1262day.year
Battle of Hausbergen between bourgeois militias and the army of the bishop of Strasbourg.
The Battle of Hausbergen in 1262 saw the Strasbourg bourgeois militias clash with the bishop’s forces, reshaping the city's governance.
The Battle of Hausbergen in 1262 pitted the Strasbourg bourgeois militias against the bishop’s army. Tensions had risen as the city’s citizens sought greater autonomy from ecclesiastical rule. On March 8, the well-organized militias achieved a decisive victory on the battlefield. The defeat forced the bishop to relinquish temporal authority over Strasbourg. This triumph ushered in an era of communal self-governance and civic pride. The event is remembered as a landmark in the urban autonomy movements of medieval Europe.
1262
Battle of Hausbergen
Strasbourg
1722day.year
The Safavid Empire of Iran is defeated by an army from Afghanistan at the Battle of Gulnabad.
In 1722, the Afghan forces defeated the Safavid Empire at the Battle of Gulnabad, precipitating the collapse of Safavid rule in Iran.
On March 8, 1722, Afghan forces defeated the Safavid Empire at the Battle of Gulnabad. Led by Mahmud Hotak, the Afghans capitalized on Safavid decline and internal dissent. The Persian army suffered a crushing defeat near Isfahan, the empire’s capital. This loss precipitated the collapse of Safavid rule and opened the way for Afghan occupation. The battle signaled the end of a dynasty that had dominated Iran for over two centuries. It reshaped the region’s political landscape until the rise of the Afsharid dynasty.
1722
Safavid Empire
Iran
Afghanistan
Battle of Gulnabad
1782day.year
Gnadenhutten massacre: Ninety-six Native Americans in Gnadenhutten, Ohio, who had converted to Christianity, are killed by Pennsylvania militiamen in retaliation for raids carried out by other Indian tribes.
The Gnadenhutten massacre of 1782 saw Pennsylvania militiamen kill 96 peaceful Christian Lenape converts in Ohio.
The Gnadenhutten massacre occurred on March 8, 1782, when Pennsylvania militiamen killed 96 peacefully converted Lenape. The victims, Christian converts, had remained neutral during frontier raids of the Revolutionary War. Militiamen, seeking revenge for other attacks, mistakenly targeted the Moravian settlement at Gnadenhutten. The atrocity shocked contemporaries and drew condemnation from both Native and European communities. It highlighted the brutality of frontier warfare and the dangers faced by indigenous peoples. The massacre remains a tragic chapter in the history of American-Native American relations.
1782
Gnadenhutten massacre
Native Americans
Gnadenhutten, Ohio
Christianity
Pennsylvania
1801day.year
War of the Second Coalition: At the Battle of Abukir, a British force under Sir Ralph Abercromby lands in Egypt with the aim of ending the French campaign in Egypt and Syria.
A British expeditionary force lands at Abukir Bay in Egypt to challenge French control and end Napoleon's eastern campaign.
In March 1801, during the War of the Second Coalition, a British force commanded by Sir Ralph Abercromby launched an amphibious landing near Abukir Bay, Egypt.
Their objective was to expel French troops who had occupied Egypt since Napoleon's campaign of 1798.
Under enemy fire, the British secured the beachhead despite facing artillery and musket resistance from French defenders.
The successful landing marked the beginning of a campaign that would eventually force the French to surrender Cairo.
Abercromby's leadership and the discipline of his soldiers were crucial in establishing British dominance in the region.
1801
War of the Second Coalition
Battle of Abukir
Ralph Abercromby
French campaign in Egypt and Syria
1868day.year
Sakai incident: Japanese samurai kill 11 French sailors in the port of Sakai, Osaka.
In 1868, samurai in Sakai clash with a French landing party, resulting in the deaths of eleven sailors and diplomatic tensions.
On March 8, 1868, tensions between traditional samurai culture and foreign presence boiled over near Sakai in Osaka.
A group of unemployed samurai attacked a French military landing party, resulting in the deaths of eleven sailors.
The incident tested Japan's nascent Meiji government, which sought to balance modernization with respect for samurai honor.
French authorities demanded severe punishment, leading to the ritual seppuku of several samurai to satisfy diplomatic pressure.
The Sakai incident highlighted the cultural clashes and internal conflicts as Japan opened its doors to the West.
1868
Sakai incident
samurai
Sakai, Osaka
1916day.year
World War I: A British force unsuccessfully attempts to relieve the siege of Kut (present-day Iraq) in the Battle of Dujaila.
During WWI in 1916, British forces suffer defeat at the Battle of Dujaila while trying to break the siege of Kut in Mesopotamia.
On March 8, 1916, British and Indian troops launched an offensive at Dujaila, east of Kut, aiming to break the Ottoman siege.
The operation suffered from poor planning, muddy terrain, and strong Ottoman defenses under General Halil Pasha.
Despite repeated assaults, the British forces were unable to dislodge the defenders or reach the besieged garrison in Kut.
The failed relief attempt resulted in heavy casualties and weakened morale among the Mesopotamian Expeditionary Force.
The siege of Kut continued until April, culminating in the largest surrender of British forces up to that time.
1916
World War I
Kut
Iraq
Battle of Dujaila
1937day.year
Spanish Civil War: The Battle of Guadalajara begins.
Republican forces launch an offensive against Italian and Nationalist troops in the Battle of Guadalajara.
On March 8, 1937, Republican troops and International Brigades attacked Italian Corpo Truppe Volontarie and Spanish Nationalists near Guadalajara.
Heavy rain and muddy roads hampered the Nationalist advance, while Republicans exploited the conditions to counterattack.
Fierce urban fighting unfolded in and around the town of Brihuega.
By March 23, Republican forces had secured a decisive victory, inflicting heavy losses on the Fascist units.
The outcome bolstered Republican morale and marked one of the first major defeats for Fascist Italy in Spain.
1937
Spanish Civil War
Battle of Guadalajara
1942day.year
World War II: The Dutch East Indies surrender Java to the Imperial Japanese Army.
Dutch forces in the East Indies formally surrender Java to the advancing Japanese army.
On March 8, 1942, Dutch colonial forces in the East Indies capitulated to Imperial Japanese troops on Java.
Following the Battle of the Java Sea, Japanese forces executed a rapid invasion from the north coast.
Commanding General Hein ter Poorten agreed to an unconditional surrender to avoid further civilian casualties.
The fall of Java marked the end of Dutch colonial rule in the archipelago during World War II.
This surrender opened the way for Japanese occupation of Southeast Asia and disrupted Allied supply lines.
1942
World War II
Dutch East Indies
Java
Imperial Japanese Army
1942day.year
World War II: Imperial Japanese Army forces captured Rangoon, Burma from British.
Japanese troops seize Rangoon from British control, threatening Allied supply routes into China.
On March 8, 1942, Imperial Japanese forces entered and secured Rangoon, the strategic Burmese capital.
The British were forced to retreat southwards, abandoning the vital port and airfields to the advancing army.
Rangoon's fall severed the Burma Road, a crucial Allied supply route to Chinese forces resisting Japanese expansion.
The occupation of Rangoon allowed Japan to consolidate power in Southeast Asia and exploit local resources.
This victory underscored Japan's early-war dominance and posed a significant challenge to Allied strategies in the region.
Rangoon
Burma
British
1965day.year
Vietnam War: US Marines arrive at Da Nang.
US Marines land at Da Nang airbase, marking the first major deployment of American ground forces to Vietnam.
On March 8, 1965, the first contingent of 3,500 U.S. Marines disembarked at Da Nang Airbase in South Vietnam.
This deployment signaled a significant escalation of American involvement in the Vietnam War.
The Marines reinforced the Army of the Republic of Vietnam against mounting Viet Cong attacks.
Their arrival launched a broader combat mission that would ultimately involve hundreds of thousands of U.S. troops.
The commitment at Da Nang marked a pivotal turning point in the conflict's trajectory.
1965
Vietnam War
US Marines
Da Nang
1966day.year
Nelson's Pillar in Dublin, Ireland, is destroyed by a bomb.
A bomb obliterates Nelson's Pillar in Dublin, striking a blow against a colonial-era monument.
In the early hours of March 8, 1966, the granite column known as Nelson's Pillar was demolished by explosive charges.
Built in 1808 to honor Admiral Horatio Nelson, the monument stood in Dublin's O'Connell Street.
The bombing was attributed to Irish republicans protesting British influence in Ireland.
Despite the destruction of the column, the statue of Nelson fell and shattered on the street.
This act of political defiance galvanized public debate over national identity and the legacy of colonial symbols.
1966
Nelson's Pillar
1985day.year
A supposed failed assassination attempt on Islamic cleric Sayyed Mohammad Hussein Fadlallah in Beirut, Lebanon kills 80 and injures 200 others.
In 1985, a car bomb intended to assassinate cleric Sayyed Mohammad Hussein Fadlallah exploded in Beirut, killing 80 and injuring 200.
On March 8, 1985, a powerful car bomb detonated near the residence of Islamic cleric Sayyed Mohammad Hussein Fadlallah in Beirut.
The blast was part of a failed assassination plot against a prominent religious figure.
Despite the intended target’s survival, the explosion claimed 80 lives and wounded over 200 civilians.
Rescue workers faced chaotic scenes amid fires and rubble in the residential neighborhood.
The attack underscored the volatile security situation in Lebanon during the civil war period.
Responsibility for the bombing remains disputed, reflecting the era’s complex political rivalries.
1985
supposed failed assassination attempt
Sayyed Mohammad Hussein Fadlallah
Beirut, Lebanon