October 8 October 8 is the 281st day of the year (282nd in leap years). There are 84 days remaining in the year. Events 400-1899 451 - At Chalcedon, a city of Bithynia in Asia Minor, the first session of the Council of Chalcedon begins (ends on November 1). 1600 - San Marino adopts its written constitution. 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 - The Great Chicago Fire, Chicago burns 1,200,000 acres (4,900 km²) in one day, eventually destroying about 17,450 buildings, kills about 250 people and leaves another 90,000 homeless. 1871 - In Wisconsin, USA, a forest fire starts to burn across six counties, eventually killing over 1,100 people. 1895 - Queen Min of Joseon, the last empress of Korea, was assassinated. 1900-1999 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 almost single-handedly kills 25 German soldiers and captures 132. 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 - The radio show, The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet debuts 1956 - New York Yankees baseball pitcher Don Larsen pitches first (and only) perfect game in World Series history in Game 5 of the 1956 World Series. 1957 - Baseball: Walter O'Malley announces that the Dodgers are going to move from Brooklyn, New York to Los Angeles, California 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 was 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. 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." 1982 - Poland bans Solidarity. 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 1991 - The Croatian Parliament cuts all remaining ties with Yugoslavia 1998 - Oslo Airport Gardermoen, Norway opens. 2000-2099 2001 - American radio talk show host, Rush Limbaugh announces to his listeners that he is completely deaf in his left ear and only has partial hearing in his right ear. 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, which will be headed by Tom Ridge. 2003 - Frederik, Crown Prince of Denmark's engagement to Australian lawyer Mary Donaldson is announced 2004 - Martha Stewart goes to jail. Births 1700-1899 1747 - Jean-François Rewbell, French politician (d. 1807) 1765 - Harman Blennerhassett, Irish lawyer 1818 - John Henninger Reagan, American and Confederate politician (d. 1905) 1870 - Louis Vierne, organist (d. 1937) 1887 - Huntley Gordon, pioneer Hollywood actor (d. 1956) 1889 - C. E. Woolman, founder of Delta Air Lines 1890 - Edward Rickenbacker, ace fighter pilot (d. 1973) 1895 - Juan Perón, former president of Argentina (d. 1974) 1900-1999 1901 - Doris Allen, Founder of CISV organization (d. 2002) 1901 - Eivind Groven, Norwegian composer and ethnomusicologist (d. 1977) 1917 - Walter Lord, author (d. 2002) 1917 - Billy Conn, boxer (d. 1993) 1920 - Frank Herbert, American science fiction writer (d. 1986) 1927 - Jim Elliot, Christian martyr and missionary to Ecuador (d. 1956) 1928 - Bill Maynard, British actor 1930 - Toru Takemitsu, composer (d. 1996) 1932 - Ray Reardon, Welsh snooker player 1938 - Fred Stolle, tennis champion 1939 - Paul Hogan, Australian actor 1941 - Jesse Jackson, American reverend and civil rights activist 1943 - Chevy Chase, American comedian, actor 1943 - R. L. Stine, author 1946 - Dennis Kucinich, Congressman and Presidential Candidate 1947 - Tony Wilson, bassist, singer 1948 - Johnny Ramone, rock and roll musician (d. 2004) 1949 - Sigourney Weaver, American actress 1950 - Robert Bell, bassist and singer with Kool & the Gang 1954 - Michael Dudikoff, actor 1956 - Stephanie Zimbalist, actress 1959 - Nick Bakay actor/comedian, voice of Salem the Cat in Sabrina 1964 - CeCe Winans, singer 1965 - Ardal O'Hanlon, Irish comedian 1968 - Toni Braxton, singer 1969 - Dylan Neal, Canadian actor 1970 - Matt Damon, actor 1976 - Renate Groenewold, Dutch speed skater Deaths 1200-1899 1286 - John I of Dreux, Duke of Brittany 1754 - Henry Fielding, author 1793 - John Hancock, revolutionary, businessman 1869 - Franklin Pierce, President of the United States 1894 - Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr., physician, writer 1900-1999 1944 - Wendell Willkie, politician, candidate for President of the United States 1945 - Felix Salten, author (Bambi) 1953 - Nigel Bruce, actor 1953 - Kathleen Ferrier, American contralto (b. 1912) 1967 - Clement Attlee, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom 1972 - Prescott Bush, father of President George H. W. Bush 1982 - Fernando Lamas, actor 1992 - Willy Brandt, German politician 1996 - Mignon G. Eberhart, author 2000-2099 2004 - Jacques Derrida, philosopher Holidays October 7 - October 9 - September 8 - November 8 - more historical anniversaries FAVORITE ARTICLES: History of the World    History of the United States    History of Europe    Ancient History    History    Military History    World War I    Bombing of Dresden    California    US Constitution    Frank Sinatra    Boston    Marbury v. Madison This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License at http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html You may copy and modify it as long as the entire work (including additions) remains under this license. You must provide a link to http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html To view or edit this article at Wikipedia go to http://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/October_8