JULY 8 | Birthdays and Events
Famous Birthdays
People born on July 8
John Pemberton
Died: August 16, 1888
Chemist and pharmacist who invented Coca-Cola.
Eli Lilly
Died: June 6, 1898
Chemist and businessman who founded the pharmaceutical company, Eli Lilly and Company. Lilly's first innovation was gelatine-coated pills and capsules. Many of his innovations and guidelines developed at the company were used to create the Food and Drug Administration.
John D. Rockefeller
Died: May 23, 1937
Businessman and philanthropist who founded the Standard Oil Company.
Nelson Rockefeller
Died: January 26, 1979
The 41st Vice President of the U.S. from 1974-1977 under President Gerald Ford.
Toby Keith
Died: February 5, 2024
Country music musician with hits like Should've Been a Cowboy and Courtesy of the Red, White, and Blue.
Sophia Bush
Actress recognized for her roles in One Tree Hill and Chicago P.D.
Kevin Bacon
Multi-award winning film and television actor with lead roles in Footloose, Tremors, The Following.
Historical Events on July 8
Events that occurred on July 8 throughout history
John Nixon delivers the first public reading of the Declaration of Independence
Church bells ring John Nixon delivers the first public reading of the Declaration of Independence. It's believed the Liberty Bell (though not yet named) was rang along with other bells.
1796 - The State Department issues the first U.S. passport.
The State Department issues the first U.S. passport. The passports were intended to American merchant ships from Barbary pirates. At the time, the documents did not have photographs and were large (11” x 17”).
Dr. Benjamin Waterhouse gives the first cowpox vaccination to his son
Dr. Benjamin Waterhouse gives the first cowpox vaccination to his 5 year old son to prevent smallpox. Dr. Waterhouse wanted to prove the vaccine as a safe alternative. Luckily, he was right.
The first issue of The Wall Street Journal is published.
The first issue of The Wall Street Journal is published. The four-page newspaper sold for two cents.
Alfred Gilbert receives a patent for construction building blocks.
Alfred Gilbert receives a patent for "Toy Construction-Blocks." The blocks later became known as the iconic Erector Set.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average reaches its lowest level of the Great Depression
The Dow Jones Industrial Average reaches its lowest level of the Great Depression, closing at 41.22.
Reports are broadcast that a UFO crash-landed in New Mexico.
Reports are broadcast that a UFO crash-landed in Roswell, New Mexico. The U.S. Air Force intelligence recovered the debris and kept the debris until 1994, when they released the report saying the debris belonged to "Project Mogul," a top-secret high-altitude balloon project designed to detect Soviet nuclear tests.
The U.S. Air Force accepts its first female recruits.
The U.S. Air Force accepts its first female recruits into a program called the Women's Air Force (WAF). Sergeant Esther Blake was the first woman to enlist. However, the program restricted women to clerical and medical support roles, prohibiting them from flying.
President Richard Nixon ends the "termination" policy of Native American tribes.
President Richard Nixon delivers a congressional message enunciating Native American self-determination as official U.S. Indian Policy. The Policy ended "termination" of Native American tribes in the U.S. It also lay the foundation towards the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act of 1975.