On This Day — July 4

🕰️ Notable Events on July 4

• 2012 — The discovery of particles consistent with the Higgs boson at the Large Hadron Collider is announced at CERN. Wikipedia ↗
• 2009 — The Statue of Liberty's crown reopens to the public after eight years of closure due to security concerns following the September 11 attacks. Wikipedia ↗
• 2009 — The first of four days of bombings begins on the southern Philippine island group of Mindanao. Wikipedia ↗
• 2005 — The Deep Impact collider hits the comet Tempel 1. Wikipedia ↗
• 2004 — The cornerstone of the Freedom Tower is laid on the World Trade Center site in New York City. Wikipedia ↗
• 1998 — Japan launches the Nozomi probe to Mars, joining the United States and Russia as a space exploring nation. Wikipedia ↗
• 1997 — NASA's Pathfinder space probe lands on the surface of Mars. Wikipedia ↗
• 1994 — Rwandan genocide: Kigali, the Rwandan capital, is captured by the Rwandan Patriotic Front, ending the genocide in the city. Wikipedia ↗
• 1987 — In France, former Gestapo chief Klaus Barbie (a.k.a. the "Butcher of Lyon") is convicted of crimes against humanity and sentenced to life imprisonment. Wikipedia ↗
• 1982 — Three Iranian diplomats and a journalist are kidnapped in Lebanon by Phalange forces, and their fate remains unknown. Wikipedia ↗
• 1977 — The George Jackson Brigade plants a bomb at the main power substation for the Washington state capitol in Olympia, in solidarity with a prison strike at the Walla Walla State Penitentiary Intensive Security Unit Wikipedia ↗
• 1976 — Israeli commandos raid Entebbe airport in Uganda, rescuing all but four of the passengers and crew of an Air France jetliner seized by Palestinian terrorists. Wikipedia ↗
• 1976 — The U.S. celebrates its Bicentennial. Wikipedia ↗
• 1966 — U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson signs the Freedom of Information Act into United States law. The act went into effect the next year. Wikipedia ↗
• 1961 — On its maiden voyage, the Soviet nuclear-powered submarine K-19 suffers a complete loss of coolant to its reactor. The crew are able to effect repairs, but 22 of them die of radiation poisoning over the following two years. Wikipedia ↗
• 1960 — Due to the post-Independence Day admission of Hawaii as the 50th U.S. state on August 21, 1959, the 50-star flag of the United States debuts in Philadelphia, almost ten and a half months later (see Flag Act). Wikipedia ↗
• 1958 — President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed the Rivers and Harbors Flood Control Bill. Wikipedia ↗
• 1951 — A court in Czechoslovakia sentences American journalist William N. Oatis to ten years in prison on charges of espionage. Wikipedia ↗
• 1951 — William Shockley announces the invention of the junction transistor. Wikipedia ↗
• 1950 — Radio Free Europe first broadcasts. Wikipedia ↗
• 1947 — The "Indian Independence Bill" is presented before the British House of Commons, proposing the independence of the Provinces of British India into two sovereign countries: India and Pakistan. Wikipedia ↗
• 1946 — The Kielce pogrom against Jewish Holocaust survivors in Poland. Wikipedia ↗
• 1946 — After 381 years of near-continuous colonial rule by various powers, the Philippines attains full independence from the United States. Wikipedia ↗
• 1943 — World War II: The Battle of Kursk, the largest full-scale battle in history and the world's largest tank battle, begins in the village of Prokhorovka. Wikipedia ↗
• 1943 — World War II: In Gibraltar, a Royal Air Force B-24 Liberator bomber crashes into the sea in an apparent accident moments after takeoff, killing sixteen passengers on board, including general Władysław Sikorski, the commander-in-chief of the Polish Army and the Prime Minister of the Polish government-in-exile; only the pilot survives. Wikipedia ↗
• 1942 — World War II: The 250-day Siege of Sevastopol in the Crimea ends when the city falls to Axis forces. Wikipedia ↗
• 1941 — Nazi troops massacre Polish scientists and writers in the captured Ukrainian city of Lviv. Wikipedia ↗
• 1941 — World War II: The Burning of the Riga synagogues: The Great Choral Synagogue in German occupied Riga is burnt with 300 Jews locked in the basement. Wikipedia ↗
• 1939 — Lou Gehrig, recently diagnosed with Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, informs a crowd at Yankee Stadium that he considers himself "The luckiest man on the face of the earth", then announces his retirement from major league baseball. Wikipedia ↗
• 1934 — Leo Szilard patents the chain-reaction design that would later be used in the atomic bomb. Wikipedia ↗
• 1927 — First flight of the Lockheed Vega. Wikipedia ↗
• 1918 — Mehmed V died at the age of 73 and Ottoman sultan Mehmed VI ascends to the throne. Wikipedia ↗
• 1918 — World War I: The Battle of Hamel, a successful attack by the Australian Corps against German positions near the town of Le Hamel on the Western Front. Wikipedia ↗
• 1918 — Bolsheviks kill Tsar Nicholas II of Russia and his family (Julian calendar date). Wikipedia ↗
• 1914 — The funeral of Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife Sophie takes place in Vienna, six days after their assassinations in Sarajevo. Wikipedia ↗
• 1913 — President Woodrow Wilson addresses American Civil War veterans at the Great Reunion of 1913. Wikipedia ↗
• 1911 — A massive heat wave strikes the northeastern United States, killing 380 people in eleven days and breaking temperature records in several cities. Wikipedia ↗
• 1910 — African-American boxer Jack Johnson knocks out white boxer Jim Jeffries in a heavyweight boxing match, sparking race riots across the United States. Wikipedia ↗
• 1903 — Philippine-American War is officially concluded. Wikipedia ↗
• 1901 — William Howard Taft becomes American governor of the Philippines. Wikipedia ↗
• 1898 — En route from New York to Le Havre, the SS La Bourgogne collides with another ship and sinks off the coast of Sable Island, with the loss of 549 lives. Wikipedia ↗
• 1894 — The short-lived Republic of Hawaii is proclaimed by Sanford B. Dole. Wikipedia ↗
• 1892 — Western Samoa changes the International Date Line, causing Monday (July 4) to occur twice, resulting in a year with 367 days. Wikipedia ↗
• 1892 — The first double-decked street car service was inaugurated in San Diego, California.
• 1887 — The founder of Pakistan, Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, joins Sindh-Madrasa-tul-Islam, Karachi. Wikipedia ↗
• 1886 — The first scheduled Canadian transcontinental train arrives in Port Moody, British Columbia. Wikipedia ↗
• 1881 — In Alabama, the Tuskegee Institute opens. Wikipedia ↗
• 1879 — Anglo-Zulu War: The Zululand capital of Ulundi is captured by British troops and burned to the ground, ending the war and forcing King Cetshwayo to flee. Wikipedia ↗
• 1863 — American Civil War: Siege of Vicksburg: Vicksburg, Mississippi surrenders to Ulysses S. Grant after 47 days of siege. One hundred fifty miles up the Mississippi River, a Confederate Army is repulsed at the Battle of Helena, Arkansas. Wikipedia ↗
• 1863 — American Civil War: The Army of Northern Virginia withdraws from the battlefield after losing the Battle of Gettysburg, signalling an end to the Southern invasion of the North. Wikipedia ↗
• 1862 — Lewis Carroll tells Alice Liddell a story that would grow into Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and its sequels. Wikipedia ↗
• 1855 — The first edition of Walt Whitman's book of poems, Leaves of Grass, is published In Brooklyn. Wikipedia ↗
• 1838 — The Iowa Territory is organized. Wikipedia ↗
• 1837 — Grand Junction Railway, the world's first long-distance railway, opens between Birmingham and Liverpool. Wikipedia ↗
• 1831 — Samuel Francis Smith writes "My Country, 'Tis of Thee" for the Boston, Massachusetts July 4 festivities. Wikipedia ↗
• 1827 — Slavery is abolished in New York State. Wikipedia ↗
• 1826 — Thomas Jefferson, third president of the United States, dies the same day as John Adams, second president of the United States, on the fiftieth anniversary of the adoption of the United States Declaration of Independence. Wikipedia ↗
• 1817 — In Rome, New York, construction on the Erie Canal begins. Wikipedia ↗
• 1803 — The Louisiana Purchase is announced to the American people. Wikipedia ↗
• 1802 — At West Point, New York, the United States Military Academy opens. Wikipedia ↗
• 1778 — American Revolutionary War: American forces under George Clark capture Kaskaskia during the Illinois campaign. Wikipedia ↗
• 1776 — American Revolution: The United States Declaration of Independence is adopted by the Second Continental Congress. Wikipedia ↗
• 1774 — Orangetown Resolutions are adopted in the Province of New York, one of many protests against the British Parliament's Coercive Acts Wikipedia ↗
• 1744 — The Treaty of Lancaster, in which the Iroquois cedes lands between the Allegheny Mountains and the Ohio River to the British colonies, was signed in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Wikipedia ↗
• 1634 — The city of Trois-Rivières is founded in New France (now Quebec, Canada). Wikipedia ↗
• 1610 — The Battle of Klushino is fought between forces of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and Russia during the Polish-Muscovite War. Wikipedia ↗
• 1584 — Philip Amadas and Arthur Barlowe arrive at Roanoke Island Wikipedia ↗
• 1534 — Christian III is elected King of Denmark and Norway in the town of Rye. Wikipedia ↗
• 1456 — Ottoman wars in Europe: The Siege of Nándorfehérvár (Belgrade) begins. Wikipedia ↗
• 1359 — Francesco II Ordelaffi of Forlì surrenders to the Papal commander Gil de Albornoz. Wikipedia ↗
• 1253 — Battle of West-Capelle: John I of Avesnes defeats Guy of Dampierre. Wikipedia ↗
• 1187 — The Crusades: Battle of Hattin: Saladin defeats Guy of Lusignan, King of Jerusalem. Wikipedia ↗
• 1120 — Jordan II of Capua is anointed as prince after his infant nephew's death. Wikipedia ↗
• 1054 — A supernova, called SN 1054, is seen by Chinese Song dynasty, Arab, and possibly Amerindian observers near the star Zeta Tauri. For several months it remains bright enough to be seen during the day. Its remnants form the Crab Nebula. Wikipedia ↗
• 993 — Ulrich of Augsburg is canonized as a saint. Wikipedia ↗
• 836 — Pactum Sicardi, a peace treaty between the Principality of Benevento and the Duchy of Naples, is signed. Wikipedia ↗
• 414 — Emperor Theodosius II, age 13, yields power to his older sister Aelia Pulcheria, who reigned as regent and proclaimed herself empress (Augusta) of the Eastern Roman Empire. Wikipedia ↗
• Battle of Mantinea: The Thebans, led by Epaminondas, defeated the Spartans. Wikipedia ↗

🎂 Notable Births on July 4

• 1993 — Tom Barkhuizen, English footballer Wikipedia ↗
• 1990 — Jake Gardiner, American ice hockey player Wikipedia ↗
• 1990 — Richard Mpong, Ghanaian footballer Wikipedia ↗
• 1990 — Naoki Yamada, Japanese footballer Wikipedia ↗
• 1990 — Ihar Yasinski, Belarusian footballer Wikipedia ↗
• 1989 — Benjamin Büchel, English footballer Wikipedia ↗
• 1987 — Wude Ayalew, Ethiopian runner Wikipedia ↗
• 1987 — Guram Kashia, Georgian footballer Wikipedia ↗
• 1986 — Ömer Aşık, Turkish basketball player Wikipedia ↗
• 1986 — Takahisa Masuda, Japanese singer Wikipedia ↗
• 1986 — Nguyen Ngoc Duy, Vietnamese footballer Wikipedia ↗
• 1986 — Rafael Arévalo, Salvadoran tennis player Wikipedia ↗
• 1986 — Willem Janssen, Dutch footballer Wikipedia ↗
• 1986 — Fanny Valette, French actress Wikipedia ↗
• 1986 — Terrance Knighton, American football player Wikipedia ↗
• 1986 — Marte Elden, Norwegian skier Wikipedia ↗
• 1985 — Kane Tenace, Australian footballer Wikipedia ↗
• 1985 — Dimitrios Mavroeidis, Greek basketball player Wikipedia ↗
• 1985 — Wason Rentería, Colombian footballer Wikipedia ↗
• 1984 — Jin Akanishi, Japanese singer-songwriter Wikipedia ↗
• 1984 — Miguel Santos Soares, Timorese footballer Wikipedia ↗
• 1983 — Melanie Fiona, Canadian singer-songwriter Wikipedia ↗
• 1983 — Ben Jorgensen, American singer-songwriter and guitarist Wikipedia ↗
• 1983 — Amantle Montsho, Botswanan sprinter Wikipedia ↗
• 1983 — Andrew Mrotek, American drummer Wikipedia ↗
• 1983 — Miguel Pinto, Chilean footballer Wikipedia ↗
• 1983 — Amol Rajan, Indian-English journalist Wikipedia ↗
• 1983 — Mattia Serafini, Italian footballer Wikipedia ↗
• 1982 — Vladimir Boisa, Georgian basketball player Wikipedia ↗
• 1982 — Vladimir Gusev, Russian cyclist Wikipedia ↗
• 1982 — Jeff Lima, New Zealand rugby league player Wikipedia ↗
• 1982 — Michael "The Situation" Sorrentino, American model, author and television personality Wikipedia ↗
• 1981 — Francisco Cruceta, Dominican baseball player Wikipedia ↗
• 1981 — Will Smith, American football player (d. 2016) Wikipedia ↗
• 1981 — Dedé, Angolan footballer Wikipedia ↗
• 1981 — Brock Berlin, American football player Wikipedia ↗
• 1981 — Christoph Preuß, German footballer Wikipedia ↗
• 1980 — Kwame Steede, Bermudan footballer Wikipedia ↗
• 1979 — Dumas, Canadian singer-songwriter and guitarist Wikipedia ↗
• 1979 — Siim Kabrits, Estonian politician Wikipedia ↗
• 1979 — Josh McCown, American football player Wikipedia ↗
• 1979 — Renny Vega, Venezuelan footballer Wikipedia ↗
• 1978 — Marcos Daniel, Brazilian tennis player Wikipedia ↗
• 1978 — Andrea Gabriel, American actress, producer, and screenwriter Wikipedia ↗
• 1978 — Stephen McNally, English singer-songwriter Wikipedia ↗
• 1978 — Émile Mpenza, Belgian footballer Wikipedia ↗
• 1977 — Zoe Naylor, Australian actress, journalist, and producer Wikipedia ↗
• 1976 — Daijiro Kato, Japanese motorcycle racer (d. 2003) Wikipedia ↗
• 1976 — Yevgeniya Medvedeva, Russian skier Wikipedia ↗
• 1974 — Jill Craybas, American tennis player Wikipedia ↗
• 1974 — La'Roi Glover, American football player and sportscaster Wikipedia ↗
• 1974 — Adrian Griffin, American basketball player and coach Wikipedia ↗
• 1974 — Vince Spadea, American tennis player Wikipedia ↗
• 1973 — Keiko Ihara, Japanese race car driver Wikipedia ↗
• 1973 — Michael Johnson, English-Jamaican footballer and manager Wikipedia ↗
• 1973 — Anjelika Krylova, Russian ice dancer and coach Wikipedia ↗
• 1973 — Jan Magnussen, Danish race car driver Wikipedia ↗
• 1973 — Tony Popovic, Australian footballer and manager Wikipedia ↗
• 1972 — Stephen Giles, Canadian canoe racer and engineer Wikipedia ↗
• 1972 — William Goldsmith, American drummer Wikipedia ↗
• 1972 — Mike Knuble, Canadian-American ice hockey player and coach Wikipedia ↗
• 1969 — Al Golden, American football player and coach Wikipedia ↗
• 1969 — Todd Marinovich, American football player and coach Wikipedia ↗
• 1969 — Wilfred Mugeyi, Zimbabwean footballer and coach Wikipedia ↗
• 1968 — Ronni Ancona, Scottish actress and screenwriter Wikipedia ↗
• 1968 — Jack Frost, American guitarist and songwriter Wikipedia ↗
• 1967 — Vinny Castilla, Mexican baseball player and manager Wikipedia ↗
• 1967 — Sébastien Deleigne, French athlete Wikipedia ↗
• 1967 — Andy Walker, English-Canadian journalist Wikipedia ↗
• 1966 — Minas Hantzidis, German-Greek footballer Wikipedia ↗
• 1966 — Lee Reherman, American actor (d. 2016) Wikipedia ↗
• 1965 — Harvey Grant, American basketball player and coach Wikipedia ↗
• 1965 — Horace Grant, American basketball player and coach Wikipedia ↗
• 1965 — Kiriakos Karataidis, Greek footballer and manager Wikipedia ↗
• 1965 — Gérard Watkins, English actor and playwright Wikipedia ↗
• 1964 — Cle Kooiman, American soccer player and manager Wikipedia ↗
• 1964 — Elie Saab, Lebanese fashion designer Wikipedia ↗
• 1964 — Edi Rama, Albanian politician Wikipedia ↗
• 1964 — Mark Slaughter, American singer-songwriter and producer Wikipedia ↗
• 1964 — Mark Whiting, American actor, director, and screenwriter Wikipedia ↗
• 1963 — Henri Leconte, French tennis player and sportscaster Wikipedia ↗
• 1963 — Laureano Márquez, Spanish-Venezuelan political scientist and journalist Wikipedia ↗
• 1963 — José Oquendo, Puerto Rican-American baseball player and coach Wikipedia ↗
• 1962 — Pam Shriver, American tennis player and sportscaster Wikipedia ↗
• 1961 — Richard Garriott, English-American video game designer, created the Ultima series Wikipedia ↗
• 1960 — Roland Ratzenberger, Austrian race car driver (d. 1994) Wikipedia ↗
• 1959 — Victoria Abril, Spanish actress and singer Wikipedia ↗
• 1958 — Kirk Pengilly, Australian guitarist, saxophonist, and songwriter Wikipedia ↗
• 1958 — Carl Valentine, English-Canadian footballer, coach, and manager Wikipedia ↗
• 1957 — Rein Lang, Estonian politician and diplomat, 25th Estonian Minister of Foreign Affairs Wikipedia ↗
• 1956 — Robert Sinclair MacKay, British academic and educator Wikipedia ↗
• 1955 — Kevin Nichols, Australian cyclist Wikipedia ↗
• 1954 — Jim Beattie, American baseball player, coach, and manager Wikipedia ↗
• 1954 — Morganna, American model, actress, and dancer Wikipedia ↗
• 1953 — Francis Maude, English lawyer and politician, Minister for the Cabinet Office Wikipedia ↗
• 1952 — Paul Rogat Loeb, American author and activist Wikipedia ↗
• 1952 — Álvaro Uribe, Colombian lawyer and politician, 39th President of Colombia Wikipedia ↗
• 1952 — John Waite, English singer-songwriter and guitarist Wikipedia ↗
• 1951 — John Alexander, Australian tennis player and politician Wikipedia ↗
• 1951 — Ralph Johnson, American R&B drummer and percussionist Wikipedia ↗
• 1951 — Vladimir Tismăneanu, Romanian-American political scientist, sociologist, and academic Wikipedia ↗
• 1951 — Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, American lawyer and politician, 6th Lieutenant Governor of Maryland Wikipedia ↗
• 1950 — Philip Craven, English basketball player and swimmer Wikipedia ↗
• 1950 — David Jensen, Canadian-English radio and television host Wikipedia ↗
• 1948 — René Arnoux, French race car driver Wikipedia ↗
• 1948 — Tommy Körberg, Swedish singer and actor Wikipedia ↗
• 1948 — Jeremy Spencer, English singer-songwriter and guitarist Wikipedia ↗
• 1947 — Lembit Ulfsak, Estonian actor and director (d. 2017) Wikipedia ↗
• 1946 — Ron Kovic, American author and activist Wikipedia ↗
• 1946 — Michael Milken, American businessman and philanthropist Wikipedia ↗
• 1945 — Andre Spitzer, Romanian-Israeli fencer and coach (d. 1972) Wikipedia ↗
• 1943 — Conny Bauer, German trombonist Wikipedia ↗
• 1943 — Emerson Boozer, American football player and sportscaster Wikipedia ↗
• 1943 — Adam Hart-Davis, English historian, author, and photographer Wikipedia ↗
• 1943 — Geraldo Rivera, American lawyer, journalist, and author Wikipedia ↗
• 1943 — Alan Wilson, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 1970) Wikipedia ↗
• 1942 — Hal Lanier, American baseball player, coach, and manager Wikipedia ↗
• 1942 — Floyd Little, American football player and coach Wikipedia ↗
• 1942 — Stefan Meller, French-Polish academic and politician, Polish Minister of Foreign Affairs (d. 2008) Wikipedia ↗
• 1942 — Prince Michael of Kent Wikipedia ↗
• 1942 — Peter Rowan, American singer-songwriter and guitarist Wikipedia ↗
• 1941 — Sam Farr, American politician Wikipedia ↗

📅 National Days on July 4 (Calendar.cx)

Also observed on July 4

🏛️ Public Holidays

US: Independence Day

✡️ Religious Observances

• Islamic: Urs of Shaykh Darwish Muhammad ق