  | July 2008 | |
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| Sun | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat |
| | 1
In 1858, the Wallace-Darwin theory of evolution was first published at the Linnaean Society in London. | 2
Thousands of life-sized terra-cotta soldiers over 2,000 years old were unearthed at a tomb in China in 1975. | 3
Alfred Korzybski, the originator of the study of general semantics, was born on this day in 1879. | 4
Thomas Jefferson, author of the Declaration of Independence, President of the United States and principal founder of the Library of Congress, died in 1826. | 5
Japanese-American poet Mitsuye Yamada was born in 1923. |
6
The dollar was unanimously chosen as the unit of currency for the United States in 1785. | 7
The first radio compass was used on this day in 1920 to guide a round-trip airplane flight without human navigation. | 8
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the ice cream sundae was invented on this day in 1881. | 9
In 1896, William Jennings Bryan caused a sensation at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago with his “cross of gold” speech. | 10
Legendary jazz composer and musician “Jelly Roll” Morton died on this day in 1941. | 11
John Quincy Adams, son of John Adams and sixth president of the United States, was born on this day in 1767. | 12
George Eastman, photography pioneer, was born on this day in 1854. |
13
Erno Rubik, inventor of the Rubik’s Cube, was born in 1944. This day is celebrated as International Puzzle Day. | 14
Florence Bascom, American geologist and teacher, was born on this day in 1862. | 15
The all-news cable channel MSNBC, and its accompanying Web site, launched on this date in 1996. | 16
The Islamic calendar began on July 16, 622, with the prophet Muhammad’s hijra, or journey, from Mecca to Medina. | 17
The Spanish Civil War began on July 17, 1936. | 18
Shaquille O’Neal signed the largest contract to date in NBA history, seven years and $120 million, on July 18, 1996. | 19
Legendary circus performer and animal trainer Gunther Gebel-Williams died on this date in 2001. |
20
Neil A. Armstrong became the first human to walk on the moon on this day in 1969. | 21
In a letter to his brother Theo, dated on this day in 1882, Vincent van Gogh revealed his goals as an artist. | 22
Pi Approximation Day is celebrated today. | 23
Raymond Chandler, author of the famous Philip Marlowe detective stories, was born in 1888. | 24
Hiram Bingham climbed a mountain and discovered the wonders of Machu Picchu, the ancient Incan ruin, in 1911. | 25
Just months after the Civil War began, Congress passed the Crittenden-Johnson Resolution, clarifying that the war was being fought to reunify the states, not to end slavery. | 26
Psychologist Carl Jung was born in 1875. |
27
Mathematician Johann Bernoulli was born in 1667. | 28
The skeleton of a 9,000-year-old man was found near Kennewick, Washington in 1996. | 29
Cartographer and navigator Martin Behaim, creator of the oldest existing globe, died in 1507. | 30
Mathematician Julia Bowman Robinson died in 1985. | 31
Economist Milton Friedman was born in 1912. | | |
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