 Was World War II over? I thought it was in 1948. Not according to this. It ended in 45. That's what I had, 41 to 45 for our part. Anyway, this is 48 during World War II. The Space Shuttle Program, 2011, launched Atlantis. It was the final mission for that part of the program. And this date in history, July 8, 2011. Celebrated birthdays, Eli Lilly.