October 8

October 8 is the 281st day of the year (282nd in leap years). There are 84 days remaining.

Events:

• 1600 - San Marino adopts its written constitution
• 1862 - Battle of Perryville[?]
• 1871 - Great Chicago Fire, which pre-empted news reporting of the Peshtigo, Wisconsin[?] fire, which burned 1,200,000 acres in one day
• 1912 - First Balkan War begins
• 1934 - Bruno Hauptmann[?] is indicted for the murder of Charles Lindbergh Junior
• 1939 - Germany annexes Western Poland
• 1967 - Che Guevara captured in Bolivia
• 1982 - Poland bans Solidarity
• 1998 - Oslo Gardermoen Airport opens.

Births:

• 1765 - Harman Blennerhassett, Irish lawyer
• 1887 - Huntley Gordon, pioneer Hollywood actor (+ 1956)
• 1890 - Edward Rickenbacker[?], ace fighter pilot (+ 1973)
• 1895 - Juan Perón, former president of Argentina (+ 1974)
• 1917 - Walter Lord[?], author (+ 2002)
• 1917 - Billy Conn, boxer (+ 1993)
• 1920 - Frank Herbert, American science fiction writer (+ 1986)
• 1922 - Christian Barnard, heart surgeon
• 1926 - Klaus Kinski, actor (+ 1991)
• 1930 - Toru Takemitsu, composer (+ 1996)
• 1938 - Fred Stolle[?], tennis champion
• 1939 - Paul Hogan, Australian actor
• 1940 - David Carradine[?], actor
• 1941 - Jesse Jackson, American reverend and civil rights activist
• 1943 - Chevy Chase, comedian, actor
• 1943 - R. L. Stine[?], author
• 1947 - Tony Wilson[?], bassist, singer
• 1948 - Johnny Ramone[?], guitarist
• 1949 - Sigourney Weaver, American actress
• 1950 - Robert Bell, bassist, singer
• 1951 - Johnny Ramone[?], rock and roll musician
• 1954 - Michael Dudikoff[?], actor
• 1956 - Stephanie Zimbalist[?], actress
• 1964 - CeCe Winans[?], singer
• 1965 - Ardal O'Hanlon, Irish comedian
• 1968 - Toni Braxton[?], singer
• 1970 - Matt Damon, actor
• 1976 - Renate Groenewold, Dutch speed skater

Deaths:

• 1754 - Henry Fielding, author
• 1793 - John Hancock, revolutionary, businessman
• 1869 - Franklin Pierce, President of the United States
• 1944 - Wendell Willkie, politician, candidate for President of the United States
• 1945 - Felix Salten[?], author (Bambi[?])
• 1953 - Nigel Bruce[?], actor
• 1967 - Clement Attlee, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
• 1982 - Fernando Lamas[?], actor
• 1992 - Willy Brandt, German politician
• 1996 - Mignon G. Eberhart[?], author

Holidays:

October 7 - October 9 - September 8 - November 8 - more historical anniversaries