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1839 187 years ago Notable Births July 8 2 sources

John D. Rockefeller, American businessman and philanthropist, founded the Standard Oil Company (died 1937)

On July 8, in the year 1839, John D. Rockefeller, American businessman and philanthropist, founded the Standard Oil Company (died 1937). This event is recorded as a Notable Births event in the history of July 8, one of 357 recorded events on this date across all of history.

1 notable person is associated with this event, including John D. Rockefeller. Learn more below.

John Davison Rockefeller Sr. was an American businessman and philanthropist. He was one of the wealthiest Americans of all time and one of the richest people in history. Rockefeller was born into a large family in Upstate New York who moved several times before eventually settling in Cleveland, Ohio. He became an assistant bookkeeper at age 16 and went into several business partnerships beginning at age 20, concentrating his business on oil refining. Rockefeller founded the Standard Oil Company in 1870. He ran it until 1897 and remained its largest shareholder. In his retirement, he focused his energy and wealth on philanthropy, especially regarding education, medicine, higher education, and modernizing the Southern United States.

Key Facts

  • This event took place on July 8, 1839 (AD era).
  • It is categorised as a Notable Births event in recorded history.
  • Referenced in 2 Wikipedia articles.
  • 1 notable person is recorded as involved in or associated with this event.
  • Wikipedia source last updated on 20 June 2026.

On This Date in History 357

Type Year Date Event
Notable Deaths 2025 Jul 8 Edward D. DiPrete, American politician, 70th Governor of Rhode Island
Notable Deaths 2025 Jul 8 Paulette Jiles, American writer (born 1943)
Historical Events 2022 Jul 8 Former Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe is shot and killed with an improvised firearm due to resentment against the…
Notable Deaths 2022 Jul 8 Shinzo Abe, Japanese politician (born 1954)
Notable Deaths 2022 Jul 8 Larry Storch, American actor and comedian (born 1923)
Notable Deaths 2022 Jul 8 Luis Echeverría, Mexican lawyer and politician (born 1922)
Notable Deaths 2022 Jul 8 Tony Sirico, American actor (born 1942)
Selected Events 2022 Jul 8 Former Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe (pictured) was assassinated with an improvised firearm due to resentment…
Selected Events 2021 Jul 8 Head of a Bear (pictured) sold at auction in London for a total of £8.8 million, a record for a drawing by Leonardo da…
Notable Deaths 2020 Jul 8 Naya Rivera, American actress, model and singer (born 1987)
Notable Deaths 2020 Jul 8 Alex Pullin, Australian snowboarder (born 1987)
Notable Deaths 2018 Jul 8 Tab Hunter, American actor, pop singer, film producer and author (born 1931)
Notable Deaths 2016 Jul 8 Abdul Sattar Edhi, Pakistani philanthropist (born 1928)
Notable Deaths 2015 Jul 8 Ken Stabler, American football player and sportscaster (born 1945)
Notable Deaths 2015 Jul 8 James Tate, American poet (born 1943)
Historical Events 2014 Jul 8 Israel launches an offensive on Gaza amid rising tensions following the kidnapping and murder of three Israeli…
Historical Events 2014 Jul 8 The Brazil national football team suffers its joint-worst defeat, losing 7–1 to Germany in the semi-finals of the FIFA…
Notable Deaths 2014 Jul 8 Plínio de Arruda Sampaio, Brazilian lawyer and politician (born 1930)
Notable Deaths 2014 Jul 8 John V. Evans, American soldier and politician, 27th Governor of Idaho (born 1925)
Notable Deaths 2014 Jul 8 Ben Pangelinan, Guamanian businessman and politician (born 1956)
Notable Deaths 2014 Jul 8 Howard Siler, American bobsledder and coach (born 1945)
Notable Deaths 2014 Jul 8 Tom Veryzer, American baseball player (born 1953)
Selected Events 2014 Jul 8 German citizen Lars Mittank disappeared from Varna Airport, Bulgaria; his last known movements were widely watched on…
Selected Events 2014 Jul 8 In the 2014 FIFA World Cup semi-final at the Mineirão, Germany defeated Brazil 7–1 (players pictured), breaking…
Notable Deaths 2013 Jul 8 Dick Gray, American baseball player (born 1931)
Notable Deaths 2013 Jul 8 Edmund Morgan, American historian and author (born 1916)
Notable Deaths 2013 Jul 8 Claudiney Ramos, Brazilian footballer (born 1980)
Notable Deaths 2013 Jul 8 Rubby Sherr, American physicist and academic (born 1913)
Notable Deaths 2013 Jul 8 Sundri Uttamchandani, Indian author (born 1924)
Notable Deaths 2013 Jul 8 Brett Walker, American songwriter and producer (born 1961)
Notable Deaths 2012 Jul 8 Muhammed bin Saud Al Saud, Saudi Arabian politician (born 1934)
Notable Deaths 2012 Jul 8 Ernest Borgnine, American actor (born 1917)
Notable Deaths 2012 Jul 8 Gyang Dalyop Datong, Nigerian physician and politician (born 1959)
Notable Deaths 2012 Jul 8 Martin Pakledinaz, American costume designer (born 1953)
Historical Events 2011 Jul 8 Space Shuttle Atlantis is launched in the final mission of the U.S. Space Shuttle program.
Notable Deaths 2011 Jul 8 Roberts Blossom, American actor and poet (born 1924)
Notable Deaths 2011 Jul 8 Betty Ford, 38th First Lady of the United States (born 1918)
Notable Deaths 2009 Jul 8 Midnight, American singer-songwriter (born 1962)
Notable Deaths 2008 Jul 8 John Templeton, American-born British businessman and philanthropist (born 1912)
Notable Deaths 2007 Jul 8 Chandra Shekhar, Indian lawyer and politician, 9th Prime Minister of India (born 1927)
Notable Deaths 2007 Jul 8 Jack B. Sowards, American screenwriter and producer (born 1929)
Notable Deaths 2006 Jul 8 June Allyson, American actress and singer (born 1917)
Notable Deaths 2005 Jul 8 Maurice Baquet, French actor and cellist (born 1911)
Notable Deaths 2004 Jul 8 Paula Danziger, American author and educator (born 1944)
Historical Events 2003 Jul 8 Sudan Airways Flight 139 crashes near Port Sudan Airport during an emergency landing attempt, killing 116 of the 117…
Selected Events 2003 Jul 8 Sudan Airways Flight 139 crashed near Port Sudan Airport during an emergency landing attempt, killing 116 of the 117…
Notable Deaths 2002 Jul 8 Ward Kimball, American animator and trombonist (born 1914)
Notable Deaths 2001 Jul 8 John O'Shea, New Zealand director, producer, and screenwriter (born 1920)
Notable Births 1999 Jul 8 İpek Öz, Turkish tennis player
Notable Deaths 1999 Jul 8 Pete Conrad, American captain, pilot, and astronaut. Third man to walk on the moon. (born 1930)

This article draws on content from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

People Involved

John D. Rockefeller

American business magnate (1839–1937)

birth

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