Today is Wednesday, July 8, the 189th day of 2009. There are 176 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:

July 8, 1919, President Woodrow Wilson received a tumultuous welcome in New York City after his return from the Versailles Peace Conference in France; Wilson then headed back to Washington, arriving around midnight.

On this date:

1663, King Charles II of England granted a Royal Charter to Rhode Island.

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

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.

1889, The Wall Street Journal was first published.

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

1950, President Harry S. Truman named Gen. Douglas MacArthur commander in chief of U.N. forces in Korea.

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

Today's Birthdays: Actor Jeffrey Tambor is 65. Children's performer Raffi is 61. Actor Kevin Bacon is 51. Country singer Toby Keith is 48. Rock singer Joan Osborne is 47. Actor Billy Crudup is 41. Singer Beck is 39. Actress Sophia Bush is 27. Rock musician Jamie Cook (Arctic Monkeys) is 24. Actor Jake McDorman is 23. Actor Jaden Smith is 11.

The Associated Press