🗓️ 1. 1497 – Vasco da Gama Departs for India
On July 8, 1497, Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama set sail from Lisbon, Portugal, on his historic voyage to India. This expedition would become the first to link Europe and Asia by sea, sailing around the Cape of Good Hope at the southern tip of Africa.
Da Gama’s journey was groundbreaking because it established a new maritime trade route to the East, bypassing the overland Silk Road dominated by Ottoman and Arab traders. By the time he returned to Portugal in 1499, da Gama had opened up direct trade between Europe and India, launching a new era of global commerce and colonial expansion.
🔎 Interesting Fact: Vasco da Gama’s crew included a convict named João Nunes, who was used as an interpreter to interact with locals along the African coast.
🗓️ 2. 1776 – The First Public Reading of the Declaration of Independence
While July 4 is known for the adoption of the Declaration of Independence, July 8, 1776, marks the first public reading of the document in Philadelphia’s Independence Square. Colonel John Nixon read it aloud to a crowd outside the Pennsylvania State House (now Independence Hall).
This event helped spread the revolutionary message beyond Congress, igniting patriotic fervor throughout the colonies. It was a turning point in rallying popular support for independence from Britain, particularly among those who had not yet read the document.
🔎 Interesting Fact: The Liberty Bell is traditionally said to have been rung to summon the citizens for this public reading—though historians debate whether it actually rang that day.
🗓️ 3. 1889 – The First Issue of The Wall Street Journal is Published
On July 8, 1889, financial journalists Charles Dow, Edward Jones, and Charles Bergstresser published the inaugural issue of The Wall Street Journal. Initially created to deliver business news to investors, the publication would become the most influential financial newspaper in the world.
This launch coincided with the growth of the American industrial economy and the expansion of Wall Street as a financial power center. The Wall Street Journal shaped how business news was reported and became a cornerstone of responsible financial journalism.
🔎 Interesting Fact: The paper initially cost just two cents per issue and was sold by newsboys on the street.
🗓️ 4. 1947 – Alleged Roswell UFO Crash Reported
On July 8, 1947, the Roswell Army Air Field issued a press release stating it had recovered a “flying disc” from a nearby ranch—setting off one of the greatest UFO conspiracy theories in history. The story quickly changed, with the military saying it was a weather balloon, but by then, public interest had exploded.
The Roswell incident remains central to UFO lore and has inspired decades of speculation, government investigation (like Project Blue Book), and pop culture phenomena.
🔎 Interesting Fact: In 1994, the U.S. Air Force released a report admitting the object was part of Project Mogul, a top-secret operation using balloons to detect Soviet nuclear tests.
🗓️ 5. 2011 – Space Shuttle Atlantis Launches on NASA’s Final Shuttle Mission
On July 8, 2011, NASA launched STS-135, the final mission of the Space Shuttle program, with Atlantis lifting off from Kennedy Space Center. The mission delivered supplies to the International Space Station (ISS) and marked the end of an era in U.S. spaceflight.
The Shuttle program had enabled remarkable scientific advances, satellite deployments, and construction of the ISS since its debut in 1981. Its retirement shifted NASA’s focus toward deep space missions and opened the door for private spaceflight companies like SpaceX and Blue Origin.
🔎 Interesting Fact: Atlantis carried an American flag that had flown on the first shuttle mission in 1981—and that same flag was later sent to the ISS by SpaceX in 2020.
