1296: The Stone of Scone, on which Scottish kings had been crowned for centuries, was seized by King Edward I of England.
1908: Wright Brothers Publicly Show Off Their Flying Machine for the First Time
The human air flight pioneers displayed their flying machine and its capabilities at a racecourse at Le Mans, France, 5 years after they made their first successful flight in 1903. The flight piloted by Wilbur lasted only 1 minute and 45 seconds captured the imagination of their audiences, and silenced their critics and doubters.
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1967: ASEAN is Founded
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is an economic and political organization which was formed after the heads of Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand signed the Bangkok Declaration. The purpose of the organization is to promote regional peace and stability and encourage economic development in the region. Today, ASEAN has 10 member states.
1988: 8888 Uprising in Myanmar Begins
The pro-democracy uprising began as a student protest in Burma’s capital city, Yangon. Hundreds and thousands protesters came out on the streets to protest against the one-party rule by General Ne Win. The protests lasted for over a month and were violently put down by the government. They ended after the State Peace and Development Council, a group of senior military officers took over the government in a coup and installed a military junta. The uprisings get their name from the date the protests began – August 8, 1988.
1950: A group of radicals issued the Sawaba Declaration, which led to the formation of the longest-lived and most well-supported radical party in northern Nigeria, the Northern Elements Progressive Union (NEPU).
1974: Nixon Announces His Resignation
The 37th President of the United States, Richard Nixon’s resignation came as a response to the Watergate Scandal. The scandal erupted after it was revealed that the Nixon government was involved in the cover-up of a break-in of the Democratic National Committee headquarters at the Watergate Complex. The revelations prompted the Congress to initiate impeachment proceedings against Nixon. His resignation made him the first president in American history to resign while in office.
1969: Photographer Iain Macmillan Takes an Iconic Photograph of the Beatles
One of the most recognizable images of the 20th century, the photograph was taken in the middle of Abbey Road in London and showed all the members of the popular rock band, The Beatles crossing the road on a zebra crossing. The photograph was used as a cover for their 11th album, Abbey Road.
1988: Ceasefire between Iran and Iraq takes effect after 8 years of war
BIRTHS ON THIS DAY: August 8
Roger Federer, 43 years
Roger Federer is a Swiss former professional tennis player was born on 8 August 1981. Federer was ranked world No. 1 in singles by the Association of Tennis Professionals for 310 weeks, including a record 237 consecutive weeks, and finished as the year-end No. 1 five times.
