Laval daycare bus crash
Two children are killed and six others are injured when a bus crashes into a daycare centre in Laval, Quebec, Canada. The driver is arrested and charged with homicide and dangerous driving.
What happened on February 8
36 events · 20 births · 20 deaths · 8 observances. From 421 to 2025.
Standout on February 8
2014
2014 Medina hotel fire
A hotel fire in Medina, Saudi Arabia, kills 15 Egyptian pilgrims with 130 others injured.
About February 8
February 8 is the 39th day of the year. These facts are computed from the calendar, not copied from anywhere.
- Day of the year
- Day 39 of 365 (39 in leap years)326 days left in the year (327 in leap years)
- Falls on
- Sunday in 2026, Monday in 2027, Tuesday in 2028, Thursday in 2029, Friday in 2030
- Week
- ISO week 6 of 2026 · Q1
- Zodiac sign
- ♒ Aquarius (January 20 – February 18)
- Season
- Winter in the north · Summer in the south
- February birthstone
- Amethystcalm, clarity and courage
- February birth flower
- Violet / Primrosefaithfulness and young love
- Next occurrence
- In 104 days
- Roman numerals
- VIII.IIday.month — see the Roman numeral date tool
Anniversaries in 2026
- 80thPeople's Republic of Korea1946
- 40thVia Rail1986
- 30thKenedy (footballer)1996
- 30thLeighton Vander Esch1996
- 25thI.N2001
- 10thAmelia Bence2016
- 10thMargaret Forster2016
- 10thNida Fazli2016
February 8 through the years
- 10 years ago2016
- Violette Verdy · Margaret Forster · Amelia Bence
- 25 years ago2001
- I.N
- 50 years ago1976
- Nothing recorded
- 100 years ago1926
- Nothing recorded
- 200 years ago1826
- Nothing recorded
Born on February 8 — ages this year
- 2001I.Nturns 25
- 1999Alessia Russoturns 27
- 1998Rui Hachimuraturns 28
- 1997Kathryn Newtonturns 29
- 1996Leighton Vander Eschturns 30
- 1996Kenedy (footballer)turns 30
Historical events 36
A dated happening — a battle, treaty, launch, discovery, disaster or decision — recorded on this calendar day.
Nakhon Ratchasima shootings
A soldier opens fire in a military camp and a shopping center in Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand, killing 29 people and injuring 58 others before being shot dead by police the next day. It is considered the deadliest mass shooting in the country's history.
2014 Medina hotel fire
A hotel fire in Medina, Saudi Arabia, kills 15 Egyptian pilgrims with 130 others injured.
February 2013 North American blizzard
A blizzard kills at least 18 and leaves hundreds of thousands of people without electricity in the northeastern United States and parts of Canada.
Hindu Kush
Over 2 miles (3.2 km) of road are buried after a storm in the Hindu Kush mountains of Afghanistan triggers a series of avalanches, killing at least 172 people and trapping over 2,000 others.
Iran Airtour
An Iran Air Tours Tupolev Tu-154 and an Iranian Air Force Sukhoi Su-24 collide mid-air near Qods, Iran, killing all 133 people on board both aircraft.
Independent Air Flight 1851
Independent Air Flight 1851 strikes Pico Alto mountain while on approach to Santa Maria Airport in the Azores, killing all 144 passengers on board.
Via Rail
Twenty-three people are killed when a VIA Rail passenger train collides with a Canadian National freight train near the town of Hinton, Alberta, making it one of the worst rail accidents in Canada.
1983 Melbourne dust storm
A dust storm hits Melbourne, resulting in the worst drought on record and severe weather conditions in the city.
Shergar
The Irish-bred race horse Shergar was stolen by gunmen, who demanded a £2 million ransom.
Rhodesian Bush War
Rhodesian Bush War: Zimbabwe African National Liberation Army cadres in Gwelo attacked Zimbabwe People's Revolutionary Army troops, killing over 60 of them and starting the 1981 Entumbane uprising.
Denis Sassou Nguesso
Denis Sassou Nguesso (pictured) was chosen as the new President of the Republic of the Congo after Joachim Yhombi-Opango was forced from power.
Skylab 4
The crew of Skylab 4, the last mission to visit the American space station Skylab, returns to Earth after 84 days in space.
Army of the Republic of Vietnam
South Vietnamese ground troops launch an incursion into Laos to try to cut off the Ho Chi Minh trail and stop communist infiltration into the country.
Civil rights movement
American civil rights movement: An attack on Black students from South Carolina State University who are protesting racial segregation leaves three dead and 28 injured in Orangeburg, South Carolina.
Orangeburg, South Carolina
Law enforcement officers in Orangeburg, South Carolina (pictured), fired into a crowd of college students who were protesting segregation, killing three and injuring twenty-seven others.
Eastern Air Lines Flight 663
Eastern Air Lines Flight 663 crashes into the Atlantic Ocean and explodes, killing all 84 people on board.
John F. Kennedy International Airport
After taking evasive action to avoid a mid-air collision just after taking off from New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport, Eastern Air Lines Flight 663 crashed into the Atlantic Ocean, killing all 84 people on board.
Prime Minister of Iraq
The regime of Prime Minister of Iraq Abd al-Karim Qasim is overthrown by the Ba'ath Party.
Charonne subway massacre
Nine protestors are killed at Charonne station, Paris, by French police under the command of ex-Vichy official and Parisian Prefect of Police Maurice Papon.
Groundbreaking
The official groundbreaking of the Walk of Fame took place in Hollywood, Los Angeles, in California.
Elizabeth II
Queen Elizabeth II issues an Order-in-Council, proclaiming the House of Windsor and declaring that her descendants will take the name Mountbatten-Windsor.
Stasi
The Stasi, the secret police of East Germany, is established.
1948 Winter Olympics
The closing ceremony of the first Olympics held after World War II was held in St. Moritz, Switzerland.
People's Republic of Korea
The People's Republic of Korea is dissolved in the North and replaced by the communist-controlled Provisional People's Committee of North Korea.
British Armed Forces
World War II: British and Canadian forces commence Operation Veritable to occupy land between the Maas and Rhine rivers.
Mikhail Devyataev
World War II: Mikhail Devyataev escapes with nine other Soviet POWs from a Nazi concentration camp in Peenemünde, Usedom.
Gee Jon
Gee Jon became the first person in the United States to be executed by lethal gas.
William D. Boyce
William D. Boyce established the Boy Scouts of America, expanding the Scout Movement into the United States.
Umpire (cricket)
Angered by a controversial umpiring decision, cricket spectators rioted and attacked the England team during a match in Sydney, Australia.
Richard Mentor Johnson
Richard Mentor Johnson became the only person ever to be elected Vice President of the United States by the Senate.
William III of England
The William III and Mary II of England charter the College of William & Mary, establishing what is now the second-oldest university in the United States.
Mary, Queen of Scots
Mary, Queen of Scots, was executed at Fotheringhay Castle for her involvement in the Babington Plot to murder her cousin, Elizabeth I of England.
William the Silent
William of Orange founded Leiden University, the oldest university in the Netherlands.
Seventh Crusade
Seventh Crusade: The Ayyubid Sultanate of Egypt defeated and captured King Louis IX of France at the Battle of Fariskur.
Honorius
Honorius declared Constantius III to be his co-emperor of the Western Roman Empire.
Births 20
A notable person born on this day. Each links to a person page with their dates and story.
Deaths 20
A notable person who died on this day.
Marty Schottenheimer
Marty Schottenheimer, American football player and coach (born 1943)
Rauni-Leena Luukanen-Kilde
Rauni-Leena Luukanen-Kilde, Finnish physician and parapsychologist (born 1939)
Els Borst
Els Borst, Dutch physician and politician, Deputy Prime Minister of the Netherlands (born 1932)
Maicon (footballer, born May 1988)
Maicon Pereira de Oliveira, Brazilian footballer (born 1988)
Holidays & observances 8
A holiday, feast day, awareness day or national day observed every year on this date.
Stephen of Muret
Christian feast day: Stephen of Muret
Juventius of Pavia
Christian feast day: Juventius of Pavia
Elisabetta Martinez
Christian feast day: Elisabetta Martinez
Mengold of Huy
Christian feast day: Mengold of Huy
Gerolamo Emiliani
Christian feast day: Gerolamo Emiliani
Cuthmann of Steyning
Christian feast day: Cuthmann of Steyning
Ælfflæd of Whitby
Christian feast day: Elffled of Whitby
Josephine Bakhita
Christian feast day: Josephine Bakhita
Spread across the centuries
- 5th century1
- 13th century1
- 16th century2
- 17th century1
- 19th century2
- 20th century43
- 21st century26
Earliest: Honorius (421). Most recent: Gyalo Thondup (2025).
What the categories mean, and how the standout is chosen
- Historical events
- A dated happening — a battle, treaty, launch, discovery, disaster or decision — recorded on this calendar day.
- Births
- A notable person born on this day. Each links to a person page with their dates and story.
- Deaths
- A notable person who died on this day.
- Milestones
- A first, a founding or a turning point our editors flagged as a landmark moment.
- Holidays & observances
- A holiday, feast day, awareness day or national day observed every year on this date.
- Standout / notable
- Editor-written entries come first, then entries covered by the most Wikipedia language editions. For the standout tile we prefer an entry that has a picture.
Nearby and related
Questions about February 8
What day of the year is February 8?
February 8 is the 39th day of the year, with 326 days left after it.
What star sign is February 8?
February 8 falls under Aquarius (January 20 – February 18), a air sign ruled by Uranus (traditionally Saturn). The birthstone for the month is Amethyst.
How many things happened on February 8?
We record 84 entries for February 8: 36 events · 20 births · 20 deaths · 8 observances. From 421 to 2025.
Who was born on February 8?
I.N (2001) is among the notable births on February 8. The births section lists the rest.
How often is the February 8 page updated?
The day is filled the first time anyone opens it and then re-checked for new entries about every 90 days. Computed facts such as the weekday and the anniversaries update every year.
Get a daily entry like February 8
One short email a day from this calendar. Kept for this site only.
Text adapted from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0 and from Wikidata (CC0). Images come from Wikimedia Commons; credit and licence are shown with each image. Editorial entries are © What's On This Date. Sources & licensing · How this site works.