What Happened on July 8

National Desk

2022 — Abe Assassinated During Campaign Speech in Nara

Former Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe, 67, was shot and killed while addressing a crowd near Yamato-Saidaiji Station — an attack that sent shockwaves through a nation unaccustomed to political violence.

Japan's post-war political calm was shattered on Friday when a lone gunman cut down the nation's longest-serving prime minister in the middle of a campaign speech, a killing that recalled the darkest days of the 1930s. Shinzo Abe, 67, was shot from behind as he addressed a small crowd outside Yamato-Saidaiji Station in Nara City, and was pronounced dead hours later.

The suspected assassin, 41-year-old Tetsuya Yamagami, was arrested at the scene. He told investigators he acted out of resentment against the Unification Church, saying his mother's 2002 bankruptcy drove him to blame the religious group for ruining his family. He used an improvised firearm, a crude homemade weapon, according to police.

Abe was the first former Japanese prime minister to be assassinated since Saitō Makoto and Takahashi Korekiyo were killed in the February 26 incident of 1936, when mutinous army officers seized the capital. The attack during a routine political stop, with no visible security cordon, has raised urgent questions about the protection afforded to former leaders.

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, visibly shaken, announced that a state funeral for Abe would be held on 27 September. The decision, made within hours of the killing, drew mixed reactions from a public that had watched Abe dominate politics for two decades as the architect of his 'Abenomics' program and a tireless advocate for revising the pacifist constitution.

• Shinzo Abe was assassinated on 8 July 2022 while delivering a campaign speech outside Yamato-Saidaiji Station in Nara City.
• The assassin, 41-year-old Tetsuya Yamagami, used an improvised firearm and was arrested at the scene.
• Abe was the first former Japanese prime minister assassinated since Saitō Makoto and Takahashi Korekiyo in the 1936 February 26 incident.
• Yamagami told investigators he shot Abe due to a grudge against the Unification Church over his mother's 2002 bankruptcy.
• Prime Minister Fumio Kishida decided to hold a state funeral for Abe on 27 September 2022.

From the Provinces

1776 — Declaration Read Aloud in Philadelphia and Beyond

Colonel John Nixon read the Declaration of Independence to a gathered crowd at the State House yard in Philadelphia, while simultaneous readings took place in Trenton and Easton.

Colonel John Nixon, standing in the yard of the State House, raised the printed sheet and read aloud the words that severed the American colonies from the British Crown, his voice carrying over the assembled citizens of Philadelphia. The reading came at noon, and it was the first formal public proclamation of the Declaration of Independence, two days after the Congress at that same State House had given its unanimous assent to the document on the fourth of July.

The Declaration had already been set in type by the Pennsylvania Evening Post, which published it on the sixth, and copies were dispatched to the several colonies. But for the people of Philadelphia, this was the moment of hearing, not reading. Nixon, a colonel of the city's associators and a man of known patriotic zeal, was chosen to give voice to the text, and he did so with a deliberation that matched the gravity of the occasion.

At the very same hour, according to accounts from the neighboring provinces, the Declaration was read aloud in Trenton, New Jersey, and in Easton, Pennsylvania, so that the news might spread as rapidly as the post and the rider could carry it.

• The first public readings of the Declaration occurred simultaneously on July 8, 1776, at noon, at three locations: Trenton, New Jersey; Easton, Pennsylvania; and Philadelphia.
• Two days after its ratification, on July 6, 1776, the Declaration was published by The Pennsylvania Evening Post.
• The Declaration was adopted unanimously by the Second Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, at the Pennsylvania State House in Philadelphia.
• The Declaration was printed as the Dunlap broadside and two original copies are preserved at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C.

Auction House

2021 — Leonardo Bear Drawing Fetches Record £8.8m

A small silverpoint drawing of a bear's head, one of only eight Leonardo drawings in private hands, sold in London for £8.8 million including fees.

£8.8 million. That is the sum a collector paid in London for Leonardo da Vinci's Head of a Bear, a small silverpoint drawing that set a record for any work on paper by the Renaissance master. The hammer fell at £7.5 million, and with the buyer's premium the total reached £8.8 million.

The sale was notable not only for the price but for the bidding. The drawing attracted a single bid, placed in person by a young American man and woman seated in the auction room. The same pair also bought an autographed manuscript by Sir Isaac Newton for £1.7 million, according to the auction house.

The previous record for a Leonardo drawing stood at £8.1 million, paid in 2001 for Horse and Rider. The Head of a Bear, executed in silverpoint on prepared paper, is among the most celebrated of Leonardo's animal studies, showing the artist's mastery of line and his close observation of the natural world.

• The drawing sold for £7.5 million hammer price, totalling £8.8 million with fees.
• It attracted only one bid, placed in person by a young American man and woman.
• The bidders also purchased an autographed Sir Isaac Newton manuscript for £1.7 million.
• The sale set a new record for a Leonardo drawing, surpassing the £8.1 million paid for "Horse and Rider" in 2001.
• The drawing is one of only eight known Leonardo drawings in private hands.

Sports Desk

1990 — Brehme Penalty Gives West Germany World Cup

Andreas Brehme converted an 85th-minute penalty to give West Germany a 1-0 victory over Argentina in Rome, making Franz Beckenbauer the first man to win the trophy as player and coach.

West Germany won the World Cup for the third time on Sunday, beating defending champions Argentina 1-0 in Rome on an 85th-minute penalty by Andreas Brehme. The match at the Stadio Olimpico, watched by a crowd of more than 73,000, was a tense, physical affair that turned on a single spot kick.

Brehme, the left back, sent the ball past Argentine goalkeeper Sergio Goycochea, who had guessed correctly but could not reach the shot. It was the only goal of the game, and it secured the title for the Germans, who had lost the 1986 final to Argentina in Mexico City.

The match was the first rematch of a World Cup final, and it is the only time such a rematch has occurred in consecutive tournaments. Argentina, meanwhile, became the first team to fail to score in a World Cup final, a sobering statistic for a side that had been expected to mount a sterner challenge.

Pedro Monzón of Argentina became the first player to be sent off in a World Cup final, receiving a straight red card in the second half for a foul on Jürgen Klinsmann.

• Andreas Brehme scored the game's only goal on a penalty kick in the 85th minute.
• The match was the first rematch of a World Cup final and the only back-to-back rematch.
• Argentina became the first team to fail to score in a World Cup final.
• Pedro Monzón was the first player sent off in a World Cup final, receiving a straight red card.
• West Germany became the first team to play in three consecutive World Cup finals (1982, 1986, 1990).

World Cup Desk

2014 — Germany Stuns Brazil 7-1 in Semi-Final, Sets Records

Germany led 5-0 within 29 minutes, a record semi-final margin, ending Brazil's 62-match home streak.

The Mineirão fell silent as Germany ran over Brazil 7-1 in the World Cup semi-final, shattering records and ending the host nation's hopes. Germany led 5-0 within 29 minutes, scoring four goals in a six-minute span. Miroslav Klose scored his 16th career World Cup goal, surpassing Brazil's Ronaldo as the all-time leading scorer. The loss broke Brazil's 62-match unbeaten streak at home in competitive matches, dating to the 1975 Copa América. It was the largest margin of victory in a World Cup semi-final. Germany also overtook Brazil as the highest-scoring team in tournament history. Brazil were without Neymar, out with a fractured vertebra, and captain Thiago Silva, suspended on yellow cards. The defeat left the host nation reeling, with many fans in tears as the final whistle approached.

• Germany led 5–0 within 29 minutes, with four goals scored in a six-minute span.
• Miroslav Klose scored his 16th career World Cup goal, surpassing Brazil's Ronaldo as the all-time record goalscorer.
• Brazil's loss broke their 62-match unbeaten streak at home in competitive matches, dating to the 1975 Copa América.
• The match was the largest margin of victory in a FIFA World Cup semi-final.
• Germany overtook Brazil as the highest-scoring team in World Cup tournament history.

European Affairs

1709 — Poltava Victory Reshapes Northern War; Charles XII Flees

Russia's decisive win at Poltava destroyed the Swedish army and drove Charles XII into exile, reviving the anti-Swedish coalition.

The balance of the Great Northern War has shifted decisively. On July 8, 1709, Russian troops under Peter the Great destroyed the main Swedish army at Poltava, forcing King Charles XII to flee to Bender in the Ottoman Empire.

• The main Swedish army was destroyed at the decisive Battle of Poltava on July 8, 1709.
• The battle forced Charles XII into exile in the Ottoman town of Bender.
• Denmark–Norway and Saxony re-entered the war against Sweden after the defeat at Poltava.
• Augustus the Strong regained the Polish throne following the Swedish defeat at Poltava.
• Peter the Great and Augustus the Strong allied again in the Treaty of Thorn after the battle.

Far East War Desk

1950 — U.S. Forces Pull Back From Cheonan After Heavy Losses

American troops withdrew from Cheonan on July 8, 1950, following heavy casualties inflicted by a North Korean attack.

The summer of 1950 has brought hard retreats for United Nations forces in Korea. American troops withdrew from Cheonan on July 8, 1950, after suffering heavy casualties from a North Korean attack. The town, a rail junction south of Seoul, fell as the North Korean army pressed its offensive.

• American troops withdrew from Cheonan on July 8, 1950, after suffering heavy casualties from a North Korean attack.

Southwest Military Affairs

1947 — Army Says Crashed 'Disc' Was a Weather Balloon

Major Walter Haut’s July 8 press release said the military recovered a 'flying disc' near Roswell, but the army retracted it, saying the crashed object was a conventional weather balloon.

Major Walter Haut, public information officer at Roswell Army Air Field, issued a press release July 8 stating the military had recovered a 'flying disc' near Roswell, New Mexico. The announcement made international headlines. Within a day, however, the army retracted it, saying the crashed object was a conventional weather balloon. Debris found by rancher W. W. 'Mac' Brazel consisted of tinfoil, rubber, tape, and thin wooden beams. A demonstration of weather balloon usage for the press is expected later this week. The swift reversal has left many questions unanswered, but the army insists there is nothing unusual about the wreckage.

• On July 8, 1947, RAAF public information officer Walter Haut issued a press release stating the military had recovered a 'flying disc' near Roswell.
• The announcement made international headlines but was retracted within a day.
• The debris was actually from a top-secret Project Mogul balloon train launched on June 4, 1947 from Alamogordo Army Air Field.
• To obscure the purpose and source of the debris, the army reported it was merely a conventional weather balloon.
• Four officers gave a false demonstration of weather balloon usage to the press on July 10, 1947.