Today in history for Aug. 8

August 8 — Historical Events, Notable Births & Deaths

FEATURED EVENT: AUGUST 8, 1974 President Richard Nixon Announces His Resignation In a historic prime-time televised address to the nation from the Oval Office on the evening of August 8, 1974, President Richard M. Nixon announced his intention to resign from the presidency effective noon the following day. Facing inevitable impeachment and conviction in Congress following the Watergate scandal and the release of the ‘smoking gun’ tape recordings, Nixon became the first and only U.S. president in history to resign from office.

Major Historical Events on August 8

1588 — Spanish Armada Defeated

[Exploration & Naval History] The naval Battle of Gravelines reaches its climax as the English fleet, commanded by Lord Howard of Effingham and Sir Francis Drake, defeats the Spanish Armada. The victory prevented the Spanish invasion of England and established British naval prowess.

1844 — Brigham Young Chosen to Lead the LDS Church

[Religion & Western History] Following the assassination of founder Joseph Smith, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints votes at a conference in Nauvoo, Illinois, to sustain Brigham Young and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles as the governing authority of the church.

1863 — Robert E. Lee Offers Resignation

[American Civil War] Following the devastating Confederate defeat at the Battle of Gettysburg, General Robert E. Lee sends a letter of resignation to Confederate President Jefferson Davis. Davis promptly rejected the resignation, maintaining Lee in command of the Army of Northern Virginia.

1879 — Birth of Revolutionary Leader Emiliano Zapata

[19th Century History] Emiliano Zapata, a key figure and leading general in the Mexican Revolution, is born in Anenecuilco, Mexico. He became a champion of agrarianism and peasant rights, remembered for the battle cry ‘Tierra y Libertad’ (‘Land and Liberty’).

1918 — Battle of Amiens Begins (‘Black Day of the German Army’)

[World War I] Allied forces launch a surprise offensive at Amiens, France, opening the Hundred Days Offensive that ultimately brought an end to World War I. German General Erich Ludendorff famously called August 8 ‘the black day of the German Army’ due to massive surrenders and moral collapse.

1942 — Execution of German Saboteurs in Washington, D.C.

[World War II] Six German saboteurs who had landed via U-boats on the U.S. East Coast as part of ‘Operation Pastorius’ are executed in an electric chair at the District of Columbia jail, following trial by a secret military commission authorized by President Franklin D. Roosevelt.

1945 — Soviet Union Declares War on Japan

[World War II & Global Politics] Fulfilling a commitment made at the Yalta Conference, the USSR declares war on Imperial Japan. Over 1.5 million Soviet troops invaded Japanese-occupied Manchuria the following day, accelerating Japan’s unconditional surrender.

1945 — President Truman Ratifies the UN Charter

[U.S. Government & International Diplomacy] President Harry S. Truman signs the instrument of ratification for the United Nations Charter, making the United States the first nation to complete the ratification process for the newly formed international peace organization.

1986 — Premiere of Spike Lee’s ‘She’s Gotta Have It’

[Arts & Entertainment] Spike Lee’s landmark independent comedy-drama ‘She’s Gotta Have It’ opens in U.S. theaters. Filmed on a micro-budget, the film launched Lee’s acclaimed directorial career and heralded a renaissance in American Black independent cinema.

1988 — N.W.A Releases ‘Straight Outta Compton’

[Arts & Entertainment / Music] Hip-hop group N.W.A releases their groundbreaking album ‘Straight Outta Compton.’ The album popularized gangsta rap, offered raw social commentary on police brutality, and fundamentally transformed popular music and American culture.

1988 — First Night Game Under Lights at Wrigley Field

[Sports] After 74 years of day-only baseball, lights are officially turned on at Wrigley Field in Chicago for the first night game in Chicago Cubs history. The game against the Philadelphia Phillies was rained out in the 4th inning, with the first official full night game played the next day.

2008 — Outbreak of the Russo-Georgian War

[21st Century History] Following heightened tensions over the breakaway regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia, full-scale military conflict erupts between Georgia and the Russian Federation, lasting five days and reshaping post-Soviet geopolitics.

2009 — Sonia Sotomayor Sworn In to Supreme Court

[U.S. Government & Politics] Sonia Sotomayor takes the judicial oath administered by Chief Justice John Roberts, becoming the first Hispanic and third female Associate Justice in the history of the United States Supreme Court.

Notable Births on August 8

Year	Name	Notable Accomplishments
1879	Emiliano Zapata	Mexican revolutionary leader and agrarian reformer (d. 1919)
1901	Ernest Lawrence	American nuclear physicist, inventor of the cyclotron, Nobel laureate in Physics (d. 1958)
1902	Paul Dirac	English theoretical physicist, pioneer of quantum mechanics & quantum electrodynamics, Nobel laureate (d. 1984)
1925	Alija Izetbegović	Bosnian politician, lawyer, and first President of Bosnia and Herzegovina (d. 2003)
1937	Dustin Hoffman	Acclaimed American actor, two-time Academy Award winner (*Kramer vs. Kramer*, *Rain Man*)
1948	Svetlana Savitskaya	Soviet aviator and cosmonaut, first woman to perform a spacewalk (EVA)
1953	Nigel Mansell	British Formula One racing driver, 1992 F1 World Champion
1961	The Edge (David Evans)	Lead guitarist and keyboardist for the legendary Irish rock band U2
1981	Roger Federer	Swiss tennis icon, 20-time Grand Slam singles champion and widely considered one of the greatest of all time
1998	Shawn Mendes	Multi-platinum Canadian singer-songwriter and musician

Notable Deaths on August 8

Year	Name	Notable Accomplishments
117 AD	Trajan	Roman Emperor (98–117 AD) who led Rome to its maximum territorial extent (b. 53 AD)
1553	Girolamo Fracastoro	Italian physician, poet, and pioneer of contagion and germ theory (b. 1478)
1900	Emil Škoda	Czech industrialist, engineer, and founder of Škoda Works (b. 1839)
1944	Erwin von Witzleben	German Field Marshal executed for his leadership role in the July 20 anti-Hitler plot (b. 1881)
1965	Shirley Jackson	Masterful American author known for *The Lottery* and *The Haunting of Hill House* (b. 1916)
1985	Louise Brooks	American silent film actress, dancer, and iconic 1920s flapper style figure (b. 1906)
2004	Fay Wray	Canadian-American actress best known for her starring role in the classic 1933 film *King Kong* (b. 1907)
2013	Karen Black	American actress, screenwriter, and singer, star of *Five Easy Pieces* and *Easy Rider* (b. 1939)
2017	Glen Campbell	Grammy and Hall of Fame American country music singer, guitarist, and host (b. 1936)
2022	Olivia Newton-John	Beloved Grammy-winning British-Australian singer and actress (*Grease*) (b. 1948)