Black History Knowledge — August 8

What happened on this day. These are the August 8 moments in Black history worth knowing, remembering, and passing on.

1863 — Tennessee’s Eighth of August emancipation tradition takes root

According to oral tradition preserved by the National Park Service, Andrew Johnson emancipated the people he enslaved on August 8, 1863. Black communities in Tennessee transformed the date into an enduring celebration of freedom known as the Eighth of August.

1871 — Sam Johnson leads a documented Eighth of August celebration

On August 8, 1871, formerly enslaved Tennesseans gathered in Greeneville for one of the earliest documented Eighth of August celebrations. A procession led by Sam Johnson, who had been enslaved by Andrew Johnson, showed how Black communities claimed the day as their own freedom commemoration.

1974 — Richard Nixon announces his resignation amid Watergate

On August 8, 1974, President Richard Nixon announced that he would resign rather than face likely impeachment over the Watergate scandal. The constitutional process had been shaped in part by Congresswoman Barbara Jordan, whose nationally televised defense of accountability became one of the era’s defining speeches.