What happened on 8 January?

9 events from the Ever-When timeline, ranked by how much they mattered.

1. 1959 Presidency of Charles de Gaulle The Fifth Republic's founding president: Algerian independence, the force de frappe, two vetoes on Britain, and resignation after May 1968.
2. 1918 Fourteen Points speech Wilson outlines war aims and post-war principles to Congress.
3. 1935 Born: Elvis Presley American singer who helped propel rock and roll to global popularity.
4. 2023 Storming of the Brazilian Congress 2023 Bolsonaro supporters storm Brazil's federal buildings.
5. 1942 Born: Stephen Hawking British theoretical physicist whose work on black holes reshaped cosmology.
6. 871 Battle of Ashdown In the 'year of battles' — nine engagements in twelve months — the 21-year-old prince Alfred, charging 'like a wild boar' while his brother the king lingered at prayer, breaks the
7. 1947 Born: David Bowie English singer who restlessly reinvented popular music from Ziggy Stardust onward.
8. 1815 Battle of New Orleans Andrew Jackson's victory over British regulars; fought after the war had officially ended.
9. 1806 Britain takes the Cape Colony The battle of Blaauwberg gives Britain the Cape for good — the strategic sea-road to India, and the stage for a century of Anglo-Boer conflict.