This Day In History : June 8

1647 United Kingdom

England parliament bans Christmas, Easter and Whitsun festivities, services and celebrations, including in the home, with fines for non-compliance

The English Parliament banned Christmas, Easter, and Whitsun festivities, services, and celebrations, including in the home, with fines for non-compliance, on June 8, 1647. This decision was part of the Puritan reforms during the English Civil War, but it proved highly unpopular with the general public.

Also on This Day in History June 8

Discover what happened on June 8 with HISTORY's summaries of major events, anniversaries,
famous births and notable deaths.

Births on This Day, June 8
  • 1821 Samuel White Baker

    English explorer (Ceylon & Egypt)

  • 1851 Jacques-Arsène d'Arsonval

    French physicist and inventor of the moving-coil D'Arsonval galvanometer

  • 1867 Frank Lloyd Wright

    American architect (Guggenheim) recognized as "the greatest American architect of all time"

  • 1916 Francis Crick

    English molecular biologist who co-discovered DNA's structure, with James Watson (Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine, 1962)

  • 1937 Bruce McCandless II

    American aviator, electrical engineer and astronaut who made the 1st untethered space walk (STS 41B, STS-31)

Deaths on This Day, June 8
  • 1845 Andrew Jackson

    American general, judge, politician, and the 7th President of the United States from 1828-37

  • 1859 Walter Hunt

    American inventor (safety pin, sewing machine)

  • 1966 Joseph A. Walker

    American experimental physicist, World War II and NASA test pilot (1st spaceplane flights to edge of outer space)

  • 2001 Nathaniel Rochester

    American computer scientist (chief architect of the IBM 701)

  • 2018 Anthony Bourdain

    American-French celebrity chef, author, and TV personality considered one of the most influential chefs in the world (No Reservations, Parts Unknown)

1824

The first patent of invention in Canada

The first patent of invention in Canada was issued by the Province of Lower Canada on June 8, 1824. It was granted for a washing and fulling machine in favor of Noah Cushing of Quebec.
1789

James Madison introduces a proposed Bill of Rights in the US House of Representatives

James Madison introduced a proposed Bill of Rights in the U.S. House of Representatives on June 8, 1789. This proposal eventually led to the adoption of the first ten amendments to the United States Constitution, which outline fundamental rights and freedoms.
1815

39 German states unite under Act of Confederation

The 39 German states united under the Act of Confederation on June 8, 1815. This act established the German Confederation (Deutscher Bund) following the Congress of Vienna, which sought to reorganize Europe after the Napoleonic Wars.
2021

National Geographic announces it is officially recognizing the South Ocean as the world's fifth ocean

Certainly! National Geographic has officially recognized the body of water surrounding Antarctica as the Southern Ocean, making it the fifth ocean alongside the Atlantic, Pacific, Indian, and Arctic Oceans. This recognition was announced on June 8, 2021.
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