Saturday, August 1, 2026

August 1st Marks the Anniversary of the Beginning of the Warsaw Uprising During World War II

 


Today marks an important anniversary of World War II. It was on this day in 1944, in Nazi occupied Poland, that a very significant uprising against the German occupation began in Warsaw.  It occurred as things were going very badly for Germany at that point. The Western Allies had opened up a front in France and were driving towards Germany from one side, and the Soviets were pounding the Germans and driving them back and forcing the Nazis to retreat towards the borders of the Reich - and eventually well into it - on the Eastern Front.

The revolt began when it seemed like the Poles could count on help from the Soviets, who had reached the outskirts of the city.

However, it turned out that they could not rely on the Soviets. Josef Stalin ordered a halt to the advance against the Germans just outside of Warsaw, They effectively allowed the Germans to do their fighting for them, as the Soviets did not want to fight the Western-supported rebels, as they had their own pro-Soviet government ready and in waiting. 

So the rebels trying to overthrow Nazi occupied rule in Warsaw were left to their own devices. The uprising continued until October 2nd, when Polish forces ultimately were forced to surrender. Many of them were sent to the camps or otherwise killed. The city of Warsaw itself was largely destroyed.

Yet, the memory of their sacrifice and bravery lives on. 

Today, I honor this anniversary by trying to allow the memory of this sad historical occasion to endure.

August 1st - This Day in History

 



Once again, it should be reiterated, that this does not pretend to be a very extensive history of what happened on this day (nor is it the most original - the links can be found down below). If you know something that I am missing, by all means, shoot me an email or leave a comment, and let me know!


On this day in 30 BCE, Octavian (later known as Augustus) entered Alexandria, Egypt, and brought it under the umbrella of the Roman Republic. On this day in 527, Justinian I became the sole ruler of the Byzantine Empire. In 1291 on this day, the Everlasting League formed, which provided a basis of Swiss Confederation (Independence). On this day in 1588, English Admiral Howard van Effingham defeated the Spanish Armada. This day in 1589 saw the assassination of French King Henry III by friar Jacques Clément. On this day in 1711, Czar Peter the Great found himself surrounded and was forced to flee Azov. On this day in 1781, the English army under General Cornwallis occupied Yorktown, Virginia, the very same place where he would surrender to the Americans and the French just a few months later, marking the end of the American War for Independence. On this day in 1793, France officially became the first country to use the metric system. The Whiskey Rebellion began on this day in 1794. Slavery was abolished throughout the British Empire when the Slavery Abolition Act of 1833 came into effect on this day in 1834. On this day in 1836, the HMS Beagle, with soon to be world famous scientist Charles Darwin aboard, returned to Bahia, Brazil. On this day in 1861, Brazil recognized Confederacy. On this day in 1876, Colorado became the 38th state to join the United States. Cecil Rhodes' colonies reached Lundi on his day in 1890. The first Sino-Japanese War erupted on this day in 1894. The dispute was over control of Korea. On this day in 1914, Emperor Wilhelm II declared war on his nephew Tsar Nicholas II, beginning the Great War, which now is known as World War I. British troops entered Vladivostok on this day in 1918. The Peace of Riga, establishing independence for Latvia, was signed on this day in 1920. Adolf Hitler opened the XI (11th) Olympic Games in Berlin, Germany, on this day in 1936. In 1944 on this day was Anne Frank's last diary entry. Just three days later, she was arrested. On this day in 1944, in Warsaw, Poland, an uprising against Nazi occupation began. The revolt continued until October 2 when Polish forces ultimately surrendered. American President Harry Truman signed Congressional acts which established the Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) and the Fulbright Scholarship program on this day in 1946. On this day in 1960, Benin (formerly Dahomey) gained independence from France. In 1966 on this day, the first major school shooting occurred when Charles Whitman wounded 31 & killed 16 at the University of Texas. He had been perched atop a high tower. On this day in 1975, the Helsinki Pact accords pledged the signatory nations to respect human rights and guaranteed boundaries would be respected. It was signed by leaders of 38 nations. In 2006 on this day, Cuban leader Fidel Castro turned over absolute power when he gave his brother Raul authority while he underwent an intestinal surgery. 


Here's a more detailed look at events that transpired on this date throughout history:


On this day in 30 BCE, Octavian (later known as Augustus) entered Alexandria, Egypt, and brought it under the umbrella of the Roman Republic. 

On this day in 527, Justinian I became the sole ruler of the Byzantine Empire. 

In 607 on this day, Ono no Imoko was dispatched as an envoy to the Sui court in China (Traditional Japanese date: July 3, 607).  

In this day in 649, Pope Martinus I was chosen as the successor to Theodorus I [or possibly on 8/7]. 

On this day in 860 was the Peace of Koblenz between Charles the Bare, Louis the German & Lotharius II. Aghlabidisch Emir Ibrahim II destroyed Taormina, Sicily, on this day in 902. 

On this day in 1021, the Synod of Pavia, when Emperor Henry II convicted a married priest. 

In 1086 on this day, the results of the Domesday inquiry were presented to William the Conqueror in Salisbury (it should be noted that the date of compilation and the Great Domesday are historically not entirely certain). 

The Peace Treaty of Venice was signed on this day in 1177 between Emperor Frederik I & Pope Alexander III. 

On this day in 1203, Alexius IV Angelus was appointed Co-Regent of Byzantium. 

In 1291 on this day, the Everlasting League formed, which provided a basis of Swiss Confederation (Independence). 

On this day in 1485, Henry (VII) Tudors army sailed to England. Christopher Columbus landed on "Isla Santa" (Venezuela) on this day in 1498. 

On this day in 1588, English Admiral Howard van Effingham defeated the Spanish Armada. 



Royal France

This day in 1589 saw the assassination of French King Henry III by friar Jacques Clément. 






On this day in 1619, the first black Americans (20) landed at Jamestown, Virginia. 

In 1626 on this day, Earl Earnest Casimir conquered Oldenzaal. Emperor Ferdinand II demanded Austrian Protestants convert to Catholicism on this day in 1628. 

The Battle at St Gotthard was fought on this day in 1664, when Earl Raimondo Montecucculi defeated Ahmed Kiprulu. 

The Battle at Staffarda was fought on this day in 1690, when the French army defeated Victor Amadeus van Savoye. 

On this day in 1711, Czar Peter the Great found himself surrounded and was forced to flee Azov. 

On this day in 1714, Monarch Georg Ludwig became King George I of England. 

On this day in 1715, the first Doggett's Coat and Badge race (Waterman's race) held on Thames River (London Bridge to Chelsea). The foundation was laid for the Bank of England on this day in 1732. The Battle at Minden in Westfalen was fought on this day in 1759, when Ferdinand van Brunswick defeated France. 

On this day in 1774, Joseph Priestley, an English theologian and chemist author, discovered oxygen. Prior to that, human beings could not yet breathe (that was a joke, btw). Actually, what really happened was that oxygen was isolated from air successfully by chemist Carl Wilhelm and scientist Joseph Priestly. 

Sweden declared neutrality on this day in 1780. 



Early version of the American flag used during the Revolutionary War for Independence


Statue of a Continental Soldier of the American Revolutionary War of Independence in Trenton, New Jersey

On this day in 1781, the English army under General Cornwallis occupied Yorktown, Virginia, the very same place where he would surrender to the Americans and the French just a few months later, marking the end of the American War for Independence. 







Caroline Herschel became the first woman to discover a comet on this day in 1785. 

The US Customs began enforcing the Tariff Act on this day in 1789. 

On this day in 1790, the first U.S. census was completed, showing a population of 3,929,214 people. The areas encompassed by the census were the present states of Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Vermont and Virginia.  





Le Drapeau Tricolore (Tricour Flag) which was a product of the French Revolution, and which remains the national flag of France to this day.
On this day in 1793, France officially became the first country to use the metric system. The metric system had been created when the Assemblée nationale had requested that the Paris Academy of Sciences develop a new system of measurements based on multiples of 10, in an effort to simplify things and replace the more complicated traditional units of measurements which had been in use until then. 




The Whiskey Rebellion began on this day in 1794. 

The Battle of Abukir on the Nile was fought on this day in 1798, with Nelson defeating the French fleet. 

On this day in 1814, Belgian King Willem I accepted blame in Southern defeat. London's Regent's Canal opened on this day in 1820. 

On this day in 1828, Bolton and Leigh Railway opened to freight traffic. London Bridge opened to traffic on this day in 1831. 

The Black Hawk War ended on this day in 1832. 

Slavery was abolished throughout the British Empire when the Slavery Abolition Act of 1833 came into effect on this day in 1834. 





British Botanist Charles Darwin

On this day in 1836, the HMS Beagle, with soon to be world famous scientist Charles Darwin aboard, returned to Bahia, Brazil. 






On this day in 1838, the apprenticeship system abolished in most of the British Empire. Former slaves no longer indentured to former owners. Labourer slaves in most of the British Empire were emancipated on this day in 1840. 

On this day in 1842, Rotherhithe Thames Tunnel opened. In 1842 on this day, the Lombard Street Riot erupted. On this day in 1852, the San Francisco Methodists established the first black church, the Zion Methodist. 

Castle Clinton in NYC opened on this day in 1855 as the first US receiving station for immigrants. 





On this day in 1861, Brazil recognized Confederacy. 




The Battle of Little Rock, Arkansas; of the Chattanooga campaign started on this day in 1863. Also on this day in 1863, cavalry action near Brandy Station-End of Gettysburg Campaign. 



A statue in Flemington, New Jersey, honoring veterans of the American Civil War.


The Battle of Petersburg, Virginia, was fought on this day in 1864. 


Blacks voted for the first time in a US state election in the South (Tennessee) on this day in 1867. 

The first voyage down the Colorado River came on this day in 1869. 

On this day in 1873, Andrew S. Hallidie successfully tested a cable car. The design was done for San Francisco, CA. 




On this day in 1876, Colorado became the 38th state to join the United States. 







On this day in 1881, the US Quarantine Station authorized for Angel Island, San Francisco Bay. 

A papyrus was offered to British Museum on this day in 1883 for £10,000, which wound up being a forgery. 

Also on this day in 1883, inland postal service began in Great Britain. 




Great Britain annexed Kermadec-Island near New Zealand on this day in 1886. 



Cecil Rhodes' colonies reached Lundi on his day in 1890. 

Henry Perky & William Ford patented shredded wheat on this day in 1893. 

The first Sino-Japanese War erupted on this day in 1894. The dispute was over control of Korea. 

George Samuelson completes rowing across the Atlantic, from New York  to England, on this day in 1896.

There was a mining accident in Wollongong, Australia, which killed 100 on this day in 1902. 

This day in 1903 marked the completion of the first coast-to-coast automobile trip from San Francisco to New York. 

On this day in 1907, the U.S. Army established an aeronautical division that later became the U.S. Air Force. The British SS Waratah disappeared on a trip from Sydney to London on this day in 1909, with 300 killed. 

On this day in 1914, the British fleet reached Scapa Flow. 


On this day in 1914, Emperor Wilhelm II declared war on his nephew Tsar Nicholas II, beginning the Great War, which now is known as World War  I. France & Germany both mobilized their armed forces on that same day in 1914, in anticipation of the massive conflict. Germany declared war on Russia on this day in 1914 on the Eastern Front, and on the Western Front at Trois Vierges, the German 69th infantry regiment entered Luxembourg. 


On this day in 1916,- Hawaii National Park was formed. 

On this day in 1917, Frank Little, an IWW  organizer, was lynched in Butte, MT. 

British troops entered Vladivostok on this day in 1918. 

The Peace of Riga, establishing independence for Latvia, was signed on this day in 1920. 

There were battles between the Druzen & French in Damascus on this day in 1926. 

There was a failed assassination attempt on General Primo de Rivera in Barcelona on this day in 1926. 

On this day in 1933, the death penalty for anti fascists in Germany was passed. 

 Dutch colonial regime in Batavia arrested Ir Sukarno on this day in 1933. 

Adolf Hitler opened the XI (11th) Olympic Games in Berlin, Germany, on this day in 1936. 

The Luftwaffe bombed the German 23rd division on this day in 1941. 

The first Jeep was produced on this day in 1941. Nazi German occupiers demanded a list of all Dutch telephone subscribers on this day in 1942. T On this day in 1943, Japan declared Burmese Independence under U Ba Maw. There were race riots in Harlem, New York, on this day in 1943. On this day in 1943, Sunderland seaplanes sank U-454 & U-383. Adam Clayton Powell was elected as the first black Congressman from the East on this day in 1944. 




In 1944 on this day was Anne Frank's last diary entry. Just three days later, she was arrested. 



General Montgomery took command of the 12th & 21st Army on this day in 1944. Also on this day in 1944, the US 90th division occupied St Hilaire-du-Harcourt, and American troops entered Tessy-sur-Vir.  




On this day in 1944, in Warsaw, Poland, an uprising against Nazi occupation began. The revolt continued until October 2 when Polish forces ultimately surrendered. 




The Japanese city of Toyama was destroyed by B-29's on this day in 1945. 






Bust of American President Harry Truman

President Harry Truman signed Congressional acts which established the Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) and the Fulbright Scholarship program on this day in 1946. 








The U.S. Air Force Office of Special Investigations was founded on this day in 1948. 

On this day in 1950 , the American Bowling Congress ended it's all-white-males rule. 

On this day in 1950, the Territory of Guam was created, and Guam adopted the constitution (Organic Act). 

Also on this day in 1950, King Leopold of Belgium abdicated, Baudouin became King. 

In 1951 on this day, David Ben-Gurion's Mapai-party wins Israeli parliamentary election. 

California introduced the sales tax (for education) on this day in 1953. 

Fidel Castro was arrested in Cuba on this day in 1953. 

On this day in 1953, Northern Rhodesia became a part of the Federation of Rhodesia & Nyasaland. 

In 1953 on this day, the first aluminum-faced building was completed. It was the first of this type in America. 

The first microgravity research began on this day in 1955. 

Also on this day in 1955, Tengku Abdul Rahman formed the Malacca government. 

On this day in 1956, the Social Security Act was amended to provide benefits to disabled workers aged 50-64 and disabled adult children. 

On this day in 1957, the North American Air Defense Command (NORAD) was created by the United States and Canada. 

The first commercial building heated by the Sun was completed in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on this day in 1957. 

First class postage spiked up to 4 cents on this day in 1958. It had been 3 cents for 26 years prior to this. 

On this day in 1958, the US atomic sub USS Nautilus began the first transit of North Pole in "Operation Sunshine." 

Pope John XXIII published encyclical Sacerdotii nostri primordia on this day in 1959. 

Aretha Franklins had her first recording session on this day in 1960. 

On this day in 1960, Benin (formerly Dahomey) gained independence from France. 

Chubby Checker released "The Twist" on this day in 1960.Also on this day in 1960, Islamabad was declared as the federal capital of Pakistan. 





Flag of the German Democratic Republic (GDR), better known as East Germany

On this day in 1961, the German Democratic Republic (East Germany) limited traffic to West Berlin. 







Flag of Ghana

There was a failed assassination attempt on President Nkrumah of Ghana on this day in 1962. 





On this day in 1963, a Beatles Book was sold out on its first day of sale. 






Flag of Germany (formerly West Germany during the Cold War)

Also on this day in 1963, the Germany Federal Republic (West Germany) annexed Elten village. 






In 1966 on this day, the first major school shooting occurred when Charles Whitman wounded 31 & killed 16 at the University of Texas. He had been perched atop a high tower. 

On this day in 1968, Canada began replacing silver with nickel in coins. 

Also on this day in 1968, the coronation of Hassanal Bolkiah, the 29th Sultan of Brunei, took place. In 1969 on this day, Mariner 6 sent close-up photos of Mars 


In 1971 on this day, George Harrison's concert for Bangladesh took place at MSG in NYC. 

On this day in 1972, the first article exposing the Watergate scandal was published, by Bernstein-Woodward. 

On this day in 1975, the Helsinki Pact accords pledged the signatory nations to respect human rights and guaranteed boundaries would be respected. It was signed by leaders of 38 nations. 

On this day in 1975, the CSCE Final Act created the Conference for Security and Co-operation in Europe. 











Pictures of the Stade Olympique, also known as Olympic Stadium and the Tour Montréal / Montréal Tower at night. 

Flag of the Olympics

In 1976 on this day, the XXI (21st) Olympic games closed at Montreal, Canada. 





A flash flood in Big Thompson Canyon, Colorado, on Route 34 occurred on this day in 1976, killing 139. 

On this day in 1978, Commandos occupied the Iraqi embassy in Paris, with one person killed. 

In 1979 on this day, Maria de Lurdes Pintasilgo formed a government in Portugal. 

The Buttevant Rail Disaster killed 18 and injured dozens of train passengers in Ireland on this day in 1980. 






MTV premiered at 12:01 AM EST on this day in 1981. The very first video shown was Video Killed the Radio Star by the Buggles. 







Polish Premier Jagielski resigned on this day in 1981. 

There was heavy Israeli air bombardment on Beirut on this day in 1982. 

On this day in 1988, the Deep Rover 1-man research submarine unveiled at Crater Lake, Oregon. 




Iraq pulled out of talks with Kuwait on this day in 1990. 

Also on this day in 1990, Soyuz TM-10 launched. 

A train crashed in Havana, Cuba, 6 killing six on this day in 1994. 

On this day in 1995, Westinghouse Electric Corporation announced a deal to buy CBS for $5.4 billion. 

An agreement was reached on the position of the minority Albanian language in the Republic of Macedonia, on this day in 2001. 

Bulgaria, Cyprus, Latvia, Malta, Slovenia and Slovakia joined the European Environment Agency o this day in 2001. 

On this day in 2001, Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Roy Moore had a Ten Commandments monument installed in the judiciary building, which led to a lawsuit to have it removed and his own removal from office. 

A supermarket fire killed 396 people and injured 500 in Asunción, Paraguay, on this day in 2004. 

In 2006 on this day, Cuban leader Fidel Castro turned over absolute power when he gave his brother Raul authority while he underwent an intestinal surgery. 

The I-35W Mississippi River Bridge spanning the Mississippi River in Minneapolis, Minnesota, collapsed during the evening rush hour on this day in 2007. 

On this day in 2012, Typhoon Saola killed  eleven people and displaced over 150,000 in the Philippines.








The following links are to web sites that were used to complete this blog entry:

http://www.historyorb.com/today/events.php

http://on-this-day.com/onthisday/thedays/alldays/aug01.htm

http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history

http://www.infoplease.com/dayinhistory

Friday, July 31, 2026

RIP, WWII Icon ‘Rosie the Riveter’

Sad news to report today.

The woman known as ‘Rosie the Riveter’ died at 100.  

Of course, that was not her real name. Jeanne Gibson is her actual name, but she is most famous for portraying Rosie the Riveter during World War II, in an effort to rally women and others to work and help out in the war effort.     

Seems like the last famous people from that whole era are going fast. Not really surprising, but it is sad nonetheless.

Rest In Peace, Jeanne Gibson.




WWII welder Jeanne Gibson, 100, honored at Rosie the Riveter Park July 21, 2026By Staff Report          

https://richmondstandard.com/community/2026/07/21/wwii-welder-jeanne-gibson-100-honored-at-rosie-the-riveter-park/

WWII welder Jeanne Gibson, 100, honored at Rosie the Riveter Park - Richmond Standard




Beloved ‘Rosie the Riveter’ dies at 100  Jeanne Gibson, who represented the WWII Rosie the Riveter movement, died Thursday. By HNN Staff Published: Jul. 30, 2026 at 

https://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/2026/07/30/beloved-rosie-riveter-dies-100/

Beloved ‘Rosie the Riveter’ dies at 100

Bernie Sanders Illustrates Affordability in 1973 Compared to 2026

Almost all of us have heard something about how much more affordable life seemed to be decades ago compared to today. It seems that the decade that most people seem to go back to as a sign of just how much more affordable life was back in the day would be the 1970's. I even posted a video about it not all that long ago.

Well in a recent Facebook post, Bernie Sanders elaborated on that theme. He provided some very specific numbers, and they were rather shocking.

Sometimes, however, that can be lost a bit in terms of what those prices actually meant back then. After all, we have to adjust for inflation over the course of literally more than half a century now.

So I went ahead and did that, Googling what those specific dollar amounts back in 1973 would be in today's money. Here are the figures:


$441 in 1973 is worth about $3,316.96 today. Compare that with average spending on healthcare today at $15,474.


$35,500 in 1973 is worth about $267,010 today. Compare that with average price of a house today at $475,400.


$133 in 1973 is worth about $1,000.35 today. Compare that with average rent prices today at $2,017.


$514 in 1973 is worth about $3,866.00 today.   Compare that with average college/tuition fees today at a staggering $15,474. No wonder so many people are under such crushing college loan debts.


A lot of this stuff feels like it brings new meaning to the phrase, "Only in America," wouldn't you say?





Bernie Sanders Facebook page July 30, 2026  ·

https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=1622845492539599&set=a.410304167127077

Facebook




Denis Diderot Died On This Day in 1784

 

Statue of Denis Diderot in Paris




On this day in 1784, Denis Diderot died in Paris. He was 70 years old, and had been the author of the Encyclopédie.

French philosopher Denis Diderot was a major figure of the Enlightenment. Often, he is considered in the same manner as other famous French writers of the time, Voltaire and Jean Jacques Rousseau. Diderot was the author of the Encyclopédie, in which he collaborated with Jean le Rond d'Alembert. The Encyclopédie was hugely influential, and considered a major influence on the French Revolution.

Despite being a rival of sorts at the time, Rousseau nonetheless predicted that given the passing of a few centuries, Diderot would likely be honored and revered in a similar manner as Plato and Socrates. He was hugely influential to many other great writers and thinkers, including Goethe.

It seemed appropriate on this day to honor his memory, and the contributions to the advancement of human knowledge which he had no small part of.





Statue of Denis Diderot in Paris




Memorial to Diderot in the Pantheon in Paris, although he is not actually buried there.

July 31st: This Day in History

 






Once again, it should be reiterated, that this does not pretend to be a very extensive history of what happened on this day (nor is it the most original - the links can be found down below). If you know something that I am missing, by all means, shoot me an email or leave a comment, and let me know!





On this day in 30 BC, the Battle of Alexandria was fought. Mark Antony managed a minor victory over Octavian's forces, although it came at a price. Most of the army subsequently deserted, which ultimately helped lead to his suicide. In 1291 on this day, Egyptian Mamelukken occupied Akko, and the Crusaders were driven out of Palestine. On this day in 1423 during the Hundred Years' War, the Battle of Cravant was fought. The French army was defeated at Cravant on the banks of the river Yonne. On this day in 1588, the English fleet defeated the mighty Spanish Armada at Plymouth near the Eddystone Rock. Aurangzeb appointed himself as the Mongol Emperor on this day in 1658. In 1777 on this day, the Marquis de Lafayette of France, who was then only 19 years old, accepted the position of Major-General of the Continental Army in the American cause for independence. On this day in 1784, Denis Diderot died in Paris. On this day in 1856  Christchurch, New Zealand, was chartered as a city. On this day in 1905 the Matumbi rebellion occurred at Samanga in German East Africa. Germany's Weimar Constitution was officially adopted on this day in 1919. On this day in 1936, the city of Tokyo, Japan, was awarded the 1940 Olympic games, although they would ultimately be cancelled due to World War II. In 1938 on this day, Archaeologists discovered engraved gold and silver plates from King Darius in Persepolis. On this day in 1941, Hermann Göring authorized Reinhard Heydrich to make preparations for the "total solution of the Jewish question in the area of German influence in Europe," marking a significant escalation in what came to ultimately be the systematic persecution and extermination of Jews  in Nazi Germany, which itself has come to be known as the "Final Solution". Pierre Laval, the fugitive former leader of Vichy France, surrendered to Allied soldiers in Austria on this day in 1945 after the European theater of World War II had already ended. Beatles records and products were burned in Alabama on this day in 1966 after controversial (albeit misunderstood) comments by John Lennon suggesting that the Beatles had become more popular than Jesus.






Here's a more detailed look at events that transpired on this date throughout history:

On this day in 30 BC, the Battle of Alexandria was fought. Mark Antony managed a minor victory over Octavian's forces, although it came at a price. Most of the army subsequently deserted, which ultimately helped lead to his suicide. 

On this day in 432 , St Sixtus III began his reign as Catholic Pope. 

In 768 on this day, [Philip] both began & ended his reign as Catholic Pope. 

On this day in 781 was the oldest recorded eruption of Mt. Fuji (Traditional Japanese date: July 6, 781). 
In 1291 on this day, Egyptian Mamelukken occupied Akko, and the Crusaders were driven out of Palestine. 



Royal France

On this day in 1423 during the Hundred Years' War, the Battle of Cravant was fought. The French army was defeated at Cravant on the banks of the river Yonne.
 

Jacques Cœur was arrested by order of Charles VII of France on this day in 1451. 

On this day in 1498, djuring his third voyage to the Western Hemisphere, Christopher Columbus arrived at (note, did not discover) the island of Trinidad. 


On this day in 1588, the English fleet defeated the mighty Spanish Armada at Plymouth near the Eddystone Rock. 

In 1620 on this day, Pilgrim Fathers departed (through England) to America. 

Fronde-leaders surrendered in Bordeaux on this day in 1653. 

On this day in 1655 during the Russo-Polish War (1654-1667), the Russian army entered the capital of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, Vilnius, and then held onto it for six years. 

Aurangzeb appointed himself as the Mongol Emperor on this day in 1658. 

On this day in 1664, Pierre Corneille's "Othon," premiered in Paris. 

In 1667 on this day came the Peace of Breda. The Second English War-Suriname vs New-Netherlands ended. 

On this day in 1703, Daniel Defoe was placed in a pillory for the crime of seditious libel after publishing a politically satirical pamphlet, but he is pelted with flowers. 

The Battle at Cape Passaro, when the English fleet destroyed the Spanish fleet, took place on this day in 1718. 

Prince Frederick of Wales escaped the English court on this day in 1737. 

On this day in 1741, Charles Albert of Bavaria invaded Upper Austria and Bohemia.  

A massive fire in Stockholm, Sweden, destroyed approximately 1,000 homes on this day in 1751. 

On this day in 1771, Paul Potters "Great ossendrift" sold for Ÿ9050 in Amsterdam. 




Statue of the Marquis de Lafayette on the exterior of the Louvre on the Rue de Rivoli, Paris



Statue of the Marquis de Lafayette at the Greens in Morristown, NJ


In 1777 on this day, the Marquis de Lafayette of France, who was then only 19 years old, accepted the position of Major-General of the Continental Army in the American cause for independence. 









Statue of Denis Diderot in Paris



On this day in 1784, Denis Diderot died in Paris. He was 70 years old, and had been the author of the Encyclopédie.






On this day in 1790, the first U.S. patent was issued to Samuel Hopkins for his process for making potash and pearl ashes. The substance was used in fertilizer. 





On this day in 1792,  the cornerstone of the U.S. Mint in Philadelphia, PA, was laid. It was the first building to be used only as a U.S. government building. 

In 1809 on this day, the first practical US railroad track (wooden, for horse-drawn cars) in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. 

The British invaded Plattsburgh NY, on this day in 1813. 

Benjamin Chambers patented breech loading cannon on this day in 1849. 


The flag of New Zealand

On this day in 1856  Christchurch, New Zealand, was chartered as a city. 


On this day in 1864 during the American Civil War, Ulysses S. Grant was named General of Volunteers. 


The first narrow gauge mainline railway in the world opens at Grandchester, Australia, on this day in 1865. 

The US Coast Guard officers' training school was established on this day in 1876 in New Bedford MA. 

On this day in 1893, Henry Perky patented shredded wheat. 

Albert Trott hit Monty Noble over the Pavilion at Lord's on this day in 1899. 



On this day in 1901, Abraham Kuyper became the Premier of Netherlands. 



On this day in 1905 the Matumbi rebellion occurred at Samanga in German East Africa.



1910 - Clement van Maasdijk gives flying demonstration
1911 - Hungarian education is only taught in German
1912 - RBC soccer team forms in Roosendaal
1912 - US government prohibits movies & photos of prize fights (censorship)

1914 - German Emperor Wilhelm II threatens war, orders Russia to demobilize

1914 - Oil discovered in Lake of Maracaibo
1917 - 3rd battle of Ypres begins

Germany's Weimar Constitution was officially adopted on this day in 1919.  

1922 - Italy's general strike against fascist violence
1923 - Belgian Chamber discusses bilinguality at Ghent University
1925 - Last allied occupying troops leave Ruhrgebied
1925 - Unemployment Insurance Act passed in England
1928 - 1st woman to win a track and field olympic gold medal, Halina Konopacka of Poland

1928 - MGM’s Leo the lion roared for the first time. He introduced MGM’s first talking picture, "White Shadows on the South Seas."   

1929 - Aristide Briand becomes premier of France

1932 - George Washington quarter goes into circulation
1932 - German Election (NSDAP gets 37.3%)

1932 - Enzo Ferrari retired from racing. In 1950 he launched a series of cars under his name.  

1935 - 3rd Dutch government of Colijn sworn in



Flag of the Olympics

On this day in 1936, the city of Tokyo, Japan, was awarded the 1940 Olympic games, although they would ultimately be cancelled due to World War II.







1937 - Politburo enables Operative Order 00447: execute 193,000 Russians



In 1938 on this day, Archaeologists discovered engraved gold and silver plates from King Darius in Persepolis.


1940 - 38 U boats sinks this month (196,000 ton)
1940 - Riech's commissar Seyss-Inquart bans homosexuals




Auschwitz




On this day in 1941, Hermann Göring, the Reichsmarschall des Großdeutschen Reiches (Reich Marshal of the Greater German Reich, the highest ranking military official of Germany at the time) and a Hitler's second in command, authorized Reinhard Heydrich to make preparations for the "total solution of the Jewish question in the area of German influence in Europe". This was a significant escalation in what came to ultimately be the systematic persecution and extermination of Jews  in Nazi Germany, which itself has come to be known as the "Final Solution". 



1941 - U boats sink 21 allied ships this month: 94,000 ton
1942 - German SS gases 1,000 Jews in Minsk, Belorussia
1942 - U boats sank 96 allied ships this month: 476,000 ton
1943 - Transport nr 58 departs with French Jews to nazi Germany
1944 - Last deportation train out Mechelen departs to Auschwitz
1944 - Transport nr 77 departs with French Jews to nazi-Germany
1944 - US troops occupy Sansapor New-Guinea






Pierre Laval, the fugitive former leader of Vichy France, surrendered to Allied soldiers in Austria on this day in 1945 after the European theater of World War II had already ended.






Bust of American President Harry Truman

U.S. President Truman helped dedicate New York International Airport, and later renamed John F. Kennedy International Airport) at Idlewild Field on this day in 1948.   




1949 - Lightning strikes a baseball field in Fla, kills SS & 3rd baseman
1951 - Japan Airlines is established.
1953 - Dept of Health, Education & Welfare created



This day in 1954 marked the first successful ascent of Mount Godwin-Austen (K2), the world's second-highest peak, by an Italian expedition led by Ardito Desio.




1955 - Marilyn Bell of Toronto, Canada, at age 17, became the youngest person to swim the English Channel.   


1958 - Anti-Chinese uprising in Tibet

1959 - 1st exhibit of bongos at Cleveland Metroparks Zoo opens

1959 - The Euskadi Ta Askatasuna (ETA) was founded. The group is known for being an armed Basque nationalist and separatist organization.   



1960 - Elijah Muhammad, leader of Nation of Islam, calls for a black state

1961 - Israel welcomes its 1,000,000th immigrant
1962 - Federation of Malaysia forms


1963 - Arturo Illia elected president of Argentina

1964 - Al Parker glides 644 miles without any motor 



1964 - The American space probe Ranger 7 transmitted pictures of the moon's surface.   


1964 - Rolling Stone concert in Ireland halts after 12 minutes due to riot

1964 - US Ranger 7 takes 4,316 pictures before crashing on Moon

1964 The U.S. space probe Ranger 7 transmitted pictures of the Moon’s surface.



1965 - Cigarette Ads banned on British TV



    

  Alabamans burned Beatles record and products on this day in 1966 following John Lennon' controversial - yet mostly misunderstood - remarks regarding the Beatles being more popular than Jesus.






1967 - Rolling Stone Mick Jagger & Keith Richards end 1 month jail sentence


1968 - Beatles close Apple Boutique, giving clothes away for free


1969 - Mariner 6 flies past Mars
1969 - National Guard mobilizes in racial disturbances in Baton Rouge, La

1970 - Black Tot Day: The last day of the officially sanctioned rum ration in the Royal Navy.

1971 - Apollo 15 astronauts take 6½ hour electric car ride on Moon

1971 - Men rode in a vehicle on the moon for the first time in a lunar rover vehicle (LRV).   


1972 - Thomas Eagleton withdraws as Democratic VP candidate
1973 - ABA Virginia Squires trade Julius Erving to NY Nets
1973 - Delta Airlines DC-9 crashes in fog at Logan Airport, Boston, killing all but one of 89 aboard. Lone survivor dies 6 months later

1976 - Seychelles Independence (Independence day)

1977 - E Henry Knoche, ends term as deputy director of CIA
1977 - John F Blake promoted from acting to deputy director of CIA
1978 - Gunman shoots his way into Iraqi Embassy in Paris

1980 - Soyuz 37 crew returns to Earth aboard Soyuz 36

  


1981 - Arnette Hubbard installed as 1st woman president of Natl Bar Association


1982 - Yugoslavia imposed a six-month freeze on prices.   

1982 - 46 kids & 7 adults die as 2 buses & several cars collide in France
1982 - Car/bus collision near Beaune, France, 53 die

1982 - Finland, Italy, Germany, Austria & France form American European Football Federation (AEFF)

1983 - Dutch July avg temp is 20.1°C; warmest July since 1852

1984 - Venz commandos terminate hijacking of an aircraft, 2 killed

1987 - Battle between Iranian pilgrims & Saudi-Arabian troops, 402 killed


1987 - Rockwell International awarded contract to build a 5th shuttle
1987 - A rare, class F-4 tornado rips through Edmonton, Alberta, killing 27 people and causing $330 million in damage.

1988 - 32 people are killed and 1,674 injured when a bridge at the Sultan Abdul Halim ferry terminal collapses in Butterworth, Malaysia.


1989 - A pro-Iranian group in Lebanon released a videotape reportedly showing the hanged body of American hostage William R. Higgins.   




  Bosnia-Herzegovina declared independence on this day in 1990.








 In 1991 on this day, U.S. President George H.W. Bush and Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev signed the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty, a pact aimed at limiting long range nuclear weapons.






1991 - Senate votes to allow women to fly combat aircraft

1991 - The Medininkai Massacre in Lithuania. Soviet OMON attacks Lithuanian customs post in Medininkai, killing 7 officers and severely wounding one other.


1992 - Thai Airbus crashes into mountain at Kathmandu, 113 die
1
1993 - Inkatha-arm forces killed 49 ANC-followers in Johannesburg
1993 - Prince Ronald "Ronnie" Mutebi crowned king of Uganda



1994 - Stockholms avgs 21.5°C; their warmest July since 1855
1994 - UN votes 12-0 (2 abstentions) to authorize use of force against Haiti


1995 - The Walt Disney Company agreed to acquire Capital Cities/ABC in a $19 billion deal.  Disney movies, music and books   

1999 - The spacecraft Lunar Prospect crashed into the moon. It was a mission to detect frozen water on the moon's surface. The craft had been launched on January 6, 1998.  
1999 - Discovery Program: Lunar Prospector - NASA intentionally crashes the spacecraft into the Moon, thus ending its mission to detect frozen water on the moon's surface.

2006 - Fidel Castro hands over power temporarily to brother Raúl Castro. This leads to a celebration in Little Havana (La Pequeña Habana in Spanish), Miami, Florida, where many Cuban Americans participated.

2007 - Operation Banner, the presence of the British Army in Northern Ireland, and longest-running British Army operation ever, comes to an end.

2007 - The iTunes Music Store reached 2 million feature length films sold.



2012 - Two car bombs kill 21 people in Baghdad, Iraq

2012 - A second power grid failure in two days leaves 670 million people in India without power





1790 The first U.S. patent was issued to Samuel Hopkins of Vermont for a process of making fertilizer. 1875 Andrew Johnson, the 17th president of the United States, died in Tennessee. 1954 Mount Godwin-Austen (K2), the world's second-highest peak, was climbed for the first time, by an Italian team led by Ardito Desio. 1964 The U.S. space probe Ranger 7 transmitted pictures of the Moon’s surface.

The following links are to web sites that were used to complete this blog entry:

http://www.historyorb.com/today/events.php

http://on-this-day.com/onthisday/thedays/alldays/jul31.htm

http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history

http://www.infoplease.com/dayinhistory