Second Nagorno-Karabakh War
Second Nagorno-Karabakh War: Azerbaijan twice deliberately targeted the Church of the Holy Savior Ghazanchetsots of Shusha.
What happened on October 8
34 events · 20 births · 20 deaths · 8 observances. From 451 to 2025.
Standout on October 8
2016
Hurricane Matthew
In the wake of Hurricane Matthew, the death toll rises to nearly 900.
About October 8
October 8 is the 281st day of the year. These facts are computed from the calendar, not copied from anywhere.
- Day of the year
- Day 281 of 365 (282 in leap years)84 days left in the year (84 in leap years)
- Falls on
- Thursday in 2026, Friday in 2027, Sunday in 2028, Monday in 2029, Tuesday in 2030
- Week
- ISO week 41 of 2026 · Q4
- Zodiac sign
- ♎ Libra (September 23 – October 22)
- Season
- Autumn in the north · Spring in the south
- October birthstone
- Opal / Tourmalinehope, creativity and confidence
- October birth flower
- Marigold / Cosmoswarmth, creativity and harmony
- Next occurrence
- In 346 days
- Roman numerals
- VIII.Xday.month — see the Roman numeral date tool
Anniversaries in 2026
- 1575thCouncil of Chalcedon451
- 70thDon Larsen1956
- 70thMajor League Baseball1956
- 40th1986 Cipel-Marco fur factory explosion1986
- 30thSara Sorribes Tormo1996
- 30thSara Takanashi1996
- 30thTimo Meier1996
- 25thMilan Linate Airport2001
October 8 through the years
- 10 years ago2016
- Hurricane Matthew · Saudi-led intervention in the Yemeni civil war
- 25 years ago2001
- Scandinavian Airlines · Milan Linate Airport · United States Department of Homeland Security
- 50 years ago1976
- Nothing recorded
- 100 years ago1926
- Nothing recorded
- 200 years ago1826
- Nothing recorded
Born on October 8 — ages this year
- 2003Ángela Aguilarturns 23
- 2002Brian Thomas Jr.turns 24
- 2002Zheng Qinwenturns 24
- 1999Camila Rossiturns 27
- 1999Putthipong Assaratanakulturns 27
- 1997Bella Thorneturns 29
Historical events 34
A dated happening — a battle, treaty, launch, discovery, disaster or decision — recorded on this calendar day.
Extinction Rebellion
About 200 Extinction Rebellion activists block the gates of Leinster House (parliament) in the Republic of Ireland.
2019 Baku protests
Anti-government protests calling for free and fair elections began in Baku, Azerbaijan.
Hurricane Matthew
In the wake of Hurricane Matthew, the death toll rises to nearly 900.
Saudi-led intervention in the Yemeni civil war
Yemen War: A funeral in Sanaa was hit by two consecutive airstrikes by a Saudi-led coalition, leaving 143–155 civilians dead and more than 525 injured.
Thomas Eric Duncan
Thomas Eric Duncan, the first person in the United States to be diagnosed with Ebola, dies.
2005 Kashmir earthquake
The 7.6 Mw Kashmir earthquake leaves 86,000–87,351 people dead, 69,000–75,266 injured, and 2.8 million homeless.
Scandinavian Airlines
A twin engine Cessna and a Scandinavian Airlines System jetliner collide in heavy fog during takeoff from Milan, Italy, killing 118 people.
Milan Linate Airport
At Linate Airport in Milan, Italy, Scandinavian Airlines Flight SK686 collided on take-off with a Cessna Citation II business jet, killing 118 people.
United States Department of Homeland Security
U.S. president George W. Bush announces the establishment of the Office of Homeland Security.
Oslo
A new airport for Oslo, Norway, opened at Gardermoen, replacing a smaller one at the same location that had served as a backup to the city's previous main airport at Fornebu.
Croatian Army
The Croatian Army and Croatian Defence Council launched Operation Southern Move, their last offensive in the Bosnian War.
Brioni Agreement
Upon the expiration of the Brioni Agreement, Croatia and Slovenia sever all official relations with Yugoslavia.
First Intifada
First Intifada: Israeli police kill 17 Palestinians and wound over 100 near the Dome of the Rock.
1986 Cipel-Marco fur factory explosion
An explosion occurred at the Cipel-Marco fur factory in Kwai Chung, Hong Kong, killing 14 and injuring 10.
Solidarity (Polish trade union)
Poland bans Solidarity and all other trade unions.
Ken Warby
Australia's Ken Warby sets the current world water speed record of 275.97 knots at Blowering Dam, Australia.
Franklin National Bank
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.
Spyros Markezinis
Spyros Markezinis begins his 48-day term as prime minister in an abortive attempt to lead Greece to parliamentary rule.
Yom Kippur War
Yom Kippur War: Israel loses more than 150 tanks in a failed attack on Egyptian-occupied positions.
Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn
Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn wins the Nobel Prize in literature.
Days of Rage
The opening rally of the Days of Rage occurs, organized by the Weather Underground in Chicago.
Weather Underground
Demonstrations organized by the Weather Underground known as the Days of Rage began in Chicago, aimed at ending U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War.
Che Guevara
Guerrilla leader Che Guevara and his men are captured in Bolivia. Guevara would be executed the next day.
Marxism
Marxist revolutionary and guerrilla leader Che Guevara was captured near La Higuera, Bolivia.
Spiegel affair
Der Spiegel publishes an article disclosing the sorry state of the Bundeswehr, leading to accusations of treason.
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball pitcher Don Larsen threw the only perfect game in World Series history.
Don Larsen
The New York Yankees's Don Larsen pitches the only perfect game in a World Series.
Harrow and Wealdstone rail crash
Three trains collided (aftermath pictured) at Harrow & Wealdstone station in London, killing 112 people and injuring 340 others.
Indian Air Force
The Indian Air Force was founded as an auxiliary air force of the British Royal Air Force.
World War I
World War I: After his platoon suffered heavy casualties during the Meuse–Argonne offensive in France's Forest of Argonne, American Corporal Alvin York led the 7 remaining men on an attack against a German machine gun nest; 25 German soldiers were killed and 132 captured.
Great Chicago Fire
The Great Chicago Fire (pictured), began and proceeded to destroy much of the city's central business district, killing 300 people and leaving 90,000 others homeless.
American Civil War
In the American Civil War, the Battle of Perryville was fought west of Perryville, Kentucky.
Council of Chalcedon
The Council of Chalcedon, a Christian ecumenical council, opened, and went on to repudiate the Eutychian doctrine of monophysitism and set forth the Chalcedonian Creed.
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.
Tim Johnson (South Dakota politician)
Tim Johnson, American lawyer and politician (born 1946)
Holidays & observances 8
A holiday, feast day, awareness day or national day observed every year on this date.
Saint Reparata
Christian feast day: Reparata
Evodus
Christian feast day: Evodus (or Yves)
Che Guevara in popular culture
Christian feast day: San Ernesto, Che Guevara as a folk saint. (Bolivian campesinos)
William Dwight Porter Bliss
Christian feast day: William Dwight Porter Bliss and Richard T. Ely (Episcopal Church)
Simeon (Gospel of Luke)
Christian feast day: Simeon (Gospel of Luke)
Thaïs (saint)
Christian feast day: Thaïs
Palatias and Laurentia
Christian feast day: Palatias and Laurentia
Pelagia
Christian feast day: Pelagia (Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholic Churches)
Spread across the centuries
- 5th century1
- 19th century2
- 20th century38
- 21st century33
Earliest: Council of Chalcedon (451). Most recent: Miguel Ángel Russo (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 October 8
What day of the year is October 8?
October 8 is the 281st day of the year, with 84 days left after it.
What star sign is October 8?
October 8 falls under Libra (September 23 – October 22), a air sign ruled by Venus. The birthstone for the month is Opal or Tourmaline.
How many things happened on October 8?
We record 82 entries for October 8: 34 events · 20 births · 20 deaths · 8 observances. From 451 to 2025.
Who was born on October 8?
Ángela Aguilar (2003) is among the notable births on October 8. The births section lists the rest.
How often is the October 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 October 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.