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.

February 8th


- Christian Feast Day
- Nirvana Day (Mahayana Buddhism)
- Prešeren Day (Slovenia)

February 8th


- 1978 - Proceedings of the United States Senate are broadcast on radio for the first time.
- 1971 - The NASDAQ stock market index opens for the first time.
- 1996 - The U.S. Congress passes the Communications Decency Act.
- 1996 - The massive Internet collaboration "24 Hours in Cyberspace" takes place.
- 1993 - General Motors sues NBC after Dateline NBC allegedly rigs two crashes intended to demonstrate that some GM pickups can easily catch fire if hit in certain places. NBC settles the lawsuit the next day.
- 1989 - An Independent Air Boeing 707 crashes into Santa Maria mountain in Azores Islands off the coast of Portugal, killing 144.
- 1983 - The Melbourne dust storm hits Australia's second largest city. The result of the worst drought on record and a day of severe weather conditions, a 320 metres (1,050 ft) deep dust cloud envelops the city, turning day to night.
- 1979 - Denis Sassou-Nguesso becomes the President of the Republic of the Congo for the first time.
- 1974 - After 84 days in space, the crew of the first American space station Skylab returns to Earth.
- 1974 - Military coup in Upper Volta.
- 1971 - South Vietnamese ground troops launches an incursion into Laos to try and cut off the Ho Chi Minh trail and stop communist infiltration.
- 1969 - Allende meteorite falls near Pueblito de Allende, Chihuahua, Mexico.
- 1968 - American civil rights movement: The Orangeburg massacre, an attack that left three or four dead in Orangeburg, South Carolina on black students from South Carolina State University who were protesting racial segregation at the town's only bowling alley.
- 1966 - The National Hockey League awards Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania a second NHL franchise, the Pittsburgh Penguins.
- 1963 - Travel, financial and commercial transactions by United States citizens to Cuba are made illegal by the John F. Kennedy administration.
- 1962 - Charonne massacre. Nine trade unionists are killed by French police at the instigation of Nazi collaborator Maurice Papon, then chief of the Paris Prefecture of Police.
- 1960 - Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom issues an Order-in-Council, stating that she and her family would be known as the House of Windsor, and that her descendants will take the name "Mountbatten-Windsor".
- 1955 - The Government of Sindh abolished Jagirdari system in the province. One million acres (4000 km²) of land thus acquired is to be distributed among the landless peasants.
- 1952 - Elizabeth II is proclaimed Queen of the UK.
- 1949 - Cardinal Mindszenty of Hungary is sentenced for treason.
- 1924 - Capital punishment: The first state execution in the United States by gas chamber takes place in Nevada.
- 1922 - President Warren G. Harding introduces the first radio in the White House.
- 1918 - The Stars and Stripes newspaper is published for the first time.
- 1915 - D.W. Griffith's controversial film The Birth of a Nation premieres in Los Angeles.
- 1910 - The Boy Scouts of America is incorporated by William D. Boyce.
- 1904 - Battle of Port Arthur: A surprise torpedo attack by the Japanese at Port Arthur, China starts the Russo-Japanese War.
- 1900 - British troops are defeated by Boers at Ladysmith, South Africa.
- 1887 - The Dawes Act authorizes the President of the United States to survey Native American tribal land and divide it into individual allotments.
- 1879 - Sandford Fleming first proposes adoption of Universal Standard Time at a meeting of the Royal Canadian Institute.
- 1879 - The England cricket team led by Lord Harris is attacked during a riot during a match in Sydney.
- 1867 - The Ausgleich results in the establishment of the Dual Monarchy of Austria-Hungary.
- 1865 - In the United States, Delaware voters reject the Thirteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, and vote to continue the practice of slavery. (Delaware finally ratifies the amendment on February 12, 1901.)
- 1856 - Barbu Dimitrie ?tirbei abolishes slavery in Wallachia.
- 1855 - The Devil's Footprints mysteriously appear in southern Devon.
- 1837 - Richard Johnson becomes the first Vice President of the United States chosen by the United States Senate.
- 1817 - Las Heras crosses the Andes with an army to join San Martín and liberate Chile from Spain.
- 1807 - Battle of Eylau – Napoleon defeats Russians under General Benigssen.
- 1726 - The Supreme Privy Council is established in Russia.
- 1693 - The College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia is granted a charter by King William III and Queen Mary II.
- 1692 - A doctor in Salem Village, Massachusetts Bay Colony suggests that two girls in the family of the village minister may be suffering from bewitchment, leading to the Salem witch trials.
- 1622 - King James I of England disbands the English Parliament.
- 1601 - Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex, rebels against Queen Elizabeth I – the revolt is quickly crushed.
- 1587 - Mary, Queen of Scots, is executed on suspicion of having been involved in the Babington Plot to murder her cousin, Queen Elizabeth I.
- 1575 - Universiteit Leiden is founded, and given the motto Praesidium Libertatis.
- 421 - Constantius III becomes co-Emperor of the Western Roman Empire.

February 8th


- 1994 - Nikki Yanofsky, Canadian artist
- 1991 - Abdisalam Ibrahim, Somali-Norwegian footballer
- 1991 - Roberto Soriano, Italian footballer
- 1989 - Dani Harmer, English actor
- 1989 - JaJuan Johnson, American basketball player
- 1989 - Zac Guildford, New Zealand All Black rugby player
- 1988 - Keegan Meth, Zimbabwean cricketer
- 1988 - Ryan Pinkston, American actor
- 1987 - Carolina Kostner, Italian European champion figure skater
- 1984 - Panagiotis Vasilopoulos, Greek basketball player
- 1983 - Cory Jane, New Zealand All Black rugby player
- 1983 - Jim Verraros, American singer
- 1982 - Satomi K?rogi, Japanese voice actress
- 1982 - Sousuke Takaoka, Japanese actor
- 1982 - Danny Tamberelli, American actor
- 1981 - Myriam Montemayor Cruz, Mexican singer
- 1980 - Ralf Little, English actor/comedian
- 1980 - Cameron Muncey, Australian guitarist (Jet)
- 1980 - Stephen Wright, English footballer
- 1979 - Aaron Cook, American baseball player
- 1979 - Josh Keaton, American actor and singer
- 1977 - Barry Hall, Australian rules footballer
- 1977 - Bridgette Kerkove, American actress
- 1977 - Yucef Merhi, Venezuelan artist
- 1977 - Mathieu Turcotte, Canadian short-track speed skater
- 1976 - Abi Titmuss, British glamour model
- 1976 - Khaled Mashud, Bangladeshi cricketer
- 1976 - Adam Piatt, American baseball player
- 1976 - Nicolas Vouilloz, French rally driver
- 1974 - Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo, French disc jockey (Daft Punk)
- 1974 - Ulises de la Cruz, Ecuadorian footballer
- 1974 - Seth Green, American actor
- 1974 - Kimbo Slice, American mixed martial artist
- 1973 - Keith McDonald, American baseball player
- 1972 - Paul Wight, American professional wrestler
- 1971 - Mika Karppinen, Finnish drummer (HIM)
- 1971 - Andrus Veerpalu, Estonian cross-country skier
- 1970 - John Filan, Australian footballer
- 1970 - Alonzo Mourning, American basketball player
- 1969 - Mary McCormack, American actress
- 1969 - Shiva Rose, American actress
- 1968 - Claudette Pace, Maltese singer
- 1968 - Nasos Thanopoulos, Greek businessman
- 1968 - Gary Coleman, American actor (d. 2010)
- 1966 - Bruno Labbadia, German footballer
- 1966 - Kirk Muller, Canadian ice hockey player
- 1966 - Hristo Stoichkov, Bulgarian footballer
- 1965 - Dicky Cheung, Hong Kong Actor and Singer
- 1964 - Trinny Woodall, British fashion guru
- 1964 - Robert Neb?enský, Czech actor and musician
- 1963 - Mohammad Azharuddin, Indian cricketer
- 1963 - Joshua Kadison, American pianist and songwriter
- 1961 - Vince Neil, American singer (Mötley Crüe)
- 1961 - Bruce Timm,TV Producer (DC Animated Universe)
- 1960 - Benigno Aquino III, Philippine President
- 1960 - Dino Ciccarelli, Canadian ice hockey player
- 1958 - Sherri Martel, American professional wrestler (d. 2007)
- 1956 - Dave Meros, American bassist (Spock's Beard)
- 1955 - John Grisham, American writer
- 1955 - Nancy Oliver, American playwright and television writer
- 1953 - Roger Clavet, Québécois politician
- 1953 - Mary Steenburgen, American actress
- 1951 - Z'EV, American text/sound artist (born Stefan Weisser)
- 1950 - Cristina Ferrare, American former supermodel and actress
- 1949 - Brooke Adams, American actress
- 1948 - Lynda Lyon Block, American convicted murderer (d. 2002)
- 1948 - Dan Seals, American singer (d. 2009)
- 1948 - Ron Tyson, American singer (The Temptations)
- 1944 - Roger Lloyd-Pack, English actor
- 1944 - Sebastião Salgado, Brazilian documentary photographer
- 1943 - Creed Bratton, American actor and musician
- 1943 - Pirzada Qasim, Pakistani poet and Vice Chancellor of Karachi University
- 1942 - Robert Klein, American comedian
- 1942 - Terry Melcher, American musician and record producer (d. 2004)
- 1942 - Bob Munden, American shooting competitor
- 1941 - Nick Nolte, American actor
- 1941 - Tom Rush, American singer and songwriter
- 1940 - Ted Koppel, American journalist
- 1939 - José Maria Sison, Filipino communist
- 1937 - Manfred Krug, German actor
- 1937 - Joe Raposo, American composer (d. 1989)
- 1936 - Larry Verne, American singer
- 1933 - Elly Ameling, Dutch soprano
- 1933 - Jack Larson, American actor
- 1932 - Cliff Allison, British racing driver (d. 2005)
- 1932 - John Williams, American composer and conductor
- 1931 - James Dean, American actor (d. 1955)
- 1930 - James Deetz, American anthropologist (d. 2000)
- 1930 - Alejandro Rey, Argentine actor (d. 1987)
- 1928 - Gene Lees, Canadian biographer and lyricist
- 1926 - Neal Cassady, American writer (d. 1968)
- 1925 - Jack Lemmon, American actor and film director (d. 2001)
- 1922 - Audrey Meadows, American actress (d. 1996)
- 1921 - Lana Turner, American actress (d. 1995)
- 1918 - Fred Blassie, American professional wrestler (d. 2003)
- 1913 - Betty Field, American actress (d. 1973)
- 1911 - Elizabeth Bishop, American poet (d. 1979)
- 1906 - Chester Carlson, American physicist and inventor (d. 1968)
- 1903 - Greta Keller, Austrian-born cabaret singer and actress (d. 1977)
- 1902 - Demchugdongrub, Mongolian politician (d. 1966)
- 1900 - Ivan Ivanov-Vano Soviet animator and Russian animation director (d. 1987)
- 1894 - Ludwig Marcuse, German author and philosopher (d. 1971)
- 1894 - King Vidor, American film director (d. 1982)
- 1893 - Ba Maw, Burmese politician (d. 1977)
- 1890 - Claro M. Recto, Filipino nationalist (d. 1960)
- 1888 - Dame Edith Evans, British actress (d. 1976)
- 1886 - Charles Ruggles, American actor (d. 1970)
- 1884 - Reginald Baker, Australian athlete and actor (d. 1953)
- 1883 - Joseph Alois Schumpeter, Austrian economist (d. 1950)
- 1882 - Thomas Selfridge, First person to die in an airplane crash (d. 1908).
- 1880 - Franz Marc, German painter (d. 1916)
- 1878 - Martin Buber, Austrian-born Israeli philosopher (d. 1965)
- 1850 - Kate Chopin, American author (d. 1904)
- 1847 - Hugh Price Hughes, English social reformer (d. 1902)
- 1834 - Dmitri Mendeleev, Russian chemist (d. 1907)
- 1828 - Jules Verne, French author (d. 1905)
- 1822 - Maxime Du Camp, French photographer and journalist (d. 1894)
- 1820 - William Tecumseh Sherman, American Union general (d. 1891)
- 1819 - John Ruskin, English author (d. 1900)
- 1807 - Benjamin Waterhouse Hawkins, English sculptor and naturalist (d. 1889)
- 1804 - Richard Lemon Lander, British explorer (d. 1834)
- 1798 - Grand Duke Michael Pavlovich of Russia, Russian Grand Duke (d. 1849)
- 1792 - Caroline Augusta of Bavaria, queen of Hungary and Bohemia (d. 1873)
- 1720 - Emperor Sakuramachi of Japan (d. 1750)
- 1700 - Daniel Bernoulli, Dutch-born mathematician (d. 1782)
- 1685 - Charles-Jean-François Hénault, French historian (d. 1770)
- 1677 - Jacques Cassini, French astronomer (d. 1756)
- 1649 - Gabriel Daniel, French Jesuit historian (d. 1728)
- 1612 - Samuel Butler, English poet (d. 1680)
- 1586 - Jacob Praetorius, German composer (d. 1651)
- 1577 - Robert Burton, English cleric and writer (d. 1640)
- 1552 - Agrippa d'Aubigné, French poet and soldier (d. 1630)
- 1487 - Ulrich, Duke of Württemberg (d. 1550)
- 1405 - Constantine XI Palaiologos, the last reigning Emperor of the Byzantine Empire (d. 1453)
- 1291 - King Afonso IV of Portugal (d. 1357)
- 1191 - Yaroslav II of Russia (d. 1246)
- 412 - Proclus, Greek philosopher (d. 487)
- 120 - Vettius Valens, Greek astrologer (d. 175)