Historical Events
1845 – Texas Congress votes almost unanimously for annexation to US
1904 – International Lawn Tennis Challenge, Wimbledon: Laurence Doherty and Reggie Doherty beat Paul de Borman and William le Maire de Warzée 6-0, 6-1, 6-3 to give British Isles an unassailable 3-0 lead over Belgium (ends 5-0)
1912 – Jack Johnson beats “Fireman” Jim Flynn by disqualification in 9 in Las Vegas to retain world heavyweight boxing title
1944 – Allied forces in Normandy fire a coordinated Fourth of July salute against German lines, using 1,100 American guns
2025 – MLB Chicago Cubs belt franchise record 8 home runs in 11-3 win over visiting St. Louis Cardinals at Wrigley Field
Famous Birthdays
1753 – Jean-Pierre Blanchard, French ballonist (1st balloon flights in England and U.S.), born in Les Andelys, France (d. 1809)
1845 – Thomas John Barnardo, Irish-born British social worker, and philanthropist (established Barnardo homes for children), born in Dublin, Ireland (d. 1905)
1921 – Gérard Debreu, French-American economist (Nobel Prize, 1983), born in Calais, France (d. 2004)
1931 – Duncan Lamont, Scottish jazz and session trumpet and saxophone player, arranger, and songwriter (“I Told You So”), born in Greenock, Scotland (d. 2019)
1948 – Jeremy Spencer, British rock guitarist (Fleetwood Mac – “Oh Well”), born in Hartlepool, County Durham, England
Famous Deaths
943 – Taejo of Goryeo, ruler of Korea (918 to 943), unified the Later Three Kingdoms, dies at 70
973 – Ulrich of Augsburg, Prince-Bishop of Augsburg and first saint to be canonized by a Pope, dies at 82 or 83 (b. 890)
1826 – John Adams, Second US President (1797-1801), Vice President (1789-97) and Founding Father, dies at 90
1976 – Yonatan Netanyahu, Israel commander killed freeing Israeli hostages during Operation Entebbe in Uganda, at 30 years
2021 – Richard Lewontin, American geneticist (The Spandrels of San Marco and the Panglossian Paradigm), dies at 92