Historical Events on June 8

  • 1776: At the Battle of Trois-Rivieres during the American Revolutionary War, American forces are forced to retreat.
  • 1783: A volcano in Iceland named Laki erupts and continues to do so for the next 8-months. This results in the death of over 9,000 people and a famine which lasts for 7-years.
  • 1789: 12 proposed Amendments to the U.S Constitution is introduced to Congress by James Madison on this day.
  • 1856: Descendants of the original HMS Bounty mutineers, almost 200 Pitcairn Islanders arrive at Norfolk Island – this is the 3rd Settlement of the Island.
  • 1861: The State of Tennessee decided to withdraw from the United States.
  • 1862: The Army of Northern Virginia is saved from a Union Attack led by General George B. McClellan on the James Peninsula by Confederate forces led by General Stonewall Jackson.
  • 1906: The Antiquities Act is signed into law in the U.S by United States President Theodore Roosevelt. This act authorizes the President to restrict parcels of public land for use if they have conservation or historical value.
  • 1912: Universal Pictures is incorporated by film pioneer Carl Laemmle.
  • 1940: Operation Alphabet comes to an end during World War 2.
  • 1941: Allied forces start the Syria – Lebanon Campaign during World War II.
  • 1942: The Australian cities of Newcastle and Sydney are shelled by Japanese subs.
  • 1949: Edward G. Robinson, Dorothy Parker, Helen Keller, Danny Kaye, John Garfied and Paul Muni are named as Communist Party Members in an FBI report during the anticommunist hysteria of the 1940s and 1950s.
  • 1949: The novel 1984 by George Orwell is published on this day.

Famous Birthdays on June 8

  • American architect Frank Lloyd Wright is born in 1867.
  • American Colonel and politician, Ralph Yarborough is born in 1903.
  • 41st First Lady of the U.S., Barbara Bush is born in 1925.
  • American comedian and actor, Jerry Stiller is born in 1927.
  • American comedian, actress and TV host, Joan Rivers is born in 1933.
  • English computer scientist and inventor of the World Wide Web, Tim Berners-Lee is born in 1955.
  • American actor and director, Griffin Dunne is born in 1955.
  • American actress Julianna Margulies is born in 1966.