1575 Richard Taverner (died), English translator (born 1505)
1610 Ferdinando II de’ Medici (born), Grand Duke of Tuscany (died 1670)
1671 Jacques d’Allonville (born), French astronomer and mathematician (died 1732)
1696 William Oldys (born), English historian and author (died 1761)
1769 An expedition led by Gaspar de Portolà establishes a base in California and sets out to find the Port of Monterey (now Monterey, California).
1789 Alexander Mackenzie finally completes his journey to the mouth of the great river he hoped would take him to the Pacific, but which turns out to flow into the Arctic Ocean. Later named after him, the Mackenzie is the second-longest river system in North America.
1789 French Revolution: citizens of Paris storm the Bastille.
1790 French Revolution: citizens of Paris celebrate the unity of the French people and the national reconciliation in the Fête de la Fédération.
1791 The Priestley Riots drive Joseph Priestley, a supporter of the French Revolution, out of Birmingham, England.
1798 The Sedition Act becomes law in the United States making it a federal crime to write, publish, or utter false or malicious statements about the United States government.
1801 Johannes Peter Müller (born), German physiologist and anatomist (died 1858)
1850 August Neander (died), German historian and theologian (born 1789)
1853 Opening of the first major US world’s fair, the Exhibition of the Industry of All Nations in New York City.
1859 Willy Hess (born), German violinist and educator (died 1928)
1865 First ascent of the Matterhorn by Edward Whymper and party, four of whom die on the descent.
1868 Gertrude Bell (born), English archaeologist and spy (died 1926)
1872 Albert Marque (born), French sculptor and doll maker (died 1939)
1881 Billy the Kid (born 1859)is shot and killed by Pat Garrett outside Fort Sumner.
1903 Irving Stone (born), American author (died 1989)
1904 Paul Kruger (died), South African politician, 5th President of the South African Republic (born 1824)
1907 William Henry Perkin (died), English chemist (born 1838)
1910 William Hanna (born), American animator, director, producer, and actor, co-founded Hanna-Barbera (died 2001)
1911 Harry Atwood, an exhibition pilot for the Wright Brothers lands his airplane at the South Lawn of the White House. He is later awarded a Gold medal from U.S. President William Howard Taft for this feat.
1912 Woody Guthrie (born), American singer-songwriter and guitarist (Almanac Singers) (died 1967)
1913 Gerald Ford (born), American commander, lawyer, and politician, 38th President of the United States (died 2006)
1918 Ingmar Bergman (born), Swedish director, producer, and screenwriter (died 2007)
1923 Dale Robertson (born), American actor and singer (died 2013)
1923 Robert Zildjian (born), American businessman, founded Sabian (died 2013)
1927 John Chancellor (born), American journalist (died 1996)
1928 Nancy Olson (born), American actress
1930 Polly Bergen (born), American actress and singer
1931 Jacqueline de Ribes (born), French fashion designer
1933 Gleichschaltung: in Germany, all political parties are outlawed except the Nazi Party.
1933 The Nazi eugenics begins with the proclamation of the Law for the Prevention of Hereditarily Diseased Offspring that calls for the compulsory sterilization of any citizen who suffers from alleged genetic disorders.
1938 Jerry Rubin (born), American activist, author, and businessman (died 1994)
1938 Tommy Vig (born), Hungarian vibraphone player, drummer, and composer
1943 In Diamond, Missouri, the George Washington Carver National Monument becomes the first United States National Monument in honor of an African American.
1945 Jim Gordon (born), American drummer and songwriter (Traffic, Derek and the Dominos, Delaney & Bonnie, and Souther–Hillman–Furay Band)
1952 Bob Casal (born)e, American guitarist, keyboard player, and producer (Devo) (died 2014)
1952 Franklin Graham (born), American evangelist and missionary
1952 Joel Silver (born), American actor and producer, co-founded Dark Castle Entertainment
1960 Jane Goodall arrives at the Gombe Stream Reserve in present-day Tanzania to begin her famous study of chimpanzees in the wild.
1965 Adlai Stevenson II (died), American politician, 5th United States Ambassador to the United Nations (born 1900)
1965 The Mariner 4 flyby of Mars takes the first close-up photos of another planet.
1966 Ellen Reid (born), Canadian singer and pianist (Crash Test Dummies)
1966 Julie Manet (died), French painter (born 1878)
1966 Matthew Fox (born), American actor
1969 The United States $500, $1,000, $5,000 and $10,000 bills are officially withdrawn from circulation.
1971 Nick McCabe (born), English guitarist (The Verve and The Black Ships)
1976 Capital punishment is abolished in Canada.
1984 Philippé Wynne (died), American singer (The Spinners) (born 1941)
1992 386BSD is released by Lynne Jolitz and William Jolitz beginning the Open Source Operating System Revolution. Linus Torvalds releases his Linux soon afterwards.
1998 Richard McDonald (died), American businessman, co-founded McDonald’s (born 1909)
2000 A powerful solar flare, later named the Bastille Day event, causes a geomagnetic storm on Earth.
2000 Meredith MacRae (died), American actress and singer (born 1944)
2002 French President Jacques Chirac escapes an assassination attempt unscathed during Bastille Day celebrations.
2003 In an effort to discredit U.S. Ambassador Joseph C. Wilson, who had written an article critical of the 2003 invasion of Iraq, Washington Post columnist Robert Novak reveals that Wilson’s wife Valerie Plame is a CIA “operative”.
EO Smith
Latest posts by EO Smith (see all)
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