1754 – Philippe Néricault Destouches, French dramatist and author, dies at 74
1780 – Prince Charles Alexander of Lorraine, Imperial Army field marshal, dies at 67
1881 – Johan Vilhelm Snellman, Finnish statesman (b. 1806)
1901 – Julian Scott, American artist and Civil War Medal of Honor recipient, dies at 55
1910 – Louis Bourgault-Ducoudray, composer, dies at 70
1926 – Pier Giorgio Frassati, Italian Saint (b. 1901)
1946 – Othenio Able, Austrian artist, fossil creator and founder of paleobiology, dies at 71
1994 – Juan Gil-Albert, Spanish poet and writer, dies at 90
2008 – Thomas M. Disch, American sci-fi author (b. 1940)
2009 – Jean-Baptiste Tati Loutard, Congolese politician (b.1938)
Author: gil7
Historical Events for 4th July 2021
1873 – Aquarium opens in Woodward Gardens, San Francisco
1883 – Buffalo Bill Cody presents 1st wild west show, North Platte, Nebraska
1890 – Wimbledon Women’s Tennis: Lena Rice becomes the only Irish female to win at Wimbledon beating May Jacks 6-4, 6-1
1894 – Republic of Hawaii proclaimed, Sanford B Dole as president
1911 – 105°F (41°C) at Vernon, Vermont (state record)
1923 – Jack Dempsey beats Tommy Gibbons on points over 15 hard fought rounds in Shelby, Montana to retain world heavyweight boxing title
1931 – 1st trailside museum opens in Cleveland Metroparks
1942 – 1st American bombing mission over enemy-occupied Europe (WWII)
1946 – President Manuel Roxas inaugurated as the 5th President of the Philippines and the first president of the Third Republic at the Independence Grandstand, Manila
2019 – Russian President Vladmir Putin meets with Pope Francis at the Vatican
Today in History for 4th July 2021
Historical Events
1894 – Republic of Hawaii proclaimed, Sanford B Dole as president
1968 – Radio astronomy satellite Explorer 38 launched
1970 – Casey Kasem’s “American Top 40” debuts on LA radio
1992 – John Phillips, rocker (Mamas and Papas), undergoes a liver transplant
1997 – US space probe Pathfinder lands on Ares Vallis Mars
2019 – Record temperatures in Alaska as Anchorage reaches 90F (32C)
Famous Birthdays
1850 – Ole Olsen, Norwegian composer, organist, and military bandleader, born in Hammerfest, Finnmark, Norway (d. 1927)
1902 – George Murphy, American politician (US Senator, California), actor and dancer (MGM Parade), born in New Haven, Connecticut (d. 1992)
1912 – Virginia Graham, American TV personality (Girl Talk, Where Was I), born in Chicago, Illinois (d. 1998)
1928 – Sylvius Gerald Marie Rozendal, Premier of Netherlands Antilles, born in Willemstad, Curacao (d. 2003)
1951 – Ralph Johnson, American rock drummer (Earth Wind and Fire-Shining Star), born in Los Angeles, California
1970 – Tony Vidmar, Australian former footballer, born in Adelaide, Australia
Famous Deaths
1742 – Luigi Guido Grandi, Italian mathematician and monk, dies at 70
1831 – James Monroe, 5th US President (1817-25), dies of heart failure and tuberculosis at 73
1963 – Fritz Reutter, German composer, dies at 66
2001 – Keenan Milton, Professional Skater (b. 1974)
2012 – Larance Marable, American jazz drummer (Charlie Haden’s Quartet West; Stan Getz; Groove Holmes), dies at 83
2016 – Geoffrey Shovelton, English opera singer, dies at 80
Famous Deaths for 3rd July 2021
1816 – Dorothy Jordan, Irish-English actress, courtesan, mistress of future King William IV of the United Kingdom, dies at 65
1863 – George Hull Ward, American general and Union officer in the American Civil War, dies of his wounds at the Battle of Gettysburg at 37
1904 – Theodor Herzl, Austrian journalist and founder (Zionist movement), dies at 44
1970 – Frances Parkinson Keyes, American novelist (Dinner at Antoine’s), dies at 84
1977 – Mohammed al-Zahaby, Egyptian minister, murdered by Moslem extremists at 64
1989 – James “Jim” Backus, American actor (Mr Magoo, Rebel Without a Cause, Gilligan’s Island), dies of pneumonia at 76
1992 – Arline Bletcher, American actress, dies of natural causes at 99
1994 – Felix Kelly, New Zealand-born British artist, dies at 80
2013 – Radu Vasile, Prime Minister of Romania (1998-99), dies at 70
2015 – Diana Douglas, Bermudian-born American actress (The Indian Fighter), dies at 92
Historical Events for 3rd July 2021
1720 – Sweden and Denmark sign peace treaty
1819 – 1st savings bank in US (Bank of Savings in NYC) opens its doors
1845 – Pioneering French magician Jean Eugène Robert-Houdin opens his magic theatre in Paris
1900 – Trying to stem the growing popular resentment, Tsar Nicholas of Russia issues a decree that abolishes the banishment of dissidents and troublemakers to Siberia
1947 – 252,288 people (record) pass through Grand Central Station, NYC
1947 – Soviet Union doesn’t participate in Marshall Plan
1958 – “Andy Williams Show” premieres on ABC (later on CBS and NBC)
1986 – US President Reagan presides over relighting of renovated Statue of Liberty
1988 – Gene Nelson of the Oakland A’s becomes first AL pitcher to steal a base since 1973 in 9-8 win over Toronto Blue Jays
2015 – Adelaide Crows Australian Rules Football coach Phil Walsh is murdered by his son Cy at his Somerton Park home
Today in History for 3rd July 2021
Historical Events
1187 – Battle of Horns of Hattin: Saladin, Sultan of Egypt and Syria, destroys Jerusalem’s crusader army
1886 – In Germany, Karl Benz drives 1st automobile
1967 – “News at 10” premieres on British TV
1986 – US President Reagan presides over relighting of renovated Statue of Liberty
1994 – The deadliest day in Texas traffic history, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety. Forty six people killed in crashes.
2004 – Wimbledon Women’s Tennis: Maria Sharapova becomes first Russian player to win Wimbledon beating defending champion Serena Williams 6-1, 6-4
Famous Birthdays
1871 – Vicente Arregui Garay, Spanish composer, born in Madrid, Spain (d. 1925)
1940 – Lance Larson, American 100m freestyle swimmer (Olympic silver 1960), born in Monterey Park, California
1949 – Susan Penhaligon, British actress (Dracula, Nasty Habits), born in Manila, Philippines
1952 – Laura Branigan, American singer-songwriter (Gloria), born in Mount Kisco, New York (d. 2004)
1956 – Eddie Edwards, South African tennis star, born in Johannesburg, South Africa
1957 – Danny Heep, American MLB outfielder, born in San Antonio, Texas
Famous Deaths
1863 – William Barksdale, American Brigadier General (Confederate Army), dies in the Battle of Gettysburg while leading his brigade’s attack at 41
1891 – Stefano Golinelli, Italian composer, dies at 72
1916 – Henrietta “Hetty” Green, American businesswoman and financier whose wealth and miserliness saw her known as the “Witch of Wall Street”, dies of a stroke at 81
2008 – Larry Harmon, American entertainer and TV producer (Bozo the Clown), dies at 83
2018 – Robby Müller, Dutch cinematographer (Breaking the Waves, Dead Man, Korczak), dies at 78
2020 – Leonardo Villar, Brazilian actor (The Given Word), dies at 96
Famous Deaths for 2nd July 2021
1504 – Stephen III (Stefan the Great), ruler of Moldavia (1457-1504), dies
1621 – Thomas Harriot, English astronomer (1st person to draw map of the Moon with a telescope), dies at 61 or 62
1663 – Thomas Selle, German composer, dies at 64
1863 – Stephen Hinsdale Weed, US Union brigadier general, dies in battle at 28
1895 – William Rockstro, English composer and musicologist, dies at 72
1955 – Edward Lawson, Scottish recipient of the Victoria Cross, dies at 82
1963 – Seth Barnes Nicholson, American astronomer who discovered four satellites of Jupiter, dies at 71
1966 – Jan Brzechwa, Polish poet (The Beetle), dies at 67
2002 – Earle Brown, American composer (open form), dies at 75
2013 – Fawzia Fuad, Egyptian princess who became Queen of Iran as the first wife of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, dies at 91
Historical Events for 2nd July 2021
1794 – Second Battle of Seneffe: France-Austria
1839 – Slaves aboard a Spanish schooner La Amistad revolt to secure their freedom while being transported from one Cuban port to another
1849 – Giuseppe Garibaldi begins hunger strike in Rome
1921 – In boxing’s first million dollar gate ($1.7m), world heavyweight champion Jack Dempsey KOs Frenchman Georges Carpentier in round 4 of his 3rd title defence; crowd 91,000 at Boyle’s Thirty Acres in Jersey City, New Jersey
1921 – Warren G. Harding signs a joint congressional resolution declaring the official end of war with Germany
1955 – Wimbledon Women’s Tennis: Louise Brough beats fellow American Beverly Fleitz 7-5, 8-6 for her 4th Wimbledon singles title
1964 – US President Lyndon B. Johnson signs Civil Rights Act and Voting Rights Act into law
1972 – Two Catholic civilians are shot and killed in Belfast by Loyalist paramilitaries, probably the Ulster Defence Association (UDA)
2005 – 10 Live 8 concerts held around the world organised by Bob Geldof to raise awareness of poverty
2017 – World Health Organization declares Ebola outbreak in Democratic Republic of Congo over (4 deaths)
Today in History for 2nd July 2021
Historical Events
626 – Incident at Xuanwu Gate: in fear of assassination, Li Shimin ambushes and kills his rival brothers Li Yuanji and Li Jiancheng
1816 – French frigate “La Méduse” runs aground under incompetent leadership of Viscount of Chaumareys, 400 passengers evacuated. 150 men, 1 woman are left on “la Machine,” a poorly provisioned raft. 13 days later only 15 survivors remain, inspires Théodore Géricault’s painting “The Raft of the Medusa”
1864 – General Early and Confederate forces reach Winchester en route to Washington, D.C.
1964 – Grand jury indicts Byron De La Beckwith in murder of Medger Evers
1966 – 1st France nuclear test on Mururoa atoll
2018 – 270,000 people now displaced by fighting in south-western Syria says UN since assault on rebel-held area two weeks ago
Famous Birthdays
1667 – Pietro Ottoboni, Italian cardinal and grandnephew of Pope Alexander VIII, born in Venice (d. 1740)
1865 – Lily Braun, German feminist and socialist writer (Im Schatten Titanen), born in Halberstadt, Saxony, Kingdom of Prussia (d. 1916)
1910 – H. G. Adler, German writer (The Journey), born in Prague, Austria-Hungary (d. 1988)
1959 – Eduardo Bengoechea, Argentina, tennis star
1975 – Erik Ohlsson, Swedish guitarist (Millencolin)
1979 – Sam Hornish, Jr., American race car driver
Famous Deaths
1746 – Thomas Baker, English antiquarian, dies at 89
1973 – Ferdinand Schörner, German field marshal, dies at 81
1973 – George Macready, American actor (Martin Peyton-Peyton Place), dies at 73
1982 – Poul Rovsing Olsen, Danish composer, dies at 59
1992 – Edith Valckaert, Belgian violinist and educator, dies of cancer at 42
2010 – Beryl Bainbridge, Author (b. 1932)
Famous Deaths for 1st July 2021
1109 – Alfonso VI, King of Castile and Leon (conquered Toledo) (b. c. 1040)
1592 – Marc A Ingegneri, Italian violinist/composer (Responsoria), dies
1662 – Simon Ives, English court composer, dies at 61
1774 – Henry Fox, 1st Baron Holland, English corrupt politician (Chiswick), dies at 68
1776 – Francis Salvador, 1st Jew to die in American Revolutionary War
1947 – Clarence Lucas, Canadian composer, dies at 80
1953 – Jacob D du Toit [Totius], South African poet/theologist, dies
2005 – Gus Bodnar, Canadian NHL center (NHL record 3 assists in 21 seconds 1952), dies at 82
2010 – Ilene Woods, American actress (b. 1929)
2020 – Hugh Downs, American TV journalist (20/20, Concentration), dies at 99