What Happened on July 8?

July 8 is National Video Game Day — power up! — on the same date the Declaration was first read aloud in 1776, Atlantis launched on NASA's final shuttle mission in 2011, Roswell's UFO story hit papers in 1947, and the Wall Street Journal debuted in 1889.

• 1497 — Vasco da Gama sails from Lisbon on the first voyage to India by sea

  On July 8, 1497, Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama left Lisbon with four ships seeking a sea route to India's spice markets. Read the full story →

• 1776 — The Declaration of Independence is read publicly in Philadelphia

  On July 8, 1776, Colonel John Nixon read the Declaration aloud in Philadelphia's State House Yard as the Liberty Bell rang. Read the full story →

• 1889 — The first issue of the Wall Street Journal is published

  On July 8, 1889, Charles Dow and Edward Jones published the first Wall Street Journal — four pages of business news sold for two cents. Read the full story →

• 1947 — Roswell Army Air Field announces recovery of a 'flying disc'

  On July 8, 1947, a Roswell, New Mexico, press release claimed a flying disc was recovered — later retracted as a weather balloon. Read the full story →

• 1951 — Paris celebrates its 2,000th anniversary with festivals and parades

  On July 8, 1951, Paris marked two millennia since its founding as the Roman city Lutetia with pageants, art, and fireworks. Read the full story →

Famous birthdays

Kevin Bacon (1958) · Wolfgang Puck (1949) · Nelson Rockefeller (1908–1979) · Jaden Smith (1998)

Days & observances

National Video Game Day · National Freezer Pop Day · National Chocolate with Almonds Day · National Blueberry Day