On this day: October 8

The First Recorded Poisoning of Consumer Goods: The 1982 Chicago Tylenol Murders

In October 1982, seven Chicago-area residents died after taking Extra-Strength Tylenol capsules laced with cyanide—widely regarded as the first well-documented case of contaminated mass-marketed over-the-counter medication used to harm consumers.

Revising the Toll: How Estimates of the Great Chicago Fire’s Dead Grew Decades Later

Decades after the Great Chicago Fire of October 1871, historians and officials revised fatality estimates upward as new records, survivor accounts and methodological changes emerged — a gradual reassessment that underscores how chaotic disasters can obscure human cost.

U.S. Announces Creation of Department of Homeland Security

On October 8, 2001, the U.S. announced plans to create the Department of Homeland Security, a cabinet-level agency to coordinate federal domestic security and counterterrorism efforts in the aftermath of the September 11 attacks.

European leaders hold emergency talks as banking turmoil spreads

On October 8, 2008, European officials convened emergency meetings after U.S. financial shocks and strains in regional banks raised fears of a wider crisis; leaders discussed liquidity supports, bank guarantees and coordinated policy responses to stabilize markets.

Camp Fire Devastates Paradise, California

On October 8, 2018, the Camp Fire rapidly consumed the town of Paradise, California, killing at least 85 people, destroying more than 18,000 structures and displacing thousands as one of California’s deadliest and most destructive wildfires.