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 died about a month before her 38^th birthday form complications of an allergic reaction to medication for an infection.

1970~ Gabby Giffords, (née Gabrielle Dee Giffords) American politician.  She was shot in the head by a deranged gunman.

1957~ Scott Adams, American author and illustrator. He is also the creator of the Dilbertcomic strip.

1955~ Griffin Dunne (né Thomas Griffin Dunne), American actor.

1950~ Kathy Baker (née Katherine Whitton Baker), American actress.

1950~ Sônia Braga, Brazilian actress.

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.

1943~ William Calley (né William Laws Calley, Jr.), American Army officer who was found guilty of the Mai Lai massacre during the Vietnam War.

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.

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.

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 77^th birthday.

1933~ Joan Rivers, (né Joan Alexandra Molinksy; d. Sept. 4, 2014), American comedian.  She was the driven diva who paved the way for female comedians.  She died at age 81 following complications following surgery for a minor throat procedure.

1930~ Robert Aumann (né Robert John Aumann), German-born Israeli mathematician and recipient of the 2005 Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences.

1927~ Jerry Stiller (né Gerald Isaac Stiller), American comedian and actor. 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.

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 died at 92 following a long illness.

1921~ LeRoy Neiman (né Leroy Leslie Runquist; d. June 20, 2012), American artist who immortalized sporting legends.  He died 12 days after his 91^st birthday.

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.

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 served on the Court from April 1962 until June 1993.  He died at age 84.

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 died at age 88.

1897~ John G. Bennett (né John Godolphin Bennett; d. Dec. 13, 1974) English mathematician.  He died at age 77.

1867~ Frank Lloyd Wright (né Frank Lincoln Wright; d. Apr. 9, 1959), American architect.  He died at age 91.

1860~ Alicia Boole Stott (née Alicia Boole; d. Dec. 17, 1940), British mathematician.  She died at age 80.

1847~ Ida McKinley (née Ida Saxton; d. May 26, 1907), First Lady of the United States and wife of President William McKinley.  She died 13 days before her 60^th birthday.

1842~ John Q.A. Brackett (néJohn Quincy Adams Brackett, d. Apr. 6, 1918), 36^th 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.

1810~ Robert Schumann (d. July 29, 1856), German composer.  He died of pneumonia at age 46.

1745~ Caspar Wessel (d. Mar. 25, 1818), Danish mathematician.  He died at age 72.

1717~ John Collins (d. Mar. 4, 1795), 3^rd Governor of Rhode Island. He served as Governor from 1786 until 1790.  He died at age 77.

1625~ Giovanni Domenico Cassini (d. Sept. 14, 1712), Italian mathematician and astronomer.  He died at age 87.

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.

862~ Xi Zong (d. Apr. 20, 888), Chinese Emperor of the Tang Dynasty.  He died at age 25.

Events that Changed the World:

2017~ The United Kingdom held a general election.

1998~ The NRA elected actor Charlton Heston (1923 ~ 2008) as its president.

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 drafted the decision.

1949~ Nineteen Eighty-Four, by George Orwell 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 seceded from the Union to 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 of England arrived in Acre (in modern day Israel), leading the Third Crusade.

1042~ Edward the Confessor (1003 ~ 1066) became King of England.

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.

Good-Byes:

2018~ Anthony Bourdain (né Anthony Michael Bourdain, b. June 25, 1956), American revel chef who explored the world through food.  He wrote several books about the restaurant industry.  He died of an apparent suicide 17 days before his 62^nd birthday.

2018~ Maria Bueno (née Maria Esther Andion Bueno; b. Oct. 11, 1930), Brazilian tennis star who elevated the women’s game.  She died at age 78.

2013~ Paul Cellucci (né Argeo Paul Cellucci; b. Apr. 24, 1948), 69^th Governor of Massachusetts.  He was Governor from April 2001 until March 2005.  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 died at age 84.

2012~ Charles E.M. Pearce (né Charles Edward Miller Pearce; b. Mar. 29, 1940), Australian mathematician.  He died at age 72.

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 died a month after her 88^th birthday.

2009~ Harold Norse (né Harold Rosen, b. July 6, 1916), American writer and rebel poet who ran with the Beats.  He died a month before his 93^rd birthday.

2000~ Jeff MacNelly (né Jeffrey Kenneth MacNelly; b. Sept. 17, 1948), American political cartoonist and creator of the comic strip, Shoe.  He died of lymphoma at age 52.

1998~ Maria Reiche (b. May 15, 1903), German mathematician and archeologist.  She died of ovarian cancer 3 weeks after her 95^th birthday.

1982~ Satchel Paige (né Leroy Robert Paige; b. July 7, 1906), American baseball player.  He died a month before his 76^th birthday.

1946~ John L. Bates (né John Lewis Bates; b. Sept. 18, 1859), American politician and 41^st Governor of Massachusetts.  He was Governor from January 1903 until January 1905.  He died at age 86.

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 died at age 66.

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. 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 died at age 79.

1876~ George Sand (née Amantine Lucile Aurore Dupin; b. July 1, 1804), French author.  She died less than a month before her 72^nd 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.

1845~ Andrew Jackson (b. Mar. 15, 1767), 7^th President of the United States.  He was President from March 4, 1829 until March 1837.  He died at age 78.

1809~ Thomas Paine (né Thomas Pain; b. Feb. 9, 1737), American revolutionary, writer and radical liberal philosopher.  He died at age 72.

1795~ King Louis XVII of France (b. Mar. 27, 1785).  He was the youngest son of King Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette. After his father was executed, he became “king” in the eyes of the royalists.  He was never actually crowned, however, and was imprisoned by the republic.  He died in prison at age 10 of an illness.

1505~ Hongzhi (b. July 30, 1470), 10^th 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 of England.  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 (b. June 15, 1330).  He was also known as the Black Prince (b. June 15, 1330).  He was the son of King Edward III and father of King Richard II of England.  He died 7 days before his 46^thbirthday.

1290~ Beatrice Portinari (b. 1266), muse of Dante. The date of her birth is unknown.  She is believed to have been 25 at the time of her death.