421day.year
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.
On February 8, 421, Flavius Constantius was named co-emperor of the Western Roman Empire alongside Emperor Honorius. The elevation occurred in Ravenna, the imperial residence, during a period of increasing pressure from invading barbarian tribes. Constantius had distinguished himself as a capable general and administrator, earning the trust of the court. His joint reign sought to address military and political challenges that threatened imperial stability. By sharing imperial duties, the two rulers hoped to project united authority across the empire's contested territories. This momentary arrangement reflects the empire's attempts to adapt its governance during its terminal decline. Although Constantius's reign was short-lived, he died later that year. Nevertheless, the dual emperorship underscores the fragility of Roman power in its final centuries.
421
Constantius III
co-emperor
Western Roman Empire
1347day.year
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.
By February 8, 1347, the Byzantine Empire's capital had endured six years of brutal civil war between rival claimants to the throne. John VI Kantakouzenos, supported by Ottoman auxiliaries, and the young co-emperor John V Palaiologos, backed by Byzantium's traditional elites, found themselves locked in a deadly stalemate. Exhausted by warfare, famine, and outbreaks of plague, both sides agreed to negotiate. The resulting treaty stipulated that John VI would rule as senior emperor while John V would eventually succeed him. This unprecedented arrangement aimed to restore stability to an empire weakened by internal division and external threats. The compromise also reflected shifting power dynamics, as regional magnates and mercenary forces gained influence. Despite the agreement, underlying tensions persisted, foreshadowing future conflict and the empire's gradual decline. The 1347 settlement highlights the Byzantine state's resilience and the complexities of medieval imperial politics.
1347
Byzantine civil war of 1341–47
John VI Kantakouzenos
John V Palaiologos
1587day.year
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.
On February 8, 1587, Mary Stuart, the former queen of Scotland, was beheaded at Fotheringhay Castle in England. Accused of conspiring to murder her cousin, Queen Elizabeth I, in the Babington Plot, Mary had spent nearly nineteen years in confinement. Her trial and subsequent execution polarized Protestant and Catholic powers across Europe, with many viewing her as a martyr for the Catholic cause. Elizabeth's decision, influenced by intense political and religious pressures, marked a turning point in Anglo-Scottish relations. Mary's death eliminated a focal point for plots against Elizabeth but inflamed tensions between England and Catholic monarchies abroad. The execution also paved the way for the eventual union of the English and Scottish crowns under Mary's son, James VI of Scotland. Mary's dramatic life and tragic end have inspired countless works of art, literature, and historical debate. The events of February 8, 1587, remain a compelling chapter in the saga of Tudor-era intrigue and conflict.
1587
Mary, Queen of Scots
Babington Plot
Queen Elizabeth I
1837day.year
Richard Johnson becomes the first and only Vice President of the United States chosen by the Senate.
Senators select Richard Mentor Johnson as Vice President after an Electoral College deadlock, the only time the Senate has decided that office.
After the 1836 presidential election failed to produce a clear vice presidential majority in the Electoral College, the U.S. Senate exercised its constitutional authority to decide the outcome. On February 8, 1837, Senator Richard Mentor Johnson of Kentucky was selected as Vice President, making him the only individual to attain that office by a Senate vote. Johnson, known for his frontier military service during the War of 1812, had a controversial personal life that fueled political debate. The Senate's decision underscored tensions within the Democratic Party and questions about electoral process reforms. Martin Van Buren had already been chosen President by the Electoral College, and Johnson joined him in office on March 4. Johnson's vice presidency faced scrutiny over his relationship with an enslaved woman and their mixed-race daughter, issues that polarized contemporaries. Despite this, he served a full term until 1841 but was not renominated. The episode remains a unique footnote in U.S. constitutional history, illustrating the flexibility and complexity of the early electoral system.
1837
Richard Johnson
Vice President of the United States
Senate
1865day.year
Delaware refuses to ratify the Thirteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, delaying the criminalization of slavery until the amendment's national adoption on December 6, 1865. The amendment is ultimately ratified by Delaware on February 12, 1901, the 92nd anniversary of Abraham Lincoln's birth.
Delaware initially rejects the Thirteenth Amendment, delaying the criminalization of slavery within the state.
On February 8, 1865, the state of Delaware refused to ratify the Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution. This decision prevented the amendment’s provisions outlawing slavery from taking effect in Delaware until nationwide ratification was achieved. The amendment was officially adopted across the country on December 6, 1865, abolishing slavery in all states. Delaware’s legislature finally ratified the amendment on February 12, 1901, coinciding with the 92nd anniversary of Abraham Lincoln’s birth. The long delay reflected deep regional divisions and the state’s complex post–Civil War politics. This episode highlights how constitutional change often required both federal action and state agreement in the Reconstruction era.
1865
Delaware
Thirteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution
criminalization of slavery
Abraham Lincoln's
1887day.year
The Dawes Act is enacted, authorizing the U.S. President to divide Native American tribal land into individual allotments.
The Dawes Act is enacted, setting the stage for allotment of Native American tribal lands to individuals.
The Dawes Act, signed by President Grover Cleveland on February 8, 1887, aimed to assimilate Native Americans into European-American society. It authorized the division of communal tribal lands into individual allotments for Native American households. Those who accepted an allotment and lived separately from the tribe were granted U.S. citizenship. The act resulted in significant loss of tribal land, as surplus plots were sold to non-Native settlers. It fundamentally reshaped the land ownership and social structures of many Indigenous nations. Critics have argued that the policy undermined tribal sovereignty and accelerated the dispossession of Native peoples.
1887
Dawes Act
U.S. President
Native American
individual allotments
1924day.year
The first state execution in the United States by gas chamber takes place in Nevada.
Nevada carries out the first state execution by gas chamber in the United States.
On February 8, 1924, Nevada conducted the first execution by gas chamber in the nation. The method was introduced as a purportedly more humane alternative to hanging. The condemned prisoner was sealed in an airtight chamber, where poisonous gas was released. This execution set a precedent that several other states would follow. Supporters argued it was a progressive reform in capital punishment practices. Later debates over ethics and legality led to the phasing out of gas executions in many jurisdictions.
1924
execution in the United States
gas chamber
takes place
Nevada
1946day.year
The People's Republic of Korea is dissolved in the North and replaced by the communist-controlled Provisional People's Committee of North Korea.
In 1946, the Soviet-backed People's Republic of Korea in the North was replaced by the Provisional People's Committee of North Korea under communist control.
On February 8, 1946, Soviet authorities in northern Korea abolished the short-lived People's Republic of Korea. They established the Provisional People's Committee of North Korea as the new governing authority. This body was dominated by communist leaders and worked closely with Soviet military administrators. The change marked a decisive step toward the division of the Korean Peninsula along ideological lines. Land reforms, nationalization of key industries, and collectivization initiatives were introduced under the new regime. The committee laid the foundations for what would become the Democratic People's Republic of Korea in 1948. Its policies contrasted sharply with developments in the southern zone under U.S. influence. This reorganization played a crucial role in the emerging Cold War dynamics in East Asia.
1946
People's Republic of Korea
North
communist
Provisional People's Committee of North Korea
1950day.year
The Stasi, the secret police of East Germany, is established.
In 1950, the Ministry for State Security, known as the Stasi, was founded as East Germany's secret police force.
On February 8, 1950, the German Democratic Republic established the Ministry for State Security, popularly known as the Stasi. Tasked with internal surveillance and counterintelligence, the Stasi became one of the most powerful and feared secret police organizations in history. It rapidly expanded its network of officers, informants, and collaborators across East German society. The agency monitored citizens, suppressed dissent, and enforced the Socialist Unity Party's policies with ruthless efficiency. Techniques included phone tapping, mail interception, and covert operations against perceived enemies of the state. The Stasi maintained close ties with other Soviet bloc security services, exchanging intelligence and methods. It left behind extensive archives that revealed the depth of state intrusion into private lives. Its legacy persisted long after German reunification in 1990, shaping the nation's process of coming to terms with its past. The history of the Stasi highlights the impact of surveillance on personal freedom and government control.
1950
Stasi
East Germany
1960day.year
Queen Elizabeth II issues an Order-in-Council, proclaiming the House of Windsor and declaring that her descendants will take the name Mountbatten-Windsor.
On this day in 1960, Queen Elizabeth II decreed that her descendants would bear the surname Mountbatten-Windsor and reaffirmed the House of Windsor name.
On February 8, 1960, Queen Elizabeth II issued an Order-in-Council that formally recognized the surname Mountbatten-Windsor for her descendants. The proclamation also confirmed the continuation of the House of Windsor as the royal family's official dynastic name. This decision blended the royal house's established identity with Prince Philip's family name, Mountbatten. It provided a solution for the surnames of princes, princesses, and other descendants without a distinct monarchic title. The move reflected evolving notions of royal tradition and modern family ties. The new surname appeared in official documents and military records for members of the royal family. It symbolized the unity of two branches of Europe's royal houses in the post-war era. Today, Mountbatten-Windsor remains the legal surname for many members of the British royal family.
1960
Queen Elizabeth II
Order-in-Council
House of Windsor
Mountbatten-Windsor
1963day.year
The regime of Prime Minister of Iraq Abd al-Karim Qasim is overthrown by the Ba'ath Party.
In 1963, Iraq's Prime Minister Abd al-Karim Qasim was overthrown in a Ba'ath Party coup, reshaping the nation's political landscape.
On February 8, 1963, the Ba'ath Party launched a coup that toppled Iraqi Prime Minister Abd al-Karim Qasim. Qasim, who had led the country since the 1958 revolution, was captured and executed shortly afterward. The seizing of power by Ba'athists marked the rise of a new political force committed to Arab nationalism and socialism. Key military figures and party leaders coordinated the operation in Baghdad, gaining control of government institutions. The coup precipitated a period of political instability, purges, and factional violence. It set the stage for further Ba'athist influence under leaders like Ahmed Hassan al-Bakr and, later, Saddam Hussein. The event reshaped Iraq's domestic policies and regional relations during the Cold War. This moment remains a critical turning point in 20th-century Iraqi history.
1963
Prime Minister of Iraq
Abd al-Karim Qasim
overthrown
Ba'ath Party