Flashback

Today is Saturday, July 8, the 189th day of 2006. There are 176 days left in the year.

Today’s Highlight in History:

On July 8, 1776, Col. John Nixon gave the first public reading of the Declaration of Independence, in Philadelphia.

On this date:

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

In 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.

In 1889, The Wall Street Journal was first published.

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

In 1947, demolition work began in New York City to make way for the new permanent headquarters of the United Nations.

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

In 1975, President Ford announced he would seek the Republican nomination for the presidency in 1976.

In 1986, Admiral Hyman G. Rickover, widely regarded as “father of the nuclear navy,” died in Arlington, Va., at age 86.

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

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

Ten years ago: Hurricane Bertha slammed into the Virgin Islands with torrential rains and winds that gusted to 105 mph.

Five years ago: Cable operator Comcast mounted a hostile bid to merge with AT&T Broadband. (Although AT&T spurned that offer, the company’s board ultimately agreed to merge the cable unit with Comcast.) Venus Williams won her second consecutive Wimbledon title by beating Belgian Justine Henin 6-1, 3-6, 6-0.

One year ago: Group of Eight leaders meeting in Gleneagles, Scotland, unveiled a $50 billion package to help lift Africa from poverty and pledged new joint efforts against terrorism in response to the deadly London bombings the day before. Hurricane Dennis slammed into Cuba.