What are the important events that happened on February 8? Here are historical events, facts, and some myths about this day.

February 8: Facts & Myths About This Day

February 8 is the 39^th day of the year 2025 in the Gregorian calendar. There are 326 days remaining until the end of this year. The day of the week is Saturday.

Under the Julian calendar, this day is January 26, 2025 – a Saturday. Both day of the week are the same but did you notice the difference with the Gregorian calendar?

When this day started, 1,738,972,800 seconds has elapsed since midnight of January 1, 1970 – the Unix epoch.

Strange as it may, if we name this day after a polygon then it will be called ‘triacontaenneagon’ day.

Aquarius is the zodiac sign of a person born on this day. Amethyst is the modern birthstone for this month. Bloodstone is the mystical birthstone from Tibetan origin that dates back over a thousand years.

According to the lunisolar Chinese calendar, there are 374 days remaining before the start of the next Chinese New Year.

The ancient Maya civilization believes that the end of the world will happen on December 21, 2012. There are now 4,432 days since this fabled cataclysmic event.

February 8 Historical Events

• 1238 –
  The Mongols burn the Russian city of Vladimir.
• 1855 –
  The Devil’s Footprints mysteriously appear in southern Devon.
• 1865 –
  In the United States, Delaware voters reject the Thirteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, and vote to continue the practice of slavery. (Delaware finally ratifies the amendment on February 12, 1901.)
• 1915 –
  D.W. Griffith’s controversial film The Birth of a Nation premieres in Los Angeles.
• 1940 –
  New Year’s Day in Chinese calendar. Start of the year of the Metal Dragon in Chinese astrology.
• 1955 –
  The Government of Sindh abolishes the Jagirdari system in the province. One million acres (4000 km²) of land thus acquired is to be distributed among the landless peasants.
• 1963 –
  The regime of Prime Minister of Iraq, Brigadier General Abdul-Karim Qassem is overthrown by the Ba'ath Party.
• 1963 –
  Travel, financial and commercial transactions by United States citizens to Cuba are made illegal by the John F. Kennedy administration.
• 1965 –
  After taking evasive maneuvers to avoid a mid-air collision immediately after takeoff from John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York, Eastern Air Lines Flight 663 crashes into the Atlantic Ocean and explodes, killing everyone aboard.
• 1969 –
  Allende meteorite falls near Pueblito de Allende, Chihuahua, Mexico.

Who were born on February 8?

• 1291 –
  King Afonso IV of Portugal (d. 1357)
• 1649 –
  Gabriel Daniel, French Jesuit historian (d. 1728)
• 1894 –
  King Vidor, American film director (d. 1982)
• 1931 –
  James Dean, American actor (d. 1955)
• 1942 –
  Robert Klein, American comedian
• 1966 –
  Bruno Labbadia, German footballer
• 1968 –
  Nasos Thanopoulos, Greek businessman
• 1974 –
  Seth Green, American actor
• 1976 –
  Adam Piatt, American baseball player
• 1988 –
  Rucha Hasabnis, Indian TV actress

Who died on February 8?

• 1204 –
  Alexius IV Angelus, deposed Eastern Roman Emperor (b. c. 1182)
• 1696 –
  Tsar Ivan V of Russia (b. 1666)
• 1768 –
  George Dance the Elder, English architect (b. 1695)
• 1849 –
  France Prešeren, Slovenian poet (b. 1800)
• 1907 –
  Hendrik Willem Bakhuis Roozeboom, Dutch chemist (b. 1854)
• 1990 –
  Del Shannon, American entertainer (suicide) (b. 1934)
• 1994 –
  Raymond Scott, American composer (b. 1908)
• 1996 –
  Del Ennis, American baseball player (b. 1925)
• 1998 –
  Enoch Powell, British politician (b. 1912)
• 2000 –
  Derrick Thomas, American football player (b. 1967)