On This Day in History

March 8

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2014
Tragedy

Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 Disappears

Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 vanished en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing with 239 people aboard. The aircraft’s mysterious disappearance led to one of aviation's largest search efforts.

📍 Over the South China Sea

Tragedy Aviation Malaysia
1978
Politics

Panama Canal Treaty Ratified by U.S. Senate

The U.S. Senate ratified the Torrijos–Carter Treaties, agreeing to transfer control of the Panama Canal to Panama by the end of 1999, ending nearly a century of American oversight.

📍 Washington, D.C., United States

Politics Panama Treaties
1976
Culture

Janet Guthrie Becomes First Woman to Compete in NASCAR Winston Cup

Janet Guthrie broke gender barriers by becoming the first woman to compete in a NASCAR Winston Cup superspeedway race, paving the way for future generations of women in motorsports.

📍 Charlotte, North Carolina, United States

Culture Sports Women's Rights
1966
Culture

Second Vatican Council Ends Index of Forbidden Books

As part of the reforms from the Second Vatican Council, the Catholic Church formally abolished the Index Librorum Prohibitorum, ending centuries of institutional book censorship.

📍 Vatican City

Culture Religion Censorship
1963
Politics

U.S. Senate Approves Nuclear Test Ban Treaty with the Soviet Union

The U.S. Senate approved a nuclear test ban treaty with the Soviet Union, prohibiting atmospheric, outer space, and underwater tests. It was a major Cold War milestone in arms control diplomacy.

📍 Washington, D.C., United States

Politics Nuclear Weapons Cold War
1963
Politics

Syrian Ba'ath Party Seizes Power in Military Coup

The Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party took control of Syria through a military coup, beginning decades of authoritarian rule and shaping modern Middle Eastern geopolitics.

📍 Damascus, Syria

Politics Syria Middle East
1947
Culture

Mickey Spillane Publishes 'I, the Jury', Introducing Mike Hammer

Mickey Spillane released 'I, the Jury', the first novel featuring hard-boiled detective Mike Hammer. The character would become one of the most popular figures in pulp fiction.

📍 New York City, United States

Culture Literature Detective Fiction
1946
Politics

UNICEF Founded to Aid Children Post-WWII

The United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF) was established to provide emergency food and healthcare to children in countries devastated by World War II. It later became a permanent UN agency.

📍 New York City, United Nations Headquarters

Politics Children Humanitarian Aid
1944
Science

Otto Hahn Receives Nobel Prize in Chemistry for Nuclear Fission Discovery

German chemist Otto Hahn was awarded the Nobel Prize for his discovery of nuclear fission. His work laid the scientific groundwork for atomic energy and weapons development.

📍 Stockholm, Sweden

Science Nuclear Physics Nobel Prize
1939
War

German Forces Occupy Czechoslovakia’s Bohemia and Moravia

Nazi Germany moved troops into Bohemia and Moravia, effectively dissolving Czechoslovakia. The occupation marked a key step in Hitler’s expansionist policy before World War II.

📍 Prague, Czechoslovakia

War WWII Nazi Germany
1927
Culture

First Women’s Boat Race Held Between Oxford and Cambridge

The first Women’s Boat Race between Oxford and Cambridge Universities took place on the River Isis, initiating one of the longest-running traditions in women’s collegiate sports in the UK.

📍 Oxford, United Kingdom

Culture Sports Women’s Rights
1917
Politics

International Women's Day First Celebrated by Soviet Russia

Women in Petrograd protested for bread and peace, sparking a workers' strike that helped trigger the Russian Revolution. This day became the foundation for International Women's Day.

📍 Petrograd, Russian Empire (now Saint Petersburg, Russia)

Politics Women's Rights Russian Revolution
1911
Politics

World’s First Recorded International Women’s Day Rallies Held

International Women’s Day was marked for the first time across Austria, Denmark, Germany, and Switzerland with over a million people rallying for women's suffrage, labor rights, and equality.

📍 Europe (Germany, Austria, Denmark, Switzerland)

Politics Women's Rights Social Movements
1906
Politics

Japanese Railways Nationalized

The Japanese government nationalized 17 private railroads, creating the state-run Japanese Government Railways system. This paved the way for Japan’s modern high-speed rail infrastructure.

📍 Tokyo, Japan

Politics Infrastructure Japan
1902
Culture

Egyptian Museum in Cairo Opens to the Public

The Egyptian Museum, housing the world's largest collection of ancient Egyptian artifacts including the treasures of Tutankhamun, officially opened in Cairo and became a global heritage site.

📍 Cairo, Egypt

Culture Archaeology Egypt
1879
Politics

U.S. Supreme Court Declares Women Lawyers May Practice Before It

Belva Lockwood became the first woman admitted to practice before the U.S. Supreme Court, following congressional legislation that allowed women to appear in court at the federal level.

📍 Washington, D.C., United States

Politics Law Women's Rights
1874
Culture

First Recorded Baseball Game Played in England

The first documented baseball game in England was played in Liverpool by American teams during a goodwill tour. It marked a major step in baseball's international outreach.

📍 Liverpool, United Kingdom

Culture Sports Baseball
1873
Politics

First Japanese Diplomatic Mission to the West Returns Home

The Iwakura Mission, a Japanese diplomatic and educational expedition to the United States and Europe, returned to Japan. The mission greatly influenced Japan’s modernization and Meiji reforms.

📍 Tokyo, Japan

Politics Japan Modernization
1831
Culture

Katsushika Hokusai’s 'The Great Wave' Published in Edo Period Japan

Katsushika Hokusai’s iconic woodblock print 'The Great Wave off Kanagawa' was released as part of his 'Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji' series, becoming one of the most recognized images in Japanese art.

📍 Edo (Tokyo), Japan

Culture Art Japan
1817
Invention

New York Stock Exchange Founded

The New York Stock Exchange was officially founded with the adoption of a formal constitution, becoming the most influential financial market in the world.

📍 New York City, United States

Invention Finance Economy