August 8

August 8 is the 220th day of the year (221st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 145 days remaining until the end of the year.

Events

Pre-1600

• 1139 – Battle of Ourique: Portuguese forces under Afonso Henriques decisively defeat the Almoravid army, a pivotal moment leading to the establishment of the Kingdom of Portugal.
• 1576 – Explorer Martin Frobisher sets sail on his first voyage to find the Northwest Passage.

1601–1900

• 1815 – The first successful ascent of the Jungfrau, the third-highest summit in the Bernese Alps, is completed by brothers Johann Rudolf and Hieronymus Meyer.
• 1889 – Herman Hollerith receives a patent for his electromechanical tabulating machine, a foundational technology for modern data processing.

1901–present

• 1942 – Quit India Movement: The All India Congress Committee launches a mass civil disobedience movement demanding an immediate end to British rule in India.
• 1945 – The London Charter is signed by the United States, United Kingdom, Soviet Union, and France, establishing the legal framework for the Nuremberg trials of major World War II war criminals.
• 1963 – The Great Train Robbery: A gang of robbers stops the Glasgow to London mail train at Ledburn and steal £2.6 million (equivalent to over £60 million today).
• 1974 – Watergate scandal: United States President Richard Nixon announces his intention to resign the following day in the wake of the scandal.
• 2008 – The 2008 Summer Olympics officially open in Beijing, China, with a ceremony starting at exactly 8:08:08 PM local time.
• 2017 – A magnitude 7.0 earthquake strikes Jiuzhaigou County in Sichuan, China, killing at least 25 people and injuring hundreds.

Births

• 1879 – Emiliano Zapata, Mexican revolutionary leader and key figure in the Mexican Revolution.
• 1901 – Ernest Lawrence, American physicist and Nobel laureate, inventor of the cyclotron.
• 1937 – Dustin Hoffman, American actor known for his versatile roles in film and television.
• 1961 – The Edge (David Howell Evans), Irish musician and lead guitarist of the rock band U2.
• 1981 – Roger Federer, Swiss former professional tennis player, widely regarded as one of the greatest in the sport's history.

Deaths

• 1991 – James Irwin, American astronaut and the eighth person to walk on the Moon during the Apollo 15 mission.
• 2013 – Karen Black, American actress, singer, and screenwriter, known for her roles in Easy Rider and Five Easy Pieces.
• 2022 – Olivia Newton-John, English-Australian singer, songwriter, and actress, celebrated for her contributions to pop and country music.

Holidays and observances

• International Cat Day: A global observance created in 2002 by the International Fund for Animal Welfare to raise awareness for cats and their conservation.
• Father's Day (Taiwan): Celebrated on August 8 because the pronunciation of "8-8" (bā bā) in Mandarin Chinese is phonetically similar to the word for "dad" (bà ba).
• Christian feast day: Saint Dominic, the founder of the Order of Preachers (Dominicans).