On This Day in History
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Learn what happened on this day in history. Browse historical events, famous birthdays and notable deaths for any date, all sourced from Wikipedia.
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What Happened On This Day in History
Find out what happened on this day in history through today's featured event, latest article, famous birthday, notable death, holidays and observances, your birthday in history, and this month in history. Each card opens the complete history page.
What Happened at the Battle of Angamos in 1879?
On 8 October 1879 the Chilean Navy, under Riveros and Latorre, crushed the Peruvian monitor Huáscar at Punta Angamos, securing naval dominance for Chile…
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Paul Hogan
Paul Hogan is an Australian actor and comedian. He was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay and won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy for his performance as outback adventurer Michael "Crocodile"…
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Willy Brandt
Willy Brandt was a German politician and statesman who was leader of the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD) from 1964 to 1987 and concurrently served as the chancellor of West Germany from 1969 to 1974.
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Holidays and Observances Today
National and international holidays on October 8, including World Space Week (October 4–10).
See Today's Holidays
What Happened on Your Birthday?
Enter your birth date to see the events, famous birthdays and holidays of your birthday.
Find Your Birthday
October in History
Major events, famous birthdays and holidays of October, day by day.
See October in HistoryDaily History Challenge
Put Today's Events in Order
Four events that happened on this day, in four different years. Tap them from the oldest to the newest, you have three tries, then share your result. A new puzzle every day.
Play Today's ChallengeHolidays and Observances Today
International days, national holidays and religious feast days that fall on today's date. Each card opens the holiday in the full holidays calendar. See all 17 holidays today.
Air Force Day (India)
Aerial service branch of the Indian Armed Forces
Read moreNational Fluffernutter Day
Sandwich made with peanut butter and marshmallow creme
Read moreBlessed John Adams, John Lowe, and Robert Dibdale
Recognition by the Catholic Church of a holy person
Read moreSan Ernesto, Che Guevara as a folk saint. (Bolivian campesinos)
Appearances of Argentine Marxist revolutionary Che Guevara (1928–1967) in popular culture are common throughout the world. During his lifetime he was a…
Read moreWilliam Dwight Porter Bliss and Richard T. Ely (Episcopal Church)
American Episcopal priest and socialist (1856–1926)
Read moreOctober 8 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
Day in the Eastern Orthodox liturgical calendar
Read moreWhat Happened This Month
October in History
See what happened in October in history, from the battles, treaties and discoveries that shaped the world to the famous October birthdays and holidays, with a page for every day of the month.
See October in HistoryOn This Day in History Articles
A new history article is published every day covering one significant event from the past. Each post explores the causes, key figures, immediate impact, and the legacy that still resonates in the world today.
What Happened at the Battle of Angamos in 1879?
On 8 October 1879 the Chilean Navy, under Riveros and Latorre, crushed the Peruvian monitor Huáscar at Punta Angamos, securing naval dominance for Chile…
Read More
How was asteroid 2008 TC3 detected before it hit Earth?
On October 7, 2008, the 4.1‑meter asteroid 2008 TC3 entered Earth’s atmosphere over Sudan, exploding 37 km above the desert after being spotted a day…
Read More
How did Annie Ernaux become the first French Nobel laureate?
The Swedish Academy announced Annie Ernaux as the 2022 Nobel Prize in Literature laureate, citing her clinical acuity in uncovering personal memory.
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How did drug gangs kill 13 Chinese sailors on the Mekong?
Two Chinese cargo ships were hijacked on the Mekong River in the Golden Triangle.
Read More
How did Yeltsin's army end the 1993 Russian crisis?
On October 4, 1993, the Russian army shelled the White House with tanks and stormed the building to arrest lawmakers resisting President Yeltsin.
Read More
How did Wab Kinew become the first First Nations premier of a Canadian province?
Wab Kinew led the NDP to a majority government in the 2023 Manitoba election, becoming the first First Nations premier of a Canadian province.
Read More
How did Mexico suppress students before the 1968 Olympics?
Mexican President Gustavo Díaz Ordaz ordered soldiers to suppress unarmed student demonstrators ten days before the 1968 Summer Olympics began in Mexico…
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How did Spain swap Louisiana for Tuscany in 1800?
A secret agreement signed on October 1, 1800, in which Spain agreed to exchange its North American colony of Louisiana for territories in Tuscany.
Read MoreOur blog
Explore the Blog
A new history article every day covering one major event, with sourced facts and key figures behind it.
Visit the BlogHistory in 60 Seconds
Short videos covering one significant historical event each, told through archival imagery and narration. A new video goes up every day alongside the daily article.
What Happened at the Battle of Angamos in 1879?
On 8 October 1879 the Chilean Navy, under Riveros and Latorre, crushed the Peruvian mon...
Watch
How was asteroid 2008 TC3 detected before it hit Earth?
On October 7, 2008, the 4.1‑meter asteroid 2008 TC3 entered Earth’s atmosphere over Sud...
Watch
How did drug gangs kill 13 Chinese sailors on the Me...
Two Chinese cargo ships were hijacked on the Mekong River in the Golden Triangle.
Watch
How did Mexico suppress students before the 1968 Oly...
Mexican President Gustavo Díaz Ordaz ordered soldiers to suppress unarmed student demon...
Watch
How did Spain swap Louisiana for Tuscany in 1800?
A secret agreement signed on October 1, 1800, in which Spain agreed to exchange its Nor...
Watch
How did a deliberate crash decide the 2008 Singapore...
Fernando Alonso won the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix, Formula One's first night race, afte...
Watch
How did Congress define Sequoia National Park's 1890...
On September 25, 1890, the U.S. Congress established Sequoia National Park in the south...
Watch
How did fuel subsidy removal trigger the Saffron Rev...
Buddhist monks and students led nonviolent protests in Yangon after fuel prices surged ...
WatchFeatured Videos
Watch Short History Videos
Historical events told through archival imagery and narration, daily.
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Explore History by Date
Click any date on the calendar to browse historical events, famous birthdays, and notable deaths from that day. Move between months to explore thousands of years of recorded history.
October
On This Day, October 8
- 2020: Second Nagorno-Karabakh War: Azerbaijan twice deliberately targets the Church of the Holy Savior Ghazanchetsots of Shusha.
- 2019: About 200 Extinction Rebellion activists block the gates of Leinster House (parliament) in the Republic of Ireland.
- 2016: In the wake of Hurricane Matthew, the death toll rises to nearly 900.
- 2014: Thomas Eric Duncan, the first person in the United States to be diagnosed with Ebola, dies.
- 2005: The 7.6 Mw Kashmir earthquake leaves 86,000–87,351 people dead, 69,000–75,266 injured, and 2.8 million homeless.
thisDay.info is a free historical events calendar where you can explore what happened on any date in history. It covers wars, discoveries, natural disasters, famous birthdays and deaths, and landmark moments in world history, all sourced from Wikipedia.
Every day a new article is published covering one significant historical event from that calendar date. Each article includes background context, key figures, a Did You Know section, a Quick Facts block, and an analysis of the lasting impact on the world. A short quiz at the end lets you test what you have learned.
All historical events, birthdays, and deaths are sourced from Wikipedia's On This Day archives. Wikipedia is one of the most thorough and regularly updated references for world history, covering events from ancient civilizations right through to the present day on every continent.
Yes. Use the calendar on this page to go to any date of the year. Clicking a date opens a page listing everything notable that happened on that day in history, from ancient times right through to recent decades.
History in 60 Seconds is a short video series published on YouTube Shorts. Each video tells the story of one historical event using archival imagery and narration. A new video goes up every day so you can keep up with this day in history wherever you are.
A new article and a new video are published every single day. The events calendar is always current with today's On This Day data from Wikipedia. Famous birthdays and notable deaths for the current date load every time you visit the site.
Yes, thisDay.info is completely free. There is no account, no subscription, and no paywall. Every article, video, event listing, and the full historical calendar are open to everyone and will stay that way.
Yes. Every date page includes a list of notable people born or who died on that day, with links to their Wikipedia biographies. You can also browse person pages on thisDay.info to read about the historical figures who appear in our daily articles.
thisDay.info covers all major topics in world history including wars and conflicts, political revolutions, scientific discoveries, space exploration, natural disasters, cultural milestones, and sporting achievements. Events range from ancient history through to the 21st century, covering every part of the world.
Explore Today in History
Jump straight to today's events, birthdays and deaths, or browse the historical topics and people we cover across the site.