5 Things You Need To Know For July 8, 2026

July 8, 2026 5:55 am Published by Chris McLeod

_{July 8th is the 189th day of the year. There are 176 days remaining until the end of the year.}

The Chatham Concert Band is back on stage tonight.

This is the 99th year for the Summer Concert Series, the show is free beginning at 7 p.m.

Conductor Vaughn Pugh will chat with CKMORNINGS at 6:50 this morning.

Next Friday (July 18) is Healthy Parks Healthy People Day, and that means free day-use admission at all Ontario provincial parks.

The day celebrates the physical and mental health benefits of spending time outdoors. Whether you’re planning a hike, a picnic, a swim, or just some quiet time in nature.

One of the greatest players in Toronto Raptors history has officially called it a career.

Kyle Lowry signed a one-day contract with Toronto Tuesday, retiring as a Raptor after 20 NBA seasons. The six-time NBA All-Star helped lead the franchise to its first NBA championship in 2019 and leaves as the team’s all-time leader in assists, steals, three-pointers made, and playoff wins.

The Raptors also announced that Lowry’s No. 7 jersey will head to the rafters at Scotiabank Arena. Lowry will join Vince Carter as the only other player in Raptors history to have his jersey retired.

One of the rarest moments on Earth will happen this morning.

Every year on July 8th at 11:15 UTC (Coordinated Universal Time) —that’s 7:15 a.m. Eastern—about 99% of the world’s population is in daylight or one of the three stages of twilight at the same time. That’s because nearly 90% of people live in the Northern Hemisphere, where July brings long summer days.

At that moment, most people are in full daylight, while others are experiencing civil, nautical, or astronomical twilight. Only about 1% of the global population is in complete night, mainly in parts of Australia, New Zealand, and nearby islands.

It’s a reminder of how the Earth tilts and a remarkably shared moment under one sky.

Today is National Video Game Day!🎮

Video games have come a long way—from simple arcade machines to massive open worlds and online multiplayer games played by millions. In fact, the gaming industry is now bigger than the movie and music industries combined.

The all-time best-selling game is Minecraft, with more than 300 million copies sold worldwide. It’s followed by Grand Theft Auto V, Tetris, Wii Sports, and PUBG: Battlegrounds, each selling well over 75 million copies.

And it’s not just kids playing. The average gamer today is in their 30s, proving that video games have become a hobby for every generation.