On This Day in History - July 8th - Almanac

Today is Wednesday, July 8, the 189th day of 2015 with 176 to follow.

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

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; former U.S. Vice President Nelson Rockefeller (John D.'s grandson) in 1908; band leader Louis Jordan, in 1908; drama critic Walter Kerr in 1913; jazz singer Billy Eckstine in 1914; TV executive Roone Arledge in 1931; singer Jerry Vale in 1932; actor Marty Feldman in 1934; singer Steve Lawrence in 1935 (age 80); actor Jeffrey Tambor in 1944 (age 71); ballet dancer Cynthia Gregory in 1946 (age 69); actor Kim Darby in 1947 (age 68); musician/children's singer Raffi (Cavoukian) in 1948 (age 67); chef Wolfgang Puck in 1949 (age 66); actor Anjelica Huston in 1951 (age 64); football Hall of Fame member Jack Lambert in 1952 (age 63); writer Anna Quindlen in 1953 (age 62); actor Kevin Bacon in 1958 (age 57); actor Billy Crudup in 1968 (age 47); singer Beck (Hansen) in 1970 (age 45); actor Jaden Smith in 1998 (age 17).

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, U.S. troops began withdrawing from Vietnam.

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.

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 2014, in an escalating conflict, Israeli airstrikes pounded the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip and rockets were fired at Israel. A statement from the military said the strikes were made to "stop the terror Israel's citizens face on a daily basis."

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