February 8

[edit] Events

421 - Constantius III becomes co-Emperor of the Western Roman Empire.
1587 - Mary, Queen of Scots was executed at suspicion of having been involved in the Babington Plot to murder her cousin, Queen Elizabeth I of England.
1693 - The College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia is granted a charter by King William III and Queen Mary II.
1807 - Battle of Eylau - Napoleon defeats Russians under General Benigssen.
1837 - Richard Johnson becomes the first Vice President of the United States chosen by the United States Senate.
1900 - British troops are defeated by Boers at Ladysmith, South Africa.
1904 - Battle of Port Arthur: A surprise torpedo attack by the Japanese at Port Arthur, China starts the Russo-Japanese War.
1915 - D.W. Griffith's film The Birth of a Nation premieres in Los Angeles.
1924 - Capital punishment: The first state execution using gas in the United States takes place in Nevada.
1943 - World War II: Battle of Stalingrad - Soviet Army encircles the troops of Paulus. The Germans surrender.
1949 - Cardinal Mindszenty of Hungary sentenced for treason.
1952 - Elizabeth II is proclaimed Queen of the UK.
1962 - Charonne massacre. 9 trade unionists are killed by French police at the instigation of WWII German collaborator Maurice Papon, then chief of the Paris Prefecture of Police.

412 - Proclus, Greek philosopher (d. 487)
1405 - Constantine XI Palaiologos, the last reigning Emperor of the Byzantine Empire (d. 1453)
1668 - Emanuel Swedenborg, Swedish philosopher (d. 1772)
1820 - William Tecumseh Sherman, American Union general (d. 1891)
1828 - Jules Verne, French author (d. 1905)
1895 - Hermann Florstedt, German military leader (d. 1945)