Today in History: Fidel Castro’s forces enter Havana, marking triumph of Cuban revolution in 1959

The following are some of the major list of notable events that occurred on January 8 throughout history:

1454 – Papal Bull Romanus Pontifex Issued: On January 8, 1454, Pope Nicholas V promulgated the papal bull Romanus Pontifex, granting the Portuguese Crown a perpetual monopoly on trade and colonization in Africa south of Cape Bojador. This decree reinforced Portugal’s exclusive rights in West Africa, enabling the expansion of the Atlantic slave trade and European colonization in the region. The bull, along with others of the era, formed part of the Doctrine of Discovery that had long-lasting impacts on global exploration and indigenous peoples.

1642 – Death of Galileo Galilei: The famed Italian astronomer and physicist Galileo Galilei died on January 8, 1642, at age 77 in Arcetri, Grand Duchy of Tuscany. Renowned as the “father of modern astronomy” and physics, Galileo pioneered the use of the telescope for celestial observations and championed the heliocentric theory. His death marked the passing of a scientific giant whose discoveries (e.g. Jupiter’s moons) and conflicts with the Inquisition symbolized the shift from traditional authority to empirical science.

1815 – Battle of New Orleans: On January 8, 1815, during the War of 1812, U.S. forces under General Andrew Jackson defeated the British in the Battle of New Orleans. The American victory – achieved with a small, poorly equipped army against a larger British force – made Jackson a national hero. Notably, the battle occurred after a peace treaty (the Treaty of Ghent) had been signed in Europe but before news of the treaty reached America, rendering the battle militarily unnecessary. Nevertheless, it provided a post-war morale boost for the United States and became an iconic event in American military history.

1889 – Herman Hollerith’s Punch-Card Machine Patent: On January 8, 1889, inventor Herman Hollerith was issued a U.S. patent for his electric punch-card tabulating machine, a revolutionary device for data processing. Hollerith’s machine used punched cards and electrical circuits to record and tally data (first applied successfully in the 1890 U.S. Census), dramatically speeding up computation. This innovation paved the way for modern automatic computation and led to the founding of a company that eventually became IBM.

1912 – African National Congress Founded: Anti-colonial and civil rights leaders in South Africa formed the African National Congress (ANC) on January 8, 1912, in Bloemfontein (then as the South African Native National Congress). The organization united various African groups to defend the rights and freedoms of black South Africans under racist colonial rule. Over the ensuing decades, the ANC became the primary vehicle of resistance against apartheid, with figures like Nelson Mandela leading it to overturn white minority rule. Today, the ANC is recognized as Africa’s oldest liberation movement and has been the governing party in South Africa since the end of apartheid.

1918 – Woodrow Wilson’s Fourteen Points Speech: On January 8, 1918, U.S. President Woodrow Wilson delivered his “Fourteen Points” address to Congress, outlining a vision for a just and lasting peace after World War I. Wilson’s plan called for principles such as self-determination of nations, freedom of the seas, reduction of armaments, and the formation of a League of Nations to secure world peace. Although not all points were adopted in the Treaty of Versailles, the speech had a profound influence on the post-war order and introduced the concept of an international organization for resolving conflicts.

1959 – Charles de Gaulle Becomes President of France’s Fifth Republic: On January 8, 1959, Charles de Gaulle assumed office as the first President of France’s new Fifth Republic. A hero of World War II as leader of the Free French, de Gaulle had pushed for a stronger executive role to end the instability of the Fourth Republic. His inauguration signified the birth of a more stable French government, with a powerful presidency balancing parliament. De Gaulle’s presidency (1959–1969) saw decolonization (including Algerian independence) and France’s reassertion of itself as an independent force during the Cold War.

1959 – Fidel Castro’s Forces Enter Havana: On the same day, January 8, 1959, revolutionary leader Fidel Castro marched triumphantly into Havana, Cuba, after toppling the U.S.-backed Batista regime. Castro’s 26th of July Movement had waged a guerrilla campaign for over two years, and its victory marked the success of the Cuban Revolution. Castro’s arrival in Havana ushered in decades of Communist rule in Cuba and had global ramifications during the Cold War. His government’s alignment with the Soviet bloc and the ensuing U.S.-Cuba tensions (e.g. Bay of Pigs invasion, Missile Crisis) made this a turning point in 20th-century international affairs.

1972 – Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Released, Paving Way for Bangladesh’s Independence: On January 8, 1972, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman (“Bangabandhu”), the imprisoned founding leader of Bangladesh, was released from Pakistani custody following the end of the Bangladesh Liberation War. Mujib had been arrested in March 1971 during Bangladesh’s declaration of independence from Pakistan. His release on this date allowed him to travel from Pakistan to London and then home to Dhaka on January 10, 1972, where he assumed leadership of the newly independent Bangladesh. This event completed Bangladesh’s emergence as a sovereign nation after a bloody nine-month war, with Mujibur Rahman becoming its first Prime Minister.

1994 – Valeri Polyakov Begins Record Spaceflight: Russian cosmonaut Valeri Polyakov launched aboard Soyuz TM-18 on January 8, 1994, to begin what would become the longest continuous human spaceflight in history. Polyakov boarded the Mir space station and remained in orbit for 437 days, until March 22, 1995. During this 14-month mission, he traveled the equivalent of 7.5 trips around the Sun and provided invaluable medical data on the effects of long-duration space travel on the human body. Polyakov’s endurance record in space, started on this date, stood as a testament to human spaceflight capabilities and has yet to be surpassed.