Cyprus gained its independence from the United Kingdom.
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Michael Phelps won the 100-meter butterfly swim in a record 50:58 at the Beijing Olympic finals.
Edwin Prescott was awarded a patent for the vertical loop Roller Coaster.
The world's first colored cartoon with synchronized sound was released.
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.
