Today in News History

On July 8, several notable moments in the history of News stand out. In 1776, Church bells (possibly including the Liberty Bell) are rung after John Nixon delivers the first public reading of the Declaration of Independence of the United States. In 1839, John D. Rockefeller, American businessman and philanthropist, founded the Standard Oil Company (died 1937) was born. In 1917, J. F. Powers, American novelist and short story writer (died 1999) was born. In 1925, Bill Mackrides, American football quarterback (died 2019) was born. In 1947, Reports are broadcast that a UFO crash-landed in Roswell, New Mexico in what became known as the Roswell UFO incident. In 1968, The Chrysler wildcat strike begins in Detroit, Michigan. In 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. In 1994, Space Shuttle Columbia is launched on an international science mission. In 2011, Space Shuttle Atlantis is launched in the final mission of the U.S. Space Shuttle program. In 2014, Ben Pangelinan, Guamanian businessman and politician (born 1956) passed away. Together, these milestones provide historical context for today's news news and ongoing narratives.