1667 Jonathan Swift (born), Irish author (died 1745)
1707 The second Siege of Pensacola comes to end with the failure of the British to capture Pensacola, Florida.
1803 In New Orleans, Louisiana, Spanish representatives officially transferred the Louisiana Territory to a French representative. Just 20 days later, France transferred the same land to the United States as the Louisiana Purchase.
1804 The United States Senate begins an impeachment trial against Federalist-partisan, Supreme Court of the United States Justice, Samuel Chase.
1810 Oliver Winchester (born), American businessman, founded the Winchester Repeating Arms Company (died 1880)
1835 Mark Twain (born), American author (died 1910)
1836 Lord Frederick Cavendish (born), English politician (died 1882)
1840 Henry Birks (born), Canadian businessman, founded Birks & Mayors (died 1928)
1874 Winston Churchill (born), English politician, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Nobel Prize laureate (died 1965)
1886 The Folies Bergère stages its first revue.
1900 Oscar Wilde (died), Irish author and poet (born 1854)
1902 Second-in-command of Butch Cassidy’s Wild Bunch gang, Kid Curry Logan, is sentenced to 20 years imprisonment with hard labor.
1907 Jacques Barzun (born), French-American historian and author (died 2012)
1915 Brownie McGhee (born), American singer and guitarist (died 1996)
1915 Henry Taube (born) Canadian-American chemist, Nobel Prize laureate (died 2005)
1918 Efrem Zimbalist, Jr. (born), American actor
1929 Dick Clark (born), American television host and producer, founded Dick Clark Productions (died 2012)
1934 The steam locomotive Flying Scotsman becomes the first locomotive to officially exceed 100mph.
1936 Abbie Hoffman (born), American activist, co-founded the Youth International Party (died 1989)
1936 In London, the Crystal Palace is destroyed by fire.
1937 Ridley Scott (born), English director and producer
1940 Lucille Ball marries Desi Arnaz in Greenwich, Connecticut.
1952 Mandy Patinkin (born), American actor and singer
1954 Lawrence Summers (born), American economist and academic, 27th President of Harvard University
1979 Zeppo Marx (died), American actor and comedian (born 1901)
1982 Michael Jackson’s second solo album, Thriller, with producer Quincy Jones was released worldwide and became the biggest-selling album worldwide and still is to this day.
1993 U.S. President Bill Clinton signs the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act (the Brady Bill) into law.
1995 Official end of Operation Desert Storm.
1996 Tiny Tim (died), American singer and ukulele player (born 1932)
1998 Exxon and Mobil sign a $73.7 billion USD agreement to merge, thus creating Exxon-Mobil, the world’s largest company.
2001 In Renton, Washington, Gary Ridgway aka The Green River Killer is arrested.
2004 Longtime Jeopardy champion Ken Jennings of Salt Lake City, Utah finally loses, leaving him with US$2,520,700, television’s biggest game show winnings.
2007 Evel Knievel (died), American motorcycle rider and stuntman (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