EVENTS
- 1580 – The Ostrog Bible becomes the first Bible printed in a Slavic language.
- 1862 – Congress officially authorizes the Medal of Honor.
- 1920 – Moscow Peace Treaty is signed. Also known as the Soviet–Lithuanian Peace Treaty, the treaty was signed between Lithuania and the Soviet Union. It recognized Lithuanian sovereignty in exchange for its neutrality and for safe passage for Russian troops to Poland.
- 1932 – Lambeth Bridge is opened in London.
Lambeth Bridge - 1933 – Congress passes the first minimum wage law in the US at 33 cents per hour.
- 1943 – During World War II, in the Battle of Kursk, the largest tank battle in history took place outside the small village of Prohorovka, Russia. About nine hundred Russian tanks attacked an equal number of German tanks fighting at close range. When Hitler ordered a cease-fire, 300 German tanks remained strewn over the battlefield.
- 1962 – First performance of the Rolling Stones. The British rock band performed for the first time as a group at the Marquee Club in London.
- 1967 – Race riots break out in Newark, New Jersey, killing 26 people and injuring several others. The violence began when two white policemen arrested a black cab driver.
- 1975 – São Tomé and Príncipe gains independence from Portuguese rule. The island nation was discovered and colonized by the Portuguese in the 16th century. For over 200 years, its economy was run by African slaves who cultivated sugar, coffee, and cocoa. Manuel Pinto da Costa became the first president of the newly independent country.
- 1984 – Walter F. Mondale Names Geraldine A. Ferraro as Running Mate in Presidential Elections. New York Congressperson, Geraldine A. Ferraro, became the first woman to run for office on a major party ticket in the United States.
- 1994 – Germany’s Constitutional Court ended the ban on sending German troops to fight outside the country. The ban had been in effect since the end of World War II. The ruling allowed German troops to join in United Nations and NATO peace-keeping missions. On July 14, German military units marched in Bastille Day celebrations in Paris, the first appearance of German troops there since World War II.
BIRTHDAYS
- 1730 – British pottery designer Josiah Wedgwood (1730-1795) was born in Burslem, Staffordshire, England
- 1817 – Henry David Thoreau (Author)
Henry David Thoreau - 1864 – George Washington Carver (Inventor)
- 1884 – Amedeo Modigliani (Italian painter, sculptor)
- 1904 – Pablo Neruda (Chilean poet, Nobel Prize laureate)
- 1908 – Milton Berle (Comedian)
- 1937 – Bill Cosby (Comedian and actor)
- 1971 – Kristi Yamaguchi (Figure Skater)
- 1972 – Travis Best (Basketball Player)
- 1978 – Topher Grace (Actor)
- 1997 – Malala Yousafzai (Human Rights Activist)
DEATHS
- 1536 – Desiderius Erasmus (Dutch theologian, priest)
- 1804 – Alexander Hamilton (Nevisian/American economist, politician, philosopher, 1st United States Secretary of the Treasury)
- 1926 – Gertrude Bell (British government administrator, writer, spy, archaeologist)
Gertrude Bell - 2010 – Harvey Pekar (American author)
- 2013 – Amar Bose (American sound engineer, entrepreneur)
