History of Today 08 March – Important Events in World History
History of Today in India – 08 March
Explore the history of today 08 March in India, including important events, famous personalities, and milestones for UPSC SSC,Banking & PSC exams.
Last updated on 08 March 2026, 04:22 AM
📜 Important Events on 08 March in World History
- 08 Mar 2021: International Women's Day marches in Mexico become violent with 62 police officers and 19 civilians injured in Mexico City alone. Read more
- 08 Mar 2021: Twenty-eight political institutions in Myanmar establish the National Unity Consultative Council, a historic alliance of ethnic armed organizations and democratically elected leaders, in response to the 2021 Myanmar coup d'état. Read more
- 08 Mar 2018: The first Aurat March (social/political demonstration) is held on International Women's Day in Karachi, Pakistan, since then held annually across Pakistan, and the feminist slogan "Mera Jism Meri Marzi" (My body, my choice), in demand for women's right to bodily autonomy and against gender-based violence, came into vogue in Pakistan. Read more
- 08 Mar 2017: The Azure Window, a natural arch on the Maltese island of Gozo, collapses in stormy weather. Read more
- 08 Mar 2014: In one of aviation's greatest mysteries, Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, carrying a total of 239 people, disappears en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing. The fate of the flight remains unknown. Read more
- 08 Mar 2010: Headlined by Hulk Hogan and Ric Flair, TNA Wrestling moves its flagship program, TNA Impact!, to Monday night. This effort to go "big time live" failed but is notable in the history of professional wrestling television. Read more
- 08 Mar 2004: A new constitution is signed by Iraq's Governing Council. Read more
- 08 Mar 2001: Space Shuttle Discovery launches on STS-102, carrying the Expedition 2 crew to the International Space Station. Read more
- 08 Mar 1994: A collision at Indira Gandhi International Airport kills 9 people. Read more
- 08 Mar 1988: Aeroflot Flight 3379 is hijacked by the Ovechkin family and diverted to Veshchevo in the Soviet Union. Read more
- 08 Mar 1985: A supposed failed assassination attempt on Islamic cleric Sayyed Mohammad Hussein Fadlallah in Beirut, Lebanon kills 80 and injures 200 others. Read more
- 08 Mar 1983: Cold War: While addressing a convention of Evangelicals, U.S. President Ronald Reagan labels the Soviet Union an "evil empire". Read more
- 08 Mar 1979: Philips demonstrates the compact disc publicly for the first time. Read more
- 08 Mar 1979: Images taken by Voyager 1 prove the existence of volcanoes on Io, a moon of Jupiter. Read more
- 08 Mar 1966: Nelson's Pillar in Dublin, Ireland, is destroyed by a bomb. Read more
- 08 Mar 1965: Vietnam War: US Marines arrive at Da Nang. Read more
- 08 Mar 1965: Aeroflot Flight 513 crashes during takeoff from Kuybyshev Airport, killing 30 and injuring 9. Read more
- 08 Mar 1963: The Ba'ath Party comes to power in Syria in a coup d'état. Read more
- 08 Mar 1962: A Turkish Airlines Fokker F27 Friendship crashes into Mount Medetsiz in the Taurus Mountains of Turkey, killing all 11 people on board. Read more
- 08 Mar 1950: The iconic Volkswagen Type 2 "Bus" begins production. Read more
- 08 Mar 1949: President of France Vincent Auriol and ex-Vietnamese emperor Bảo Đại sign the Élysée Accords, giving Vietnam greater independence from France and creating the State of Vietnam to oppose Viet Minh-led Democratic Republic of Vietnam. Read more
- 08 Mar 1942: World War II: The Dutch East Indies surrender Java to the Imperial Japanese Army. Read more
- 08 Mar 1942: World War II: Imperial Japanese Army forces capture Rangoon, Burma from the British. Read more
- 08 Mar 1937: Spanish Civil War: The Battle of Guadalajara begins. Read more
- 08 Mar 1936: Daytona Beach and Road Course holds its first oval stock car race. Read more
- 08 Mar 1924: A mine disaster kills 172 coal miners near Castle Gate, Utah. Read more
- 08 Mar 1921: Spanish Prime Minister Eduardo Dato Iradier is assassinated while on his way home from the parliament building in Madrid. Read more
- 08 Mar 1917: International Women's Day protests in Petrograd mark the beginning of the February Revolution (February 23 in the Julian calendar). Read more
- 08 Mar 1917: The United States Senate votes to limit filibusters by adopting the cloture rule. Read more
- 08 Mar 1916: World War I: A British force unsuccessfully attempts to relieve the siege of Kut (present-day Iraq) in the Battle of Dujaila. Read more
- 08 Mar 1910: French aviatrix Raymonde de Laroche becomes the first woman to receive a pilot's license. Read more
- 08 Mar 1868: Sakai incident: Japanese samurai kill 11 French sailors in the port of Sakai, Osaka. Read more
- 08 Mar 1844: King Oscar I ascends to the thrones of Sweden and Norway. Read more
- 08 Mar 1844: The Althing, the parliament of Iceland, is reopened after 45 years of closure. Read more
- 08 Mar 1801: War of the Second Coalition: At the Battle of Abukir, a British force under Sir Ralph Abercromby lands in Egypt with the aim of ending the French campaign in Egypt and Syria. Read more
🎂 Important Births on 08 March in World History
- 08 Mar 2004: Kit Connor, English actor Kit Sebastian Connor is an English actor. He gained recognition for starring as secondary school student Nick Nelson in the Netflix teen series Heartstopper (2022–2024) and will reprise the role in its continuation film. He won the inaugural Children's and Family Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Performance for the role, and received another nomination for the third season. Read more
- 08 Mar 2003: Montana Jordan, American actor Montana Jordan is an American actor. He is best known for his role as Georgie Cooper Jr. in The Big Bang Theory franchise, appearing as a series regular in Young Sheldon (2017–2024). He reprises the role as a lead actor in the spin-off Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage (2024–present). Read more
- 08 Mar 1999: Nathan McSweeney, Australian cricketer Nathan Andrew McSweeney is an Australian cricketer who has represented the Australia national cricket team in Test cricket. In domestic cricket he captains South Australia and plays for Brisbane Heat. Read more
- 08 Mar 1997: Tijana Bošković, Serbian volleyball player Tijana Bošković is a Serbian professional volleyball player of VakıfBank. A left-handed opposite, she has won gold medals with the Serbia women's national volleyball team at the 2018 and 2022 World Championships and the 2017 and 2019 European Championships. She is also a two-time Olympic medalist, having won silver at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro and bronze at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. Read more
- 08 Mar 1996: Kyle Allen, American football player Kyle James Allen is an American professional football quarterback for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Texas A&M Aggies and the Houston Cougars. Read more
- 08 Mar 1995: Marko Gudurić, Serbian basketball player Marko Gudurić is a Serbian professional basketball player for Olimpia Milano of the Italian Lega Basket Serie A (LBA) and the EuroLeague. He also represents the senior Serbian national basketball team internationally. Standing at 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m), he plays at the shooting guard and small forward positions. Read more
- 08 Mar 1995: Isaiah Whitehead, American basketball player Isaiah Whitehead is an American professional basketball player for Ironi Ness Ziona of the Israeli Basketball Premier League. He played college basketball for Seton Hall. He played for the Brooklyn Nets of the NBA in 2016–18. Read more
- 08 Mar 1994: Claire Emslie, Scottish footballer Claire Emslie is a Scottish professional footballer who plays as a forward for Angel City FC in the American National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) and the Scotland national team. Read more
- 08 Mar 1993: Rui Machida, Japanese basketball player Rui Machida is a Japanese basketball player who plays for the Fujitsu Red Wave of the Women's Japan Basketball League (WJBL). She represented Japan in the women's tournament at the 2016 Summer Olympics and at the women's tournament at the 2020 Summer Olympics, winning a silver medal. Read more
- 08 Mar 1991: Yoon Ji-sung, South Korean singer and actor Yoon Ji-sung is a South Korean singer and actor. He is best known for finishing eighth in the second series of Produce 101 and is the former leader of South Korean boy group Wanna One. Following Wanna One's disbandment, Yoon established his career as a solo artist with the release of his first extended play Aside on February 20, 2019. Read more
- 08 Mar 1990: Kristinia DeBarge, American singer-songwriter and actress Kristinia Jamie DeBarge is an American singer, songwriter and actress. She first appeared on national television in 2003 as a contestant on the American Idol spin-off, American Juniors. In 2009, DeBarge signed a contract with the Island Records department Sodapop Records, releasing her debut album, Exposed, in July of the same year. Read more
- 08 Mar 1990: Asier Illarramendi, Spanish footballer Asier Illarramendi "Illarra" Andonegi is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder for Hong Kong Premier League club Kitchee. Read more
- 08 Mar 1990: Brandon Kozun, American-Canadian ice hockey player Brandon Scott Kozun is an American-born Canadian professional ice hockey player who is currently playing with ERC Ingolstadt in the Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL). He was drafted in the sixth round, 179th overall, in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft by the Los Angeles Kings. He scored his first NHL career goal on February 20, 2015, against the Carolina Hurricanes. Read more
- 08 Mar 1990: Petra Kvitová, Czech tennis player Petra Kvitová is a Czech former professional tennis player. Known for her powerful left-handed groundstrokes and variety, Kvitová won 31 WTA Tour-level career singles titles, including two major titles at Wimbledon in 2011 and 2014. She also won the 2011 WTA Championships, and claimed a bronze medal in singles representing the Czech Republic at the 2016 Rio Olympics. Her career-high ranking of world No. 2 was achieved on 31 October 2011. Read more
- 08 Mar 1990: Kevin Zeitler, American football player Kevin Zeitler is an American professional football guard for the Tennessee Titans of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Wisconsin Badgers, and earned consensus All-American honors. He was selected by the Cincinnati Bengals in the first round of the 2012 NFL draft and he has also played for the Cleveland Browns, New York Giants, Baltimore Ravens, and Detroit Lions. Read more
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08 Mar 1989: Robbie Hummel, American basketball player and sportscaster Robert John Hummel is an American professional basketball player and TV commentator. He played college basketball for Purdue University and for the Minnesota Timberwolves in the NBA. In 2019, Hummel was named USA Basketball Male Athlete of the Year. He has served as an analyst for the Big Ten Network and Fox Sports, and is a regular contributor for Westwood One Sports and Sirius XM.
Robbie Hummel also works as a college basketball and NBA analyst for NBC Sports and CBS Sports. Read more - 08 Mar 1988: Benny Blanco, American record producer Benjamin Joseph Levin, known professionally as Benny Blanco, is an American record producer. He is the recipient of the 2013 Hal David Starlight Award from the Songwriters Hall of Fame. Blanco has also won five BMI Songwriter of the Year Awards, won the 2017 iHeartRadio Producer of the Year Award, and received eleven Grammy Award nominations. Read more
- 08 Mar 1988: Tommy Pham, American baseball player Thomas James Pham is an American professional baseball outfielder who is a free agent. He has previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the St. Louis Cardinals, Tampa Bay Rays, San Diego Padres, Cincinnati Reds, Boston Red Sox, New York Mets, Arizona Diamondbacks, Chicago White Sox, Kansas City Royals and Pittsburgh Pirates. Read more
- 08 Mar 1987: Milana Vayntrub, Uzbekistani-American actress and comedian Milana Aleksandrovna Vayntrub is an American actress, comedian, and activist. She began her career as a child actress and came to prominence for her appearances in AT&T television commercials as saleswoman Lily Adams from 2013 to 2016 and since 2020. In addition to her commercial appearances, she was a series regular on the Yahoo! Screen science fiction comedy Other Space (2015) and had a recurring role on the NBC drama This Is Us (2016–2017). Vayntrub has also voiced Squirrel Girl since 2018 after being cast as the character in the unaired television pilot for New Warriors, and later in the 2024 video game Marvel Rivals. Read more
- 08 Mar 1987: Jonathan Wright, Australian rugby league player Jonathan Wright is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer who most recently played for the Manly Warringah Sea Eagles in the National Rugby League. He primarily played wing and centre. Read more
- 08 Mar 1986: Chad Gable, American wrestler Charles Edward Betts is an American professional wrestler and former amateur wrestler. He has been signed to WWE since 2013 where he performs on the Raw brand under the ring name Chad Gable. He also portrays the original incarnation of the masked luchador El Grande Americano. Read more
- 08 Mar 1986: Thomas Morstead, American football player Thomas James Morstead is an American professional football punter and kickoff specialist for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the SMU Mustangs and was selected by the New Orleans Saints in the fifth round of the 2009 NFL draft. Morstead has also played for the New York Jets, Atlanta Falcons, and Miami Dolphins. Read more
- 08 Mar 1985: Maria Ohisalo, Finnish politician and researcher Maria Karoliina Ohisalo is a Finnish politician and researcher who served as Minister of the Interior between 2019 and 2021. The former chairman of the Green League, she has been a Member of Parliament since 2019. Read more
- 08 Mar 1984: Yoshihisa Hirano, Japanese baseball player Yoshihisa Hirano is a Japanese professional baseball pitcher for the Orix Buffaloes of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB). He has previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Arizona Diamondbacks and Seattle Mariners. Read more
- 08 Mar 1984: Ross Taylor, New Zealand cricketer Luteru Ross Poutoa Lote Taylor is a Samoan international cricketer and former New Zealand international cricketer who served as the captain of the New Zealand national team. Batting predominantly at number four, when he announced his retirement from international cricket at the end of 2021 he was the leading run-scorer for New Zealand in Test and One Day International cricket. Taylor was a key member of the New Zealand team that won the 2019–2021 ICC World Test Championship, where he scored the winning boundary in the final. He was also a part of the New Zealand squads to finish as runners-up in two Cricket World Cup finals in 2015 and 2019. Read more
- 08 Mar 1984: Sasha Vujačić, Slovenian basketball player Aleksander "Sasha" Vujačić is a Slovenian former professional basketball player. He was selected by the Los Angeles Lakers in the first round of the 2004 NBA draft with the 27th overall pick. In the 2007–08 season, Vujačić set the Lakers record for the best three-point field goal percentage (.437) in a single season. In the 2009 and 2010 seasons, he won the NBA championship with the Lakers. Read more
- 08 Mar 1983: André Santos, Brazilian footballer André Clarindo dos Santos is a Brazilian former professional footballer who played as a left-back. He was also utilised as an attacking midfielder or left winger. On 15 June 2009, he made his first international appearance as a substitute in a match against Egypt. Santos participated and helped Brazil capture the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup. He joined Arsenal from Fenerbahçe in August 2011. Read more
- 08 Mar 1983: Mark Worrell, American baseball player Mark Robert Worrell is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the St. Louis Cardinals and Baltimore Orioles between 2008 and 2011. Read more
- 08 Mar 1982: Erik Ersberg, Swedish ice hockey player Erik Ersberg is a Swedish retired professional ice hockey goaltender. During his playing career, he made a total of 54 appearances in the National Hockey League with the Los Angeles Kings. He is currently serving as the goaltending coach to the Vienna Capitals of the Austrian Hockey League (EBEL). Read more
- 08 Mar 1982: Leonidas Kampantais, Greek footballer Leonidas Kampantais is a Greek professional footballer who last played as a striker for Atlantis Anthoussa. Read more
- 08 Mar 1982: Keemstar, American YouTuber Daniel M. Keem, known online as Keemstar, is an American YouTuber, podcaster, and streamer who is mainly known for being the host of the Internet popular culture news show DramaAlert. Read more
- 08 Mar 1982: Kat Von D, American tattoo artist and model Katherine von Drachenberg, known professionally as Kat Von D, is a Mexican-born American tattoo artist, television personality, entrepreneur and recording artist. She was a tattoo artist on the TLC reality television show LA Ink, which premiered in the United States on August 7, 2007, and ran for four seasons. She is also known for being the former head of Kat Von D Beauty. In May 2021, Kat Von D released her first single "Exorcism" from her album Love Made Me Do It. Her second studio album, My Side of the Mountain, was released in 2024. Read more
- 08 Mar 1979: Tom Chaplin, English singer-songwriter and musician Thomas Oliver Chaplin is a British musician, best known as the co-founder and lead singer of the British alternative rock band Keane. Read more
- 08 Mar 1978: Nick Zano, American actor Nick Zano is an American actor. He played Vince in The WB's sitcom What I Like About You. He hosted MTV's infotainment program about the film industry Movie House as part of his work as an MTV News correspondent before he began an acting career. His recurring roles on television include Drew Pragin on Melrose Place, Pete on Happy Endings, P.J. Hillingsbrook on 90210, and Johnny on 2 Broke Girls. He also starred as a lead on the NBC sitcom One Big Happy and as Arthur Watson in the TV series Minority Report. He is best known as Dr. Nathaniel "Nate" Heywood / Steel in The CW Arrowverse, starring on Legends of Tomorrow. Read more
- 08 Mar 1977: James Van Der Beek, American actor (died 2026) James David Van Der Beek was an American actor. Known for his portrayal of Dawson Leery on The WB's Dawson's Creek (1998–2003), he also played a fictionalized version of himself on the cult ABC sitcom Don't Trust the B—- in Apartment 23 (2012–2013), starred as FBI agent Elijah Mundo on CSI: Cyber (2015–2016), and appeared as Matt Bromley during the first season of the FX drama Pose (2018). Read more
- 08 Mar 1977: Johann Vogel, Swiss footballer Johann Louis François Vogel is a Swiss former professional footballer who played as a midfielder. He spent much of his professional career with Grasshopper Club Zürich and PSV. In his later career, he played for A.C. Milan, Betis, and Blackburn Rovers before returning to Grasshoppers. At international level, he amassed 94 caps scoring twice for the Switzerland national team. Read more
- 08 Mar 1976: Chris Clark, American ice hockey player Chris Clark is an American former professional ice hockey right winger who played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Calgary Flames, Washington Capitals and Columbus Blue Jackets. Read more
- 08 Mar 1976: Juan Encarnación, Dominican baseball player Juan De Dios Encarnación is a Dominican former professional baseball outfielder. He played 11 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1997 to 2007 for the Detroit Tigers, Cincinnati Reds, Florida Marlins, Los Angeles Dodgers, and St. Louis Cardinals. Encarnación suffered a career-ending injury after getting hit in the eye by a foul ball on August 31, 2007. Read more
- 08 Mar 1976: Freddie Prinze Jr., American actor, producer, and screenwriter Freddie James Prinze Jr. is an American actor. He has starred in films such as I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997) and its sequels I Still Know What You Did Last Summer (1998) and I Know What You Did Last Summer (2025), She's All That (1999), Down to You, Boys and Girls, Summer Catch (2001), Scooby-Doo (2002), and Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed (2004). Alongside recurring roles on Boston Legal (2004) and 24 (2010), Prinze starred on the self-titled ABC sitcom Freddie (2005–2006)—which he co-created and executive produced—and voiced Kanan Jarrus in the Disney XD series Star Wars Rebels (2014–2018) and the film Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (2019). Prinze also worked for WWE as a writer from 2007–2009 and then as a producer from 2010–2012. He is the only child of actor and comedian Freddie Prinze. Read more
- 08 Mar 1976: Hines Ward, Korean-American football player Hines Edward Ward Jr. is an American football coach and former player who is the wide receivers coach for Arizona State. He played as a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL) after being selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the third round of the 1998 NFL draft. He played college football for the Georgia Bulldogs. Read more
- 08 Mar 1973: Boris Kodjoe, Austrian-German actor Boris Frederic Cecil Tay-Natey Ofuatey-Kodjoe is an Austrian/German, Ghanaian actor and former model, based in the United States. His breakthrough role was as sports-courier agent Damon Carter on the Showtime drama series Soul Food (2000-2004). His other notable television roles include Dr. Will Campbell on CBS's Code Black, Phil Miller on The Last Man on Earth, Robert Sullivan on Station 19, and a fictionalized version of himself on Real Husbands of Hollywood. Read more
- 08 Mar 1972: Matt Nable, Australian rugby league player and actor Matthew Nable is an Australian film and television actor, writer, sports commentator and former professional rugby league footballer. After playing in the Winfield Cup Premiership during the 1990s for the Manly-Warringah and South Sydney clubs, he wrote and starred in the rugby league-centred drama The Final Winter in 2007. Nable went on to act in films such as Killer Elite and Riddick. He appeared on Mr Inbetween and as Ra's al Ghul in The CW's Arrow and Legends of Tomorrow. Read more
- 08 Mar 1972: Lena Sundström, Swedish journalist and author Lena Amalia Kyoung Ran Sundström is a Swedish journalist and author. She writes news chronicles and writes for Swedish daily newspaper Dagens Nyheter. She has also had her own column at Aftonbladet newspaper, Metro newspaper's Swedish editions, Mersmak and Dagens Arbete. Read more
- 08 Mar 1970: Jason Elam, American football player Jason Douglas Elam is an American former professional football player who was a placekicker in the National Football League (NFL), primarily with the Denver Broncos. He was selected by Denver in the third round of the 1993 NFL draft and played 15 seasons with the Broncos and two with the Atlanta Falcons. Read more
- 08 Mar 1970: Andrea Parker, American actress Andrea Parker is an American film and television actress. She is known for her roles on ER, JAG, The Pretender, Less than Perfect, Desperate Housewives, and Pretty Little Liars. Read more
- 08 Mar 1968: Michael Bartels, German race car driver Michael Bartels is a German professional racing driver. He is a multiple FIA GT champion and former Grand Prix driver who attempted to qualify for four races in 1991 with Lotus. Read more
- 08 Mar 1968: Shawn Mullins, American singer-songwriter Shawn Mullins is an American singer-songwriter who specializes in folk rock, instrumental rock, adult alternative, and Americana music. His 1998 single "Lullaby" hit number one on the Adult Top 40 and was nominated for a Grammy Award. Read more
- 08 Mar 1966: Greg Barker, Baron Barker of Battle, English politician Gregory Leonard George Barker, Baron Barker of Battle, is a British Conservative Party politician, life peer, and businessperson. In May 2010 he was appointed Minister of State for Energy and Climate Change, a role in which he served until 2014. At the following year's general election he stood down as MP for Bexhill and Battle and was appointed to the House of Lords. Read more
- 08 Mar 1965: Kenny Smith, American basketball player and sportscaster Kenneth Smith is an American sports commentator and former professional basketball player in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Nicknamed "the Jet", he played in the NBA from 1987 to 1997 as a member of the Sacramento Kings, Atlanta Hawks, Houston Rockets, Detroit Pistons, Orlando Magic, and Denver Nuggets. Smith won back-to-back NBA championships with Houston. Read more
- 08 Mar 1962: Leon Robinson, American actor Leon Preston Robinson, usually credited as simply Leon, is an American actor who began professional acting as a film actor in the early 1980s. He is best known for his roles as J.T. Matthews in the 1991 Robert Townsend film The Five Heartbeats, Derice Bannock in the 1993 film Cool Runnings, Shep in the 1994 basketball drama film Above the Rim, singer David Ruffin in the 1998 NBC miniseries The Temptations, and Little Richard in the 2000 film Little Richard. Read more
- 08 Mar 1961: Camryn Manheim, American actress Debra Frances "Camryn" Manheim is an American actress who first came to attention with her off-Broadway one-woman show, Wake Up, I'm Fat, in 1994. She is known for her portrayals of Ellenor Frutt on The Practice (1997–2004), Delia Banks on Ghost Whisperer (2006–2010), "Control" on Person of Interest (2013–2015), Lieutenant Cosgrove on Stumptown (2019–2020), and Gladys Presley in the 2005 miniseries Elvis. Read more
- 08 Mar 1961: Larry Murphy, Canadian ice hockey player Lawrence Thomas Murphy is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman. He played over 20 years in the National Hockey League, suiting up for the Los Angeles Kings, Washington Capitals, Minnesota North Stars, Pittsburgh Penguins, Toronto Maple Leafs, and Detroit Red Wings. Read more
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08 Mar 1960: Irek Mukhamedov, Russian ballet dancer
Irek Dzhavdatovich Mukhamedov OBE, is a Soviet-born British ballet dancer of Tatar origin who has danced with the Bolshoi Ballet and the Royal Ballet. Born in Kazan, he trained at the Moscow Choreographic Institute under the guidance of Alexander Prokofiev between 1970 and 1978. Upon graduation, he joined the Classical Ballet Company, where he spent three years touring around the world. It was with this company that he first danced Romeo, a role that was to become one of his most acclaimed. In 1981 he won the Grand Prix and gold medal at the International Ballet Competition in Moscow and was immediately invited to join the Bolshoi Ballet as a principal dancer, where he not only became Grigorovich's favourite danseur but went to become the youngest man ever to dance the leading role in Spartacus. Read more - 08 Mar 1960: Buck Williams, American basketball player and coach Charles Linwood "Buck" Williams is an American former professional basketball player and former assistant coach for the Portland Trail Blazers. He was well known for his rebounding ability and trademark goggles. Read more
- 08 Mar 1959: Lester Holt, American journalist Lester Don Holt Jr. is an American journalist who was the news anchor for the weekday edition of NBC Nightly News, NBC Nightly News Kids Edition, and is currently news anchor for Dateline NBC. On June 18, 2015, Holt was made the permanent anchor of NBC Nightly News following the Iraq War-reporting controversy of Brian Williams. Holt followed in the career footsteps of Max Robinson, an ABC News evening co-anchor, and became the first Black male solo anchor for a major network newscast. Read more
- 08 Mar 1959: Aidan Quinn, American actor Aidan Quinn is an American actor. He made his film debut in Reckless (1984), and has starred in over 80 feature films, including Desperately Seeking Susan (1985), The Mission (1986), Stakeout (1987), All My Sons (1987), Avalon (1990), The Handmaid's Tale (1990), Benny & Joon (1993), Legends of the Fall (1994), Mary Shelley's Frankenstein (1994), Michael Collins (1996), Practical Magic (1998), Song for a Raggy Boy (2003), Wild Child (2008) and Unknown (2011). He also played Captain Thomas "Tommy" Gregson on the CBS television series Elementary (2012–19). Read more
- 08 Mar 1958: Gary Numan, English singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer Gary Anthony James Webb, known professionally as Gary Numan, is an English singer, songwriter and musician. He entered the music industry as frontman of the new wave band Tubeway Army. The band's second and final album, 1979's Replicas, reached No. 1 on the UK Albums Chart, and spawned a UK No. 1 single with "Are 'Friends' Electric?". Following the band's split, he released his debut solo album The Pleasure Principle later in 1979, which also reached No. 1 in the UK and produced another UK No. 1 single with "Cars". Although his commercial popularity peaked in the late 1970s and early 1980s, he has maintained a strong cult following since then. He has sold over 10 million records. Read more
- 08 Mar 1957: Clive Burr, English rock drummer (died 2013) Clive Ronald Burr was an English musician. He was the drummer of the heavy metal band Iron Maiden from 1979 to 1982. Together with fellow Iron Maiden member Dennis Stratton, he joined Praying Mantis for the recording of their 1996 live album Captured Alive in Tokyo City. Read more
- 08 Mar 1957: Billy Childs, American pianist and composer William Edward Childs is an American composer, jazz pianist, arranger, and conductor from Los Angeles, California, United States. Read more
- 08 Mar 1956: Laurie Cunningham, English footballer (died 1989) Laurence Paul Cunningham was an English professional footballer who played as a winger. He notably played in England, France, and Spain, where he became the first-ever English player to sign for Real Madrid. Read more
- 08 Mar 1956: David Malpass, American economist and government official David Robert Malpass is an American economic analyst and former government official who served as President of the World Bank Group from 2019 to 2023. He previously served as Under Secretary of the Treasury for International Affairs under Donald Trump, having served as an economic advisor to Trump during the 2016 U.S. presidential election; Deputy Assistant Treasury Secretary under Ronald Reagan; and Deputy Assistant Secretary of State under George H. W. Bush. He was chief international economist at Bear Stearns from 1993 to 2002, and chief economist from 2002 to the firm's collapse in 2008. Read more
- 08 Mar 1954: Steve James, American documentary filmmaker Steve James is an American film producer and director of several documentaries, including Hoop Dreams (1994), Stevie (2002), The Interrupters (2011), Life Itself (2014), and Abacus: Small Enough to Jail (2016). Read more
- 08 Mar 1954: David Wilkie, Sri Lankan-Scottish swimmer (died 2024) David Andrew Wilkie was a Scottish swimmer who was the Olympic 200m breaststroke champion in 1976, the first British swimmer to win an Olympic gold medal since Anita Lonsbrough in 1960. He is the only person to have held British, Commonwealth, European, World and Olympic swimming titles at the same time. Wilkie, a member of the Scottish Sports Hall of Fame and the International Swimming Hall of Fame, has been described as Scotland's greatest and Britain's finest swimmer. Fellow Olympic breaststroke gold medallist Duncan Goodhew considered him an "extraordinary talent" and "one of Britain's greatest ever athletes". Read more
- 08 Mar 1953: Jim Rice, American baseball player, coach, and sportscaster James Edward Rice is an American former professional baseball left fielder and designated hitter who played in Major League Baseball (MLB). Rice played his entire 16-year MLB career for the Boston Red Sox. In 2009, Rice was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. Read more
- 08 Mar 1951: Phil Edmonds, Zambian-English cricketer Philippe-Henri Edmonds is a former cricketer who represented England at international level and Middlesex at county level. After retiring he became a successful, albeit controversial, corporate executive. He was a part of the English squad which finished as runners-up at the 1979 Cricket World Cup. Read more
- 08 Mar 1951: Dianne Walker, American tap dancer Dianne Walker, also known as Lady Di, is an American tap dancer. Her thirty-year career spans Broadway, television, film, and international dance concerts. Walker is the artistic director of TapDancin, Inc. in Boston, Massachusetts. Read more
- 08 Mar 1949: Teofilo Cubillas, Peruvian footballer Teófilo Juan Cubillas Arizaga is a Peruvian former footballer who played as an attacking midfielder. He is considered Peru's greatest ever player and one of the best in the history of South America. In an IFFHS poll he was selected as the best Peruvian player in history and was also included in the world's Top 50 of the 20th century. At the 1970 FIFA World Cup, Pelé acknowledged Cubillas, referring to him as his successor. Cubillas was renowned for his technique, shooting ability and free kick ability. Read more
- 08 Mar 1948: Mel Galley, English singer-songwriter and guitarist (died 2008) Melville John Galley was an English guitarist, best known for his work with Whitesnake, Trapeze, Finders Keepers and Phenomena. Read more
- 08 Mar 1948: Peggy March, American singer-songwriter Peggy March is an American pop singer. In the United States, she is primarily known for her 1963 million-selling song "I Will Follow Him". Although she is sometimes remembered as a one-hit wonder, she continued to have success in Europe well into the 1970s. Read more
- 08 Mar 1948: Jonathan Sacks, English rabbi, philosopher, and scholar (died 2020) Jonathan Henry Sacks, Baron Sacks was an English Orthodox rabbi, philosopher, theologian, and author. Sacks served as the Chief Rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations of the Commonwealth from 1991 to 2013. As the spiritual head of the United Synagogue, the largest synagogue body in the United Kingdom, he was the Chief Rabbi of those Orthodox synagogues but was not recognized as the religious authority for the Haredi Union of Orthodox Hebrew Congregations or for the progressive movements such as Conservative, Reform, and Liberal Judaism. As Chief Rabbi, he formally carried the title of Av Beit Din (head) of the London Beth Din. At the time of his death, he was the Chief Rabbi Emeritus. Read more
- 08 Mar 1947: Michael S. Hart, American author, founded Project Gutenberg (died 2011) Michael Stern Hart was an American author credited with the invention of the e-book, and who founded Project Gutenberg (PG), the first project to make e-books freely available via the Internet. He published e-books via ARPANET years before the Internet existed, and later on BBS networks and Gopher servers. Read more
- 08 Mar 1946: Randy Meisner, American singer-songwriter and bass player (died 2023) Randall Herman Meisner was an American musician, singer, songwriter, and founding member of both Eagles and Poco. Throughout his professional musical career, both as group member and session musician, his main role was that of bassist and backing vocalist. He co-wrote and provided lead vocals on the Eagles' hit song "Take It to the Limit". Read more
- 08 Mar 1945: Micky Dolenz, American singer-songwriter and actor George Michael Dolenz Jr. is an American musician and actor. He was the drummer and one of two primary vocalists for the pop rock band the Monkees, and a co-star of the TV series The Monkees (1966–1968). Dolenz is the last surviving member of the group, following the deaths of Davy Jones, Peter Tork, and Michael Nesmith. Read more
- 08 Mar 1945: Anselm Kiefer, German painter and sculptor Anselm Kiefer is a German painter and sculptor. He studied with Peter Dreher and Horst Antes at the end of the 1960s. His works incorporate materials such as straw, ash, clay, lead, and shellac. The poems of Paul Celan have played a role in developing Kiefer's themes of German history and the horrors of the Holocaust, as have the spiritual concepts of Kabbalah. Read more
- 08 Mar 1944: Carole Bayer Sager, American singer-songwriter Carole Bayer Sager is an American lyricist, singer, songwriter, and painter. Read more
- 08 Mar 1944: Sergey Nikitin, Russian singer-songwriter and guitarist Sergey Yakovlevich Nikitin is a prominent Soviet and Russian bard, composer, and biophysicist. He performs both solo and in a duet with his wife, Tatyana Nikitina all over Russia, the former Soviet republics, and other countries with significant Russian-speaking diaspora. Nikitin is also known as a composer and performer of songs for children. Read more
- 08 Mar 1943: Susan Clark, Canadian actress and producer Susan Clark is a Canadian actress. She made her big screen debut in the 1967 drama film Banning and the following year played the female lead in the crime thriller Coogan's Bluff. She later starred in films Tell Them Willie Boy Is Here (1969), Colossus: The Forbin Project (1971), Valdez Is Coming (1971), Skin Game (1971), Showdown (1973), The Midnight Man (1974), Airport 1975 (1975), Night Moves (1975), The Apple Dumpling Gang (1975), Murder by Decree (1979), Promises in the Dark (1979) and Porky's (1981). Read more
- 08 Mar 1943: Lynn Redgrave, English-American actress and singer (died 2010) Lynn Rachel Redgrave was a British and American actress. During a career that spanned five decades, she won two Golden Globe Awards and was nominated for two Academy Awards, four British Academy Film Awards, two Emmy Awards, two Screen Actors Guild Awards, three Tony Awards, and a Grammy Award. Read more
- 08 Mar 1942: Dick Allen, American baseball player and tenor (died 2020) Richard Anthony Allen, nicknamed "Crash" and "the Wampum Walloper", was an American professional baseball player. During his 15-year Major League Baseball (MLB) career, he played as a first baseman and third baseman, most notably for the Philadelphia Phillies and Chicago White Sox, and was one of baseball's top sluggers of the 1960s and early 1970s. Read more
- 08 Mar 1942: Ann Packer, English sprinter, hurdler, and long jumper Ann Elizabeth Packer MBE is an English former sprinter, hurdler and long jumper. She won a gold medal in the 800 metres and a silver in the 400 metres at the 1964 Summer Olympics. Read more
- 08 Mar 1941: Norman Stone, British historian, author, and academic (died 2019) Norman Stone was a British historian and author. At the time of his death, he was Professor of European History in the Department of International Relations at Bilkent University, Ankara, having formerly been a professor at the University of Oxford, a lecturer at the University of Cambridge, and an adviser to British prime minister Margaret Thatcher. He was a board member of the Center for Eurasian Studies (AVIM). Read more
- 08 Mar 1939: Jim Bouton, American baseball player and journalist (died 2019) James Alan Bouton was an American professional baseball player. Bouton played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a pitcher for the New York Yankees, Seattle Pilots, Houston Astros, and Atlanta Braves between 1962 and 1978. He was also a best-selling author, actor, activist, sportscaster and one of the creators of Big League Chew. Read more
- 08 Mar 1939: Lynn Seymour, Canadian ballerina and choreographer (died 2023) Lynn Seymour was a Canadian-born ballerina, mostly associated with the Royal Ballet in London. She was a muse of choreographer Kenneth MacMillan, creating lead roles in Romeo and Juliet, The Invitation, Concerto, Anastasia and Mayerling, among others. She originated lead roles for several ballets by Frederick Ashton, including The Two Pigeons, Five Brahms Waltzes in the Manner of Isadora Duncan and A Month in the Country. She also guested with various ballet companies throughout her life. Read more
- 08 Mar 1939: Lidiya Skoblikova, Russian speed skater and coach Lidiya Pavlovna Skoblikova is a retired Russian speed skater and coach. She represented the USSR Olympic team during the Winter Olympic Games in 1960, 1964 and 1968, and won a total of six gold medals, a record she shares with Dutch speed skater Ireen Wüst. She also won 25 gold medals at the world championships and 15 gold medals at the USSR National Championships in several distances. She was also the first athlete to earn six gold medals in the Winter Olympics and the first to earn four gold medals at a single Olympic Winter Games. She was the most successful athlete at the 1960 and 1964 Winter Olympics, sharing the honour for 1960 Games with her compatriot Yevgeny Grishin. Read more
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08 Mar 1939: Robert Tear, Welsh tenor and conductor (died 2011)
Robert Tear, CBE was a Welsh tenor singer, teacher and conductor. He first became known singing in the operas of Benjamin Britten in the mid-1960s. From the 1970s until his retirement in 1999 his main operatic base was the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden; he appeared with other opera companies in the UK, mainland Europe, the US and Australia. Generally avoiding the Italian repertoire, which did not suit his voice, Tear became known in leading and character roles in German, British and Russian operas. Read more
- 08 Mar 1937: Richard Fariña, American singer-songwriter and author (died 1966) Richard George Fariña was an American folksinger, songwriter, poet and novelist. Read more
- 08 Mar 1937: Juvénal Habyarimana, Rwandan politician, President of Rwanda (died 1994) Juvénal Habyarimana was a Rwandan politician and military officer who was the second president of Rwanda, from 1973 until his assassination in 1994. He was nicknamed Kinani, a Kinyarwanda word meaning "invincible". Read more
- 08 Mar 1936: Panditrao Agashe, Indian businessman (died 1986) Jagdish "Panditrao" Chandrashekhar Agashe was an Indian industrialist, best remembered for serving as the joint managing director alongside his brother of the Brihan Maharashtra Sugar Syndicate Ltd. from 1970 to 1978. The Panditrao Agashe School in Pune is named in his honour. Read more
- 08 Mar 1936: Sue Ane Langdon, American actress and singer Sue Ane Langdon is an American actress. She has appeared in dozens of television series and had featured roles in films such as A Guide for the Married Man and The Cheyenne Social Club, both directed by Gene Kelly, as well as The Rounders opposite Henry Fonda and Glenn Ford and two films starring Elvis Presley, Roustabout and Frankie and Johnny. Read more
- 08 Mar 1935: George Coleman, American saxophonist, composer, and bandleader George Edward Coleman is an American jazz saxophonist known for his work with Miles Davis and Herbie Hancock in the 1960s. In 2015, he was named an NEA Jazz Master. Read more
- 08 Mar 1934: Marv Breeding, American baseball player and scout (died 2006) Marv Eugene Breeding was an American professional baseball second baseman who played four seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Baltimore Orioles, Washington Senators and Los Angeles Dodgers between 1960 and 1963. He batted and threw right-handed and was listed as 6 feet (1.8 m) tall and 175 pounds (79 kg). Read more
- 08 Mar 1931: Neil Adcock, South African cricketer (died 2013) Neil Amwin Treharne Adcock was a South African international cricketer who played in 26 Test matches. A tall aggressive fast bowler, he could lift the ball sharply off a length. He was the first South African fast bowler to take 100 Test wickets. Read more
- 08 Mar 1931: John McPhee, American author and educator John Angus McPhee is an American author. He is considered one of the pioneers of creative nonfiction. He is a four-time finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in the category General Nonfiction, and he won that award on the fourth occasion in 1999 for Annals of the Former World. In 2008, he received the George Polk Career Award for his "indelible mark on American journalism during his nearly half-century career". Since 1974, McPhee has been the Ferris Professor of Journalism at Princeton University. Read more
- 08 Mar 1931: Neil Postman, American author and social critic (died 2003) Neil Postman was an American author, educator, media theorist, and cultural critic who eschewed digital technology, including personal computers and mobile devices, and was critical of the use of personal computers in schools. He is best known for 20 books about technology and education, including Teaching as a Subversive Activity (1970), The Disappearance of Childhood (1982), Amusing Ourselves to Death (1985), Conscientious Objections (1988), Technopoly: The Surrender of Culture to Technology (1992) and The End of Education: Redefining the Value of School (1995). Read more
- 08 Mar 1931: Gerald Potterton, English-Canadian animator, director, and producer (died 2022) Gerald Potterton was an English-Canadian director, animator, producer and writer. He is best known for directing the cult classic Heavy Metal and for his animation work on Yellow Submarine. Read more
- 08 Mar 1930: Bob Grim, American baseball player (died 1996) Robert Anton Grim was an American pitcher in Major League Baseball. Read more
- 08 Mar 1930: Douglas Hurd, English politician Douglas Richard Hurd, Baron Hurd of Westwell is a British Conservative Party politician and author who served in the governments of Margaret Thatcher and John Major from 1979 to 1995. Read more
- 08 Mar 1928: Lore Segal, American novelist (died 2024) Lore Vailer Segal was an Austrian-American novelist, translator, teacher, short story writer, and author of children's books. She was the author of five novels, and was known for her autobiographical fiction, drawing on her life as an Austrian Jewish refugee who fled to the United Kingdom as a child, growing up in England before settling in the United States. Her fourth novel, Shakespeare's Kitchen, was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in 2008. Read more
- 08 Mar 1927: Ramon Revilla Sr., Filipino actor and politician (died 2020) Ramon Bautista Revilla Sr., popularly known simply as Ramon Revilla Sr. or simply Ramon Revilla, was a Filipino actor who served as Senator of the Republic of the Philippines. Read more
- 08 Mar 1926: Francisco Rabal, Spanish actor, director, and screenwriter (died 2001) Francisco Rabal Valera, popularly known as Paco Rabal, was a Spanish actor. His career spanned more than 200 film and television roles, between 1942 and 2001. He received numerous accolades both in Spain and abroad, including the Cannes Film Festival's Best Actor Award and the Goya Award for Best Actor. Read more
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08 Mar 1925: Warren Bennis, American scholar, author, and academic (died 2014) Warren Gamaliel Bennis was an American scholar, organizational consultant and author, widely regarded as a pioneer of the contemporary field of Leadership studies.
Bennis was University Professor and Distinguished Professor of Business Administration and Founding Chairman of The Leadership Institute at the University of Southern California. Read more - 08 Mar 1924: Anthony Caro, English sculptor and illustrator (died 2013) Sir Anthony Alfred Caro was an English abstract sculptor whose work is characterised by assemblages of metal using 'found' and industrial objects. He began as a member of the modernist school, having worked with Henry Moore early in his career. He was lauded as the greatest British sculptor of his generation. Read more
- 08 Mar 1924: Sean McClory, Irish-American actor and director (died 2003) Séan Joseph McClory was an Irish actor whose career spanned six decades and included well over 100 films and television series. He was sometimes billed as Shawn McGlory or Sean McGlory. Read more
- 08 Mar 1924: Addie L. Wyatt, American civil rights activist and labor leader (died 2012) Addie L. Wyatt was a leader in the United States Labor movement and a civil rights activist. Wyatt is known for being the first African-American woman elected international vice president of a major labor union, the Amalgamated Meat Cutters Union. Wyatt began her career in the union in the early 1950s and advanced in leadership. In 1975, with the politician Barbara Jordan, she was the first African-American woman named by Time magazine as Person of the Year. Read more
- 08 Mar 1922: Ralph H. Baer, German-American video game designer, created the Magnavox Odyssey (died 2014) Ralph Henry Baer was a German-born American inventor, game developer, and engineer. Read more
- 08 Mar 1922: Cyd Charisse, American actress and dancer (died 2008) Cyd Charisse was an American dancer and actress. Read more
- 08 Mar 1922: Carl Furillo, American baseball player (died 1989) Carl Anthony Furillo, nicknamed "the Reading Rifle" and "Skoonj", was an American baseball player who played in Major League Baseball (MLB), spending his entire career with the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers, primarily as a right fielder. Read more
- 08 Mar 1922: Shigeru Mizuki, Japanese author and illustrator (died 2015) Shigeru Mura , best known by his pen name Shigeru Mizuki , was a Japanese manga artist, illustrator and folklorist. He is best known for popularizing and reviving interest in yōkai, supernatural creatures from Japanese folklore, especially through his most famous series GeGeGe no Kitarō. Read more
- 08 Mar 1921: Alan Hale Jr., American actor and restaurateur (died 1990) Alan Hale Jr. was an American actor and restaurateur. He was the son of actor Alan Hale Sr. His television career spanned four decades, but he was best known for his secondary lead role as Captain Jonas Grumby, better known as The Skipper, on the 1960s CBS comedy series Gilligan's Island (1964–1967), a role he reprised in three Gilligan's Island television films and two spin-off cartoon series. Read more
- 08 Mar 1918: Eileen Herlie, Scottish-American actress (died 2008) Eileen Herlie was a Scottish actress. Read more
- 08 Mar 1914: Yakov Borisovich Zel'dovich, Belarusian-Russian physicist and astronomer (died 1987) Yakov Borisovich Zeldovich, also known as YaB, D.S. was a leading Soviet physicist of Belarusian origin, who is known for his prolific contributions in physical cosmology, physics of thermonuclear reactions, combustion, and hydrodynamical phenomena. Read more
- 08 Mar 1912: Preston Smith, American businessman and politician, Governor of Texas (died 2003) Preston Earnest Smith was an American entrepreneur and politician who served as the 40th governor of Texas from 1969 to 1973. A conservative member of the Democratic Party, he previously served as the 35th lieutenant governor from 1963 to 1969. Read more
- 08 Mar 1912: Meldrim Thomson Jr., American publisher and politician, Governor of New Hampshire (died 2001) Meldrim Thomson Jr. was an American politician who served three terms as the 73rd governor of New Hampshire from 1973 to 1979. A Republican, he was known as a staunch conservative. Read more
- 08 Mar 1911: Alan Hovhaness, Armenian-American pianist and composer (died 2000) Alan Hovhaness was an American composer. He was one of the most prolific 20th-century composers, with his official catalog comprising 67 numbered symphonies and 434 opus numbers. The true tally is well over 500 surviving works, since many opus numbers comprise two or more distinct works. Read more
- 08 Mar 1910: Claire Trevor, American actress (died 2000) Claire Trevor was an American actress. She appeared in 65 feature films from 1933 to 1982, winning the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role in Key Largo (1948), and received nominations for her roles in The High and the Mighty (1954) and Dead End (1937). Trevor received top billing, ahead of John Wayne, for Stagecoach (1939). Read more
- 08 Mar 1909: Beatrice Shilling, English motorcycle racer and engineer (died 1990) Beatrice Shilling was an English aeronautical engineer, motorcycle racer and sports car racer. In 1949, Shilling was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire. Read more
- 08 Mar 1907: Konstantinos Karamanlis, Greek lawyer and politician, President of Greece (died 1998) Konstantinos G. Karamanlis was a Greek statesman who was the four-time Prime Minister of Greece and two-term president of the Third Hellenic Republic, serving in the former role from 1955 to 1963 and from 1974 to 1980. A towering figure of Greek politics, his political career spanned portions of seven decades, covering much of the latter half of the 20th century. Read more
- 08 Mar 1902: Louise Beavers, American actress and singer (died 1962) Louise Beavers was an American film and television actress who appeared in dozens of films and two hit television shows from the 1920s to 1960. She played a prominent role in advancing the lives of black Americans through her work and collaborated with fellow advocates to improve the social standing and media image of the black community. Read more
- 08 Mar 1902: Jennings Randolph, American journalist and politician (died 1998) Jennings Randolph was an American politician from West Virginia. A Democrat, he was most notable for his service in the United States House of Representatives from 1933 to 1947 and the United States Senate from 1958 to 1985. He was the last living member of the United States Congress to have served during the first 100 days of Franklin D. Roosevelt's administration. Randolph retired in 1985, and was succeeded by Jay Rockefeller. Read more
- 08 Mar 1896: Charlotte Whitton, Canadian journalist and politician, 46th Mayor of Ottawa (died 1975) Charlotte Elizabeth Whitton was a Canadian feminist and mayor of Ottawa. She was the first woman mayor of a major city in Canada, serving from 1951 to 1956 and again from 1960 to 1964. Whitton was a Canadian social policy pioneer, leader and commentator, as well as a journalist and writer. Read more
- 08 Mar 1892: Juana de Ibarbourou, Uruguayan poet and author (died 1979) Juana Fernández Morales de Ibarbourou, also known as Juana de América, was a Uruguayan poet and one of the most popular writers of Spanish America. Her poetry, the earliest of which is often highly erotic, is notable for her identification of her feelings with nature around her. She was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1959, 1960 and 1963. Read more
- 08 Mar 1886: Edward Calvin Kendall, American chemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (died 1972) Edward Calvin Kendall was an American biochemist. In 1950, Kendall was awarded the Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine along with Swiss chemist Tadeusz Reichstein and Mayo Clinic physician Philip S. Hench, for their work with the hormones of the adrenal glands. Kendall not only researched the adrenal glands, he also isolated thyroxine, a hormone of the thyroid gland and worked with the team that crystallized glutathione and identified its chemical structure. Read more
- 08 Mar 1879: Otto Hahn, German chemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (died 1968) Otto Hahn was a German chemist who was a pioneer in the field of radiochemistry. He is referred to as the father of nuclear chemistry and discoverer of nuclear fission, the science behind nuclear reactors and nuclear weapons. Hahn and Lise Meitner discovered isotopes of the radioactive elements radium, thorium, protactinium and uranium. He also discovered the phenomena of atomic recoil and nuclear isomerism, and pioneered rubidium–strontium dating. In 1938, Hahn, Meitner and Fritz Strassmann discovered nuclear fission, for which Hahn alone was awarded the 1944 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. Read more
- 08 Mar 1865: Frederic Goudy, American type designer (died 1947) Frederic William Goudy was an American printer, artist and type designer whose typefaces include Copperplate Gothic, Goudy Old Style and Kennerley. He was one of the most prolific of American type designers and his self-named type continues to be one of the most popular in America. Read more
- 08 Mar 1859: Kenneth Grahame, British author (died 1932) Kenneth Grahame was a Scottish writer. He is best remembered for the classic of children's literature The Wind in the Willows (1908). Born in Scotland, he spent most of his childhood with his grandmother in England, following the death of his mother and his father's inability to look after the children. After attending St Edward's School in Oxford, his ambition to attend university was thwarted and he joined the Bank of England, where he had a successful career. Before writing The Wind in the Willows, he published three other books: Pagan Papers (1893), The Golden Age (1895), and Dream Days (1898). Read more
- 08 Mar 1858: Ida Hunt Udall, American diarist and homesteader (died 1915) Ida Frances Hunt Udall was an American diarist, homesteader, and teacher in territorial Utah and Arizona. A lifelong member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Udall participated in the church's historical practice of plural marriage as the second wife of Latter-day Saint bishop David King Udall and co-wife of former telegraphist Ella Stewart Udall and of Mary Ann Linton Morgan Udall, a widow of John Hamilton Morgan. Read more
- 08 Mar 1856: Bramwell Booth, English 2nd General of The Salvation Army (died 1929) William Bramwell Booth, CH was a British church and charity leader who was the first Chief of Staff (1881–1912) and the second General of The Salvation Army (1912–1929), succeeding his father, William Booth. Read more
- 08 Mar 1856: Colin Campbell Cooper, American painter and academic (died 1937) Colin Campbell Cooper, Jr. was an American impressionist painter of architectural paintings, especially of skyscrapers in New York City, Philadelphia, and Chicago. An avid traveler, he created many paintings of European and Asian landmarks, as well as natural landscapes, portraits, florals, and interiors. Read more
- 08 Mar 1851: Frank Avery Hutchins, American librarian and educator (died 1914) Frank Avery Hutchins was an American educator and librarian. He was one of the founders of the Wisconsin Library Association and the Wisconsin Free Library Commission. Read more
- 08 Mar 1841: Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr., American lawyer and jurist (died 1935) Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr. was an American jurist who served as an associate justice of the U.S. Supreme Court from 1902 to 1932. Holmes is one of the most widely cited and influential Supreme Court justices in American history, noted for his long tenure on the Court and for his pithy opinions – particularly those on civil liberties and American constitutional democracy – and deference to the decisions of elected legislatures. Holmes retired from the Court at the age of 90, an unbeaten record for oldest justice on the Supreme Court. He previously served the Union as a brevet colonel in the American Civil War, as an associate justice and chief justice of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, and as Weld Professor of Law at his alma mater, Harvard Law School. His positions, distinctive personality, and writing style made him a popular figure, especially with American progressives. Read more
- 08 Mar 1836: Harriet Samuel, English businesswoman and founder the jewellery retailer H. Samuel (died 1908) Harriet Samuel was an English businesswoman and the founder of H. Samuel, one of the United Kingdom's best-known high street jewellery retailers. Read more
- 08 Mar 1830: João de Deus, Portuguese poet and educator (died 1896) João de Deus de Nogueira Ramos, better known as João de Deus, was a Portuguese poet, pedagogue and editor who turned his attention to Portuguese educational problems and wrote the famous didactic book Cartilha Maternal (1876), used to teach the Portuguese language across the country during the 19th and 20th centuries. Read more
- 08 Mar 1827: Wilhelm Bleek, German linguist and anthropologist (died 1875) Wilhelm Heinrich Immanuel Bleek was a German linguist. His work included A Comparative Grammar of South African Languages and his great project jointly executed with Lucy Lloyd: The Bleek and Lloyd Archive of ǀxam and ǃkun texts. A short form of this eventually reached press with Specimens of Bushman Folklore, which Laurens van der Post drew on heavily. Read more
- 08 Mar 1822: Ignacy Łukasiewicz, Polish inventor and businessman, invented the Kerosene lamp (died 1882) Jan Józef Ignacy Łukasiewicz was a Polish pharmacist, engineer, businessman, inventor, and philanthropist. He was one of the most prominent philanthropists in the Kingdom of Galicia and Lodomeria, crown land of Austria-Hungary. He was a pioneer who in 1856 built the world's first modern oil refinery. Read more
- 08 Mar 1804: Alvan Clark, American astronomer and optician (died 1887) Alvan Clark was an American astronomer and telescope maker. Read more
🕊️ Important Deaths on 08 March in World History
- 08 Mar 2025: Athol Fugard, South African actor, director, and playwright (born 1932) Harold Athol Lanigan Fugard was a South African playwright, novelist, actor and director. Widely regarded as South Africa's greatest playwright and acclaimed as "the greatest active playwright in the English-speaking world" by Time magazine in 1985, he published more than thirty plays. He is best known for his political and penetrating plays opposing the system of apartheid, some of which have been adapted to film. His novel Tsotsi was adapted as a film of the same name, which won an Academy Award in 2005. Three plays he wrote, and two plays he co-authored, were nominated for the Tony Award for Best Play. Read more
- 08 Mar 2020: Max von Sydow, Swedish actor (born 1929) Max von Sydow was a Swedish and French actor. He had a 70-year career in European and American cinema, television, and theatre, appearing in more than 150 films and several television series in multiple languages. Capable in roles ranging from stolid, contemplative protagonists to sardonic artists and menacing, often gleeful villains, von Sydow received numerous accolades including honors from the Cannes Film Festival and the Venice Film Festival. He was nominated for two Academy Awards: for Best Actor for Pelle the Conqueror (1987) and for Best Supporting Actor for Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close (2011). Read more
- 08 Mar 2019: Marshall Brodien, American actor (born 1934) Marshall Brodien was an American professional magician who played Wizzo the Wizard, a wizard clown character which appeared on WGN-TV's Bozo's Circus and The Bozo Show from 1968 to 1994. Read more
- 08 Mar 2019: Cedrick Hardman, American football player and actor (born 1948) Cedrick Ward Hardman was an American professional football defensive end who played in the National Football League (NFL) for the San Francisco 49ers and the Oakland Raiders, then played in the United States Football League (USFL) for the Oakland Invaders. Hardman's thirteen-year football career lasted from 1970 to 1981 in the NFL and ended as a player/coach in 1983 with the Invaders. Hardman held the record for most sacks in a season for the 49ers recording 18 sacks in only 14 games during the 1971 season with the 49ers until 2012, when it was broken by Aldon Smith with 19.5. Read more
- 08 Mar 2018: Kate Wilhelm, American author (born 1928) Kate Wilhelm was an American author. She wrote novels and stories in the science fiction, mystery, and suspense genres, including the Hugo Award–winning Where Late the Sweet Birds Sang. Wilhelm established the Clarion Workshop along with her husband Damon Knight and writer Robin Scott Wilson. Read more
- 08 Mar 2016: George Martin, English composer, conductor, and producer (born 1926) Sir George Henry Martin was an English record producer, arranger, composer, conductor, and musician. He was commonly referred to as the "fifth Beatle" due to his extensive involvement in each of the Beatles' original albums. Martin's formal musical expertise and interest in novel recording practices facilitated the group's rudimentary musical education and desire for new musical sounds to record. Most of their orchestral and string arrangements were written by Martin, and he played piano or keyboards on a number of their records. Their collaborations resulted in popular, highly acclaimed records with innovative sounds, such as the 1967 album Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. Read more
- 08 Mar 2015: Sam Simon, American director, producer, and screenwriter (born 1955) Samuel Michael Simon was an American television writer, producer and animal rights activist who co-developed the animated sitcom The Simpsons. Read more
- 08 Mar 2014: Leo Bretholz, Austrian-American Holocaust survivor and author (born 1921) Leo Bretholz was a Holocaust survivor who, in 1942, escaped from a train heading for Auschwitz. He has also written a book on his experiences, titled Leap into Darkness. Read more
- 08 Mar 2014: William Guarnere, American sergeant (born 1923) William J. Guarnere Sr. was a United States Army paratrooper who fought in World War II as a non-commissioned officer with Easy Company, 2nd Battalion, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, in the 101st Airborne Division. Read more
- 08 Mar 2013: John O'Connell, Irish politician, Irish Minister of Health (born 1927) John Francis O'Connell was an Irish politician who served as Minister for Health from 1992 to 1993 and Ceann Comhairle of Dáil Éireann from 1981 to 1982. He served as a Teachta Dála (TD) from 1965 to 1987 and from 1989 to 1993. He served as a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) for the Dublin constituency from 1979 to 1981. He was a Senator from 1987 to 1989, after being nominated by the Taoiseach. Read more
- 08 Mar 2013: Ewald-Heinrich von Kleist-Schmenzin, German soldier and publisher (born 1922) Ewald-Heinrich Hermann Konrad Oskar Ulrich Wolf Alfred von Kleist-Schmenzin was a German publisher and convenor of the Munich Conference on Security Policy until 1998. A member of the von Kleist family and an officer in the Wehrmacht during World War II, his parents were active in the German resistance against Adolf Hitler. Von Kleist was designated to kill Hitler in a suicide attack and was the last surviving member of the 20 July 1944 plot to assassinate Hitler. Read more
- 08 Mar 2012: Simin Daneshvar, Iranian author and academic (born 1921) Simin Dāneshvar was an Iranian academic, novelist, fiction writer, and translator. Read more
- 08 Mar 2009: Hank Locklin, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (born 1918) Lawrence Hankins Locklin was an American country music singer and songwriter. He had 70 chart singles, including two number-one hits on Billboard's country chart. His biggest hits included "Send Me the Pillow You Dream On" and his signature "Please Help Me, I'm Falling". The latter also went to number eight on the Billboard Hot 100 pop music chart. Billboard's 100th anniversary issue listed it as the second-most successful country single of the rock and roll era. It sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc by the Recording Industry Association of America. Read more
- 08 Mar 2007: John Inman, English actor (born 1935) Frederick John Inman was an English actor and singer best known for his role as Mr. Humphries in Are You Being Served?, a British sitcom between 1972 and 1985, and the spin-off series Grace and Favour. He was the only actor from those series to reprise the role when an Australian version was launched. Read more
- 08 Mar 2007: John Vukovich, American baseball player and coach (born 1947) John Christopher Vukovich, nicknamed "Vuk" or "Johnny Vuk", was an American professional baseball utility infielder, manager, and coach in Major League Baseball, best known for his years with the Philadelphia Phillies. He played in parts of ten seasons between 1970 and 1981 for the Phillies, Cincinnati Reds, and Milwaukee Brewers. Vukovich is also known for recording the lowest career MLB batting average (BA) (.161) of any non-pitcher with 500 or more at bats (AB). Read more
- 08 Mar 2005: César Lattes, Brazilian physicist and academic (born 1924) Cesare Mansueto Giulio Lattes, also known as César Lattes, was a Brazilian experimental physicist, one of the discoverers of the pion, a subatomic particle composed of a quark and an antiquark. Read more
- 08 Mar 2005: Aslan Maskhadov, Chechen commander and politician, President of the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria (born 1951) Aslan Aliyevich Maskhadov was a Soviet and Chechen politician and military commander who also served as the third president of the unrecognized Chechen Republic of Ichkeria. Read more
- 08 Mar 2004: Muhammad Zaidan, Syrian terrorist, founded the Palestinian Liberation Front (born 1948) Muhammad Zaidan aka Muhammad Abbas, sometimes known as Abu Abbas, was a founder of the Palestinian Liberation Front (PLF) Organization. Read more
- 08 Mar 2003: Adam Faith, English singer (born 1940) Terence Nelhams Wright, known professionally as Adam Faith, was an English singer, actor, and financial journalist. As a British rock and roll teen idol, he scored consecutive No. 1 hits on the UK singles chart with "What Do You Want?" (1959) and "Poor Me" (1960). He became the first UK artist to lodge his initial seven hits in the top 5, and was ultimately one of the most charted acts of the 1960s. He was also one of the first UK acts to record original songs regularly. Read more
- 08 Mar 2003: Karen Morley, American actress (born 1909) Karen Morley was an American film actress. Read more
- 08 Mar 1999: Adolfo Bioy Casares, Argentinian journalist and author (born 1914) Adolfo Bioy Casares was an Argentine fiction writer, journalist, diarist, and translator. He was a friend and frequent collaborator of his fellow countryman Jorge Luis Borges. He is the author of the Fantastique novel The Invention of Morel. Read more
- 08 Mar 1999: Peggy Cass, American actress and comedian (born 1924) Mary Margaret "Peggy" Cass was an American actress, comedian, game show panelist, and announcer. Read more
- 08 Mar 1999: Joe DiMaggio, American baseball player and coach (born 1914) Joseph Paul DiMaggio, nicknamed "Joltin' Joe", "the Yankee Clipper" and "Joe D.", was an American professional baseball center fielder who played his entire 13-year career in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the New York Yankees. Born to Italian immigrants in California, he is considered to be one of the greatest baseball players of all time and set the record for the longest hitting streak. Read more
- 08 Mar 1998: Ray Nitschke, American football player (born 1936) Raymond Ernest Nitschke was an American professional football player who spent his entire 15-year career as a linebacker in the National Football League (NFL) with the Green Bay Packers. Enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1978, he was the anchor of the defense for head coach Vince Lombardi in the 1960s, leading the Packers to five NFL championships and victories in the first two Super Bowls. Read more
- 08 Mar 1996: Jack Churchill, British colonel (born 1906) John Malcolm Thorpe Fleming Churchill, was a British Army officer. Nicknamed "Fighting Jack Churchill" and "Mad Jack", he fought in the Second World War with a broadsword, longbow, and a set of bagpipes. Read more
- 08 Mar 1993: Billy Eckstine, American jazz singer (born 1914) William Clarence Eckstine was an American jazz and pop singer and a bandleader during the swing and bebop eras. He was noted for his rich, almost operatic bass-baritone voice. In 2019, Eckstine was posthumously awarded the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award "for performers who, during their lifetimes, have made creative contributions of outstanding artistic significance to the field of recording". His recording of "I Apologize" was given the Grammy Hall of Fame Award in 1999. The New York Times described him as an "influential band leader" whose "suave bass-baritone" and "full-throated, sugary approach to popular songs inspired singers such as Earl Coleman, Johnny Hartman, Joe Williams, Arthur Prysock, and Lou Rawls." Read more
- 08 Mar 1983: Alan Lennox-Boyd, 1st Viscount Boyd of Merton, English lieutenant and politician (born 1904) Alan Tindal Lennox-Boyd, 1st Viscount Boyd of Merton, CH, PC, DL, was a British Conservative politician. Read more
- 08 Mar 1983: William Walton, English composer (born 1902) Sir William Turner Walton was an English composer. During a sixty-year career, he wrote music in several classical genres and styles, from film scores to opera. His best-known works include Façade, the cantata Belshazzar's Feast, the Viola Concerto, the First Symphony, and the British coronation marches Crown Imperial and Orb and Sceptre. Read more
- 08 Mar 1982: Hatem Ali Jamadar, Bengali politician (born 1872) Khan Sahib Hatem Ali Jamadar was a Bengali politician and philanthropist. He served as a member of the Bengal Legislative Assembly and the East Bengal Legislative Assembly. Read more
- 08 Mar 1975: George Stevens, American director, producer, and screenwriter (born 1904) George Cooper Stevens was an American film director, producer, screenwriter, and cinematographer. He won the Academy Award for Best Director for A Place in the Sun (1951) and Giant (1956). Read more
- 08 Mar 1973: Ron "Pigpen" McKernan, American keyboard player and songwriter (born 1945) Ronald Charles McKernan, known as Pigpen, was an American musician. He was a founding member of the San Francisco band the Grateful Dead and played in the group from 1965 to 1972. Read more
- 08 Mar 1971: Harold Lloyd, American actor, director, and producer (born 1893) Harold Clayton Lloyd Sr. was an American actor, comedian, and stunt performer who appeared in many silent comedy films. Read more
- 08 Mar 1961: Thomas Beecham, English conductor and composer (born 1879) Sir Thomas Beecham, 2nd Baronet, was an English conductor and impresario best known for his association with the London Philharmonic and the Royal Philharmonic orchestras. He was also closely associated with the Liverpool Philharmonic and Hallé orchestras. From the early 20th century until his death, Beecham was a major influence on the musical life of Britain and, according to the BBC, was Britain's first international conductor. Read more
- 08 Mar 1957: Othmar Schoeck, Swiss composer and conductor (born 1886) Othmar Schoeck was a Swiss Romantic composer and conductor. He was known for his considerable output of art songs and song cycles but also wrote operas, notably the one-act Penthesilea, premiered in Dresden in 1927, and instrumental works, including two string quartets and concertos for violin, cello and horn. Read more
- 08 Mar 1948: Hulusi Behçet, Turkish dermatologist and scientist (born 1889) Hulusi Behçet was a Turkish dermatologist and scientist. He described a disease of inflamed blood vessels in 1937, which is named after him as Behçet's disease. His portrait was depicted on a former Turkish postcard stamp. Read more
- 08 Mar 1944: Fredy Hirsch, German Jewish athlete who helped thousands of Jewish children in the Holocaust (born 1916) Alfred Hirsch was a German-Jewish athlete, sports teacher, and Zionist youth movement leader, notable for helping thousands of Jewish children during the German occupation of Czechoslovakia in Prague, Theresienstadt concentration camp, and Auschwitz. Hirsch was the deputy supervisor of children at Theresienstadt and the supervisor of the children's block at the Theresienstadt family camp at Auschwitz II-Birkenau. Read more
- 08 Mar 1943: Cipto Mangunkusumo, Indonesian independence leader (born 1886) Cipto Mangunkusumo was a prominent Indonesian independence leader and Sukarno's political mentor. Together with Ernest Douwes Dekker and Soewardi Soerjaningrat, he was one of the three founders of the influential Indische Party, a political party disseminating the idea of self-government of the Dutch East Indies. After the party was labeled subversive by the colonial court of law in 1913, he and his fellow IP leaders were exiled to the Netherlands. Read more
- 08 Mar 1942: José Raúl Capablanca, Cuban chess player (born 1888) José Raúl Capablanca y Graupera was a Cuban chess player who was the third world chess champion from 1921 to 1927. A chess prodigy, he was widely renowned for his exceptional endgame skill and speed of play. Read more
- 08 Mar 1941: Sherwood Anderson, American novelist and short story writer (born 1876) Sherwood Anderson was an American novelist and short story writer, known for subjective and self-revealing works. Self-educated, he rose to become a successful copywriter and business owner in Cleveland and Elyria, Ohio. In 1912, Anderson had a nervous breakdown that led him to abandon his business and family to become a writer. Read more
- 08 Mar 1937: Howie Morenz, Canadian ice hockey player (born 1902) Howard William Morenz was a Canadian professional ice hockey player. Beginning in 1923, he played centre for three National Hockey League (NHL) teams: the Montreal Canadiens, the Chicago Black Hawks, and the New York Rangers. Before joining the NHL, Morenz excelled in the junior Ontario Hockey Association, where his team played for the Memorial Cup, the championship for junior ice hockey in Canada. In the NHL, he was one of the most dominant players in the league and set several league scoring records. A strong skater, Morenz was referred to as the "Stratford Flash" and "Mitchell Meteor" in reference to his speed on the ice. Read more
- 08 Mar 1932: Minna Craucher, Finnish socialite and spy (born 1891) Minna Craucher was the false name of Maria Vilhelmiina Lindell, a Finnish socialite and spy. Her home was a noted salon for various writers and artists. She also did espionage, originally for the Cheka, the Soviet secret police, and was arrested three times for fraud. She also had connections to the right-wing Lapua Movement. She became the subject of several books and stories. In 1932 she was murdered by Olavi Runolinna. Read more
- 08 Mar 1930: William Howard Taft, American politician, 27th President of the United States (born 1857) William Howard Taft was the 27th president of the United States from 1909 to 1913 and the tenth chief justice of the United States from 1921 to 1930. He is the only person to have held both offices. Read more
- 08 Mar 1930: Edward Terry Sanford, American jurist and politician, United States Assistant Attorney General (born 1865) Edward Terry Sanford was an American jurist who served as an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States from 1923 until his death in 1930. Prior to his nomination to the high court, Sanford served as a United States Assistant Attorney General under President Theodore Roosevelt from 1905 to 1907, and as a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee and the United States District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee from 1908 to 1923. As of January 2026, he is the last sitting district court judge to be elevated directly to the Supreme Court. Read more
- 08 Mar 1923: Johannes Diderik van der Waals, Dutch physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (born 1837) Johannes Diderik van der Waals was a Dutch theoretical physicist who received the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1910 "for his work on the equation of state for gases and liquids". Van der Waals started his career as a schoolteacher. He became the first physics professor of the University of Amsterdam when its status was upgraded to Municipal University in 1877. Read more
- 08 Mar 1917: Ferdinand von Zeppelin, German general and businessman (born 1838) Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin was a German general and later inventor of the Zeppelin rigid airships. His name became synonymous with airships and dominated long-distance flight until the 1930s. He founded the company Luftschiffbau Zeppelin. Read more
- 08 Mar 1889: John Ericsson, Swedish-American engineer (born 1803) John Ericsson was a Swedish-American engineer and inventor. He was active in England and the United States. Read more
- 08 Mar 1887: Henry Ward Beecher, American minister and activist (born 1813) Henry Ward Beecher was an American Congregationalist clergyman, social reformer, and speaker, known for his support of the abolition of slavery, his emphasis on God's love, and his 1875 adultery trial. His rhetorical focus on the love of Christ has influenced mainstream Christianity through the 21st century. Read more
- 08 Mar 1887: James Buchanan Eads, American engineer, designed the Eads Bridge (born 1820) James Buchanan Eads was an American civil engineer and inventor. He held more than 50 patents and was known internationally. He designed and built the Eads Bridge over the Mississippi River in St. Louis, which was designated a National Historic Landmark. Read more
- 08 Mar 1874: Millard Fillmore, American lawyer and politician, 13th President of the United States (born 1800) Millard Fillmore was the 13th president of the United States, serving from 1850 to 1853. He was the last president to be a member of the Whig Party while in the White House, and the last to be neither a Democrat nor a Republican. A former member of the U.S. House of Representatives, Fillmore was elected vice president in 1848, and succeeded to the presidency when Zachary Taylor died in 1850. Fillmore was instrumental in passing the Compromise of 1850, which led to a brief truce in the battle over the expansion of slavery. Read more
- 08 Mar 1872: Priscilla Susan Bury, British botanist (born 1799) Priscilla Susan Bury, born Falkner, was an English botanist and illustrator. Read more
- 08 Mar 1872: Cornelius Krieghoff, Dutch-Canadian painter (born 1815) Cornelius David Krieghoff was a Dutch-born Canadian-American painter of the 19th century. He is best known for his paintings of Canadian genre scenes involving landscapes and outdoor life, which were as sought after in his own time as they are today. He painted many winter scenes, some in several variants. He painted in Quebec City from 1853 to 1864 and 1870 to 1872, creating a prolific portfolio of landscape and genre paintings. Read more
- 08 Mar 1869: Hector Berlioz, French composer, conductor, and critic (born 1803) Louis-Hector Berlioz was a French Romantic composer and conductor. His output includes orchestral works such as the Symphonie fantastique and Harold in Italy, choral pieces including the Requiem and L'Enfance du Christ, his three operas Benvenuto Cellini, Les Troyens and Béatrice et Bénédict, and works of hybrid genres such as the "dramatic symphony" Roméo et Juliette and the "dramatic legend" La Damnation de Faust. Read more
- 08 Mar 1844: Charles XIV John of Sweden (born 1763) Charles XIV John was King of Sweden and Norway from 1818 until his death in 1844 and the first monarch of the Bernadotte dynasty. In Norway, he is known as Charles III John ; before he became royalty in Sweden, his name was Jean-Baptiste Jules Bernadotte. During the Napoleonic Wars, he participated in several battles as a Marshal of France. Read more
Why is 08 March Important in World History?
Several significant political, cultural, educational, and sporting events took place on 08 March, making it an important topic for general knowledge and competitive examinations.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What happened on 08 March in World history?
On 08 March, several important historical events, notable births, and major milestones occurred in World history.
Is History of Today important for competitive exams?
Yes, History of Today is frequently asked in UPSC, SSC, Banking, Railway, and State PSC exams as part of static GK and current awareness sections.