Michael Phelps won the 100-meter butterfly swim in a record 50:58 at the Beijing Olympic finals.
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Edwin Prescott was awarded a patent for the vertical loop Roller Coaster.
Queen Victoria of Britain sent the first-ever transatlantic telegraph to US President James Buchanan.
Cyprus gained its independence from the United Kingdom.
Julian Assange, who founded WikiLeaks, was given political asylum by Ecuador.
Over 566 wildfires swept through British Columbia in Canada, which led to a State of Emergency, and 3,000 people were evacuated.
