1. On December 8, 1776, General George Washington and his troops crossed the Delaware River from Pennsylvania to New Jersey to launch a surprise attack on Hessian troops in Trenton, New Jersey during the American Revolutionary War. The successful attack boosted morale and reinvigorated the Continental Army.

2. On December 8, 1881, the first edition of the Brooklyn Daily Eagle was published. The newspaper would go on to become one of the most prominent in Brooklyn history and win numerous awards for its journalism.

3. On December 8, 1980, musician and former Beatle John Lennon was shot and killed in front of his apartment building in the Upper West Side of Manhattan. The shocking murder prompted an outpouring of grief and tributes from fans around the world.

4. On December 8, 2001, the New York City Board of Education voted to ban the use of cell phones in public schools. The decision generated controversy and debate among students, parents, and educators.

5. On December 8, 2010, New York Governor David Paterson signed into law a bill legalizing same-sex marriage in the state. New York became the sixth state in the United States to legalize same-sex marriage, and the decision was hailed as a historic victory for LGBTQ rights.