March 8 in History

Historical Events on March 8

1576 Spanish explorer Diego García de Palacio first sights the ruins of the ancient Mayan city of Copán.

1722 The Safavid Empire of Iran is defeated by an army from Afghanistan at the Battle of Gulnabad, pushing Iran into anarchy.

1862 American Civil War: The Naval Battle of Hampton Roads begins.

1916 World War I: A British force unsuccessfully attempts to relieve the siege of Kut (present-day Iraq) in the Battle of Dujaila.

1937 Spanish Civil War: The Battle of Guadalajara begins.

1942 World War II: Imperial Japanese Army forces gave ultimatum to Dutch East Indies Governor General Jonkheer Tjarda van Starkenborgh Stachouwer and KNIL Commander in Chief Lieutenant General Hein Ter Poorten, to unconditionally surrender.

1957 Egypt re-opens the Suez Canal after the Suez Crisis.

1965 Thirty-five hundred United States Marines are the first American land combat forces committed during the Vietnam War.

2014 Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, carrying a total of 239 people, disappears en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing.

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Famous Birthdays on March 8

1841 Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr.

1879 Otto Hahn

1952 George Allen (U.S. politician)

1990 Petra Kvitová

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Famous Deaths on March 8

1869 Hector Berlioz

1874 Millard Fillmore

1930 William Howard Taft

1942 José Raúl Capablanca

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