8 December: In a year, the 8th of December is the 342nd day as per the Gregorian Calendar. In a leap year, it is the 343rd day of the year.
What special day is today?
On this day, Metallica became the first musical band to perform on all continents, China revealed the first confirmed COVID-19 case, and the Galileo spacecraft flies past Earth for the first time.
Famous birthdays include Jean Sibelius, Diego Rivera, and Dharmendra. December 8 also marks Constitution Day for Romania and Uzbekistan.
Let’s explore what happened today.
What Happened Today? On This Day in History: 8 December
Art & Artists
- 1978 – The world premiere of The Deer Hunter (an American classic movie) was. Later, the Robert De Niro and Christoper Walken starrer film won an Oscar award for best picture. The story of movie was based on the lives of young Americans in the Vietnam War.
- 2013 – Metallica became the first musical band to make their performance on all 7 continents when they performed in a show on the Southern Continent or Antarctica.
Science & Technology
- 1966 – A treaty was signed between the two superpowers US and the USSR that forbid the use of nuclear weaponry in outer space.
- 2019 – China declared the first confirmed COVID-19 case in the world.
Leaders & Politics
- 1941 – War was declared against Japan by the US and Britain which led to the formal entry of the US into World War II.
- 1955 – Adoption of the Flag of Europe by the Council of Europe.
People & Society
- 1982 – Washington Monument hostage was led by Norman Mayer who claimed to blow up the monument with his truckload of explosives. He was an anti-nuclear weapons activist hailed from America. He was killed by the police after a high-voltage 10-hour drama. Later, it was found that the man had no explosives.
- 2013 – A riot sparked after a fatal traffic accident occurred in the part of Singapore known as “Little India”. Most of the people living here are from the Indian community. The incident is known as the “2013 Little India Riot”.
Disasters: Natural & Man-made
- 1966 – SS Heraklion, the Greek ship sank killing more than 200 people. The incident occurred due to the extreme weather condition in the Aegean Sea.
- 1969 – Olympic Airways Flight 954 hit Mount Paneio which killed 90 people. The mountain is located outside of Keratea, Greece.
Discoveries & Explorations
- 1990 – For the first time, the Galileo spacecraft, the American robotic space probe flies past Earth. The spacecraft studied the outer planet Jupiter, its moon, and two asteroids. Galileo repeated the feat (passing past Earth) for the second time in 1992. It was the first spacecraft that orbited an outer planet.
Leisure & Sports
- 1978 – Beginning of the first ever day/night super-test match in World Series Cricket which is situated at VFL Park, Melbourne.
- 2004 – The retirement of the American player Mia Hamm from women’s football (soccer).
Birth Anniversaries (8 December)
- 1865 – Jean Sibelius (Finnish composer)
- 1886 – Diego Rivera (Mexican painter)
- 1925 – Sammy Davis, Jr. (American entertainer)
- 1935 – Dharmendra (Indian actor, producer, and politician)
- 1982 – Nicki Minaj (Trinidadian-Born Singer and Songwriter)
Death Anniversaries (8 December)
- 1954 – Gladys George (American actress)
- 1980 – John Lennon (British Musician)
- 1984 – Semih Sancar (Turkish general)
- 2015 – Alan Hodgkinson (English footballer)
- 2016 – John Glenn (American Astronaut and Senator)
What Special Day is Today: (8 December)
- Constitution Day (Romania)
- Constitution Day (Uzbekistan)
- National Youth Day (Albania)
- Day of Finnish Music (Finland)
- Hari-Kuyo (Kansai region, Japan)
- Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples’ Day (Ethiopia)
Conclusion
The incredible story of the day (8 December) captures the happenings from across the globe. It encompasses a gamut of multiple verticals like science, economy, politics, explorations, etc.
Many great people got limelight or ‘gone with the wind’ on this day in history.
Presenting our readers with bona fide facts and figures, for each day, is our prime aim and objective.
We seek your genuine feedback on the article. Just write to us, now!
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