58 There is a good chance that February 8, 58, was the day that St Paul sailed from Malta to Rome. Paul was a prisoner on board an Alexandrian vessel transporting wheat bound for Italy, but the vessel was wrecked on the coast of Malta so they wintered there. Pliny tells us in his Natural History that February 8 was the date spring opened its seas to voyagers. If the sailors acted on the traditional date, we may actually have pinned down an exact moment in Paul's life.
1587 Mary Queen of Scots was executed on February 8, 1587 at Fotheringhay Castle due to the alleged Roman Catholic plots to place her on the English throne in place of Elizabeth I. She dressed for her execution like a bride of death entirely in black apart from a white linen veil. Underneath Mary wore an undergarment of tawny red satin, thereby declaring herself a Catholic martyr.
1684 When the River Thames froze in London in late 1683, enterprising tradesmen and entertainers moved their business on to the ice. Coffee houses, souvenir shops, bear-baiting and even ox-roasting did brisk trade until the thaw, on February 8, 1684.
1725 From the winter of 1723, Peter the Great of Russia had problems with his urinary tract and bladder. A team of doctors released upwards of four pounds of blocked urine, but the condition was exacerbated by a heroic act a year later, when the Russian Tsar jumped into icy water in the Finnish Gulf to help rescue some sailors from a sinking ship. He died aged 52 between four and five in the morning of February 8, 1725. An autopsy revealed his bladder to be infected with gangrene.
1831 Edgar Allan Poe first enlisted in the army in Mat 1827. He was successful as a private and quickly became a sergeant major, the highest rank an enlisted man can attain. Poe soon left the army and enrolled at West Point Military Academy in New York. He did not enjoy his time there and decided to leave West Point by purposely getting court-martialed. Poe was expelled for showing up for a public parade wearing only a white belt and gloves on February 8, 1831.
1879 Enraged by a controversial umpiring decision, when star Australian batsman Billy Murdoch was given out by the umpire, cricket spectators rioted and attacked the England cricket team during a match in Sydney, Australia on February 8, 1879.
1910 In 1909 Chicago publisher William D. Boyce was visiting London, when he found himself lost on a foggy street. He encountered a boy who came to his aid, guiding him to his destination. The boy refused Boyce's tip, explaining that he was a Boy Scout and was merely doing his daily good turn. Boyce's fascination was aroused and he met with staff at the Boy Scouts Headquarters. Upon his return to the US, Boyce incorporated the Boy Scouts of America on February 8, 1910.
1919 The Lignes Aériennes Farman (Farman airlines) was created on February 8, 1919. It cost 365 French francs in 1919 to fly with them between Paris and Brussels. Flights took two hours and 50 minutes to cover the 164-mile distance, compared with just 20 minutes today.
1922 President Warren Harding installed the White House’s first radio on February 8, 1922. At the time, radio was the hottest technology around. The installation of the radio marked a significant moment in the history of technology and the use of radio communication.
1924 The first state execution in the United States by gas chamber took place in Nevada on February 8, 1924. A member of the Hip Sing Tong criminal society from San Francisco, California, Gee Jon was sentenced to death for the murder of an elderly member from another gang in Nevada. An unsuccessful attempt to pump poison gas directly into Gee's cell at Nevada State Prison in Carson City led to the development of the first makeshift gas chamber to carry out Gee's death sentence.
1931 The actor James Dean was born in Marion, Indiana, United States on February 8, 1931 to Winton Dean and Mildred Wilson. When Dean was six his family moved to California, and James went to school in Los Angeles. James' mother died of cancer when he was nine, and he went to live with his aunt and uncle in Fairmount, Indiana. In high school, he became interested in drama and car racing. After graduating, he moved back to California to live with his father and stepmother.
1932 The American John Williams (born February 8, 1932) has composed the scores to more than 100 films, including Jaws, the Star Wars movies and Schindler’s List. He is the world’s most successful film soundtrack composer and, with 52 Academy Award nominations, second to Walt Disney as the most-nominated person. (He has won five.)
1950 New York businessman Frank X. McNamara was treating guests to dinner when he realized he had forgotten his wallet. Fortunately the restaurant allowed him to leave his business card as an IOU. The incident inspired McNamara to devise a system to guarantee the holder’s ability to pay. He and his attorney, Ralph Schneider started Diners Club International with 200 card holders on February 8, 1950. It allowed them to eat in any one of 27 New York restaurants and pay with the credit card.
1951 The longest surgery to date was a 96-hour marathon between February 4 to February 8, 1951 to remove a 300-lb ovarian cyst from Gertrude Levandowski of Burnips, Michigan at a Chicago hospital. Levandowski weighed 616 pounds before the surgery and had a girth of 9 feet. After the growth was removed, the 58-year-old weighed a more manageable 308 pounds.
1955 A sanad was an official document issued by a ruler or other authority figure. It could grant titles, offices, privileges, or land ownership. In Pakistan, they granted power and influence to large landowning families, particularly in more remote areas. The Government of Sindh, Pakistan, cancelled sanads in the province on February 8, 1955. But the feudal system survived and it remains a destructive impact on prospects of social and political change in the province, such as low agricultural productivity and exhaustion of land.
1587 Mary Queen of Scots was executed on February 8, 1587 at Fotheringhay Castle due to the alleged Roman Catholic plots to place her on the English throne in place of Elizabeth I. She dressed for her execution like a bride of death entirely in black apart from a white linen veil. Underneath Mary wore an undergarment of tawny red satin, thereby declaring herself a Catholic martyr.
1684 When the River Thames froze in London in late 1683, enterprising tradesmen and entertainers moved their business on to the ice. Coffee houses, souvenir shops, bear-baiting and even ox-roasting did brisk trade until the thaw, on February 8, 1684.
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| Thames Frost Fair, 1683–84, by Thomas Wyke |
1725 From the winter of 1723, Peter the Great of Russia had problems with his urinary tract and bladder. A team of doctors released upwards of four pounds of blocked urine, but the condition was exacerbated by a heroic act a year later, when the Russian Tsar jumped into icy water in the Finnish Gulf to help rescue some sailors from a sinking ship. He died aged 52 between four and five in the morning of February 8, 1725. An autopsy revealed his bladder to be infected with gangrene.
1831 Edgar Allan Poe first enlisted in the army in Mat 1827. He was successful as a private and quickly became a sergeant major, the highest rank an enlisted man can attain. Poe soon left the army and enrolled at West Point Military Academy in New York. He did not enjoy his time there and decided to leave West Point by purposely getting court-martialed. Poe was expelled for showing up for a public parade wearing only a white belt and gloves on February 8, 1831.
1879 Enraged by a controversial umpiring decision, when star Australian batsman Billy Murdoch was given out by the umpire, cricket spectators rioted and attacked the England cricket team during a match in Sydney, Australia on February 8, 1879.
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| An 1887 cricket match in progress at Sydney's Association Ground, the site of the riot |
1910 In 1909 Chicago publisher William D. Boyce was visiting London, when he found himself lost on a foggy street. He encountered a boy who came to his aid, guiding him to his destination. The boy refused Boyce's tip, explaining that he was a Boy Scout and was merely doing his daily good turn. Boyce's fascination was aroused and he met with staff at the Boy Scouts Headquarters. Upon his return to the US, Boyce incorporated the Boy Scouts of America on February 8, 1910.
1919 The Lignes Aériennes Farman (Farman airlines) was created on February 8, 1919. It cost 365 French francs in 1919 to fly with them between Paris and Brussels. Flights took two hours and 50 minutes to cover the 164-mile distance, compared with just 20 minutes today.
1922 President Warren Harding installed the White House’s first radio on February 8, 1922. At the time, radio was the hottest technology around. The installation of the radio marked a significant moment in the history of technology and the use of radio communication.
1924 The first state execution in the United States by gas chamber took place in Nevada on February 8, 1924. A member of the Hip Sing Tong criminal society from San Francisco, California, Gee Jon was sentenced to death for the murder of an elderly member from another gang in Nevada. An unsuccessful attempt to pump poison gas directly into Gee's cell at Nevada State Prison in Carson City led to the development of the first makeshift gas chamber to carry out Gee's death sentence.
 |
| The former gas chamber at New Mexico State Penitentiary. By Shelka04 |
1931 The actor James Dean was born in Marion, Indiana, United States on February 8, 1931 to Winton Dean and Mildred Wilson. When Dean was six his family moved to California, and James went to school in Los Angeles. James' mother died of cancer when he was nine, and he went to live with his aunt and uncle in Fairmount, Indiana. In high school, he became interested in drama and car racing. After graduating, he moved back to California to live with his father and stepmother.
1932 The American John Williams (born February 8, 1932) has composed the scores to more than 100 films, including Jaws, the Star Wars movies and Schindler’s List. He is the world’s most successful film soundtrack composer and, with 52 Academy Award nominations, second to Walt Disney as the most-nominated person. (He has won five.)
1950 New York businessman Frank X. McNamara was treating guests to dinner when he realized he had forgotten his wallet. Fortunately the restaurant allowed him to leave his business card as an IOU. The incident inspired McNamara to devise a system to guarantee the holder’s ability to pay. He and his attorney, Ralph Schneider started Diners Club International with 200 card holders on February 8, 1950. It allowed them to eat in any one of 27 New York restaurants and pay with the credit card.
1951 The longest surgery to date was a 96-hour marathon between February 4 to February 8, 1951 to remove a 300-lb ovarian cyst from Gertrude Levandowski of Burnips, Michigan at a Chicago hospital. Levandowski weighed 616 pounds before the surgery and had a girth of 9 feet. After the growth was removed, the 58-year-old weighed a more manageable 308 pounds.
1955 A sanad was an official document issued by a ruler or other authority figure. It could grant titles, offices, privileges, or land ownership. In Pakistan, they granted power and influence to large landowning families, particularly in more remote areas. The Government of Sindh, Pakistan, cancelled sanads in the province on February 8, 1955. But the feudal system survived and it remains a destructive impact on prospects of social and political change in the province, such as low agricultural productivity and exhaustion of land.
1960 On February 8, 1960, Queen Elizabeth II issued an Order-in-Council, stating that she and her family would be known as the House of Windsor, and that her descendants would take the name "Mountbatten-Windsor". This change was made to reflect the fact that Prince Philip had taken the surname of his uncle, Lord Mountbatten, upon his marriage to Queen Elizabeth II.
1960 The first eight brass star plaques were installed on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on February 8, 1960. The first star laid was for director Stanley Kramer. The Hollywood Walk of Fame was created in 1958 to honor and commemorate the achievements of celebrities and public figures in the entertainment industry. Over the years, the Hollywood Walk of Fame has become one of the most iconic tourist destinations in Los Angeles, attracting millions of visitors every year.
1963 The first full color television program in the world, publicly advertised, was broadcast in Mexico City by XHGC-TV, Channel 5 on February 8 1963, due to technical breakthrough advances made by Mexican Engineer Guillermo Gonzalez Camarena. By that time, the Mexican government had adopted NTSC as the television color system.
1963 On February 8 1963, The Beatles were asked to leave a golf club dance in Warrington, England, because they were wearing leather jackets, which was considered inappropriate attire for the event. This incident received media coverage and helped further The Beatles' reputation as rebellious and unconventional musicians.
1963 Travel, financial and commercial transactions by United States citizens to Cuba were made illegal by the John F. Kennedy administration on February 8, 1963. John F Kennedy had his press secretary, Pierre Salinger, purchase 1200 Cuban cigars and confirmed the purchase was complete before signing the documents that made the embargo against Cuba official.
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| President Kennedy signing Cuba quarantine proclamation |
1971 NASDAQ was founded on February 8, 1971 by the National Association of Securities Dealers (NASD). When the NASDAQ began trading on that date, it was the world's first electronic stock market. (NASDAQ stands for National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations). Today, it is ranked second on the list of stock exchanges by market capitalization of shares traded, behind only the New York Stock Exchange.
1983 The Melbourne Dust Storm hit Australia's second largest city on February 8, 1983. The result of the worst drought on record and a day of severe weather conditions, a 1,050 feet (320 metres) deep dust cloud that enveloped Melbourne, turning day to night.
1983 The great race horse Shergar was kidnapped from Ballymany Stud, near the Curragh in County Kildare, Ireland by masked gunmen on February 8, 1983. No trace of him has ever been found. The incident has been the inspiration for several books, documentaries, and a film.
2004 The biggest wedding cake in the world was a cake made by chefs at the Mohegan Sun Hotel and Casino, Uncasville, Connecticut, USA. It was unveiled at the New England Bridal Showcase on February 8, 2004. The cake measured 17 feet high, weighed 15,032 pounds and consisted of a magnificent 12 tiers, each meticulously decorated with intricate designs.
2010 A sudden blizzard in the Hindukush Mountains of Afghanistan on February 8, 2010 triggered a series of at least 36 avalanches that struck the southern approach to the Salang tunnel, north of Kabul.
Over two miles of road was buried, killing at least 172 people and trapping over 2,000 travelers.
2016 The Mermaid is a Chinese romantic comedy movie that was released on February 8, 2016. It tells the story of a playboy businessman who falls in love with a mermaid that was sent to assassinate him. Within 12 days, it had become the highest-grossing film of all time in China.
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