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For the United States holiday, the Fourth of July, see Independence Day (United States).

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836 - Pactum Sicardi, peace between the Principality of Benevento and the Duchy of Naples

993 - Saint Ulrich of Augsburg canonized.

1054 - A supernova is observed by the Chinese, the Arabs and possibly Amerindians near the star ζ Tauri. For several months it remains bright enough to be seen during the day. Its remnants form the Crab Nebula.

1120 - Jordan II of Capua anointed as prince after his infant nephew's death

1187 - The Crusades: Battle of Hattin - Saladin defeats Guy of Lusignan, King of Jerusalem.

1253 - Battle of West-Capelle: John I of Avesnes defeats Guy of Dampierre

1636 - City of Providence, Rhode Island forms.

1712 - 11 slaves are executed in New York for starting an uprising that killed 9 whites

1774 - Orangetown Resolutions adopted in Tappan, New York in Rockland County.

1776 - American Revolutionary War: The Continental Congress approves a Declaration of Independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain.

1802 - At West Point, New York the United States Military Academy opens.

1803 - The Louisiana Purchase is announced to the American people.

1810 - The French occupy Amsterdam.

1817 - At Rome, New York, United States, construction on the Erie Canal begins.

1827 - Slavery is abolished in New York State.

1837 - Grand Junction Railway, world's first long-distance railway, opens between Birmingham and Liverpool.

1838 - The Iowa Territory is organized.

1840 - The Cunard Line's 700 ton wooden paddle steamer RMS ''Britannia'' departs from Liverpool bound for Halifax, Nova Scotia on the first transatlantic crossing with a scheduled end.

1845 - Near Concord, Massachusetts, Henry David Thoreau embarks on a two-year experiment in simple living at Walden Pond (see Walden).

1855 - In Brooklyn, New York, the first edition of Walt Whitman's book of poems titled Leaves of Grass is published.

1859 - Austro-Sardinian War: The Battle of Magenta.

1862 - Lewis Carroll tells Alice Liddell a story that would grow into Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and its sequels.

1863 - American Civil War: Battle of Vicksburg - Vicksburg, Mississippi surrenders to Ulysses S. Grant after 47 days of siege. 150 miles up the Mississippi River, a Confederate Army is repulsed at the Battle of Helena, Arkansas.

1865 - Alice's Adventures in Wonderland is published.

1881 - In Alabama, the Tuskegee Institute opens.

1886 - First scheduled Canadian transcontinental train arrives in Port Moody, British Columbia.

1887 - Founder of Pakistan, Qauid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah joined Sindh-Madrasa-tul-Islam, Karachi.

1892 - Western Samoa changes the International Date Line, so that year there were 367 days in this country, with two occurrences of Monday, July 4.

1894 - The short-lived Republic of Hawaii is proclaimed by Sanford B. Dole.

1910 - African-American boxer Jack Johnson knocks out white boxer Jim Jeffries in a heavyweight boxing match sparking race riots across the United States.

1918 - Ottoman sultan Mehmed VI ascends to the throne.

1918 - Bolsheviks kill Tsar Nicholas II of Russia and his family (Julian calendar date).

1927 - First flight of the Lockheed Vega.

1934 - Joe Louis wins his first professional boxing match.

1934 - Leo Szilard patents the chain-reaction design for the atomic bomb.

1939 - Lou Gehrig, recently diagnosed with Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, tells a crowd at Yankee Stadium that he considered himself "The luckiest man on the face of the earth" as he announces his retirement from major league baseball.

1941 - Mass murder of Polish scientists and writers, committed by Nazi Germans in captured Polish city of Lwów.

1946 - After 381 years of colonial rule, the Philippines is granted full independence by the United States.

1947 - "Indian Independence Bill" is presented before British House of Commons, suggesting bifurcation of British India into two sovereign coutries - India and Pakistan.

1950 - First broadcast by Radio Free Europe.

1954 - "The miracle of Bern", Germany wins the FIFA World Cup in Switzerland against Hungary.

1959 - With the admission of Alaska as the 49th U.S. state earlier in the year, the 49-star flag of the United States debuts in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

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, Pennsylvania almost ten and a half months later (see Flag Act).

1966 - President Lyndon B. Johnson signs the Freedom of Information Act into United States law. The act goes into effect the next year.

1970 - Popular syndicated radio show, "American Top 40", hosted by "Casey Kasem, debuts.

1976 - Israeli commandos raid Entebbe airport in Uganda, rescuing all of the passengers and crew of an Air France jetliner seized by Palestinian terrorists.

1976 - The United States celebrates its bicentennial.

1982 - Four Iranian diplomats kidnapped by Lebanese militia in Lebanon.

1987 - In France, former Gestapo chief Klaus Barbie (aka the "Butcher of Lyon") is convicted of crimes against humanity and is sentenced to life imprisonment.

1992 - USS George Washington (CVN-73), a Nimitz Class aircraft carrier of the United States Navy is commissioned at Norfolk, Virginia.

1997 - NASA's Pathfinder space probe lands on the surface of Mars.

1999 - David Beckham marries Victoria Adams in Ireland

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)

2005 - The Deep Impact collider hits the comet Tempel 1.

2006 - Space Shuttle program: STS-121 Mission - Space Shuttle Discovery launches at 18:37:55 UTC . The first Independence Day shuttle launch.

2006 - North Korea tests four short-range missiles one medium-range missile, and a long-range Taepodong-2. The latter reportedly fails in mid-air over the Sea of Japan.

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1330 - Ashikaga Yoshiakira, Japanese shogun (d. 1367)

1546 - Murat III, Ottoman Sultan (d. 1595)

1694 - Louis-Claude Daquin, French composer (d. 1772)

1715 - Christian Fürchtegott Gellert, German poet (d. 1769)

1719 - Michel-Jean Sedaine, French dramatist (d. 1797)

1799 - King Oscar I of Sweden, French general (d. 1859)

1804 - Nathaniel Hawthorne, American writer (d. 1864)

1807 - Giuseppe Garibaldi, Italian patriot (d. 1882)

1826 - Stephen Foster, American songwriter (d. 1864)

1845 - Thomas Barnardo, Irish humanitarian (d. 1905)

1847 - James Anthony Bailey, American circus impresario (d. 1906)

1854 - Victor Babeş, Romanian bacteriologist (d. 1926)

1872 - Calvin Coolidge, 30th President of the United States (d. 1933)

1878 - George M. Cohan, American entertainer (d. 1942)

1881 - Ulysses S. Grant III, American soldier (d. 1968)

1882 - Louis B. Mayer, American film producer (d. 1957)

1883 - Rube Goldberg, American cartoonist (d. 1970)

1896 - Mao Dun, Chinese writer (d. 1981)

1898 - Dr. Pilar Barbosa, Puerto Rican historian (d. 1997)

1901 - Louis Armstrong, American musician (d. 1971)

1902 - Meyer Lansky, Russian-born gangster (d. 1983)

1902 - George Murphy, American entertainer (d. 1992)

1904 - Angela Baddeley, English actress (d. 1976)

1905 - Irving Johnson, American adventurer (d. 1991)

1907 - Gordon Griffith, American director (d. 1958)

1910 - Gloria Stuart, American actress

1911 - Mitch Miller, American entertainer

1916 - Iva Toguri D'Aquino, American thought to be Tokyo Rose in World War II

1917 - Manolete, Spanish bullfighter (d. 1947)

1918 - Ann Landers, American advice columnist (d. 2002)

1918 - Abigail Van Buren American advice columnist

1918 - Taufa'ahau Tupou IV, Tongan king (d. 2006)

1920 - Norm Drucker, American basketball referee

1921 - Gerard Debreu, French economist, Nobel laureate (d. 2004)

1921 - Tibor Varga, Hungarian violinist (d. 2003)

1923 - Rudolf Friedrich, Swiss Federal Councilor

1924 - Eva Marie Saint, American actress

1926 - Alfredo Di Stéfano, Argentine footballer

1927 - Gina Lollobrigida, Italian actress

1927 - Neil Simon, American playwright

1929 - Bill Tuttle, baseball player (d. 1998)

1929 - Al Davis, football team owner

1930 - George Steinbrenner, baseball team owner

1930 - Frunzik Mkrtchyan, Armenian actor

1930 - Yuri Tyukalov, Soviet Olympic rower

1931 - Stephen Boyd, Northern Irish actor (d. 1977)

1938 - Bill Withers, American singer and songwriter

1942 - Floyd Little, American football player

1942 - Stefan Meller, Polish foreign minister

1943 - Konrad "Conny" Bauer, German musician

1943 - Geraldo Rivera, American reporter

1943 - Alan "Blind Owl" Wilson, American musician (Canned Heat) (d. 1970)

1946 - Ron Kovic, American peace activist

1946 - Ed O'Ross, American actor

1948 - Tommy Körberg, Swedish singer

1951 - Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, American politician

1952 - Álvaro Uribe Vélez, Colombian politician

1960 - Sid Eudy, professional wrestler

1960 - Roland Ratzenberger, Austrian racing driver (d. 1994)

1961 - Richard Garriott, English video game designer

1962 - Pam Shriver, American tennis player

1963 - José Oquendo, baseball player

1966 - Lee Reherman, American actor

1967 - Vinny Castilla, Mexican baseball player

1967 - Andy Walker, Canadian television personality

1967 - Michael Daniel Peters, American computer security expert

1973 - Gackt, Japanese singer

1973 - Tony Popovic, Australian footballer

1973 - Michael Johnson, England-born Jamaican footballer

1973 - Jan Magnussen, Danish racing driver

1974 - La'Roi Glover, American football player

1975 - Tania Davis, violist from bond

1976 - Daijiro Kato, Japanese motorcycle racer (d. 2003)

1979 - Martin Shearman-Brettle, English composer

1983 - Isabeli Fontana, Brazilian model

1995 - María Isabel, Spanish singer

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965 - Pope Benedict V

973 - Ulrich of Augsburg, German bishop (b. 890)

1187 - Raynald of Chatillon, Prince of Antioch (executed)

1541 - Pedro de Alvarado, Spanish explorer (b. 1495)

1603 - Philippe de Monte, Flemish composer (b. 1521)

1623 - William Byrd, English composer

1742 - Guido Grandi, Italian mathematician (b. 1671)

1754 - Philippe Néricault Destouches, French dramatist (b. 1680)

1761 - Samuel Richardson, English writer (b. 1689)

1780 - Prince Charles Alexander of Lorraine, Austrian military leader (b. 1712)

1787 - Charles de Rohan, prince de Soubise, Marshal of France (b. 1715)

1821 - Richard Cosway, English artist (b. 1742)

1826 - John Adams, 2nd President of the United States (b. 1735)

1826 - Thomas Jefferson 3rd President of the United States (b. 1743)

1831 - James Monroe, 5th President of the United States (b. 1758)

1848 - François-René de Chateaubriand, French writer (b. 1768)

1850 - William Kirby, English entomologist (b. 1759)

1857 - William L. Marcy, American statesman (b. 1786)

1881 - Johan Vilhelm Snellman, Finnish statesman (b. 1806)

1882 - Joseph Brackett, American composer (b. 1797)

1891 - Hannibal Hamlin, U.S. Vice President (b. 1809)

1898 - Youssuf Ishmaelo, wrestler (b. 1857)

1901 - Johannes Schmidt, German linguist (b. 1843)

1902 - Swami Vivekananda, Indian spiritual leader (b. 1863)

1905 - Élisée Reclus, French anarchist (b. 1830)

1910 - Giovanni Schiaparelli, Italian astronomer (b. 1835)

1916 - Alan Seeger, American war poet (b. 1888)

1922 - Lothar von Richthofen, German pilot (b. 1894)

1926 - Pier Giorgio Frassati, Italian mountaineer (b. 1901)

1931 - Buddie Petit, American jazz musician (b. 1895)

1934 - Maria Skłodowska-Curie, Nobel Prize in Chemistry and Physics (b. 1867)

1938 - Suzanne Lenglen, French tennis player (b. 1899)

1941 - Antoni Łomnicki, Polish mathematician (b. 1881)

1970 - Barnett Newman, American artist (b. 1905)

1970 - Harold Stirling Vanderbilt, member of the Vanderbilt family (b. 1884)

1971 - August Derleth, American writer and editor (b. 1909)

1975 - Georgette Heyer, English author (b. 1902)

1976 - Antoni Słonimski, Polish poet (b. 1895)

1977 - Gersh Budker, Russian physicist (b. 1918)

1982 - Terry Higgins, early British AIDS death

1986 - Oscar Zariski, Russian mathematician (b. 1899)

1988 - Adrian Adonis, Professional wrestler

1991 - Victor Chang, Australian physician (b. 1936)

1992 - Ástor Piazzolla, Argentinian composer (b. 1921)

1994 - Joey Marella, American wresting referee (b. 1964)

1995 - Eva Gabor, Hungarian actress (b. 1919)

1997 - Charles Kuralt, American television reporter (b. 1934)

1997 - John Zachary Young, English zoologist (b. 1907)

1999 - Leo Garel, American artist and cartoonist (b.1917)

2000 - Gustaw Herling-Grudzinski, Polish writer (b. 1919)

2002 - Benjamin O. Davis Jr., American general (b. 1912)

2002 - Mansoor Hekmat, Iranian politician (b. 1951)

2003 - Barry White, American singer (b. 1944)

2004 - Jean-Marie Auberson, Swiss conductor (b. 1920)

2005 - Hank Stram, American football coach (b. 1923)

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United States - Independence Day (1776)

Filipino-American Friendship Day

In astronomy, the approximate date of Earth's aphelion.

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Liturgical feasts

Saint Aurelian
Saint Bolcan
Saint Finbar, abbot
Saint Flavian
Saint Florent
Saint Laurianus, bishop, martyr Bourges
Translation, Ordination of Saint Martin, bishop of Tours, confessor Paris, Bruges, sometimes in red
Saint Odo, bishop of Canterbury
Saint Othelric, bishop, confessor
Saint Procopius, abbot (at Prague), confessor GTZ: Prague, Gnesen, Meissen
Saint Sisoes, anchorite BLS
Saint Ulric, bishop of Augsburg, confessor (died 973)
Saint Bertha, widow, abbess of Blangy in Artois
Saint Elizabeth Lusitania of Portugal (died 136)