History of Today 08 July: Important Events, Births and Deaths

Welcome to History of Today 08 July. On this page, you can read important historical events, famous births, notable deaths and general knowledge facts related to 08 July. This information is useful for UPSC, SSC, Banking, Railway, State PSC and other competitive exams.

Last updated on 08 July 2026, 01:00 AM

Important Events on 08 July in History

08 Jul 2022: Former Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe is shot and killed with an improvised firearm due to resentment against the Unification Church. Read more
08 Jul 2014: Israel launches an offensive on Gaza amid rising tensions following the kidnapping and murder of three Israeli teenagers. Read more
08 Jul 2014: The Brazil national football team suffers its joint-worst defeat, losing 7–1 to Germany in the semi-finals of the FIFA World Cup, in a match dubbed the Mineiraço. Read more
08 Jul 2011: Space Shuttle Atlantis is launched in the final mission of the U.S. Space Shuttle program. Read more
08 Jul 2003: Sudan Airways Flight 139 crashes near Port Sudan Airport during an emergency landing attempt, killing 116 of the 117 people on board. Read more
08 Jul 1994: Kim Jong Il begins to assume supreme leadership of North Korea upon the death of his father, Kim Il Sung. Read more
08 Jul 1994: Space Shuttle Columbia is launched on an international science mission. Read more
08 Jul 1990: West Germany win the FIFA World Cup final against defending champions Argentina, with Andreas Brehme scoring the game's only goal. Read more
08 Jul 1988: The Island Express train travelling from Bangalore to Kanyakumari derails on the Peruman bridge and falls into Ashtamudi Lake, Kerala in India killing 105 passengers and injuring over 200 more. Read more
08 Jul 1982: A failed assassination attempt against Iraqi president Saddam Hussein results in the Dujail Massacre over the next several months. Read more
08 Jul 1980: The inaugural 1980 State of Origin game is won by Queensland who defeat New South Wales 20–10 at Lang Park. Read more
08 Jul 1980: Aeroflot Flight 4225 crashes near Almaty International Airport in the Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic (present day Kazakhstan), killing all 166 people on board. Read more
08 Jul 1972: Israeli Mossad assassinate Palestinian writer Ghassan Kanafani. Read more
08 Jul 1970: Richard Nixon delivers a special congressional message enunciating Native American self-determination as official US Indian policy, leading to the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act of 1975. Read more
08 Jul 1968: The Chrysler wildcat strike begins in Detroit, Michigan. Read more
08 Jul 1966: King Mwambutsa IV Bangiriceng of Burundi is deposed by his son Prince Charles Ndizi. Read more
08 Jul 1965: Canadian Pacific Air Lines Flight 21 is destroyed by a bomb near 100 Mile House, Canada, killing 52. Read more
08 Jul 1962: Ne Win besieges and blows up the Rangoon University Student Union building to crush the Student Movement. Read more
08 Jul 1960: Francis Gary Powers is charged with espionage resulting from his flight over the Soviet Union. Read more
08 Jul 1948: The United States Air Force accepts its first female recruits into a program called the Women's Air Force (WAF). Read more
08 Jul 1947: Reports are broadcast that a UFO crash-landed in Roswell, New Mexico in what became known as the Roswell UFO incident. Read more
08 Jul 1937: Turkey, Iran, Iraq, and Afghanistan sign the Treaty of Saadabad. Read more
08 Jul 1933: The first rugby union test match between the Wallabies of Australia and the Springboks of South Africa is played at Newlands Stadium in Cape Town. Read more
08 Jul 1932: The Dow Jones Industrial Average reaches its lowest level of the Great Depression, closing at 41.22. Read more
08 Jul 1912: Henrique Mitchell de Paiva Couceiro leads an unsuccessful royalist attack against the First Portuguese Republic in Chaves. Read more
08 Jul 1898: The death of crime boss Soapy Smith, killed in the Shootout on Juneau Wharf, releases Skagway, Alaska from his iron grip. Read more
08 Jul 1892: St. John's, Newfoundland is devastated in the Great Fire of 1892. Read more
08 Jul 1889: The first issue of The Wall Street Journal is published. Read more
08 Jul 1879: Sailing ship USS Jeannette departs San Francisco carrying an ill-fated expedition to the North Pole. Read more
08 Jul 1876: The Hamburg massacre prior to the 1876 United States presidential election results in the deaths of six African-Americans of the Republican Party, along with one white assailant. Read more
08 Jul 1874: The Mounties begin their March West. Read more
08 Jul 1864: Ikedaya Incident: The Choshu Han shishis planned Shinsengumi sabotage on Kyoto, Japan at Ikedaya. Read more
08 Jul 1859: King Charles XV & IV accedes to the throne of Sweden–Norway. Read more
08 Jul 1853: The Perry Expedition arrives in Edo Bay with a treaty requesting trade. Read more
08 Jul 1832: An Egyptian army under Ibrahim Pascha defeats an Ottoman army under Mehmed Pascha in the battle of Hims. Read more
08 Jul 1822: Chippewas turn over a huge tract of land in Ontario to the United Kingdom. Read more

Famous Births on 08 July

08 Jul 1999: İpek Öz, Turkish tennis player İpek Öz is a Turkish professional tennis player. She has a career-high WTA singles ranking of No. 163, achieved on 18 July 2022, and a best doubles ranking of world No. 290, achieved 16 March 2026. Read more
08 Jul 1998: Maya Hawke, American actress Maya Ray Thurman Hawke is an American actress and singer-songwriter. The daughter of Ethan Hawke and Uma Thurman, she began her career in modeling and subsequently made her screen debut as Jo March in the 2017 BBC adaptation of Little Women. She gained international recognition for starring as Robin Buckley in the Netflix science fiction horror series Stranger Things (2019–2025). Read more
08 Jul 1998: Jaden Smith, American actor and rapper Jaden Christopher Syre Smith is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, actor, and dancer. The son of Jada Pinkett-Smith and Will Smith, he has received various accolades, including a Teen Choice Award, an MTV Movie Award, a BET Award and a Young Artist Award. He has received a Grammy Award nomination, and has won two NAACP Image Awards and an Empire Award. Read more
08 Jul 1997: Bryce Love, American football player Jonathan Bryce Love is an American former football running back. He played college football for the Stanford Cardinal and was selected by the Washington Redskins in the fourth round of the 2019 NFL draft, although he never played in a game with them due to a lingering issue from a knee injury he suffered at Stanford. In his youth, he was also a sprinter specializing in the 200 meters and 400 meters, earning USA Track & Field Youth Athlete of the Year honors in 2009. Read more
08 Jul 1996: Marlon Humphrey, American football player Marlon N. Humphrey is an American professional football cornerback for the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League (NFL). He attended Hoover High School, where he was named to the USA Today All-USA high school football team in 2012 and 2013. During his tenure, he won a silver medal in the 110 metres hurdles at the 2013 World Youth Championships in Donetsk, Ukraine. He also was named as a USA Today All-American Track and Field Team. Read more
08 Jul 1993: David Corenswet, American actor David Packard Corenswet is an American actor. After graduating from The Juilliard School in 2016, he began guest-starring in television series, including House of Cards in 2018. He played lead roles in the Netflix series The Politician (2019–2020) and Hollywood (2020), both created by Ryan Murphy. In 2022, he starred in the films Look Both Ways and Pearl, and the HBO miniseries We Own This City. After supporting roles in the film Twisters and the miniseries Lady in the Lake, he rose to prominence with his portrayal of the titular superhero in James Gunn's DC Universe (DCU) film Superman (2025). Read more
08 Jul 1992: Ariel Camacho, Mexican singer-songwriter (died 2015) José Ariel Camacho Barraza was a Mexican musician and singer-songwriter. He predominantly performed regional Mexican music, mainly corridos. He was the lead singer and lead guitarist of his group, Ariel Camacho y Los Plebes del Rancho. In 2013, Ariel Camacho y Los Plebes del Rancho signed to JG Records where they frequently played in Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico. In 2014 they signed with DEL Records, which allowed them to play their music in the United States. Read more
08 Jul 1992: Son Heung-min, Korean footballer Son Heung-min is a South Korean professional footballer who plays as a left winger for Major League Soccer club Los Angeles FC and captains the South Korea national team. Known for his speed, finishing, two-footedness, and ability to link play, he is the top Asian goalscorer in both Premier League and UEFA Champions League history, and is widely regarded as the greatest Asian player of all time. Read more
08 Jul 1991: Virgil van Dijk, Dutch footballer Virgil van Dijk is a Dutch professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for and captains both Premier League club Liverpool and the Netherlands national team. Widely regarded as one of the best defenders of his generation, and one of the greatest defenders in Premier League history, he is known for his strength, leadership, speed and aerial ability. Read more
08 Jul 1990: Kevin Trapp, German footballer Kevin Christian Trapp is a German professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Ligue 1 club Paris FC. Read more
08 Jul 1989: Yarden Gerbi, Israeli Judo champion Yarden Gerbi is an Israeli former judoka world champion. She won an Olympic bronze medal competing for Israel at the 2016 Summer Olympics, in women's 63 kg judo. Read more
08 Jul 1989: Tor Marius Gromstad, Norwegian footballer (died 2012) Tor Marius Gromstad was a Norwegian footballer who played as a defender for Stabæk and FK Arendal. Read more
08 Jul 1988: Miki Roqué, Spanish footballer (died 2012) Miguel "Miki" Roqué Farrero was a Spanish professional footballer who played as a central defender. Read more
08 Jul 1988: Jesse Sergent, New Zealand cyclist Jesse Sergent is a retired New Zealand racing cyclist who rode professionally between 2011 and 2016 for Team RadioShack, Trek Factory Racing and AG2R La Mondiale. Read more
08 Jul 1987: Josh Harrison, American baseball player Joshua Isaiah Harrison is an American former professional baseball utility player. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Pittsburgh Pirates, Detroit Tigers, Washington Nationals, Oakland Athletics, Chicago White Sox, and Philadelphia Phillies. Harrison is a two-time MLB All-Star. Internationally, Harrison represents the United States. In the 2017 World Baseball Classic (WBC), he helped win Team USA's first gold medal in a WBC tournament. Read more
08 Jul 1986: Renata Costa, Brazilian footballer Renata Aparecida da Costa, commonly known as Renata Costa or Kóki, is a Brazilian football coach and former player, most recently an assistant coach with Iranduba. She represented the Brazil women's national football team at three editions of the FIFA Women's World Cup and three Olympic football tournaments. Read more
08 Jul 1983: John Bowker, American baseball player John Brite Bowker is an American former professional baseball player. An outfielder and first baseman, he played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the San Francisco Giants, Pittsburgh Pirates, and Philadelphia Phillies and in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) for the Yomiuri Giants and Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles. Bowker stands 6 feet 1 inch (1.85 m) tall and weighs 205 pounds (93 kg); he bats and throws left-handed. Read more
08 Jul 1983: Rich Peverley, Canadian ice hockey player John Richard Peverley, also known by the nickname "Raptor Jesus", is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. He spent four years with the St. Lawrence University hockey team before turning professional, then playing three years for several teams in both the ECHL and American Hockey League (AHL). In 2007, he signed a contract with the Nashville Predators of the NHL, playing for the team for parts of three seasons before the Atlanta Thrashers claimed him off waivers in 2009. Peverley first played internationally for Team Canada at the 2010 World Championships. He retired after the 2013–14 season because of a heart ailment. Read more
08 Jul 1982: Shonette Azore-Bruce, Barbadian netball player Shonette Azore-Bruce also simply known as Shonette Azore is a Barbadian netball player who represents Barbados internationally and plays in the positions of goal defense and goal keeper. She competed at the Netball World Cup on four occasions in 1999, 2011, 2015 and 2019. She also represented Barbados at the Commonwealth Games in 2014 and 2018. Read more
08 Jul 1982: Sophia Bush, American actress and director Sophia Anna Bush is an American actress. She starred as Brooke Davis in the teen drama series One Tree Hill (2003–2012), and as Erin Lindsay in the police procedural drama series Chicago P.D. (2014–2017). She was a producer for and starred in the lead role of Dr. Samantha "Sam" Griffith in the medical drama Good Sam (2022). Read more
08 Jul 1982: Hakim Warrick, American basketball player Hakim Hanif Warrick is an American former professional basketball player. A power forward, he played college basketball for the Syracuse Orange from 2001 to 2005. He won an NCAA championship in 2003 and blocked a potential game-tying three-pointer in the title game. Read more
08 Jul 1981: Wolfram Müller, German runner Wolfram Müller is a German middle-distance runner who specialises in the 1500 metres. Read more
08 Jul 1981: Anastasia Myskina, Russian tennis player Anastasia Andreyevna Myskina is a Russian former professional tennis player. Myskina won the 2004 French Open singles title, becoming the first Russian woman to win a major singles title. Due to this victory, she rose to No. 3 in the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) rankings, becoming the first Russian woman to reach the top 3 in the history of the rankings. In September 2004, she reached a career-high ranking of No. 2. Read more
08 Jul 1980: Eric Chouinard, American-Canadian ice hockey player Eric Guy Chouinard is an American-born Canadian former professional ice hockey player who played in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the Montreal Canadiens, Philadelphia Flyers and Minnesota Wild. Read more
08 Jul 1980: Robbie Keane, Irish footballer Robert David Keane is an Irish professional football coach and former player, who was most recently the head coach of NB I club Ferencváros. Widely considered one of Ireland's greatest ever footballers, Keane played as a striker, and was captain of the Republic of Ireland from March 2006 until his international retirement in August 2016. He is the most capped player and top goalscorer for Ireland. Read more
08 Jul 1979: Mat McBriar, American football player Mat McBriar is an Australian former professional player of American football who was a punter in the National Football League (NFL) for the Dallas Cowboys, Philadelphia Eagles, Pittsburgh Steelers and San Diego Chargers. He played college football for the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors. Read more
08 Jul 1979: Ben Jelen, Scottish-American singer-songwriter Benjamin Ivan Jelen is a Scottish-born American former singer-songwriter who plays the piano, violin, and guitar. He has lived in Scotland, England, Texas, New Jersey and New York. His career has been characterized by near-stardom, with his debut album, Give It All Away peaking at No. 113 on the Billboard 200 list. As of 2011, he is on indefinite hiatus from his solo career and is working with a new band, along with former Deuce Project member Josh McMillan known as Under The Elephant. Read more
08 Jul 1978: Urmas Rooba, Estonian footballer Urmas Rooba is a retired Estonian footballer, who last played for Paide Linnameeskond in Meistriliiga. He played the position of defender. Read more
08 Jul 1977: Christian Abbiati, Italian footballer Christian Abbiati is an Italian former professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper. Read more
08 Jul 1977: Paolo Tiralongo, Italian cyclist Paolo Tiralongo is an Italian former professional road bicycle racer, who rode professionally between 2000 and 2017 for the Fassa Bortolo, Ceramica Panaria–Navigare, Lampre–NGC and Astana teams. Read more
08 Jul 1977: Milo Ventimiglia, American actor, director, and producer Milo Anthony Ventimiglia is an American actor. Making his screen acting debut on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air in 1995, he portrayed the lead role on the short-lived series Opposite Sex in 2000 before landing his breakthrough role in Gilmore Girls (2001–2007). Read more
08 Jul 1977: Wang Zhizhi, Chinese basketball player Wang Zhizhi is a Chinese former professional basketball player who was the head coach of the Bayi Rockets, the team with which he spent his domestic career in the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA). He also played in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for the Dallas Mavericks, Los Angeles Clippers, and Miami Heat, becoming China's first player to compete in the NBA. Read more
08 Jul 1976: Talal El Karkouri, Moroccan footballer Talal El Karkouri is a Moroccan former professional footballer and former coach of Qatar Stars League club Umm Salal SC. He played top-flight football in Morocco, France, Greece, England and Qatar before retiring in 2012. He made his international debut for Morocco in 2000, and earned 53 caps, playing at three African Cups of Nations. Read more
08 Jul 1976: Ellen MacArthur, English sailor Dame Ellen Patricia MacArthur is an English retired sailor and charity founder. On 7 February 2005, she broke the world record for the fastest solo circumnavigation of the globe, a feat which gained her international renown. She held the record until early 2008. Following her retirement from professional sailing on 2 September 2010, MacArthur announced the launch of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, a charity that works with business and education to promote a circular economy. Read more
08 Jul 1974: Hu Liang, Chinese field hockey player Hu Liang is a Chinese professional field hockey player who represented China at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. The team finished last in their group, and finished 11th after beating South Africa. Read more
08 Jul 1973: Kathleen Robertson, Canadian actress and writer Kathleen Robertson is a Canadian actress. She has starred in a number of films, and from 2011 to 2012 played the role of Kitty O'Neill in the Starz political drama series Boss. From 2014 to 2016, Robertson starred as homicide detective Hildy Mulligan in the TNT series Murder in the First. She also played Tina Edison in the Canadian sitcom Maniac Mansion (1990–1993) and Clare Arnold in the Fox teen drama series Beverly Hills, 90210 (1994–1997). In 2019, she played a main character in the series Northern Rescue. Read more
08 Jul 1972: Karl Dykhuis, Canadian ice hockey player Karl Sebastien Dykhuis is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman who played 12 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Chicago Blackhawks, Philadelphia Flyers, Tampa Bay Lightning and Montreal Canadiens. Read more
08 Jul 1972: Sourav Ganguly, Indian cricketer Sourav Chandidas Ganguly, also known as Dada, is an Indian cricket administrator and former cricketer and captain of the Indian national cricket team. He is popularly called the Maharaja of Indian Cricket. He is regarded as one of India's most successful cricket captains. As captain, he led Indian national team to win the 2002 ICC Champions Trophy and reach the final of the 2003 Cricket World Cup, the 2000 ICC Champions Trophy and the 2004 Asia Cup. Read more
08 Jul 1972: Shōsuke Tanihara, Japanese actor Shōsuke Tanihara is a Japanese actor probably best known outside Japan for his portrayal of Riki Fudoh in Fudoh: The New Generation and Hajime Kudo in Godzilla vs. Megaguirus. Read more
08 Jul 1971: Neil Jenkins, Welsh rugby player and coach Neil Jenkins, is a Welsh former rugby union player and current coach. He played fly-half, centre, or full back for Pontypridd, Cardiff, Celtic Warriors, Wales and the British & Irish Lions. Jenkins is Wales' highest ever points-scorer and is the fifth highest on the List of leading rugby union test point scorers. He was the first player to score 1,000 points in international matches. Read more
08 Jul 1970: Beck, American singer-songwriter and producer Beck David Hansen, known mononymously as Beck, is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer. He rose to fame in the early 1990s with his experimental and lo-fi style, and became known for creating musical collages of wide-ranging genres. He has musically encompassed folk, funk, soul, hip hop, electronica, alternative rock, country, and psychedelia. He has released 15 studio albums, as well as several non-album singles and a book of sheet music. Read more
08 Jul 1970: Mark Butler, Australian politician Mark Christopher Butler is an Australian politician. He is a member of the Australian Labor Party (ALP) and has served in the House of Representatives since 2007. He was a minister in the Gillard and Rudd governments and also served as national president of the ALP from 2015 to 2018. Read more
08 Jul 1970: Sylvain Gaudreault, Canadian educator and politician Sylvain Gaudreault is a Canadian politician and teacher. He was the Member of National Assembly of Quebec for the riding of Jonquière in the city of Saguenay from 2007 to 2022. He represented the Parti Québécois. On May 6, 2016, the party caucus chose him as interim leader following the resignation of PQ leader Pierre Karl Péladeau. Read more
08 Jul 1970: Todd Martin, American tennis player and coach Todd Martin is an American retired tennis player. He reached the men's singles final at the 1994 Australian Open and the 1999 US Open and achieved a career-high singles ranking of world No. 4. Read more
08 Jul 1969: Sugizo, Japanese singer-songwriter, guitarist and producer Yūne Sugihara , born Yasuhiro Sugihara and better known by his stage name Sugizo, is a Japanese musician, songwriter, composer and record producer. He is best known as the lead guitarist and violinist of the rock band Luna Sea since 1989. Read more
08 Jul 1968: Billy Crudup, American actor William Gaither Crudup is an American actor. He was nominated for an Independent Spirit Award for Best Male Lead for his performance in Jesus' Son (1999). He went on to star in high-profile films, including Almost Famous (2000), Big Fish (2003), Mission: Impossible III (2006), Watchmen (2009), Public Enemies (2009), The Stanford Prison Experiment (2015), Jackie (2016), and Alien: Covenant (2017), in both lead and supporting roles. Read more
08 Jul 1968: Shane Howarth, New Zealand rugby player and coach Shane Paul Howarth is a former international rugby union player who gained four caps and scored 54 points for the All Blacks before later switching allegiance to Wales, attaining 19 Welsh caps. Read more
08 Jul 1967: Jordan Chan, Hong Kong actor and singer Jordan Chan Siu-chun is a Hong Kong actor, singer and dancer, known for starring in the Young and Dangerous film series and for his role in the 1998 TV adaptation of Louis Cha's novel, The Duke of Mount Deer. In recent years, he received renewed attention for his appearances in the Chinese reality shows Where Are We Going, Dad? in 2017 and Call Me By Fire. Read more
08 Jul 1967: Charlie Cardona, Colombian singer Charlie Cardona is a Colombian singer. In 1990, he became the lead singer of the musical ensemble Grupo Niche and at the 11th Lo Nuestro Awards he was nominated for Tropical New Artist of the Year. Read more
08 Jul 1966: Ralf Altmeyer, German-Chinese virologist and academic Ralf M. Altmeyer is a German virologist who leads the Institut Pasteur of Shanghai, a joint institute of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Institut Pasteur and Shanghai Municipal Government, founded in 2004. Read more
08 Jul 1966: Shadlog Bernicke, Nauruan politician Shadlog Armait Bernicke is a Nauruan politician representing the Buada constituency in the Parliament of Nauru. Read more
08 Jul 1965: Dan Levinson, American clarinet player, saxophonist, and bandleader Daniel A. Levinson is an American jazz clarinetist, saxophonist, and bandleader. He is best known for his mastery of the jazz styles of the 1910s, 1920s, and 1930s. Read more
08 Jul 1964: Alexei Gusarov, Russian ice hockey player and manager Alexei Vasilievich Gusarov is a Russian former ice hockey defenceman. He played for the Quebec Nordiques, Colorado Avalanche, New York Rangers and St. Louis Blues. Gusarov and Valeri Kamensky were the first Russian-born players to achieve the Triple Gold Club, along with being one of the first 10 members in the Triple Gold Club. He reached this level while with the Colorado Avalanche in 1996. Read more
08 Jul 1963: Mark Christopher, American director and screenwriter Mark Christopher is a screenwriter and director best known for directing and writing 54 (1998). Read more
08 Jul 1962: Joan Osborne, American singer-songwriter and guitarist Joan Elizabeth Osborne is an American singer, songwriter, and interpreter of music, having recorded and performed in various popular American musical genres including rock, pop, soul, R&B, blues, and country. She is best known for her recording of the Eric Bazilian-penned song "One of Us" from her debut album, Relish (1995). Both the single and the album became worldwide hits and garnered a combined seven Grammy Award nominations. Osborne has toured with Motown sidemen the Funk Brothers and was featured in the documentary film about them, Standing in the Shadows of Motown (2002). Read more
08 Jul 1961: Ces Drilon, Filipino journalist Cecilia "Ces" Victoria Oreña-Drilon is a Filipino broadcast journalist. She anchored news and public affairs programs for the News and Current Affairs division of ABS-CBN Corporation from 1989 to 2020. From 2018 to 2020, she also served as the division's Content Acquisition Head for the Lifestyle Ecosystem Group. Oreña-Drilon is currently a news anchor for The Big Story, the flagship nightly newscast of One News. Read more
08 Jul 1961: Andrew Fletcher, English keyboard player (died 2022) Andrew John Fletcher, also known as Fletch, was an English musician and founding member of the electronic band Depeche Mode. In 2020, he and the band were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Read more
08 Jul 1961: Toby Keith, American singer-songwriter, producer, and actor (died 2024) Toby Keith Covel was an American country music singer, songwriter, record producer, actor, and businessman. He began using the stage name Toby Keith early in his music career. Read more
08 Jul 1961: Karl Seglem, Norwegian saxophonist and record producer Karl Seglem is a Norwegian Jazz musician, composer and producer, known from a series of combined jazz and traditional music releases, as well as leading his own record label NorCD from 1991. Read more
08 Jul 1960: Mal Meninga, Australian rugby league player and coach Malcolm Norman Meninga is an Australian professional rugby league coach and a former professional rugby league footballer. Read more
08 Jul 1960: Yann LeCun, French-American computer scientist Yann André Le Cun is a French-American computer scientist working in the fields of artificial intelligence, machine learning, computer vision, robotics and image compression. He is the Jacob T. Schwartz Professor of Computer Science at the Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences at New York University. He served as Chief AI Scientist at Meta Platforms before co-founding Advanced Machine Intelligence Labs in December 2025. Read more
08 Jul 1959: Pauline Quirke, English actress Pauline Perpetua Sheen is a retired English actress. She began her career with roles on various television series, before fronting her own comedy sketch show, Pauline's Quirkes, in 1976. She later starred as Vicky Smith on the BBC drama series Angels (1982–1983), and achieved fame with her portrayal of Sharon Theodopolopodous on the long-running sitcom Birds of a Feather, for which she won a British Comedy Award and was nominated on three occasions for a National Television Award. In 1997, she was nominated for the BAFTA Award for Best Actress for her role in the BBC miniseries The Sculptress. Between 2010 and 2012, Quirke played Hazel Rhodes on the ITV soap opera Emmerdale. Read more
08 Jul 1958: Kevin Bacon, American actor and musician Kevin Norwood Bacon is an American actor. Known for various roles, including leading man characters, Bacon has received numerous accolades such as a Golden Globe Award and two Actor Awards. Read more
08 Jul 1958: Andreas Carlgren, Swedish educator and politician, 8th Swedish Minister for the Environment Hemming Andreas Carlgren is a Swedish Centre Party politician, and a former Minister for the Environment in the Swedish government. Read more
08 Jul 1958: Tzipi Livni, Israeli lawyer and politician, 18th Justice Minister of Israel Tziporah Malka "Tzipi" Livni is an Israeli politician, diplomat and lawyer. A former member of the Knesset and leader in the center-left political camp, Livni is a former foreign minister, vice prime minister, minister of justice, and leader of the opposition. She is known by some for her efforts to resolve the Israeli–Palestinian conflict. Widely considered the most powerful woman in Israel since Golda Meir, Livni has served in eight different cabinet positions throughout her career, setting the record for most government roles held by an Israeli woman. She was the first female Israeli vice prime minister, justice minister, agriculture minister, and housing minister. Read more
08 Jul 1957: Carlos Cavazo, Mexican-American guitarist and songwriter Carlos Cavazo is an American musician best known as the guitarist for heavy metal band Quiet Riot during their commercial peak. He has also played with Snow, 3 Legged Dogg, Hollywood Allstarz, and Ratt. Read more
08 Jul 1957: Aleksandr Gurnov, Russian journalist and author Aleksandr Gurnov, full name Aleksandr Borisovich Gurnov, is a Russian TV persona. Read more
08 Jul 1956: Terry Puhl, Canadian baseball player and coach Terry Stephen Puhl is a Canadian former professional baseball player and coach. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as an outfielder from 1977 to 1991, most prominently as a member of the Houston Astros, where he helped the franchise win its first-ever National League West division title and postseason berth in 1980. He also played for the Kansas City Royals. Read more
08 Jul 1952: Larry Garner, American singer-songwriter and guitarist Larry Garner is a Louisiana blues musician best known for his 1994 album Too Blues. Read more
08 Jul 1952: Jack Lambert, American football player and sportscaster John Harold Lambert is an American former professional football player who was a linebacker for his entire 11-year career for Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL). Recognized by the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1990 as "the greatest linebacker of his era," Lambert was the starting middle linebacker on four Super Bowl-winning teams with the Steelers. He played college football for the Kent State Golden Flashes. In 2019, he was named to the NFL 100th Anniversary All-Time Team. Read more
08 Jul 1952: Anna Quindlen, American columnist (1992 Pulitzer Prize) Anna Marie Quindlen is an American author, journalist, and opinion columnist. Read more
08 Jul 1952: Marianne Williamson, American author and activist Marianne Deborah Williamson is an American self-help author, speaker, and political activist. She began her professional career as a spiritual leader of the Church of Today, a Unity Church in Warren, Michigan. Williamson has written several self-help books, including A Return to Love: Reflections on the Principles of A Course in Miracles in 1992, which became a New York Times Best Seller. She rose to prominence through frequent appearances on Oprah Winfrey's show, and becoming known as her "spiritual advisor". Read more
08 Jul 1951: Alan Ashby, American baseball player, manager, and sportscaster Alan Dean Ashby is an American former professional baseball catcher in Major League Baseball (MLB) and former radio and television sports commentator. A switch hitter, he played for the Cleveland Indians, Toronto Blue Jays, and Houston Astros between 1973 and 1989. Read more
08 Jul 1951: Anjelica Huston, American actress and director Anjelica Huston is an American actress, director and model. Known for often portraying eccentric and distinctive characters, she has received multiple accolades, including an Academy Award and a Golden Globe Award, as well as nominations for three British Academy Film Awards and six Primetime Emmy Awards. In 2010, she was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Read more
08 Jul 1949: Wolfgang Puck, Austrian-American chef, restaurateur and entrepreneur Wolfgang Johannes Puck is an Austrian-born American chef and restaurateur. Read more
08 Jul 1949: Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy, Indian politician, 14th Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh (died 2009) Yeduguri Sandinti Rajasekhara Reddy, popularly known as YSR, was an Indian politician. He served as the 14th chief minister of Andhra Pradesh from 2004 to 2009. Reddy was elected four terms to the Lok Sabha from Kadapa. He was also elected six terms to the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly from Pulivendula. Over the course of his career, he won every election that he contested, either to Assembly or Lok Sabha. Read more
08 Jul 1948: Raffi, Egyptian-Canadian singer-songwriter Raffi Cavoukian, known professionally by the mononym Raffi, is an Armenian-Canadian singer-lyricist and author born in Egypt best known for his children's music. In 1992, The Washington Post called him "the most popular children's singer in the English-speaking world". He developed his career as a "global troubadour" to become a music producer, author, entrepreneur, and founder of the Raffi Foundation for Child Honouring, an initiative focused on promoting children's rights and well-being. He has also been involved in advocacy for environmental and social causes, often addressing issues like commercial exploitation of children and climate change through his music and public appearances. Read more
08 Jul 1948: Ruby Sales, American civil-rights activist Ruby Nell Sales is an African-American social justice activist, scholar, and public theologian. She has been described as a "legendary civil rights activist" by the PBS program Religion and Ethics Weekly, and is one of 50 civil rights leaders showcased by the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, DC. Read more
08 Jul 1947: Kim Darby, American actress Kim Darby is an American actress and teacher. Her breakout role was as Mattie Ross in the 1969 Western film True Grit, earning her a BAFTA Award nomination for Most Promising Newcomer to Leading Film Roles. The same year, she was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy for her performance in counterculture comedy Generation (1969). Read more
08 Jul 1947: Jenny Diski, English author and screenwriter (died 2016) Jenny Diski FRSL was an English novelist, non-fiction writer and memoirist. She was a regular contributor to the London Review of Books; articles and essays she wrote for the publication are in the collections Don't and Why Didn't You Do What You Were Told? Her memoirs include In Gratitude, The Sixties, Skating to Antarctica, and Stranger on a Train: Daydreaming and Smoking around America With Interruptions, for which she won the 2003 Thomas Cook Travel Book Award. Read more
08 Jul 1947: Luis Fernando Figari, Peruvian religious leader, founded the Sodalitium Christianae Vitae Luis Fernando Figari Rodrigo is a Peruvian Catholic layman who is the founder and former superior general of Sodalitium Christianae Vitae. He also founded the Christian Life Movement and several other religious associations. Read more
08 Jul 1945: Micheline Calmy-Rey, Swiss politician, 91st President of the Swiss Confederation Micheline Anne-Marie Calmy-Rey is a Swiss politician who served as a Member of the Swiss Federal Council from 2003 to 2011. A member of the Social Democratic Party (SP/PS), she was the head of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs for the whole of her tenure as a Federal Councillor. She was President of the Swiss Confederation twice, in 2007 and 2011. Read more
08 Jul 1944: Jaimoe, American drummer John Lee Johnson, frequently known by the stage names Jai Johanny Johanson and Jaimoe, is an American drummer and percussionist. He is best known as one of the founding members of the Allman Brothers Band and, with the death of Dickey Betts on April 18, 2024, he is the last surviving original member of the band. Read more
08 Jul 1944: Margaret W. Rossiter, American historian and author (died 2025) Margaret Walsh Rossiter was an American historian of science who was based at Cornell University. Rossiter coined the term Matilda effect in 1993 to describe bias against acknowledging the achievements of women scientists and inventors, whose work is consequently attributed to their male colleagues. Read more
08 Jul 1944: Jeffrey Tambor, American actor and singer Jeffrey Michael Tambor is an American actor. He is known for his television roles such as Jeffrey Brookes, the uptight neighbor of Stanley and Helen Roper in the television sitcom The Ropers (1979–1980), as Hank Kingsley on The Larry Sanders Show (1992–1998), George Bluth Sr. and Oscar Bluth on Arrested Development and Maura Pfefferman on Transparent (2014–2017). For his role in the latter, Tambor earned two Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series out of three nominations. In 2015, he was also awarded a Golden Globe for his portrayal of Pfefferman. Read more
08 Jul 1942: Phil Gramm, American economist and politician William Philip Gramm is an American economist and politician who represented Texas in both chambers of Congress. Though he began his political career as a Democrat, Gramm switched to the Republican Party in 1983. Gramm was an unsuccessful candidate in the 1996 Republican Party presidential primaries against eventual nominee Bob Dole. Read more
08 Jul 1941: Dario Gradi, Italian-English footballer, coach, and manager Dario Gradi is an Italian-English former football player, coach and manager. He was associated for more than 36 years with Crewe Alexandra, where he was variously manager, director of football and director of the Academy, until October 2019. Read more
08 Jul 1940: Joe B. Mauldin, American bass player and songwriter (died 2015) Joseph Benson Mauldin Jr. was an American bassist, songwriter, and audio engineer who was best known as the bassist for the early rock and roll group the Crickets. Mauldin initially played a double bass, then switched to a Fender Precision electric bass. After several years with the Crickets, he became a recording engineer at Gold Star Studios, the Los Angeles studio which became the "hit factory" for Phil Spector, Brian Wilson, and other major 1960s rock performers. Read more
08 Jul 1939: Ed Lumley, Canadian businessman and politician, 8th Canadian Minister of Communications (died 2025) Edward C. Lumley was a Canadian corporate executive and politician. Read more
08 Jul 1938: Diane Clare, English actress (died 2013) Diane Clare was an English actress. Read more
08 Jul 1935: John David Crow, American football player and coach (died 2015) John David Crow Sr. was an American professional football player, coach, and college athletics administrator. He won the Heisman Trophy in 1957 as a halfback playing for the Texas A&M Aggies. After college, he played in the National Football League (NFL) for the Chicago / St. Louis Cardinals and the San Francisco 49ers from 1958 to 1968. Read more
08 Jul 1935: Steve Lawrence, American actor and singer (died 2024) Steve Lawrence was an American singer, comedian, and actor. He was best known as a member of the pop duo Steve and Eydie, with his wife Eydie Gormé. Lawrence also played the featured role of Maury Sline, the manager and friend of the main characters in the 1980 blockbuster film The Blues Brothers and its sequel. Lawrence and Gormé first appeared together as regulars on Tonight Starring Steve Allen in 1954 and continued performing as a duo until Gormé's retirement in 2009. Read more
08 Jul 1935: Vitaly Sevastyanov, Russian engineer and cosmonaut (died 2010) Vitaly Ivanovich Sevastyanov was a Soviet cosmonaut and an engineer who flew on the Soyuz 9 and Soyuz 18 missions. Read more
08 Jul 1934: Raquel Correa, Chilean journalist (died 2012) Raquel Teresa Correa was a Chilean journalist who spent the main part of her career with the newspaper El Mercurio. She was well known for her interviews and reporting, and was the recipient of Chile's National Prize for Journalism in 1991. Read more
08 Jul 1934: Edward D. DiPrete, American politician, 70th Governor of Rhode Island (died 2025) Edward Daniel DiPrete was an American politician. He served as the 70th governor of Rhode Island for three two-year terms, serving from 1985 to 1991. Convicted of numerous corruption charges, he was the only Rhode Island governor to have gone to prison. Read more
08 Jul 1934: Marty Feldman, English actor and screenwriter (died 1982) Martin Alan Feldman was a British actor, comedian and writer. He was known for his prominent, misaligned eyes. Read more
08 Jul 1933: Antonio Lamer, Canadian lawyer and politician, 16th Chief Justice of Canada (died 2007) Joseph Antonio Charles Lamer was a Canadian lawyer and jurist who served as the 16th Chief Justice of Canada from 1990 to 2000. Read more
08 Jul 1931: Roone Arledge, American sports and news broadcasting executive (died 2002) Roone Pinckney Arledge Jr. was an American sports and news broadcasting executive who was president of ABC Sports from 1968 until 1986 and ABC News from 1977 until 1998, and a key part of the company's rise to competition with the two other main television networks, NBC and CBS, in the 1960s, '70s, '80s and '90s. He created many programs still airing today, such as Monday Night Football, ABC World News Tonight, Nightline and 20/20. Read more
08 Jul 1930: Jerry Vale, American singer (died 2014) Jerry Vale was an American traditional pop singer. During the 1950s and 1960s, he reached the top of the pop charts with his interpretations of romantic ballads, including a cover of Eddy Arnold hit "You Don't Know Me" (1956) and "Have You Looked into Your Heart" (1964). Vale, who was of Italian descent, sang numerous songs in Italian, many of which were used in soundtracks of films by Martin Scorsese. Read more
08 Jul 1929: Shirley Ann Grau, American author, wrote Pulitzer Prize winning novel Keepers of the House (died 2020) Shirley Ann Grau was an American writer. Born in New Orleans, she lived part of her childhood in Montgomery, Alabama. Her novels are set primarily in the Deep South and explore issues of race and gender. In 1965 she won the Pulitzer Prize for Literature for her novel The Keepers of the House, set in a fictional Alabama town. Read more
08 Jul 1928: Balakh Sher Mazari, former prime minister of Pakistan (died 2022) Sardar Mir Balakh Sher Mazari was a Pakistani politician who served as Caretaker Prime Minister of Pakistan for five weeks in 1993. He was the tumandar and the paramount sardar of the Mazari tribe which is situated on the tristate area between Balochistan, Sindh, and Punjab provinces of Pakistan. Read more
08 Jul 1927: Maurice Hayes, Irish educator and politician (died 2017) Maurice Hayes was an Irish public servant and, late in life, an independent member of both the 21st and 22nd Seanad. Hayes was nominated by the Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern, in 1997 and re-nominated in 2002. He also served, at the Taoiseach's request, as Chairman of the National Forum on Europe in the Republic of Ireland. Read more
08 Jul 1927: Bob Beckham, American country singer (died 2013) Robert Joseph Beckham was an American country music publisher based in Nashville, who mentored generations of songwriters as head of Combine Music Publishing from 1964 to 1989. He played a pivotal role in the career of Kris Kristofferson and guided other artists including Dolly Parton, Larry Gatlin, Tony Joe White and Billy Swan. Read more
08 Jul 1926: David Malet Armstrong, Australian philosopher and author (died 2014) David Malet Armstrong, often D. M. Armstrong, was an Australian philosopher. He is well known for his work on metaphysics and the philosophy of mind, and for his defence of a factualist ontology, a functionalist theory of the mind, an externalist epistemology, and a necessitarian conception of the laws of nature. Read more
08 Jul 1926: John Dingell, American lieutenant and politician (died 2019) John David Dingell Jr. was an American politician from the state of Michigan who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from 1955 until 2015. A member of the Democratic Party, Dingell holds the record as the longest-serving member of Congress in American history. Read more
08 Jul 1926: Martin Riesen, Swiss professional ice hockey goaltender (died 2003) Martin Riesen was a Swiss ice hockey goaltender who represented the Swiss national team at the 1956 Winter Olympics. Read more
08 Jul 1926: Elisabeth Kübler-Ross, Swiss-American psychiatrist and author (died 2004) Elisabeth Kübler-Ross was a Swiss and American psychiatrist, a pioneer in near-death studies, author, and developer of the five stages of grief, also known as the "Kübler-Ross model". Read more
08 Jul 1925: Marco Cé, Italian cardinal (died 2014) Marco Cé was an Italian cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as the Patriarch of Venice from 1978 to 2002 and was elevated to the cardinalate in 1979. Read more
08 Jul 1925: Arthur Imperatore Sr., Italian-American businessman (died 2020) Arthur Edward Imperatore Sr. was an American businessman and sports owner from New Jersey. He was best known as being the founder and president of the NY Waterway, a ferry service. After serving in the United States Army Air Corps in World War II Imperatore founded, with his brothers, A-P-A Transport Corp. He purchased the Colorado Rockies hockey team in 1978 and sold it in 1981. That same year he purchased waterfront land at Weehawken, New Jersey, with the intention of constructing a residential development. Imperatore set up a passenger ferry service to support this development and that grew into NY Waterway which ran 36 ferries. Read more
08 Jul 1925: Bill Mackrides, American football quarterback (died 2019) William Mackrides was an American professional football quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League (NFL). He helped the Eagles win the 1948 and 1949 NFL Championships. Read more
08 Jul 1925: Dominique Nohain, French actor, screenwriter and director (died 2017) Dominique Nohain was a French actor, dramatist, screenwriter and theatre director. He was the son of Jean Nohain and thus cousin with Jean-Claude Dauphin. Read more
08 Jul 1924: Johnnie Johnson, American pianist and songwriter (died 2005) Johnnie Clyde Johnson was an American pianist who played jazz, blues, and rock and roll. His work with Chuck Berry led to his induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. He was posthumously awarded the Congressional Gold Medal for breaking racial barriers in the military as a Montford Point Marine, where he endured racism and inspired social change while integrating the previously all-white Marine Corps during World War II. Read more
08 Jul 1924: Charles C. Droz, American politician (died 2025) Charles Clinton Droz was an American politician from Miller, South Dakota. He was a member of the South Dakota House of Representatives. He was an alumnus of South Dakota State University and a veteran of World War II serving with the United States Army. Droz was a farmer and rancher. He was married to Fern Elizabeth Matre since 1948, until her death in December 2020 at the age of 92. Droz died in Miller on July 22, 2025, at the age of 101. Read more
08 Jul 1923: Harrison Dillard, American sprinter and hurdler (died 2019) William Harrison "Bones" Dillard was an American track and field athlete, who is the only male in the history of the Olympic Games to win gold in both the 100 meter (sprints) and the 110 meter hurdles, making him the “World’s Fastest Man” in 1948 and the “World’s Fastest Hurdler” in 1952. Read more
08 Jul 1923: Val Bettin, American actor (died 2021) Valentine John Bettin was an American actor, known for using an English accent in all of his roles. He is perhaps best known for voicing Dr. David Q. Dawson in the 1986 Disney animated film The Great Mouse Detective and the Sultan in Disney's Aladdin, taking over for Douglas Seale in the two direct-to-video sequels The Return of Jafar and Aladdin and the King of Thieves as well as the TV show. Bettin also hosted The Storyteller, a children's show on Chicago television in the late 1950s. Read more
08 Jul 1921: John Money, New Zealand psychologist and sexologist, known for his research on gender identity, and responsible for controversial involuntary sex reassignment of David Reimer (died 2006) John William Money was a New Zealand American psychologist, sexologist and professor at Johns Hopkins University known for his research on human sexual behavior and gender. Read more
08 Jul 1920: Godtfred Kirk Christiansen, Danish businessman (died 1995) Godtfred Kirk Christiansen was a Danish businessman who was the managing director of the Lego Group from 1957 to 1973. He was the third son of company founder Ole Kirk Christiansen and took over as managing director in 1957, eventually becoming the sole owner. Godtfred is credited with playing a pivotal role in the development of the Lego brick design and patented it in 1958. He also created the Lego System in Play, the cornerstone of the Lego construction toy. Godtfred stepped down as Leader of the company in 1973. His son Kjeld Kirk Christiansen became president in 1979. Read more
08 Jul 1919: Walter Scheel, German soldier and politician, 4th President of West Germany (died 2016) Walter Scheel was a German statesman. A former member of the Nazi Party who joined the Free Democratic Party of Germany (FDP) in 1946, he first served in government as the Federal Minister of Economic Cooperation and Development from 1961 to 1966 and later as President of Germany from 1974 to 1979. He led the FDP from 1968 to 1974. Read more
08 Jul 1918: Paul B. Fay, American businessman, soldier, and diplomat, 12th United States Secretary of the Navy (died 2009) Paul Burgess Fay Jr. was the Acting United States Secretary of the Navy in November 1963, and a close confidant of President John F. Kennedy. Read more
08 Jul 1918: Irwin Hasen, American illustrator (died 2015) Irwin Hasen was an American cartoonist best known as the creator of the Dondi comic strip. He also had a significant run on DC Comics' original Green Lantern, Alan Scott, in the 1940s as well as creating Wildcat for the same publisher. Read more
08 Jul 1918: Oluf Reed-Olsen, Norwegian resistance member and pilot (died 2002) Oluf Bernhard Reed-Olsen was a Norwegian resistance member and pilot during World War II. As a resistance member he is best known for the Lysaker Bridge sabotage as well as operating illegal radio transmitters. After the war he was a businessman and Scouting leader. He wrote books and contributed to a film based on his war experience. Read more
08 Jul 1918: Julia Pirie, British spy working for MI5 (died 2008) Elizabeth Mary Julia Pirie is best known as a British spy who worked for MI5 from the 1950s through her retirement in the 1990s. She was known to her family as Elizabeth, but as Julia by her MI5 colleagues. She was initially recruited to spy on the Communist Party of Great Britain. The Communist Party's relevance had dwindled significantly by 1978 and she was withdrawn from her role there and assigned to other roles by MI5. Read more
08 Jul 1918: Edward B. Giller, American Air Force major general (died 2017) Edward Bonfoy Giller was a United States Air Force (USAF) major general who served as the assistant general manager for military application, United States Atomic Energy Commission, Germantown, Maryland. Giller was assistant director and then director of the Research Directorate for the Air Force Special Weapons Center at Kirtland Air Force Base in the 1950s and 60s. He was the USAF Liaison officer for the Project Orion. Read more
08 Jul 1918: Craig Stevens, American actor (died 2000) Craig Stevens was an American film and television actor, best known for his starring role on television as private detective Peter Gunn from 1958 to 1961. Read more
08 Jul 1917: Pamela Brown, English actress (died 1975) Pamela Mary Brown was a British actress. For her portrayal of Queen Victoria's mother Princess Victoria, Duchess of Kent in Victoria Regina (1961) she was awarded the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series. Read more
08 Jul 1917: Faye Emerson, American actress (died 1983) Faye Margaret Emerson was an American film and stage actress and television interviewer who gained fame as a film actress in the 1940s before transitioning to television in the 1950s and hosting her own talk show. Read more
08 Jul 1917: J. F. Powers, American novelist and short story writer (died 1999) James Farl Powers was an American novelist and short story writer who often drew his inspiration from developments in the Catholic Church, and was known for his studies of Catholic priests in the Midwest. Although not a priest himself, he is known for having captured a "clerical idiom" in postwar North America. His first novel, Morte d'Urban, won the 1963 National Book Award for Fiction. Read more
08 Jul 1916: Jean Rouverol, American author, actress and screenwriter (died 2017) Jean Rouverol was an American actress, screenwriter and author who was blacklisted by the Hollywood movie studios in the 1950s. Read more
08 Jul 1915: Neil D. Van Sickle, American Air Force major general (died 2019) Neil David Van Sickle was an American Air Force major general who was the deputy inspector general at Headquarters, United States Air Force, Washington, D.C. Read more
08 Jul 1915: Lowell English, United States Marine Corps general (died 2005) Lowell Edward English was a highly decorated officer in the United States Marine Corps who served in World War II, Korea, and Vietnam. He is most noted for his service as assistant division commander of 3rd Marine Division during the Vietnam War and, later, as commander of Task Force Delta. He rose to the rank of major general and completed his career in 1969 as commanding general of Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego. Read more
08 Jul 1914: Jyoti Basu, Indian politician, 6th Chief Minister of West Bengal (died 2010) Jyoti Basu was an Indian Marxist theorist, communist activist, and politician. He was one of the most prominent leaders of the Communist movement in India. He served as the 6th and longest serving Chief Minister of West Bengal from 1977 to 2000. He was one of the founding members of the Communist Party of India (Marxist). He was a member of Politburo of the party from its formation in 1964 until 2008. He was also a member of the West Bengal Legislative Assembly 11 times. In his political career, spanning over seven decades, he was noted to have been India's longest serving chief minister under elected democracy at the time of his resignation. He declined the post of Prime Minister after the 1996 Indian general election, after the CPM refused to let him head a multi-party coalition as it would not be able to implement Marxist programs, and relinquished the prime ministership to Deve Gowda. Read more
08 Jul 1914: Billy Eckstine, American singer and trumpet player (died 1993) William Clarence Eckstine was an American jazz and pop singer and a bandleader during the swing and bebop eras. He was noted for his rich, almost operatic bass-baritone voice. In 2019, Eckstine was posthumously awarded the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award "for performers who, during their lifetimes, have made creative contributions of outstanding artistic significance to the field of recording". His recording of "I Apologize" was given the Grammy Hall of Fame Award in 1999. The New York Times described him as an "influential band leader" whose "suave bass-baritone" and "full-throated, sugary approach to popular songs inspired singers such as Earl Coleman, Johnny Hartman, Joe Williams, Arthur Prysock, and Lou Rawls." Read more
08 Jul 1913: Alejandra Soler, Spanish politician (died 2017) Alejandra Soler Gilabert was a Spanish politician and schoolteacher. She also worked for the Diplomatic Academy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation. Read more
08 Jul 1911: Ken Farnes, English cricketer (died 1941) Kenneth Farnes was an English cricketer. He played in fifteen Tests from 1934 to 1939. Read more
08 Jul 1910: Carlos Betances Ramírez, Puerto Rican general (died 2001) The 65th Infantry Regiment, nicknamed "The Borinqueneers" during the Korean War for the original Arawak Native Taino name for Puerto Rico (Borinquen), is a Puerto Rican regiment of the United States Army. The regiment's motto is Honor et Fidelitas, Latin for Honor and Fidelity. The Army Appropriation Bill created by an act of Congress on 2 March 1899 authorized the creation of the first body of native troops in Puerto Rico. On 30 June 1901, the "Porto Rico Provisional Regiment of Infantry" was organized. On 1 July 1908, Congress incorporated the regiment into the Regular Army as the Puerto Rico Regiment of Infantry, United States Army. On 14 May 1917, the regiment was activated and additional men were assigned, with the unit being sent to serve at Panama. On 4 June 1920, the regiment was renamed 65th Infantry. During World War II, the regiment saw action throughout Europe, especially France and Germany, participating in Naples-Foggia, Rome-Arno and Rhin. Several Purple Hearts were awarded posthumously to members of the 65th Regiment. Read more
08 Jul 1909: Alan Brown, English soldier (died 1971) Brigadier Alan Ward Brown was a British Army tank officer of the Second World War. Read more
08 Jul 1909: Ike Petersen, American football player (died 1995) Kenneth Anthony "Ike" Petersen was an American professional football back who played two seasons in the National Football League (NFL) with the Chicago Cardinals and Detroit Lions. He played college football at Gonzaga University. His last name is sometimes misspelled as "Peterson". Read more
08 Jul 1908: Louis Jordan, American singer-songwriter, saxophonist, and actor (died 1975) Louis Thomas Jordan was an American jazz, blues and jump blues saxophonist, vocalist, songwriter and bandleader who was popular from the late 1930s to the early 1950s. Known as "the King of the Jukebox", he earned his highest profile towards the end of the swing era. Read more
08 Jul 1908: Nelson Rockefeller, American businessman and politician, 41st Vice President of the United States (died 1979) Nelson Aldrich Rockefeller was the 41st vice president of the United States, serving from 1974 to 1977 under President Gerald Ford. A member of the Republican Party and the wealthy Rockefeller family, he was the 49th governor of New York from 1959 to 1973. He was the leader of the moderate faction of his party, known as the Rockefeller Republicans. Read more
08 Jul 1908: V. K. R. Varadaraja Rao, Indian economist, politician, professor and educator (died 1991) Vijayendra Kasturi Ranga Varadaraja Rao was an Indian economist, politician and educator. Read more
08 Jul 1907: George W. Romney, American businessman and politician, 43rd Governor of Michigan (died 1995) George Wilcken Romney was an American businessman and politician. A member of the Republican Party, he served as chairman and president of American Motors Corporation from 1954 to 1962, the 43rd governor of Michigan from 1963 to 1969, and 3rd secretary of housing and urban development from 1969 to 1973. He was the father of Mitt Romney, who served as United States senator from Utah and as governor of Massachusetts and was the 2012 Republican presidential nominee; the husband of 1970 U.S. Senate candidate Lenore Romney; and the paternal grandfather of former Republican National Committee chair Ronna McDaniel. Read more
08 Jul 1906: Philip Johnson, American architect, designed the IDS Center and PPG Place (died 2005) Philip Cortelyou Johnson was an American architect who designed modern and postmodern architecture. Among his best-known designs are his modernist Glass House in New Canaan, Connecticut; the postmodern 550 Madison Avenue in New York City, designed for AT&T; 190 South La Salle Street in Chicago; IDS Tower in downtown Minneapolis; the Sculpture Garden of New York City's Museum of Modern Art; the postmodern Williams Tower in Houston, Texas; and the Pre-Columbian Pavilion at Dumbarton Oaks. His January 2005 obituary in The New York Times described his works as being "widely considered among the architectural masterpieces of the 20th century". Read more
08 Jul 1905: Leonid Amalrik, Russian animator and director (died 1997) Leonid Alekseyevich Amalrik was a Soviet animation director and animator. Honoured Worker of the Arts Industry of the RSFSR (1965). Read more
08 Jul 1904: Henri Cartan, French mathematician and academic (died 2008) Henri Paul Cartan was a French mathematician who made substantial contributions to algebraic topology. Read more
08 Jul 1900: George Antheil, American pianist, composer, and author (died 1959) George Johann Carl Antheil was an American avant-garde composer, pianist, author, and inventor whose modernist musical compositions explored the sounds – musical, industrial, and mechanical – of the early 20th century. Spending much of the 1920s in Europe, Antheil returned to the United States in the 1930s, and thereafter composed music for films, and eventually, television. As a result of this work, his style became more tonal. A man of diverse interests and talents, Antheil was constantly reinventing himself. He wrote magazine articles, an autobiography, a mystery novel, and newspaper and music columns. Read more
08 Jul 1898: Melville Ruick, American actor (died 1972) Melville Ruick was an American actor. Read more
08 Jul 1895: Igor Tamm, Russian physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (died 1971) Igor Yevgenyevich Tamm was a Soviet physicist who received the 1958 Nobel Prize in Physics, jointly with Pavel Alekseyevich Cherenkov and Ilya Mikhailovich Frank, for their 1934 discovery and demonstration of Cherenkov radiation. He also predicted the quasi-particle of sound: the phonon; and in 1951, together with Andrei Sakharov, proposed the Tokamak system. Read more
08 Jul 1894: Pyotr Kapitsa, Russian physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (died 1984) Pyotr Leonidovich Kapitsa, also known as Peter Kapitza, was a Russian and Soviet physicist, whose research focused on low-temperature physics. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1978. Read more
08 Jul 1893: R. Carlyle Buley, American historian and author (died 1968) Roscoe Carlyle Buley was an American historian and educator. Read more
08 Jul 1892: Richard Aldington, English author and poet (died 1962) Richard Aldington was an English writer and poet. He was an early associate of the Imagist movement. His 50-year writing career produced "143 separate titles, including poetry, literary criticism, fiction, essays, anthologies, biographies, translations, and introductions. In addition, he published reviews of over 1,350 separate books, published hundreds of other articles, and wrote an immense quantity of letters, of which approximately 8,000 have been located since his death." He edited The Egoist, a literary journal, and wrote for The Times Literary Supplement, Vogue, The Criterion, and Poetry. His biography, Wellington (1946), won the James Tait Black Memorial Prize. Read more
08 Jul 1892: Pavel Korin, Russian painter (died 1967) Pavel Dmitriyevich Korin was a Russian painter and art restorer. He is famous for his preparational work for the unimplemented painting Farewell to Rus. Read more
08 Jul 1890: Stanton Macdonald-Wright, American painter (died 1973) Stanton Macdonald-Wright, was a modern American artist. He was a co-founder of Synchromism, an early abstract, color-based mode of painting, which was the first American avant-garde art movement to receive international attention. Read more
08 Jul 1885: Ernst Bloch, German philosopher, author, and academic (died 1977) Ernst Simon Bloch was a German Marxist philosopher. Bloch was influenced by Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel and Karl Marx, as well as by apocalyptic and religious thinkers such as Thomas Müntzer, Paracelsus, and Jacob Böhme. He established friendships with György Lukács, Bertolt Brecht, Kurt Weill, Walter Benjamin, and Theodor W. Adorno. Bloch's work focuses on an optimistic teleology of the history of mankind. Read more
08 Jul 1885: Hugo Boss, German fashion designer, founded Hugo Boss (died 1948) Hugo Ferdinand Boss was a German businessman who founded the fashion house Hugo Boss. He was an active member of the Nazi Party from 1931, and remained so until Nazi Germany's capitulation. His clothing company also utilized forced labour drawn from German-occupied territories and prisoner-of-war camps to manufacture military uniforms for the Schutzstaffel and Wehrmacht. Read more
08 Jul 1882: Percy Grainger, Australian-American pianist and composer (died 1961) Percy Aldridge Grainger was an Australian-born composer, arranger and pianist who moved to the United States in 1914 and became an American citizen in 1918. In the course of a long and innovative career he played a prominent role in the revival of interest in British folk music in the early years of the 20th century. Although much of his work was experimental and unusual, the piece with which he is most generally associated is his piano arrangement of the folk-dance tune "Country Gardens". Read more
08 Jul 1876: Alexandros Papanastasiou, Greek sociologist and politician, Prime Minister of Greece (died 1936) Alexandros Papanastasiou was a Greek lawyer, sociologist and politician who served twice as the prime minister of Greece during the interwar period. He was a pioneer in the establishment of the Second Hellenic Republic. Read more
08 Jul 1867: Käthe Kollwitz, German painter and sculptor (died 1945) Käthe Kollwitz was a German artist who worked with painting, printmaking and sculpture. Her most famous art cycles, including The Weavers and The Peasant War, depict the effects of poverty, hunger and war on the working class. Despite the realism of her early works, her art is now more closely associated with Expressionism. Kollwitz was the first woman not only to be elected to the Prussian Academy of Arts but also to receive honorary professor status. Read more
08 Jul 1857: Alfred Binet, French psychologist and graphologist (died 1911) Alfred Binet, born Alfredo Binetti, was a French psychologist who together with Théodore Simon invented the first practical intelligence test, the Binet–Simon test. In 1904, Binet took part in a commission set up by the French Ministry of Education to decide whether school children with learning difficulties should be sent to a special boarding school attached to a lunatic asylum, as advocated by the French psychiatrist and politician Désiré-Magloire Bourneville, or whether they should be educated in classes attached to regular schools as advocated by the Société libre pour l'étude psychologique de l'enfant (SLEPE) of which Binet was a member. There was also debate over who should decide whether a child was capable enough for regular education. Bourneville argued that a psychiatrist should do this based on a medical examination. Binet and Simon wanted this to be based on objective evidence. This was the beginning of the IQ test. A preliminary version was published in 1905. The full version was published in 1908, and slightly revised in 1911, just before Binet's death. Read more
08 Jul 1851: Arthur Evans, English archaeologist and academic (died 1941) Sir Arthur John Evans was a British archaeologist and pioneer in the study of Aegean civilization in the Bronze Age. Read more
08 Jul 1851: John Murray, Australian politician, 23rd Premier of Victoria (died 1916) John (Jack) Murray was an Australian politician who was the 23rd premier of Victoria from 1909 to 1912. Read more
08 Jul 1839: John D. Rockefeller, American businessman and philanthropist, founded the Standard Oil Company (died 1937) John Davison Rockefeller Sr. was an American businessman and philanthropist. He was one of the wealthiest Americans of all time and one of the richest people in history. Rockefeller was born into a large family in Upstate New York who moved several times before eventually settling in Cleveland, Ohio. He became an assistant bookkeeper at age 16 and went into several business partnerships beginning at age 20, concentrating his business on oil refining. Rockefeller founded the Standard Oil Company in 1870. He ran it until 1897 and remained its largest shareholder. In his retirement, he focused his energy and wealth on philanthropy, especially regarding education, medicine, higher education, and modernizing the Southern United States. Read more
08 Jul 1838: Eli Lilly, American soldier, chemist, and businessman, founded Eli Lilly and Company (died 1898) Eli Lilly was an American Union Army officer, pharmacist, chemist, and businessman who founded Eli Lilly and Company. Read more
08 Jul 1838: Ferdinand von Zeppelin, German general and businessman, founded the Zeppelin Airship Company (died 1917) Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin was a German general and later inventor of the Zeppelin rigid airships. His name became synonymous with airships and dominated long-distance flight until the 1930s. He founded the company Luftschiffbau Zeppelin. Read more
08 Jul 1836: Joseph Chamberlain, English businessman and politician, Secretary of State for the Colonies (died 1914) Joseph Chamberlain was a British statesman who was first a radical Liberal, then a Liberal Unionist after opposing home rule for Ireland, and eventually was a leading imperialist in coalition with the Conservatives. He split both major British parties in the course of his career. He was the father, by different marriages, of Nobel Peace Prize winner Austen Chamberlain and of Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain. Read more
08 Jul 1831: John Pemberton, American chemist and pharmacist, invented Coca-Cola (died 1888) John Stith Pemberton was an American pharmacist, chemist, and Confederate States Army officer who is best known as the inventor of Coca-Cola. On May 8, 1886, he developed an early version of a beverage that would later become Coca-Cola, but sold the rights to Asa Griggs Candler for roughly 2,300 dollars shortly before his death in 1888. Read more
08 Jul 1830: Frederick W. Seward, American lawyer and politician, 6th United States Assistant Secretary of State (died 1915) Frederick William Seward was an American politician and member of the Republican Party who served twice as the Assistant Secretary of State. He served as Assistant Secretary from 1861 to 1869 when his father, William H. Seward, was the Secretary of State under both Abraham Lincoln and Andrew Johnson, and then from 1877 to 1879 in the administration of Rutherford B. Hayes. Read more
08 Jul 1819: Francis Leopold McClintock, Irish admiral and explorer (died 1907) Admiral Sir Francis Leopold McClintock was an Irish explorer in the British Royal Navy, known for his discoveries in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. He confirmed explorer John Rae's controversial report gathered from Inuit sources on the fate of Franklin's lost expedition, the ill-fated Royal Navy undertaking commanded by Sir John Franklin in 1845 attempting to be the first to traverse the Northwest Passage. Read more

Notable Deaths on 08 July

08 Jul 2025: Edward D. DiPrete, American politician, 70th Governor of Rhode Island Edward Daniel DiPrete was an American politician. He served as the 70th governor of Rhode Island for three two-year terms, serving from 1985 to 1991. Convicted of numerous corruption charges, he was the only Rhode Island governor to have gone to prison. Read more
08 Jul 2025: Paulette Jiles, American writer (born 1943) Paulette Kay Jiles was an American poet, memoirist and novelist. Read more
08 Jul 2022: Shinzo Abe, Japanese politician (born 1954) Shinzo Abe was a Japanese statesman and politician who served as Prime Minister of Japan and President of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) from 2006 to 2007 and again from 2012 to 2020. He was the longest-serving prime minister in Japanese history, serving for nearly nine years. Read more
08 Jul 2022: Larry Storch, American actor and comedian (born 1923) Lawrence Samuel Storch was an American actor and comedian known for his comic television roles, including voice-over work for cartoon shows such as Mr. Whoopee on Tennessee Tuxedo and His Tales. For his potrayal of the bumbling Corporal Randolph Agarn on F Troop he was nominated for an Emmy Award in 1967. Read more
08 Jul 2022: Luis Echeverría, Mexican lawyer and politician (born 1922) Luis Echeverría Álvarez was a Mexican lawyer, academic, and politician affiliated with the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) who served as the 57th president of Mexico from 1970 to 1976. Previously, Echeverría was Secretary of the Interior from 1963 to 1969. He was the longest-lived president in Mexican history and the first to reach the age of 100. Read more
08 Jul 2022: Tony Sirico, American actor (born 1942) Genaro Anthony Sirico Jr. was an American actor. Often cast as a mobster, he is known for portraying Paulie Gualtieri in The Sopranos. Read more
08 Jul 2020: Naya Rivera, American actress, model and singer (born 1987) Naya Marie Rivera was an American actress, singer, and model recognized for her work on the popular musical comedy-drama series Glee. She began her career as a child actress and model, first appearing in national television commercials. At the age of four, she landed the role of Hillary Winston on the short-lived CBS sitcom The Royal Family (1991–1992), earning a nomination for a Young Artist Award at age five. After a series of recurring television roles and then guest spots as a teenager, she got her breakthrough role in 2009 as Santana Lopez on the Fox television series Glee. For the role, she received critical acclaim and various awards, including a SAG Award and ALMA Award, as well as earning nominations with the rest of the cast for a Grammy Award and a Brit Award. Read more
08 Jul 2020: Alex Pullin, Australian snowboarder (born 1987) Alex Pullin, nicknamed Chumpy, was an Australian snowboarder who competed at the 2010, 2014 and 2018 Winter Olympics. He was a two-time snowboard cross (boardercross) world champion. Read more
08 Jul 2018: Tab Hunter, American actor, pop singer, film producer and author (born 1931) Tab Hunter was an American actor, singer, film producer, and author. Known for his blond hair and clean-cut good looks, Hunter starred in more than forty films. During the 1950s and 1960s, Hunter was a Hollywood heartthrob, acting in numerous roles and appearing on the covers of hundreds of magazines. His notable screen credits include Battle Cry (1955), The Girl He Left Behind (1956), Gunman's Walk (1958), Damn Yankees (1958), Polyester (1981), and Lust in the Dust (1985). Hunter also had a music career in the late 1950s; in 1957, he released the no. 1 hit single "Young Love". Hunter's 2005 autobiography, Tab Hunter Confidential: The Making of a Movie Star, was a New York Times bestseller. Read more
08 Jul 2016: Abdul Sattar Edhi, Pakistani philanthropist (born 1928) Abdul Sattar Edhi NI LPP was a Pakistani humanitarian, philanthropist and ascetic who founded the Edhi Foundation, which runs the world's largest volunteer ambulance network, along with homeless shelters, animal shelters, rehabilitation centres, and orphanages across Pakistan. Read more
08 Jul 2015: Ken Stabler, American football player and sportscaster (born 1945) Kenneth Michael Stabler was an American professional football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 17 seasons, primarily with the Oakland Raiders. Nicknamed "Snake", he played college football for the Alabama Crimson Tide, earning first-team All-American honors in 1967. Stabler was selected by the Raiders in the second round of the 1968 NFL/AFL draft. Read more
08 Jul 2015: James Tate, American poet (born 1943) James Vincent Tate was an American poet. His work earned him the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award. He was a professor of English at the University of Massachusetts Amherst and a member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters. Read more
08 Jul 2014: Plínio de Arruda Sampaio, Brazilian lawyer and politician (born 1930) Plínio Soares de Arruda Sampaio was a Brazilian intellectual and political activist, who was affiliated with the Partido Socialismo e Liberdade (PSOL). He ran as a candidate for the presidency of the Federative Republic of Brazil in 2010. Read more
08 Jul 2014: John V. Evans, American soldier and politician, 27th Governor of Idaho (born 1925) John Victor Evans Sr. was an American politician from Idaho. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the state's 27th governor and was in office for 10 years, from 1977 to 1987. Read more
08 Jul 2014: Ben Pangelinan, Guamanian businessman and politician (born 1956) Vicente Cabrera "Ben" Pangelinan was a Guamanian politician and businessman who served as the speaker of the Guam Legislature from 2003 to 2005, representing from Barrigada, as a Democrat from 1993 to his death in 2014. Pangelinan was the former sitting chairperson of the Committee on Appropriations, Taxation, Banking, Insurance, Retirement, and Land in the 32nd Guam Legislature. Read more
08 Jul 2014: Howard Siler, American bobsledder and coach (born 1945) Howard Banford Siler Jr. was an American bobsledder who competed from the late 1960s to the early 1980s. Read more
08 Jul 2014: Tom Veryzer, American baseball player (born 1953) Thomas Martin Veryzer was an American professional baseball shortstop. He played 12 years in Major League Baseball, appearing in 979 games for the Detroit Tigers (1973–1977), Cleveland Indians (1978–1981), New York Mets (1982), and Chicago Cubs (1983–1984). He ranked third in the American League in 1977 with a range factor of 5.16 per nine innings at shortstop. His career range factor of 4.841 per nine innings at shortstop ranks as the 25th best in Major League history. Read more
08 Jul 2013: Dick Gray, American baseball player (born 1931) Richard Benjamin Gray was an American professional baseball player. He was an infielder in Major League Baseball, playing mainly as a third baseman for the Los Angeles Dodgers and St. Louis Cardinals from 1958 through 1960. Listed at 5 feet 11 inches (1.80 m) tall and 165 pounds (75 kg), he batted and threw right handed. Read more
08 Jul 2013: Edmund Morgan, American historian and author (born 1916) Edmund Sears Morgan was an American historian and an authority on early American history. He was the Sterling Professor of History at Yale University, where he taught from 1955 to 1986. He specialized in American colonial history, with some attention to English history. Thomas S. Kidd says he was noted for his incisive writing style, "simply one of the best academic prose stylists America has ever produced." He covered many topics, including Puritanism, political ideas, the American Revolution, slavery, historiography, family life, and numerous notables such as Benjamin Franklin. Read more
08 Jul 2013: Claudiney Ramos, Brazilian footballer (born 1980) Claudiney Ramos was a professional footballer who played as a defensive midfielder. He was nicknamed Rincón, because of his physical resemblance to former Corinthians player, Colombian Freddy Rincón. Born in Brazil, he capped for the Equatorial Guinea national team. Read more
08 Jul 2013: Rubby Sherr, American physicist and academic (born 1913) Rubby Sherr was an American nuclear physicist who co-invented a key component of the first nuclear weapon while participating in the Manhattan Project during the Second World War. His academic career spanned nearly eight decades, including almost 40 years working at Princeton University. Read more
08 Jul 2013: Sundri Uttamchandani, Indian author (born 1924) Sundri Uttamchandani was a noted Indian writer. She wrote mostly in Sindhi language. She was married to progressive writer A. J. Uttam. Read more
08 Jul 2013: Brett Walker, American songwriter and producer (born 1961) Carl Brett Walker was an American songwriter, musician, and record producer. Read more
08 Jul 2012: Muhammed bin Saud Al Saud, Saudi Arabian politician (born 1934) Muhammed bin Saud Al Saud was a Saudi royal and politician. He was a son of King Saud and one of the grandsons of Saudi Arabia's founder King Abdulaziz. He served as the Saudi Arabian minister of defense from 1960 to 1962, during his father's reign. Later, Prince Muhammed was the governor of Al Bahah Province from 1987 to 2010. Read more
08 Jul 2012: Ernest Borgnine, American actor (born 1917) Ernest Borgnine was an American actor whose career spanned over six decades. He was noted for his gruff but relaxed voice and gap-toothed Cheshire Cat grin. A popular performer, he appeared as a guest on numerous talk shows and as a panelist on several game shows. Read more
08 Jul 2012: Gyang Dalyop Datong, Nigerian physician and politician (born 1959) Gyang Dalyop Datong was a Nigerian senator who represented the People's Democratic Party (PDP) in Plateau State. He became a member of the Nigerian Senate in 2007. On 12 April 2003, he was elected to the 5th House of Representatives on the platform of the ANPP defeating his closest rival James Vwi of the PDP. He represented Barkin Ladi/Riyom Federal Constituency from 2003 to 2007.
Datong died on 8 July 2012 while attending a mass funeral of people who had been killed by Fulani herdsmen in Maase area of Riyom local government in Plateau State. The people at the funeral were attacked by gunmen thought to also be Fulani. Read more
08 Jul 2012: Martin Pakledinaz, American costume designer (born 1953) Martin Pakledinaz was an American costume designer for stage and film. Read more
08 Jul 2011: Roberts Blossom, American actor and poet (born 1924) Roberts Scott Blossom was an American poet and character actor of theatre, film, and television. He is best known for his roles as Old Man Marley in Home Alone (1990) and as Ezra Cobb in the horror film Deranged (1974). Blossom is also remembered for his supporting roles in films such as The Great Gatsby (1974), Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977), Escape from Alcatraz (1979), Christine (1983), and The Last Temptation of Christ (1988). Read more
08 Jul 2011: Betty Ford, 38th First Lady of the United States (born 1918) Elizabeth Anne Ford was First Lady of the United States from 1974 to 1977, as the wife of President Gerald Ford. As first lady, she was active in social policy, and set a precedent as a politically active presidential spouse. She was also Second Lady of the United States from 1973 to 1974, when her husband was vice president. Read more
08 Jul 2009: Midnight, American singer-songwriter (born 1962) Midnight was an American musician best known as the lead vocalist of heavy metal band Crimson Glory. The band became known for Midnight's "ear-shattering screams", which drew comparisons to Geoff Tate, and "painfully strident delivery." Read more
08 Jul 2008: John Templeton, American-born British businessman and philanthropist (born 1912) Sir John Marks Templeton was an American-born British investor, banker, fund manager, and philanthropist. In 1954, he entered the mutual fund market and created the Templeton Growth Fund, which averaged growth over 15% per year for 38 years. A pioneer of emerging market investing in the 1960s, Money magazine named him "arguably the greatest global stock picker of the century" in 1999. Read more
08 Jul 2007: Chandra Shekhar, Indian lawyer and politician, 9th Prime Minister of India (born 1927) Chandra Shekhar Singh, known popularly as Babu Sahab, was an Indian politician and the prime minister of India, between 10 November 1990 and 21 June 1991. He headed a minority government of a breakaway faction of the Janata Dal with outside support from the Indian National Congress. He was the second Indian Prime Minister who had never held any prior government office. Read more
08 Jul 2007: Jack B. Sowards, American screenwriter and producer (born 1929) Jack B. Sowards was an American screenwriter who wrote Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, and the 1988 Star Trek: The Next Generation episode "Where Silence Has Lease". Sowards created the term Kobayashi Maru, naming it for his next-door neighbors in Hancock Park. Read more
08 Jul 2006: June Allyson, American actress and singer (born 1917) June Allyson was an American stage, film, and television actress. Read more
08 Jul 2005: Maurice Baquet, French actor and cellist (born 1911) Maurice Louis Baquet was a French actor and cellist. Read more
08 Jul 2004: Paula Danziger, American author and educator (born 1944) Paula Danziger was an American children's author who wrote more than 30 books, including her 1974 debut The Cat Ate My Gymsuit, for children's and young adult audiences. At the time of her death, all her books were still in print; they had been published in 53 countries and translated into 14 languages. Read more
08 Jul 2002: Ward Kimball, American animator and trombonist (born 1914) Ward Walrath Kimball was an American animator employed by Walt Disney Animation Studios. He was part of Walt Disney's main team of animators, known collectively as Disney's Nine Old Men. His films have been honored with two Academy Awards for Best Animated Short Film. Read more
08 Jul 2001: John O'Shea, New Zealand director, producer, and screenwriter (born 1920) John Dempsey O'Shea was a New Zealand independent filmmaker; he was a director, producer, writer and actor. He produced the only three feature films that were made in New Zealand between 1940 and 1970. Read more
08 Jul 1999: Pete Conrad, American captain, pilot, and astronaut. Third man to walk on the moon. (born 1930) Charles "Pete" Conrad Jr. was an American NASA astronaut, aeronautical engineer, naval officer, aviator, and test pilot who commanded the Apollo 12 mission, on which he became the third person to walk on the Moon. Conrad was selected for NASA's second astronaut class in 1962. Read more
08 Jul 1998: Lilí Álvarez, Spanish tennis player, author, and feminist (born 1905) Elia Maria González-Álvarez y López-Chicheri, also known as Lilí de Álvarez, was a Spanish multi-sport competitor, an international tennis champion, an author, feminist and a journalist. Read more
08 Jul 1996: Irene Prador, Austrian-born actress and writer (born 1911) Irene Prador was a German-born actress and writer. Read more
08 Jul 1994: Christian-Jaque, French director and screenwriter (born 1904) Christian-Jaque was a French filmmaker. From 1954 to 1959, he was married to actress Martine Carol, who starred in several of his films, including Lucrèce Borgia (1953), Madame du Barry (1954), and Nana (1955). In 1961 he married Laurence Christol Read more
08 Jul 1994: Kim Il Sung, North Korean commander and politician, President of North Korea (born 1912) Kim Il Sung was a North Korean communist revolutionary, military officer, politician, and dictator who founded the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), also known as North Korea, in 1948, and led the country from its establishment until his death in 1994. He was succeeded by his son Kim Jong Il and was posthumously declared Eternal President. Read more
08 Jul 1994: Lars-Eric Lindblad, Swedish-American businessman and explorer (born 1927) Lars-Eric Lindblad was a Swedish-American entrepreneur and explorer, who pioneered tourism to many remote and exotic parts of the world. He led the first tourist expedition to Antarctica in 1966 in a chartered Argentine navy ship, and for many years operated his own vessel, the MS Lindblad Explorer, in the region. Observers point to the Lindblad Explorer’s 1969 expeditionary cruise to Antarctica as the forerunner to today's sea-based tourism there. Read more
08 Jul 1994: Dick Sargent, American actor (born 1930) Richard Stanford Cox, known professionally as Dick Sargent, was an American actor. He is best known for being the second actor to portray Darrin Stephens on ABC's fantasy sitcom Bewitched. He took the name Dick Sargent from a Saturday Evening Post illustrator/artist of the same name. Read more
08 Jul 1993: Abul Hasan Jashori, Bangladeshi Islamic scholar and freedom fighter (born 1918) Abul Hasan Jashori was a Bangladeshi Islamic scholar, politician, author, teacher and freedom fighter. He was the founding principal and Shaykh al-Hadith of the Jamia Ezazia Darul Uloom Jessore institution. Read more
08 Jul 1991: James Franciscus, American actor (born 1934) James Grover Franciscus was an American actor, known for his roles in feature films and in six television series: Mr. Novak, Naked City, The Investigators, Longstreet, Doc Elliot, and Hunter. Read more
08 Jul 1990: Howard Duff, American actor (born 1913) Howard Green Duff was an American actor. He started in radio during World War II before appearing in many Hollywood features and television programs from 1947 to 1990. He also directed for television. His career was marked by accusations of disloyalty during the red scare of the 1950s. Read more
08 Jul 1988: Ray Barbuti, American runner and football player (born 1905) Raymond James Barbuti was an American football player and sprint runner who won two gold medals at the 1928 Summer Olympics in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Barbuti traveled to Amsterdam to initially only compete for the 400 meter sprint however the US medal position was meek and then US Olympic committee president, Major General Douglas MacArthur insisted after Barbuti won the 400 meter gold that he run in the 4 × 400 meter relay the next day. Barbuti was interrupted by MacArthur during his celebratory evening to start preparing to run the anchor for the event the next day. Barbuti initially, vehemently refused, claiming he would not displace a fellow US runner in search for further medals. However MacArthur was relentless and finally prevailed and history commenced with the team winning the gold. Read more
08 Jul 1987: Lionel Chevrier, Canadian lawyer and politician, 27th Canadian Minister of Justice (born 1903) Lionel Chevrier was a Canadian politician who was a Member of Parliament and cabinet minister. Read more
08 Jul 1987: Gerardo Diego, Spanish poet and author (born 1896) Gerardo Diego Cendoya was a Spanish poet, a member of the Generation of '27. Read more
08 Jul 1986: Skeeter Webb, American baseball player and manager (born 1909) James Laverne "Skeeter" Webb was an American professional baseball infielder in Major League Baseball from 1932 to 1949. He played 12 seasons with the St. Louis Cardinals, Cleveland Indians, Chicago White Sox, Detroit Tigers, and Philadelphia Athletics. Read more
08 Jul 1985: Phil Foster, American actor and screenwriter (born 1913) Phil Foster was an American actor and performer, best known for his portrayal of Frank DeFazio in Laverne & Shirley. Read more
08 Jul 1985: Jean-Paul Le Chanois, French actor, director, and screenwriter (born 1909) Jean-Paul Étienne Dreyfus, better known as Jean-Paul Le Chanois, was a French film director, screenwriter and actor. His film …Sans laisser d'adresse won the Golden Bear (Comedies) award at the 1st Berlin International Film Festival. Read more
08 Jul 1981: Joe McDonnell, Irish Republican Army member, died on hunger strike (born 1951) Joseph McDonnell was a volunteer in the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) who died during the 1981 Irish hunger strike. Read more
08 Jul 1981: Bill Hallahan, American baseball player (born 1902) William Anthony Hallahan was an American left-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball during the 1920s and 1930s. Nicknamed "Wild Bill" because of his lack of control on the mound—he twice led the National League in bases on balls—Hallahan nevertheless was one of the pitching stars of the 1931 World Series and pitched his finest in postseason competition. Read more
08 Jul 1979: Sin-Itiro Tomonaga, Japanese physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (born 1906) Shinichiro Tomonaga , usually cited as Sin-Itiro Tomonaga in English, was a Japanese physicist. He shared the 1965 Nobel Prize in Physics with Richard Feynman and Julian Schwinger "for their fundamental work in quantum electrodynamics (QED), with deep-ploughing consequences for the physics of elementary particles". Read more
08 Jul 1979: Michael Wilding, English actor (born 1912) Michael Charles Gauntlet Wilding was an English stage, television, and film actor. He is best known for a series of films he made with Anna Neagle; he also made two films with Alfred Hitchcock, Under Capricorn (1949) and Stage Fright (1950); and he guest starred on Hitchcock's TV show in 1963. He was married four times, including to Elizabeth Taylor, with whom he had two sons. Read more
08 Jul 1979: Robert Burns Woodward, American chemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (born 1917) Robert Burns Woodward was an American organic chemist. He is considered by many to be the preeminent synthetic organic chemist of the twentieth century, having made many key contributions to the subject, especially in the synthesis of complex natural products and the determination of their molecular structure. He worked closely with Roald Hoffmann on theoretical studies of chemical reactions. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1965. Read more
08 Jul 1973: Gene L. Coon, American screenwriter and producer (born 1924) Eugene Lee Coon was an American screenwriter, television producer, and novelist. He is best remembered for his work on the original Star Trek as a screenwriter, story editor, and showrunner from the middle of the series' first season to the middle of the second. Along with series creator Gene Roddenberry, Coon is given credit for the show's idealistic tone and for creating several key story and world-building elements that would become important parts of the ongoing franchise. Read more
08 Jul 1973: Ben-Zion Dinur, Russian-Israeli educator and politician, 4th Education Minister of Israel (born 1884) Ben-Zion Dinur was a Ukrainian-born Israeli historian, educator, and politician. He held the position of professor of Jewish history at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and represented Mapai in the first Knesset, serving as Minister of Education. Dinur was one of the founders of Yad Vashem and a member of the Israel Academy of Sciences. Read more
08 Jul 1973: Wilfred Rhodes, English cricketer and coach (born 1877) Wilfred Rhodes was an English professional cricketer who played 58 Test matches for England between 1899 and 1930. In Tests, Rhodes took 127 wickets and scored 2,325 runs, becoming the first Englishman to complete the double of 1,000 runs and 100 wickets in Test matches. He holds the world records both for the most appearances made in first-class cricket and the most wickets taken. He completed the double of 1,000 runs and 100 wickets in an English cricket season a record 16 times. Rhodes played for Yorkshire and England into his fifties, and in his final Test in 1930 was, at 52 years and 165 days, the oldest player who has appeared in a Test match. Read more
08 Jul 1972: Ghassan Kanafani, Palestinian writer and politician (born 1936) Ghassan Fayiz Kanafani was a prominent Palestinian author and militant, considered to be a leading novelist of his generation and one of the Arab world's leading Palestinian writers. Kanafani's works have been translated into more than 17 languages. Read more
08 Jul 1971: Kurt Reidemeister, German mathematician connected to the Vienna Circle (born 1893) Kurt Werner Friedrich Reidemeister was a mathematician born in Braunschweig (Brunswick), Germany. Read more
08 Jul 1968: Désiré Mérchez, French swimmer and water polo player (born 1882) Désiré Alfred Mérchez was a male French swimmer and water polo player who competed in the 1900 Summer Olympics. He was born in Lille and died in Nice. Read more
08 Jul 1967: Vivien Leigh, British actress (born 1913) Vivian Mary Olivier, known professionally as Vivien Leigh and styled as Lady Olivier after 1947, was a British actress. After completing her drama school education, Leigh appeared in small roles in four films in 1935 and progressed to the role of heroine in Fire Over England (1937). She then won the Academy Award for Best Actress twice, for her performances as Scarlett O'Hara in Gone with the Wind (1939) and Blanche DuBois in the film version of A Streetcar Named Desire (1951), a role she had also played on stage in London's West End in 1949. For the latter role, she also won the Volpi Cup for Best Actress. She also won a Tony Award for her work in the Broadway musical version of Tovarich (1963). Read more
08 Jul 1965: Thomas Sigismund Stribling, American lawyer and author (born 1881) Thomas Sigismund Stribling was an American writer. Although he acquired a law degree and practiced law for a few years, his career was mainly that of an author of fiction. Known first for adventure stories published in fiction magazines, he later published novels of social satire set mainly in the southern USA. His best-known work is the Vaiden trilogy, set in Florence, Alabama. The first volume is The Forge (1931). He won the Pulitzer Prize for the Novel in 1933 for the second novel of this series, The Store. The last, set during the 1920s, is The Unfinished Cathedral (1934). Both the second and third novels were chosen as selections by the Literary Guild. Read more
08 Jul 1956: Giovanni Papini, Italian journalist, author, and critic (born 1881) Giovanni Papini was an Italian journalist, essayist, novelist, short story writer, poet, literary critic, and philosopher. A controversial literary figure of the early and mid-twentieth century, he was the earliest and most enthusiastic representative and promoter of Italian pragmatism. Papini was admired for his writing style and engaged in heated polemics. Involved with avant-garde movements such as futurism and post-decadentism, he moved from one political and philosophical position to another, always dissatisfied and uneasy: he converted from anti-clericalism and atheism to Catholicism, and went from convinced interventionism – before 1915 – to an aversion to war. In the 1930s, after moving from individualism to conservatism, he finally became a fascist, while maintaining an aversion to Nazism. Read more
08 Jul 1952: August Alle, Estonian lawyer, author, and poet (born 1890) August Alle was an Estonian writer. Read more
08 Jul 1950: Othmar Spann, Austrian sociologist, economist, and philosopher (born 1878) Othmar Spann was a conservative Austrian philosopher, sociologist and economist. His radical anti-liberal and anti-socialist views, based on early 19th century Romantic ideas expressed by Adam Müller et al. and popularized in his books and lecture courses, helped antagonise political factions in Austria during the interwar years. Read more
08 Jul 1943: Jean Moulin, French soldier and leader of the French Resistance (born 1899) Jean Pierre Moulin was a French civil servant and hero of the French Resistance who succeeded in unifying the main networks of the Resistance in World War II. He served as the first President of the National Council of the Resistance from 27 May 1943 until his death less than two months later. Read more
08 Jul 1942: Louis Franchet d'Espèrey, Algerian-French general (born 1856) Louis Félix Marie François Franchet d'Espèrey was a French general during World War I. In September 1914, as the new commander of the French 5th Army, he played a notable role in organising the allied response that led to the First Battle of the Marne. As commander of the large Allied army based at Salonika, he conducted the successful Macedonian campaign, which caused the collapse of the Southern Front and contributed to the armistice. Read more
08 Jul 1942: Refik Saydam, Turkish physician and politician, 5th Prime Minister of Turkey (born 1881) İbrahim Refik Saydam was a Turkish physician, politician and the fourth Prime Minister of Turkey, serving from 25 January 1939 until his death on 8 July 1942. Read more
08 Jul 1941: Moses Schorr, Polish rabbi, historian, and politician (born 1874) Moses Schorr, Polish: Mojżesz Schorr was a rabbi, Polish historian, politician, Bible scholar, assyriologist and orientalist. Schorr was an expert on the history of the Jews in Poland. He was the first Jewish researcher of Polish archives, historical sources, and pinkasim. The president of the 13th district B'nai B'rith Poland, he was a humanist and modern rabbi who ministered the central synagogue of Poland during its last years before the Holocaust. Read more
08 Jul 1939: Havelock Ellis, English psychologist and author (born 1859) Henry Havelock Ellis was an English physician, eugenicist, writer, progressive intellectual and social reformer who studied human sexuality. He co-wrote the first medical textbook in English on homosexuality in 1897, and also published works on a variety of sexual practices and inclinations, as well as on transgender psychology. He developed the notions of narcissism and autoeroticism, later adopted by psychoanalysis. Read more
08 Jul 1934: Benjamin Baillaud, French astronomer and academic (born 1848) Édouard Benjamin Baillaud was a French astronomer. Read more
08 Jul 1933: Anthony Hope, English author and playwright (born 1863) Sir Anthony Hope Hawkins, better known as Anthony Hope, was a British novelist and playwright. He was a prolific writer, especially of adventure novels but he is remembered predominantly for only two books: The Prisoner of Zenda (1894) and its sequel Rupert of Hentzau (1898). Read more
08 Jul 1930: Joseph Ward, Australian-New Zealand businessman and politician, 17th Prime Minister of New Zealand (born 1856) Sir Joseph George Ward, 1st Baronet, was a New Zealand politician who served as the 17th prime minister of New Zealand from 1906 to 1912 and from 1928 to 1930. He was a dominant figure in the Liberal and United ministries of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Read more
08 Jul 1921: Ellen Oliver (suffragette), British suffragette and purity activist (born 1870) Ellen Frederica Oliver was a British suffragette, purity activist and a follower of the Panacea Society, who was the first person to recognise Mabel Barltrop as a prophet in the movement. Read more
08 Jul 1917: Tom Thomson, Canadian painter (born 1877) Thomas John Thomson was a Canadian artist active in the early 20th century. During his short career, he produced roughly 400 oil sketches on small wood panels and approximately 50 larger works on canvas. His works consist almost entirely of landscapes, depicting trees, skies, lakes, and rivers. He used broad brush strokes and a liberal application of paint to capture the beauty and colour of the Ontario landscape. Read more
08 Jul 1913: Louis Hémon, French-Canadian author (born 1880) Louis Hémon, was a French writer, best known for his novel Maria Chapdelaine. Read more
08 Jul 1905: Walter Kittredge, American violinist and composer (born 1834) Walter Kittredge, was a famous American minstrel and songwriter. Over his career he wrote over 500 songs, many of them dealing with themes of abolitionism and the American Civil War, the most famous of which was Tenting on the Old Camp Ground. Read more
08 Jul 1895: Johann Josef Loschmidt, Austrian chemist and physicist (born 1821) Johann Josef Loschmidt, better known as Josef Loschmidt, was an Austrian scientist who performed ground-breaking work in chemistry, physics, and crystal forms. Read more
08 Jul 1887: Ben Holladay, American businessman (born 1819) Benjamin Holladay was an American transportation businessman responsible for creating the Overland Stage to California during the height of the 1849 California Gold Rush. He created a stagecoach empire and is known in history as the "Stagecoach King". Read more
08 Jul 1873: Franz Xaver Winterhalter, German painter and lithographer (born 1805) Franz Xaver Winterhalter was a German painter and lithographer, known for his flattering portraits of royalty and upper-class society in the mid-19th century. His name has become associated with fashionable court portraiture. Among his best known works are Empress Eugénie Surrounded by her Ladies in Waiting (1855) and the portraits he made of Empress Elisabeth of Austria (1865). Read more
08 Jul 1859: Oscar I of Sweden (born 1799) Oscar I was King of Sweden and Norway from 8 March 1844 until his death. He was the second monarch of the House of Bernadotte. Read more
08 Jul 1850: Prince Adolphus, Duke of Cambridge (born 1774) Prince Adolphus, Duke of Cambridge was the tenth child and seventh son of King George III of the United Kingdom and Queen Charlotte. He held the title of Duke of Cambridge from 1801 until his death. From 1816 to 1837, he served as Viceroy of the Kingdom of Hanover on behalf of his elder brothers King George IV and King William IV. Read more
08 Jul 1823: Henry Raeburn, Scottish portrait painter (born 1756) Sir Henry Raeburn was a Scottish portrait painter. He served as Portrait Painter to King George IV in Scotland. Read more
08 Jul 1822: Percy Bysshe Shelley, English poet and playwright (born 1792) Percy Bysshe Shelley was an English writer who is considered one of the major English Romantic poets. A radical in his poetry as well as in his political and social views, Shelley did not achieve fame during his lifetime, but recognition of his achievements in poetry grew steadily following his death, and he became an important influence on subsequent generations of poets, including Robert Browning, Algernon Charles Swinburne, Thomas Hardy, and W. B. Yeats. American literary critic Harold Bloom describes him as "a superb craftsman, a lyric poet without rival, and surely one of the most advanced sceptical intellects ever to write a poem." Read more

Why is 08 July Important in History?

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History of Today 08 July for Competitive Exams

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