Notable Deaths on December 8

William Henry Vanderbilt

1885 — William Henry Vanderbilt

American businessman and philanthropist (born 1821)

December 8 has 121 recorded notable deaths across history, from 855 to 2024. This focused page highlights 20 people with the strongest available profile context.

By · — Wikipedia

Notable Deaths 121 source records 855 – 2024

Major events on December 8

See what else happened on this day in history.

  1. 1987 Cold War: The Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty is signed by U.S. President Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev in the White House. Source
  2. 2010 With the second launch of the Falcon 9, and the first launch of the Dragon, SpaceX becomes the first private company to successfully launch, orbit and recover a spacecraft. Source
  3. 2004 The Cusco Declaration is signed in Cusco, Peru, establishing the South American Community of Nations. Source
  4. 1953 U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower delivers his "Atoms for Peace" speech, which leads to an American program to supply equipment and information on nuclear power to schools, hospitals, and research institutions around the world. Source

Did you know

Vanderbilt became the richest American after he took over his father's fortune in 1877 until his own death in 1885, passing on a substantial part of the fortune to his wife and children, particularly to his sons Cornelius II and William.

Did you know

Madame Elizabeth Charlotte, Duchess of Orléans, also known as Liselotte von der Pfalz, was a German member of the House of Wittelsbach who married into the French royal family.

Did you know

Arnulf of Carinthia was King of East Francia since 887, King of Italy since 894, and Emperor since 896.

Did you know

Tris Speaker's 792 career doubles represent an MLB career record.

Did you know

During his time in Germany in the late 1880s and early 1890s, he married his wife, Margareta, and had three children, his sons Heinrich and Otto and his daughter Huberta.

More major people who died on December 8

Notable people are ranked by substantive profile depth and public notability.

1722 Elizabeth Charlotte
Elizabeth Charlotte
Princess Palatine (born 1652)
Madame Elizabeth Charlotte, Duchess of Orléans, also known as Liselotte von der Pfalz, was a German member of the House of Wittelsbach who married into the French royal family.
Wikipedia source
899 Arnulf of Carinthia (born 850)
Arnulf of Carinthia (born 850)
Arnulf of Carinthia was King of East Francia since 887, King of Italy since 894, and Emperor since 896.
Wikipedia source
1958 Tris Speaker
Tris Speaker
American baseball player and manager (born 1888)
Tristram Edgar Speaker, nicknamed "the Gray Eagle", was an American professional baseball player and manager. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a center fielder from 1907 to 1928.
Wikipedia source
1914 Maximilian von Spee
Maximilian von Spee
Danish-German admiral (born 1861)
Maximilian Johannes Maria Hubert Reichsgraf von Spee was a German naval officer in the Imperial German Navy, who commanded the East Asia Squadron during World War I.
Wikipedia source
1946 Tex O'Reilly
Tex O'Reilly
American mercenary (born 1880)
Edward Sinnott "Tex" O'Reilly was an American soldier of fortune, writer, journalist, and film actor. He is said to have fought in ten wars under many flags. Initially serving in the U.S.
Wikipedia source
1922 Rory O'Connor
Rory O'Connor
executed Irish Republican Army leader, (born 1883)
Roderick O'Connor was an Irish republican who was Director of Engineering for the IRA in the Irish War of Independence.
Wikipedia source
1922 LIam Mellows
LIam Mellows
executed Irish Republican Army leader (born 1892)
William Joseph Mellows was an Irish republican and Sinn Féin politician.
Wikipedia source
1922 Joe McKelvey
Joe McKelvey
executed Irish Republican Army leader (born 1898)
Joseph McKelvey was an Irish Republican Army officer who was executed during the Irish Civil War without trial or court martial.
Wikipedia source
2005 Rose Heilbron
Rose Heilbron
British barrister and judge (born 1914)
Dame Rose Heilbron, DBE was a British barrister who served later as a High Court judge.
Wikipedia source
1815 Mary Bosanquet Fletcher
Mary Bosanquet Fletcher
Methodist preacher and philanthropist (born 1739)
Mary Bosanquet Fletcher was an English preacher credited with persuading John Wesley, a founder of Methodism, to allow women to preach in public.
Wikipedia source
2012 Jerry Brown
Jerry Brown
American football player (born 1987)
Jerry Jerome Brown Jr. was an American professional football linebacker who played in the National Football League (NFL). In college, he played on the defensive line for the University of Illinois.
Wikipedia source
1734 James Figg
James Figg
English prizefighter
James Figg was an English prizefighter and instructor in historical European martial arts.
Wikipedia source
1963 Sarit Thanarat
Sarit Thanarat
Thai field marshal and politician, 11th Prime Minister of Thailand (born 1908)
Sarit Thanarat was a Thai politician and military commander. He served as commander-in-chief of the Royal Thai Army and as Minister of Defense during Plaek Phibunsongkhram's premiership.
Wikipedia source
1869 Narcisa de Jesús
Narcisa de Jesús
Ecuadorian saint (born 1832)
Narcisa de Jesús Martillo Morán was an Ecuadorian virgin and Dominican tertiary in the Roman Catholic Church.
Wikipedia source
1996 Howard Rollins
Howard Rollins
American actor (born 1950)
Howard Ellsworth Rollins Jr. was an American stage, film and television actor.
Wikipedia source
1941 Izidor Kürschner
Izidor Kürschner
Hungarian football player and coach (born 1885)
Izidor "Dori" Kürschner, in Brazil primarily known as Dori Kruschner,, was a Hungarian football player and coach. As player he was successful with Budapest club MTK, and also played for the Hungary national team.
Wikipedia source
1994 Antônio Carlos Jobim
Antônio Carlos Jobim
Brazilian singer-songwriter and pianist (born 1927)
Antônio Carlos Brasileiro de Almeida Jobim, also known as Tom Jobim, was a Brazilian composer, pianist, guitarist, songwriter, arranger and singer.
Wikipedia source
2008 Oliver Postgate
Oliver Postgate
English voice actor, director, producer, and screenwriter (born 1925)
Richard Oliver Postgate was an English animator, puppeteer, and writer. He was the creator and writer of several popular British children's television programmes.
Wikipedia source
1914 Melchior Anderegg
Melchior Anderegg
Swiss mountain guide (born 1828)
Melchior Anderegg, from Zaun, Meiringen, was a Swiss mountain guide and the first ascensionist of many prominent mountains in the western Alps during the golden and silver ages of alpinism.
Wikipedia source

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