November 08: Fun Facts about Today in History

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On November 8, learn about the most interesting events and historical facts from across history. The 312th day of the Gregorian calendar is November 8th. On this day, John Paul Getty III’s right ear was delivered to a newspaper along with a ransom note, prompting his father to pay a $2.9 million ransom; HBO broadcasted “Sometimes a Great Nation” for the first time; and Franklin D. Roosevelt established the Civil Works Administration to create jobs during the Great Depression.

Scorpio is the zodiac sign for November 8th. Journalist David Muir and chef Gordon Ramsey both have November 8th birthdays. It’s National Cappuccino Day today.

Event
(November 08, 1656) Edmond Halley, an English astronomer and mathematician, was born in Greenwich, Kent, England, and was the first to calculate the orbit of Halley's Comet. photo source: wikimedia.org
Advertisements (November 08, 1884) Hermann Rorschach, a Swiss psychiatrist, was born. He invented the inkblot test that bears his name and was widely used therapeutically for detecting psychopathology. photo source: wikimedia.org
(November 08, 1960) Presidential election of John F. Kennedy in 1960, defeating Richard Nixon, who would go on to become president in 1968 and 1972. photo source: wikimedia.org
(November 08, 1972) HBO, the American cable television network, had its début with the 1971 film Sometimes a Great Notion, starring Paul Newman. photo source: wikimedia.org
(November 08, 2013) Typhoon Haiyan, one of the strongest tropical cyclones ever recorded, hits the Philippines' Visayas area, killing at least 6,340 people and leaving over 1,000 persons missing, as well as causing $2.86 billion in damage. photo source: wikimedia.org
Advertisements (November 08, 2016) Despite behind in most surveys, Republican Donald Trump was elected 45th President of the United States, despite the fact that his Democratic opponent, Hillary Clinton, received more than 2.8 million votes in the popular vote. photo source: wikimedia.org
(November 08, 2020) Alex Trebek, a Canadian-born American television personality who was best known as the presenter of the TV game show Jeopardy! from 1984 until 2020, died at the age of 80. photo source: wikimedia.org