Born on This Day Country singer who gained mainstream success with “Walkin’ After Midnight” and “Crazy” before her tragic death at age 30. Civil-rights activist who at age 6 integrated an all-white New Orleans elementary school in 1960. American singer-songwriter famed for her rock ballads (“Just Give Me a Reason”) and aerial acrobatics during concerts. A pair of the late Elvis Presley’s soiled undershorts, tastefully framed under glass, fails to sell at a British auction. They had been expected to go for over $10,000. Also on This Day in History Discover more of the major events, famous births, notable deaths and everything else history-making that happened on September 8th Michelangelo’s statue of David is unveiled to the public One of the world’s most beloved works art, “David,” the 17-foot-tall, 12,000-pound marble masterpiece by Michelangelo Buonarroti, is unveiled to the public in Florence, Italy’s Piazza della Signoria. Carved from a single block of white Italian Carrara marble that had been rejected by other artists for being flawed, the massive statue depicts a nude David, […] New Amsterdam becomes New York Dutch Governor Peter Stuyvesant surrenders New Amsterdam, the capital of New Netherland, to an English naval squadron under Colonel Richard Nicolls. Stuyvesant had hoped to resist the English, but he was an unpopular ruler, and his Dutch subjects refused to rally around him. Following its capture, New Amsterdam’s name was changed to New York, in […] Nathan Hale volunteers to spy behind British lines General George Washington asks for a volunteer for an extremely dangerous mission: to gather intelligence behind enemy lines before the coming Battle of Harlem Heights. On September 8, 1776, Captain Nathan Hale of the 19th Regiment of the Continental Army stepped forward and subsequently become one of the first known American spies of the Revolutionary […] Bloody battle begins at Eutaw Springs, South Carolina After receiving reinforcements, Major General Nathanael Greene of the Continental Army resumes offensive action against Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Stewart and the British soldiers at Eutaw Springs, located on the banks of the Santee River in South Carolina. The Patriots approached in the early morning, forcing the British soldiers to abandon their uneaten breakfasts in order […] Rebels thwart Yankees at the Second Battle of Sabine Pass On September 8, 1863, at the Second Battle of Sabine Pass, a small Confederate force thwarts a Federal invasion of Texas at the mouth of the Sabine River on the Texas-Louisiana border. In November 1862, Confederate General John Bankhead Magruder assumed command of the District of Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona. The Union controlled most […] Deadly hurricane batters Galveston, Texas One of the deadliest hurricanes in U.S. history hits Galveston, Texas, on September 8, 1900, killing more than 6,000 people. The storm caused so much destruction on the Texas coast that reliable estimates of the number of victims are difficult to make. Some believe that as many as 12,000 people perished, which would make it […] Gertrude Stein meets great love Alice B. Toklas On September 8, 1907, avant-garde writer and cultural icon Gertrude Stein meets the love of her life, Alice B. Toklas, an American expatriate on her first day in Paris. At a time when women could not marry, the two would go on to become lifetime housemates (for nearly four decades), with Stein often referring to […] German airship hits central London On September 8, 1915, a German Zeppelin commanded by Heinrich Mathy, one of the great airship commanders of World War I, hits Aldersgate in central London, killing 22 people and causing £500,000 worth of damage. The Zeppelin, a motor-driven rigid airship, was developed by German inventor Ferdinand Graf von Zeppelin in 1900. Although a French […] Louisiana senator Huey Long is shot Senator Huey Long is shot in the Louisiana state capitol building. He died about 30 hours later. Called a demagogue by critics, the populist leader was a larger-than-life figure who boasted that he bought legislators “like sacks of potatoes, shuffled them like a deck of cards.” He gave himself the nickname “Kingfish,” saying “I’m a […] Siege of Leningrad begins

During World War II, German forces begin their siege of Leningrad, a major industrial center and the USSR’s second-largest city. The German armies were later joined by Finnish forces that advanced against Leningrad down the Karelian Isthmus. The siege of Leningrad, also known as the 900-Day Siege though it lasted a grueling 872 days, resulted […] Italian surrender is announced On September 8, 1943, Gen. Dwight Eisenhower publicly announces the surrender of Italy to the Allies. Germany reacted with Operation Axis, the Allies with Operation Avalanche. With Mussolini deposed from power and the earlier collapse of the fascist government in July, Gen. Pietro Badoglio, the man who had assumed power in Mussolini’s stead by request […] American troops arrive in Korea to partition the country U.S. troops land in Korea to begin their postwar occupation of the southern part of that nation, almost exactly one month after Soviet troops had entered northern Korea to begin their own occupation. Although the U.S. and Soviet occupations were supposed to be temporary, the division of Korea quickly became permanent. Korea had been a […] SEATO established Having been directed by President Dwight D. Eisenhower to put together an alliance to contain any communist aggression in the free territories of Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia, or Southeast Asia in general, Secretary of State John Foster Dulles forges an agreement establishing a military alliance that becomes the Southeast Asia Treaty Organization (SEATO). Signatories, including […] Althea Gibson becomes first African American to win U.S. Open tennis title On September 8, 1957, 30-year-old Althea Gibson becomes the first African American to win the U.S. Open, beating Louise Brough, 6-3, 6-2. Afterward, vice president Richard Nixon presents her with the championship trophy. “Now I have been doubly honored,” Gibson says. “I won Wimbledon before Queen Elizabeth II and now I have won here before […] Delano Grape Strike begins September 8, 1965 marks the beginning of one of the most important strikes in American history. As over 2,000 Filipino-American farm workers refused to go to work picking grapes in the valley north of Bakersfield, California, they set into motion a chain of events that would extend over the next five years. We know it […] ‘Star Trek’ premieres “Star Trek” premieres September 8, 1966, on NBC. Canceled after three seasons, it eventually grew into one of the longest-running and highest-grossing media franchises of all time. First Miss Black America crowned On September 8, 1968, at nearly three in the morning, Saundra Williams walks across a stage with a cream rhinestone cape around her shoulders, a sash across her torso and a scepter in her hand, ready to be crowned as pageant royalty. Though it was the same night as the Miss America pageant, Williams’ crowning […] Gay sergeant challenges the Air Force On September 8, 1975, Air Force Sergeant Leonard Matlovich, a decorated veteran of the Vietnam War, appears on the cover of Time magazine above the headline “I AM A HOMOSEXUAL,” challenging the ban against homosexuals in the U.S. military. A month and a half later, he is given a “general” discharge by the air force. […] Oprah goes national On September 8, 1986, The Oprah Winfrey Show is broadcast nationally for the first time. A huge success, her daytime television talk show turns Winfrey into one of the most powerful, wealthy people in show business and, arguably, one of the most influential women in America. Winfrey, who was born in rural Mississippi to a […] “The Joy Luck Club” premieres A glass ceiling is smashed on September 8, 1993 with the premiere of The Joy Luck Club, the first major modern Hollywood movie featuring an all Asian American and predominantly female cast. The adaptation of Amy Tan’s 1989 novel received highly favorable reviews and grossed $33 million, making it a landmark moment for Asian Americans […] Recording industry begins suing individual sharers of copyrighted mp3 files On September 8, 2003, the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) responds to growing piracy of digital music files by announcing a new and controversial strategy: the filing of lawsuits against individual music fans who use file-sharing sites, some of them children. “Nobody likes playing the heavy and having to resort to litigation,” said Cary […] Queen Elizabeth II dies; Charles becomes King On September 8, 2022, Queen Elizabeth II, the longest-reigning monarch in British history, dies at age 96 at Balmoral Castle in Scotland. The crown passes to her eldest son, now King Charles III. 27-year-old Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor was crowned on June 2, 1953, after the death of her father, King George VI. At her […]