This day in history: 8 january

1297: François Grimaldi, disguised as a monk, led his men to capture the fortress protecting the Rock of Monaco, establishing the Grimaldi family’s rule over Monaco. This event is foundational for Monaco’s history, and in 1997, the principality began a yearlong celebration marking the 700th anniversary of this rule.
1454: The papal bull Romanus Pontifex was issued, granting Portugal exclusive trade and colonization rights to all of Africa south of Cape Bojador, a key moment in the Age of Exploration.
1499: Louis XII of France married Anne of Brittany, consolidating Brittany’s union with the French crown.
1547: The first Lithuanian-language book, the Catechism of Martynas Mažvydas, was published in Königsberg, a milestone for Lithuanian culture.
1746: During the Second Jacobite Rising, Bonnie Prince Charlie occupied Stirling, Scotland, though his forces failed to capture the castle and eventually retreated.
1800: London opened its first soup kitchens for the poor, reflecting early social welfare efforts in Britain.
1940: Britain introduced food rationing during World War II, a measure that would shape daily life throughout the conflict.
1959: Charles de Gaulle took office as the first president of France’s Fifth Republic, marking a turning point in French political history.

1790: President George Washington delivered the first State of the Union address in New York City, setting a precedent for future presidents.
1811: Charles Deslondes led an unsuccessful slave revolt in Louisiana, one of the largest in U.S. history.
1815: The Battle of New Orleans took place, where Major General Andrew Jackson led American forces to a decisive victory over the British in the last major engagement of the War of 1812. This battle occurred after a peace treaty had been signed but before the news reached the combatants, making Jackson a national hero.
1828: The Democratic Party of the United States was formally organized.
1835: President Andrew Jackson paid off the entire U.S. national debt, the only time in American history this has been achieved.
1867: The U.S. Congress passed a bill allowing African American men the right to vote in Washington, D.C..
1900: President William McKinley placed Alaska under military rule, marking a significant administrative change for the territory.
2011: U.S. Representative Gabrielle Giffords was shot and critically wounded during a public meeting in Tucson, Arizona; six people were killed and 12 others injured in the attack.

307: Emperor Jin Huidi of the Jin dynasty in China was poisoned and succeeded by his son Jin Huaidi.
1926: Crown Prince Nguyễn Phúc Vĩnh Thuỵ was crowned emperor of Vietnam, becoming the country’s last monarch.
1926: Abdul-Aziz ibn Saud was crowned King of Hejaz, an important step in the formation of modern Saudi Arabia.
1936: In Iran, Reza Shah issued the Kashf-e hijab decree, banning the wearing of Islamic veils in public, a pivotal moment in Iran’s modernization efforts.
1945: During World War II, Philippine Commonwealth troops entered Ilocos Sur in Northern Luzon and attacked Japanese Imperial forces, marking a key moment in the liberation of the Philippines.
1971: President of Pakistan Zulfikar Ali Bhutto freed Sheikh Mujibur Rahman from prison, a crucial event in the lead-up to Bangladesh’s independence.
1976: Zhou Enlai, the first Premier of the People’s Republic of China, died.

On 8 January, one of the most significant events in African history is the founding of the African National Congress (ANC) in South Africa in 1912. Originally established as the South African Native National Congress (SANNC) in Bloemfontein by John Langalibalele Dube, the ANC became the leading force in the struggle against apartheid and for the rights of Black and mixed-race South Africans. The founding of the ANC marked the beginning of a coordinated national liberation movement, uniting Africans to demand fundamental political, economic, and social change.