July 4 July 4 is the 185th day of the year (186th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 180 days remaining. Events 900-1899 993 - Saint Ulrich of Augsburg canonized. 1054 - A supernova is observed by the Chinese and Amerindians near the star ζ Tauri. For several months it remains bright enough to be seen during the day. Its remnants form the Crab Nebula. 1187 - Saladin defeats Guy of Lusignan, King of Jerusalem, at the Battle of Hattin. 1776 - American Revolutionary War: The Continental Congress approves a Declaration of Independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain forming the United States of America. 1802 - At West Point, New York the United States Military Academy opens. 1803 - The Louisiana Purchase is announced to the American people. 1817 - At Rome, New York, construction on the Erie Canal begins. 1826 - Fiftieth anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, on which John Adams and Thomas Jefferson, two of America's Founding Fathers, died. (Luther Martin, another Founding Father would die a few days later, on July 8,1826.) 1838 - The Iowa Territory is organized. 1837 - Grand Junction Railway, world's first long-distance railway, opens between Birmingham and Liverpool. 1840 - The Cunard Line's 700 ton wooden paddlewheel steamer RMS Britannia departs from Liverpool bound for Halifax, Nova Scotia on the first transatlantic passenger cruise. 1845 - Near Concord, Massachusetts, Henry David Thoreau embarks on a two-year experiment in simple living at Walden Pond (see Walden). 1855 - In Brooklyn, New York, the first edition of Walt Whitman's book of poems titled Leaves of Grass is published. 1859 - Franco-Piedmontese War: The Battle of Magenta. 1862 - Charles Lutwidge Dodgson (Lewis Carroll) goes on a boating picnic with Alice Liddell, who asks to be entertained with a story. This story would grow into Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and its sequels. 1863 - American Civil War: Battle of Vicksburg - Ulysses S. Grant and the Union Army capture the Confederate city Vicksburg, Mississippi after the town surrendered. The siege lasted 47 days. 1865 - Alice's Adventures in Wonderland is published. 1881 - In Alabama, the Tuskegee Institute opens. 1894 - The short-lived Republic of Hawaii is proclaimed by Sanford B. Dole. 1900-1999 1910 - African-American boxer Jack Johnson knocks out white boxer Jim Jeffries in a heavyweight boxing match sparking race riots across the United States. 1918 - Ottoman sultan Mehmed VI ascends to the throne. 1918 - Bolsheviks kill Tsar Nicholas II of Russia and his family (Julian calendar date). 1927 - Initial flight of the Lockheed Vega. 1934 - Joe Louis wins his first professional boxing match. 1934 - Leo Szilard patents the chain-reaction design for the atomic bomb. 1939 - Lou Gehrig, recently diagnosed with Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, tells a crowd at Yankee Stadium that he considered himself "The luckiest man on the face of the earth" as he announces his retirement from major league baseball. 1941 - Mass murder of Polish scientists and writers, committed by Nazi Germans in captured Polish city of Lvov. 1946 - After over 400 years, the Philippines achieves full independence. 1950 - First broadcast by Radio Free Europe 1959 - With the admission of Alaska as the 49th U.S. state earlier in the year, the 49-star flag of the United States debuts in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. 1960 - Due to the post-Independence Day admission of Hawaii as the 50th U.S. state on August 21, 1959, the 50-star flag of the United States debuts in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania almost ten and a half months later (see Flag Act). 1966 - President Lyndon B. Johnson signs the Freedom of Information Act into United States law. The act goes into effect the next year. 1976 - Israeli commandos raid Entebbe airport in Uganda, rescuing most of the passengers and crew of an Air France jetliner seized by pro-Palestinian hijackers. 1987 - In France, former Gestapo chief Klaus Barbie (aka the "Butcher of Lyon") is convicted of crimes against humanity and is sentenced to life imprisonment. 1990 - On 214th anniversary of the United States Declaration of Independence, Die Hard 2: Die Harder is the second Die Hard movie to open in theaters, starring Bruce Willis. 1997 - NASA's Pathfinder space probe lands on the surface of Mars. 1998 - Lin "Spit" Newborn and Daniel Shersty are murdered by neonazis in the desert just outside Las Vegas, Nevada, USA. 2000-2099 2002 - Three people are shot at the El Al check-in booth at Los Angeles International Airport. The gunman is shot and killed by a security officer. 2002 - A Prestige Airlines cargo Boeing 707 crashes just short of the runway in Bangui, Central African Republic killing 25 2004 - The cornerstone of the Freedom Tower is lain on the site of the World Trade Center in New York City. (This was largely a symbolic event; actual construction would not start for several weeks) Births 1300-1899 1330 - Ashikaga Yoshiakira, Ashikaga shogun (d. 1367) 1540 - Gackt Camui, song writer and singer (self-claimed) 1546 - Murat III, Ottoman Emperor (d. 1595) 1799 - Joseph François Oscar Bernadotte, future king Oscar I of Sweden-Norway (d. 1859) 1804 - Nathaniel Hawthorne, writer (d. 1864) 1807 - Giuseppe Garibaldi, Italian patriot 1826 - Stephen Foster, songwriter ("Oh! Susanna", "Camptown Races") (d. 1864) 1845 - Thomas Barnardo, Irish founder of homes for underprivileged children 1847 - James Anthony Bailey, co-founder with Phineas Taylor Barnum of the Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus. 1872 - Calvin Coolidge, 30th president of the United States 1878 - George M. Cohan, singer, dancer, composer, actor, writer (d. 1942) 1883 - Rube Goldberg, cartoonist (d. 1970) 1900-1999 1902 - Meyer Lansky, mobster (d. 1983) 1902 - George Murphy, dancer, actor, Senator from California (d. 1992) 1904 - Angela Baddeley, actress, Mrs Bridges on Upstairs Downstairs, sister of Hermione Baddeley (d. 1976) 1910 - Gloria Stuart, actress 1911 - Mitch Miller, bandleader, television personality 1917 - Manolete (Manuel Rodríguez Sánchez), bullfighter (d. 1947) 1918 - Ann Landers, advice columnist (d. 2002) 1918 - Abigail Van Buren, advice columnist and twin sister to Ann Landers 1921 - Tibor Varga, violinist, conductor and pedagogue 1924 - Eva Marie Saint, actress: North by Northwest, On the Waterfront 1927 - Gina Lollobrigida, actress 1930 - George Steinbrenner, owner of the New York Yankees 1938 - Bill Withers, singer/songwriter 1943 - Konrad "Conny" Bauer, musician, free jazz trombonist 1943 - Geraldo Rivera, reporter, talk show host 1946 - Ron Kovic, author (Born on the Fourth of July) 1951 - Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, U.S. political figure 1967 - Vinny Castilla, Mexican baseball player 1974 - La'Roi Glover, American football player 1976 - Daijiro Kato, Japanese motorcycle racer 1986 - Shane Kippel, Canadian actor Deaths 900-1899 965 - Pope Benedict V 1187 - Raynald of Chatillon, executed by Saladin after the Battle of Hattin. 1821 - Richard Cosway, English artist 1826 - John Adams & Thomas Jefferson, 2nd & 3rd presidents of the United States. In a remarkable coincidence, both of these framers of the United States Declaration of Independence died on the 50th anniversary of its adoption. 1831 - James Monroe, 5th president of the United States 1838 - Colonel José Antonio Vidaurre and his accomplices, authors of The Riot of Quillota, Chile were shot. 1848 - François-René de Chateaubriand, French writer, diplomat 1850 - William Kirby, the father of entomology 1891 - Hannibal Hamlin, U.S. Vice President under Abraham Lincoln 1900-1999 1901 - Johannes Schmidt, German linguist 1902 - Swami Vivekananda 1910 - Giovanni Schiaparelli, Italian astronomer (b. 1835) 1926 - Frassati Piergiorgio, Member of FUCI 1931 - Buddie Petit, jazz musician (b. ca 1890) 1934 - Marie Sklodowska-Curie, co-discoverer of radium and polonium 1970 - Barnett Newman, artist 1971 - August Derleth, science fiction and fantasy writer and editor. 1975 - Georgette Heyer, author 1976 - Antoni Słonimski, Polish poet and writer (b. 1895) 1986 - Oscar Zariski, mathematician (b. 1899) 1991 - Dr. Victor Chang, Australian doctor, pioneer in heart transplantation, murdered 1995 - Eva Gabor, actress 1997 - Charles Kuralt, television reporter 2000-2099 2002 - Benjamin O. Davis Jr., African-American general 2003 - Barry White, soul singer 2004 - Jean-Marie Auberson, Swiss conductor (b. 1920) Holidays and observances United States - Independence Day (1776) Filipino-American Friendship Day July 3 - July 5 - June 4 - August 4 - more historical anniversaries Most Popular Articles: Music    Musical Instruments    Guitar    Classical Music    History    Music Definition    Country Music    Rock Music    Pop Music    Hip Hop    Rap    DJ    Video Games    Casino Games    Poker    Blackjack    Casinos    Real Estate    Loan    Auction    eBay    Marketing    Search Engine Optimization    File Sharing    MP3    Music Industry    Kazaa    Internet    Supermodel    Fashion    Fashion Designers    Erotica    Modeling    Clothing    Boots    Shoes    Diamond Engagement Rings    Diamond    Rugs    Gospel Music    Affiliate    E-Commerce    Radio This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License at http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html You may copy and modify it as long as the entire work (including additions) remains under this license. 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