February 8th in History

421 - Constantius III becomes co-Emperor of the Western Roman Empire.

1347 - The Byzantine civil war of 1341–1347 ends with a power-sharing agreement between John VI Kantakouzenos and John V Palaiologos.

1587 - Mary, Queen of Scots, is executed on suspicion of having been involved in the Babington Plot to murder her cousin, Queen Elizabeth I

1807 - Battle of Eylau – Napoleon defeats Russians under General Bennigsen.

1865 - In the United States, Delaware voters reject the Thirteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, and vote to continue the practice of slavery. (Delaware finally ratifies the amendment on February 12, 1901.)


1942 - World War II: Japan invades Singapore.

1945 - World War II: The United Kingdom and Canada commence Operation Veritable to occupy the west bank of the Rhine.

1952 - Elizabeth II is proclaimed Queen of the United Kingdom.

1960 - Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom issues an Order-in-Council, stating that she and her family would be known as the House of Windsor, and that her descendants will take the name "Mountbatten-Windsor".

1968 - American civil rights movement: The Orangeburg massacre: An attack on black students from South Carolina State University who are protesting racial segregation at the town's only bowling alley, leaves three or four dead in Orangeburg, South Carolina.

1974 - Military coup in Upper Volta.

1989 - An Independent Air Boeing 707 crashes into Pico Alto mountain in the Santa Maria Island in the Azores, killing 144.

Famous Birthdays


1191 - Yaroslav II of Russia

1291 - King Afonso IV of Portugal

1405 - Constantine XI Palaiologos, last Byzantine Emperor

1677 - Jacques Cassini, astronomer

1792 - Queen Caroline Augusta of Bavaria of Hungary and Bohemia

1798 - Grand Duke Michael Pavlovich of Russia

1888 - Dame Edith Evans, actress

1911 - Elizabeth Bishop, poet

1941 - Nick Nolte, actor

1949 - Brooke Adams, actress

1960 - Benigno Aquino III, 15th President of the Philippines

1969 - Mary McCormack, actress

1974 - Seth Green, actor

1985 - Jeremy Davis, bassist

1991 - Roberto Soriano, footballer