On This Day
·

Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad resigns and flees to Moscow after rebel forces sweep into the capital, Damascus [1]

On 8 December 2024, the Assad regime collapsed during a major offensive by opposition forces.

On 8 December 2024, the Assad regime collapsed during a major offensive by opposition forces. The offensive was spearheaded by Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and the Southern Operations Room (SOR), and supported mainly by the Turkish-backed Syrian National Army as part of the Syrian civil war that began with the Syrian revolution in 2011. The capture of Syria's capital, Damascus, marked the end of the Assad family's rule, which had governed Syria as a totalitarian hereditary dictatorship since Hafez al-Assad assumed power in 1971 after a successful coup d'état.

As the SOR advanced towards Damascus, reports emerged that Bashar al-Assad had fled the capital aboard a plane to Russia, where he joined his family, already in exile, and was granted asylum.

Historical Significance

On 8 December 2024, the Assad regime collapsed during a major offensive by opposition forces.

Key People

Bashar al-Assad

– present

Events Before

  1. Avenger's actor Jeremy Renner is accidentally run over by a snowplow, breaking more than 30 bones in his body near Reno,

    Avenger's actor Jeremy Renner is accidentally run over by a snowplow, breaking more than 30 bones in his body near Reno, Nevada [1]

  2. Crystal Renay Smith (37) divorces American singer NE-YO (43) after 12 years of marriage

    Crystal Renay Smith (37) divorces American singer NE-YO (43) after 12 years of marriage

  3. At age 45, Tom Brady, regarded as the greatest NFL quarterback of all time, announces his re-retirement after a 23-year

    At age 45, Tom Brady, regarded as the greatest NFL quarterback of all time, announces his re-retirement after a 23-year career and a record 7 Super Bowl titles with the NE Patriots and TB Buccaneers

  4. Powerful earthquakes strike Turkey and Syria, first with a 7.8 magnitude at 4:15 am, 23 kilometers east of Nurdagi, and

    Powerful earthquakes strike Turkey and Syria, first with a 7.8 magnitude at 4:15 am, 23 kilometers east of Nurdagi, and second with a 7.5 magnitude at 1:24 pm, with many strong aftershocks causing buildings to collapse. The death toll is 53,537 in Turkey and 8,000 in Syria [1]

  5. Key figures in Artificial Intelligence including Elon Musk and Steve Wozniak sign an open letter warning the race to dev

    Key figures in Artificial Intelligence including Elon Musk and Steve Wozniak sign an open letter warning the race to develop AI systems is out of control and asking for a suspension of at least six months [1] [2]

Events After

  1. A 42-year-old American army veteran plows through a New Year's Eve celebration on Bourbon Street in New Orleans in a ren

    A 42-year-old American army veteran plows through a New Year's Eve celebration on Bourbon Street in New Orleans in a rented pick-up truck; 14 people die, dozens are injured, and the driver is killed in a shoot-out with police [1]

  2. Governor Gavin Newsom says the California wildfires will be one of the worst natural disasters in US history; having bla

    Governor Gavin Newsom says the California wildfires will be one of the worst natural disasters in US history; having blazed through 40,000 acres, damaged about 12,000 structures and killed at least 24 people [1]

  3. Chinese startup DeepSeek launches the AI model R1, with capabilities similar to other AI models but at a fraction of the

    Chinese startup DeepSeek launches the AI model R1, with capabilities similar to other AI models but at a fraction of the cost, prompting experts to call it a “Sputnik moment” [1]

  4. US Army helicopter practicing night vision flying, crashes mid-air into commercial jet, killing all 67 passengers, inclu

    US Army helicopter practicing night vision flying, crashes mid-air into commercial jet, killing all 67 passengers, including dozens of figure skaters, and crew members, over the Potomac River while approaching Ronald Reagan National Airport near Washington D.C.

  5. A group of 1,000 artists including Annie Lennox, Billy Ocean, and Kate Bush, release a lyric-less album to protest a pr

    A group of 1,000 artists including Annie Lennox, Billy Ocean, and Kate Bush, release a lyric-less album to protest a proposed British law allowing developers access to copyrighted material to train AI [1]

More from the 2020s

Pro-Iranian protesters end siege of US Embassy in Baghdad, Iraq

Pro-Iranian protesters end siege of US Embassy in Baghdad, Iraq

Scotland's Peter Wright beats Dutch defending champion Michael Van Gerwen 7-3 with a 102.79 average, 34 x 140s, 11 maxim

Scotland's Peter Wright beats Dutch defending champion Michael Van Gerwen 7-3 with a 102.79 average, 34 x 140s, 11 maximums, and 53% on doubles to seal his first PDC World Darts Championship in London

Cuba's "day zero" unifies its two currencies by withdrawing the Cuban Convertible Peso (CUC), alongside steep increases

Cuba's "day zero" unifies its two currencies by withdrawing the Cuban Convertible Peso (CUC), alongside steep increases in prices and salaries, effectively devaluing the remaining Cuban Peso for the first time since 1959 [1]

Chicago Bulls forward DeMar DeRozan becomes the first player in NBA history to hit buzzer-beaters on consecutive days; h

Chicago Bulls forward DeMar DeRozan becomes the first player in NBA history to hit buzzer-beaters on consecutive days; he hits 3-pointers to beat the Washington Wizards 120-119 and the previous night the Indiana Pacers 108-106

Frequently Asked Questions

What happened on December 8, 2024?
On 8 December 2024, the Assad regime collapsed during a major offensive by opposition forces. The offensive was spearheaded by Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and the Southern Operations Room (SOR), and supported mainly by the Turkish-backed Syrian National Army as part of the Syrian civil war that began with the Syrian revolution in 2011. The capture of Syria's capital, Damascus, marked the end of the Assad family's rule, which had governed Syria as a totalitarian hereditary dictatorship since Hafez al-Assad assumed power in 1971 after a successful coup d'état.
Why is Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad resigns and flees to Moscow after rebel force... significant?
On 8 December 2024, the Assad regime collapsed during a major offensive by opposition forces.
Who was involved in Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad resigns and flees to Moscow after rebel force...?
Key figures include Bashar al-Assad.

Explore More

December 8 in HistoryYear 2024