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Explore the historical events that shaped our world on January 8th. From major milestones to cultural achievements, see what happened on this day in history. Dates for earlier events may be approximate.
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Alfred the Great, then a prince, led the West Saxon army to a victory at the Battle of Ashdown against a Danish invasion, on January 8, 871. He was fighting alongside his brother, King Æthelred, in a key battle where the Danes suffered heavy losses, including several of their earls.
Lotario dei Conti di Segni is elected Pope Innocent III on January 8, 1198, He was elected at age 37, shortly after the death of Pope Celestine III at the age of 37 and became one of the most influential popes of the Middle Ages. His papacy is considered by many historians to be the peak of medieval papal power.
François Grimaldi, known as "Malizia" (the Cunning), captures the fortress of Monaco by gaining entry by deception disguised as a Franciscan monk and establishing the Grimaldi family's rule.
This event marked the beginning of the Grimaldi dynasty's claim to Monaco and is commemorated on the country's coat of arms, which features two monks brandishing swords. François Grimaldi only held Monaco for four years when he was expelled by the Genoese. It was his cousin Rainier I, and later Rainier's descendants, who solidified the Grimaldi family's long-term rule over Monaco, which continues to this day.
The Council of Ferrara - Florence is convened in Italy and opens on January 8, 1438. It was the continuation of the Council of Basel, which Pope Eugenius IV transferred to Ferrara, then Florence. It was aimed at reunifying the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Roman Catholic Church after the separation which began with the Great Schism of 1054.
A papal bull, Laetentur Caeli, was issued on July 6, 1439 declaring the union of the two churches, however it was short lived and eventually rejected by most of the Orthodox bishops and clergy back in the East, and the reunification ultimately failed due to significant opposition.
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.
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.
Crazy Horse and his warriors fight their last major battle against the U.S. Cavalry at Wolf Mountain, Montana. More
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.
