What happened on October 8 ?

1286 - John I of Dreux, Duke of Brittany (b. 1217)

1317 - Fushimi, Emperor of Japan (b. 1265)

1621 - Antoine de Montchrétien, French dramatist and economist

1647 - Christian Sørensen Longomontanus, Danish astronomer (b. 1562)

1652 - John Greaves, English mathematician and antiquarian (b. 1602)

1656 - John George I, Elector of Saxony (b. 1585)

1659 - Jean de Quen, French Jesuit missionary and historian

1735 - Yongzheng Emperor of China (b. 1678)

1754 - Henry Fielding, English author (b. 1707)

1772 - Jean Joseph de Mondonville, French composer (b. 1711)

1793 - John Hancock, American revolutionary and businessman (b. 1737)

1795 - Andrew Kippis, English non-conformist clergyman and biographer (b. 1725)

1809 - James Elphinston, Scottish philologist (b. 1721)

1834 - François-Adrien Boieldieu, French composer (b. 1775)

1869 - Franklin Pierce, 14th President of the United States (b. 1804)

1894 - Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr., American physician and writer (b. 1809)

1897 - Alexei Savrasov, Russian painter (b. 1830)

1928 - Larry Semon, comedian (b. 1889)

1931 - Sir John Monash, Australian soldier general (b. 1865)

1936 - William Henry Stark, Business leader (b. 1851)

1944 - Wendell Willkie, American politician and Presidential candidate (b. 1892)

1945 - Felix Salten, Austrian author (b. 1869)

1953 - Nigel Bruce, British actor (b. 1895)

1953 - Kathleen Ferrier, British contralto (b. 1912)

1958 - Ran Bosilek, Bulgarian author and translator (b. 1886)

1967 - Clement Attlee, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (b. 1883)

1970 - Mitr Chaibancha, Thai film actor (b. 1934)

1973 - Gabriel Marcel, French philosopher (b. 1889)

1978 - Jacques Brel, Belgian singer (b. 1929)

1982 - Fernando Lamas, Argentine actor (b. 1916)

1982 - Philip Noel-Baker, Baron Noel-Baker, Canadian-born peace activist, recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize (b. 1889)

1983 - Joan Hackett, American actress (b. 1934)

1992 - Willy Brandt, Chancellor of Germany, recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize (b. 1913)

1999 - John McLendon, American basketball coach (b. 1915)

2004 - Jacques Derrida, French philosopher (b. 1930)