This Day in History

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THIS DAY IN HISTORY June 21 1788 U.S. Constitution ratified New Hampshire becomes the ninth and last necessary state to ratify the Constitution of the United States, thereby making the document the law of the land. By 1786, defects in the post-Revolutionary War Articles of Confederation were apparent, such as the lack of central authority over foreign and domestic... read more 19th CENTURY 1813 France pushed out of Spain in the decisive battle of the Peninsular War 1876 General Santa Anna dies in Mexico City American Revolution 1779 Spain declares war against Great Britain Art, Literature and Film History 1920 Hollywood stars Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks mobbed by crowds 1956 Arthur Miller refuses to name communists 1965 "Mr. Tambourine Man" is released, and the folk-rock revolution is on Crime 1964 The KKK kills three civil rights activists 1982 John Hinckley Jr., who attempted to assassinate Ronald Reagan, found not guilty LATIN AMERICAN HISTORY 1916 U.S. General John J. Pershing's force attacked by Mexican troops Natural Disasters & Environment 1990 Earthquake devastates Iran SPACE EXPLORATION 2004 First privately owned spacecraft, SS1, travels beyond the earth’s atmosphere U.S. Presidents 1810 Zachary Taylor and Richard Nixon marry their future first ladies World War II 1942 Allies surrender at Tobruk, Libya

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THIS DAY IN HISTORY June 22 1944 FDR signs G.I. Bill On June 22, 1944, U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt signs the G.I. Bill, an unprecedented act of legislation designed to compensate returning members of the armed services—known as G.I.s—for their efforts in World War II. As the last of its sweeping New Deal reforms, Roosevelt's administration... read more American Revolution 1775 Congress authorizes the issue of Continental currency Art, Literature and Film History 2001 Blockbuster hit movie "The Fast and the Furious" released Civil War 1864 Confederates strike back in the Battle of Jerusalem Plank Road Crime 1611 Henry Hudson set adrift by mutineers 2011 Notorious Boston mobster Whitey Bulger is arrested World War I 1898 Author Erich Maria Remarque born World War II 1941 Germany launches Operation Barbarossa—the invasion of Russia 1945 Battle of Okinawa ends

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THIS DAY IN HISTORY June 23 1972 Title IX enacted On June 23, 1972, Title IX of the education amendments of 1972 is enacted into law. Title IX prohibits federally funded educational institutions from discriminating against students or employees based on sex. It begins: “No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded... read more 21st CENTURY 2013 Wallenda crosses Little Grand Canyon on high wire 2018 Thai soccer team becomes trapped in cave AFRICAN HISTORY 1956 Gamal Abdel Nasser elected president of Egypt Art, Literature and Film History 1989 Tim Burton's "Batman" released Crime 1992 Mafia boss John Gotti, aka “Teflon Don,” sentenced to life 1993 Lorena Bobbitt maims her husband with a kitchen knife U.S. Presidents 1972 Haldeman encourages Nixon, on tape, to thwart FBI inquiry into Watergate

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THIS DAY IN HISTORY June 24 1997 U.S. Air Force reports on Roswell On June 24, 1997, U.S. Air Force officials release a 231-page report dismissing long-standing claims of an alien spacecraft crash in Roswell, New Mexico, almost exactly 50 years earlier. Public interest in Unidentified Flying Objects, or UFOs... read more 1980s 1982 Garment workers' strike begins in New York City's Chinatown 21st CENTURY 2021 98 people die in Surfside condo collapse Art, Literature and Film History 1997 Disney pulls Insane Clown Posse album on release day 2005 Tom Cruise raises eyebrows in "Today" show interview Cold War 1948 Soviets blockade West Berlin Colonial America 1675 King Philip's War begins Crime 1973 UpStairs Lounge arson attack 1993 Unabomber mail bomb injures Yale professor EUROPEAN HISTORY 1717 1st Masonic Grand Lodge formed in London 1812 Napoleon's Grande Armée invades Russia Vietnam War 1970 Senate votes to repeal Gulf of Tonkin Resolution

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THIS DAY IN HISTORY June 25 1876 Battle of the Little Bighorn On June 25, 1876, Native American forces led by Crazy Horse and Sitting Bull defeat the U.S. Army troops of General George Armstrong Custer in the Battle of the Little Bighorn near southern Montana's Little Bighorn River. Crazy Horse and Sitting Bull, leaders of the Sioux tribe on ... read more 1950s 1950 Korean War begins 1990s 1996 Khobar Towers bombing in Saudi Arabia kills 19 U.S. airmen Art, Literature and Film History 1988 Teenager Debbie Gibson earns a #1 hit with "Foolish Beat" 2009 "King of Pop" Michael Jackson dies at age 50 BLACK HISTORY 1941 FDR signs order banning discrimination in the defense industry Civil War 1864 Union begins tunneling toward Rebels at Petersburg Crime 1910 Congress passes Mann Act, aimed at curbing sex trafficking GAY RIGHTS 1978 First rainbow Pride flag premieres at San Francisco parade Inventions & Science 1956 Last Packard—the classic American luxury car—produced U.S. PRESIDENTS 1953 Jacqueline Bouvier and Senator John F. Kennedy announce engagement Vietnam War 1965 Viet Cong blow up a floating restaurant Women's History 1993 Kim Campbell becomes Canada's first female prime minister World War I 1915 Germans release statement on use of poison gas at Ypres World War II 1942 Eisenhower takes command

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THIS DAY IN HISTORY June 26 1948 U.S. begins Berlin Airlift On June 26, 1948, U.S. and British pilots begin delivering food and supplies by airplane to Berlin after the city is isolated by a Soviet Union blockade. When World War II ended in 1945, defeated Germany was divided into Soviet, American, British and French zones of occupation. The city of Berlin... read more 1990s 1993 President Clinton punishes Iraq for plot to kill George H.W. Bush 21st CENTURY 2003 Former U.S. Senator Strom Thurmond dies Ancient Americas 1541 Francisco Pizarro, conqueror of the Incas, assassinated Art, Literature and Film History 1975 Sonny and Cher's divorce becomes final Civil War 1862 Rebels strike Union at the Battle of Mechanicsville Gay Rights 2013 Lawrence v. Texas is decided 2015 Same-sex marriage is made legal nationwide with Obergefell v. Hodges decision Inventions & Science 1956 Congress approves Federal-Aid Highway Act 1959 St. Lawrence Seaway officially opened 1974 Pack of chewing gum becomes first-ever item scanned with a UPC barcode U.S. Presidents 1844 President John Tyler weds his second wife 1963 John F. Kennedy claims solidarity with the people of Berlin World War I 1917 First U.S. troops arrive in France World War II 1945 United Nations charter signed

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THIS DAY IN HISTORY June 27 1950 President Truman orders U.S. forces to Korea On June 27, 1950, President Harry S. Truman announces that he is ordering U.S. air and naval forces to South Korea to aid the democratic nation in repulsing an invasion by communist North Korea. The United States was undertaking the major military operation, he explained, to enforce a United Nations... read more 19th CENTURY 1829 James Smithson, founding donor of the Smithsonian Institution, dies 1844 Religious founder Joseph Smith killed by mob AFRICAN HISTORY 1976 Ebola breaks out in Sudan Art, Literature and Film History 1922 First Newbery Medal for children's literature awarded to Hendrik Willem van Loon Black History 2015 Activist Bree Newsome removes Confederate flag from South Carolina State House Inventions & Science 1985 Route 66 decertified NATIVE AMERICAN HISTORY 1864 Colorado governor orders ‘friendly Indians’ to report to Army forts for sanctuary

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THIS DAY IN HISTORY June 28 1969 The Stonewall Riots begin in NYC’s Greenwich Village Sometime after midnight on June 28, 1969, in what is now regarded by many as history's first major protest on behalf of equal rights for LGBTQ people, a police raid of the Stonewall Inn—a popular gay club located on New York City's Christopher Street—turns violent as ... read more EARLY 20th CENTURY U.S 1904 Helen Keller graduates from Radcliffe, first DeafBlind person to earn a B.A. 21st CENTURY 2007 Bald Eagle removed from list of threatened species EUROPEAN HISTORY 1519 Charles I of Spain crowned Holy Roman Emperor, becomes Charles V Inventions & Science 2006 DaimlerChrysler announces Smart Car's arrival in the U.S. Natural Disasters & Environment 1992 Two big quakes rock California Sports 1997 Boxer Mike Tyson bites off part of an opponent's ear U.S. PRESIDENTS 1836 Former President James Madison dies Vietnam War 1965 U.S. forces launch first military offensive in Vietnam 1972 Nixon announces draftees will not go to Vietnam World War I 1914 Austria's Archduke Ferdinand assassinated World War II 1940 Britain recognizes General Charles de Gaulle as the leader of the Free French Hitler takes a tour of Paris

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THIS DAY IN HISTORY June 29 1995 U.S. space shuttle docks with Russian space station On June 29, 1995, the American space shuttle Atlantis docks with the Russian space station Mir to form the largest man-made satellite ever to orbit the Earth. This historic moment of cooperation between former rival space programs was also the 100th human space mission in American history... read more American Revolution 1776 South Carolina's Edward Rutledge opposes independence Art, Literature and Film History 1613 The Globe Theatre burns down 1956 Marilyn Monroe weds playwright Arthur Miller 1967 The Rolling Stones fight the law, and the law wins 1967 Actress Jayne Mansfield dies in car crash 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival begins 2003 Academy Award-winning actress Katharine Hepburn dies at age 96 COLD WAR 1974 Soviet dancer Mikhail Baryshnikov defects from USSR Crime 2001 Boston doctor found guilty of killing wife LATIN AMERICAN HISTORY 1974 Isabel Perón takes office as Argentine president Sports 1950 U.S. World Cup team wins unlikely victory over England 1958 Pelé leads Brazil to first World Cup title U.S. GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS 1972 Supreme Court strikes down death penalty World War I 1917 Greece breaks diplomatic ties with the Central Powers World War II 1941 Germans capture Lvov—and slaughter ensues

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THIS DAY IN HISTORY June 30 1520 Spanish retreat from Aztec capital June 30, 1520: Faced with an Aztec revolt against their rule, forces under the Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés fight their way out of Tenochtitlan at heavy cost. Known to the Spanish as La Noche Triste, or “the Night of Sadness,” many soldiers drowned in Lake Texcoco... read more 19th CENTURY 1859 Daredevil crosses Niagara Falls on tightrope 1876 Wounded soldiers evacuated from the Little Big Horn by steamboat Art, Literature and Film History 1936 “Gone With the Wind” published 1989 "Do the Right Thing" released in theaters 2015 Misty Copeland becomes American Ballet Theater’s first Black principal dancer SCIENCE & INVENTION 1905 Einstein publishes his groundbreaking theory of relativity 1953 First Chevy Corvette rolls off the assembly line Space Exploration 1971 Soviet cosmonauts perish in reentry disaster World War II 1934 Hitler purges members of his own Nazi party in Night of the Long Knives

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THIS DAY IN HISTORY July 1 1997 Hong Kong returned to China At midnight on July 1, 1997, Hong Kong reverts back to Chinese rule in a ceremony attended by British Prime Minister Tony Blair, Prince Charles of Wales, Chinese President Jiang Zemin and U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright. A few thousand Hong Kongers protested the turnover, which was otherwise peaceful... read more 19th CENTURY 1867 Canada established as a self-governing state 1898 The Battle of San Juan Hill 1960s 1963 U.S. Post Office introduces zip codes Art, Literature and Film History 1979 The first Sony Walkman goes on sale 1984 PG-13 rating debuts Civil War 1863 The Battle of Gettysburg begins Cold War 1947 "Mr. X" article on Soviet Union appears in Foreign Affairs Crime 2003 Kobe Bryant accuser goes to police Inventions & Science 2005 Last Ford Thunderbird produced WOMEN'S HISTORY 1972 First standalone issue of “Ms.” Magazine is published World War I 1916 Battle of the Somme begins World War II 1942 The Battle of El Alamein begins

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THIS DAY IN HISTORY July 2 1964 President Johnson signs Civil Rights Act On July 2, 1964, U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson signs into law the historic Civil Rights Act in a nationally televised ceremony at the White House. In the landmark 1954 case Brown v. Board of Education, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that racial segregation in schools was unconstitutional... read more 19th CENTURY 1865 Salvation Army founded 21st CENTURY 2021 U.S. withdraws from Bagram Air Force Base in Afghanistan American Revolution 1776 Continental Congress votes for independence from Britain Art, Literature and Film History 1977 "Gonna Fly Now (Theme From 'Rocky')" is the #1 song on the U.S. pop charts 1992 Stephen Hawking breaks British bestseller records 1997 "Men in Black" premieres in theaters Civil War 1863 Fighting continues at the Battle of Gettysburg Cold War 1947 Soviet Union rejects Marshall Plan assistance Crime 1881 President James A. Garfield shot Exploration 1937 Amelia Earhart disappears MIDDLE EASTERN HISTORY 1990 Pilgrim stampede kills 1,400 Slavery 1839 Mutiny on the Amistad

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THIS DAY IN HISTORY July 3 1863 Battle of Gettysburg ends On the third day of the Battle of Gettysburg, Confederate General Robert E. Lee's last attempt at breaking the Union line ends in disastrous failure, bringing the most decisive battle of the American Civil War to an end. In June 1863, following his masterful victory at the Battle of Chancellorsville... read more 19th CENTURY 1887 Gunfighter Clay Allison killed 1890 Idaho becomes 43rd state 1980s 1988 U.S. warship downs Iranian passenger jet American Revolution 1775 George Washington takes command of Continental Army Art, Literature and Film History 1969 Brian Jones and Jim Morrison die, two years apart to the day Crime 1989 Mother, suspected in the deaths of her four children, admits killing two U.S. Presidents 1958 President Eisenhower initiates federal flood-control program World War I 1918 Mohammed V, sultan of Turkey, dies

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THIS DAY IN HISTORY July 5 1946 Bikini introduced On July 5, 1946, French designer Louis Réard unveils a daring two-piece swimsuit at the Piscine Molitor, a popular swimming pool in Paris. Parisian showgirl Micheline Bernardini modeled the new fashion, which Réard dubbed "bikini," inspired by a news-making U.S. atomic test that took... read more 1970s 1978 "Gang of 19" activists occupy Denver intersection to protest inaccessibility on the city’s bus system 1990s 1994 Amazon is founded by Jeff Bezos 21st CENTURY 2003 World Health Organization declares SARS contained worldwide American Revolution 1775 Congress adopts Olive Branch Petition Art, Literature and Film History 1954 Elvis Presley records "That's All Right (Mama)" ASIAN HISTORY 1950 First U.S. fatality in the Korean War BLACK HISTORY 1852 Frederick Douglass delivers his “What to the slave is the Fourth of July?” speech Crime 1921 Trial starts for Chicago White Sox players accused of throwing 1919 World Series Inventions & Science 1996 Dolly the sheep becomes first successfully cloned mammal NATURAL DISASTERS & ENVIRONMENT 1911 Heat wave strikes Northeast, killing hundreds Sports 1975 Arthur Ashe becomes the first Black man to win Wimbledon U.S. Presidents 1865 Andrew Johnson signs off on the execution of Lincoln assassination conspirators World War I 1914 Germany gives Austria-Hungary "blank check" assurance

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THIS DAY IN HISTORY July 6 1957 Althea Gibson is first African American to win Wimbledon On July 6, 1957, Althea Gibson claims the women's singles tennis title at Wimbledon and becomes the first African American to win a championship at London's All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club. Gibson was born on August 25, 1927, in Silver, South Carolina, and raised in the Harlem section of... read more AFRICAN HISTORY 1967 Civil war breaks out in Nigeria American Revolution 1775 Congress issues a "Declaration on the Causes and Necessity of Taking Up Arms" Art, Literature and Film History 1957 John Lennon meets Paul McCartney for the first time 1994 "Forrest Gump" opens, winning Tom Hanks a second Oscar Crime 1946 George "Bugs" Moran is arrested EARLY U.S. 1785 Continental Congress sets the dollar as the official U.S. currency EARLY 20th CENTURY U.S. 1900 Warren Earp killed in Arizona 1944 Fire engulfs circus big top in Hartford, killing 167 Holocaust 1942 Anne Frank's family takes refuge Religion 1935 Dalai Lama, leader of Tibet, is born Sports 1933 Major League Baseball's first All-Star Game is held U.S. Presidents 1946 George Walker Bush is born Women's History 1976 First women inducted into U.S. Naval Academy

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THIS DAY IN HISTORY July 7 1930 Preliminary work begins on the Hoover Dam On July 7, 1930, building begins on the future site of the Hoover Dam. Over the next five years, a total of 21,000 men would work ceaselessly to produce what would be the largest dam of its time, as well as one of the largest manmade structures in the world... read more Civil War 1863 Kit Carson begins his campaign against Native Americans Cold War 1983 11-year-old Samantha Smith leaves for visit to the USSR Crime 1865 Mary Surratt is first woman executed by U.S. federal government EARLY U.S. 1798 U.S. launches the Quasi-War with France, the first conflict since the Revolution EUROPEAN HISTORY 2005 Terrorists attack London transit system at rush hour Sports 1912 Jim Thorpe begins Olympic pentathlon 2019 U.S. women's soccer team wins record 4th World Cup title U.S. GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS 1797 First impeachment of a U.S. Senator U.S. Presidents 1946 Future President Jimmy Carter marries 1986 Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter spend wedding anniversary building Habitat for Humanity home Women's History 1976 Female cadets enrolled at West Point 1981 Reagan announces Sandra Day O'Connor as pick for the Supreme Court World War I 1917 British Women's Auxiliary Army Corps is officially established World War II 1942 Himmler decides to begin medical experiments on Auschwitz prisoners

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THIS DAY IN HISTORY July 8 1951 Paris celebrates 2,000th birthday On July 8, 1951, Paris, the capital city of France, celebrates turning 2,000 years old. In fact, a few more candles would’ve technically been required on the birthday cake, as the City of Lights was most likely founded around 250 B.C. The history of Paris can be traced back to a Gallic tribe known as the Parisii, who sometime around... read more 19th CENTURY 1853 Commodore Perry sails into Tokyo Bay 1898 Soapy Smith killed in Skagway, Alaska 1990s 1994 North Korea's "Great Leader" dies ASIAN HISTORY 1950 MacArthur named Korean commander Cold War 1954 Colonel Castillo Armas takes power in Guatemala SPORTS 2000 Venus Williams wins Wimbledon for the first time Vietnam War 1959 First Americans killed in South Vietnam 1969 First U.S. troops withdrawn from South Vietnam World War I 1918 Ernest Hemingway wounded on the Italian front World War II 1941 German general's diary reveals Hitler's plans for Russia

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THIS DAY IN HISTORY July 9 1877 Wimbledon tournament begins On July 9, 1877, the All England Croquet and Lawn Tennis Club begins its first lawn tennis tournament at Wimbledon, then an outer-suburb of London. Twenty-one amateurs showed up to compete in the Gentlemen's Singles tournament, the only event at the first Wimbledon. The winner was to take home a... read more 19th CENTURY 1846 U.S. takes San Francisco from Mexico 1990s 1993 Romanov remains identified using DNA Art, Literature and Film History 1918 William Faulkner joins the Royal Air Force 1962 Bob Dylan records "Blowin' In The Wind" Cold War 1960 Soviet Premier Khrushchev and President Eisenhower trade threats over Cuba Crime 1928 A spiteful son kills four in a fit of rage 1996 A family is brutally attacked on a walk in England EUROPEAN HISTORY 1762 Catherine the Great assumes power NATIVE AMERICAN HISTORY 2020 Supreme Court rules in McGirt v. Oklahoma U.S. Presidents 1850 President Zachary Taylor dies unexpectedly Vietnam War 1971 United States turns over responsibility for the DMZ World War I 1915 Germans surrender Southwest Africa to Union of South Africa

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THIS DAY IN HISTORY July 10 1925 Scopes Monkey Trial begins In Dayton, Tennessee, the so-called Scopes Monkey Trial begins with John Thomas Scopes, a young high school science teacher, accused of teaching evolution in violation of a Tennessee state law. The law, which had been passed in March, made it a misdemeanor punishable by fine to "teach any theory that... read more 1980s 1985 Two bombs sink the Rainbow Warrior, Greenpeace's flagship vessel 21st CENTURY 2018 Last of Thai soccer team rescued from cave BLACK HISTORY 1893 Pioneering Black doctor performs successful open-heart surgery Crime 1889 "Buckskin" Frank Leslie murders his lover 1992 The Exxon Valdez captain's conviction is overturned Inventions & Science 1962 U.S. patent issued for three-point seatbelt U.S. Presidents 1850 Millard Fillmore sworn in as 13th U.S. president World War II 1940 The Battle of Britain begins 1943 Allies land on Sicily

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THIS DAY IN HISTORY July 11 1804 Aaron Burr slays Alexander Hamilton in duel In one of the most famous duels in American history, Vice President Aaron Burr fatally shoots his long-time political antagonist Alexander Hamilton. Hamilton, a leading Federalist and the chief architect of America's political economy, died the following day. Alexander Hamilton, born on the... read more 1970s 1978 Gas fire incinerates crowded campsite, killing hundreds American Revolution 1782 British evacuate Savannah, Georgia Art, Literature and Film History 1960 "To Kill a Mockingbird" published Black History 1905 Members of the Niagara Movement meet for the first time Civil War 1861 Union notches a victory at the Battle of Rich Mountain Cold War 1945 Soviets agree to cede power in sectors of Allied-controlled Berlin Space Exploration 1979 Skylab crashes to Earth Sports 1914 Babe Ruth makes MLB debut U.S. Presidents 1767 John Quincy Adams is born U.S. GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS 1995 U.S. establishes diplomatic relations with Vietnam World War II 1944 Hitler is paid a visit by his would-be assassin

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THIS DAY IN HISTORY July 12 1984 Geraldine Ferraro named vice presidential candidate Walter Mondale, the leading Democratic presidential candidate, announces that he has chosen Representative Geraldine Ferraro of New York as his running mate. Ferraro, a daughter of Italian immigrants, had previously gained recognition as a vocal advocate of women's rights in Congress... read more 19th CENTURY 1861 Wild Bill Hickok's first gunfight Art, Literature and Film History 1389 Geoffrey Chaucer is named chief clerk by Richard II 1979 Disco is dealt death blow by fans of the Chicago White Sox Civil War 1861 Confederacy signs treaties with Choctaw and Chickasaw nations Cold War 1990 Boris Yeltsin resigns from Communist Party Crime 1963 The Moors Murderers begin their killing spree Inventions & Science 1933 First Dymaxion car produced U.S. Presidents 1957 Eisenhower takes first presidential ride in a helicopter U.S. Government 1862 Medal of Honor created Vietnam War 1965 First Marine to receive posthumous Medal of Honor for action in Vietnam is killed World War II 1943 Russians halt German advance in a decisive battle at Kursk

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THIS DAY IN HISTORY July 13 2013 The hashtag #BlackLivesMatter first appears, sparking a movement Outraged and saddened after the acquittal of George Zimmerman, the Florida man who killed a Black teenager in 2012, Oakland, California resident Alicia Garza posts a message on Facebook on July 13, 2013. Her post contains the phrase "Black lives matter," which soon becomes a rallying cry... read more Art, Literature and Film History 1985 Live Aid concert raises $150 million for famine relief in Africa 1990 "Ghost" opens in theaters Black History 2015 Sandra Bland dies in jail after traffic stop confrontation CIVIL WAR 1863 Draft riots rock New York City COLD WAR 1949 Pope Pius XII excommunicates all communist Catholics Crime 1955 Last woman hanged for murder in Great Britain 1966 A mass murderer leaves eight women dead EARLY U.S. 1787 Congress enacts the Northwest Ordinance EUROPEAN HISTORY 1793 Charlotte Corday assassinates French revolutionary Jean-Paul Marat Inventions & Science 1978 Henry Ford II fires Lee Iacocca Sports 1930 First World Cup tournament begins U.S. Presidents 1960 John F. Kennedy nominated for presidency Vietnam War 1969 George Wallace criticizes President Nixon's handling of the war

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THIS DAY IN HISTORY July 14 1789 French revolutionaries storm the Bastille Parisian revolutionaries and mutinous troops storm and dismantle the Bastille, a royal fortress and prison that had come to symbolize the tyranny of the Bourbon monarchs. This dramatic action signaled the beginning of the French Revolution, a decade of political turmoil and terror in which King Louis XVI... read more 19th CENTURY 1882 Gunfighter John Ringo found dead ART, LITERATURE AND FILM HISTORY 1946 Dr. Spock publishes “The Common Sense Book of Baby and Child Care” Cold War 1963 Rupture between USSR and China grows worse Crime 1881 Billy the Kid is shot to death 2016 Terrorist drives truck through a Bastille Day celebration HISPANIC HISTORY 1970 Young Lords occupy Lincoln Hospital in the Bronx Sports 1968 Hank Aaron hits 500th homer U.S. Presidents 1913 Future President Gerald R. Ford is born U.S. GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS 1798 Sedition Act becomes federal law World War I 1918 Quentin Roosevelt, Theodore Roosevelt's youngest son, is killed

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THIS DAY IN HISTORY July 15 2006 Twitter launches On July 15, 2006, the San Francisco-based podcasting company Odeo officially releases Twttr—later changed to Twitter—its short messaging service (SMS) for groups, to the public. Born as a side project apart from Odeo's main podcasting platform, the free application allowed users to share short... read more American Revolution 1789 Lafayette selected colonel-general of the National Guard of Paris Art, Literature and Film History 1986 Columbia Records parts ways with country legend Johnny Cash after 28 years Crime 1953 A notorious English killer is executed 1997 Fashion designer Gianni Versace murdered by Andrew Cunanan in killing spree Exploration 1806 Pike expedition sets out across the American Southwest Inventions & Science 1903 Ford Motor Company takes its first order NATIVE AMERICAN HISTORY 1978 2,800 mile-long walk for Native American justice concludes in Washington, D.C. RELIGION 1099 Jerusalem captured in First Crusade Space Exploration 1965 Mariner 4 studies Martian surface U.S. GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS 1964 Senator Barry Goldwater nominated for president U.S. Presidents 1971 Nixon announces visit to communist China 1979 Jimmy Carter speaks about a national "crisis of confidence" VIETNAM WAR 1966 North Vietnam urged to treat U.S. POWs better World War I 1918 Second Battle of the Marne begins with final German offensive

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THIS DAY IN HISTORY July 16 1945 The first atomic bomb test is successfully exploded On July 16, 1945, at 5:29:45 a.m., the Manhattan Project comes to an explosive end as the first atom bomb is successfully tested in Alamogordo, New Mexico. Plans for the creation of a uranium bomb by the Allies were established as early as 1939, when Italian emigre physicist Enrico Fermi met with.... read more 1990s 1999 JFK Jr. killed in plane crash American Revolution 1779 Anthony Wayne launches risky attack against British forces Art, Literature and Film History 1951 "Catcher in the Rye" is published Crime 1979 Trial begins for army doctor accused of stabbing his family to death EUROPEAN HISTORY 1918 Romanov family executed, ending a 300-year imperial dynasty Inventions & Science 1935 World's first parking meter installed Natural Disasters & Environment 1990 Earthquake wreaks havoc in the Philippines Religion 1769 First Catholic mission in California dedicated Space Exploration 1969 Apollo 11 launches U.S. GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS 1790 Congress declares new nation's capital shall rise along the Potomac River U.S. Presidents 1973 Existence of Watergate tapes is revealed in live testimony 2002 President Bush unveils strategy for homeland security