Interesting Facts of July 8th
- The Wall Street Journal was established on this day in 1889. It has since become one of the most respected and widely circulated financial publications in the world.
- Reports were broadcast on July 8, 1947 that a UFO crash landed in Roswell, New Mexico in what became one of the most famous incidents in UFO lore, often referred to as the Roswell UFO incident.
- On July 8, 1497 Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama set sail on his first voyage – this would become the first expedition to sail directly from Europe to India, marking a significant milestone in the age of exploration.
- Atlantis launched on STS-135 on July 8, 2011, the final mission of NASA's Space Shuttle program. The shuttle carried supplies to the International Space Station and marked the end of an era in American space exploration.
- Kim Il-sung, the Supreme Leader of North Korea, passed away on July 8, 1994. He had led the country from its establishment in 1948 until his death, after which his son, Kim Jong-il, took over leadership.