1537 – Madeleine of Valois, French princess who briefly became Queen of Scotland after marrying James V, dies only six months after the wedding at 16
1799 – William Curtis, English botanist and publisher (Botanical Magazine), dies at 53
1889 – Giovanni Bottesini, Italian Romantic composer, conductor and a double bass virtuoso, dies at 67
1907 – James McGranahan, American composer, dies at 67
1930 – Arthur Conan Doyle, British author who brought Sherlock Holmes to life twice, dies at 71
1968 – Leo Sowerby, American organist and composer (Pulitzer Prize for Music, 1946), dies at 73
1973 – Max Horkheimer, German philosopher and sociologist (Dialectic of Enlightenment, Eclipse of Reason), dies at 78
1975 – Barbara Brown, American actress dies at 73
2008 – Bruce Conner, American artist and experimental filmmaker (A Movie, America is Waiting), dies at 74
2021 – Jovenel Moïse, Haitian politician, President of Haiti (2017-21), assassinated at 53
Author: gil7
Historical Events for 7th July 2026
1754 – Kings College in NYC opens (renamed Columbia College)
1905 – 127°F (53°C), Parker, Arizona (state record until 1994)
1943 – -10] Japanese Prime Minister Hideki Tojo visits Java
1967 – Wimbledon Men’s Tennis: John Newcombe outclasses Wilhelm Bungert of Germany 6-3, 6-1, 6-1 for his 1st of 3 Wimbledon singles titles
2002 – Wimbledon Men’s Tennis: Lleyton Hewitt of Australia wins his only Wimbledon singles title beating David Nalbandian of Argentina 6-1, 6-3, 6-2
2019 – Nigeria, Africa’ biggest economy, joins the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), in attempt to create world’s largest free trade area
2024 – For the first time more than 3 million passengers were recorded passing through US airport security in one day, amid an increase in air travel in the US
2025 – Manny Machado of the San Diego Padres has two singles, including his 2,000th MLB career hit in 6-3 loss to the visiting Arizona Diamondbacks at Petco Park
Today in History for 7th July 2026
Historical Events
1498 – Emperor Maximilian I orders appointment of a conductor, two bass singers and six choir boys, establishing the Vienna Court Music Ensemble; later includes Vienna Boys Choir
1799 – Ranjit Singh’s men take up their positions outside Lahore
1862 – Land Grant Act endows state colleges with federal land
1957 – Heavy storm ravages Belgian coast
1969 – Canada’s House of Commons approves equality of French-English language
Famous Birthdays
1929 – Hasan Abidi, Pakistani journalist and Urdu poet, born in Zafarabad, British India (d. 2005)
1931 – David Eddings, American sci-fi author (Belgariad, Malloreon), born in Spokane, Washington (d. 2009)
1943 – (Salvatore) “Toto” Cutugno, Italian pop singer-songwriter (“L’Italiano”, Eurovision, 1990; “Insieme: 1992”), born in Tendola, Tuscany, Italy (d. 2023)
1944 – Jürgen Grabowski, German footballer (44 caps West Germany; Eintracht Frankfurt 441 games), born in Wiesbaden, Germany (d. 2022)
1966 – Gundula Krause, German folk violinist, born in Göttingen, Germany
Famous Deaths
1348 – John Andreae, Italian canonist, dies
1572 – Sigismund II Augustus, King of Poland (1548-72), dies at 51
1930 – Arthur Conan Doyle, British author who brought Sherlock Holmes to life twice, dies at 71
1970 – Allen Lane, English publisher and founder of Penguin Books, dies at 67
2021 – Dilip Kumar [Muhammad Yusuf Khan], Indian Bollywood actor known as the “Tragedy King” and one of the greatest actors in Indian cinema (Jwar Bhata), dies at 98
Famous Deaths for 6th July 2026
1017 – Genshin [Eshin Sōzu], Japanese scholar-monk of the Buddhist Tendai sect (Ōjōyōshū -“Essentials of Birth in the Pure Land”), dies at around 75
1950 – Theodore “Fats” Navarro, American jazz trumpet player, dies from poor health following long-term heroin addiction, tuberculosis, and a weight problem, at 26
1962 – George, Duke of Mecklenburg, head of the House of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, dies at 63
1971 – Louis Armstrong, American jazz trumpeter and singer (Hello Dolly; What A Wonderful World), dies of a heart attack at 69
1992 – Edgardo Pallero, Argentine film producer (Los hijos de fierro), dies at about 56
1993 – Ruth Lady Fermoy, maternal grandmother of Diana, Princess of Wales, dies at 84
2000 – Władysław Szpilman, Polish pianist, classical and popular music composer, memoirist, and subject of the film “The Pianist”, dies at 88
2004 – Syreeta Wright, American singer (b. 1946)
2017 – Thomas E. Sanders, American aerial cameraman (Living Daylights), dies at 63
2019 – Cameron Boyce, American actor (Mirrors, Jessie), dies from an epileptic seizure at 20
Historical Events for 6th July 2026
1863 – Northern Territory passes from New South Wales to South Australia
1863 – Battle of Williamsport, Maryland [-Jul 07]
1912 – V Summer (Modern) Olympic Games officially open Stockholm, Sweden; events conducted prior to the ceremony dating back to 5 May
1939 – German Nazis close last Jewish enterprises
1975 – Dmitri Shostakovich completes Sonate for alto, opus 147
1977 – France performs nuclear test at Mururoa Atoll
1983 – 54th MLB All-Star Game: AL wins 13-3 at Comiskey Park, Chicago; MVP: outfielder Fred Lynn (LA Angels) who hit a grand slam off Atlee Hammaker
1987 – Pakistan cricket all-rounder Imran Khan reaches 300th Test wicket milestone, during 3rd Test vs England at Leeds
Today in History for 6th July 2026
Historical Events
1699 – Pirate Captain William Kidd is captured in Boston
1907 – Tom Reece takes 5 weeks to compile the highest recorded billiards break in a match (499,135) in London, his ‘cradle’ cannon method is soon banned
1956 – Cleveland outfielder Jim Busby hits a second grand slam on consecutive days during Indians 4-2 win v Kansas City A’s
2012 – Gunmen kill 18 people in Turbat, Pakistan
2016 – African American Philando Castile is shot by police in St Paul, Minnesota after being pulled over for a broken rear light, killing is filmed
Famous Birthdays
1885 – Ernst Busch, German field marshal (WWII), born in Essen, German Empire (d. 1945)
1916 – Unica Zürn, German writer and artist, born in Berlin (d. 1970)
1948 – Wadih Sa’adeh, Lebanese-Australian poet (Laysa Lil Massa’ Ikhwah), born in Lebanon
1960 – Lauri Merten, American golfer (US Open 1993), born in Waukesha, Wisconsin
1967 – Heather Nova [Frith], Bermudian singer-songwriter (Oyster), born in Bermuda
Famous Deaths
1218 – Eudes III, Duke of Burgundy (b. 1166)
1974 – Carlos Isamitt, Chilean composer, dies at 87
2000 – Akira Miyazawa, Japanese jazz saxophonist, dies at 72
2010 – Harvey Fuqua, American RandB singer-songwriter (The Moonglows – “Sincerely”), producer (Marvin Gaye), and record label executive (Motown), dies of a heart attack at 80
2020 – Ennio Morricone, Italian trumpeter, and composer of classical music and film scores (“The Mission”; “Cinema Paradiso”; “The Hateful Eight”), dies at 91
Famous Deaths for 5th July 2026
967 – Murakami, 62nd Emperor of Japan (946-67) who fathered 19 Imperial sons and daughters, dies at 42
1863 – Lewis Armistead, Confederate brigadier general at Gettysburg (Pickett’s Charge), dies of his injuries from the battle of Gettysburg at 46
1883 – Frederick Scotson Clark, English organist and composer, dies at 42
1913 – Alfred Lyttelton, English politician and sportsman, 1st to represent England at cricket and football, dies of a stomach abscess at 56
1950 – Private Kenneth Shadrick becomes the first identified American soldier killed in the Korean War
1965 – Porfirio Rubirosa, Dominican diplomat, race car driver, and international playboy, dies when he crashes his Ferrari into a tree at 56
1969 – Walter Gropius, architect/found (Bauhaus school of design), dies at 86
2005 – Baloo Gupte, Indian cricket leg spin bowler (3 Tests, 3 wickets; Bombay, Bengal, Railways), dies at 70
2010 – Bob Probert, Canadian NHL right wing, 1985-2002 (Chicago Blackhawks, Detroit Red Wings), dies of a heart attack while boating at 45
2011 – Armon Gilliam, American NBA forward, 1987-2000 (Phoenix Suns, Milwaukee Bucks, NJ Nets, and 3 other teams), and college coach, 2001-05 (Penn State), dies of a heart attack at 47
Historical Events for 5th July 2026
1878 – The coat of arms of the Baku governorate was established
1922 – Uprising of social righteousness in Rio de Janeiro
1945 – World War II: Liberation of the Philippines declared
1946 – Wimbledon Men’s Tennis: Frenchman Yvon Petra beats Australian Geoff Brown 6-2, 6-4, 7-9, 5-7, 6-4 for his only Wimbledon title
1961 – St Louis Cardinals first baseman Bill White smashes 3 HRs and a double in 9-1 rout of Los Angeles Dodgers
1987 – A’s first baseman Mark McGwire becomes first rookie to hit 30 HRs before the MLB All-Star Game as Oakland beats Red Sox, 6-2
2019 – Former governor of Rio de Janeiro, Sérgio Cabral says he paid a $2 million bribe to secure votes for his city to be granted 2016 Olympics
2024 – US President Joe Biden gives an interview to quell fears about his stamina and cognitive abilities with ABC’s George Stephanopoulos
Today in History for 5th July 2026
Historical Events
1884 – German consul-general Gustav Nachtigal takes possession of Cameroon
1959 – Jack Gelber’s “Connection” premieres in NYC
1960 – Mongolia adopts constitution
1961 – KUSD TV channel 2 in Vermillion, SD (PBS) begins broadcasting
1961 – 80 die in collisions in Algiers
Famous Birthdays
1654 – Antonio Maria Pacchioni, Baroque composer, baptized in Modena, Duchy of Modena and Reggio (d. 1738)
1886 – Willem Drees, Dutch politician (co-founder of the Labour Party (PvdA); Prime Minister, 1948-58), known as “Daddy Drees”, born in Amsterdam, Netherlands (d. 1988)
1904 – Ernst Mayr, German-American biologist (evolutionary theory), born in Kempten, Bavaria, Germany (d. 2005)
1934 – Diane Andersen, Danish-Belgian concert pianist, born in Copenhagen, Denmark
1975 – Chris Gratton, Canadian NHL center (Canada World C’ships gold 1997; Tampa Bay Lightning), born in Brantford, Ontario
Famous Deaths
1472 – Charles of Artois, Count of Eu, French military leader (b. 1394)
1864 – Dimitris Plapoutas, Greek general and revolutionary figure in the Greek War of Independence against the Ottoman Empire, dies at 78
1887 – August Pott, German philological (Etymology Forschungen), dies at 84
1948 – Georges Bernanos, French writer (The Diary of the Country Priest), dies at 60
1985 – Marion Byron, American actress (Steamboat Bill Jr, Broadway Babies), dies at 73
Famous Deaths for 4th July 2026
1780 – Prince Charles Alexander of Lorraine, Imperial Army field marshal, dies at 67
1826 – Thomas Jefferson, 3rd President of the United States (1801-09), dies at 83
1910 – Louis Bourgault-Ducoudray, French Breton composer, dies at 70
1938 – Suzanne Lenglen, French tennis player (French C’ships 1925-26, Wimbledon 1919-23, 25), dies of anemia at 39
1990 – Ludi Claire, American actress, dies at 70
1999 – Leo Garel, American artist and cartoonist (b.1917)
2002 – Laurent Schwartz, French mathematician, 1950 Fields Medal for his theory of distributions, dies at 87
2011 – Otto von Habsburg, last crown prince of Austria-Hungary and MEP (1979-1999), dies at 98
2021 – Dicky Maegle [born Moegle], American College Football HOF halfback (Rice Uni; Pro Bowl 1955, SF 49ers) and broadcaster (color announcer Houston Oilers), dies at 86
2022 – Richard J. Bernstein, American philosopher (The Abuse of Evil, The Pragmatic Turn), dies of heart and lung disease at 90