Explore fascinating moments from history that shaped our world
In Arizona, the Boundary Fire (pictured) burned out after 32 days, burning 17,788 acres (7,199 ha) of the Coconino and Kaibab National Forests.
General Abdel Fattah el-Sisi led a coalition to depose President Mohamed Morsi in a coup d'état in Cairo, suspending the Egyptian Constitution of 2012.
Same-sex marriage became legal in Spain with the coming into effect of a law passed by the Cortes Generales.
The US Navy warship Vincennes shot down Iran Air Flight 655 over the Persian Gulf, killing all 290 people aboard.
US president Jimmy Carter signed a presidential finding, authorizing covert operations to aid the mujahideen against the Soviet-backed Democratic Republic of Afghanistan.
British singer David Bowie retired his stage persona Ziggy Stardust in a surprise announcement on the last day of a 17-month tour.
Dan-Air Flight 1903 crashed into the slopes of the Montseny Massif in Catalonia, Spain, killing all 112 people aboard.
The Troubles: The British Army began the Falls Curfew in Belfast, Northern Ireland, which resulted in greater Irish republican resistance.
SS United States (pictured) departed New York Harbor on her maiden voyage, on which completion she became the fastest ocean liner to cross the Atlantic.
Second World War: The Royal Navy attacked the French fleet at Mers El Kébir (pictured), fearing that the ships would fall into Axis hands after the French–German armistice.
On the 75th anniversary of the end of the Battle of Gettysburg, U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt dedicated the Eternal Light Peace Memorial.
Confederate forces were defeated by the Union Army on the last day of the Battle of Gettysburg (pictured), a turning point in the American Civil War.
Mauritius campaign of 1809–1811: A French frigate squadron under Guy-Victor Duperré defeated a convoy of three British East Indiamen near the Comoro Islands.
American Revolutionary War: Loyalists and Iroquois killed over 300 Patriots at the Battle of Wyoming in Pennsylvania.
French and Indian War: George Washington surrendered Fort Necessity in Pennsylvania, the only military surrender in his career.
Civil wars of the Tetrarchy: Roman emperor Constantine the Great defeated his former colleague Licinius at the Battle of Adrianople.
President of Egypt Mohamed Morsi is removed from office by the military after four days of protests all over the country calling for his resignation, to which he did not respond. The president of the Supreme Constitutional Court of Egypt, Adly Mansour, is declared acting president until further elections are held.
British Prime Minister John Major announced the Stone of Scone would be returned to Scotland.
United States Navy warship USS Vincennes shoots down Iran Air Flight 655 over the Persian Gulf, killing all 290 people aboard.
The Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge in Istanbul, Turkey is completed, providing the second connection between the continents of Europe and Asia over the Bosphorus.
U.S. President Jimmy Carter signs the first directive for secret aid to the opponents of the pro-Soviet regime in Kabul.
David Bowie retires his stage persona Ziggy Stardust with the surprise announcement that it is "the last show that we'll ever do" on the last day of the Ziggy Stardust Tour.
The Troubles: The "Falls Curfew" begins in Belfast, Northern Ireland.
Dan-Air Flight 1903 crashes into the Les Agudes mountain in the Montseny Massif near the village of Arbúcies in Catalonia, Spain, killing all 112 people aboard.
The Aden Emergency: The Battle of the Crater in which the British Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders retake the Crater district following the Arab Police mutiny.
The Constitution of Puerto Rico is approved by the United States Congress.
The SS United States sets sail on her maiden voyage to Southampton. During the voyage, the ship takes the Blue Riband away from the RMS Queen Mary.
World War II: The Minsk Offensive clears German troops from the city.
World War II: The Royal Navy attacks the French naval squadron in Algeria, to ensure that it will not fall under German control. Of the four French battleships present, one is sunk, two are damaged, and one escapes back to France.
World speed record for a steam locomotive is set in England, by the Mallard, which reaches a speed of 125.88 miles per hour (202.58 km/h).
United States President Franklin D. Roosevelt dedicates the Eternal Light Peace Memorial and lights the eternal flame at Gettysburg Battlefield.
Confederate veterans at the Great Reunion of 1913 reenact Pickett's Charge; upon reaching the high-water mark of the Confederacy they are met by the outstretched hands of friendship from Union survivors.
A Spanish squadron, led by Pascual Cervera y Topete, is defeated by an American squadron under William T. Sampson in the Battle of Santiago de Cuba.
Idaho is admitted as the 43rd U.S. state.
Karl Benz officially unveils the Benz Patent-Motorwagen, the first purpose-built automobile.
The New-York Tribune becomes the first newspaper to use a linotype machine, eliminating typesetting by hand.
Dow Jones & Company publishes its first stock average.
Austro-Prussian War is decided at the Battle of Königgrätz, enabling Prussia to exclude Austria from German affairs.
American Civil War: The final day of the Battle of Gettysburg culminates with Pickett's Charge.
Congress establishes the United States' 2nd mint in San Francisco.
France invades the Roman Republic and restores the Papal States.
Governor-General Peter von Scholten emancipates all remaining slaves in the Danish West Indies.
The first state normal school in the United States, the forerunner to today's Framingham State University, opens in Lexington, Massachusetts with three students.
The Bank for Savings in the City of New-York, the first savings bank in the United States, opens.
War of 1812: American forces capture Fort Erie from British troops in Upper Canada.
American Revolutionary War: The Iroquois, allied with Britain, massacre 360 Patriot soldiers during the Battle of Wyoming.
American Revolutionary War: George Washington takes command of the Continental Army at Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Pitcairn Island is discovered by Midshipman Robert Pitcairn on an expeditionary voyage commanded by Philip Carteret.
Norway's oldest newspaper still in print, Adresseavisen, is founded and the first edition is published.
French and Indian War: George Washington surrenders Fort Necessity to French forces.
Québec City is founded by Samuel de Champlain.
William the Conqueror becomes the Duke of Normandy, reigning until 1087.

Hugh Capet is crowned King of France, the first of the Capetian dynasty that would rule France until the French Revolution in 1792.

Battle of Adrianople: Constantine I defeats Licinius, who flees to Byzantium.
Nefisa Berberović, Bosnian tennis player
Kim Dong-han, South Korean singer
T. J. Hockenson, American football player
Cole Tucker, American baseball player
Alex Twal, Australian-Lebanese rugby league player
Chris Jones, American football player
PartyNextDoor, Canadian singer-songwriter and record producer
Crystal Dunn, American soccer player
Alison Howie, Scottish field hockey player
Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, Russian tennis player
Nathan Gardner, Australian rugby league player
Bobby Hopkinson, English footballer
Lucas Mendes, Brazilian footballer
Alison Riske-Amritraj, American tennis player
Danilo Cavalcante, Brazilian convicted murderer
Mitchell Dodds, Australian rugby league player
Elle King, American singer, songwriter, and actress
Winston Reid, New Zealand-Danish footballer
Vladislav Sesganov, Russian figure skater
James Troisi, Australian footballer
Sebastian Vettel, German race car driver
Marco Antônio de Mattos Filho, Brazilian footballer
Kisenosato Yutaka, Japanese sumo wrestler
Manny Lawson, American football player
Churandy Martina, Dutch sprinter
Corey Sevier, Canadian actor and producer
Edinson Vólquez, Dominican baseball player
Mazharul Haque, Bangladeshi cricketer (died 2013)
Olivia Munn, American actress and television host
Roland Schoeman, South African swimmer
Harbhajan Singh, Indian cricketer
Jamie Grove, English cricketer
Mizuki Noguchi, Japanese runner
David Bowens, American football player
Wade Belak, Canadian ice hockey player (died 2011)
Henry Olonga, Zimbabwean cricketer and sportscaster

Wanderlei Silva, Brazilian-American mixed martial artist

Bobby Skinstad, Zimbabwean-South African rugby union player
Paul Rauhihi, New Zealand rugby league player
Ólafur Stefánsson, Icelandic handball player
Fyodor Tuvin, Russian footballer (died 2013)
Patrick Wilson, American actor
Julian Assange, Australian journalist, publisher, and activist, founded WikiLeaks
Benedict Wong, English actor
Serhiy Honchar, Ukrainian cyclist
Audra McDonald, American actress and singer
Teemu Selänne, Finnish ice hockey player
Ramush Haradinaj, Kosovo-Albanian soldier and politician, 4th Prime Minister of Kosovo
Katy Clark, Scottish lawyer and politician

Moisés Alou, American baseball player
Shinya Hashimoto, Japanese wrestler (died 2005)
Connie Nielsen, Danish-American actress
Komsan Pohkong, Thai lawyer and academic
Christophe Ruer, French pentathlete (died 2007)
Yeardley Smith, American actress, voice actress, comedian and writer
Tracey Emin, British Artist

Scott Borchetta, American record executive and entrepreneur
Tom Cruise, American actor and producer
Thomas Gibson, American actor and director
Vince Clarke, English singer-songwriter, keyboard player, and producer
Julie Burchill, English journalist and author
Ian Maxtone-Graham, American screenwriter and producer
Stephen Pearcy, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
David Shore, Canadian screenwriter and producer
Matthew Fraser, Canadian-English journalist and academic
Charlie Higson, English actor, singer, and author
Siân Lloyd, Welsh meteorologist and journalist
Didier Mouron, Swiss-Canadian painter
Aaron Tippin, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer
Poly Styrene, British musician (died 2011)
Montel Williams, American talk show host and television personality
Claude Rajotte, Canadian radio and television host
Les Cusworth, English rugby player
Lotta Sollander, Swedish alpine skier
Laura Branigan, American singer-songwriter (died 2004)
Lu Colombo, Italian singer
Andy Fraser, English singer-songwriter and bass player (died 2015)
Carla Olson, American singer-songwriter and music producer
Wasim Raja, Pakistani cricketer (died 2006)

Amit Kumar, Indian film playback singer, actor, director, music director and musician
Jean-Claude Duvalier, Haitian politician, 41st President of Haiti (died 2014)
Richard Hadlee, New Zealand cricketer
Ewen Chatfield, New Zealand cricketer
James Hahn, American judge and politician, 40th Mayor of Los Angeles
Susan Penhaligon, English actress
John Verity, English guitarist

Johnnie Wilder, Jr., American singer (died 2006)
Bo Xilai, Chinese politician, Chinese Minister of Commerce
Paul Barrere, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (died 2019)
Tarmo Koivisto, Finnish author and illustrator
Dave Barry, American journalist and author
Betty Buckley, American actress and singer
Mike Burton, American swimmer
Johnny Lee, American singer and guitarist
Leszek Miller, Polish political scientist and politician, 10th Prime Minister of Poland
Michael Shea, American author (died 2014)

Michael Martin, Baron Martin of Springburn, Scottish politician, Speaker of the House of Commons (died 2018)
Gary Waldhorn, British actor (died 2022)
Judith Durham, Australian folk-pop singer-songwriter and musician (died 2022)
Kurtwood Smith, American actor
Norman E. Thagard, American astronaut
Kevin Johnson, Australian singer-songwriter
Eddy Mitchell, French singer-songwriter
Gloria Allred, American lawyer and activist
Liamine Zéroual, Algerian politician, 4th President of Algeria
Lamar Alexander, American lawyer and politician, 5th United States Secretary of Education
Jerzy Buzek, Polish engineer and politician, 9th Prime Minister of Poland
Michael Cole, American actor (died 2024)
Lance Larson, American swimmer (died 2024)

César Tovar, Venezuelan baseball player (died 1994)
Brigitte Fassbaender, German soprano and director
László Kovács, Hungarian politician and diplomat, Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs
Coco Laboy, Puerto Rican baseball player
Jean Aitchison, English linguist and academic
Sjaak Swart, Dutch footballer
Nicholas Maxwell, English philosopher and academic
Tom Stoppard, Czech-English playwright and screenwriter
Anthony Lester, Baron Lester of Herne Hill, English lawyer and politician (died 2020)

Baard Owe, Norwegian-Danish actor (died 2017)
Cheo Feliciano, Puerto Rican-American singer-songwriter (died 2014)
Harrison Schmitt, American geologist, astronaut, and politician. Twelfth man to walk on the moon.
Edward Brandt, Jr., American physician and mathematician (died 2007)

Richard Mellon Scaife, American businessman (died 2014)
Pete Fountain, American clarinet player (died 2016)

Carlos Kleiber, German-Austrian conductor (died 2004)

Tommy Tedesco, American guitarist (died 1997)
Clément Perron, Canadian director, producer, and screenwriter (died 1999)
Joanne Herring, American socialite, businesswoman, political activist, philanthropist, diplomat, and television talk show host

Evelyn Anthony, English author (died 2018)
Ken Russell, English actor, director, and producer (died 2011)
Tim O'Connor, American actor (died 2018)
Johnny Coles, American trumpet player (died 1997)

Rae Allen, American actress, singer, and director (died 2022)
Laurence Street, Australian jurist and former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of New South Wales (died 2018)

Terry Moriarty, Australian rules footballer (died 2011)
Danny Nardico, American professional boxer (died 2010)
Philip Jamison, American artist (died 2021)
Amalia Aguilar, Cuban-Mexican film actress and dancer (died 2021)
S. R. Nathan, 6th President of Singapore (died 2016)

Guillaume Cornelis van Beverloo, Belgian painter and sculptor (died 2010)
Theo Brokmann Jr., Dutch football player (died 2003)
Flor María Chalbaud, First Lady of Venezuela (died 2013)

Susan Peters, American actress (died 1952)
François Reichenbach, French director, producer, and screenwriter (died 1993)

Eddy Paape, Belgian illustrator (died 2012)
Paul O'Dea, American baseball player and manager (died 1978)
Lennart Bladh, Swedish politician (died 2006)
Cecil FitzMaurice, 8th Earl of Orkney (died 1998)
Gerald W. Thomas, American soldier and academic (died 2013)
S. V. Ranga Rao, Indian actor, director, and producer (died 1974)
Johnny Palmer, American golfer (died 2006)
João Saldanha, Brazilian footballer, manager, and journalist (died 1990)
John Kundla, American basketball player and coach (died 2017)

Dorothy Kilgallen, American journalist, actress, and author (died 1965)
Joe Hardstaff Jr., English cricketer (died 1990)
Fritz Kasparek, Austrian mountaineer (died 1954)
Stavros Niarchos, Greek shipping magnate (died 1996)

M. F. K. Fisher, American author (died 1992)
Robert B. Meyner, American lawyer and politician, 44th Governor of New Jersey (died 1990)
George Sanders, Russian-born British actor (died 1972)
Johnny Gibson, American hurdler and coach (died 2006)
Harald Kihle, Norwegian painter and illustrator (died 1997)
Ace Bailey, Canadian ice hockey player and coach (died 1992)
Ruth Crawford Seeger, American composer (died 1953)
Alessandro Blasetti, Italian director and screenwriter (died 1987)
Stefanos Stefanopoulos, Greek politician, Prime Minister of Greece (died 1982)
Jesse Douglas, American mathematician and academic (died 1965)
Doris Lloyd, English actress (died 1968)

Sándor Bortnyik, Hungarian painter and graphic designer (died 1976)
Richard Cramer, American actor (died 1960)
Ramón Gómez de la Serna, Spanish author and playwright (died 1963)
Raymond A. Spruance, American admiral and diplomat, United States Ambassador to the Philippines (died 1969)
Anna Dickie Olesen, American politician (died 1971)
Franz Kafka, Czech-Austrian author (died 1924)

Carl Schuricht, Polish-German conductor (died 1967)
Alfred Korzybski, Polish-American mathematician, linguist, and philosopher (died 1950)
George M. Cohan, American songwriter, actor, singer, and dancer (died 1942)

Ralph Barton Perry, American philosopher and academic (died 1957)
Ferdinand Sauerbruch, German surgeon and academic (died 1951)

Jean Collas, French rugby player and tug of war competitor (died 1928)
William Henry Davies, Welsh poet and writer (died 1940)
R. B. Bennett, Canadian lawyer and politician, 11th Prime Minister of Canada (died 1947)
Svend Kornbeck, Danish actor (died 1933)

Albert Gottschalk, Danish painter (died 1906)
Charlotte Perkins Gilman, American sociologist and author (died 1935)
Leoš Janáček, Czech composer and theorist (died 1928)
Charles Bannerman, English-Australian cricketer and umpire (died 1930)

Achilles Alferaki, Russian composer and politician, Governor of Taganrog (died 1919)
Dankmar Adler, German-born American architect and engineer (died 1900)
Ahmed Vefik Pasha, Greek-Ottoman statesman, diplomat, playwright, and translator (died 1891)

Ferdinand Didrichsen, Danish botanist and physicist (died 1887)
Johann Friedrich Overbeck, German-Italian painter and engraver (died 1869)
Carl Ludvig Engel, German architect (died 1840)
John Singleton Copley, American painter (died 1815)
Robert Adam, Scottish-English architect, designed Culzean Castle (died 1792)
Sir Robert Rich, 4th Baronet, English field marshal and politician (died 1768)

Edward Young, English poet, dramatist and literary critic (Night-Thoughts) (died 1765)
Thomas Richardson, English politician and judge (died 1635)
Jacobus Gallus, Slovenian composer (died 1591)
Myeongjong of Joseon, Ruler of Korea (died 1567)
Claude Fauchet, French historian and author (died 1601)
Li Shizhen, Chinese physician and mineralogist (died 1593)
Emperor Go-Tsuchimikado of Japan (died 1500)
Louis XI of France (died 1483)
Valentinian I, Roman emperor (died 375)
Borja Gómez, Spanish motorcycle rider (born 2005)
Diogo Jota, Portuguese footballer (born 1996)
David Mabuza, South African politician, 8th Deputy President of South Africa (born 1960)
Michael Madsen, American actor (born 1957)

Peter Rufai, Nigerian footballer (born 1963)

André Silva, Portuguese footballer (born 2000)

Lolit Solis, Filipino talent manager, columnist and talk show host (born 1947)
Saroj Khan, Indian dance choreographer (born 1948)

Diana Douglas, British-American actress (born 1923)
Boyd K. Packer, American religious leader and educator (born 1924)

Wayne Townsend, American farmer and politician (born 1926)

Phil Walsh, Australian footballer and coach (born 1960)

Jini Dellaccio, American photographer (born 1917)
Tim Flood, Irish hurler and coach (born 1927)
Volkmar Groß, German footballer (born 1948)
Ira Ruskin, American politician (born 1943)

Zalman Schachter-Shalomi, Ukrainian-American rabbi and author (born 1924)
Roman Bengez, Slovenian footballer and manager (born 1964)
Francis Ray, American author (born 1944)

PJ Torokvei, Canadian actress and screenwriter (born 1951)
Radu Vasile, Romanian historian and politician, 57th Prime Minister of Romania (born 1942)
Bernard Vitet, French trumpet player and composer (born 1934)
Snoo Wilson, English playwright and screenwriter (born 1948)

Nguyễn Hữu Có, Vietnamese general and politician (born 1925)
Andy Griffith, American actor, singer, and producer (born 1926)
Yvonne B. Miller, American educator and politician (born 1934)

Sergio Pininfarina, Italian engineer and politician (born 1926)
Richard Alvin Tonry, American lawyer and politician (born 1935)

Ali Bahar, Bahraini singer and guitarist (born 1960)

Abu Daoud, Palestinian terrorist, planned the Munich massacre (born 1937)

Alauddin Al-Azad, Bangladeshi author and poet (born 1932)
John Keel, American journalist and author (born 1930)

Clive Hornby, English actor and drummer (born 1944)
Oliver Schroer, Canadian fiddler, composer, and producer (born 1956)

Boots Randolph, American saxophonist (born 1927)
Joseph Goguen, American computer scientist, developed the OBJ programming language (born 1941)
Alberto Lattuada, Italian actor, director, and screenwriter (born 1914)
Gaylord Nelson, American lawyer and politician, 35th Governor of Wisconsin (born 1916)
Andriyan Nikolayev, Russian general, pilot, and astronaut (born 1929)

Mordecai Richler, Canadian author and screenwriter (born 1931)
Johnny Russell, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (born 1940)
Mark Sandman, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer (born 1952)

Pelageya Polubarinova-Kochina, Russian mathematician (born 1899)
Danielle Bunten Berry, American game designer and programmer (born 1949)
Pancho Gonzales, American tennis player (born 1928)
Eddie Mazur, Canadian ice hockey player (born 1929)
Lew Hoad, Australian tennis player and coach (born 1934)
Don Drysdale, American baseball player and sportscaster (born 1936)
Jim Backus, American actor and voice artist (born 1913)
Rudy Vallée, American singer, saxophonist, and actor (born 1901)

Frank J. Selke, Canadian ice hockey player and manager (born 1893)
Ross Martin, American actor and director (born 1920)

Louis Durey, French pianist and composer (born 1888)
James Daly, American actor (born 1918)

Alexander Volkov, Russian mathematician and author (born 1891)
John Crowe Ransom, American poet and critic (born 1888)
Jim Morrison, American singer-songwriter (born 1943)
Brian Jones, English guitarist, songwriter, and producer (born 1942)
Charles Bathurst, 1st Viscount Bledisloe, English politician, 4th Governor-General of New Zealand (born 1867)
Dolf Luque, Cuban baseball player and manager (born 1890)
Richard Mohaupt, German composer and Kapellmeister (born 1904)
Siegfried Handloser, German physician and general (born 1895)
Reginald Marsh, French-American painter, illustrator, and academic (born 1898)
Friedrich Akel, Estonian physician and politician, Head of State of Estonia (born 1871)

Jacob Schick, American-Canadian captain and businessman, invented the electric razor (born 1877)
André Citroën, French engineer and businessman, founded the Citroën Company (born 1878)
Hipólito Yrigoyen, Argentinian educator and politician, 19th President of Argentina (born 1852)

Gérard de Courcelles, French race car driver
James Mitchel, Irish-American weight thrower (born 1864)
Mehmed V, Ottoman sultan (born 1844)
Hetty Green, American businesswoman and financier (born 1834)
Joel Chandler Harris, American journalist and author (born 1845)
Édouard Beaupré, Canadian giant and strongman (born 1881)
Theodor Herzl, Austrian journalist, playwright, and father of modern political Zionism (born 1860)
Nguyễn Đình Chiểu, Vietnamese poet and author (born 1822)
Clay Allison, American rancher (born 1841)
Hasan Tahsini, Albanian astronomer, mathematician, and philosopher (born 1811)
George Hull Ward, American general (born 1826)
Little Crow, American tribal leader (born 1810)
Joseph Quesnel, French-Canadian composer and playwright (born 1746)
Louis-Georges de Bréquigny, French scholar and author (born 1714)
Antonio de Ulloa, Spanish general, astronomer, and politician, 1st Colonial Governor of Louisiana (born 1716)
Jean-Baptiste L. Romé de l'Isle, French geologist and mineralogist (born 1736)
Francis Willughby, English ornithologist and ichthyologist (born 1635)
Marie de' Medici, French queen consort and regent (born 1573)
Aonio Paleario, Italian academic and reformer (born 1500)
Pierre d'Aubusson, Grand Master of the Knights of Rhodes (born 1423)
Stephen de Fulbourn, English-born Irish cleric and politician
Egbert II, Margrave of Meissen (born c. 1060)
Henry I, Frankish nobleman and archbishop
Dong Chang, Chinese warlord

Emperor Zhongzong of Tang (born 656)
Anatolius of Constantinople, Byzantine patriarch and saint (born 449)
Christian feast day: Anatolius of Constantinople
Christian feast day: Anatolius of Laodicea
Christian feast day: Dathus
Christian feast day: Germanus of Man
Christian feast day: Gurthiern
Christian feast day: Heliodorus of Altino
Christian feast day: Mucian
Christian feast day: Peregrina Mogas Fontcuberta
Christian feast day: Pope Leo II
Christian feast day: Thomas the Apostle
Christian feast day: July 3 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
Emancipation Day (United States Virgin Islands)

Independence Day, celebrates the liberation of Minsk from Nazi occupation by Soviet troops in 1944 (Belarus)
The start of the Dog Days according to the Old Farmer's Almanac but not according to established meaning in most European cultures
Women's Day (Myanmar)