Historical Events
1411 – Battle of Harlaw, one of the bloodiest battles in Scotland, takes place
1833 – HMS Beagle departs Maldonado, Uruguay
1943 – Operation Gomorrah: RAF begins bombing Hamburg (till 3rd August), creating a firestorm and killing 42,600 people
1967 – The Beatles sign a petition in Times to legalize marijuana
1994 – 32nd Tennis Fed Cup: Spain beats USA in Frankfurt Germany (3-0)
2001 – Simeon Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, the last Tsar of Bulgaria when he was a child, is sworn in as Prime Minister of Bulgaria, becoming the first monarch in history to regain political power through democratic election to a different office.
Famous Birthdays
1807 – Ira Aldridge, famed 19th century African American Shakespearian actor (Othello), born in NYC, New York (d. 1867)
1904 – Leo Arnaud, French-American composer (Bugler’s Dream), born in Lyon, France (d. 1991)
1914 – Frank Silvera, Jamaican-American actor (High Chaparral, Killer’s Kiss, Fear and Desire), born in Kingston, Jamaica (d. 1970)
1939 – Walt Bellamy, American Basketball Hall of Fame center (NBA All-Star 1962–65; NBA Rookie of Year 1962; Olympic gold 1960), born in New Bern, North Carolina (d. 2013)
1950 – Sam Behrens, actor (Jake Meyer-General Hospital, Sunset Beach, LA Law)
1990 – Evan James Springsteen, American rocker and Bruce Springsteen’s son, born in Los Angeles, California
Famous Deaths
1931 – Willem Treub, Dutch economist and politician, dies at 75
1947 – Ernest Austin, composer, dies at 72
1962 – Victor Moore, comedian, dies of heart attack at 86
1974 – Ernest Milton, actor (Julius Caesar, Cat Girl), dies at 84
2009 – E. Lynn Harris, American Author (b. 1955)
2011 – Frank Dietrich, German politician (b. 1966)