On This Day: December 8

Updated December 7, 2012, 1:28 pm

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On Dec. 8, 1941, the United States entered World War II as Congress declared war against Japan one day after the attack on Pearl Harbor.

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On Dec. 8, 1925, Sammy Davis Jr., the American performer famous for his singing, dancing and comedy routines, was born. Following his death on May 16, 1990, his obituary appeared in The Times.

Go to obituary » | Other birthdays »

On This Date

By The Associated Press

1776 George Washington’s retreating army crossed the Delaware River from New Jersey to Pennsylvania during the Revolutionary War.

1854 Pope Pius IX proclaimed the Catholic dogma of the Immaculate Conception, which holds that Mary, the mother of Jesus, was free of original sin from the moment of her own conception.

1863 President Abraham Lincoln announced his plan for the Reconstruction of the South.

1886 The American Federation of Labor was founded in Columbus, Ohio.

1980 Rock musician John Lennon was shot to death outside his New York City apartment building by Mark David Chapman. The former Beatle was 40.

1987 Palestinians in the Israeli-occupied territories began an intefadeh, or uprising.

1987 President Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail S. Gorbachev signed a treaty calling for destruction of intermediate-range nuclear missiles.

1991 Russia, Belarus and Ukraine declared the Soviet national government dead, forming a new Commonwealth of Independent States.

1991 Kimberly Bergalis, who had contracted AIDS from her dentist, died in Florida at age 23.

1992 Americans saw live TV coverage of U.S. troops landing on the beaches of Somalia as Operation Restore Hope began.

1993 President Bill Clinton signed into law the North American Free Trade Agreement.

1995 The Grateful Dead announced they were breaking up, four months after the death of lead guitarist Jerry Garcia.

2008 Khalid Sheikh Mohammed told the Guantanamo war crimes tribunal he would confess to masterminding the Sept. 11 attacks; four other men also abandoned their defenses.

Current Birthdays

By The Associated Press

Actress Teri Hatcher (“Desperate Housewives”) turns 48 years old today.

AP Photo/Evan Agostini

Rock singer-musician Gregg Allman (The Allman Brothers) turns 65 years old today.

AP Photo/Gerald Herbert

1930 Maximilian Schell, Actor, director, turns 82

1939 James Galway, Flutist, turns 73

1953 Kim Basinger, Actress, turns 59

1965 David Harewood, Actor (“Homeland”), turns 47

1966 Sinead O’Connor, Rock singer, turns 46

1968 Mike Mussina, Baseball player, turns 44

1976 Dominic Monaghan, Actor (“Lost”), turns 36

Historic Birthdays

Sammy Davis Jr. 12/8/1925 – 5/16/1990 American entertainer. Go to obituary »

44 Queen of Scots Mary 12/8/1542 – 2/8/1587
Scottish queen

62 Queen of Sweden Christina 12/8/1626 – 4/19/1689
Swedish queen

59 Eli Whitney 12/8/1765 – 1/8/1825
American inventor of the cotton gin

52 Richard Carlile 12/8/1790 – 2/10/1843
English journalist

82 Aristide Maillol 12/8/1861 – 9/27/1944
French artist

78 Camille Claudel 12/8/1864 – 10/19/1943
French sculptor

91 Jean Sibelius 12/8/1865 – 9/20/1957
Finnish composer

70 Diego Rivera 12/8/1886 – 11/25/1957
Mexican painter

66 James Thurber 12/8/1894 – 11/2/1961
American writer and cartoonist

43 Elzie (Crisler) Segar 12/8/1894 – 10/13/1938
American cartoonist and creator of Popeye

89 Josephine Bell 12/8/1897 – 4/24/1987
English physician and novelist

1776	George Washington’s retreating army crossed the Delaware River from New Jersey to Pennsylvania during the Revolutionary War.
1854	Pope Pius IX proclaimed the Catholic dogma of the Immaculate Conception, which holds that Mary, the mother of Jesus, was free of original sin from the moment of her own conception.
1863	President Abraham Lincoln announced his plan for the Reconstruction of the South.
1886	The American Federation of Labor was founded in Columbus, Ohio.
1980	Rock musician John Lennon was shot to death outside his New York City apartment building by Mark David Chapman. The former Beatle was 40.
1987	Palestinians in the Israeli-occupied territories began an intefadeh, or uprising.
1987	President Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail S. Gorbachev signed a treaty calling for destruction of intermediate-range nuclear missiles.
1991	Russia, Belarus and Ukraine declared the Soviet national government dead, forming a new Commonwealth of Independent States.
1991	Kimberly Bergalis, who had contracted AIDS from her dentist, died in Florida at age 23.
1992	Americans saw live TV coverage of U.S. troops landing on the beaches of Somalia as Operation Restore Hope began.
1993	President Bill Clinton signed into law the North American Free Trade Agreement.
1995	The Grateful Dead announced they were breaking up, four months after the death of lead guitarist Jerry Garcia.
2008	Khalid Sheikh Mohammed told the Guantanamo war crimes tribunal he would confess to masterminding the Sept. 11 attacks; four other men also abandoned their defenses.

1930	Maximilian Schell, Actor, director, turns 82
1939	James Galway, Flutist, turns 73
1953	Kim Basinger, Actress, turns 59
1965	David Harewood, Actor (“Homeland”), turns 47
1966	Sinead O’Connor, Rock singer, turns 46
1968	Mike Mussina, Baseball player, turns 44
1976	Dominic Monaghan, Actor (“Lost”), turns 36

44	Queen of Scots Mary 12/8/1542 – 2/8/1587 Scottish queen
62	Queen of Sweden Christina 12/8/1626 – 4/19/1689 Swedish queen
59	Eli Whitney 12/8/1765 – 1/8/1825 American inventor of the cotton gin
52	Richard Carlile 12/8/1790 – 2/10/1843 English journalist
82	Aristide Maillol 12/8/1861 – 9/27/1944 French artist
78	Camille Claudel 12/8/1864 – 10/19/1943 French sculptor
91	Jean Sibelius 12/8/1865 – 9/20/1957 Finnish composer
70	Diego Rivera 12/8/1886 – 11/25/1957 Mexican painter
66	James Thurber 12/8/1894 – 11/2/1961 American writer and cartoonist
43	Elzie (Crisler) Segar 12/8/1894 – 10/13/1938 American cartoonist and creator of Popeye
89	Josephine Bell 12/8/1897 – 4/24/1987 English physician and novelist