April 8 - Buddha Day!

On this day in history, Buddha was born!

Buddha was actually Prince Siddhartha Gautama Buddha, a sage from the ancient Shakya republic, on whose teachings Buddhism was founded.

Buddha, meaning "awakened one" or "the enlightened one", is also used as a title for the first awakened being in an era. In most Buddhist traditions, Siddhartha Gautama is regarded as the "Supreme Buddha".

Today is also Trading Cards for Grown-Ups Day!

Here are some interesting things that happened on this day in history:

- Philippe-Ignace-François Aubert de Gaspé, journalist who wrote the first French-Canadian novel, was born in Quebec City in 1814
- John D Lynde patented the aerosol dispenser in 1862
- The North-West Territories became a political entity, separate from Manitoba, in 1875
- Milk was sold in glass bottles for 1st time in 1879
- Lois Miriam Wilson, first woman moderator of the United Church of Canada, was born in Winnipeg in 1927
- More than 4000 workers of the huge General Motors plant in Oshawa, Ontario went on strike in 1937 from April 7 to April 23. GM accepted many of the union's demands, without recognizing the union.
- The League of Nations assembled for last time in 1946
- BC's first sales tax was introduced in 1948. The 3% tax was intended to pay for increased social programs.
- Clint Eastwood was elected mayor of Carmel-by-the-Sea, California in 1986, serving for one term
- The bodies of eight men were found in a field in Ontario in 2006. The murders were linked to the Bandidos motorcycle gang.
- Construction on the world's first building to integrate wind turbines was completed in Bahrain in 2008.
- Margaret Thatcher, Britain's first female Prime Minister, suffered a stroke and passed away at the age of 87 in 2013

Stay tuned for our next, "On This Day in History"!