On this day, through history
On this day, July 8
- 1497, Vasco da Gama sailed from Lisbon, opening the first direct sea route from Europe to India. Learn more →
- 1776, The Liberty Bell rang in Philadelphia to mark the first public reading of the Declaration of Independence. Learn more →
- 1853, Commodore Matthew Perry sailed into Edo Bay, forcing Japan to open to the Western world after 200 years of isolation. Learn more →
- 1889, Charles Dow and Edward Jones published the first edition of The Wall Street Journal. Learn more →
- 1896, William Jennings Bryan delivered his iconic "Cross of Gold" speech at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago. Learn more →
- 1918, Ernest Hemingway, an 18-year-old Red Cross ambulance driver, was wounded by a mortar shell on the Italian front. Learn more →
- 2000, Venus Williams defeated defending champion Lindsay Davenport to win her first Wimbledon singles title. Learn more →
- 2011, Space Shuttle Atlantis lifted off on mission STS-135, the final flight of NASA's 30-year Space Shuttle program. Learn more →