It is July first and that means it is time for This Month In History July edition.
July In History
July 1
- 1863 The Battle at Gettysburg began.
- 1903 The first Tour de France bike race.
- 1979 The first Sony Walkman is sold.
- 1997 Hong Kong is returned to China after 156 years of British rule.
July 2
- 1776 The Second Continental Congress voted for independence from Britain.
- 1881 President Garfield was shot. He died on September 19, 1881.
- 1932 Dave Thomas, founder of Wendy’s was born.
July 3
- 1775 George Washington took command of the Continental Army.
- 1863 The Battle at Gettysburg ends.
- 1890 Idaho became the 43rd U.S. state.
July 4
- 1776 Independence Day also known as the Fourth of July in the United States. On July 4th 1776 the Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence which gave the U.S. independence from Britain.
- 1826 Both Thomas Jefferson and John Adams died.
- 1884 The Statue of Liberty was given to the U.S by France.
July 5
- 1865 The Salvation Army was founded in London by William and Catherine Booth.
- 1950 The first American was killed in the Korean War.
July 6
- 1785 The dollar was adopted as the U.S. currency by congress.
- 1923 Nancy Reagan, former First Lady, was born.
- 1932 The Union of Soviet Socialist Republic was formed.
July 7
- 1930 Construction began on Hoover Dam.
- 1981 Sandra Day O’Connor was nominated by President Ronald Reagan to be the first female to be a U.S. Supreme Court Justice.
July 8
- 1776 The Liberty Bell rang to announce the first reading of The Declaration of Independence.
- 1949 Chef Wolfgang Puck was born.
July 9
- 1947 The engagement of Princess Elizabeth and Greek prince Philip Mountbatten was announced.
- 1956 Tom Hanks was born.
July 10
- 1553 Lady Jane Grey became Queen of England at the age of 15. Nine days later, Jane was imprisoned and Mary claimed the throne.
- 1890 Wyoming became the 44th State.
- 1991 Boris Yeltsin become the first freely elected President of Russia.
July 11
- 1804 Alexander Hamilton was killed by Vice President Aaron Burr.
- 1859 A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens was published.
- 1899 Author E.B. White was born.
July 12
- 1862 The Medal of Honor was signed into law by President Abraham Lincoln.
- 1984 Geraldine Ferraro was chosen by Walter Mondale as the first female Vice Presidential candidate.
July 13
- 1837 Queen Victoria becomes the first British monarch to live in Buckingham Palace.
- 1942 Actor Harrison Ford was born.
July 14
- 1789 The French Revolution began when Bastille was stormed.
- 1913 Gerald R. Ford, the 38th U.S. President was born.
- 1933 All political parties were outlawed, but the Nazis, in Germany.
July 15
- 1995 Amazon began operations.
July 16
- 1790 The District of Columbia also known as Washington D.C. was established as the location of the U.S. Government.
- 1935 The first automatic parking meter was installed in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma making Oklahoma the first city to use them.
- 1951 The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger was published.
July 17
- 1955 Disneyland opened.
July 18
- 1925 Hilter’s, Mein Kampf, was published.
- 1984 A gunman killed twenty-one people at a McDonald’s restaurant in San Ysidro, CA.
July 19
- 1553 Lady Jane Grey was removed as queen and Mary Tudor became queen of England. Lady Jane Grey was later executed.
July 20
- 1881 Sioux leader Sitting Bull surrendered to the U.S. troops in North Dakota.
- 1969 Neil Armstrong walked on the moon, becoming the first person to do so.
- 1977 A flood hit Johnstown, Pennsylvania killing 80 and causing millions of dollars in damage.
July 21
- 1899 Ernest Hemingway was born.
- 1924 Actor Don Knotts was born.
July 22
- 1923 Senator Bob Dole was born.
- 1933 American pilot Wiley Post became the first person to fly around the world solo.
- 2013 Prince George, son of Prince William, and heir to the British throne was born.
July 23
- 1885 President Ulysses S. Grant died of cancer.
- 1996 U.S. women’s gymnastic team won the gold at the Summer Olympic Games in Atlanta.
July 24
- 1897 Amelia Earhart was born.
- 1998 The movie Saving Private Ryan was released.
July 25
- 1897 Author Jack London left for the Klondike Gold Rush where he wrote his first successful stories.
- 1898 The U.S. invaded Puerto Rico.
July 26
- 1775 The U.S. postal system was established by the 2nd Continental Congress. Ben Franklin was the first Postmaster General.
- 1788 New York became the 11th U.S. state.
- 1870 The FBI was established.
July 27
- 1996 A pipe bomb exploded at the Atlanta Olympics Centennial Olympic Park. One person was killed and over 100 injured.
July 28
- 1929 Jaqueline Kennedy Onassis, former First Lady, was born.
- 1976 An earthquake happened in Chini killing over 240,000 people.
July 29
- 1958 NASA was created when the U.S. Congress passed legislation forming the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.
- 1981 Prince Charles married Lady Diana Spencer.
July 30
- 1863 Henry Ford, an auto manufacturer, was born.
- 1965 President Lyndon Johnson signed Medicare into law.
July 31
- 1790 The first patent was issued in the U.S.