On this day

January 8, 1958

Revisit the news, notable people, and historical moments connected to this date.

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Headlines from January 8, 1958

Notable Births

Betsy DeVos

1958Betsy DeVos, American businesswoman and politician, 11th Secretary of Education[†]

Elisabeth Dee DeVos is an American politician, philanthropist, and former government official who served as the 11th United States secretary of education from 2017 to 2021. DeVos is known for her conservative political activism, and particularly her support for school choice, school voucher programs, and charter schools. She was Republican national committeewoman for Michigan from 1992 to 1997 and served as chair of the Michigan Republican Party from 1996 to 2000, and again from 2003 to 2005. She has advocated for the Detroit charter school system and she is a former member of the board of the Foundation for Excellence in Education. She has served as chair of the board of the Alliance for School Choice and the Acton Institute and headed the All Children Matter PAC.

1958Rey Misterio, Mexican wrestler, trainer, and actor. (died 2024)[†]

Miguel Ángel López Díaz was a Mexican professional wrestler and trainer, better known by his ring name, Rey Misterio. He was also referred to as Rey Misterio Sr. to distinguish him from his nephew.

Notable Deaths

Mary Colter

1958Mary Colter, American architect, designed the Desert View Watchtower (born 1869)[†]

Mary Elizabeth Jane Colter was an American architect and designer. She was one of the very few female American architects in her day. She was the designer of many landmark buildings and spaces for the Fred Harvey Company and the Santa Fe Railroad, notably in Grand Canyon National Park. Her work had enormous influence as she helped to create a style, blending Spanish Colonial Revival and Mission Revival architecture with Native American motifs and Rustic elements, that became popular throughout the Southwest. Colter was a perfectionist, who spent a lifetime advocating and defending her aesthetic vision in a largely male-dominated field.

Historical Context for January 8, 1958

In 1958, the world population was approximately 2,911,249,671 people[†]