Summary of the Day ✨ 8 April (08/04)
On this day, Israel launched Operation Eternal Darkness with massive airstrikes on Lebanon killing over 350 people just hours after an Iran war ceasefire, while a total solar eclipse visible across North America captivated sky watchers. Meanwhile, Bernie Sanders ended his presidential campaign, leaving Joe Biden as the Democratic nominee, as Windows XP reached its end of life and Obama and Medvedev signed the New START Treaty.
Historical Events 📜
- 2026: Operation Eternal Darkness: Hours after a ceasefire to the Iran war, Israeli attacks on Lebanon kill at least 357 and injures more than 1200 people in the largest airstrikes of the Lebanon war.
- 2024: Solar eclipse: A total solar eclipse takes place at the Moon’s ascending node, visible across North America.
- 2020: Bernie Sanders ends his presidential campaign, leaving Joe Biden as the Democratic Party’s nominee.
- 2014: Windows XP reaches its standard End Of Life and is no longer supported.
- 2010: U.S. President Barack Obama and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev sign the New START Treaty.
- 2005: A solar eclipse occurs, visible over areas of the Pacific Ocean and Latin American countries such as Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia and Venezuela.
- 2002: The Space Shuttle Atlantis is launched on mission STS-110, carrying the S0 truss to the International Space Station. Astronaut Jerry L. Ross also becomes the first person to fly on seven spaceflights.
- 1993: The Space Shuttle Discovery is launched on mission STS-56.
- 1990: The conservative New Democracy party of Constantine Mitsotakis is elected in the Greek parliamentary election.
- 1975: Voyageurs National Park is established by the U.S. Congress.
- 1974: Hank Aaron passes Babe Ruth as the all-time leader in career home runs by hitting his 715th home run off of Al Downing at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium.
- 1970: Bahr El-Baqar primary school bombing: Israeli bombers strike an Egyptian school. Forty-six children are killed.
- 1968: BOAC Flight 712 catches fire shortly after takeoff. As a result of her actions in the accident, Barbara Jane Harrison is awarded a posthumous George Cross, the only GC awarded to a woman in peacetime.
- 1960: The Netherlands and West Germany sign an agreement to negotiate the return of German land annexed by the Dutch in return for 280 million German marks as Wiedergutmachung.
- 1959: A team of computer manufacturers, users, and university people led by Grace Hopper meets to discuss the creation of a new programming language that would be called COBOL.
Famous Births 👶
- 2013: Big Justice, American social media personality
- 2005: Zaccharie Risacher, French basketball player
- 2002: Jamie Drysdale, Canadian ice hockey player
- 2002: Viktória Forster, Slovak track and field athlete
- 2002: Skai Jackson, American actress
- 1999: CeeDee Lamb, American football player
- 1998: Lavinia Valbonesi, Ecuadorian nutritionist, businesswoman and First Lady of Ecuador
- 1997: Kim Woo-jin, South Korean singer
- 1997: Saygrace, Australian singer and songwriter
- 1997: Roquan Smith, American football player
- 1997: Arno Verschueren, Belgian footballer
- 1997: Keira Walsh, English footballer
- 1996: Anna Korakaki, Greek Olympic shooter
- 1995: Forrest Frank, American singer-songwriter
- 1995: Cedi Osman, Turkish professional basketball player
Notable Deaths 🕊️
- 2025: Nelsy Cruz, Dominican politician, governor of Monte Cristi (born 1982)
- 2024: Keith Barnes, Welsh-Australian rugby league player and coach (born 1934)
- 2024: Peter Higgs, British physicist, Nobel Prize laureate (born 1929)
- 2024: Ralph Puckett, American Army officer, Medal of Honor recipient (born 1926)
- 2022: Mimi Reinhardt, Jewish Austrian secretary (born 1915)
- 2020: Rick May, American-Canadian voice actor (born 1940)
- 2020: Abdul Momin Imambari, Bangladeshi Islamic scholar (born 1930)
- 2019: Josine Ianco-Starrels, Romanian-born American art curator (born 1926)
- 2015: Jayakanthan, Indian journalist and author (born 1934)
- 2015: Rayson Huang, Hong Kong chemist and academic (born 1920)
- 2015: Sergei Lashchenko, Ukrainian kick-boxer (born 1987)
- 2015: David Laventhol, American journalist and publisher (born 1933)
- 2015: Jean-Claude Turcotte, Canadian cardinal (born 1936)
- 2014: Emmanuel III Delly, Iraqi patriarch (born 1927)
- 2014: Karlheinz Deschner, German author and activist (born 1924)
Holidays & Observances 🎉
- Buddha’s Birthday, also known as Hana Matsuri, “Flower Festival” (Japan)
- Christian feast day:
Anne Ayres (Episcopal Church (USA)) - Christian feast day:
Blessed August Czartoryski - Christian feast day:
Constantina - Christian feast day:
Pope Dionysius of Alexandria - Christian feast day:
Julie Billiart of Namur - Christian feast day:
Perpetuus - Christian feast day:
Walter of Pontoise - Christian feast day:
William Augustus Muhlenberg (Episcopal Church (USA)) - Christian feast day:
April 8 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics) - Earliest day on which Fast and Prayer Day can fall, while April 14 is the latest; celebrated on the second Friday in April (Liberia)
- International Romani Day