January 8th, 1880 marks the commence of the battles for the defense of Plava and Gucia. About 7,000 Albanian volunteers were engaged in the fighting that lasted for three days, in which they defeated the Montenegrin army.

It was on January 8, 1918, when the American government sent a letter to Ismail Qemali, consisting of 14 points, giving him the opportunity to understand that it would consider the demands of the Albanians favorably, .

On January 8, 1920, the Congress of Lushnja elected the High Council, which would perform the functions of the President of the State, restoring parliamentarism.

On January 8, 1939, Benito Mussolini approved the plan for the military occupation of Albania.

Mehdi Frashëri and Hiqmet Delvina with all their families landed in Alexandria on January 8, 1948. Both were members of the Royal Council.

On February 8, 1920, eight years after the declaration of Independence, the city of Tirana was officially declared the capital of Albania. Tirana used to be a typical hometown, today it has turned into a modern city with about 1 million inhabitants.

Tirana is located in the center of Albania, about 35 km east of Durrës and about 40 km north-west of Elbasan, in a valley surrounded by Dajti Mountain to the east, the Kërraba and Sauk hills to the south, the Vaqarri and Yzberishti hills. in the west and those of Kamza in the north. The city was founded in 1614. The name of Tirana is mentioned in 1418 in a Venetian document. Throughout its history it was a Roman center. It was conquered in the fifteenth century by the Turkish-Ottoman Empire, which influenced and changed politics, society, culture, architecture and religion in the following centuries. Tirana declared its independence on November 26, 1912. Finally, Tirana was declared the capital of Albania in 1925 by the Constitutional Assembly.

February 8, 1923, is the birth date of Jakov Xoxa, a well-known Albanian novelist. Xoxe in Albanian literature has remained as the greatest writer of realism, known especially for the novel “Dead River” where in a literary and symbolic way he envisions the union of Kosovo with Albania. He passed away in 1979.

/k.s/