In History, Today on August 8

Mass protests erupted in Belarus following the presidential election, which was widely regarded as rigged in favor of incumbent Alexander Lukashenko.

The 2016 Summer Olympics were underway in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, marking the first time the Olympics were held in South America.

A U.S. fighter jet accidentally dropped inert bombs on the Great Barrier Reef in an area off the coast of Queensland, sparking environmental concerns.

The United States issued a global travel alert due to a terrorist threat from al-Qaeda, leading to the temporary closure of several embassies and consulates in the Middle East and Africa.

A mudslide in Gansu province, China, killed over 1,400 people and left thousands missing, marking one of the deadliest natural disasters in China in recent years.

The Russo-Georgian War began as Georgia launched a military operation to regain control over the breakaway region of South Ossetia, leading to a conflict with Russia.

The 2008 Summer Olympics officially opened in Beijing, China, with a spectacular opening ceremony at the Beijing National Stadium, also known as the Bird's Nest.

NASA's Space Shuttle Endeavour launched on mission STS-118, continuing assembly of the International Space Station and marking the first flight of Endeavour since 2002.

The South African cricket team player Hansie Cronje recorded his first One Day International (ODI) century for the country.

The Warsaw Radio Mast, once the tallest structure in the world, collapsed.

Iraq occupies Kuwait and declares it as its 19th province, leading to international condemnation and the Gulf War.

8888 Uprising: A pro-democracy protest in Myanmar (Burma) began, which was violently suppressed by the military government, resulting in thousands of deaths.

U.S. President Richard Nixon announced his resignation, effective the following day, due to the Watergate scandal, becoming the first U.S. president to resign from office.

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) was founded in Bangkok, Thailand, by Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand to promote political and economic cooperation and regional stability.

The Great Train Robbery took place in England, where a gang of 15 robbers stole £2.6 million from a Royal Mail train heading from Glasgow to London.

The Soviet Union declared war on Japan and invaded Manchuria, fulfilling a promise made to the Allies at the Yalta Conference.

During World War II, six convicted Nazi saboteurs who had secretly entered the United States were executed in Washington, D.C., following a military tribunal.

Wilbur Wright makes his first flight at a racecourse at Le Mans, France. It is the Wright brothers' first public flight.

The Boxer Rebellion escalated with the Battle of Peking, a significant confrontation between Imperial Chinese forces and the Eight-Nation Alliance during the conflict in northern China.

Thomas Edison received a patent for his mimeograph, which would be an important tool for office duplicating, eventually evolving into modern photocopying technology.

The first electric telegram is sent by Samuel Morse from Washington, D.C., which is a critical advancement in communication technology.

Napoleon Bonaparte sets sail for exile on Saint Helena aboard the British ship HMS Northumberland.

Mont Blanc, the highest mountain in the Alps, was climbed for the first time by Jacques Balmat and Dr. Michel-Gabriel Paccard.

The first known cricket match in North America was played. This early mention highlights the growing spread of cricket from England to its colonies and its significance in early American sports efforts.

Bartolomeu de Gusmão demonstrated the lifting power of hot air in an early precursor to the hot air balloon, in front of King John V of Portugal.

The Spanish Armada was defeated by the English navy under the command of Lord Charles Howard and Sir Francis Drake, marking a significant turning point in the Anglo-Spanish War.

King James IV of Scotland concludes peace negotiations with England by agreeing to the Treaty of Everlasting Peace. This treaty sought to end hostilities and was marked by the marriage of James IV to Margaret Tudor, daughter of Henry VII, symbolizing a strengthened relationship between the two kingdoms.

Pope Boniface VIII issued the bull 'Sacrosanctae Romanae Ecclesiae', reaffirming the primacy of the Papal See and its supremacy over temporal powers. This was part of the ongoing conflict between the papacy and secular rulers over the limits of papal authority, particularly as it related to the struggle with French King Philip IV.

Construction began on the Tower of Pisa, which would later become famous as the Leaning Tower of Pisa due to its unintended tilt caused by a poorly laid foundation on unstable soft ground.

The Treaty of Meerssen was signed, dividing the Carolingian Empire among the three surviving sons of Louis the German and Charles the Bald, marking a significant moment in the fragmentation of the empire.