What Happened on April 8?

April 8 is Draw a Bird Day — a worldwide art tradition born when a British girl's bird sketches cheered her injured uncle — on the same date Hank Aaron hit his record-breaking 715th home run, the 17th Amendment gave Americans direct Senate elections, and the Venus de Milo was unearthed in Greece.

• 1820 — The Venus de Milo statue is discovered on the Greek island of Milos

  A farmer on the Aegean island of Milos unearthed the ancient marble statue known as Venus de Milo on April 8, 1820 — now one of the Louvre Museum's most famous artworks. Read the full story →

• 1913 — The 17th Amendment is ratified, establishing direct election of U.S. senators

  On April 8, 1913, Connecticut's approval gave the required thirty-sixth state vote to ratify the 17th Amendment — letting voters choose senators directly instead of state legislatures picking them. Read the full story →

• 1935 — Congress approves the Emergency Relief Appropriation Act, funding the WPA

  On April 8, 1935, Congress passed a $4.8 billion relief bill creating the Works Progress Administration — putting millions of unemployed Americans to work during the Great Depression. Read the full story →

• 1943 — Draw a Bird Day tradition begins in a wartime English hospital

  During World War II, seven-year-old Dorie Cooper cheered her injured uncle with bird sketches — a kindness that grew into Draw a Bird Day every April 8. Read the full story →

• 1946 — The League of Nations officially dissolves, handing duties to the United Nations

  On April 8, 1946, the League of Nations — founded after World War I to prevent future wars — formally closed, transferring its assets to the newly formed United Nations. Read the full story →

Famous birthdays

Kofi Annan (1938–2018) · Betty Ford (1918–2011) · Robin Wright (1966) · Sonja Henie (1912–1969)

Days & observances

Draw a Bird Day · National All Is Ours Day · National Zoo Lovers Day · International Romani Day