1. In 1896, the Bronx Zoo officially opened its doors to the public on October 8th. It was the largest metropolitan zoo in the United States at the time and is now home to over 6,000 animals.

2. On October 8, 1956, the New York Yankees defeated the Brooklyn Dodgers in Game 5 of the World Series, clinching their 17th championship title. This was the first time the two teams had faced off in 11 years, and the Yankees would go on to win the next two World Series as well.

3. John Lennon was born on October 8, 1940, in Liverpool, England. Lennon famously moved to New York City in the 1970s and lived there until his tragic assassination on December 8, 1980.

4. On October 8, 1915, the first American soldier was killed in action in World War I. Private Thomas Enright was a member of the American Expeditionary Force and was killed in a German raid on a French town.

5. The Empire State Building officially opened its doors on October 8, 1931. At the time, it was the tallest building in the world, standing at 1,250 feet tall. It held that title for several years until it was surpassed by the construction of the World Trade Center in the 1970s.