This day in history: 8 july

Europa

• In 1167, the Byzantines decisively defeated the Hungarian army at Sirmium, forcing Hungary to sue for peace.
• In 1283, during the War of the Sicilian Vespers, the Aragonese fleet under Roger of Lauria defeated an Angevin fleet at the naval Battle of Malta.
• On July 8, 1497, the Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama set sail from Lisbon on the first direct European sea voyage to India, opening a new maritime route from Western Europe to Asia via the Cape of Good Hope, ushering in a new era of global exploration and trade.
• In 1709, during the Great Northern War, Peter I of Russia defeated Charles XII of Sweden at the Battle of Poltava, effectively ending Sweden’s role as a major power in Europe.
• The first public reading of the Declaration of Independence in the United States took place on July 8, 1776, in Philadelphia, a significant event with European colonial ties.
• In 1892, the American newspaper The Wall Street Journal began publication, reflecting the growing economic influence of the West.

America

• First Public Reading of the Declaration of Independence (1776)
  On July 8, 1776, Colonel John Nixon gave the first public reading of the United States Declaration of Independence to a crowd gathered at Independence Square in Philadelphia. This event marked the first time the words of the Declaration were heard by the public, just days after its adoption by the Continental Congress.
• The Liberty Bell and the Declaration
  Tradition holds that the Liberty Bell was rung to summon citizens for this historic reading, further cementing July 8 as a symbolic date in the nation’s founding.
• The Olive Branch Petition (1775)
  One year earlier, on July 8, 1775, the Continental Congress signed the Olive Branch Petition, a final attempt to avoid a full-blown war with Great Britain by professing loyalty to the Crown and seeking peace. The petition was ultimately rejected by King George III, paving the way for the Declaration of Independence the following year.
• Birth of John D. Rockefeller (1839)
  John D. Rockefeller, the influential American industrialist and philanthropist who founded Standard Oil and became one of the wealthiest individuals in history, was born on July 8, 1839, in Richford, New York.
• First Issue of The Wall Street Journal (1889)
  The Wall Street Journal, now one of the world’s leading financial publications, published its first issue on July 8, 1889.
• Dow Jones Hits Lowest Point in the Great Depression (1932)
  On July 8, 1932, the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell to its lowest point during the Great Depression, closing at 41.22. This event symbolized the depth of the economic crisis gripping the United States at the time.
• The Roswell Incident Reported (1947)
  On July 8, 1947, reports emerged from Roswell, New Mexico, that a “flying disk” had crashed, sparking what would become one of the most famous UFO conspiracy theories in American culture. The U.S. military later stated the debris was from a weather balloon.
• 1853: Commodore Matthew Perry arrives in Tokyo Bay, beginning U.S. efforts to open Japan to Western trade.
• 1907: Florenz Ziegfeld stages his first “Follies” on the roof of the New York Theater, launching a new era in American entertainment.

Asia

• Vasco da Gama’s Voyage to India (1497)
  On July 8, 1497, Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama set sail from Lisbon with four ships, opening the first direct sea route from Europe to Asia. His journey would eventually lead him to India, fundamentally altering global trade and ushering in a new era of European-Asian interaction.
• Commodore Perry Arrives in Japan (1853)
  On July 8, 1853, American Commodore Matthew Perry led four U.S. Navy ships into Tokyo Bay, seeking to end Japan’s centuries-long policy of isolation and establish trade relations. This event marked the beginning of Japan’s opening to the West and had profound effects on Japanese society and Asia as a whole.

Africa

• Vasco da Gama’s Voyage and First Encounter in Southern Africa (1497)
  On July 8, 1497, Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama set sail from Lisbon on his historic voyage to find a sea route to India. During this voyage, da Gama and his fleet made landfall on the southern coast of Africa, near present-day St Helena Bay, South Africa. Here, they had their first recorded encounter with the indigenous Khoikhoi people, which resulted in a violent misunderstanding and da Gama being wounded.
• SS Save Disaster off Mozambique (1961)
  On July 8, 1961, the Portuguese steamer SS Save broke up off the coast of Mozambique, resulting in the deaths of 227 people.
• First Rugby Test: South Africa vs. Australia (1933)
  On July 8, 1933, the first rugby union test match between the South African Springboks and the Australian Wallabies was played at Newlands Stadium in Cape Town, marking a significant sporting milestone for South Africa.