April 8 is All is Ours Day May be viewed as a time to appreciate the beauty of nature that we can all enjoy or to count the blessings in your own life.
Buddha’s birthday is celebrated in Hawaii, Japan, and Korea.——what year? Somewhere between 563 BC to 483 BC.
Born Siddhartha Gautama in Nepal. Siddhārtha lived in luxury; his father kept trouble and hard work far from him. A seer predicted that if Siddhārtha stayed inside his palace his whole life, then he would become a great king. However, if he left the palace, then he would become a great religious leader. The king did not want his son to become a religious leader. He kept Siddhartha in the palace for his whole childhood.
When he was older, his father found a woman for Siddhārtha to marry at the age of 16. He married the woman named Yashodhara, and they had a son, Rahula. Although Gautama had everything he could want, he still was not happy. He wanted to learn the meaning of his existence.
He got out of the castle against his father’s orders. He saw the “Four Passing Sights”: an old crippled man, a sick man, a dead man, and a holy man with no home. Right then, Gautama knew that nothing can stop people from being born, becoming old, getting sick, and dying. He decided to give up his worldly life. He would not keep his wives, his children, his wealth, or his palace. He would become a holy man with no home. He would look for the answer to the problem of birth, old age, sickness, and death. He left his home in the middle of a dark and stormy night.
On this day in 1093, the new Winchester Cathedral was dedicated by Walkelin, the first Norman bishop of Winchester. It is the burial site of various early kings of England, bishops, and other notables including (in 1817) author, Jane Austen.
On April 8, 1820 – The Venus de Milo was discovered on the Aegean island of Melos. It is currently on permanent display at the Louvre Museum in Paris.
1869- American Museum of Natural History opens in New York City. It is the largest museum dedicated to Natural History in the world.
1904 – Longacre Square in Midtown Manhattan, New York, is renamed Times Square after The New York Times.
1913 – The 17th Amendment to the United States Constitution, requiring direct election of Senators, became law.
The Senate of the United States shall be composed of two Senators from each state, elected by the people thereof, for six years; and each Senator shall have one vote. The electors in each state shall have the qualifications requisite for electors of the most numerous branch of the state legislatures.
When vacancies happen in the representation of any state in the Senate, the executive authority of such state shall issue writs of election to fill such vacancies: Provided, that the legislature of any state may empower the executive thereof to make temporary appointments until the people fill the vacancies by election as the legislature may direct.
This amendment shall not be so construed as to affect the election or term of any Senator chosen before it becomes valid as part of the Constitution.
Birthday of Elizabeth Ann “Betty” Ford (1918), wife of Gerald Ford; first lady 1974-1977. Born Elizabeth Ann Bloomer in Chicago, Betty married Gerald Ford in 1948. They had four children: Michael Gerald Ford (born 1950), John Gardner Ford (nicknamed Jack; born 1952), Steven Meigs Ford (born 1956), and Susan Elizabeth Ford (born 1957). Betty Ford died of natural causes on July 8, 2011, three months after her 93rd birthday.
On April 8, 1943, U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt , in an attempt to check inflation, froze wages and prices, prohibited workers from changing jobs unless the war effort would be aided thereby, and barred rate increases by common carriers and public utilities.
On April 8, 1952,U.S. President Harry Truman called for the seizure of all domestic steel mills to prevent a nationwide strike.
1959 One of the first modern programming languages was created – The Common Business-Oriented Language or COBOL was primarily designed by a woman, Grace Hopper. Also known as Amazing Grace, she is regarded as one of the pioneers in the field.
1974 Hammerin’ Hank Aaron hits 715th HR, breaking Babe Ruth’s record in Atlanta, Georgia.