    Queen of Scotland from
  9. 1250

    Seventh Crusade

    Seventh Crusade: Crusaders engage Ayyubid forces in the Battle of Al Mansurah.

    Religious crusade in Egypt
  10. 1238

    Mongol Empire

    The Mongols burn the Russian city of Vladimir.

    Empire in Eurasia from
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Famous birthday twins

Born on February 8

Benigno Aquino III

b. 1960

Filipino politician, 15th President of the Philippines

Dmitri Mendeleev

b. 1834

Russian chemist and academic

Aidy Boothroyd

b. 1971

English footballer and manager

Dave Farrell

b. 1977

American musician and songwriter

Valerie Thomas

b. 1943

American scientist and inventor

AD 120

b. 120

Greek astronomer, mathematician, and astrologer (died ~175)

Gas Lipstick

b. 1971

Swedish-Finnish drummer and songwriter

Klay Thompson

b. 1990

American basketball player

Deaths

  • 1957John von Neumann, Hungarian-American mathematician and physicist
  • 1921Peter Kropotkin, Russian zoologist, geographer, and philologist
  • 1849France Prešeren, Slovenian poet and lawyer
  • 1725Peter the Great, Russian emperor
  • 1676Alexis of Russia, Tsar of Russia from 1645 to 1676
  • 1204Alexios IV Angelos, Byzantine emperor

Holidays & observances

  • —Christian feast day: Cuthmann of Steyning
  • —Christian feast day: Elffled of Whitby
  • —Christian feast day: Elisabetta Martinez
  • —Christian feast day: Gerolamo Emiliani
  • —Christian feast day: Josephine Bakhita
  • —Christian feast day: Juventius of Pavia
  • —Christian feast day: Mengold of Huy
  • —Christian feast day: Stephen of Muret

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