History Today: How Quit India Movement began with Mahatma Gandhi’s ‘Do or Die’ speech

On August 8, 1942, Mahatma Gandhi delivered his famous “Do or Die” speech as the Quit India movement was launched. This movement was a mass call for civil disobedience, demanding that the British leave India.

It was a major turning point in India’s fight for independence. People from all parts of the country came together to push for self-governance and an end to British rule.

Also on this day in 1974, US President Richard Nixon, under pressure after fresh details emerged in the Watergate scandal, said he would resign the next day.

Further, on this day in 1969, one of the most recognisable photographs in music history was taken when The Beatles were pictured crossing Abbey Road for the cover of their album ‘Abbey Road’.

As part of Firstpost Explainers’ History Today series, here’s a look at what happened on August 8:

Quit India Movement launched

The Quit India Movement began on August 8, 1942, and remains one of the most important chapters in India’s struggle for freedom. It was the last major movement led by Mahatma Gandhi against British rule.

The All India Congress Committee (AICC) held a meeting in Bombay on August 8 and passed a resolution to start the Quit India Movement.

At the same meeting, Gandhi delivered his “Do or Die” speech. He said, “The mantra is ‘Do or Die.’ We shall either free India or die in the attempt; we shall not live to see the perpetuation of our slavery.”

The movement called for an immediate end to British rule in India. It asked people to take part in a peaceful civil disobedience campaign.

People from all backgrounds, including students, farmers, workers, and political figures, came together in large numbers. The British response was quick and harsh.

Top leaders like Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, and Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel were arrested the next day. This led to massive protests, strikes, and non-violent resistance across the country.

Because the movement began in August, it also came to be called the August Kranti or August Movement. The day is remembered every year by honouring the freedom fighters who gave their lives for the nation.

Richard Nixon announces his resignation

On this day in 1974, US President Richard M. Nixon said he would step down, becoming the first American president in history to resign.

Faced with impeachment over his role in the Watergate scandal, Nixon gave in to growing pressure from the public and lawmakers to leave office.

“By taking this action,” he said in a serious address from the Oval Office, “I hope that I will have hastened the start of the process of healing which is so desperately needed in America.”

The Watergate scandal began with a break-in and wiretapping at the Democratic Party’s national headquarters at the Watergate building in Washington, DC, carried out by men linked to Nixon and his aides.

Over time, the case expanded to include other claims of wrongdoing that happened before and after the break-in.

The five men who broke in were hired by the Republican Party’s Committee to re-elect the President. They were caught and charged on June 17, 1972.

Soon after the arrests, Nixon quietly asked White House counsel John Dean to manage a cover-up to hide the administration’s part in the scandal.

Nixon also blocked the FBI’s investigation and approved secret payments to the burglars in order to stop them from naming others involved.

The Beatles’ Abbey Road album cover was shot

On this day in 1969, a photo was taken that turned a simple pedestrian crossing into one of the world’s most famous locations.

Abbey Road in St John’s Wood, London, is now a landmark for Beatles fans, where people still copy the well-known walk of the band seen in one of the final pictures of the four members together.

At the time, no one guessed that the image, picked from just six shots of Paul McCartney, John Lennon, Ringo Starr and George Harrison, would become such a lasting symbol in music history. It remains one of the most copied album covers ever made.

Today, the crossing is watched by a webcam and draws crowds of tourists daily. People come to pay tribute, propose, celebrate weddings, and even scatter the ashes of loved ones.

This Day, That Year

1963: The “Great Train Robbery” took place in Britain, where a gang stole 2.6 million pounds in cash from a Royal Mail train.

1994: Israel and Jordan opened their first road link, a key step in improving ties between the two former rivals.

2009: Sonia Sotomayor took the oath as the first Hispanic and third woman to serve as a justice on the US Supreme Court.

2023: Wildfires swept across parts of Maui island in Hawaii, causing major destruction and killing around 98 people. It became one of the deadliest wildfires ever recorded.