August 8th in History

The Spanish Armada Leaving the Port of Ferrol, Sir Oswald W. Brierly

Today in History

  • The Spanish Armada is defeated at the Battle of Gravelines (1588)
  • Thomas Edison patents the mimeograph (1876)
  • The Wright brothers make their first public flight at Le Mans, France (1908)
  • The Graf Zeppelin begins an around-the-world flight (1929)
  • The Great Train Robbery takes place in England (1963)
  • The cover photo for the Beatles album Abbey Road is taken (1969)
  • The Manson Family murders Sharon Tate and others (1969)
  • US President Richard Nixon announces his resignation (1974 — see “August 8 in Watergate History“)
  • Iraq occupies Kuwait, leading to the Gulf War (1990)

Birthdays

  • Matthew Henson, Arctic explorer (1866)
  • Bob Smith, co-founder of Alcoholics Anonymous (1879)
  • Emiliano Zapata, Mexican general and politician (1879)
  • Sara Teasdale, poet (1884)
  • Ernest Lawrence, physicist (1901)
  • Paul Dirac, physicist (1902)
  • Benny Carter, jazz musician (1907)
  • Dino De Laurentiis, producer (1919)
  • Esther Williams, swimmer and actress (1921)
  • Jerry Tarkanian, basketball coach (1930)
  • Mel Tillis, country musician (1932)
  • Dustin Hoffman, actor (1937)
  • Connie Stevens, actress (1938)
  • Keith Carradine, actor (1949)
  • Randy Shilts, journalist (1951)
  • Deborah Norville, television journalist (1958)

Deaths

  • Trajan, Roman emperor (117)
  • Shirley Jackson, writer (1965)
  • Cannonball Adderley, saxophonist (1975)
  • Nicholas Monsarrat, writer (1979)
  • Louise Brooks, actress (1985)
  • Fay Wray, actress (2004)
  • Barbara Bel Geddes, actress (2005)
  • Patricia Neal, actress (2010)
  • Charles Keating, actor (2014)
  • Glen Campbell, musician (2017)

Holidays and Celebrations

  • Ceasefire Day (Iraq and Iraqi Kurdistan)
  • Ba Ba Day (Mongolia, Taiwan)
  • International Cat Day
  • Namnsdag (Sweden)
  • Nane Nane Day (Tanzania)
  • National Frozen Custard Day (US)
  • National Zucchini Day (US)
  • Dalek Day (UK)

August 8 is the 220th day of the year (221st in leap years). There are 145 days remaining until the end of the year.