Historical Events on September 8
- 1100: Antipope Theodoric is elected after Antipope Clement dies.
- 1253: Stanislaus of Szczepanów canonizes Pope Innocent IV. Pope Innocent IV had been killed by King Boleslaw II.
- 1504: The statue of David – sculpted by Michelangelo – is unveiled to the public in Piazza della Signoria in Florence, Italy.
- 1514: Polish and Lithuanian forces defeat Russian forces during the Battle of Orsha – a battle that’s considered to be one of the biggest battles of the 16th
- 1565: The 1st governor of Florida – Spanish admiral Pedro Menéndez de Avilés – founds St. Augustine, Florida on this day.
- 1727: During a puppet show in the rustic village of Burwell in Cambridgeshire, a fire erupts at a barn fire and quickly spreads. Almost 80 people are killed – including a number of small children.
- 1755: The Battle of Lake George begins on this day during the French and Indian War.
- 1756: The Kittanning Expedition occurs during the French and Indian War on this day.
- 1781: One of the last important battles to occur in the South during the American Revolutionary War, the Battle of Eutaw ends. It was a small tactical victory for British forces.
- 1793: The Battle of Hondschoote begins during the French Revolutionary War.
- 1926: The League of Nations admits Germany.
- 1930: A marketing campaign for Scotch tape is began by 3M.
- 1941: German forces attack the city of Leningrad, Russia – thereby beginning the Siege of Leningrad.
- 1943: The United States Army Air Forces bomb German General Headquarters for the Mediterranean Zone in Frascati, Italy.
- 1943: The Allies announce their armistice with Italy during WWII.
- 1944: London is hit with the first V-2 rocket fired by German forces during World War II.
Famous Birthdays on September 8
- American author Grace Metalious is born in 1924.
- English comedian and actor Peter Sellers is born in 1925.
- English soldier and politician John Garrett is born in 1931.
- American singer-songwriter Patsy Cline is born in 1932.
- American author and poet Jack Prelutsky is born in 1940.
- American politician Bernie Sanders is born in 1941.
- English author and journalist Judith Hann is born in 1942.
- American singer-songwriter Pink is born in 1979.
- English journalist Kate Abdo is born in 1981.