October 8 - The Day in History

October 8 : General Interest 1871 : Great Chicago Fire begins On this day in 1871, flames spark in the Chicago barn of Patrick and Catherine O'Leary, igniting a two-day blaze that kills between 200 and 300 people, destroys 17,450 buildings, leaves 100,000 homeless and causes an estimated $200 million (in 1871 dollars; $3 billion in 2007 dollars) in damages... read more American Revolution 1778 : Continentals raid Unadilla http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/continentals-raid-unadilla Automotive 1869 : Frank Duryea, winner of the first American "horseless carriage" race, is born http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/frank-duryea-winner-of-the-first-american-horseless-carriage-race-is-born Civil War 1862 : Union troops stop Rebels at the Battle of Perryville http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/battle-of-perryville Cold War 1970 : Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn wins the Nobel Prize in literature http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/aleksandr-solzhenitsyn-wins-the-nobel-prize-in-literature Crime 2009 : Self-help guru's sweat lodge ceremony turns deadly http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/self-help-gurus-sweat-lodge-ceremony-turns-deadly Disaster 1871 : Fire rips through Chicago http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/fire-rips-through-chicago General Interest 1919 : First transcontinental air race http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/first-transcontinental-air-race 1967 : Che Guevara defeated http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/che-guevara-defeated 2005 : Massive earthquake hits Kashmir region http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/massive-earthquake-hits-kashmir-region Hollywood 1970 : Matt Damon born http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/matt-damon-born Literary 1937 : Lord Peter Wimsey marries Harriet Vane http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/lord-peter-wimsey-marries-harriet-vane Music 1957 : Jerry Lee Lewis records "Great Balls Of Fire" in Memphis, Tennessee http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/jerry-lee-lewis-records-quotgreat-balls-of-firequot-in-memphis-tennessee Old West 1871 : The Great Fire destroys much of Chicago http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/the-great-fire-destroys-much-of-chicago Presidential 1998 : U.S. House of Representatives initiates Clinton impeachment inquiry http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/us-house-of-representatives-initiates-clinton-impeachment-inquiry Sports 1956 : Don Larsen is perfect in World Series http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/don-larsen-is-perfect-in-world-series Vietnam War 1968: U.S. and South Vietnamese navies commence Operation Sealords http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/us-and-south-vietnamese-navies-commence-operation-sealords 1970 : Communists reject Nixon's peace proposal http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/communists-reject-nixons-peace-proposal 1972 : Possible breakthrough at Paris peace talks http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/possible-breakthrough-at-paris-peace-talks World War I 1918 : U.S. soldier Alvin York displays heroics at Argonne http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/us-soldier-alvin-york-displays-heroics-at-argonne World War II 1941 : Germans overrun Mariupol, in southern Russia http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/germans-overrun-mariupol-in-southern-russia

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