1. The Washington Monument was completed on February 8, 1885, after more than 30 years of construction. It stands at 555 feet tall and is the tallest structure in Washington D.C.

2. On February 8, 1948, the United States Supreme Court ruled in Perez v. Sharp that California's ban on interracial marriage was unconstitutional. This landmark case paved the way for the eventual national legalization of interracial marriage in 1967.

3. On February 8, 1968, three students at South Carolina State University were killed and 27 others were wounded after police opened fire during a civil rights protest. The incident, known as the Orangeburg Massacre, was one of the most violent confrontations of the Civil Rights Era.

4. In 1926, future U.S. President Ronald Reagan made his radio debut on KDKA in Pittsburgh. Reagan would later become a radio announcer and Hollywood actor before eventually entering politics.

5. The first National Boy Scout Jamboree was held at the National Mall in Washington D.C. on February 8, 1937. Over 25,000 Boy Scouts from across the country attended the event, which featured scouting exhibitions, games, and ceremonies.