On This Day - What Happened On June 8 | Britannica

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1504 Michelangelo's David installed in Florence Believed to have been installed this day in 1504 in the cathedral of Florence was Michelangelo's statue of David, commissioned in 1501 and considered the prime statement of the Renaissance ideal of perfect humanity. How much do you know about Italian Renaissance art? © 2006 Index Open

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Frank Lloyd Wright American architect bornJune 8, 1867Richland Center, WisconsindiedApril 9, 1959 (aged 91)Phoenix, Arizona© Arnold Newman 1977 Kanye West American producer, rapper, and designer 1970 Gabby Giffords American politician 1966 Julianna Margulies American actress 1955 Tim Berners-Lee British computer scientist 1933 Joan Rivers American entertainer See All Biographies On This Day

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2018 American chef and television personality Anthony Bourdain, who helped popularize “foodie” culture in the early 21st century through his books and television programs, died by suicide at the age of 61. Take our foodie quiz© Heathcliff O'Malley/Shutterstock.com 2009 The United Nations hosted its first World Oceans Day, which sought to celebrate oceans while also raising awareness of the threats that they and their marine ecosystems faced. Sort fact from fiction in our quiz about oceans© Digital Vision/Getty Images 2002 Serena Williams defeated her sister Venus Williams to win her first French Open tennis title. Sort fact from fiction in our tennis quiz© Patrick Tuohy/Shutterstock.com 1977 American producer and rapper Kanye West—who parlayed his production success into a career as a popular critically acclaimed solo artist—was born. Test your knowledge of hip-hopDamian Dovarganes/AP Images 1966 The National Football League and the American Football League announced a merger, which became effective in 1970. Take our quiz about American football© BananaStock/Jupiterimages 1955 British computer scientist Tim Berners-Lee, who was generally credited as the inventor of the World Wide Web, was born. How much do you know about computers and technology?Brad Barket/Getty Images 1949 British author George Orwell published his dystopian classic Nineteen Eighty-four, a warning against totalitarianism that introduced such concepts as Big Brother and the Thought Police. Take our quiz about the authors of classic literatureBBC Copyright 1937 American Medical Association (AMA) officially recognized birth control at the organization's annual assembly. The participants approved resolutions that called for the AMA to “investigate the various forms of contraception with a view to disseminating authoritative information” and “promote the teaching of proper methods of birth control in the medical schools.” Learn more about the people, places, and events that shaped the 1930s 1916 Biophysicist Francis Crick, who along with James Dewey Watson and Maurice Wilkins received the 1962 Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine for their determination of the molecular structure of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), was born in Northampton, England. How much do you know about the Nobel Prize?Print Collector/Heritage-Images/age fotostock 1867 Franz Joseph was crowned king of Hungary. Take our quiz about kings and emperorsFrom Kings and Queens I Have Known, by Hélène Vacaresco, 29014 1191 At the time of the Third Crusade, Richard I joined the Crusaders in Acre, having conquered Cyprus on his way there. How much do you know about the Crusades?© Photos.com/Thinkstock 632 Muhammad, the founder of the religion of Islam and of the Muslim community, died in Medina. Test your knowledge of Islam© Mawardibahar/Dreamstime.com SIGN UP FOR History's Biggest Headlines Discover the fascinating events that shaped the world, straight from our editors. SIGN UP Thanks for signing up for Today in History. Your first newsletter will arrive soon! SIGN UP By clicking "Sign Up" you are agreeing to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.