1718 Off the coast of North Carolina, British pirate Edward Teach (best known as “Blackbeard”) is killed in battle with a boarding party led by Royal Navy Lieutenant Robert Maynard (born 1680).
1744 Abigail Adams (born), American wife of John Adams, 2nd First Lady of the United States (died 1818)
1869 In Dumbarton, Scotland, the clipper Cutty Sark is launched – one of the last clippers ever built, and the only one still surviving today.
1890 Charles de Gaulle (born), French general and politician, President of France (died 1970)
1893 Harley Earl (born), American businessman and first head of Genreal Motors (died 1969)
1902 Walter Reed (died), American physician, confirmed that yellow fever is carried the one mosquito species (born 1851)
1916 Jack London (died), American journalist and author (born 1876)
1921 Rodney Dangerfield (born), American comedian and actor (died 2004)
1928 The premier performance of Ravel’s Boléro takes place in Paris.
1935 The China Clipper, the first transpacific mail and passenger service, takes off from Alameda, California for its first commercial flight. It reaches its destination, Manila, a week later.
1943 Billie Jean King (born), American tennis player
1943 US President Franklin D. Roosevelt, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, and Chinese leader Chiang Kai-shek meet in Cairo, Egypt, to discuss ways to defeat Japan.
1947 Salt Walther (born), American race car driver (died 2012)
1950 Steven Van Zandt (born), American singer-songwriter, guitarist, producer, and actor (E Street Band, Steel Mill, and Southside Johnny & The Asbury Jukes, Sopranos)
1958 Jamie Lee Curtis (born), American actress
1963 Aldous Huxley (died), English author (born 1894)
1963 C. S. Lewis (died), Irish author (born 1898)
1963 In Dallas, Texas, US President John F. Kennedy, 35th President of the United States (born 1917), is assassinated and Texas Governor John Connally is seriously wounded. Suspect Lee Harvey Oswald is later captured and charged with the murder of both the President and police officer J. D. Tippit. Oswald is shot two days later by Jack Ruby while in police custody.
1977 British Airways inaugurates a regular London to New York City supersonic Concorde service.
1980 Mae West (died), American actress (born 1893)
1986 Mike Tyson defeats Trevor Berbick to become youngest Heavyweight champion in boxing history.
1987 Two Chicago television stations are hijacked by an unknown pirate dressed as Max Headroom.
1988 In Palmdale, California, the first prototype B-2 Spirit stealth bomber is revealed.
1990 British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher withdraws from the Conservative Party leadership election, confirming the end of her premiership.
1995 Toy Story is released as the first feature-length film created completely using computer-generated imagery.
2005 Angela Merkel becomes the first female Chancellor of Germany.
2011 Lynn Margulis (died), American biologist (born 1938)
EO Smith
Latest posts by EO Smith (see all)
- Patriotism - 4 July, 2017
- The Super Sucker Bowl - 10 February, 2017
- Alternative Facts and Science - 24 January, 2017