July 4
Independence Day in the United States
Birthdays:
1998 ~ Malia Obama (née Malia Ann Obama), American daughter of President Barak and Michele Obama. She was born in Chicago, Illinois.
1971 ~ Koko (d. July 19, 2018), female western lowland gorilla who was taught and learned a modified version of American Sign Language. She was born at the San Francisco Zoo in San Francisco, California. She died 2 weeks after her 46th birthday in Woodside, California.
1956 ~ Robert Sinclair MacKay, British mathematician.
1945 ~ Andre Spitzer (d. Sept. 6, 1972), Romanian-born Israeli fencer. He was killed at in the 1972 Olympics Munich massacre. He was 27 years old.
1943 ~ Geraldo Rivera (né Gerald Michael Rivera), American television personality and journalist. He was born in New York, New York.
1938 ~ Bill Withers (né William Harrison Withers, Jr.; d. Mar. 30, 2020), American Rhythm and Blues hitmaker who walked away from fame. He is best known for his 1971 song Ain’t No Sunshine. He retired from his music career in 1985. He was born in Slab Fork, West Virginia. He died at age 81 of heart complications in Los Angeles, California.
1937 ~ Sonja Haraldsen, Queen consort of Norway and wife of Harald V, King of Norway (b. 1937). They married in 1968. She was a commoner. She was born in Oslo, Norway.
1930 ~ George Steinbrenner (né George Michael Steinbrenner, III; d. July 13, 2010), American businessman and owner of the New York Yankees. He was born in Bay Village, Ohio. He died of a heart attack 9 days after his 80th birthday in Tampa, Florida.
1929 ~ Al Davis (né Allen Davis; d. Oct. 8, 2011), American football executive and hard-charging maverick who shook up football. He was born in Brockton, Massachusetts. He died at age 82 in Oakland, California.
1927 ~ Neil Simon (né Marvin Neil Simon; d. Aug. 26, 2018), American playwright who became Broadway’s king of comedy. He was born in The Bronx, New York. He died at age 91 in Manhattan, New York.
1927 ~ Gina Lollobrigida (née Luigia Lollobrigida; d. Jan. 16, 2023), Italian sex symbol and actress who became a photographer. She was born in Subiaco, Italy. She died at age 95 in Rome, Italy.
1926 ~ Amos Elon (d. May 25, 2009), Israeli author and journalist who loved and challenged his country. He was born in Vienna, Austria. He died at age 82 in Borgo Buggiano, Tuscany, Italy.
1924 ~ Eva Marie Saint, American actress. She was born in Newark, New Jersey.
1921 ~ Gérard Debreu (d. Dec. 31, 2004), French economist and mathematician. He was the recipient of the 1983 Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences. He was born in Calais, France. He died at age 83 in Paris, France.
1920 ~ Leona Helmsley (née Lena Mindy Rosenthal; d. Aug. 20, 2007), American businesswoman who was known as the Queen of Mean. She was born in Marbletown, New York. She died at age 87 in Greenwich, Connecticut.
1918 ~ Ann Landers (née Esther Pauline Friedman Lederer; d. June 22, 2002) and Abigail Van Buren (née Pauline Esther Friedman Phillips, d. Jan. 16, 2013), identical twin sisters who were both advice columnists. The Twins were born in Sioux City, Iowa. Esther Friedman (Ann Landers) died 12 days before her 84th birthday in Chicago, Illinois. Pauline Esther Friedman (Dear Abby) died on January 16, 2013 at age 94 in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
1918 ~ Abigail Van Buren (née Pauline Esther Friedman Phillips; d. Jan. 16, 2013), American advice columnist known to readers as Dear Abby. She counseled millions with her advice. Her identical twin sister, Ann Landers (née Esther “Eppie” Pauline Friedman Lederer, b. July 4, 1918), was also an advice columnist. The twins were born in Sioux City, Iowa. Esther Friedman (Ann Landers) died on June 22, 2012, just 12 days before her 84th birthday in Chicago, Illinois. Pauline Esther Friedman (Dear Abby) died at age 94 in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
1911 ~ Mitch Miller (né Mitchell William Miller; d. July 31, 2010), American musician and entertainer. He was born in Rochester, New York. He died 27 days after his 99th birthday in Manhattan, New York.
1905 ~ Lionel Trilling (né Lionel Mordechai Trilling; d. Nov. 5, 1975), American critic and writer. He was born and died in New York, New York. He died of abdominal cancer at age 70.
1902 ~ Abe Saperstein (né Abraham Michael Saperstein; d. Mar. 15, 1966), American basketball player and coach. He was the owner and coach of the franchise that became the Harlem Globetrotters. He was born in London, England. He died of a heart attack at age 63 in Chicago, Illinois.
1902 ~ Meyer Lansky (né Meier Suchowlański, d. Jan. 15, 1983), Russian-born American gangster. He died of lung cancer at age 80 in Miami Beach, Florida.
1883 ~ Rube Goldberg (né Reuben Garrett Lucius Goldberg; d. Dec. 7, 1970), American sculptor and cartoonist. He was born in San Francisco, California. He died at age 87 in New York, New York.
1872 ~ Calvin Coolidge (né John Calvin Coolidge, Jr.; d. Jan. 5, 1933), 30th President of the United States. He was the 29th Vice President of the United States and became President upon the death of President Warren G. Harding. He served as President from August 1923 until March 1929. He had previously served as the 48th Governor of Massachusetts although he was born in Plymouth Notch, Vermont. He died at age 60 in Northampton, Massachusetts.
1868 ~ Henrietta Swan Leavitt (d. Dec. 12, 1921), American astronomer. She was born in Lancaster, Massachusetts. She died of cancer at age 53 in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
1862 ~ Walter L. Fisher (né Walter Lowrie Fisher; d. Nov. 9, 1935), 25th United States Secretary of the Interior. He served under Presidents William Taft and Woodrow Wilson. He was in Office from March 1911 until March 1913. He was born in Wheeling, West Virginia. He died at age 73 in Winnetka, Illinois.
1847 ~ James Anthony Bailey (né James Anthony McGinnis; d. Apr. 11, 1906), American businessman and co-founder of the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus. He was born in Detroit, Michigan. He died at age 58 in Mount Vernon, New York.
1826 ~ Stephen Foster (né Stephen Collins Foster; d. Jan. 13, 1864), American composer and songwriter. He was born in Lawrenceville, Pennsylvania. He died at age 37 from an infection in New York, New York.
1816 ~ Hiram Walker (d. Jan. 12, 1899), American businessman and distiller. He founded Canadian Club whiskey. He was born in East Douglas, Massachusetts. He died at age 82 in Detroit, Michigan.
1804 ~ Nathaniel Hawthorne (d. May 19, 1864), American author. He is best known for his novel, The Scarlett Letter. He was born in Salem, Massachusetts and died in Plymouth, New Hampshire. He died at age 59.
1799 ~ Oscar I, King of Sweden and Norway (né Joseph François Oscar Bernadotte, d. July 8, 1859). He was King from March 1844 until his death in 1859. He was married to Josephine of Leuchtenberg (1807 ~ 1876). They married in 1823. They were the parents of Charles XV, King of Sweden and Oscar II, King of Sweden. He was of the House of Bernadotte. He was the son of Charles XIV John, King of Sweden and Désireé Clary. He was of the Church of Sweden. He died just 4 days after his 60th birthday.
1790 ~ Sir George Everest (d. Dec. 1, 1866), Welsh surveyor and geographer. He served as the Surveyor General of India from 1830 through 1843. Mount Everest in the Himalayan Mountains was named in his honor. He died at age 76 in London, England.
1753 ~ Jean-Pierre Blanchard (d. Mar. 7, 1809), French inventor best known for being a pioneer in balloon flight. He died at age 55 after falling from a balloon in The Hague, Netherlands.
Events that Changed the World:
2022 ~ A mass shooting at a Fourth of July Parade in Highland Park, Illinois left 6 people dead and numerous others injured.
2022 ~ A mass shooting at a shopping mall in Copenhagen, Denmark left 2 people dead and nearly 30 others wounded. The suspect was mentally ill. The last mass shooting in Denmark occurred over 15 years earlier.
2019 ~ A 6.4 earthquake struck in California. There were over 1000 aftershocks.
2009 ~ The crown of the Statute of Liberty reopened. It has been closed following the September 11 attacks in 2001 due to security concerns.
1987 ~ In France, former Gestapo chief Klaus Barbie (1913 ~ 1991) was convicted of crimes against humanity and sentenced to life in prison. He had been known as the Butcher of Lyon for his acts. He ultimately died in prison at age 77.
1976 ~ The United States celebrated its Bicentennial.
1976 ~ Israeli commandos raid Entebbe airport in Uganda, rescuing all but four passengers and crew of an Air France jet that had been seized by Palestinian terrorists. Yonatan Netanyahu (1946 ~ 1976), the rescue commander, was also killed in the rescue.
1966 ~ President Lyndon Johnson (1908 ~ 1973) signed the Freedom of Information Act into Law. The law became effective the following year.
1958 ~ President Dwight D. Eisenhower (1880 ~ 1969) signed the Rivers and Harbors Flood Control Bill.
1950 ~ Radio Free Europe began broadcasting.
1946 ~ The Philippines attained full independence from the United States.
1946 ~ Forty-two Jews were killed in the Kielce, Poland pogrom in a deadly post-World War II attack.
1941 ~ The Great Choral Synagogue in Riga was burned to the ground with 300 Jews locked in the basement.
1941 ~ Nazi troops massacred Polish intellectuals in the capture of Lviv, Ukraine.
1939 ~ Lou Gehrig (1903 ~ 1941), announced his retirement from major league baseball. He had recently been diagnosed with Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
1934 ~ Leó Szilárd (1898 ~ 1964) patented the chain-reaction design for the atomic bomb.
1914 ~ Six days after their assassination in Sarajevo, the funerals of Archduke Franz Ferdinand (1863 ~ 1914) and his wife, Sophie (1868 ~ 1914), were held in Vienna.
1911 ~ A massive heat wave struck the northeastern United States. Over 380 people died due to the record-breaking temperatures over an 11-day period. The temperatures in Nashua, New Hampshire topped 106 F.
1903 ~ Dorothy Levitt (1882 ~ 1922) became the first English woman to compete and win in a motor race.
1884 ~ In a ceremony held in Paris, the Statue of Liberty was formally presented to the United States ambassador to commemorate the friendship between the two countries. The Statue would be formally dedicated and installed on Ellis Island in 1886.
1881 ~ The Tuskegee Institute opened in Alabama.
1863 ~ The Confederate Army surrendered Vicksburg to the Union Army following a 47 day siege.
1862 ~ Lewis Carroll (1832 ~ 1898) first told Alice Liddell a story that would, in three years hence, become the published novel, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.
1855 ~ The first edition of Walt Whitman's Leaves of Grass was published.
1832 ~ John Neal (1793 ~ 1876) delivered the first public lecture in the United States advocating equal rights for women.
1831 ~ Samuel Francis Smith (1808 ~ 1895) wrote, My Country, ‘Tis of Thee for the Boston, Massachusetts July 4thfestivities.
1827 ~ Slavery was abolished in New York State.
1818 ~ The United States Flag Act of 1818 became effective, creating a 13-stripe flag, with a flag for each state. New stars would be added on the 4th of July after a new state was admitted into the Union.
1817 ~ Construction on the Erie Canal began in Rome, New York.
1803 ~ The Louisiana Purchase was announced to the American people.
1802 ~ The United States Military Academy at West Point, New York opened.
1776 ~ The Second Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence, marking the “birthday” of the United States of America.
1534 ~ Christian III (Aug. 12, 1503 ~ Jan. 1, 1559) was elected King of Denmark and Norway.
Good-Byes:
2020 ~ Darius Settles (né Darius Jamel Settles; b. June 19, 1990), custom-suit designer to pastors. He was the son and grandson of Pentecostal ministers. He was born in Donelson, Tennessee. He died of Covid-19 at age 30 in Nashville, Tennessee.
2020 ~ Brandis Kemp (née Sally Kemp; b. Feb. 1, 1944), American comic character actress best known for her appearances on Fridays and AfterMASH. She was born in Palo Alto, California. She died of Covid-19 at age 76 in Los Angeles, California.
2019 ~ Eva Kor (née Eva Mozes; b. Jan. 31, 1934), Romanian survivor of Nazi twin experiments who forgave her torturers. She and her twin sister, Miriam, were the only members of her family to survive the Holocaust. Miriam died in 1993 of kidney failure that could be traced to the Nazi experimentation. She died at age 85.
2011 ~ Otto von Habsburg (b. Nov. 20, 1912), the last crown prince of Austria-Hungary. He was the crown prince from 1916 until the dissolution of the Austria-Hungary empire. In 1951, he married Princess Regina of Saxe-Meiningen (1925 ~ 2010). He was of the House of Habsburg-Lorraine. He was the son of Charles I, Emperor of Austria and Zita of Bourbon-Parma. He died at age 98.
2009 ~ Béla Király (b. Apr. 14, 1912), the Hungarian general who lead the 1956 revolt. After World War II, he was sentenced to life in prison under the Soviet-allied regime. He was later released. He was born in Kaposvár, Hungary. He died at age 97 in Budapest, Hungary.
2008 ~ Jesse Helms (né Jesse Alexander Helms, Jr.; b. Oct. 18, 1921), American far-right United States Senator from North Carolina who refused to compromise. He was a leader in the conservative movement. He opposed civil rights, environmentalism, feminism, gay rights, affirmative action, access to abortions and was a segregationist. He was born in Monroe, North Carolina. He died at age 86 of vascular dementia in Raleigh, North Carolina.
2008 ~ Evelyn Keys (née Evelyn Louise Keys; b. Nov. 20, 1916), the American veteran actress who is best known for her role as Suellen O’Hara, sister of Scarlett O’Hara’s sister in Gone with the Wind. She was born in Port Arthur, Texas. She died at age 91 in Montecito, California.
2003 ~ Barry White (né Barry Eugene Carter, b. Sept. 12, 1944), American singer and songwriter. He was born in Galveston, Texas. He died of kidney disease at age 58 in Los Angeles, California.
2002 ~ Laurent-Moïse Schwartz (b. Mar. 5, 1915), French mathematician. He was awarded the Fields Medal in 1950 for his work in theory distributions. He was born and died in Paris, France. He died at age 87.
2002 ~ Benjamin O. Davis (né Benjamin Oliver Davis, Jr.; b. Dec. 18, 1912), American United States Air Force General. He was the first African-American general officer in the United States Air Force. He was born and died in Washington, D.C. He died at age 89.
1997 ~ Charles Kuralt (né Charles Bishop Kuralt; b. Sept. 10, 1934), American television journalist. After his death, it was learned that he had a second, shadow family, while married to his first wife. He was born in Wilmington, North Carolina. He died at age 62 in New York, New York.
1995 ~ Bob Ross (né Robert Norman Ross; b. Oct. 29, 1942), American painter and art teacher. He hosted the television show, The Joy of Painting. He was born in Daytona Beach, Florida. He died of lymphoma at age 52 in Orlando, Florida.
1995 ~ Eva Gabor (née Éva Gábor; b. Feb. 11, 1919), Hungarian-born actress. She is best known for her role as Lisa Douglas on the sit-com Green Acres. She was born in Budapest, Hungary. She died of respiratory failure and pneumonia at age 76 in Los Angeles, California.
1986 ~ Oscar Zariski (b. Apr. 24, 1899), Russian-born mathematician. He was born in Kobrin, Russian Empire. He died in Brookline, Massachusetts at age 87.
1976 ~ Yonatan Netanyahu (b. Mar. 13, 1946), Israeli soldier and younger brother of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. He was the only soldier killed during the daring raid on Entebbe in 1976 to release hostages. He was born in New York, New York. He was 30 years old at the time of his death in Entebbe, Uganda.
1974 ~ Georgette Heyer (b. Aug. 16, 1902), English writer of gothic novels and historical romance novels. She was born and died in London, England. She died of lung cancer at age 71.
1941 ~ Antoni Łomnicki (né Antoni Marian Łomnicki; b. Jan. 17, 1881), Polish mathematician. He was born and died in Lwów, Poland. He was murdered at age 60 by the Nazis during the Massacre of the Lwów professors during World War II.
1938 ~ Suzanne Lenglen (née Suzanne Rachel Flore Lenglen; b. May 24, 1899), French tennis player. She dominated women’s tennis from 1914 to 1926. She was born and died in Paris, France. She died of leukemia at age 39.
1934 ~ Chaim Nahman Bialik (b. Jan. 9, 1873), Ukrainian-born poet. He is known as the Israeli National Poet. He died following complications from surgery at age 61 in Vienna, Austria.
1934 ~ Marie Curie (née Maria Salomea Skłodowska; b. Nov. 7, 1867), French-Polish physicist and chemist, who along with her husband, Pierre Curie (1859 ~ 1906), became famous for their research on radioactivity and the discovery or radium. She was the first woman to be awarded with a Nobel Prize and the first person to win two Nobel Prizes. In 1903, she shared the Nobel Prize in Physics with Pierre Curie and Henri Bacquerel. In 1911, she was awarded a solo Nobel Prize in Chemistry. She was born in Warsaw, Poland. She died at age 66.
1910 ~ Melville Fuller (né Melville Weston Fuller; b. Feb. 11, 1833), 8th Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court. He was nominated to the High Court by President Grover Cleveland. He replaced Morrison Waite on the Court. He was succeeded by Edward Douglas White. He served on the Court from October 1888 until his death at age 77 on this date 22 years later. He was born in Augusta, Maine and died in Sorrento, Maine.
1891 ~ Hannibal Hamlin (b. Aug. 27, 1809), 15th Vice President of the United State. He served during Abraham Lincoln’s first term, from March 1861 until March 1865. He was the first Republican vice-president. He had previously served as the 26th Governor of the State of Maine, but only for 2 months, from January 1857 through February 1857. He was born in Paris, Maine and died in Bangor, Maine at the age of 81.
1857 ~ William L. Marcy (né William Learned Marcy; b. Dec. 12, 1786), 21st United States Secretary of State. He served under Presidents Franklin Pierce and James Buchanan from March 1853 until March 1857. He served as the 20th United States Secretary of War in the James Polk administration from March 1845 until March 1849. He was also the 11thGovernor of New York State. He was born in Southbridge, Massachusetts. He died at age 70 in Ballston Spa, New York.
1831 ~ James Monroe (b. Apr. 28, 1758), 5th President of the United States. He was President from March 1817 through March 1825. He had previously served as the 8th United States Secretary of War under President James Madison from September 1814 until March 1815. He also served as the 7th United States Secretary of State under President James Madison from April 1811 until March 1817. He was born in Monroe Hall, Virginia, British America. He died at age 73 in New York, New York.
1826 ~ Thomas Jefferson (b. Apr. 13, 1743), 3rd President of the United States. He was President from March 1801 through March 1809. He was also the 2nd Vice President of the United State, under President John Adams. He also served as the 1st United States Secretary of State in the George Washington administration from March 1790 through December 1793. He was born in Shadwell, Virginia, British America. He died at age 83 in Charlottesville, Virginia.
1826 ~ John Adams (b. Oct. 30, 1735), 2nd President of the United States. He was President from March 1797 until March 1801. Prior to that he had served as the 1st Vice President of the United States under George Washington, from April 1789 until March 1797. He was born in Braintree, Massachusetts Bay, British America. He died at age 90 in Quincy, Massachusetts.
1742 ~ Luigi Guido Grandi (b. Oct. 1, 1671), Italian monk and mathematician. He died at age 80 in Pisa, Grand Duchy of Tuscany.
1336 ~ Saint Elizabeth of Portugal (b. Jan. 4, 1271), Queen consort of Portugal. She was the wife of Denis, King of Portugal (1261 ~ 1325). They were the parents of Afonso IV, King of Portugal. After her husband died, she entered a monastery. She later became a saint in the Catholic Church. She was of the House of Barcelona. She was the daughter of Peter III, King of Aragon and Constance of Sicily. She was Catholic. She died at age 65.
1307 ~ Rudolf I, King of Bohemia (b. 1281). He ruled over Bohemia from 1306 until his death a year later. Prior to becoming king, he was known as Rudolf III, Duke of Austria. He was married twice. His first wife was Princess Blanche of France (1278 ~ 1305). She died of complications of childbirth. His second wife was Princess Elisabeth Richeza (1288 ~ 1335). There were no children of either marriage. He was of the House of Habsburg. He was the son of Albert I, King of Germany and Elizabeth of Carinthia. The date of his birth is not known, but he is believed to have been about age 26 at the time of his death.
965 ~ Pope Benedict V. He was Pope from May 964 until June 964. He was overthrown by Emperor Otto I. The date of his birth is unknown.
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