July 8, 2012 – Smriti "Simmi" D. Isaac

Updated July 7, 2012, 2:28 pm

On July 8, 1950, Gen. Douglas MacArthur was named commander-in-chief of United Nations forces in Korea.
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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 obituary » | Other birthdays »

On This Date

By The Associated Press

1663 King Charles II of England granted a charter to Rhode Island.

1776 Col. John Nixon gave the first public reading of the Declaration of Independence to a crowd gathered at Independence Square in Philadelphia.

1853 An expedition led by Commodore Matthew Perry arrived in Yedo Bay, Japan, on a mission to seek diplomatic and trade relations with the Japanese.

1889 The Wall Street Journal was first published.

1891 Warren G. Harding married Florence K. DeWolfe in Marion, Ohio.

1907 Florenz Ziegfeld staged his first “Follies,” on the roof of the New York Theater in New York City.

1919 President Woodrow Wilson received a tumultuous welcome in New York City after his return from the Versailles Peace Conference in France.

1950 Gen. Douglas MacArthur was named commander-in-chief of United Nations forces in Korea.

1986 Kurt Waldheim was inaugurated as president of Austria despite controversy over his alleged ties to Nazi war crimes.

1994 Kim Il Sung, North Korea’s communist leader since 1948, died at age 82.

2004 Enron founder and former chairman Kenneth Lay pleaded innocent to charges related to the energy company’s collapse. (He was convicted, but died while the case was on appeal.)

2010 During an ESPN prime-time special, basketball free agent LeBron James announced he was leaving the Cleveland Cavaliers to join the Miami Heat.

2011 Former first lady Betty Ford died in Rancho Mirage, Calif., at age 93.

Current Birthdays

By The Associated Press

Actor Billy Crudup turns 44 years old today.

AP Photo/Evan Agostini

Actress Sophia Bush (“One Tree Hill”) turns 30 years old today.

AP Photo/Dan Steinberg

1926 John Dingell, U S. representative, D-Mich., turns 86

1932 Jerry Vale, Singer, turns 80

1935 Steve Lawrence, Singer, turns 77

1942 Phil Gramm, Former U.S. senator, R-Texas, turns 70

1944 Jeffrey Tambor, Actor (“Arrested Development”), turns 68

1947 Kim Darby, Actress, turns 65

1951 Anjelica Huston, Actress, turns 61

1952 Jack Lambert, Football Hall of Famer, turns 60

1952 Anna Quindlen, Writer, turns 60

1958 Kevin Bacon, Actor, turns 54

1961 Toby Keith, Country singer, turns 51

1962 Rob Burnett, Writer, producer, turns 50

1962 Joan Osborne, Rock singer, turns 50

1970 Beck, Rock musician, turns 42

1977 Milo Ventimiglia, Actor (“Heroes”), turns 35

1985 Jamie Cook, Rock musician (Arctic Monkeys), turns 27

1998 Jaden Smith, Actor (“The Pursuit of Happyness”), turns 14

Historic Birthdays

John D. Rockefeller 7/8/1839 – 5/23/1937 American industrialist and philanthropist.Go to obituary »

78 Samuel Gross 7/8/1805 – 5/6/1884
American surgeon, teacher and author

54 Alfred Binet 7/8/1857 – 10/18/1911
French psychologist; developed measures of intelligence

77 Kathe Kollwitz 7/8/1867 – 4/22/1945
German graphic artist and sculptor

78 Percy Grainger 7/8/1882 – 2/28/1961
Australian-born American composer, pianist and conductor

92 Ernst Bloch 7/8/1885 – 8/4/1977
German Marxist philosopher

83 Alec Waugh 7/8/1898 – 9/3/1981
English novelist and travel writer

81 David Lilienthal 7/8/1899 – 1/15/1981
American businessman and government official

70 Nelson Rockefeller 7/8/1908 – 1/26/1979
American politician; New York governor (1959-73) and U.S. vice president (1974-7)

66 Louis Jordan 7/8/1908 – 2/4/1975
American singer, saxophonist and bandleader

78 Billy Eckstine 7/8/1914 – 3/8/1993
American singer and bandleader

1663	King Charles II of England granted a charter to Rhode Island.
1776	Col. John Nixon gave the first public reading of the Declaration of Independence to a crowd gathered at Independence Square in Philadelphia.
1853	An expedition led by Commodore Matthew Perry arrived in Yedo Bay, Japan, on a mission to seek diplomatic and trade relations with the Japanese.
1889	The Wall Street Journal was first published.
1891	Warren G. Harding married Florence K. DeWolfe in Marion, Ohio.
1907	Florenz Ziegfeld staged his first “Follies,” on the roof of the New York Theater in New York City.
1919	President Woodrow Wilson received a tumultuous welcome in New York City after his return from the Versailles Peace Conference in France.
1950	Gen. Douglas MacArthur was named commander-in-chief of United Nations forces in Korea.
1986	Kurt Waldheim was inaugurated as president of Austria despite controversy over his alleged ties to Nazi war crimes.
1994	Kim Il Sung, North Korea’s communist leader since 1948, died at age 82.
2004	Enron founder and former chairman Kenneth Lay pleaded innocent to charges related to the energy company’s collapse. (He was convicted, but died while the case was on appeal.)
2010	During an ESPN prime-time special, basketball free agent LeBron James announced he was leaving the Cleveland Cavaliers to join the Miami Heat.
2011	Former first lady Betty Ford died in Rancho Mirage, Calif., at age 93.

1926	John Dingell, U S. representative, D-Mich., turns 86
1932	Jerry Vale, Singer, turns 80
1935	Steve Lawrence, Singer, turns 77
1942	Phil Gramm, Former U.S. senator, R-Texas, turns 70
1944	Jeffrey Tambor, Actor (“Arrested Development”), turns 68
1947	Kim Darby, Actress, turns 65
1951	Anjelica Huston, Actress, turns 61
1952	Jack Lambert, Football Hall of Famer, turns 60
1952	Anna Quindlen, Writer, turns 60
1958	Kevin Bacon, Actor, turns 54
1961	Toby Keith, Country singer, turns 51
1962	Rob Burnett, Writer, producer, turns 50
1962	Joan Osborne, Rock singer, turns 50
1970	Beck, Rock musician, turns 42
1977	Milo Ventimiglia, Actor (“Heroes”), turns 35
1985	Jamie Cook, Rock musician (Arctic Monkeys), turns 27
1998	Jaden Smith, Actor (“The Pursuit of Happyness”), turns 14

78	Samuel Gross 7/8/1805 – 5/6/1884 American surgeon, teacher and author
54	Alfred Binet 7/8/1857 – 10/18/1911 French psychologist; developed measures of intelligence
77	Kathe Kollwitz 7/8/1867 – 4/22/1945 German graphic artist and sculptor
78	Percy Grainger 7/8/1882 – 2/28/1961 Australian-born American composer, pianist and conductor
92	Ernst Bloch 7/8/1885 – 8/4/1977 German Marxist philosopher
83	Alec Waugh 7/8/1898 – 9/3/1981 English novelist and travel writer
81	David Lilienthal 7/8/1899 – 1/15/1981 American businessman and government official
70	Nelson Rockefeller 7/8/1908 – 1/26/1979 American politician; New York governor (1959-73) and U.S. vice president (1974-7)
66	Louis Jordan 7/8/1908 – 2/4/1975 American singer, saxophonist and bandleader
78	Billy Eckstine 7/8/1914 – 3/8/1993 American singer and bandleader