Video Game Day
National Video Game Day is celebrated annually on July 8th. It is a day dedicated to recognizing and celebrating the cultural and entertainment impact of video games. Unlike National Video Games Day, which is observed on September 12th, National Video Game Day on July 8th focuses more on the enjoyment and appreciation of video games as a hobby.
Town Crier Day
International Town Criers Day is celebrated annually on the second Monday in July. This day honors the historical significance and tradition of town criers, who played a crucial role in public communication before the advent of modern technology.
These events, births, and deaths illustrate the wide range of significant moments associated with July 8th, from historic occurrences to influential figures in various fields.
Historical Events:
1099: The First Crusade: 15,000 starving Christian soldiers march in a religious procession around Jerusalem as its Muslim defenders look on.
1776: The Liberty Bell rang out from the tower of the Pennsylvania State House (now known as Independence Hall) in Philadelphia, summoning citizens to the first public reading of the Declaration of Independence by Colonel John Nixon.
1839: The first state normal school in the U.S. (for training teachers) opens in Lexington, Massachusetts.
1889: The Wall Street Journal is first published.
1947: Reports are broadcast that a UFO has crash-landed in Roswell, New Mexico in what became known as the Roswell UFO incident.
1969: U.S. troop withdrawal begins in Vietnam.
2011: Space Shuttle Atlantis is launched in the final mission of the U.S. Space Shuttle program.
Notable Birthdays:
1831: John Pemberton – American pharmacist, inventor of Coca-Cola.
1839: John D. Rockefeller – American industrialist and philanthropist, founder of Standard Oil.
1885: Ernst Bloch – German philosopher.
1908: Nelson Rockefeller – American businessman and politician, 41st Vice President of the United States.
1933: Marty Feldman – British actor and comedian.
1951: Anjelica Huston – American actress.
1958: Kevin Bacon – American actor.
1970: Beck – American singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist.
1998: Jaden Smith – American actor and rapper.
Notable Deaths:
975: Edgar the Peaceful – King of England.
1822: Percy Bysshe Shelley – English poet.
1967: Vivien Leigh – British actress, best known for her role as Scarlett O’Hara in “Gone with the Wind.”
1994: Kim Il-sung – North Korean leader.
2012: Ernest Borgnine – American actor.
2013: Brett Somers – Canadian-American actress, comedian, and game-show personality.
