October 8 in History

Second Nagorno-Karabakh War: Azerbaijan twice deliberately targeted the Church of the Holy Savior Ghazanchetsots of Shusha.

About 200 Extinction Rebellion activists block the gates of Leinster House (parliament) in the Republic of Ireland.

In the wake of Hurricane Matthew, the death toll rises to nearly 900.

Thomas Eric Duncan, the first person in the United States to be diagnosed with Ebola, dies.

The 7.6 Mw Kashmir earthquake leaves 86,000–87,351 people dead, 69,000–75,266 injured, and 2.8 million homeless.

A twin engine Cessna and a Scandinavian Airlines System jetliner collide in heavy fog during takeoff from Milan, Italy, killing 118 people.

U.S. president George W. Bush announces the establishment of the Office of Homeland Security.

Upon the expiration of the Brioni Agreement, Croatia and Slovenia sever all official relations with Yugoslavia.

First Intifada: Israeli police kill 17 Palestinians and wound over 100 near the Dome of the Rock.

An explosion occurred at the Cipel-Marco fur factory in Kwai Chung, Hong Kong, killing 14 and injuring 10.

Poland bans Solidarity and all other trade unions.

Australia's Ken Warby sets the current world water speed record of 275.97 knots at Blowering Dam, Australia.

Franklin National Bank collapses due to fraud and mismanagement; at the time it is the largest bank failure in the history of the United States.

Yom Kippur War: Israel loses more than 150 tanks in a failed attack on Egyptian-occupied positions.

Spyros Markezinis begins his 48-day term as prime minister in an abortive attempt to lead Greece to parliamentary rule.

Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn wins the Nobel Prize in literature.

The opening rally of the Days of Rage occurs, organized by the Weather Underground in Chicago.

Guerrilla leader Che Guevara and his men are captured in Bolivia. Guevara would be executed the next day.

Der Spiegel publishes an article disclosing the sorry state of the Bundeswehr, leading to accusations of treason.

The New York Yankees's Don Larsen pitches the only perfect game in a World Series.

The Harrow and Wealdstone rail crash in England kills 112 people.

World War II: Captain Bobbie Brown earns a Medal of Honor for his actions during the Battle of Crucifix Hill, just outside Aachen.

World War II: Around 30 civilians are executed by Friedrich Schubert's paramilitary group in Kallikratis, Crete.

World War II: During the preliminaries of the Battle of Rostov, German forces reach the Sea of Azov with the capture of Mariupol.

World War II: Germany annexes western Poland.

KDKA in Pittsburgh's Forbes Field conducts the first live broadcast of a football game.

World War I: Corporal Alvin C. York kills 28 German soldiers and captures 132, for which he was awarded the Medal of Honor.

The First Balkan War begins when Montenegro declares war against the Ottoman Empire.

Korean Empress Myeongseong is assassinated by Japanese infiltrators.

War of the Pacific: The Chilean Navy defeats the Peruvian Navy in the Battle of Angamos.

Slash-and-burn land management, months of drought, and the passage of a strong cold front cause the Peshtigo Fire, the Great Chicago Fire and the Great Michigan Fires to break out.

American Civil War: The Confederate invasion of Kentucky is halted at the Battle of Perryville.

The Second Opium War between several western powers and China begins with the Arrow Incident.

Stephenson's Rocket wins the Rainhill Trials.

The Peruvian Navy is established during the War of Independence.

The Treaty of Ried is signed between Bavaria and Austria.

Jeanne Mance opens the first lay hospital of North America in Montreal.

The Spanish siege of Alkmaar ends with the first Dutch victory in the Eighty Years' War.

The Great Stand on the Ugra River puts an end to Tatar rule over Moscow

Mladen II Šubić of Bribir is deposed as the Croatian Ban after the Battle of Bliska.

Isabella of Angoulême is crowned Queen consort of England.

Dmitar Zvonimir is crowned King of Croatia.

Frankish forces led by Louis the Younger prevent a West Frankish invasion and defeat emperor Charles II ("the Bald").

The first session of the Council of Chalcedon begins.

Constantine I defeats Licinius, who loses his European territories.

Ángela Aguilar, Mexican-American singer

Brian Thomas Jr., American football player

Zheng Qinwen, Chinese tennis player

Putthipong Assaratanakul, Thai actor and singer

Camila Rossi, Brazilian rhythmic gymnast

Bella Thorne, American actress

Josh Kerr, Scottish runner

Sara Sorribes Tormo, Spanish tennis player

Sara Takanashi, Japanese ski jumper

Timo Meier, Swiss ice hockey player

Grayson Allen, American basketball player

G Herbo, American rapper

Angus T. Jones, American actor

Garbiñe Muguruza, Spanish tennis player

Molly Quinn, American actress and producer

Bubba Wallace, American race car driver

Chelsea Gray, American basketball player

Jordan McLean, Australian rugby league player

Rachel Klamer, Zimbabwean-Dutch triathlete

Aya Hirano, Japanese voice actress and singer

Hassan Maatouk, Lebanese footballer

Camilla Herrem, Norwegian handball player

Bruno Mars, American singer-songwriter, producer, and actor

Domenik Hixon, American football player

Travis Pastrana, American motorcycle racer

Miloš Pavlović, Serbian race car driver

Annemiek van Vleuten, Dutch cyclist

Raffi Torres, Canadian ice hockey player

Nick Cannon, American actor, rapper, and producer

The Miz, American wrestler, actor, and television personality

J. R. Ramirez, Cuban-American actor

Paul Burchill, English wrestler

Kristanna Loken, American actress

Anne-Caroline Chausson, French cyclist

Jamie Marchi, American voice actress, director, and screenwriter

Karina Bacchi, Brazilian model and actress

Jinnih Beels, Belgian politician

Renate Groenewold, Dutch speed skater and cyclist

Kevyn Adams, American ice hockey player and coach

Fredrik Modin, Swedish ice hockey player

Koji Murofushi, Japanese hammer thrower

Jim Fairchild, American singer-songwriter and guitarist

Kari Korhonen, Finnish cartoonist

Terry Balsamo, American guitarist and songwriter

Stanislav Varga, Slovak footballer and manager

Marc Ellis, New Zealand rugby player and television host

David Gauke, English lawyer and politician

Pınar Selek, Turkish sociologist, author, and academic

Monty Williams, American basketball player and coach

Mathieu Ngudjolo Chui, Congolese colonel

Matt Damon, American actor, producer, and screenwriter

Anne-Marie Duff, English actress

Sadiq Khan, English lawyer and politician, Minister of State for Transport, Mayor of London

Tetsuya Nomura, Japanese video game designer and director

Zvonimir Boban, Croatian footballer and sportscaster

Emily Procter, American actress

Teddy Riley, American singer-songwriter and producer

Art Barr, American wrestler (died 1994)

Karyn Parsons, American actress and producer

Matt Biondi, American swimmer and coach

Ardal O'Hanlon, Irish comedian, actor, and screenwriter

Harri Koskela, Finnish wrestler

C. J. Ramone, American singer-songwriter and bass player

Jakob Arjouni, German author (died 2013)

CeCe Winans, American singer-songwriter

Bruno Thiry, Belgian race car driver

Chen Xiaoxia, Chinese diver

Jon Stevens, New Zealand-Australian singer-songwriter

Simon Burke, Australian actor and producer

Kim Wayans, American actress and comedian

Andrea Anastasi, Italian volleyball player and coach

Bryndís Hlöðversdóttir, Icelandic politician

Reed Hastings, American businessman, co-founded Netflix

Rano Karno, Indonesian actor and politician

Ralf Minge, German footballer and manager

François Pérusse, Canadian singer-songwriter and comedian

Mike Teague, English rugby player

Gavin Friday, Irish singer-songwriter, actor, and producer

Erik Gundersen, Danish motorcycle racer

Peter Horrocks, English journalist and producer

Mike Morgan, American baseball player and coach

Carlos I. Noriega, Peruvian-American colonel and astronaut

Steve Coll, American journalist and author

Bret Lott, American journalist, author, and academic

Ruffin McNeill, American football player and coach

Ursula von der Leyen, Belgian-German physician and politician, Defense Minister of Germany, President of the European Commission

Antonio Cabrini, Italian footballer and manager

Jeff Lahti, American baseball player

Janice E. Voss, American engineer and astronaut (died 2012)

Stephanie Zimbalist, American actress

Bill Elliott, American race car driver

Alain Ferté, French race car driver

Darrell Hammond, American comedian and actor

Paul Lennon, Australian politician, 42nd Premier of Tasmania

Lonnie Pitchford, American singer and guitarist (died 1998)

Michael Dudikoff, American actor

Huub Rothengatter, Dutch race car driver and manager

Robert Saxton, English composer and educator

Takis Koroneos, Greek basketball player and coach

Jan Marijnissen, Dutch journalist and politician

Edward Zwick, American director, producer, and screenwriter

Jack O'Connell, American educator and politician

Timo Salonen, Finnish race car driver

Shannon C. Stimson, American philosopher, historian, and theorist

Adrian Palmer, 4th Baron Palmer, British aristocrat and landowner (died 2023)

Robert "Kool" Bell, American singer-songwriter and bass player

Blake Morrison, English poet, author, and academic

Hamish Stuart, Scottish singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer

Sigourney Weaver, American actress and producer

Benjamin Cheever, American journalist and author

Claude Jade, French actress (died 2006)

Johnny Ramone, American guitarist and songwriter (died 2004)

Richard Morris, English archaeologist, historian, and author

Emiel Puttemans, Belgian runner

Stephen Shore, American photographer and educator

Bill Zorn, folk musician

Hansa Yogendra, Indian yoga guru

Hanan Ashrawi, Palestinian scholar, activist, and politician

Jean-Jacques Beineix, French director and producer (died 2022)

Dennis Kucinich, American journalist and politician, 53rd Mayor of Cleveland

Bel Mooney, English journalist and author

Jon Ekerold, South African motorcycle racer

Ed Kirkpatrick, American baseball player (died 2010)

Susan Raye, American singer

Chevy Chase, American comedian, actor, and screenwriter

R. L. Stine, American author, screenwriter, and producer

Stanley Bates, English actor and screenwriter

George Bellamy, English singer, guitarist, and producer

Jesse Jackson, American minister and activist (died 2026)

Shane Stevens, American author (died 2007)

Fred Cash, American singer

Paul Hogan, Australian actor, producer, and screenwriter

Elvīra Ozoliņa, Latvian javelin thrower

Harvey Pekar, American author and critic (died 2010)

Lynne Stewart, American lawyer and criminal (died 2017)

William Corlett, English author and playwright (died 2005)

Walter Gretzky, Canadian ice hockey coach and author (died 2021)

Bronislovas Lubys, Lithuanian businessman and politician, Prime Minister of Lithuania (died 2011)

Fred Stolle, Australian-American tennis player and sportscaster (died 2025)

Merle Park, British ballerina and educator

Paul Schell, American lawyer and politician, 50th Mayor of Seattle (died 2014)

Rona Barrett, American journalist and businesswoman

Albert Roux, French-English chef (died 2021)

Kader Asmal, South African academic and politician (died 2011)

Gerry Hitchens, English footballer and manager (died 1983)

James Holshouser, American lawyer and politician, 68th Governor of North Carolina (died 2013)

Ray Reardon, Welsh snooker player and police officer (died 2024)

Bill Brown, Scottish footballer (died 2004)

Pepper Adams, American saxophonist and composer (died 1986)

Alasdair Milne, Indian-English director and producer (died 2013)

Faith Ringgold, American painter and activist (died 2024)

Toru Takemitsu, Japanese composer and theorist (died 1996)

Betty Boothroyd, English politician, British Speaker of the House of Commons (died 2023)

Didi, Brazilian footballer and manager (died 2001)

M. Russell Ballard, American lieutenant and religious leader (died 2023)

Neil Harvey, Australian cricketer

Bill Maynard, English actor (died 2018)

Jim Elliot, American missionary and translator (died 1956)

César Milstein, Argentinian-English biochemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (died 2002)

Raaj Kumar, Indian police officer and actor (died 1996)

Álvaro Magaña, Salvadoran economist and politician, President of El Salvador (died 2001)

Alphons Egli, Swiss lawyer and politician, 77th President of the Swiss Confederation (died 2016)

Aloísio Lorscheider, Brazilian cardinal (died 2007)

Thirunalloor Karunakaran, Indian poet and scholar (died 2006)

John Nelder, English mathematician and statistician (died 2010)

Nils Liedholm, Swedish footballer, coach, and manager (died 2007)

Herbert B. Leonard, American production manager and producer (died 2006)

Abraham Sarmiento, Filipino lawyer and jurist (died 2010)

Frank Herbert, American journalist, photographer, and author (died 1986)

Jack McGrath, American race car driver (died 1955)

Kiichi Miyazawa, Japanese politician, 78th Prime Minister of Japan (died 2007)

Halfdan Hegtun, Norwegian radio host and politician (died 2012)

Jens Christian Skou, Danish chemist and physiologist, Nobel Prize laureate (died 2018)

Billy Conn, American boxer (died 1993)

Walter Lord, American historian and author (died 2002)

Danny Murtaugh, American baseball player, coach, and manager (died 1976)

Rodney Robert Porter, English biochemist and physiologist, Nobel Prize laureate (died 1985)

Robert R. Gilruth, American pilot and engineer (died 2000)

Marios Makrionitis, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Athens (died 1959)

Kirk Alyn, American actor (died 1999)

Paulette Dubost, French actress (died 2011)

Gus Hall, American soldier and politician (died 2000)

Helmut Kallmeyer, German chemist and soldier (died 2006)

Ray Lewis, Canadian runner (died 2003)

Wally Moses, American baseball player (died 1990)

Ezekias Papaioannou, Greek-Cypriot politician (died 1988)

Richard Sharpe Shaver, American author and illustrator (died 1975)

Yves Giraud-Cabantous, French race car driver (died 1973)

Georgy Geshev, Bulgarian chess player (died 1937)

Eivind Groven, Norwegian composer and theorist (died 1977)

Mark Oliphant, Australian physicist, humanitarian and politician, Governor of South Australia (died 2000)

Rouben Mamoulian, Georgian-American director and screenwriter (died 1987)

Marcel Herrand, French actor (died 1953)

Julien Duvivier, French director, producer, and screenwriter (died 1967)

Zog I of Albania (died 1961)

Juan Perón, Argentinian general and politician, 29th President of Argentina (died 1974)

Clarence Williams, American pianist and composer (died 1965)

Marina Tsvetaeva, Russian poet and author (died 1941)

Snuffy Browne, Barbadian cricketer (died 1964)

Eddie Rickenbacker, American soldier and pilot, Medal of Honor recipient (died 1973)

Philippe Thys, Belgian cyclist (died 1971)

R. Fraser Armstrong, Canadian engineer (died 1983)

Collett E. Woolman, American businessman, co-founded Delta Air Lines (died 1966)

Ernst Kretschmer, German psychiatrist and author (died 1964)

Ping Bodie, American baseball player (died 1961)

Donie Bush, American baseball player, manager, and team owner (died 1972)

Walther von Reichenau, German field marshal (died 1942)

Dick Burnett, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (died 1977)

Otto Heinrich Warburg, German physiologist and physician, Nobel Prize laureate (died 1970)

Harry McClintock, American singer-songwriter and poet (died 1957)

Huntley Gordon, Canadian-American actor (died 1956)

Hans Heysen, German-Australian painter (died 1968)

Frederick Montague, 1st Baron Amwell, English lieutenant and politician (died 1966)

Laurence Doherty, English tennis player and golfer (died 1919)

Ejnar Hertzsprung, Danish chemist and astronomer (died 1967)

Alexey Shchusev, Russian architect and academic, designed Lenin's Mausoleum (died 1949)

Mary Engle Pennington, American bacteriological chemist and refrigeration engineer (died 1952)

Louis Vierne, French organist and composer (died 1937)

Ozias Leduc, Canadian painter and educator (died 1955)

Edythe Chapman, American actress (died 1948)

John D. Batten, British painter, printmaker and illustrator (died 1932)

Henry Louis Le Châtelier, French chemist and academic (died 1936)

Pierre De Geyter, Belgian composer (died 1932)

Rose Scott, Australian activist (died 1925)

Salomon Kalischer, German pianist, composer, and physicist (died 1924)

Walter Kittredge, American violinist and composer (died 1905)

John Henninger Reagan, American judge and politician, 3rd Confederate States Secretary of the Treasury (died 1905)

Harriet Taylor Mill, English philosopher and activist (died 1858)

John Ruggles, American lawyer and politician (died 1874)

William Swainson, English-New Zealand ornithologist and entomologist (died 1855)

Harman Blennerhassett, English-Irish lawyer and politician (died 1831)

Princess Sophia Albertina of Sweden (died 1829)

Jean-François Rewbell, French lawyer and politician (died 1807)

Michel Benoist, French scientist and missionary (died 1774)

Yechezkel Landau, Polish rabbi and author (died 1793)

Benito Jerónimo Feijóo y Montenegro, Spanish monk and scholar (died 1764)

John Clarke, English physician (died 1676)

Heinrich Schütz, German organist and composer (died 1672)

Jacques Auguste de Thou, French historian (died 1617)

Giulio Caccini, Italian composer (died 1618)

Margaret Douglas, daughter of Archibald Douglas (died 1578)

Narapatisithu, king of Burma (died 1211)

Pyrrhus of Epirus (died 272 BC)

Miguel Ángel Russo, Argentine footballer and manager (born 1956)

Pat Fischer, American football player (born 1940)

Tim Johnson, American lawyer and politician (born 1946)

Luis Tiant, Cuban baseball player (born 1940)

Whitey Ford, American professional baseball pitcher (born 1928)

Richard Davies, Welsh-English actor (born 1926)

Jim Diamond, Scottish singer-songwriter (born 1951)

Dennis Eichhorn, American author and illustrator (born 1945)

Lindy Infante, American football player and coach (born 1940)

Paul Prudhomme, American chef and author (born 1940)

Morris Lurie, Australian author and playwright (born 1938)

Alden E. Matthews, American missionary (born 1921)

Harden M. McConnell, American chemist and academic (born 1927)

Zilpha Keatley Snyder, American author (born 1927)

Jeen van den Berg, Dutch speed skater (born 1928)

Philip Chevron, Irish singer-songwriter and guitarist (born 1957)

Paul Desmarais, Canadian businessman and philanthropist (born 1927)

Rod Grams, American journalist and politician (born 1948)

Rodolphe Kasser, Swiss archaeologist and philologist (born 1927)

Andy Pafko, American baseball player and manager (born 1921)

Akong Rinpoche, Tibetan-Chinese spiritual leader (born 1939)

Varsha Bhosle, Indian singer and journalist (born 1956)

Marilou Diaz-Abaya, Filipino director, producer, and screenwriter (born 1955)

Eric Lomax, Scottish captain and author (born 1919)

Nawal Kishore Sharma, Indian politician, 20th Governor of Gujarat (born 1925)

Al Davis, American football coach, general manager, and NFL team owner (born 1929)

Mikey Welsh, American guitarist and painter (born 1971)

Roger Williams, American pianist (born 1924)

Frank Bourgholtzer, American journalist (born 1919)

Eileen Crofton, British physician and author (born 1919)

Ângelo Carvalho, Portuguese footballer (born 1925)

Bob Friend, English journalist (born 1938)

Eileen Herlie, Scottish-American actress (born 1918)

George Emil Palade, Romanian-American biologist and physician, Nobel Prize laureate (born 1912)

Constantine Andreou, Greek painter and sculptor (born 1917)

Mark Porter, New Zealand race car driver (born 1974)

James Chace, American historian and author (born 1931)

Phyllis Calvert, English actress (born 1915)

Jacques Richard, Canadian ice hockey player (born 1952)

Dmitry Polyansky, First Deputy Premier of the Soviet Union (born 1917)

Charlotte Lamb, English author (born 1937)

John McLendon, American basketball player and coach (born 1915)

Bertrand Goldberg, American architect, designed the Marina City Building (born 1913)

Christopher Keene, American conductor and educator (born 1946)

Oscar M. Ruebhausen, American lawyer (born 1912)

Willy Brandt, German lawyer and politician, 4th Chancellor of Germany, Nobel Prize laureate (born 1913)

Robert Berdella, American serial killer, torturer, and rapist (born 1949)

Konstantinos Tsatsos, Greek scholar and politician, 2nd President of Greece (born 1899)

Malcolm Ross, American captain, physicist, and balloonist (born 1919)

Gordon Welchman, English-American mathematician and scholar (born 1906)

Joan Hackett, American actress (born 1934)

Fernando Lamas, Argentinian-American actor and director (born 1916)

Philip Noel-Baker, English runner and politician, Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations, Nobel Prize laureate (born 1889)

Brian Edmund Baker, English air marshal (born 1896)

Jayaprakash Narayan, Indian politician (born 1902)

Bertha Parker Pallan, American archaeologist (born 1907)

Giorgos Papasideris, Greek singer-songwriter (born 1902)

Gabriel Marcel, French philosopher, playwright, and critic (born 1889)

Jean Giono, French author and poet (born 1895)

Clement Attlee, English soldier, lawyer, and politician, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (born 1883)

Remedios Varo, Spanish-Mexican painter (born 1908)

Ran Bosilek, Bulgarian author and translator (born 1886)

Iry LeJeune, American accordion player (born 1928)

Nigel Bruce, British actor (born 1895)

Kathleen Ferrier, English soprano (born 1912)

Joe Adams, American baseball player and manager (born 1877)

Felix Salten, Austrian author and critic (born 1869)

Wendell Willkie, American captain, lawyer, and politician (born 1892)

Sergey Chaplygin, Russian physicist, mathematician, and engineer (born 1869)

Premchand, Indian author and screenwriter (born 1880)

Red Ames, American baseball player and manager (born 1882)

Ahmet Tevfik Pasha, Ottoman politician, 292nd Grand Vizier of the Ottoman Empire (born 1845)

William Henry Stark, American businessman (born 1851)

John Monash, Australian general and engineer (born 1865)

Larry Semon, American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter (born 1889)

Alexei Savrasov, Russian painter and academic (born 1830)

Austin F. Pike, American lawyer and politician (born 1819)

Miguel Grau Seminario, Peruvian admiral (born 1834)

Franklin Pierce, American general, lawyer, and politician, 14th President of the United States (born 1804)

François-Adrien Boieldieu, French composer (born 1775)

Juan O'Donojú, last Spanish ruler of Mexico (born 1762)

James Elphinston, Scottish orthographer, phonologist, and linguist (born 1721)

Thomas Cochran, Canadian lawyer and judge (born 1777)

Emmanuele Vitale, Maltese general and politician (born 1758)

Andrew Kippis, English minister and author (born 1725)

John Hancock, American merchant and politician, 1st Governor of Massachusetts (born 1737)

Jean-Joseph de Mondonville, French violinist and composer (born 1711)

Henry Fielding, English novelist and playwright (born 1707)

Yongzheng Emperor of China (born 1678)

Jean de Quen, French missionary, priest, and historian (born 1603)

John George I, Elector of Saxony (born 1585)

John Greaves, English mathematician and astronomer (born 1602)

Christen Sørensen Longomontanus, Danish astronomer and mathematician (born 1562)

Antoine de Montchrestien, French soldier, playwright, and economist (born 1575)

Ishikawa Goemon, ninja and thief of Japan (born 1558)

Marina de Guevara, Spanish nun executed by the Spanish inquisition (born 1517),

Filippo Lippi, artist (born 1406)

Jacqueline, Countess of Hainaut (born 1401)

John Beauchamp, 3rd Baron Beauchamp

Cola di Rienzo, Roman tribune (born c.1313)

Emperor Fushimi of Japan (born 1265)

John I, Duke of Brittany (born 1217)

Princess Constance of Greater Poland (born c.1245)

Helen of Zadar, queen consort of the Kingdom of Croatia

Xiao Sagezhi, Chinese Khitan empress

Pilgrim I, archbishop of Salzburg

Abd al-Malik ibn Marwan, Umayyad caliph (born 646)