Famous people born on July 8th
July 8 brings together an unusually wide range of creators, innovators, and public figures, spanning centuries of literature, art, politics, science, and popular culture. From foundational voices in European letters to titans of American industry and influential performers on screen and stage, the date reflects how many paths to impact exist. The mix also highlights enduring themes: storytelling, design, leadership, and the changing ways audiences connect with ideas.
Notable highlights
- Jean de La Fontaine (1621) - The French fabulist whose animal tales distilled moral lessons into elegant, enduring verse.
- John D. Rockefeller (1839) - Built Standard Oil into a defining force of industrial America and reshaped modern philanthropy through large-scale giving.
- Philip Johnson (1906) - A key tastemaker of 20th-century architecture, known for the Glass House and for championing new styles and designers.
- Nelson Rockefeller (1908) - A leading figure of mid-century Republican politics who served as New York governor and later as U.S. vice president.
- Elisabeth Kubler-Ross (1926) - Transformed conversations about dying and grief, popularizing a framework that influenced medicine, counseling, and culture.
- Anjelica Huston (1951) - An Oscar-winning actress celebrated for distinctive, often formidable characters across decades of film.
- Kevin Bacon (1958) - A versatile actor whose wide-ranging roles made him a pop-culture connective node as well as a respected performer.
- Beck (1970) - A shape-shifting musician who blended folk, rock, hip-hop, and electronic sounds into a singular, genre-hopping career.
- Sophia Bush (1982) - Known for long-running television work and for pairing entertainment visibility with sustained advocacy.
On this day
- 1497 - Vasco da Gama set sail from Lisbon on the voyage that opened a sea route from Europe to India.
- 1776 - The Liberty Bell rang in Philadelphia to mark the first public reading of the U.S. Declaration of Independence.
- 1889 - The Wall Street Journal began publication, becoming a major voice in business and financial reporting.
- 1947 - Reports of the Roswell incident emerged after a U.S. Army press release, fueling lasting UFO lore.
- 2011 - The final Space Shuttle mission (STS-135) launched, closing the Space Shuttle era.