February 08
Overview
Holidays & Observances
Christianfeast day:
Cuthmann of Steyning, Elffled of Whitby, Elisabetta Martinez, Gerolamo Emiliani, Josephine Bakhita, Juventius of Pavia, Mengold of Huy, Stephen of Muret, February 8 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
A collective feast commemorating multiple Christian saints in the Eastern Orthodox tradition on February 8.
Parinirvana Day(someMahayana Buddhismtraditions; most celebrate onFebruary 15)
A Mahayana Buddhist observance remembering the Buddha's passing into final Nirvana.
Prešeren Day(Slovenia)
Slovenia's national holiday honoring the poet France Prešeren and celebrating Slovenian culture.
Propose Day(India)
A popular celebration in India where individuals propose to their loved ones as part of Valentine's week.
Military Foundation Day(North Korea)
A North Korean national holiday celebrating the founding of the Korean People's Army.
Cuthmann of Steyning
Elffled of Whitby
Elisabetta Martinez
Gerolamo Emiliani
Events
Constantius III becomes co-emperor of the Western Roman Empire.
Constantius III is elevated to co-emperor alongside Honorius, aiming to bolster the faltering Western Roman Empire.
The Mongols burn the Russian city of Vladimir.
Mongol forces under Batu Khan burn the Russian city of Vladimir, marking a pivotal moment in the conquest of medieval Rus.
Seventh Crusade: Crusaders engage Ayyubid forces in the Battle of Al Mansurah.
Crusader armies under King Louis IX engage Ayyubid forces at Al Mansurah, resulting in a critical clash during the Seventh Crusade.
The Byzantine civil war of 1341–47 ends with a power-sharing agreement between John VI Kantakouzenos and John V Palaiologos.
After six years of internecine strife, John VI Kantakouzenos and John V Palaiologos reach a power-sharing agreement to end the Byzantine civil war.
Mary, Queen of Scots is executed on suspicion of having been involved in the Babington Plot to murder her cousin, Queen Elizabeth I.
Mary, Queen of Scots is executed for her alleged involvement in the Babington Plot, shocking courts across Europe.
Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex, unsuccessfully rebels against Queen Elizabeth I.
Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex, leads an ill-fated rebellion against Queen Elizabeth I, ending in his rapid arrest and downfall.
The College of William & Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia, the second-oldest institution of higher education in the Thirteen Colonies, is granted a charter by King William III and Queen Mary II.
The College of William & Mary receives its royal charter, becoming the second-oldest institution of higher education in the Thirteen Colonies.
Napoleon defeats the coalition forces of Russian General Bennigsen and Prussian General L'Estocq at the Battle of Eylau.
Napoleon Bonaparte secures a hard-fought victory against Russian and Prussian forces at the Battle of Eylau in brutal winter conditions.
An army led by Grand Marshal Las Heras crosses the Andes to join San Martín in the liberation of Chile from Spain.
General Juan Gregorio de las Heras leads his army across the Andes to join José de San Martín, advancing the drive for Chilean independence.
Births
Vettius Valens
Ancient Greek astrologer and mathematician known for compiling the Anthology, a key source on Hellenistic astrology.
Proclus
Prominent 5th-century Greek Neoplatonist philosopher and mathematician, head of the Platonic Academy in Athens.
Muhammad ibn Tughj al-Ikhshid
Egyptian commander and politician who founded the Ikhshidid dynasty and ruled Egypt as Abbasid governor.
Grand Prince of Vladimir-Suzdal from 1238 until his death, he navigated Mongol domination in medieval Rus.
Afonso IV of Portugal
King of Portugal from 1325 to 1357, known as Afonso IV the Brave for his military prowess and governance.
Constantine XI Palaiologos
Last Byzantine emperor (1449–1453) who died defending Constantinople against the Ottoman conquest.
Ulrich
Duke of Württemberg (1498–1519, 1534–1550) whose turbulent reign saw exile and eventual restoration.
Daniele Barbaro
Venetian churchman, diplomat, and scholar renowned for his humanist writings and architectural studies.
Agrippa d'Aubigné
French Huguenot poet and soldier, author of the epic 'Les Tragiques' that critiqued religious wars.
Deaths
Severus of Antioch
Severus of Antioch was a 6th-century patriarch and theologian known for his leadership of the Miaphysite movement in Antioch.
Alexios IV Angelos
Alexios IV Angelos was a Byzantine emperor whose alliance with Crusaders led to the diversion of the Fourth Crusade to Constantinople.
Ali ibn Hanzala
Ali ibn Hanzala was the sixth Dāʿī al-Muṭlaq of the Tayyibi Isma'ili sect, overseeing its spiritual and administrative affairs in the early 13th century.
Robert I
Robert I was a French nobleman, Count of Artois, celebrated for his bravery during the Seventh Crusade where he met his death.
William II Longespée
William II Longespée was the 4th Earl of Salisbury, an English nobleman and crusader who died during the Seventh Crusade.
Hulagu Khan
Hulagu Khan was a Mongol ruler and founder of the Ilkhanate in Persia, renowned for his conquest of Baghdad in 1258.
Theodoric of Landsberg was Margrave of Lusatia and a member of the Wettin dynasty who ruled in the late 13th century.
Przemysł II was a Polish duke who became the first crowned King of Poland in the Late Middle Ages and briefly reunified the Polish lands.
Helen of Anjou
Helen of Anjou was a 13th-century Queen of Serbia renowned for her cultural patronage and charitable works.