What Happened on January 8?

January 8 marks Andrew Jackson's smashing victory at New Orleans — fought after the war was already over! It's also Elvis Presley's birthday.

1815 — Battle of New Orleans — a huge victory after the war ended

Andrew Jackson's ragtag army crushed a much larger British force in 30 minutes — fifteen days after peace was signed, because news traveled slower than ships. Read the full story →
1963 — The Mona Lisa arrives in America

Leonardo's mysterious smile crossed the Atlantic aboard an ocean liner, guarded by Marines, and half a million Americans lined up — some waiting two hours — just to glimpse her. Read the full story →

Famous birthdays

Elvis Presley (1935–1977) · Stephen Hawking (1942–2018) · David Bowie (1947–2016)

National Bubble Bath Day