Historical Events on February 8

William D. Boyce

Here are some historical events that have occurred on February 8th:

1587: Mary, Queen of Scots, was executed on the order of her cousin, Queen Elizabeth I of England, for her involvement in plots against Elizabeth's reign.

1693: The College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia, received its royal charter, making it the second-oldest institution of higher education in the United States.

1910: The Boy Scouts of America was incorporated by William D. Boyce.

1922: The United States Supreme Court upheld the 19th Amendment to the United States Constitution, guaranteeing women's suffrage.

1952: Queen Elizabeth II officially succeeded her father, King George VI, to the British throne upon his death.

1960: The first eight stars were added to the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

1963: The Kennedy administration established the Peace Corps as a volunteer organization to provide social and economic development assistance to countries around the world.

1986: Halley's Comet made its closest approach to Earth during its 1986 pass through the inner solar system.

2002: The 2002 Winter Olympics opened in Salt Lake City, Utah, United States.

2016: Pope Francis and Patriarch Kirill of the Russian Orthodox Church met in Havana, Cuba, marking the first meeting between leaders of the Roman Catholic Church and the Russian Orthodox Church since their split in 1054.

These are just a few significant events that have taken place on February 8th throughout history.