1638
Arts
Birth in Bologna
Elisabetta Sirani was born in Bologna, Papal States, into the family of painter Gian Andrea Sirani, beginning her path in Bolognese Baroque art.
View detailsThis Day
08January
25 indexed achievements across recorded history.
1816
Science
First woman granted right to attend sessions of the Paris Academy of Sciences
Sophie Germain became the first woman allowed to attend the Paris Academy of Sciences sessions.
View details1816
Science
First woman to win a prize from the Paris Academy of Sciences
Sophie Germain became the first woman to win a prize from the Paris Academy of Sciences for her work on elasticity.
View details1845
Politics
Incorporation of Washington City Orphan Asylum with Dolley Madison as patron
Supported founding of Washington Orphan Asylum.
View details1851
Arts
Terminates Barnum contract and assumes control of tour
Jenny Lind ended her formal contract with P.T. Barnum in Boston, continuing remaining U.S. concerts under her own management.
View details1859
Exploration
Birth of Fanny Bullock Workman
Fanny Bullock Workman was born on January 8, 1859, in Worcester, Massachusetts.
View details1864
Activism
Birth of Mary Kenney O'Sullivan
Mary Kenney was born in Hannibal, Missouri, to Irish immigrant parents, beginning a life that would culminate in pioneering American labor activism.
View details1867
Science
Birth of Emily Greene Balch
Emily Greene Balch was born in Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts, later becoming an economist, sociologist, and Nobel Peace Prize-winning activist.
View details1887
1898
Science
Joins the cast of "Clorindy, or the Origin of the Cakewalk"
Aida Overton Walker performed in the groundbreaking musical "Clorindy," one of the first all-Black musicals to play on Broadway, helping popularize the cakewalk nationally.
View details1911
Science
Birth of Rose Louise Hovick in Seattle
Rose Louise Hovick, who would become Gypsy Rose Lee, was born in Seattle, Washington.
View details1929
Politics
Rebranded to General Foods Corporation
The company is rebranded to General Foods Corporation amid major acquisitions.
View details1945
Aviation
First woman pilot to fly the Hump
She becomes the first woman pilot to fly "the Hump" over the Himalayas between India and China on a combat ferrying mission.
View details1964
Politics
Close policy adviser during launch of the War on Poverty
During LBJ's State of the Union launching the War on Poverty, Lady Bird Johnson was already a close political adviser expanding her East Wing role.
View details1969
Politics
Sworn in to San Francisco Board of Supervisors
Feinstein was the first woman elected to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors without prior appointment.
View details1970
Politics
First woman president of San Francisco Board of Supervisors
Feinstein became president of the Board, the first woman in this leadership role.
View details1975
Politics
Inauguration of Ella Grasso as Governor of Connecticut
Ella T. Grasso is inaugurated as Connecticut’s 83rd governor, becoming the state’s first woman governor and first woman U.S. governor elected on her own merits.
View details1977
Activism
Ordained as First African American Woman Episcopal Priest
On January 8, 1977, Pauli Murray became the first African American woman ordained as an Episcopal priest.
View details1979
2007
Science
Profiled as "The Pragmatist" by MIT Technology Review
MIT Technology Review published a major profile of Amy Smith highlighting her appropriate-technology inventions for the developing world.
View details2007
Science
Presentation of the 2007 Steele Prize in New Orleans
Karen Uhlenbeck received the 2007 Steele Prize for Seminal Contribution to Research at the Joint Mathematics Meetings in New Orleans.
View details2007
2013
Activism
Death of Jeanne Manford
Jeanne Manford passed away on January 8, 2013, leaving a legacy of activism and family support for LGBTQ individuals.
View details2016
Science
Files U.S. patent application for thermoelectrically powered portable light source
Ann Makosinski filed a U.S. patent application for her thermoelectrically powered portable light source, formalizing the intellectual property behind her Hollow Flashlight invention.
View details2019
Science
Granted U.S. Patent 10,178,713 for thermoelectric light source
The USPTO granted Makotronics Enterprises Inc. Patent No. 10178713 for a thermoelectrically powered portable light source, naming Ann and Arthur Makosinski as inventors.
View details