Browse Historical Events by Day: What Happened on January 8th?

Pericles, influential Athenian statesman and general, dies during the Plague of Athens.

The influential Chinese poet Su Shi, art name Dongpo is born in Meishan, near Mount Emei in Sichuan province. He died on August 24 1101, leaving behind him a prolific collection of poems, lyrics, prose, and essays. His poetry had enduring popularity and influence in China and other areas in the near vicinity such as Japan. He is well known in some English-speaking countries through translations by Arthur Waley and Stephen Owen, among others. 

Prince Vsevolod I becomes Grand Prince of Kiev, marking a significant period in Kievan Rus' history.

Archbishop Anselm is consecrated as Archbishop of Canterbury, restoring ecclesiastical authority in England.

Thomas Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury, is assassinated in Canterbury Cathedral.

Lotario dei Conti di Segni is elected Pope Innocent III.

François Grimaldi, disguised as a monk, captures the fortress of Monaco, establishing the Grimaldi family's rule.

Emperor Frederick III of Sicily dies, leading to a succession crisis.

Pope Clement VI confirms the privileges of the University of Prague, Bohemia.

King John I of Castile marries Beatrice of Portugal, sealing the Treaty of Windsor.

The Peace of Bicêtre is signed, temporarily halting the Armagnac-Burgundian civil war in France.

The Siege of Orléans by the English during the Hundred Years' War begins, marking a turning point in the conflict.

The inauguration of the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican takes place.

The construction of St. Peter's Basilica in Rome begins under Pope Julius II. It was and concluded in 1626, replacing the earlier Old St. Peter's Basilica. It was designed by multiple renowned architects, including Donato Bramante, Michelangelo, and Carlo Maderno, and features a notable dome, atrium, and square designed by Gian Lorenzo Bernini.

The Dutch East India Company retakes the city of Quilon in India from the Portuguese.

King Charles II grants a charter to the Massachusetts Bay Colony, reaffirming its rights.

The Austrian army secures a victory against the French at the Battle of Bergen in the Netherlands.

George Washington marries Martha Dandridge Custis in Virginia.

George Washington delivers the first State of the Union Address in New York City.

The Creek War ends with the signing of the Treaty of Fort Jackson, ceding Creek territory to the United States.

American forces, led by General Andrew Jackson, defeat the British in the Battle of New Orleans during the War of 1812.

Britain's King George III dies, and his son, King George IV, ascends to the throne.

The Greek War of Independence against the Ottoman Empire begins with an uprising in the Peloponnese.

1829, January 8 - Frenchman Louis Braille publishes his system of raised dots for blind readers.

The United States national debt is zero for the first and only time in its history.

Alexander Graham Bell receives a patent for the telephone.

U.S. President William McKinley places Alaska under military rule.

United States President Woodrow Wilson outlines his "Fourteen Points" for peace after World War I.

The United Nations headquarters officially opens in New York City. More

Chechen separatists seize a hospital in Kizlyar, Russia, leading to the Kizlyar-Pervomayskoye hostage crisis.

Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752 is shot down by Iran, killing all 176 passengers and crew on board.

Twitter permanently suspends then-President Donald Trump's account, citing the risk of further incitement of violence.