| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 0323- BCE | King of Macedonia, Alexander the Great, dies at 32. Possibly from fever or poisoning. Known for his military genius and creating one of the largest Empires of the Ancient World. |
| 1184- BCE | Trojan War: Troy is sacked and burned, according to calculations by Eratosthenes. |
| 1190- | Third Crusade: Holy Roman Emperor Frederick I Barbarossa drowns while crossing the Saleph River (modern Turkey) leading an army to Jerusalem. |
| 1845- | Andrew Jackson’s African Grey parrot “Poll” is removed from his funeral for swearing at The Hermitage, Tennessee. Funeral attendee William Menefee Norment recorded: “Before the sermon and while the crowd was gathering, a wicked parrot that was a household pet got excited and commenced swearing so loud and long as to disturb the people and had to be carried from the house”. |
| 1895- | American actress Hattie McDaniel, the First African American actress to win an Oscar, is born. |
| 1898- | US Marines land in Cuba during the Spanish–American War. |
| 1916- | Great Arab Revolt begins against ruling Ottoman Turks. |
| 1921- | Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark, Duke of Edinburgh and husband of Queen Elizabeth II, is born in Greece. |
| 1922- | American Actress and Singer Judy Garland (Frances Ethel Gumm), is born. |
| 1967- | American Actor Spencer Tracy dies at 67. |
| 1968- | American Comedian, Actor, and Podcaster Bill Burr is born. |
| 1977- | Apple Computer ships its first Apple II computers. |
| 2002- | John Gotti, gangster and boss of the Gambino Crime Family, dies at 61 from throat cancer in prison. |
| 2004- | American Musician Ray Charles dies at 73. |
| 2007- | “The Sopranos” series finale on HBO. |
Featured Article
Committee of Five
The Second Continental Congress appointed a “Committee of Five” in consideration of Lee's Resolution to draft a declaration for independence from the British Crown on June 11, 1776. The five were John Adams of Massachusetts, Benjamin Franklin of Pennsylvania, Thomas Jefferson of Virginia, Robert Livingston of New York, and Roger Sherman of Connecticut. The Committee operated from June 11 to July 5, 1776 – the day the Declaration was published. On July 2nd the Congress began considering the Declaration. Richard Henry Lee presented the following resolution for a declaration to the Congress on June 7th. Resolved, That these United Colonies…
Read More
Committee of Five
The Second Continental Congress appointed a “Committee of Five” in consideration of Lee's Resolution to draft a declaration for independence from the British Crown on June 11, 1776. The five were John Adams of Massachusetts, Benjamin Franklin of Pennsylvania, Thomas Jefferson of Virginia, Robert Livingston of New York, and Roger Sherman of Connecticut. The Committee operated from June 11 to July 5, 1776 – the day the Declaration was published. On July 2nd the Congress began considering the Declaration. Richard Henry Lee presented the following resolution for a declaration to the Congress on June 7th. Resolved, That these United Colonies…
Read More
Shootdown of Iran Air Flight 655
On July 3, 1988, Iran Air Flight 655 was shot down by the U.S. Missile Cruiser USS Vincennes over the Strait of Hormuz, killing all 290 people on board. This incident occurred toward the end of the Iran – Iraq War. The U.S. among other countries had warships in the region in order to protect the transport of oil (Britannica). There had been numerous incidents, notably an attack by Iraq missiles striking the USS Stark in May 1987. Iraqis mistook the American Frigate for an Iranian tanker. Thirty-seven sailors were killed during the attack and the ship was sidelined for…
Read More
Death of Lincoln
President Lincoln along with his wife and guests try to relax with some light comedy at Ford’s Theater on the evening of April 14, 1865. The entertainment for the evening is the play, “Our American Cousin”. Lincoln’s normal bodyguard was not present that night. In his place, guarding the door leading to the Presidential Box, was Washington Police Officer John Parker. At some point during the play, Parker abandoned his post to go get a drink. This made it easier for assassin John Wilkes Booth to access the President (“Pearce Museum | Facts from Lincoln’s Assassination and Death”). Booth would…
Read More
Garfield Assassination
Brief Look at the Assassination of President James A. Garfield: On July 2, 1881, President James Garfield was shot in the back at the Baltimore and Potomac Railroad Station in Washington D.C. by Charles J. Guiteau, a disgruntled political office seeker with a .442 Webley British Bulldog Revolver. Garfield suffered for weeks as doctors frantically tried saving him. In the end, it was the doctors lack of knowledge of Germ Theory and unsanitary practices that lead to the Presidents demise on September 19th 1881. The prevailing thought was that if the doctors had done nothing, then he more than likely would have survived….
Read More