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UPI Almanac for Tuesday, July 8, 2014

The Liberty Bell cracks, MacArthur takes command in Korea, Atlantis starts final mission … on this date in history.

By United Press International
NASA's space shuttle Atlantis launches from Complex 39A at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida July 8, 2011, on its final mission. UPI/Joe Marino-Bill Cantrell
1 of 6 | NASA's space shuttle Atlantis launches from Complex 39A at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida July 8, 2011, on its final mission. UPI/Joe Marino-Bill Cantrell | License Photo

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Today is Tuesday, July 8, the 189th day of 2014 with 176 to follow.

The moon is waxing. Morning stars are Mercury, Neptune, Uranus and Venus. Evening stars are Jupiter, Mars and Saturn.

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Those born on this date are under the sign of Cancer. They include chemist John Pemberton, inventor of Coca-Cola, in 1936; German dirigible inventor Ferdinand von Zeppelin in 1838; French psychologist Alfred Binet in 1857; oil magnate John D. Rockefeller in 1839 and his grandson, former U.S. Vice President Nelson Rockefeller, in 1908; band leader Louis Jordan, also in 1908; White House journalist Sarah Newcomb McClendon in 1910; drama critic Walter Kerr in 1913; jazz singer Billy Eckstine in 1914; TV executive Roone Arledge in 1931; singers Jerry Vale in 1932 and Steve Lawrence in 1935 (age 79); actors Marty Feldman in 1934 and Jeffrey Tambor in 1944 (age 70); ballet dancer Cynthia Gregory in 1946 (age 68); children's singer Raffi (Cavoukian) in 1948 (age 66); chef Wolfgang Puck in 1949 (age 65); football Hall of Fame member Jack Lambert and writer Anna Quindlen, both in 1952 (age 62); actors Kim Darby in 1947 (age 67), Anjelica Huston in 1951 (age 63), Kevin Bacon in 1958 (age 56) and Billy Crudup in 1968 (age 46); singer Beck (Hansen) in 1970 (age 44); and actor Jaden Smith in 1998 (age 16).

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On this date in history:

In 1776, the Declaration of Independence was read in public for the first time, to people gathered at Philadelphia's Independence Square.

In 1835, the Liberty Bell cracked while being rung during the funeral of U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Marshall in Philadelphia.

In 1889, The Wall Street Journal was first published.

In 1950, U.S. Army Gen. Douglas MacArthur was designated commander of U.N. forces in Korea.

In 1969, the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Vietnam began.

In 1991, Yugoslav leaders signed an accord calling for an internationally observed cease-fire in Slovenia and Croatia.

In 1994, North Korean President Kim Il Sung died at age 82. He had led the country since its founding in 1948.

In 2006, Atlantic City's 12 casinos reopened after being forced to shut down for three days, as were a number of New Jersey state offices, in a political dispute that virtually closed government over a proposed 1-cent raise in the sales tax. The state, which employs inspectors at the casinos, lost about $4 million in gambling taxes.

In 2009, Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, benefiting from a robust economy, was easily re-elected.

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In 2010, a French surgeon said he had performed the first successful transplant of a complete face, giving a 35-year-old disfigured man every feature, including tear ducts.

In 2011, the Atlantis began the 135th and final mission of the U.S. space shuttle program that started in 1981, a two-week voyage to the International Space Station with a cargo of supplies and spare parts.

In 2012, Oscar-winning actor Ernest Borgnine ("Marty") died in Los Angeles. He was 95.

In 2013, Rick Perry, Texas' longest-serving governor, announced he would not seek a fourth term in 2014.


A thought for the day: "No man needs a vacation so much as the man who has just had one." -- Elbert Hubbard

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