Friday, July 8th
The 187th day of 2005
There are 176 days left in the year

Today's Highlights in History

On July 8, 1950, Gen. Douglas MacArthur was named commander-in-chief of United Nations forces in Korea. (Go to article.)

On July 8, 1839, John D. Rockefeller, who founded the Standard Oil Co. and gave more than $500 million to charitable causes, was born. Following his death on May 23, 1937, his obituary appeared in The Times. (Go to obit. Other Birthdays)

On July 8, 1882, Harper's Weekly featured a cartoon about the British and French rivalry in Egypt. (See the cartoon and read an explanation.)

Reference: The New York Times



The following courtesy Iraq War Today

Today in History
1663 - King Charles II of England grants a charter to Rhode Island.
1693 - NY City authorizes America's first police uniforms.
1776 - Colonel John Nixon gives the first public reading of the Declaration of Independence.
1777 - Vermont becomes the first state to abolish slavery, and adopts male suffrage.
1796 - The U.S. State Department issues the first American passport.
1797 - William Blount of Tennessee becomes the first U.S. Senator expelled by impeachment.
1835 - The Liberty Bell cracks (again).
1870 - Governor Holden of NC declares Casswell County in a state of insurrection in the wake of a wave of KKK violence (including murders). Democrats have him impeached a year later.
1905 - Part of Angel Islandin San Francisco Bay is allocated for an Immigration Detention Center.
1923 - Warren G. Harding becomes the first sitting president to visit Alaska (Metlakahtla).
1947 - Demolition begins in NYC for the construction of the UN headquarters.
1950 - General Douglas MacArthur is named commander-in-chief of UN forces in Korea.
1969 - The U.S. begins withdrawing troops from Vietnam.
1978 - The Pioneer-Venus 2 multi-probe is launched to Venus.
1979 - Voyager 2 takes the first-ever photograph of Jupiter's satellite Adrastea.
1988 - Stevie Wonder announces he will run for mayor of Detroit in 1992.
1990 - Clocks display 12:34:56 on 7/8/90 (1234567890)

Birthdays
1838 - Count Ferdinand Graf von Zeppelin, inventor of the rigid dirigible
1839 - John D. Rockefeller, US capitalist; founded Standard Oil
1907 - George W. Romney (Gov-Mich)/US Secretary of HUD
1908 - Nelson A. Rockefeller (Gov-NY) 41st Vice President
1918 - Nelson Mandela, jailed South African political activist
1931 - Roone Arledge, ABC-TV executive

Passings
810 - Pepin son of Charlemagne, king of Italy
1957 - Grace Goodhue Coolidge, First Lady
1959 - Dale Buisand and Chester Ovnand, first Americans KIA in Vietnam

Reported Missing in Action
1965
Bram, Richard C., USMC (OH); disappeared while on a hike near Chu Lai Air Base
Dingwall, John F., USMC (NY); disappeared while on a hike near Chu Lai Air Base
1966
Browning, Ralph T., USAF (FL); F105D shot down, released by DRV February, 1973 - retired as a Brigadier General as of 1996 - alive as of 1998
Longanecker, Ronald Lee, USMC (OR); passenger on a CH46a shot down - KIA, body not recovered
1969
Andre, Howard V., Jr., USAF (TN); A26A shot down - KIA, body not recovered
Sizemore, James E., USAF (CA); A26A shot down - KIA, body not recovered