Michael Phelps won the 100-meter butterfly swim in a record 50:58 at the Beijing Olympic finals.
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Nikephoros II Phokas was crowned emperor of the Byzantine Empire.
Cyprus gained its independence from the United Kingdom.
Julian Assange, who founded WikiLeaks, was given political asylum by Ecuador.
The Junkers Ju 287, the first jet with forward-swept wings, made its first flight.
Georgian heavyweight-lifting champion Lasha Talakhadze smashed a world record by lifting an incredible 473 kg.
