Every year for the Fourth of July I’ve been blogging about… well, about the Fourth of July, meaning American Independence Day. This year I found myself repeating what I’ve already written and wondered what else might have happened on the fourth of July that never gets mentioned.
HISTORICTAL EVENTS ON JULY 4
1054 - Brightest known supernova SN 1054 (creates the Crab Nebula) 1st reported by Chinese astronomers.
1187 – Battle of Hittin: Saladin defeats Reinoud of Chȃtillon
Hold on! What's the Battle of Hittin? Who is Saladin?
There are plenty of historical days, mostly in Europe, which don’t mean much to Americans looking for a way to impress their friends at the 4th of July celebration. Let’s fast-forward to history in the western hemisphere.
1634 - The city of Trois-Rivières is founded in New France, later to become the Canadian province of Quebec.
1636 - City of Providence, Rhode Island formed.
1754 - George Washington surrenders Fort Necessity, Ohio, to a force of French soldiers and their Ohio American Indian allies. This engagement is considered by many historians to be the start of the French and Indian War.
1774 - Orangetown Resolutions adopted in the Province of New York, one of many protests against the British Parliament's Coercive Acts.
1776 - According to popular legend, the Liberty Bell rang for the Second Continental Congress.
1776 - Declaration of Independence.
1789 - 1st US tariff act signed by President Washington.
1796 - 1st Independence Day celebration was held.
Image Credit: Shutterstock
Image Source: bestlifeonline.com/july-4-events
HISTORICTAL EVENTS ON JULY 4
1054 - Brightest known supernova SN 1054 (creates the Crab Nebula) 1st reported by Chinese astronomers.
1187 – Battle of Hittin: Saladin defeats Reinoud of Chȃtillon
Hold on! What's the Battle of Hittin? Who is Saladin?
There are plenty of historical days, mostly in Europe, which don’t mean much to Americans looking for a way to impress their friends at the 4th of July celebration. Let’s fast-forward to history in the western hemisphere.
1634 - The city of Trois-Rivières is founded in New France, later to become the Canadian province of Quebec.
1636 - City of Providence, Rhode Island formed.
1754 - George Washington surrenders Fort Necessity, Ohio, to a force of French soldiers and their Ohio American Indian allies. This engagement is considered by many historians to be the start of the French and Indian War.
1774 - Orangetown Resolutions adopted in the Province of New York, one of many protests against the British Parliament's Coercive Acts.
1776 - According to popular legend, the Liberty Bell rang for the Second Continental Congress.
1776 - Declaration of Independence.
1789 - 1st US tariff act signed by President Washington.
1796 - 1st Independence Day celebration was held.
Image Credit: Shutterstock
Image Source: bestlifeonline.com/july-4-events
1802 - 1st US Military Academy opened at West Point, NY.
1803 - Thomas Jefferson announced to the public the acquisition of the territory of Louisiana by the United States from France. In return for fifteen million dollars, or approximately eighteen dollars per square mile, the United States acquired acquired a total of 828,000 square miles of territory.
1803 - Thomas Jefferson announced to the public the acquisition of the territory of Louisiana by the United States from France. In return for fifteen million dollars, or approximately eighteen dollars per square mile, the United States acquired acquired a total of 828,000 square miles of territory.
1817 - Construction begins on the Erie Canal.
1826 & 1831 - Thomas Jefferson and John Adams, second and third Presidents of the US and legendary political adversaries, both died on July 4, 1926. Fifth President of the US, James Monroe, died on the 4th of July in 1831.
▲ Image Credit: Shutterstock
▼Image Source thefamouspeople.com/stephen-foster Image Source: bestlifeonline.com/july-4-events
1826 & 1831 - Thomas Jefferson and John Adams, second and third Presidents of the US and legendary political adversaries, both died on July 4, 1926. Fifth President of the US, James Monroe, died on the 4th of July in 1831.
▲ Image Credit: Shutterstock
▼Image Source thefamouspeople.com/stephen-foster Image Source: bestlifeonline.com/july-4-events
1826 – Stephen Foster, nicknamed the "Father of American Music” was born in Lawrenceville, Pennsylvania. Of the hundreds of songs he wrote, "Oh! Susanna" and "Beautiful Dreamer" are the most popular.
1827 - New York City abolishes slavery, paving the way for the eventual abolition of slavery in all of the U.S.
1828 - Construction begins on the first U.S. passenger railroad.
On July 4, 1828, workers broke ground on the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad (also called the B&O) at Baltimore Harbor in Maryland.
1828 - Construction begins on the first U.S. passenger railroad.
On July 4, 1828, workers broke ground on the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad (also called the B&O) at Baltimore Harbor in Maryland.
1831 - "My Country, 'Tis of Thee" is performed for the first time.
The lyrics written by Theology student Samuel Francis Smith wrote the lyrics to "America" (as the song was first named) in 1831 at the request of his friend, church-music composer Lowell Mason.
Impressively, the lyrics took Smith just 30 minutes to write, and were put to the melody of the national anthem in the United Kingdom The song was first performed by a children's choir at an Independence Day
celebration that year at Park Street Church in Boston, Massachusetts. Samuel Francis Smith
Image Source: CD_Moshe 1890
Image Source: commons.wikimedia.org/Samuel_Francis_Smith
1845 – The Republic of Texas' congress passed an ordinance agreeing to become a member of the United States.
1845 - Henry David Thoreau moved into a small cabin near Walden Pond in Concord, Massachusetts that sparks his career. Here, Thoreau wrote his first published works. Walden, one of the more famous pieces, was a documentation of his newfound simplistic lifestyle, and later played a key role in the environmental movement.
Walt Whitman
Image Source: en.wikipedia.org/Walt_Whitman
The lyrics written by Theology student Samuel Francis Smith wrote the lyrics to "America" (as the song was first named) in 1831 at the request of his friend, church-music composer Lowell Mason.
Impressively, the lyrics took Smith just 30 minutes to write, and were put to the melody of the national anthem in the United Kingdom The song was first performed by a children's choir at an Independence Day
celebration that year at Park Street Church in Boston, Massachusetts. Samuel Francis Smith
Image Source: CD_Moshe 1890
Image Source: commons.wikimedia.org/Samuel_Francis_Smith
1845 – The Republic of Texas' congress passed an ordinance agreeing to become a member of the United States.
1845 - Henry David Thoreau moved into a small cabin near Walden Pond in Concord, Massachusetts that sparks his career. Here, Thoreau wrote his first published works. Walden, one of the more famous pieces, was a documentation of his newfound simplistic lifestyle, and later played a key role in the environmental movement.
Walt Whitman
Image Source: en.wikipedia.org/Walt_Whitman
1855 - Walt Whitman published the first edition of his poetry collection Leaves of Grass.
1862 - The idea for Alice in Wonderland is conceived.
Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, who went by the pen name Lewis Carroll, was an obscure math lecturer who took a rowboat excursion on the River Isis in Oxfordshire, UK. He was joined by the three young daughters of his host Dean Henry Liddell who asked him to tell them a story. He improvised and created the story of Alice in Wonderland.
1862 - The idea for Alice in Wonderland is conceived.
Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, who went by the pen name Lewis Carroll, was an obscure math lecturer who took a rowboat excursion on the River Isis in Oxfordshire, UK. He was joined by the three young daughters of his host Dean Henry Liddell who asked him to tell them a story. He improvised and created the story of Alice in Wonderland.
1863 - General Lee's army withdraws from Gettysburg.
1870 - Independence Day is celebrated as a federal holiday.
1883 - Cartoonist Rube Goldberg is born.
He is best known for his eccentric cartoons of
Image Credit: Shutterstock unnecessarily complicated machines to do
Image Source: bestlifeonline.com/july-4-events simple tasks.
1870 - Independence Day is celebrated as a federal holiday.
1883 - Cartoonist Rube Goldberg is born.
He is best known for his eccentric cartoons of
Image Credit: Shutterstock unnecessarily complicated machines to do
Image Source: bestlifeonline.com/july-4-events simple tasks.
1883 - Buffalo Bill Cody presents 1st wild west show, North Platte, Nebraska.
1884 - 1st US bullfight held (Dodge City Ks)
1884 - The Statue of Liberty is presented to the United States in Paris. The Statue of Liberty was a gift of friendship from the people of France to the United States and is recognized as a universal symbol of freedom and democracy.
The idea for the Statue began as a casual after-dinner conversation in 1865 between Laboulaye, a staunch abolitionist, and Frédéric Bartholdi, a sculptor. Laboulaye, an ardent supporter of the Union in the American Civil War, Image Source:
is supposed to have said: en.wikipedia.org/Statue_of_liberty
"If a monument should rise in the United States, as a memorial to their independence, I should think it only natural if it were built by united effort—a common work of both our nations." wikipedia.org/Statue_of_Liberty
The history of the project is long and complicated. The statue is a figure of Libertas, a robed Roman liberty goddess. It was designed by French sculptor Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi and its metal framework was built by Gustave Eiffel.
The statue arrived in the US in pieces on the French Steamship Isere in June, 1885. It was dedicated on October 28, 1886, with a parade and grand ceremony presided over by President Grover Cleveland and attended by over a million people. Where the July 4 date comes in, I have no idea other then one source.
1892 - Western Samoa made a change to its time zone during this leap year, resulting in that country having two July fourths.
1894 - Hawaii becomes a republic which existed from July 4, 1894 to August 12, 1898 when it annexed to the US. It became an official state in 1959.
1910 - Jack Johnson defeats Jim Jeffries in a highly anticipated boxing match.
1918 – Oittoman Sultan Mehmed VI ascends to the throne.
1923 - Jack Dempsey beats Tommy Gibbons on points over 15 hard fought rounds in Shelby, Montana to retain world heavyweight boxing title.
1925 – Margaret Mitchell (author of “Gone With The Wind” marries 2nd husband John Marsh.
1925 - 44 die when Dreyfus Hotel in Boston collapses.
1927 - The Lockheed Vega, a six-passenger monoplane designed for long distances, took its maiden voyage, beginning a new chapter in air flight.
1931 - Author James Joyce finally married Nora Barnacle after knowing her since 1904.
1934 - Nuclear age physicist, Leó Szilárd patents the nuclear chain reaction and the nuclear reactor.
Image Credit: Shutterstock
Image Source: bestlifeonline.com/july-4-events
1884 - 1st US bullfight held (Dodge City Ks)
1884 - The Statue of Liberty is presented to the United States in Paris. The Statue of Liberty was a gift of friendship from the people of France to the United States and is recognized as a universal symbol of freedom and democracy.
The idea for the Statue began as a casual after-dinner conversation in 1865 between Laboulaye, a staunch abolitionist, and Frédéric Bartholdi, a sculptor. Laboulaye, an ardent supporter of the Union in the American Civil War, Image Source:
is supposed to have said: en.wikipedia.org/Statue_of_liberty
"If a monument should rise in the United States, as a memorial to their independence, I should think it only natural if it were built by united effort—a common work of both our nations." wikipedia.org/Statue_of_Liberty
The history of the project is long and complicated. The statue is a figure of Libertas, a robed Roman liberty goddess. It was designed by French sculptor Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi and its metal framework was built by Gustave Eiffel.
The statue arrived in the US in pieces on the French Steamship Isere in June, 1885. It was dedicated on October 28, 1886, with a parade and grand ceremony presided over by President Grover Cleveland and attended by over a million people. Where the July 4 date comes in, I have no idea other then one source.
1892 - Western Samoa made a change to its time zone during this leap year, resulting in that country having two July fourths.
1894 - Hawaii becomes a republic which existed from July 4, 1894 to August 12, 1898 when it annexed to the US. It became an official state in 1959.
1910 - Jack Johnson defeats Jim Jeffries in a highly anticipated boxing match.
1918 – Oittoman Sultan Mehmed VI ascends to the throne.
1923 - Jack Dempsey beats Tommy Gibbons on points over 15 hard fought rounds in Shelby, Montana to retain world heavyweight boxing title.
1925 – Margaret Mitchell (author of “Gone With The Wind” marries 2nd husband John Marsh.
1925 - 44 die when Dreyfus Hotel in Boston collapses.
1927 - The Lockheed Vega, a six-passenger monoplane designed for long distances, took its maiden voyage, beginning a new chapter in air flight.
1931 - Author James Joyce finally married Nora Barnacle after knowing her since 1904.
1934 - Nuclear age physicist, Leó Szilárd patents the nuclear chain reaction and the nuclear reactor.
Image Credit: Shutterstock
Image Source: bestlifeonline.com/july-4-events
939 - Lou Gehrig announces his retirement after 17 seasons. He was the first player to have his uniform number (4) retired by a team, the New York Yankees.
1940 – Actress Gertrude Lawrence married theate owner Richard Aldrich.
1946 - The Philippines establishes Independence from US.
1950 - The first broadcast by Radio Free Europe.
1954 - Dr. Sam Sheppard's wife Marilyn is murdered (he is accused of the crime). On Dec. 21, 1954, he was found guilty of second-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison. On July 16, 1964, Sheppard was freed after the court found after finding five violations of Sheppard's constitutional rights during his trial. In a second trial in November 1966 he was found innocent.
1959 - Hawaii becomes a state.
1960 - The American flag receives its 50th star.
1966 - The Freedom of Information Act is signed into law.
1940 – Actress Gertrude Lawrence married theate owner Richard Aldrich.
1946 - The Philippines establishes Independence from US.
1950 - The first broadcast by Radio Free Europe.
1954 - Dr. Sam Sheppard's wife Marilyn is murdered (he is accused of the crime). On Dec. 21, 1954, he was found guilty of second-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison. On July 16, 1964, Sheppard was freed after the court found after finding five violations of Sheppard's constitutional rights during his trial. In a second trial in November 1966 he was found innocent.
1959 - Hawaii becomes a state.
1960 - The American flag receives its 50th star.
1966 - The Freedom of Information Act is signed into law.
1970 - The Falls Road curfew in North Ireland, imposed by the British Army while searching for IRA weapons, continues throughout the day; a man is killed by the British Army.
1971 - Koko the gorilla is born. She later gained fame for learning to communicate using modified American Sign Language. She asked for, and received, a kitten for her birthday. Koko died in 2018 at the age of 47. Image source: kickassfacts.com/gorilla-facts/
1974 – Ted Bundy Victim Nancy Baird disappears from Layton, Utah.
1982 - 4th Space Shuttle Mission-Columbia 4 lands at Edwards AFB.
1982 - Ex Black Sabbath lead singer Ozzy Osborne married TV host Sharon Arden.
1985 - Back to the Future, released; second best movie released on July 4.
1988 - Coming to America released, fourth best movie released on July 4.
1988 - US Navy shoots down Iranian civilian jetliner over Gulf, kills 290.
1989 – 14 year old actress Drew Barrymore attempts suicide.
1991 - Terminator 2: Judgment Day, third best movie released on July 4.
1995 - Artist Bob Ross dies.
1996 – The best movie ever released on July Fourth is Independence Day.
1996 - Hotmail goes live. One of the first electronic mail providers, Hotmail, launched the revolutionary idea of accessing your messages from anywhere in the world.
1997 – Actor Bill Murray married costume designer Jennifer Butler.
1997 - Men in Black released, fifth best movie to be released on July 4.
1997 - The Pathfinder (twenty-three pounds) lands on Mars and begins its mission.
Image Credit: Shutterstock
Image Source: bestlifeonline.com/july-4-events
1971 - Koko the gorilla is born. She later gained fame for learning to communicate using modified American Sign Language. She asked for, and received, a kitten for her birthday. Koko died in 2018 at the age of 47. Image source: kickassfacts.com/gorilla-facts/
1974 – Ted Bundy Victim Nancy Baird disappears from Layton, Utah.
1982 - 4th Space Shuttle Mission-Columbia 4 lands at Edwards AFB.
1982 - Ex Black Sabbath lead singer Ozzy Osborne married TV host Sharon Arden.
1985 - Back to the Future, released; second best movie released on July 4.
1988 - Coming to America released, fourth best movie released on July 4.
1988 - US Navy shoots down Iranian civilian jetliner over Gulf, kills 290.
1989 – 14 year old actress Drew Barrymore attempts suicide.
1991 - Terminator 2: Judgment Day, third best movie released on July 4.
1995 - Artist Bob Ross dies.
1996 – The best movie ever released on July Fourth is Independence Day.
1996 - Hotmail goes live. One of the first electronic mail providers, Hotmail, launched the revolutionary idea of accessing your messages from anywhere in the world.
1997 – Actor Bill Murray married costume designer Jennifer Butler.
1997 - Men in Black released, fifth best movie to be released on July 4.
1997 - The Pathfinder (twenty-three pounds) lands on Mars and begins its mission.
Image Credit: Shutterstock
Image Source: bestlifeonline.com/july-4-events
1999 – Soccer star David Beckham weds Spice Girls singer Victoria Beckham.
1999 - Wild Wild West was released, considered the worst movie ever release on July 4.
2002 – Actress Julia Roberts married cameraman Danny Moder.
2004 - The cornerstone of the Freedom Tower is laid on the site of the World Trade Center in New York City. (This was largely a symbolic event; actual construction would not start for several weeks).
2009 – Statue of Liberty crown reopened to the public after eight year, due to security reasons following the World Trade Cent attacks.
2012 - The Higgs boson discovery is announced.
2013 – Singer Tina Turner married music exec. Erwin Bach.
2015 – Actress-singer Vanessa Williams weds Jim Skrip.
2015 – Actor Ashton Kutcher weds actress Mila Kunis.
2016 - NASA's Juno spacecraft successfully enters Jupiter's orbit.
2017 - North Korea tests first successful intercontinental ballistic missile into Sea of Japan.
2018 - Chinese technology company Baidu announces it has begun mass production of self-driving buses, the 14-seat Apolong.
2019 - Largest earthquake in California in 20 years 6.4 magnitude near Ridgecrest.
2019 – Russian President Vladmir Putin meets with Pope Francis at the Vatican.
2019 - US publication Mad Magazine announces it will stop publishing new material after 67 years
1999 - Wild Wild West was released, considered the worst movie ever release on July 4.
2002 – Actress Julia Roberts married cameraman Danny Moder.
2004 - The cornerstone of the Freedom Tower is laid on the site of the World Trade Center in New York City. (This was largely a symbolic event; actual construction would not start for several weeks).
2009 – Statue of Liberty crown reopened to the public after eight year, due to security reasons following the World Trade Cent attacks.
2012 - The Higgs boson discovery is announced.
2013 – Singer Tina Turner married music exec. Erwin Bach.
2015 – Actress-singer Vanessa Williams weds Jim Skrip.
2015 – Actor Ashton Kutcher weds actress Mila Kunis.
2016 - NASA's Juno spacecraft successfully enters Jupiter's orbit.
2017 - North Korea tests first successful intercontinental ballistic missile into Sea of Japan.
2018 - Chinese technology company Baidu announces it has begun mass production of self-driving buses, the 14-seat Apolong.
2019 - Largest earthquake in California in 20 years 6.4 magnitude near Ridgecrest.
2019 – Russian President Vladmir Putin meets with Pope Francis at the Vatican.
2019 - US publication Mad Magazine announces it will stop publishing new material after 67 years
2020 – A rare Planet Parade took place on July 4, all of the planets lined up on one side of the sun, the first time since 1982 and won’te happen again until 2061 amd again in 2492.
https://www.orissapost.com/rare-celestial-event-planet-parade-to-occur-after-37-yrs/
INDEPENDENCE DAY HATH NO RIVALS
At least a zillion things have happened on July fourth over the years. After reviewing historical events, plus numerous more trivial events, scientific events, 4th of July weddings and divorces, and lists of movies and sporting events, I feel I can say, with impunity, that the creation of the Unites Stated of America is by far the most significant event that has ever taken place on July fourth.
JUST SAYIN’
□
Sources:
hotoHOhttps://www.onthisday.com/weddings/july/4
https://www.onthisday.com/events/july/4
https://bestlifeonline.com/july-4-historical-events/
https://www.history.com/topics/holidays/july-4th
https://www.birthdayagecalculator.com/historical-events-on-july-4.html
https://www.brainyhistory.com/days/july_4.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Statue_of_Liberty
https://www.productopia.com/shopping?qo=semQuery&ad=semA&q=this%20day%20in%20history&o=1468264&ag=fw59&an=google_s&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIrqbn5crO8AIVJ_3jBx1uqAXFEAAYBCAAEgIW6PD_BwE&rch=intl140
https://bestlifeonline.com/july-4-historical-events/#:~:text=%2030%20Major%20Events%20That%20Also%20Happened%20on,Adams%2C%20and%20James%20Monroe%20die..%20Thomas...%20More%20
Photos Only:
https://madmonarchist.blogspot.com/2016/07/flag-day-in-hawaii.html
https://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/stephen-foster-6656.php
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Samuel_Francis_Smith_by_CD_Mosher,_1890.jpg
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Walt_Whitman_1872.jpg
https://dailytimes.com.pk/635940/earths-siblings-lining-up-for-a-rare-show-of-planet-parade/
https://www.etsy.com/listing/537142954/alice-in-wonderland-first-edition-lewis?gpla=1&gao=1&&utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=shopping_us_a-books_movies_and_music-books-childrens_books&utm_custom1=_k_098b3c28d753110ebe8f5c88c3183175_k_&utm_conte
https://www.holidayscalendar.com/day/july-4/#:~:text=Historical%20Events%20on%20July%204%201776%3A%20The%20Second,New%20York%20opens%20its%20doors%20on%20this%20date.
https://dailytimes.com.pk/635940/earths-siblings-lining-up-for-a-rare-show-of-planet-parade/
https://www.kickassfacts.com/25-fascinating-gorilla-facts/
https://www.orissapost.com/rare-celestial-event-planet-parade-to-occur-after-37-yrs/
INDEPENDENCE DAY HATH NO RIVALS
At least a zillion things have happened on July fourth over the years. After reviewing historical events, plus numerous more trivial events, scientific events, 4th of July weddings and divorces, and lists of movies and sporting events, I feel I can say, with impunity, that the creation of the Unites Stated of America is by far the most significant event that has ever taken place on July fourth.
JUST SAYIN’
□
Sources:
hotoHOhttps://www.onthisday.com/weddings/july/4
https://www.onthisday.com/events/july/4
https://bestlifeonline.com/july-4-historical-events/
https://www.history.com/topics/holidays/july-4th
https://www.birthdayagecalculator.com/historical-events-on-july-4.html
https://www.brainyhistory.com/days/july_4.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Statue_of_Liberty
https://www.productopia.com/shopping?qo=semQuery&ad=semA&q=this%20day%20in%20history&o=1468264&ag=fw59&an=google_s&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIrqbn5crO8AIVJ_3jBx1uqAXFEAAYBCAAEgIW6PD_BwE&rch=intl140
https://bestlifeonline.com/july-4-historical-events/#:~:text=%2030%20Major%20Events%20That%20Also%20Happened%20on,Adams%2C%20and%20James%20Monroe%20die..%20Thomas...%20More%20
Photos Only:
https://madmonarchist.blogspot.com/2016/07/flag-day-in-hawaii.html
https://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/stephen-foster-6656.php
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Samuel_Francis_Smith_by_CD_Mosher,_1890.jpg
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Walt_Whitman_1872.jpg
https://dailytimes.com.pk/635940/earths-siblings-lining-up-for-a-rare-show-of-planet-parade/
https://www.etsy.com/listing/537142954/alice-in-wonderland-first-edition-lewis?gpla=1&gao=1&&utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=shopping_us_a-books_movies_and_music-books-childrens_books&utm_custom1=_k_098b3c28d753110ebe8f5c88c3183175_k_&utm_conte
https://www.holidayscalendar.com/day/july-4/#:~:text=Historical%20Events%20on%20July%204%201776%3A%20The%20Second,New%20York%20opens%20its%20doors%20on%20this%20date.
https://dailytimes.com.pk/635940/earths-siblings-lining-up-for-a-rare-show-of-planet-parade/
https://www.kickassfacts.com/25-fascinating-gorilla-facts/
RSS Feed
