So you want to have a drink but you aren't sure why? Here are some GREAT reasons to call your friends over and have a party.

April 8th


- Buddha's Birthday, also known as Hana Matsuri, "Flower Festival" (Japan)
- Christian Feast Day
- International Day of the Roma
- DABDay - Draw A Bird Day

April 8th


- 2008 - The construction of the world's first building to integrate wind turbines is completed in Bahrain.
- 2006 - Shedden massacre: The bodies of eight men, all shot to death, are found in a field in Ontario, Canada. The murders are soon linked to the Bandidos motorcycle gang.
- 2004 - Darfur conflict: The Humanitarian Ceasefire Agreement is signed by the Sudanese government and two rebel groups.
- 1999 - Haryana Gana Parishad, a political party in the Indian state of Haryana, merges with the Indian National Congress.
- 1993 - The Republic of Macedonia joins the United Nations.
- 1992 - Retired tennis great Arthur Ashe announces that he has AIDS, acquired from blood transfusions during one of his two heart surgeries.
- 1987 - Los Angeles Dodgers executive Al Campanis resigns amid controversy over racially charged remarks he had made while on Nightline.
- 1985 - Bhopal disaster: India files suit against Union Carbide for the disaster which killed an estimated 2,000 and injured another 200,000.
- 1975 - Frank Robinson manages the Cleveland Indians in his first game as major league baseball's first African American manager.
- 1974 - at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium, Hank Aaron hits his 715th career home run to surpass Babe Ruth's 39-year-old record.
- 1970 - Bahr el-Baqar incident: Israeli bombers strike an Egyptian school. 46 children are killed.
- 1968 - BOAC Flight 712 catches fire shortly after take off. As a result of her actions in the accident, Barbara Jane Harrison is awarded a posthumous George Cross, the only GC awarded to a woman in peacetime.
- 1954 - A Royal Canadian Air Force Canadair Harvard collided with a Trans-Canada Airlines Canadair North Star over Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, killing 37 people.
- 1953 - Mau Mau leader Jomo Kenyatta is convicted by Kenya's British rulers.
- 1952 - U.S. President Harry Truman calls for the seizure of all domestic steel mills to prevent a nationwide strike.
- 1950 - India and Pakistan sign the Liaquat-Nehru Pact.
- 1946 - The last meeting of the League of Nations, the precursor of the United Nations, is held.
- 1943 - U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt, in an attempt to check inflation, freezes wages and prices, prohibits workers from changing jobs unless the war effort would be aided thereby, and bars rate increases by common carriers and public utilities.
- 1942 - World War II: Siege of Leningrad – Soviet forces open a much-needed railway link to Leningrad.
- 1942 - World War II: The Japanese take Bataan in the Philippines.
- 1935 - The Works Progress Administration is formed when the Emergency Relief Appropriation Act of 1935 becomes law.
- 1929 - Indian Independence Movement: At the Delhi Central Assembly, Bhagat Singh and Batukeshwar Dutt throw handouts and bombs to court arrest.
- 1918 - World War I: Actors Douglas Fairbanks and Charlie Chaplin sell war bonds on the streets of New York City's financial district.
- 1916 - In Corona, California, race car driver Bob Burman crashes, killing three, and badly injuring five, spectators.
- 1913 - The 17th Amendment to the United States Constitution, requiring direct election of Senators, becomes law.
- 1908 - Harvard University votes to establish the Harvard Business School.
- 1906 - Auguste Deter, the first person to be diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease, dies.
- 1904 - The French Third Republic and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland sign the Entente cordiale.
- 1904 - British mystic Aleister Crowley transcribes the first chapter of The Book of the Law.
- 1904 - Longacre Square in Midtown Manhattan is renamed Times Square after The New York Times.
- 1895 - In Pollock v. Farmers' Loan & Trust Co. the Supreme Court of the United States declares unapportioned income tax to be unconstitutional.
- 1893 - The first recorded college basketball game occurs in Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania.
- 1886 - William Ewart Gladstone introduces the first Irish Home Rule Bill into the British House of Commons.
- 1866 - Italy and Prussia ally against Austrian Empire.
- 1864 - American Civil War: Battle of Mansfield – Union forces are thwarted by the Confederate army at Mansfield, Louisiana.
- 1832 - Black Hawk War: Around three-hundred United States 6th Infantry troops leave St. Louis, Missouri to fight the Sauk Native Americans.
- 1820 - The Venus de Milo is discovered on the Aegean island of Melos.
- 1808 - The Roman Catholic Diocese of Baltimore is promoted to an archdiocese, with the founding of the dioceses of New York, Philadelphia, Boston, and Bardstown (now Louisville) by Pope Pius VII.
- 1767 - Ayutthaya kingdom falls to Burmese invaders.
- 1730 - Shearith Israel, the first synagogue in New York City, is dedicated.
- 1513 - Explorer Juan Ponce de León declares Florida a territory of Spain.
- 1271 - In Syria, sultan Baybars conquers the Krak of Chevaliers.
- 1149 - Pope Eugene III takes refuge in the castle of Ptolemy II of Tusculum.
- 1139 - Roger II of Sicily is excommunicated.
- 1093 - The new Winchester Cathedral is dedicated by Walkelin.
- 217 - Roman Emperor Caracalla is assassinated (and succeeded) by his Praetorian Guard prefect, Marcus Opellius Macrinus.

April 8th


- 1992 - Shelby Young, American actress
- 1990 - Kim Jonghyun, South Korean singer, lead vocalist of boy band SHINee
- 1989 - Hitomi Takahashi, Japanese singer
- 1989 - Alex DeLeon, American singer (The Cab)
- 1987 - Royston Drenthe, Dutch footballer
- 1986 - Erika Sawajiri, Japanese actress, model and singer
- 1986 - Igor Akinfeev, Russian footballer
- 1986 - Félix Hernández, Venezuelan baseball player
- 1985 - Patrick Schliwa, German rugby player
- 1984 - Júlia Liptáková, Slovakian model
- 1984 - Taran Noah Smith, American actor
- 1984 - Kirsten Storms, American actress
- 1983 - Allu Arjun, Indian film actor
- 1983 - Adrian Bellani, American actor
- 1981 - Brian Burres, American baseball player
- 1981 - Lito Sheppard, American football cornerback
- 1981 - Taylor Kitsch, Canadian actor and model
- 1981 - Fred Bousquet, French swimmer
- 1980 - Manuel Ortega, Austrian singer
- 1980 - Katee Sackhoff, American actress
- 1979 - Jeremy Guthrie, American baseball player
- 1979 - Alexi Laiho, Finnish guitarist and singer (Children of Bodom, Sinergy, Kylähullut)
- 1978 - Ana de la Reguera, Mexican actress
- 1978 - Bernt Haas, Swiss footballer
- 1978 - Rachel Roberts, Canadian model and actress
- 1977 - Mehran Ghassemi, Iranian journalist (d. 2008)
- 1977 - Mark Spencer, American computer programmer
- 1975 - Anouk, Dutch singer
- 1975 - Timo Pérez, Dominican baseball player
- 1974 - Chino XL, American rapper
- 1974 - Holger Hott Johansen, Norwegian orienteerist
- 1974 - Nnedi Okorafor, Nigerian American writer
- 1974 - Nayden Todorov, Bulgarian conductor
- 1973 - Khaled Badra, Tunisian footballer
- 1973 - Emma Caulfield, American actress
- 1973 - Alex S. Gonzalez, American baseball player
- 1972 - Paul Gray, American bassist (Slipknot)
- 1968 - Tracy Grammer, American folk singer
- 1968 - Patricia Arquette, American actress
- 1968 - Patricia Girard-Léno, French athlete (100 m hurdles)
- 1967 - Arwyn Davies, Welsh actor
- 1966 - Mark Blundell, British racing driver
- 1966 - Mazinho, Brazilian footballer
- 1966 - Bobby Ologun, Nigerian television personality
- 1966 - Evripidis Stylianidis, Greek politician
- 1966 - Robin Wright Penn, American actress
- 1966 - Dalton Grant, British high jumper
- 1965 - Michael Jones, New Zealand rugby player and coach
- 1964 - Lisa Guerrero, American sports broadcaster
- 1964 - Biz Markie, American rapper/disc jockey
- 1964 - John McGinlay, Scottish footballer
- 1963 - Julian Lennon, English musician and singer
- 1963 - Terry Porter, American basketball player and coach
- 1963 - Alec Stewart, English cricketer
- 1963 - Seth Tobias, American financial commentator (d. 2007)
- 1962 - Izzy Stradlin, American musician (Guns N' Roses)
- 1961 - Richard Hatch, American reality television personality
- 1960 - John Schneider, American actor
- 1958 - Detlef Bruckhoff, German footballer
- 1957 - Fred Smerlas, American football player
- 1956 - Christine Boisson, French actress
- 1956 - Jim Piddock, English actor, writer and producer
- 1956 - Justin Sullivan, English musician (New Model Army)
- 1955 - Ricky Bell, American football player (d. 1984)
- 1955 - Kane Hodder, American actor and stuntman
- 1955 - Barbara Kingsolver, American novelist
- 1955 - David Wu, Taiwanese-born American politician
- 1954 - G.V. Loganathan, American professor (d. 2007)
- 1954 - Gary Carter, American baseball player
- 1951 - Geir Haarde, former Icelandic prime minister
- 1951 - Gerd Andres, German politician
- 1950 - Grzegorz Lato, Polish footballer
- 1949 - John Madden, English film director
- 1949 - Brenda Russell, American singer/songwriter
- 1948 - Michael Leshner, Canadian lawyer and gay rights advocate
- 1947 - Tom DeLay, American politician
- 1947 - Steve Howe, English guitarist (Yes, Asia, GTR)
- 1947 - Robert Kiyosaki, American investor
- 1947 - Larry Norman, American singer/songwriter (d. 2008)
- 1947 - Pascal Lamy, Director-General of WTO
- 1946 - Catfish Hunter, American baseball player (d. 1999)
- 1946 - Stuart Pankin, American actor
- 1946 - Tim Thomerson, American actor
- 1945 - Derrick Walker, British racing team owner
- 1944 - Hywel Bennett, Welsh actor
- 1944 - Odd Nerdrum, Norwegian painter
- 1943 - Tony Banks, British politician (d. 2006)
- 1943 - Michael Bennett, American dancer/choreographer (d. 1987)
- 1943 - Miller Farr, American football player
- 1942 - Roger Chapman, British rock singer (Family, Streetwalkers)
- 1942 - Douglas Trumbull, American film director
- 1941 - Darlene Gillespie, Canadian-born American actress
- 1941 - Peggy Lennon, American singer (The Lennon Sisters)
- 1941 - Vivienne Westwood, English fashion designer
- 1940 - John Havlicek, American basketball player
- 1939 - Mary Leona Gage, American beauty pageant contestant and actress (d. 2010)
- 1938 - Kofi Annan, Ghanaian diplomat and former United Nations Secretary General
- 1937 - Seymour Hersh, American journalist
- 1935 - Albert Bustamante, American politician
- 1935 - Oscar Zeta Acosta, American attorney, politician, and Chicano Movement activist (d. 1974?)
- 1934 - Kisho Kurokawa, Japanese architect (d. 2007)
- 1933 - Fred Ebb, American composer (d. 2004)
- 1932 - Sultan Iskandar of Johor, also the 8th Yang di-Pertuan Agong of Malaysia (d. 2010)
- 1931 - John Gavin, American actor and politician
- 1930 - Carlos Hugo of Bourbon-Parma, Duke of Parma
- 1929 - Walter Berry, Austrian bass-baritone (d. 2000)
- 1929 - Jacques Brel, Belgian singer/composer (d. 1978)
- 1929 - Renzo De Felice, Italian historian (d. 1996)
- 1928 - Leah Rabin, widow of Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin (d. 2000)
- 1928 - Monty Sunshine, English jazz clarinetist
- 1926 - Henry N. Cobb, American architect
- 1926 - Shecky Greene, American comedian
- 1926 - Shirley Mills, American actress (d. 2010)
- 1926 - Jürgen Moltmann, German theologian
- 1924 - Frédéric Back, German-born Canadian short film director and screenwriter
- 1924 - Sir Anthony Farrar-Hockley, English soldier and historian (d. 2006)
- 1923 - George Fisher, American cartoonist (d. 2003)
- 1923 - Edward Mulhare, Irish actor (d. 1997)
- 1921 - Franco Corelli, Italian tenor (d. 2003)
- 1921 - Jan Novák, Czech composer (d. 1984)
- 1920 - Carmen McRae, American jazz singer (d. 1994)
- 1919 - Ian Smith, Prime Minister of Rhodesia (d. 2007)
- 1918 - Betty Ford, First Lady of the United States
- 1918 - Glendon Swarthout, American author (d. 1992)
- 1916 - Alfie Bass, English actor (d. 1987)
- 1914 - María Félix, Mexican actress (d. 2002)
- 1912 - Alois Brunner, Austrian Nazi
- 1912 - Sonja Henie, Norwegian figure skater and actress (d. 1969)
- 1911 - Melvin Calvin, American chemist, Nobel laureate (d. 1997)
- 1911 - Emil Cioran, Romanian philosopher and essayist (d. 1995)
- 1910 - George Musso, American football player (d. 2000)
- 1909 - John Fante, American novelist (d. 1983)
- 1908 - Hugo Fregonese, Argentine film director (d. 1987)
- 1906 - Raoul Jobin, French Canadian tenor (d. 1974)
- 1905 - Helen Joseph, South African anti-apartheid activist (d. 1992)
- 1905 - Erwin Keller, German field hockey player (d. 1971)
- 1904 - John Hicks, British economist, Bank of Sweden Prize winner (d. 1989)
- 1904 - Hirsch Jacobs, American thoroughbred horse trainer and owner (d. 1970)
- 1902 - Andrew Irvine, British mountaineer (d. 1924)
- 1896 - Yip Harburg, American lyricist (d. 1981)
- 1892 - Richard Neutra, American architect (d. 1970)
- 1892 - Mary Pickford, Canadian actress (d. 1979)
- 1889 - Sir Adrian Boult, British conductor (d. 1983)
- 1888 - Dennis Chavez, American politician (d. 1964)
- 1885 - Dimitrios Levidis, Greek composer (d. 1951)
- 1883 - R. P. Keigwin, English academic (d. 1972)
- 1875 - King Albert I of Belgium (d. 1934)
- 1874 - Stanis?aw Taczak, Polish general (d. 1960)
- 1871 - Clarence Hudson White American photographer (d. 1925)
- 1869 - Harvey Cushing, American neurosurgeon (d. 1939)
- 1865 - Charles W. Woodworth, American entomologist (d. 1940)
- 1859 - Edmund Husserl, Austrian philosopher (d. 1938)
- 1842 - Elizabeth Bacon Custer, wife of George Armstrong Custer (d. 1933)
- 1827 - Ramón Emeterio Betances, Puerto Rican politician, medical doctor and diplomat (d. 1898)
- 1826 - Pancha Carrasco, Costa Rican war heroine (d. 1890)
- 1818 - August Wilhelm von Hofmann, German chemist (d. 1892)
- 1818 - King Christian IX of Denmark (d. 1906)
- 1732 - David Rittenhouse, American astronomer, inventor, and mathematician (d. 1796)
- 1692 - Giuseppe Tartini, Italian composer (d. 1770)
- 1641 - Henry Sydney, 1st Earl of Romney, English statesman (d. 1704)
- 1605 - King Philip IV of Spain, (d. 1665)
- 1541 - Michele Mercati, Italian physician (d. 1593)
- 1533 - Claudio Merulo, Italian composer (d. 1604)
- 1336 - Tamerlane (Timur), Central Asian, Turkic conqueror (d. 1405)
- 1320 - King Peter I of Portugal (d. 1367)