8th December anniversaries

• Birth
  • 1708
  • "Birth of Francis I, Holy Roman Emperor 300."
• event
  • 1609
  • "The Biblioteca Ambrosiana in Milan, Italy opened to the public. It was the second public library in Europe (after the Bodleian Library in Oxford)"
  • 1659
  • The Mexican border town of Juárez was founded as El Paso del Norte (North Pass) by Spanish explorers. (Note: the town was later split into two when the Rio Grande river that passes through it was established as the USA-Mexico border. The northern part the
  • 1660
  • First actress plays in London (Margaret Hughes as Desdemona)
  • 1864
  • Great Britain
  • Clifton Suspension Bridge over the River Avon officially opened
  • 1897
  • Great Britain
  • RAC (Royal Automobile Club) Established
  • 1941
  • USA enters the War
  • 1949
  • "Chinese Civil War: with the Communists now in control of China, the Chinese Nationalist government evacuated to Taipei, Taiwan"
  • 1983
  • Britain’s House of Lords agreed to allow television cameras to broadcast live debates from its chamber.
• Death
  • 1709
  • "Death of Thomas Corneille, French dramatist"
  • 1859
  • "Death of Thomas de Quincey, British writer, intellectual and critic (Confessions of an English Opium-Eater)"
  • 1978
  • "Death of Golda Meir, Russian-born Prime Minister of Israel (1969–74) ."
  • 1980
  • Great Britain
  • John Lennon assassinated in New York
  • 1983
  • "Death of Slim Pickens (Louis B. Lindley, Jr.), American cowboy and actor ."