| 1642 |
Astronomer Galileo Galilei died in Arcetri, Italy. |
| 1815 |
U.S. forces led by Gen. Andrew Jackson defeated the British in the Battle of New Orleans during the War of 1812. |
| 1912 |
The African National Congress was founded in Bloemfontein, South Africa. |
| 1918 |
President Woodrow Wilson outlined his Fourteen Points for peace after World War I. |
| 1959 |
Charles De Gaulle was inaugurated as president of France’s Fifth Republic. |
| 1964 |
President Lyndon B. Johnson declared a war on poverty. |
| 1982 |
AT&T settled the Justice Department’s antitrust lawsuit against it by agreeing to divest itself of the 22 Bell System companies. |
| 1987 |
The Dow Jones industrial average closed above 2,000 for the first time, ending the day at 2,002.25. |
| 1998 |
Ramzi Yousef, the mastermind of the 1993 World Trade Center bombing, was sentenced in New York to life in prison. |
| 2007 |
A Moroccan man convicted of aiding three of the four pilots who committed the 9/11 attacks was sentenced by a German court to the maximum 15 years in prison. |
| 2011 |
Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, D-Ariz., was shot and critically wounded when a gunman opened fire as the congresswoman met with constituents in Tucson; six people were killed and 12 others were injured. (Jared Lee Loughner has pleaded not guilty to 49 charges in connection with the shooting.) |
| 1923 |
Larry Storch, Actor (“F Troop”), turns 89 |
| 1933 |
Charles Osgood, Broadcast journalist, turns 79 |
| 1937 |
Shirley Bassey, Singer, turns 75 |
| 1938 |
Bob Eubanks, Game show host (“The Newlywed Game”), turns 74 |
| 1942 |
Bob Taft, Former governor of Ohio, turns 70 |
| 1946 |
Robby Krieger, Rock musician (The Doors), turns 66 |
| 1947 |
David Bowie, Rock singer, turns 65 |
| 1953 |
Bruce Sutter, Baseball Hall of Famer, turns 59 |
| 1965 |
Michelle Forbes, Actress, turns 47 |
| 1967 |
R. Kelly, R&B singer, turns 45 |
| 1971 |
Jason Giambi, Baseball player, turns 41 |
| 1979 |
Sarah Polley, Actress, director, turns 33 |
| 80 |
John Carroll 1/8/1735 – 12/3/1815 First Roman Catholic bishop in the United States |
| 58 |
Nicholas Biddle 1/8/1786 – 2/27/1844 American financier |
| 64 |
Hans von Bulow 1/8/1830 – 2/12/1894 German pianist and conductor |
| 72 |
Frank Nelson Doubleday 1/8/1862 – 1/30/1934 American publisher |
| 89 |
William T. Piper 1/8/1881 – 1/15/1970 American aircraft manufacturer |
| 60 |
John Curtin 1/8/1885 – 7/5/1945 Australian prime minister |
| 66 |
Walther Bothe 1/8/1891 – 2/8/1957 German atomic physicist |
| 85 |
Carl R. Rogers 1/8/1902 – 2/4/1987 American psychologist |
| 64 |
Peter Arno 1/8/1904 – 2/22/1968 American cartoonist |
| 86 |
Evelyn Wood 1/8/1909 – 8/26/1995 American educator |
| 80 |
Jose Ferrer 1/8/1912 – 1/26/1992 American actor and director |
| 42 |
Elvis Presley 1/8/1935 – 8/16/1977 American singer |