June 8
Birthdays:
1981 ~ Rachel Held Evans (née Rachel Grace Held; d. May 4, 2019), American Christian author who challenged evangelical beliefs. At the time of her death, she no longer considered herself to be an evangelical due to its close association with the Christian right. She was born in Birmingham, Alabama. She died about a month before her 38thbirthday from complications of an allergic reaction to medication for an infection. She died in Nashville, Tennessee.
1977 ~ Kanye West (né Kanye Omari West), American rapper.
1970 ~ Gabby Giffords, (née Gabrielle Dee Giffords) American politician and United States Representative from Arizona. In 2011, she was shot in the head by a deranged gunman. She was born in Tucson, Arizona.
1957 ~ Scott Adams (né Scott Raymond Adams), American author and illustrator. He is also the creator of the Dilbertcomic strip. He was born in Windham, New York.
1955 ~ Tom Berners-Lee (né Timothy John Berners-Lee), British computer scientist. He is best known for being the inventor of the World-Wide-Web. He was born in London, England.
1955 ~ Griffin Dunne (né Thomas Griffin Dunne), American actor. He was born in New York, New York.
1950 ~ Kathy Baker (née Katherine Whitton Baker), American actress. She was born in Midland, Texas.
1950 ~ Sônia Braga (née Sônia Maria Campos Braga), Brazilian actress.
1947 ~ Sara Paretsky, American crime fiction novelist. She was born in Ames, Iowa.
1947 ~ Eric F. Wieschaus (né Eric Francis Wieschaus), American biologist and recipient of the 1995 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his work in evolutionary development biology. He was born in South Bend, Indiana.
1943 ~ Kenneth A. Lewes (d. Apr. 17, 2020), American clinical psychologist who wrote the 1988 book The Psychoanalytic Theory of Male Homosexuality, which challenged the prevailing view in psychoanalysis that homosexuality was a curable disease. He was born in The Bronx, New York. He died of complications of Covid-19 at age 76.
1943 ~ William Calley (né William Laws Calley, Jr.), American Army officer who was found guilty of the Mai Lai massacre during the Vietnam War. He was born in Miami, Florida.
1941 ~ Fuzzy Haskins (né Clarence Eugene Haskins; d. Mar. 16, 2023), African-American exuberant singer who helped shape the doo-wop group, Parliament-Funkadelic. He was born in Elkhorn, West Virginia. He died of complications from diabetes at age 81 in Grosse Pointe Woods, Michigan.
1940 ~ Nancy Sinatra (née Nancy Sandra Sinatra), American singer. She is best known for her single, These Boots Were Made for Walkin’. She was the daughter of singer Frank Sinatra. She was born in Jersey City, New Jersey.
1937 ~ Bruce McCandless, II (d. Dec. 21, 2017), American astronaut. He conducted the first untethered spacewalk. He was born in Boston, Massachusetts. He died at age 80 in Los Angeles, California.
1936 ~ Kenneth G. Wilson (né Kenneth Geddes Wilson; d. June 15, 2013), American physicist and recipient of the 1982 Nobel Prize in Physics. He was born in Waltham, Massachusetts. He died in Saco, Maine 7 days after his 77th birthday.
1933 ~ Joan Rivers, (née Joan Alexandra Molinksy; d. Sept. 4, 2014), American comedian. She was the driven diva who paved the way for female comedians. She was born in Brooklyn, New York. She died at age 81 following complications following surgery for a minor throat procedure in Manhattan, New York.
1931 ~ David Mintz (d. Feb. 24, 2021), American kosher caterer who turned tofu into ice cream. In 1972, he created Tofutti, a non-dairy frozen dessert. He was born and raised in the Orthodox section of Williamsburg, Brooklyn, New York. He died at age 89 in Englewood, New Jersey.
1930 ~ Robert Aumann (né Robert John Aumann), German-born Israeli mathematician and recipient of the 2005 Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences. His family left Germany 2 weeks before the Kristallnacht pogrom. He was born in Frankfort, Germany.
1927 ~ Jerry Stiller (né Gerald Isaac Stiller; d. May 11, 2020), American comedian and actor who got laughs across the generations. He spent many years as half of the comedy team Stiller and Meara, with his wife, Anne Meara. He is best known for his portrayal as Frank Costanza on Seinfeld. His son is actor Ben Stiller. He was born in Brooklyn, New York. He died about a month before his 93rd birthday in Manhattan, New York.
1927 ~ George Lamming (né George William Lamming; d. June 4, 2022), Barbadian writer who chronicled a Caribbean awakening. He is best known for his 1953 debut novel In the Castle of My Skin. He was born in Carrington Village, Barbados. He died just 4 days before his 95th birthday in Bridgetown, Barbados.
1925 ~ Barbara Bush (né Barbara Pierce; d. Apr. 17, 2018), formidable First Lady who raised a president. She was the wife of President George H.W. Bush and mother of President George W. Bush. She was born in Manhattan, New York. She died at 92 following a long illness in Houston, Texas.
1921 ~ LeRoy Neiman (né Leroy Leslie Runquist; d. June 20, 2012), American artist who immortalized sporting legends. He was born in St. Paul Minnesota. He died 12 days after his 91st birthday in New York, New York.
1918 ~ Robert Preston (né Robert Preston Meservey; d. Mar. 21, 1987), American actor, best known for his role in The Music Man. He was born in Newton, Massachusetts. He died of lung cancer at age 68 in Montecito, California.
1917 ~ Byron White (né Byron Raymond White; d. Apr. 15, 2002), Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court. He was nominated to the High Court by President John F. Kennedy. He replaced Charles Whittaker on the Court. He was succeeded by Ruth Bader Ginsburg. He served on the Court from April 1962 until June 1993. He was born in Fort Collins, Colorado. He died at age 84 in Denver, Colorado.
1916 ~ Francis Crick (né Francis Harry Compton Crick; d. July 28, 2004), English molecular biologist and recipient of the 1962 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. He, along with James Watson, discovered the molecular structure of DNA. They failed, however, to give due credit to Roselyn Franklin, who also provided valuable insight into the DNA structure. He was born in England. He died at age 88 in San Diego, California.
1897 ~ John G. Bennett (né John Godolphin Bennett; d. Dec. 13, 1974), British mathematician, technologist and author. He was born in London, England. He died at age 77.
1867 ~ Frank Lloyd Wright (né Frank Lincoln Wright; d. Apr. 9, 1959), American architect. He was bornin Richland Center, Wisconsin. He died at age 91 in Phoenix, Arizona.
1860 ~ Alicia Boole Stott (née Alicia Boole; d. Dec. 17, 1940), British mathematician. She was born in Cork, Ireland. She died at age 80 in Middlesex, England.
1858 ~ Charlotte Scott (née Charlotte Agnas Scott; d. Nov. 10, 1931), British mathematician. She was influential in encouraging women into the field of mathematics. She was an Associate Professor at Bryn Mawr, where she was the first mathematician and the first department head. She was born in Lincoln, England. She died at age 73 in Cambridge, England.
1847 ~ Ida McKinley (née Ida Saxton; d. May 26, 1907), First Lady of the United States and wife of President William McKinley. She was born and died in Canton, Ohio. She died 13 days before her 60th birthday.
1842 ~ John Q.A. Brackett (né John Quincy Adams Brackett, d. Apr. 6, 1918), 36th Governor of Massachusetts. He served as Governor for one year from 1890 until 1891. He was born in Bradford, New Hampshire and died in Arlington, Massachusetts. He died at age 75.
1829 ~ John Everett Millais (d. Aug. 13, 1896), English painter and illustrator. He was one of the founders of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood. He died at age 67 in London, England.
1810 ~ Robert Schumann (d. July 29, 1856), German composer. He was married to composer Clara Schumann. He died of pneumonia at age 46.
1745 ~ Caspar Wessel (d. Mar. 25, 1818), Danish mathematician. He died at age 72 in Copehagen.
1717 ~ John Collins (d. Mar. 4, 1795), 3rd Governor of Rhode Island. He served as Governor from 1786 until 1790. He was born in Newport, Colony of Island, British America. He died at age 77 in New Port, Rhode Island.
1630 ~ Charles II, King of England (d. Feb. 16, 1685), monarch of the three kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland. He was married to Catherine of Braganza (1638 ~ 1705). They married in 1662. There were no children of this marriage. He was of the House of Stuart. He was the son of Charles I, King of England and Henrietta Maria of France. He died suddenly at age 54. He was succeeded by his brother, James II, King of England. [Under the calendar at the time during his lifetime, his dates of birth and death would have been recorded as: May 29, 1630 to February 16, 1685.]
1625 ~ Giovanni Domenico Cassini (d. Sept. 14, 1712), Italian mathematician and astronomer. He died at age 87 in Paris, France.
1555 ~ Anne Hathaway (d. Aug. 6, 1623), wife of William Shakespeare. The exact date of her birth is unknown, but she is believed to have been born on June 8, 1555, making her 67 at the time of her death.
1236 ~ Violant of Aragon (d. 1301), Queen consort of Castile and León and wife of Alfonso X, King of Castile (1221 ~ 1284). They married in 1249 and had 11 children together. She was of the House of Barcelona. She was the daughter of James I, King of Aragon and Princess Violant of Hungary. She was Roman Catholic. The exact date of her death is not known, but she is believed to have died at age 64 or 65.
862 ~ Xi Zong (d. Apr. 20, 888), Chinese Emperor of the Tang Dynasty. He died at age 25.
Events that Changed the World:
2023 ~ Former President Donald Trump (b. 1946) was indicted on seven federal counts of conspiracy to obstruct, willful retention of classified documents and providing false statements. He is the first former United States president to face federal charges.
2017 ~ The United Kingdom held a general election.
2017 ~ Archeologist uncovered a giant Aztec temple in downtown Mexico City, Mexico alongside a court where the Aztecs played an often-deadly ball game. Mexico City was built on top of the Aztec capital of Tenochtitlán and the temple ruins were found beneath a 1950s hotel. It is believed that the temple was built between 1480 and 1502. Thirty-two severed male next vertebrae were also found in a pile just off the ball court. Prisoners of war were sometimes made to play the game and were sacrificed when they lost.
1998 ~ The NRA elected actor Charlton Heston (1923 ~ 2008) as its president.
1982 ~ President Ronald Reagan (1911 ~ 2004) became the first United States president to address a joint session of Britain’s Parliament.
1972 ~ The iconic photograph of a young girl who had been burned by napalm seen running down a road in Vietnam was taken by photographer Nick Ut (b. 1951). The girl, Phan Thi Kim Phúc (b. 1963) was 9 years old at the time.
1969 ~ The New York Yankees retired Mickey Mantle’s uniform number 7 during a celebration of "Mickey Mantle Day" at a baseball game.
1953 ~ The United States Supreme Court ruled in District of Columbia v. Johnson R. Thompson, Co., that restaurants in Washington, D.C., cannot refuse to serve black customer. Justice William O. Douglas (1898 ~ 1980) drafted the decision.
1949 ~ Nineteen Eighty-Four, by George Orwell (1903 ~ 1950) was first published.
1929 ~ Margaret Bonfield (1873 ~ 1953) was appointed Minister of Labor, thereby becoming the first woman appointed to a Cabinet position in the United Kingdom.
1906 ~ President Theodore Roosevelt (1858 ~ 1919) signed the Antiquities Act into law, which authorized the President to restrict the use of certain parcels of public land with historical significance.
1861 ~ Tennessee became the 11th and last state to seceded from the Union and join the Confederacy.
1789 ~ James Madison (1851 ~ 1836) proposed twelve amendments to the United States Constitution in the House of Representatives. By 1791, ten of these amendments were ratified and are now known as the Bill of Rights.
1783 ~ The Icelandic volcano, Laki, began its eight-month eruption. Over 9,000 people were killed and the volcano began a seven-year famine.
1191 ~ Richard I, King of England (1157 ~ 1199) arrived in Acre (in modern day Israel), leading the Third Crusade.
1042 ~ Edward the Confessor (1003 ~ 1066) became King of England. He would be the penultimate Anglo-Saxon king.
793 ~ The Vikings are believed to have led a raid at the Abby in Northumbria, marking the accepted date for the beginning of the Scandinavian invasion of England.
452 ~ Atilla the Hun (395 ~ Mar. 453) invaded Italy.
Good-Byes:
2018 ~ Anthony Bourdain (né Anthony Michael Bourdain; b. June 25, 1956), American rebel chef who explored the world through food. He wrote several books about the restaurant industry. He was born in Manhattan, New York. He died in France of an apparent suicide 17 days before his 62nd birthday.
2018 ~ Maria Bueno (née Maria Esther Andion Bueno; b. Oct. 11, 1930), Brazilian professional tennis star who elevated the women’s game. During her 11-year career, she won 19 Grand Slam titles. She was born and died in São Paulo, Brazil. She died at age 78.
2017 ~ Sam Panopoulos (né Sotirios Panopoulous; b. Aug 20, 1934), Greek-born Canadian pizza pioneer who controversially put pineapple on a pie. He is credited with creating the Hawaiian pizza. He was born in Vourvoura, Greece. He died at age 82 in London, Ontario, Canada.
2013 ~ Paul Cellucci (né Argeo Paul Cellucci; b. Apr. 24, 1948), 69th Governor of Massachusetts. He was Governor from April 2001 until March 2005. He was born and died in Hudson, Massachusetts. He died of ALS at age 65.
2013 ~ Niels Diffrient (b. Sept. 6, 1928), the American industrial designer who wedded form to function. He was an industrial engineer who was a pioneer in the field of ergonomics. He was born in Star, Mississippi. He died at age 84 in Ridgefield, Connecticut.
2012 ~ Charles E.M. Pearce (né Charles Edward Miller Pearce; b. Mar. 29, 1940), Australian mathematician. He was born in Wellington, New Zealand. He died in a car accident at age 72 in Fox Glacier on the New Zealand South Island.
2011 ~ Clara Luper (née Clara Mae Shepard; b. May 3, 1923), African-American schoolteacher who pioneered the sit-in. She was active in civil rights. She was born in Okfuskee County, Oklahoma. She died a month after her 88th birthday in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
2009 ~ Harold Norse (né Harold Rosen, b. July 6, 1916), American writer and rebel poet who ran with the Beats. He was born in Brooklyn, New York. He died a month before his 93rd birthday in San Francisco, California.
2000 ~ Jeff MacNelly (né Jeffrey Kenneth MacNelly; b. Sept. 17, 1948), American political cartoonist and creator of the comic strip, Shoe. He was born in New York, New York. He died of lymphoma at age 52 in Baltimore, Maryland.
1998 ~ Maria Reiche (b. May 15, 1903), German mathematician and archeologist. She was born in Dresden, German Empire. She died of ovarian cancer 3 weeks after her 95th birthday in Lima, Peru.
1982 ~ Satchel Paige (né Leroy Robert Paige; b. July 7, 1906), African-American professional baseball player. He was born in Mobile, Alabama. He died a month before his 76th birthday in Kansas City, Missouri.
1970 ~ Abraham Maslow (né Abraham Harold Maslow; b. Apr. 1, 1908), American psychologist. He was born in Brooklyn, New York. He died of a heart attack while jogging at age 62 in Menlo Park, California.
1946 ~ John L. Bates (né John Lewis Bates; b. Sept. 18, 1859), American politician and 41st Governor of Massachusetts. He was Governor from January 1903 until January 1905. He was born in Easton, Massachusetts. He died at age 86 in Boston, Massachusetts.
1902 ~ Charles Ingalls (né Charles Phillip Ingalls; b. Jan. 10, 1836), American farmer and father of Laura Ingalls Wilder, the writer of the Little House series of books. He was born in Cuba, New York. He died at age 66 in South Dakota.
1884 ~ Noah Haynes Swayne (b. Dec. 7, 1804), Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court. He was nominated to the High Court by President Abraham Lincoln. He replaced John McLean on the Court. He was the first Republican to be appointed to the High Court. He was succeeded by Stanley Matthews. Swayne served on the Court from January 1862 until January 1881. He is best known for being one of the 2 dissenters in the Dred Scott Case. He was born in Virginia. He died at age 79 in New York, New York.
1876 ~ George Sand (née Amantine Lucile Aurore Dupin; b. July 1, 1804), French author. She was born in Paris, France. She died less than a month before her 72nd birthday.
1865 ~ Sir Joseph Paxton (b. Aug. 3, 1803), English gardener and architect. He designed the Crystal Palace. He is also known for cultivating the Cavendish banana. He died at age 61 in London, England.
1845 ~ Andrew Jackson (b. Mar. 15, 1767), 7th President of the United States. He was President from March 4, 1829 until March 1837. He died at age 78 in Nashville, Tennessee.
1809 ~ Thomas Paine (né Thomas Pain; b. Feb. 9, 1737), American revolutionary, writer and radical liberal philosopher. He was born in England. He died at age 72 in New York, New York. [Note: Under the Julian calendar in effect at the time of his birth, Paine’s birth is sometimes listed as being on January 28, 1737.]
1795 ~ Louis XVII, King of France (b. Mar. 27, 1785). He was the claimant to the French throne, although he was never actually crowned. He was of the House of Bourbon. He was the youngest son of Louis XVI, King of France and Marie Antoinette. After his father was executed, he became “king” in the eyes of the royalists. He was imprisoned by the Republic. He died in prison at age 10 of an illness.
1714 ~ Princess Sophia of the Palatinate (b. Oct. 14, 1630), Electress consort of Hanover and wife of Ernest Augustus, Elector of Hanover (1629 ~ 1698). They married in 1658. They were the parents of George I, King of England. She was of the House of Palatinate-Simmern. She was the daughter of Frederick V, Elector Palatine and Elizabeth Stuart. She was Calvinist. She died at age 83.
1505 ~ Hongzhi (b. July 30, 1470), 10th Chinese Emperor of the Ming Dynasty. He reigned from September 1487 until his death 18 years later. He died at age 34.
1492 ~ Elizabeth Woodville (b. 1437), Queen consort of England. She was married to Edward IV, King of England (1442 ~ 1483). He was her second husband. They were the parents of Edward V, King of England. She had previously been married to Sir John Grey (1432 ~ 1461). They had married in 1452. He died in 1483. She was the daughter of Richard Woodville, 1st Earl Rivers and Jacquetta of Luxembourg. She was Roman Catholic. The date of her birth is not known, but she is believed to have been about 55 at the time of her death.
1376 ~ Edward of Woodstock, Prince of Wales (b. June 15, 1330), member of the British royal family and heir apparent to the British throne. He was known as the Black Prince. In 1337, he was made the Duke of Cornwall, the first English dukedom. In 1361, he married Joan of Kent (1320s ~ 1385). He was her third husband. They were the parents of Richard II, King of England. He was the son of Edward III, King of England and Philippa of Hainault. He died of dysentery 7 days before his 46th birthday. He predeceased his father; thus the throne was inherited by his son, Richard II, King of England.
1290 ~ Beatrice Portinari (b. 1266), muse of Dante. The date of her birth is unknown. She was born and died in Florence, Republic of Florence. She is believed to have been 25 at the time of her death.
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