395day.year
Later Yan is defeated by its former vassal Northern Wei at the Battle of Canhe Slope.
At the Battle of Canhe Slope in 395, Northern Wei forces decisively defeated the Later Yan army, marking a turning point in the Sixteen Kingdoms period.
In the late 4th century, the fragmented Chinese region was governed by rival Xianbei states. Later Yan, led by Murong Chui, faced off against its former vassal state Northern Wei. On December 8, 395, at Canhe Slope, Northern Wei delivered a crushing blow to Later Yan forces. Contemporary accounts describe heavy casualties and the capture of Yan soldiers. The defeat severely weakened Later Yan's military power and accelerated its decline. Northern Wei's victory helped it consolidate control over northern China. The battle is remembered as a decisive moment that shifted the balance of power during the Sixteen Kingdoms era.
395
Later Yan
Northern Wei
Battle of Canhe Slope
1851day.year
Conservative Santiago-based government troops defeat rebels at the Battle of Loncomilla, signaling the end of the 1851 Chilean Revolution.
Government troops defeat rebels at the Battle of Loncomilla on December 8, 1851, ending the Chilean Revolution of that year.
The Battle of Loncomilla, fought near Chillán in southern Chile, marked the decisive end of the 1851 Chilean Revolution. Conservative forces loyal to President Manuel Montt clashed with liberal rebels seeking to overturn the controversial 1851 election. On December 8, government troops secured a resounding victory, routing the insurgents and capturing key leaders. The defeat forced the remaining rebels to flee or surrender, effectively ending major hostilities. The battle solidified Montt’s grip on power and ushered in a period of conservative dominance. Casualties on both sides were significant, but the government’s superior organization proved crucial. This conflict highlighted deep political divisions in early republican Chile and shaped the nation’s subsequent development. The outcome influenced Chile’s political landscape for decades to come.
1851
Conservative
Santiago
Battle of Loncomilla
1851 Chilean Revolution
1914day.year
World War I: A squadron of Britain's Royal Navy defeats the Imperial German East Asia Squadron in the Battle of the Falkland Islands in the South Atlantic.
During World War I, the British Royal Navy secured a decisive victory over the German East Asia Squadron at the Battle of the Falkland Islands.
On December 8, 1914, British battlecruisers and cruisers engaged and overwhelmed Admiral von Spee’s squadron far from home. The victory eradicated Germany’s primary naval force in the South Atlantic and restored Allied control of key sea lanes. It followed the earlier German triumph at the Battle of Coronel, marking a swift reversal of fortune. By neutralizing the East Asia Squadron, the Royal Navy hindered German plans for commerce raiding and shifted naval balance. This action underscored the global reach of the conflict and the strategic importance of sea power in World War I.
1914
World War I
Royal Navy
East Asia Squadron
Battle of the Falkland Islands
1922day.year
Two days after coming into existence, the Irish Free State executes four leaders of the Irish Republican Army: Liam Mellows, Rory O'Connor, Joe McKelvey and Dick Barrett.
Just two days after its establishment, the Irish Free State executed four prominent IRA leaders in a highly controversial move.
In the tumult following the Anglo-Irish Treaty, the new Free State government sought to assert authority over Republican opponents. On December 8, 1922, Liam Mellows, Rory O'Connor, Joe McKelvey, and Dick Barrett were tried and executed under martial law. The executions were intended as a deterrent against anti-Treaty forces but instead deepened the bitterness that erupted into civil war. Public reaction ranged from approval by Treaty supporters to outrage among Republicans and their sympathizers. The event remains a pivotal and tragic moment in Ireland’s struggle for sovereignty and unity.
1922
Irish Free State
Irish Republican Army
Liam Mellows
Rory O'Connor
Joe McKelvey
Dick Barrett
1933day.year
Anarchist insurrection breaks out in Zaragoza, Spain.
An anarchist uprising erupted in Zaragoza in 1933, reflecting deep social and political unrest in Spain’s Second Republic.
Syndicalist and anarchist groups, including the CNT and FAI, led armed actions against local authorities on December 8, 1933. Workers seized key sites, demanded land reforms, and challenged the government’s authority. The insurrection was quickly suppressed by military and police forces, but it highlighted widespread dissatisfaction with economic inequality and political inertia. Zaragoza’s events foreshadowed the larger convulsions that would engulf Spain in the Civil War just three years later. The insurrection remains a symbol of anarchist mobilization and radical labor struggles during a volatile period in Spanish history.
1933
Anarchist insurrection
Zaragoza
Spain
1941day.year
World War II: U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt declares December 7 to be "a date which will live in infamy", after which the U.S. declares war on Japan.
On December 8, 1941, President Roosevelt famously labeled the previous day as "a date which will live in infamy" and led the U.S. into World War II against Japan.
In a speech to Congress on December 8, 1941, Roosevelt condemned the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor and called for a declaration of war against Japan. The heartfelt address rallied American public sentiment and ended decades of U.S. non-interventionist policy. Following his plea, Congress swiftly approved the war declaration, marking the United States’ formal entry into World War II. The speech’s impact resonated worldwide, aligning the U.S. with Allied powers and reshaping the global conflict. Roosevelt’s phrase became one of the most iconic in presidential history.
1941
World War II
Franklin D. Roosevelt
December 7
a date which will live in infamy
the U.S. declares war on Japan
1941day.year
World War II: Japanese forces simultaneously invade Shanghai International Settlement, Malaya, Thailand, Hong Kong, the Philippines, and the Dutch East Indies. (See December 7 for the concurrent attack on Pearl Harbor in the Western Hemisphere.)
At dawn on December 8, 1941, Japanese troops launched coordinated invasions across Asia and the Pacific, marking a broad expansion of Japan’s wartime offensives.
Simultaneous with the Pearl Harbor strike, Japanese forces attacked British, American, Dutch, and Thai positions in Shanghai, Malaya, Thailand, Hong Kong, the Philippines, and the Dutch East Indies. This bold strategy aimed to secure vital resources and establish a defensive perimeter. Rapid advances overwhelmed ill-prepared defenders, leading to the fall of key cities and strategic points within days. The widespread invasions demonstrated Japan’s military coordination and began several years of brutal occupation in Southeast Asia. They altered the balance in the Pacific and triggered full-scale war between Japan and Allied nations in the region.
Shanghai International Settlement
Malaya
Thailand
Hong Kong
the Philippines
the Dutch East Indies
December 7
attack on Pearl Harbor
Western Hemisphere
1943day.year
World War II: The German 117th Jäger Division destroys the monastery of Mega Spilaio in Greece and executes 22 monks and visitors as part of reprisals that culminated a few days later with the Massacre of Kalavryta.
In December 1943, Nazi troops demolished the Mega Spilaio monastery in Greece and executed 22 civilians in a grim act of reprisal.
Amid fierce resistance from Greek partisans, soldiers of the German 117th Jäger Division targeted the historic Mega Spilaio monastery. On December 8, 1943, they set the complex ablaze and killed monks along with visiting civilians. This atrocity was one of several reprisals against local communities accused of aiding guerrillas. Days later, the same unit perpetrated the Massacre of Kalavryta, killing nearly the entire male population of the town. The events stand among the darkest war crimes in Greece, remembered for their brutality and the resilience of survivors.
1943
117th Jäger Division
Mega Spilaio
reprisals
Massacre of Kalavryta
1971day.year
Indo-Pakistani War: The Indian Navy launches an attack on West Pakistan's port city of Karachi.
During the 1971 Indo-Pakistani War, the Indian Navy launched a surprise attack on Karachi's port, striking enemy vessels and shore installations.
On December 8, 1971, less than a day after war was declared, the Indian Navy conducted Operation Trident against Pakistan’s primary naval base in Karachi. Missile boats and frigates equipped with anti-ship missiles targeted Pakistani destroyers, cargo vessels, and fuel storage tanks. The raid sank or damaged several ships, including the destroyer PNS Khaibar, and set fire to dockside oil facilities. Pakistani defenses were caught off-guard, suffering significant losses and logistical setbacks. Operation Trident boosted Indian naval morale and demonstrated the effectiveness of missile warfare. The attack remains celebrated in India as Navy Day and influenced future naval strategy. This daring raid had a lasting impact on the regional naval balance.
1971
Indo-Pakistani War
Indian Navy
launches an attack
West Pakistan
Karachi
1987day.year
An Israeli army tank transporter kills four Palestinian refugees and injures seven others during a traffic accident at the Erez Crossing on the Israel–Gaza Strip border, which has been cited as one of the events which sparked the First Intifada.
An Israeli army tank transporter fatally struck Palestinian refugees at the Erez Crossing, igniting widespread protests that became the First Intifada.
On December 8, 1987, at the Erez Crossing along the Israel–Gaza Strip border, an Israeli armored tank transporter collided with a group of Palestinian workers waiting to cross. Four refugees were killed and seven others injured, fueling anger among Palestinians under occupation. The incident occurred amid rising tensions and was cited as the immediate catalyst for the First Intifada. Demonstrations, strikes, and civil disobedience erupted across the West Bank and Gaza in the following days. The Intifada lasted until 1993, drawing global attention to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and leading to the Oslo Accords. The Erez Crossing event highlighted the volatility of military-civilian interactions in occupied territories. Memorials for the victims are held annually by Palestinian communities. The uprising reshaped Middle Eastern geopolitics and remains a defining moment in Palestinian resistance.
Palestinian refugees
Erez Crossing
Israel–Gaza Strip border
First Intifada
1998day.year
Eighty-one people are killed by armed groups in Algeria.
During Algeria's civil conflict, armed insurgents massacred 81 civilians in a brutal attack.
On December 8, 1998, a massacre unfolded in rural Algeria amid the ongoing civil war.
Armed groups attacked a village, killing at least 81 people and wounding many others.
Witnesses described gunmen systematically targeting residents in their homes.
The atrocity was part of a broader campaign of violence by Islamist militants.
Human rights organizations condemned the massacre and demanded accountability.
The incident intensified international concerns over Algeria's security and humanitarian situation.
It remains one of the deadliest single attacks of the country's long and bloody conflict.
1998
Eighty-one people are killed
Algeria
2009day.year
Bombings in Baghdad, Iraq kill 127 people and injure 448 others.
Coordinated bombings in Baghdad killed 127 people and injured hundreds, underscoring ongoing violence in the capital.
On December 8, 2009, multiple bombs detonated across Baghdad in a series of coordinated attacks.
The explosions targeted crowded markets, government buildings, and public areas.
At least 127 people were killed and 448 wounded, overwhelming local hospitals.
Sunni insurgent groups were suspected of orchestrating the bombings amid sectarian tensions.
Iraqi security forces increased checkpoints and patrols in the aftermath.
International observers condemned the violence and urged renewed stabilization efforts.
The bombings highlighted the persistent security challenges facing post-invasion Iraq.
2009
Bombings
Baghdad, Iraq