Summary of the Day ✨ 8 March (08/03)
International Women’s Day demonstrations turned violent in Mexico with numerous injuries, while Pakistan held its first Aurat March featuring the influential feminist slogan “Mera Jism Meri Marzi.” Meanwhile, Myanmar formed a historic unity council in response to its military coup, Malta’s iconic Azure Window collapsed in a storm, and Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 vanished with 239 people aboard, leaving one of aviation’s greatest mysteries unsolved.
Historical Events 📜
- 2021: International Women’s Day marches in Mexico become violent with 62 police officers and 19 civilians injured in Mexico City alone.
- 2021: Twenty-eight political institutions in Myanmar establish the National Unity Consultative Council, a historic alliance of ethnic armed organizations and democratically elected leaders, in response to the 2021 Myanmar coup d’état.
- 2018: The first Aurat March (social/political demonstration) is held on International Women’s Day in Karachi, Pakistan, since then held annually across Pakistan, and the feminist slogan “Mera Jism Meri Marzi” (My body, my choice), in demand for women’s right to bodily autonomy and against gender-based violence, came into vogue in Pakistan.
- 2017: The Azure Window, a natural arch on the Maltese island of Gozo, collapses in stormy weather.
- 2014: In one of aviation’s greatest mysteries, Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, carrying a total of 239 people, disappears en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing. The fate of the flight remains unknown.
- 2010: Headlined by Hulk Hogan and Ric Flair, TNA Wrestling moves its flagship program, TNA Impact!, to Monday night. This effort to go “big time live” failed but is notable in the history of professional wrestling television.
- 2004: A new constitution is signed by Iraq’s Governing Council.
- 2001: Space Shuttle Discovery launches on STS-102, carrying the Expedition 2 crew to the International Space Station.
- 1994: A collision at Indira Gandhi International Airport kills 9 people.
- 1988: Aeroflot Flight 3379 is hijacked by the Ovechkin family and diverted to Veshchevo in the Soviet Union.
- 1985: A supposed failed assassination attempt on Islamic cleric Sayyed Mohammad Hussein Fadlallah in Beirut, Lebanon kills 80 and injures 200 others.
- 1983: Cold War: While addressing a convention of Evangelicals, U.S. President Ronald Reagan labels the Soviet Union an “evil empire”.
- 1979: Philips demonstrates the compact disc publicly for the first time.
- 1979: Images taken by Voyager 1 prove the existence of volcanoes on Io, a moon of Jupiter.
- 1966: Nelson’s Pillar in Dublin, Ireland, is destroyed by a bomb.
Famous Births 👶
- 2004: Kit Connor, English actor
- 2003: Montana Jordan, American actor
- 1999: Nathan McSweeney, Australian cricketer
- 1997: Tijana Bošković, Serbian volleyball player
- 1996: Kyle Allen, American football player
- 1995: Marko Gudurić, Serbian basketball player
- 1995: Isaiah Whitehead, American basketball player
- 1994: Claire Emslie, Scottish footballer
- 1993: Rui Machida, Japanese basketball player
- 1991: Yoon Ji-sung, South Korean singer and actor
- 1990: Kristinia DeBarge, American singer-songwriter and actress
- 1990: Asier Illarramendi, Spanish footballer
- 1990: Brandon Kozun, American-Canadian ice hockey player
- 1990: Petra Kvitová, Czech tennis player
- 1990: Kevin Zeitler, American football player
Notable Deaths 🕊️
- 2025: Athol Fugard, South African actor, director, and playwright (born 1932)
- 2020: Max von Sydow, Swedish actor (born 1929)
- 2019: Marshall Brodien, American actor (born 1934)
- 2019: Cedrick Hardman, American football player and actor (born 1948)
- 2018: Kate Wilhelm, American author (born 1928)
- 2016: George Martin, English composer, conductor, and producer (born 1926)
- 2015: Sam Simon, American director, producer, and screenwriter (born 1955)
- 2014: Leo Bretholz, Austrian-American Holocaust survivor and author (born 1921)
- 2014: William Guarnere, American sergeant (born 1923)
- 2013: John O’Connell, Irish politician, Irish Minister of Health (born 1927)
- 2013: Ewald-Heinrich von Kleist-Schmenzin, German soldier and publisher (born 1922)
- 2012: Simin Daneshvar, Iranian author and academic (born 1921)
- 2009: Hank Locklin, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (born 1918)
- 2007: John Inman, English actor (born 1935)
- 2007: John Vukovich, American baseball player and coach (born 1947)
Holidays & Observances 🎉
- Christian feast day:
Edward King (Church of England) - Christian feast day:
Felix of Burgundy - Christian feast day:
John of God - Christian feast day:
Philemon the actor - Christian feast day:
March 8 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics) - International Women’s Day, and its related observances:
International Women’s Collaboration Brew Day