This Day In History
February 8

Year Month Start Date Event
1793 February 8 France declares war on England on February 8.
1874 February 8 Died - February 8 - Joseph-Bruno Guigues, first bishop of the diocese of Bytown (Ottawa) (b.1805)
1894 February 8 Born - February 8 - Billy Bishop, First World War flying ace (d.1956)
1905 February 8 Born - February 8 - Louis-Philippe Pigeon, judge of the Supreme Court of Canada (d.1986)
1905 February 8 February 8 - Sir James Whitney becomes premier of Ontario, replacing George Ross
1921 February 8 Born - February 8 - Barney Danson, politician and soldier (d.2011)
1934 February 8 Born - February 8 - Philip Seeman, schizophrenia researcher and neuropharmacologist
1945 February 8 February 8 - World War II: The Anglo-Canadian Operation Veritable launched in the Netherlands
1950 February 8 Born - February 8 - Keith Milligan, politician
1979 February 8 Born - February 8 - Adam Trupish, boxer
1985 February 8 February 8 - Frank Miller becomes premier of Ontario, replacing Bill Davis after the Ontario Progressive Conservative leadership election
1986 February 8 February 8 - Hinton train collision: 23 people are killed when a Via Rail train collides with a Canadian National Railway train near Hinton, Alberta
1992 February 8 February 8–February 23 - 1992 Winter Olympics are held in Albertville, France. Canada finishes ninth in the medal count.
1994 February 8 Born - February 8 – Nikki Yanofsky born in Hampstead, Quebec
1995 February 8 Born - February 8 - Jordan Todosey, actress
1999 February 8 Died - February 8 - Denise Leblanc-Bantey, politician (born 1949)
2001 February 8 February 8 - Lorne Calvert becomes premier of Saskatchewan, replacing Roy Romanow
2002 February 8 February 8-February 24 - 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, Utah. Canada wins gold for men's and women's hockey. Controversy erupts when Jamie Salé and David Pelletier are given only silver for the pairs' figure skating.
2004 February 8 Died - February 8 - Nicholas Goldschmidt, conductor, administrator, teacher, performer, music festival entrepreneur and artistic director (born 1908)
2005 February 8 February 8 - Controversial Toronto police chief Julian Fantino is appointed Ontario's new commissioner of emergency management.
2005 February 8 February 8 - Edmonton police chief Fred Rayner is fired after news of a police sting targeting a journalist and the chair of the city's police board comes to light.
2007 February 8 February 8 – Ontario provincial by-election in Burlington; Markham; and York South–Weston electoral districts.
2009 February 8 Died - February 8 - Bob Stephen, Canadian football player (born 1958)
2010 February 8 Died - February 8 – Jacques Hétu, composer (born 1938)
2010 February 8 February 8 – CFB Trenton Commander Colonel Russell Williams is charged with two counts of murder against two women and two counts of sexual assault of another two women.[8]
2011 February 8 February 8 – Nearly 1,500 government lawyers and crown prosecutors go on strike in Quebec, claiming to be overworked and underpaid.[6]