Sunday, December 8, 2013

December 8th in History


1432 - The first battle between the forces of Švitrigaila and Sigismund Kęstutaitis is fought near the town of Oszmiana (Ashmyany), launching the most active phase of the Lithuanian Civil War.

1854 - In his Apostolic constitution Ineffabilis Deus, Pope Pius IX proclaims the dogmatic definition of Immaculate Conception, which holds that the Virgin Mary was born free of original sin.

1907 - King Gustaf V of Sweden accedes to the Swedish throne.

1941 - United States President Franklin D. Roosevelt declares December 7 to be "a date which will live in infamy", after which the U.S. and the Republic of China declare war against Japan.

1941 - Japanese forces simultaneously invade Malaya, Thailand, Hong Kong, the Philippines, and the Dutch East Indies. These happen concurrently with the Attack on Pearl Harbor, which was on December 7 in the United States.

1966 - The Greek ship SS Heraklion sinks in a storm in the Aegean Sea, killing over 200.

1971 - Indo-Pakistani War: The Indian Navy launches an attack on West Pakistan's port city of Karachi.

1974 - A plebiscite results in the abolition of monarchy in Greece.

1991 - The leaders of Russia, Belarus and Ukraine sign an agreement dissolving the Soviet Union and establishing the Commonwealth of Independent States.

1991 - The Romanian Constitution is adopted in a referendum.

2002 - The Caribbean Community Heads of Government meet with the Government of Cuba and declare the date to be "CARICOM-Cuba Day"—to celebrate diplomatic ties between the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and Cuba.

2004 - The Cuzco Declaration is signed in Cuzco, Peru, establishing the South American Community of Nations.

2007 - Benazir Bhutto, first and only female former Prime Minister of Pakistan, had her PPP Office stormed by unidentified gunmen. Three supporters are killed

2010 - The Japanese solar-sail spacecraft IKAROS passes the planet Venus at a distance of about 80,800 km.

Famous Birthdays:

65 BC - Horace, poet

1542 - Mary, Queen of Scots

1574 - Maria Anna of Bavaria, consort of Ferdinand II, Holy Roman Emperor

1699 - Queen Maria Josepha of Poland

1708 - Francis I, Holy Roman Emperor

1756 - Archduke Maximilian Franz of Austria

1818 - Charles III, Prince of Monaco, founder of the Monte Carlo casino

1894 - E.C. Segar, cartoonist (Popeye)

1944 - George Baker, singer and songwriter

1966 - Sinéad O'Connor, musician

1976 - Joshua Butler, Chef

1986 - Amir Khan, boxer

1993 - AnnaSophia Robb, actress and singer

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