For the United States holiday, the Fourth of July, see Independence Day .
July 4 in recent years
2009 (Saturday)
2008 (Friday)
2007 (Wednesday)
2006 (Tuesday)
2005 (Monday)
2004 (Sunday)
2003 (Friday)
2002 (Thursday)
2001 (Wednesday)
2000 (Tuesday)
July 4 is the 186th day of the year (187th in leap years ) in the Gregorian calendar . There are 179 days remaining until the end of the year.
Events [ ]
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 .
1359 - Francesco II Ordelaffi of Forlì surrenders to the Papal commander Gil de Albornoz .
1636 - City of Providence , Rhode Island forms.
1712 - 11 slaves are executed in New York for starting an uprising that killed 9 Caucasians
1776 - American Independence Day . The United States Declaration of Independence by the Second Continental Congress declaring itself free of British rule. Signed in Philadelphia.
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 , United States , construction on the Erie Canal begins.
1826 - Former American presidents John Adams and Thomas Jefferson die, fifty years to the day after the adoption of the United States Declaration of Independence .
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 , Henry David Thoreau embarks on a two-year experiment in simple living at Walden Pond (see Walden ).
1855 - In Brooklyn , 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 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 , Quaid-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 the captured Polish city of Lwów .
1946 - After 381 years of near-continuous 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 countries - India and Pakistan .
1950 - First broadcast by Radio Free Europe .
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 .
1960 - Due to the post-Independence Day admission of Hawaiˈi 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).
1966 - President Lyndon B. Johnson signs the Freedom of Information Act into United States law . The act goes into effect the next year.
1968 Two teens are killed at Lake Herman Road in California . They were the first (known) victims of the Zodiac Killer .
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.
1982 - Iranian diplomats kidnapping :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 , a Nimitz Class aircraft carrier of the United States Navy is commissioned at Norfolk .
1993 - Sumitomo Chemical 's resin plant in Nihama explodes killing one and injuring three workers.
1997 - NASA 's Pathfinder space probe lands on the surface of Mars .
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.
2006 - North Korea tests four short-range missiles , one medium-range missile, and a long-range Taepodong-2 . The long-range Taepodong-2 reportedly fails in mid-air over the Sea of Japan .
2007 - Zaca Fire Starts in Santa Barbara, California becomes second largest fire in California history.
Births [ ]
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 )
1790 - George Everest , Welsh surveyor and namesake of Mt. Everest (d. 1866 )
1799 - King Oscar I of Sweden , French general (d. 1859 )
1804 - Nathaniel Hawthorne , American writer (d. 1864 )
1807 - Giuseppe Garibaldi , Italian patriot (d. 1882 )
1816 - Hiram Walker , American grocer and distiller (d. 1899 )
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 )
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 )
1895 - Irving Caesar , American lyricist and composer (d. 1996 )
1896 - Mao Dun , Chinese writer (d. 1981 )
1898 - Dr. Pilar Barbosa , Puerto Rican historian (d. 1997 )
1898 - Gertrude Lawrence , English-born actress (d. 1952 )
1902 - Meyer Lansky , Russian-born American gangster (d. 1983 )
1902 - George Murphy , American entertainer (d. 1992 )
1903 - Flor Peeters , Belgian composer, organist and teacher (d. 1986 )
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
1912 - Viviane Romance , French actress (d. 1991 )
1916 - Iva Toguri D'Aquino , American thought to be Tokyo Rose in World War II (d. 2006 )
1917 - Manolete , Spanish bullfighter (d. 1947 )
1918 - Ann Landers , American advice columnist (d. 2002 )
1918 - Abigail Van Buren , American advice columnist ("Dear Abby")
1918 - King Taufa'ahau Tupou IV of Tonga (d. 2006 )
1920 - Norm Drucker , American basketball referee
1920 - Leona Helmsley , American hotel operator and real estate investor (d. 2007 )
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 - Al Davis , American football team owner (Oakland Raiders )
1929 - Chuck Tanner , American baseball player
1929 - Bill Tuttle , American baseball player (d. 1998 )
1930 - Frunzik Mkrtchyan , Armenian actor
1930 - George Steinbrenner , American businessman & baseball team owner (New York Yankees )
1930 - Yuri Tyukalov , Soviet Olympic rower
1931 - Stephen Boyd , Northern Irish actor (d. 1977 )
1931 - Sébastien Japrisot , French author, film director and sreenwriter (d. 2003 )
1934 - Colin Welland , English actor
1935 - Paul Scoon , Governor General of Grenada
1937 - Sonja Haraldsen , Queen of Norway (spouse of King Harald V of Norway )
1938 - Bill Withers , American singer and songwriter
1942 - Hal Lanier , American baseball player
1942 - Karolyn Grimes , American child actor
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 )
1943 - Emerson Boozer , American football player
1944 - Ray Meagher , Australian actor
1946 - Tish Howard , American model
1946 - Ron Kovic , American peace activist
1946 - Michael Milken , American financier
1946 - Ed O'Ross , American actor
1947 - Morganna Roberts , American personality (kissing bandit)
1948 - Ed Armbrister , baseball player
1948 - René Arnoux , French race car driver
1948 - Tommy Körberg , Swedish singer and actor
1948 - Jeremy Spencer , English musician
1950 - David Jensen , Canadian-born British radio DJ
1951 - Kathleen Kennedy Townsend , American politician
1952 - Álvaro Uribe Vélez , Colombian politician
1954 - Jim Beattie , American baseball player
1955 - John Waite , English singer (The Babys )
1958 - Kirk Pengilly , Australian musician (INXS )
1959 - Victoria Abril , Spanish actress
1960 - Sid Eudy , American professional wrestler
1960 - Roland Ratzenberger , Austrian racing driver (d. 1994 )
1961 - Richard Garriott , English video game designer
1962 - Neil Morrisey , English actor
1962 - Pam Shriver , American former tennis player
1963 - Henri Leconte , French former tennis player
1963 - Matt Malley , American musician (Counting Crows )
1963 - José Oquendo , Puerto Rican baseball player
1964 - Cle Kooiman , American soccer player
1964 - Mark Slaughter , American singer (Slaughter )
1966 - Lee Reherman , American actor
1965 - Horace Grant , American basketball player
1967 - Vinny Castilla , Mexican baseball player
1967 - Andy Walker , Canadian television personality
1967 - Rick Wilkins , American baseball player
1971 - Andy Creeggan , Canadian musician (ex-Barenaked Ladies )
1971 - Brendan Donnelly , American baseball player
1971 - Koko , sign-language gorilla
1971 - Andrew Murray , English entrepreneur
1973 - Keiko Ihara , Japanese racing driver
1973 - Michael Johnson , English-born Jamaican footballer
1973 - Jan Magnussen , Danish racing driver
1973 - Tony Popović , Australian soccer player
1973 - Gackt , Japanese singer (ex-vocalist of Malice Mizer )
1974 - La'Roi Glover , American football player
1974 - Vince Spadea , American tennis player
1975 - Tania Davis , Australian violist (bond )
1976 - Daijiro Kato , Japanese motorcycle racer (d. 2003 )
1977 - Katia Zygouli , Greek super model, winner of Elite Model Look contest 1996
1978 - Emile Mpenza , Belgian footballer
1978 - Becki Newton , American actress
1983 - Isabeli Fontana , Brazilian model
1983 - Ben Jorgensen , American musician
1984 - Gina Glocksen , American Idol finalist
1984 - Akanishi Jin , Japanese Idol (member of KAT-TUN )
1986 - Kriss Donald , Glaswegian boy who was murdered for being white in 2004
2003 - Alessia di Matteo , first survivor of eight transplants in one operation (d. 2005 )
Deaths [ ]
907 - Luitpold
965 - Pope Benedict V
973 - Ulrich of Augsburg , German bishop (b. 890 )
1187 - Raynald of Chatillon , Prince of Antioch
1541 - Pedro de Alvarado , Spanish explorer (b. 1495 )
1546 - Hayreddin Barbarossa , Admiral of the Ottoman Navy (b. 1478 )
1603 - Philippe de Monte , Flemish composer (b. 1521 )
1623 - William Byrd , English composer
1648 - Antoine Daniel , French Jesuit missionary, one of the Canadian Martyrs (b. 1601 )
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 , 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 )
1854 - Karl Friedrich Eichhorn , German jurist (b. 1781 )
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 )
1901 - Johannes Schmidt , German linguist (b. 1843 )
1902 - Swami Vivekananda , Indian spiritual leader (b. 1863 )
1905 - Élisée Reclus , French anarchist (b. 1830 )
1910 - Melville Weston Fuller , 8th Chief Justice of the United States (b. 1833 )
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 )
1931 - Emanuele Filiberto , Italian aristocrat (b. 1869 )
1934 - Maria Sklodowska-Curie , Nobel Prize in Chemistry and Physics (b. 1867 )
1938 - Otto Bauer , Austrian Social Democratic politician (b. 1881 )
1938 - Suzanne Lenglen , French tennis player (b. 1899 )
1941 - Antoni Łomnicki , Polish mathematician (b. 1881 )
1946 - Gerda Steinhoff , Nazi concentration camp overseer (b. 1922 )
1948 - Monteiro Lobato , Brazilian writer (b. 1882 )
1963 - Bernard Freyberg , Governor-General of New Zealand (b. 1889 )
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 )
1980 - Maurice Grevisse , Belgian grammarian (b. 1895 )
1982 - Terry Higgins , early British AIDS death (b. 1945 )
1984 - Jimmie Spheeris , American singer-songwriter (b. 1949 )
1986 - Oscar Zariski , Russian mathematician (b. 1899 )
1986 - Flor Peeters , Belgian composer, organist, and teacher (b. 1903 )
1988 - Adrian Adonis , American artist (b. 1954 )
1991 - Victor Chang , Australian physician (b. 1936 )
1992 - Ástor Piazzolla , Argentinian composer (b. 1921 )
1993 - Bona Arsenault , French Canadian politician and historian (b. 1903 )
1994 - Joey Marella , American professional wrestling referee (b. 1964 )
1995 - Eva Gabor , Hungarian actress (b. 1919 )
1995 - Bob Ross , American artist and television host (b. 1942 )
1997 - Charles Kuralt , American television presenter (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 )
2001 - Keenan Milton , Professional Skater (b. 1974 )
2002 - Benjamin O. Davis Jr. , American general (b. 1912 )
2002 - Mansoor Hekmat , Iranian politician (b. 1951 )
2003 - Barry White , American singer (b. 1944 )
2003 - André Claveau , French singer (b. 1911 )
2004 - Jean-Marie Auberson , Swiss conductor (b. 1920 )
2004 - Frank Robinson , an eccentric street entertainer in Nottingham , England (b. 1932 )
2005 - Hank Stram , American football coach (b. 1923 )
2007 - Barış Akarsu , Turkish rock musician (b. 1979 )
2007 - Bill Pinkney , American singer and performer (b. 1925 )
Holidays and observances [ ]
Liturgical feasts [ ]
Saint Flavian
Translation, Ordination of Saint Martin , bishop of Tours , confessor [Paris, Bruges, sometimes in red]
Saint Odo , bishop of Canterbury
Saint Procopius , abbot (at Prague), confessor [GTZ: Prague, Gnesen, Meissen]
Saint Ulric , bishop of Augsburg , confessor (died 973)
Saint Bertha , widow, abbess of Blangy in Artois
Saint Elizabeth Lusitania of Portugal (died 136)
External links [ ]
139 Familypedia people were born on July 4
155 Familypedia people died on July 4
90 Familypedia people were first married on July 4