This Day in History
08 Dec 1326
Daitokuji temple Rinzai line established in Kyoto by Daito Kokushi
08 Dec 1609
Biblioteca Ambrosiana opens its reading room the second public library of Europe.
08 Dec 1659
Mexican border town Ciudad Jurez is founded by Fray Garca de San Francisco.
08 Dec 1710
Battle of Brihuega in the War of the Spanish Succession British General James Stanhope captured by French & Spanish forces
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NAFTA signed into law
The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) is signed into law by President Bill Clinton. Clinton said he hoped the agreement would encourage other nations ...
Mary Queen of Scots born
In Linlithgow Palace in Scotland a daughter is born to James V the dying king of Scotland. Named Mary she was the only surviving child of her father and asce...
John Lennon shot
John Lennon a former member of the Beatles the rock group that transformed popular music in the 1960s is shot and killed by an obsessed fan in New York City....
The United States declares war on Japan
On this day as Americas Pacific fleet lay in ruins at Pearl Harbor President Franklin Roosevelt requests and receives a declaration of war against J...
Operation Tiger Hound launched
In some of the heaviest raids of the war 150 U.S. Air Force and Navy planes launch Operation Tiger Hound to interdict the Ho Chi Minh Trail in the lower portio...
North Vietnam rejects Johnson’s prisoner exchange proposal
The International Red Cross announces in Geneva that North Vietnam has rejected a proposal by President Johnson for a resolution of the prisoner of war situatio...
Nixon declares Vietnam War is ending
At a news conference President Richard Nixon says that the Vietnam War is coming to a conclusion as a result of the plan that we have instituted....
Bears beat Redskins 73-0 in NFL Championship game
On this day in 1940 the Chicago Bears trounce the Washington Redskins in the National Football League (NFL) Championship by a score of 73-0 the largest margin...
Roosevelt asks Congress to declare war on Japan
On this day in 1941 President Franklin Roosevelt asks Congress to declare war on Japan in perhaps the most memorable speech of his career. The speech in which...
Jeanette Rankin casts sole vote against WWII
On this day Montanan Jeanette Rankin the first woman elected to Congress and a dedicated lifelong pacifist casts the sole Congressional vote against the U.S....
James Thurber is born
On this day in 1894 humorist James Thurber is born in Columbus Ohio.When Thurber was about 7 he lost an eye in an accident while playing with his brothers. ...
John Lennon is assassinated in New York City
Former Beatle John Lennon is shot and killed by Mark David Chapman on December 8 1980.For those who were listening to the radio on the evening of December 8 1...
Meryl Streep stars in Sophie’s Choice
On this day in 1982 Sophies Choice starring the actress Meryl Streep as a Holocaust survivor opens in theaters. Directed by Alan J. Pakula (All The P...
Theater fire kills hundreds in Vienna
A fire at the Ring Theater in Vienna Austria kills at least 620 people and injures hundreds more on this day in 1881.The luxurious ornate theater hosted the ...
John Lennon is murdered
Singer John Lennon is shot and killed by Mark David Chapman outside his apartment building in New York City. After committing the murder Chapman waited calmly ...
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