What Happened on January 8 in History?
On January 8th, historically significant events include George Washington's first State of the Union address (1790), Andrew Jackson's victory at the Battle of New Orleans (1815), Lyndon B. Johnson's declaration of a "war on poverty" (1964), the founding of the African National Congress (ANC) (1912), and the patenting of the first practical tabulating machine by Herman Hollerith (1889). Notable births include Elvis Presley (1935) and David Bowie (1947).
Historical Events
1790: President George Washington delivered the first State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress in New York City.
1815: The Battle of New Orleans concluded with a decisive American victory over the British, unaware that the Treaty of Ghent had already been signed two weeks prior.
1835: The United States national debt reached zero for the first and only time in the country's history under President Andrew Jackson.
1867: The U.S. House of Representatives overrode a presidential veto to grant Black men in the District of Columbia the right to vote.
1912: The African National Congress (ANC) was founded in South Africa to defend the rights and freedoms of the African people.
1918: President Woodrow Wilson delivered his "Fourteen Points" speech, outlining a plan for peace after World War I.
1959: Fidel Castro arrived in Havana, Cuba, following the successful overthrow of the Batista regime.
1964: President Lyndon B. Johnson declared an "unconditional war on poverty" during his State of the Union address.
1982: AT&T agreed to divest its local operating companies (the "Bell System") to settle an antitrust suit.
2011: U.S. Representative Gabrielle Giffords was critically injured in a shooting at a supermarket in Tucson, Arizona, which left six others dead.
2020: Iran fired missiles at two Iraqi military bases housing American troops in retaliation for the killing of General Qasem Soleimani; on the same day, an Iranian missile mistakenly shot down a Ukrainian jetliner, killing all 176 on board.
2023: Supporters of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro stormed government buildings in Brasilia to protest the election of Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
Notable Birthdays
Elvis Presley (1935–1977): American singer known as the "King of Rock and Roll".
Stephen Hawking (1942–2018): British theoretical physicist and cosmologist.
David Bowie (1947–2016): Iconic English singer-songwriter and actor.
Carolina Herrera (1939): Venezuelan-American fashion designer.
Shirley Bassey (1937): Welsh singer famous for recording several James Bond theme songs.
Kim Jong Un (born 1982/1984): Current Supreme Leader of North Korea.
Notable Deaths
Galileo Galilei (1642): Italian astronomer and physicist, often called the "father of modern science".
Robert Baden-Powell (1941): British Army officer and founder of the worldwide Boy Scouts movement.
T.S. Eliot (1965): American-born British poet and Nobel laureate.
