Back in the Day: Dolly the sheep becomes first clone

July 5th 1996. Dolly the Sheep becomes the first mammal to be cloned from an adult cell. The creation of Dolly was a scientific breakthrough as it proved that a cell taken from a specific part of the body could recreate a whole individual. Dolly was named as she was cloned from a mammary gland cell and her creator thought the world’s most famous sheep should share the name of the owner of some of the world’s most famous mammaries, Country and Western singer Dolly Parton. The sheep went on to live for a further six years, producing six healthy lambs in her lifetime. She was put down as she had a progressive lung disease and severe arthritis in February 2003.
 
Also on July 5: Venezuela declares independence from Spain (1811); SPAM, the luncheon meat, is introduced into the market (1937); the BBC broadcasts its first television news bulletin (1954); Arthur Ashe becomes the first man to win tennis’ Wimbledon championships (1975).

Born on July 5: P.T. Barnum (1810), Huey lewis (1950), Gianfranco Zola (1966), Amelie Mauresmo (1979), Eva Green (1980).

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