Browse Historical Events by Day: What Happened on June 8th?

Death of Prophet Muhammad: The founder of Islam, Prophet Muhammad, passes away in Medina, Saudi Arabia, marking a significant event in the history of the Islamic faith.

The Viking raid on the monastery of Lindisfarne, the sacred heart of the Northumbrian kingdom in England occurs, highlighting the Viking expansion, and incursions throughout Europe. More

Richard I of England (Richard the Lionheart) arrives in Acre, beginning his involvement in the Third Crusade.

Michelangelo's David, the renowned marble sculpture is believed to have been installed on this day in the cathedral of Florence, Italy. The work, originally commissioned in 1501, when Michelangelo was only 26 years old, by the Opera del Duomo (the Overseers of the Office of Works of the Florence Cathedral), is considered to be one of the great works of art of the Renaissance. Michelangelo sculpted the statue from a single block of Carrara marble which had remained neglected for 25 years because of the presence of too many imperfections. The colossal statue stands at 17 feet (5.17 meters) tall. More

The Iceland Laki volcanic eruption starts, lasting eight months. Haze from the eruption was reported from Iceland to Syria. The long eruption caused the death of 10,000 or bout one-quarter of the human residents by famine. It also caused widespread famines throughout Asia and Europe. In Iceland, the haze lead to the loss of most of the island's livestock from eating fluorine contaminated grass), and crop failure cused by acid rain. More

1967, June 8 - The USS Liberty is attacked by Israeli Air Force jet fighter aircraft and Israeli Navy motor torpedo boats during the Six-Day War. The USS Liberty was in international waters north of the Sinai Peninsula. The intelligence ship, was well-marked as an American vessel and only lightly armed. The Israeli attack killed 34 US sailors, and wounded 171 in the two-hour attack. More: USS Liberty Veterans Association and CIA Statement