On This Day in History – November 8

Major Events

1. 1519 – Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés enters the Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan, meeting Emperor Montezuma II.
2. 1602 – The Bodleian Library opens at the University of Oxford.
3. 1793 – The Louvre Museum officially opens in Paris as a public museum.
4. 1889 – Montana becomes the 41st U.S. state.
5. 1895 – Wilhelm Röntgen discovers X-rays in his laboratory in Würzburg, Germany.
6. 1923 – Adolf Hitler leads the failed Beer Hall Putsch in Munich.
7. 1932 – Franklin D. Roosevelt is elected the 32nd President of the United States.
8. 1960 – John F. Kennedy is elected President of the United States, defeating Richard Nixon.
9. 1965 – The Great Northeast Blackout leaves over 30 million people without power across parts of the U.S. and Canada.
10. 2016 – Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi announces the demonetization of 500 and 1000 rupee notes to combat corruption.

Famous Birthdays

1. Bram Stoker (1847–1912) – Irish author of Dracula.
2. Margaret Mitchell (1900–1949) – American author of Gone with the Wind.
3. Dorothy Day (1897–1980) – American journalist and social activist.
4. June Havoc (1912–2010) – Canadian-American actress and dancer.
5. Jack Osbourne (born 1985) – British television personality.
6. Parker Posey (born 1968) – American actress.
7. Gordon Ramsay (born 1966) – British chef and television personality.
8. Tara Reid (born 1975) – American actress.
9. Leif Garrett (born 1961) – American singer and actor.
10. Alfre Woodard (born 1952) – American actress and producer.

Notable Deaths

1. Phileas Fogg (fictional) – Jules Verne’s novel Around the World in 80 Days was published on this day, often tied to Fogg’s “symbolic” death of old travel methods.
2. Ivan Turgenev (1818–1883) – Russian novelist and playwright.
3. Christian Barnard (1922–2001) – South African heart surgeon, pioneer of the first human heart transplant.
4. Norman Rockwell (1894–1978) – American painter and illustrator.
5. Howard Keel (1919–2004) – American actor and singer.
6. John Milton (1608–1674) – English poet, author of Paradise Lost.
7. Doc Holliday (1851–1887) – American gambler and gunfighter.

Holidays

• World Urbanism Day (International) – Promotes sustainable urban development.
• Science, Technology, and Innovation Day (World)
• Parents as Teachers Day (USA)
• Cook Something Bold and Pungent Day (USA)

Fun Facts

1. The Louvre opened to the public in 1793 with just over 500 artworks.
2. Wilhelm Röntgen’s discovery of X-rays revolutionized medicine and earned him the first Nobel Prize in Physics.
3. Gordon Ramsay was born on the same date Röntgen discovered X-rays — both associated with sharp intensity!
4. Montana and Arizona were both admitted to the Union in early November, years apart.