March 8: Holidays, Historical Events, Famous Birthdays & Zodiac Sign
On March 8, 1910, Raymonde de Laroche became the first woman licensed to fly an airplane — a fitting milestone for a date now celebrated globally as International Women's Day.
Daylight Saving Time Begins
Today in the United States and many other countries, clocks are set forward by 1 hour. This marks the beginning of Daylight Saving Time (DST), providing more daylight during evening hours.
About March 8
March 8 carries a powerful dual identity: it is the date the world formally recognizes women's achievements, and historically, it has delivered remarkable milestones for women specifically. Raymonde de Laroche receiving the first pilot's license ever issued to a woman in 1910 is a perfect symbol of that spirit. Seven years later, on this very day in 1917, women demonstrators took to the streets of Petrograd demanding bread and peace — protests that ignited the February Revolution and toppled the Russian monarchy. The tradition born from that uprising evolved into the International Women's Day observed worldwide today.
But beyond its feminist legacy, March 8 has been a witness to sweeping change across centuries. In 1010, the Persian poet Ferdowsi completed the Shahnameh, a sixty-thousand-couplet epic preserving Iran's mythology and history. In 1702, Queen Anne ascended to the thrones of England, Scotland, and Ireland, destined to lend her name to an entire architectural style. And in 1979, Voyager 1 sent back images proving that Io, a moon of Jupiter, has active volcanoes — the first time such activity was seen anywhere beyond Earth.
The date also carries its shadows. In 2014, Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 vanished with 239 people aboard while flying from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing, spawning one of aviation's most enduring mysteries. On the lighter side, 1950 saw the first Volkswagen Type 2 “Bus” roll off the production line — the hippie-era icon that would become a global symbol of freedom on the open road.
Holidays & Observances on March 8
- International Women's Day, and its related observances: International Women's Collaboration Brew Day
Fun & National Days on March 8
- National Peanut Cluster Day — Treat yourself to a sweet, salty crunch of chocolate-covered peanut clusters today.
- National Proofreading Day — Channel your inner editor and finally fix that typo you've been ignoring all week.
- Check Your Batteries Day — Swap out the dead batteries in your smoke detectors before they start that annoying chirp.
- Girls Write Now Day
- National Be Nasty Day
- National Dry Shampoo Day
- National I AM Day
- The Start of Daylight Saving Time
On This Day in History
- 1010 — Persian poet Ferdowsi finished the Shahnameh, an epic of roughly sixty thousand couplets preserving Iran's national mythology and history.
- 1702 — Queen Anne, younger sister of Mary II, became queen regnant of England, Scotland, and Ireland, later lending her name to a distinctive architectural era.
- 1775 — An anonymous writer, possibly Thomas Paine, published the American colonies' first essay demanding the abolition of slavery.
- 1844 — Iceland's parliament, the Althing, reopened after being shut down for forty-five years, resuming the nation's legislative tradition.
- 1910 — French aviator Raymonde de Laroche became the first woman in history to receive a pilot's license, a landmark in aviation.
- 1917 — Women's protests in Petrograd on International Women's Day sparked the February Revolution, ultimately bringing down the Russian monarchy.
- 1917 — The United States Senate adopted the cloture rule, creating a formal mechanism to limit filibusters and end unlimited debate.
- 1950 — Production began on the Volkswagen Type 2, the beloved van that would become an enduring icon of counterculture and road-trip freedom.
- 1979 — Photographs from the Voyager 1 spacecraft confirmed that Io, one of Jupiter's moons, has active volcanoes — a first beyond Earth.
- 1983 — Speaking to a convention of evangelicals, President Ronald Reagan branded the Soviet Union an 'evil empire,' intensifying Cold War rhetoric.
- 2014 — Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 disappeared with 239 people aboard while traveling from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing, remaining one of aviation's greatest mysteries.
Famous Birthdays on March 8
- 1841 — Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr., Influential American jurist who served on the Supreme Court and shaped modern legal philosophy.
- 1859 — Kenneth Grahame, British author best known for the beloved children's classic The Wind in the Willows.
- 1879 — Otto Hahn, German chemist and Nobel laureate whose work on nuclear fission transformed atomic science.
- 1943 — Lynn Redgrave, Acclaimed English-American actress from the legendary Redgrave acting dynasty, known for stage and screen.
- 1945 — Micky Dolenz, American singer and actor who rose to fame as the drummer and vocalist for The Monkees.
- 1958 — Gary Numan, English electronic music pioneer whose synth-driven hits defined the late-1970s new wave sound.
- 1959 — Lester Holt, American journalist and longtime anchor of NBC Nightly News, one of broadcast news's most trusted faces.
- 1976 — Freddie Prinze Jr., American actor who became a teen-heartthrob icon through popular 1990s and 2000s romantic comedies.
- 1982 — Kat Von D, Mexican-American tattoo artist and television personality known for her distinctive artistry and beauty brand.