July 8 is the 189th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar; 176 days remain until the end of the year.
We have some interesting facts & historic events all about July 8th, including areas in religion, crime, health and more.
Keep reading for more interesting facts about July 8th in history!
Table of Contents
Global Celebrations
- National Chocolate with Almonds Day
- Scud Day
- Math 2.0 Day
Historic Events
What Happened On This Day – July 8
2011: Space Shuttle Atlantis is launched for the last time
It was also the last flight of NASA’s 30-year long and successful Space Shuttle program. STS-135, as this final mission was called, was the program’s 135th flight.
1994: Kim Jong-il takes office as the Supreme Leader of North Korea
Popularly known as “Dear Leader” in his country, Kim Jong-il took North Korea’s highest office after the death of his father, Kim Il-sung. He ruled the country with an iron fist until his death in 2011, when his son, Kim Jong-un took his place. Kim Jong-il’s tenure was marred by widespread human rights violations and severe famine in the country.
1889: Wall Street Journal published for the first time
Three financial reporters named Charles Dow, Edward Jones, and Charles Bergstresser created The Wall Street Journal to supersede a previous periodical called the Customers’ Afternoon Letter.
1777: Vermont abolishes slavery
Vermont adopted its constitution that abolished slavery, becoming the first region in the now United States to abolish slavery. The constitution was adopted after Vermont declared independence from the British empire.
1497: Vasco da Gama sets off on a voyage to India from Lisbon with 4 ships
A year later, he reached the city of Calicut in southern India and became the first European to set foot in India by way of the sea.
1959: Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward browsing outside the Strand bookstore near hotel Albert, New York City, 1959 – photo by Gordon Parks.
1944: US troops on Utah Beach taking a breather behind the cover of a stone wall before beginning the long trek inland on the morning of D-Day. 1944
1872: Six Chinese boys from the First Detachment taken after arriving at San Francisco in September 1872.
Famous Birthdays
Births On This Day, July 8
1908: Nelson Rockefeller, American politician, 41st Vice President of the United States
1907: George W. Romney, American businessman, politician
1839: John D. Rockefeller, American businessman, philanthropist, founded the Standard Oil Company
1838: Ferdinand von Zeppelin, German general, businessman
1836: Joseph Chamberlain, British politician
Heartbreaking Deaths
Deaths On This Day, July 8
2011: Betty Ford, American wife of Gerald R. Ford, 40th First Lady of the United States
1973: Wilfred Rhodes, English cricketer
1967: Vivien Leigh, English actress
1822: Percy Bysshe Shelley, English poet
1695: Christiaan Huygens, Dutch mathematician, astronomer, physicist