Zinedine Zidane Officially Becomes France's Next Coach

  

France wore their blue (home) jerseys for the Final, along with their traditional white shorts and red socks. Brazil wore their distinctive yellow/gold jerseys with blue shorts. 

Well, the rumors were going around for quite some time. Possibly since as long as Didier Deschamps announced that he would step down as France's coach following this World Cup, regardless of the results. 

Now it is official. Zinedine Zidane will be the new head coach for France now that Didier Deschamps is stepping down. The two men were both players on the 1998 team that won the first ever World Cup championship for France, as well as the Euro 2000.

Deschamps also won the 2018 World Cup as the coach for the winning French side, which also qualified for the 2016 Euro Final and the 2022 World Cup Final.

The results were a bit different this time around. France was considered by many to be the favorites in the tournament, and even looked the part for much of their run. But they ran into a Spanish wall of defense a few days ago, ending their hopes of taking home another World Cup championship.

Later today, they will face England in the consolation third place game. After that, Zidane will step in to try and bring Les Bleus back to the top.

Pictures Altered in Old West Style

Thought I might try something a little different with some other pictures from past trips.

Been thinking of doing this with some of the western pictures which I took. Recently, I went ahead and did some alterations. Seemed like a good idea to share them here. Some came out really nicely, while others not quite as well as I had hoped.

Take a look.

Please let me know what you think.

YELLOWSTONE PICTURES (SUMMER OF 2018)

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Montana 2023 (Near Site of the Battle of the Little Bighorn)

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July 18th: 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!

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

The Gauls defeated the Romans in the Battle of Allia, which allowed the sacking of Rome shortly to follow. This date was famous for another event in Rome - the Great Fire that destroyed most of the city. Robespierre decided to back the French Revolution, and would ultimately become it's most important figure for a while, before falling victim to the same Terror that he had helped to unleash and allow to grow out of control. Uruguay got a liberal constitution. American President Abraham Lincoln asked for half a million volunteers for military service. During World War I, French and American forces launched the Aisne-Marne offensive. World War I, and Germany's defeat and subsequent humiliation following the war, led to huge discontent inside of Germany. The man who would eventually become the major player to manipulate this discontent and lead Germany to yet another, even more destructive war, made news on this date as well. Adolf Hitler wrote his famous autobiography, Mein Kampf, which was overlooked initially, but which could have warned the world as to what was in this man's head, before he took over and tried to turn a mad dream into a nightmarish reality. But before World War II broke out, their was the war that was viewed as a precursor to World War II- the Spanish Civil War, and it began on this date in 1936. Tojo was removed as Japanese premiere and war minister on this date in 1944, as the war was turning sour for Japan. Following his delivering on the famous guarantee that the Jets would win Super Bowl III, Joe Namath agreed to stay in the NFL. The Jets would make other news on this date, years later, as well. But before that, Australia and New Zealand announced that they would be pulling their troops out of Vietnam. Nadia Comăneci became the first woman to get perfect scores during the Olympics, on the way to a gold medal that she was on this day, which would just be one of three overall that she won. Walter Mondale became the Democratic nominee for President in 1984 on this day. Mike Tyson would meet many of the Miss Black America contestants, including one in particular that would result in his eventual conviction and prison sentence on the grounds of rape. It was on this date that the New York Jets, famous for their awesome moves that inevitably result in a championship, took a chance on American soccer goalkeeper Tony Meola. Do I really have to go into how much of a success that was?

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

• 390 BC - Roman-Gaulish Wars: Battle of the Allia - a Roman army is defeated by raiding Gauls, leading to the subsequent sacking of Rome.


• 64 - Great Fire of Rome begins (Nero didn't fiddle)  A great fire began that ultimately destroyed most of Rome. The emperor Nero blamed it on Christians and began the first Roman persecution of them.

Jul 18, 64: Nero's Rome burns

The great fire of Rome breaks out and destroys much of the city on this day in the year 64. Despite the well-known stories, there is no evidence that the Roman emperor, Nero, either started the fire or played the fiddle while it burned. Still, he did use the disaster to further his political agenda.  

The fire began in the slums of a district south of the legendary Palatine Hill. The area's homes burned very quickly and the fire spread north, fueled by high winds. During the chaos of the fire, there were reports of heavy looting. The fire ended up raging out of control for nearly three days. Three of Rome's 14 districts were completely wiped out; only four were untouched by the tremendous conflagration. Hundreds of people died in the fire and many thousands were left homeless.  

Although popular legend holds that Emperor Nero fiddled while the city burned, this account is wrong on several accounts. First, the fiddle did not even exist at the time. Instead, Nero was well known for his talent on the lyre; he often composed his own music. More importantly, Nero was actually 35 miles away in Antium when the fire broke out. In fact, he let his palace be used as a shelter.  

Legend has long blamed Nero for a couple of reasons. Nero did not like the aesthetics of the city and used the devastation of the fire in order to change much of it and institute new building codes throughout the city. Nero also used the fire to clamp down on the growing influence of Christians in Rome. He arrested, tortured and executed hundreds of Christians on the pretext that they had something to do with the fire.

64  Nero’s Rome burns HISTORY.com Editors  Great Fire Of Rome Getty Images  Published: November 13, 2009  Last Updated: July 16, 2025:             

https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/july-19/neros-rome-burns

1290 - King Edward I of England orders expulsion of Jews

1330 - Battle of Velbuzd

1334 - The bishop of Florence blesses the first foundation stone for the new campanile (bell tower) of the Florence Cathedral, designed by the artist Giotto di Bondone.

• 1536 - The authority of the pope was declared void in England.

1572 - Willem van Orange recognized as viceroy of Holland/Friesland/Utrecht

 Admiral Howard defeated the Spanish Armada on this day in 1588.

1630 - Spanish troops occupy Mantua

1656 - -20] Battle at Warsaw: Swedish king Karel X Gustaafbeats Johan II Kasimir & occupies Warsaw

1696 - Czar Peter I's fleet occupies Azov at mouth of Don River

1716 - Decree orders all Jews expelled from Brussels

1737 - Battle at Banja Luka: Turkish army beats Austrians

1743 - "The New York Weekly Journal" published the first half-page newspaper ad.

1753 - Lemuel Haynes, escapes from slave holder in Framingham Mass

1766 - Society of the Dutch Literary forms

1768 - Boston Gazette publishes "Liberty Song," America's 1st patriotic song

Bust of the "Incorruptible" French Revolutionary Maximilien Robespierre

• 1789 - Robespierre, a deputy from Arras, France, decided to back the French Revolution.

1812 - Great Britain signed the Treaty of Orebro, making peace with Russia and Sweden.

1814 - British capture Prairie du Chien (Wisc)

Flag of Uruguay

• 1830 - Uruguay adopted a liberal constitution.

• 1853 - Completion of Grand Trunk Line, trains begin running over 1st North American railroad between Portland, Maine & Montreal 

• 1857 - Louis Faidherbe, French governor of Senegal, arrives to relieve French forces at Kayes, effectively ending El Hajj Umar Tall's war against the French.

1861 - Battle of Blackburn's Ford, VA US57 CS68 - Manassas -

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

1862 - Battle of Newburgh, IN - captured by Union forces

1863 - Battle of Fort Wagner, SC - Second assault US1500 CS174

Statue of Abraham Lincoln outside of the New York Historical Society

1864 - President Lincoln asks for 500,000 volunteers for milt service

1870 - Pontifical infalliability proclaimed

1872 - The Ballot Act was passed in Great Britain, providing for secret election ballots.

• 1907 - French troops occupy Casablanca

1912 - Chicago Cubs get 21 hits but lose to Philadelphia Phillies in 11 innings

1913 - After 68 straight innings Christy Mathewson gives up a walk

1914 - US army air service 1st comes into being, in Signal Corps

1914 - Six planes of the U.S. Army helped to form an aviation division called the Signal Corps.

1915 - 2nd Battle of Isonzo begins & ends with loss of 280,000 men

1915 - Boston Braves start move from last place to become world series champs

A war monument in Champlitte, France

1918 - US and French forces launch Aisne-Marne offensive in WW I

July 18, 1918: Allies begin major counter-offensive in Second Battle of the Marne

Three days after a German offensive near the Marne River in the Champagne region of France meets with failure, Allied forces launch a major counterattack on July 18, 1918, ending the Second Battle of the Marne and decisively turning the tide of the war toward an Allied victory.  

After forces commanded by the German general Erich von Ludendorff fall painfully short of their objectives near the city of Reims on July 15–largely due to the deceptive Allied strategy of planting a line of false, lightly-manned trenches in front that would leave their real front line undamaged by the preliminary German bombardment–the Allied supreme commander, Ferdinand Foch, authorized a major counteroffensive. The Allied attack, which began in the early morning hours of July 18, 1918, was carried out by 24 divisions of the French army, as well as troops from the United States, Britain and Italy, pressing forward in some 350 tanks against the German salient.  

As Crown Prince Wilhelm, a commander of the German forces at the Marne, recalled of the events of July 18: "Without artillery preparation, simply following the sudden rolling barrage, supported by numerous deep-flying aircraft and with unprecedented masses of tanks, the enemy infantry–including a number of American divisions–unleashed the storm against the 9th and 7th Armies at 5:40 in the morning." The French 6th and 10th Armies led the infantry advance, pushing forward five miles on the first day of the offensive alone. Meanwhile, the French 5th and 9th Armies launched supplementary attacks to the west. By the time the Germans ordered a retreat on July 20, the Allied counteroffensive in the Second Battle of the Marne had driven the Germans back from Chateau-Thierry to Soissons on the Aisne River, effectively reversing all the gains made in the region during the entire German spring offensive of 1918.  

Casualties at the Marne were staggering, with Germany losing 168,000 soldiers to death or injury, compared with 95,000 for the French, 13,000 for the British and 12,000 for the U.S. After the disaster at the Marne, Ludendorff was forced to call off a planned German offensive further north, in the Flanders region stretching between France and Belgium, which he had envisioned as Germany's best hope of victory. In the end, the Second Battle of the Marne marked the last large-scale German offensive of World War I.

1918  Second Battle of the Marne begins with final German offensive HISTORY.com Editors  Published: November 16, 2009  Last Updated: January 31, 2025:

https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/july-15/second-battle-of-the-marne-begins-with-final-german-offensive

1921 - Black Sox trial begins in Chicago

1923 - England's House of Lords accepts new divorce law

1924 - KPD points out Rote Frontkampferbund against Nazi

• 1925 - Hitler publishes Mein Kampf

July 18, 1925: Mein Kampf is published 

On this day in 1925, Volume One of Adolf Hitler's philosophical autobiography, Mein Kampf, is published. It was a blueprint of his agenda for a Third Reich and a clear exposition of the nightmare that will envelope Europe from 1939 to 1945. The book sold a total of 9,473 copies in its first year.  

Hitler began composing his tome while sitting in Landsberg prison, convicted of treason for his role in the infamous Beer Hall Putsch in which he and his minions attempted to stage a coup and grasp control of the government in Bavaria. It ended in disaster, with some allies deserting and others falling into the hands of the authorities. Hitler was sentenced to five years' imprisonment (he would serve only nine months). His time in the old fortress at Landsberg was hardly brutal; he was allowed guests and gifts, and was treated as something of a cult hero. He decided to put his leisure time to good use and so began dictating Volume One of his opus magnus to Rudolph Hess, a loyal member of the German National Socialist Party and fellow revolutionary.  

The first part of Mein Kampf, subtitled "A Reckoning," is a 400-plus page diatribe on the problems besetting Germany—the French, who wished to dismember Germany; the lack of lebesraum, "living space," and the need to expand east into Russia; and the baleful influence of "mongrel" races. For Hitler, the state was not an economic entity, but a racial one. Racial purity was an absolute necessity for a revitalized Germany. "[F]or men do not perish as the result of lost wars, but by the loss... of pure blood."  

As for leadership, Hitler's Third Reich would mimic the Prussian ideal of absolute authoritarian rule. "There must be no majority decisions, but only responsible persons... Surely every man will have advisers... but the decision will be made by one man."  

So there it was: War with France, war with Russia, the elimination of "impure" races, and absolute dictatorship. Hitler laid out his political agenda a full 14 years before the outbreak of war.  

Volume Two of Mein Kampf, focusing on national socialism, was published in 1927. Sales of the complete work remained mediocre throughout the 1920s. It was not until 1933, the first year of Hitler's tenure as chancellor of Germany, that sales soared to over 1 million. Its popularity reached the point where it became a ritual to give a newly married couple a copy.

1925  Hitler’s “Mein Kampf” is published HISTORY.com Editors  Mein Kampf Roger Viollet via Getty Images  Published: November 16, 2009  Last Updated: July 16, 2025:

https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/july-18/mein-kampf-is-published

1930 - SHO soccer team forms in Old Beijerland

1931 - First air-conditioned ship (Mariposa) launched

• 1932 - Belgium, Luxembourg & Netherlands sign Unity treaty

1932 - The U.S. and Canada signed a treaty to develop the St. Lawrence Seaway.

1935 - Amsterdam city council accept city growth plan through the year 2000 Spanish Dictator Francisco FrancoSpanish Dictator Francisco Franco

Flag of Ethiopia

The Lion of Judah Emblem of the Ethiopian Empire

• 1935 - Ethiopian King Haile Selassie urged his countrymen to fight to the last man against the invading Italian army.

Flag of Spain

• 1936 - The Spanish Civil War began as Gen. Francisco Franco led an uprising of army troops based in Spanish North Africa.

1942 - The German Me-262, the first jet-propelled aircraft to fly in combat, made its first flight.

1938 - Douglas "Wrong Way" Corrigan arrives in Ireland-left NY for Calif

1940 - 1st successful helicopter flight, Stratford, Ct

1940 - British government signs Bruma law under Japanese pressure

Franklin D. Roosevelt Memorial in Washington, D.C.

1940 - Democratic Convention nominates FDR for a 3rd term

• 1941 - SS drowns 40 Jews in Dvina River, Belorussia

1942 - 1st legal NJ horse race in 50 years; Garden State Park track opens

1942 - Messerschmitt Me 262 Schwalbe, 1st jet fighter, takes 1st flight

1942 - World War II: the Germans test fly the Messerschmitt Me-262 using only its jet engines for the first time.

1943 - British assault on Catania Sicily

1944 - U.S. troops captured Saint-Lo, France, ending the battle of the hedgerows.

• 1944 - Hideki Tojo was removed as Japanese premier and war minister due to setbacks suffered by his country in World War II.

1944 - 7:45 Operation-Goodwood: British assault east of Caen

1944 - Allies air raid railways at Vaires Paris

1944 - Arne Andersson runs world record 1 mile (4:01.6)

1944 - British Mosquito's attack Cologne and Berlin

1944 - British air raid on German convoy SW of Helgoland

1944 - British troops occupy Bourquebus hill range Normandy

1944 - Polish troops under gen Anders occupy Ancona Italy

1944 - US troop march into St-Lo

1947 - British seize "Exodus 1947" ship of Jewish immigrants to Palestine

• 1947 - King George VI signs Indian Independence Bill

Bust of American President Harry Truman

• 1947 -  U.S. President Truman signed the Presidential Succession Act, which placed the Speaker of the House and the Senate President Pro Tempore next in the line of succession after the vice president.

1947 - US begins administering Trust Territory of Pacific Islands

• 1951 - Uruguay accepts its constitution

1955 - 1st electric power generated from atomic energy sold commercially

1955 - 280 mm rain in Martinstown, Dorset (UK-record)

1956 - Erno Gero succeeds Matyas Rákosi as party leader of Hungary

• 1960 - 1st UN troops reach Congo

1960 - Premier Kishi of Japan, resigns

1961 - Commissioner Ford Frick rules Babe Ruth's record of 60 HR in 154-game sched in 1927, must be broken in 1st 154 of 162 games

1962 - Minnesota Twins Bob Allison & Harmon Killebrew hit grand slams in 1st inn and Harmon Killebrew connect in a club-record, 11-run 1st inning

1963 - Failed military coup in Syria

1964 - Race riot in Harlem (NYC); riots spread to Bedford-Stuyvesant (Bkln)

1964 - Pete Rose (Cincinnati Reds) hit the only grand slam home run of his career.

1965 - Zond 3 launched to fly by Moon, enters solar orbit

Bust of Carl Sagan

• 1966 - Carl Sagan turns 1 billion seconds old

1966 - Gemini 10 launched (John Young & Michael Collins)

1967 - Silver hits record $1.87 an ounce in NY

1968 - Intel incorporates

1968 - The Intel Corporation is founded in Santa Clara, California

1969 - Joe Namath agrees to sell interest in Bachelors 3, to stay in NFL

1970 - "Boy Friend" closes at Ambassador Theater NYC after 119 performances

1970 - Arthur Brown arrested for stripping on stage in Palemo Sicily

• 1971 - New Zealand and Australia announced they would pull their troops out of Vietnam.

1971 - Eddy Merckx wins his 3rd Tour de France

1972 - 200,000 attend Mt Pocono rock festival in Penns

1972 - Egypt president Sadat throws 20,000 Russian military aids out

1972 - Mike Procter 8-73 with hat-trick, plus 51 & 102, Gloucs v Essex

1974 - US performs nuclear Test at Nevada Test Site

1974 - World's tallest structure, 646-m Polish radio mast, completed

1975 - Jury can't decide on trial of Dave Forbes of Boston Bruins (1st athlete indicted for excessive violence during play)

1976 - Stockhausens "Sirius," premieres in NYC

1976 - Thiokol conducts 2-min firing of space shuttle's SRB at Brigham, Ut

Flag of the Olympics

1976 - 14-year old Nadia Comăneci became the first person in Olympic Games history to score a perfect 10 in gymnastics at the 1976 Summer Olympics. She went on to score six more tens and win three gold medals.

1977 - Hugh Leonard's "Da," premieres in London

• 1977 - Vietnam becomes member of UN

1978 - Billy Martin suspends Reggie Jackson for not bunting

1978 - Egyptian and Israeli officials begin 2 days of talks

1979 - Gold hits record $303.85 an ounce in London

1979 - USSR performs nuclear Test at Eastern Kazakh/Semipalitinsk USSR

1980 - Billy Joel's Glass Houses album tops charts

1980 - Failed attack on Iran ex-premier Bakhtiar in Neuilly France

1980 - Federal court voids Selective Service Act as it doesn't include women

1980 - Quett Masire installed as president of Botswana

1980 - Rohini 1, 1st Indian satellite, launches into orbit

1981 - Part of Hyatt Regency Hotel KC caves in (113 killed)

1981 - Poland communist party selects ex-party leader Edward Gierek

1984 - James Huberty kills 21 McDonald's patrons in San Ysidro Calif

• 1984 - Walter F Mondale wins Democratic presidential nomination in SF

1986 - Videotapes released showing Titanic's sinksen remains

1987 - Molly Yard elected new pres of Natl Org for Women

1988 - Abu Nidal terrorists kill 9 on City of Poros cruise ship

1988 - Shooting begins on "License to Kill"

1989 - 48 cm rainfall at Rockport, West Virginia (state record)

1992 - The ten victims of the La Cantuta massacre disappear from their university in Lima.

• 1993 - Afghanistan president Ishaq Khan and premier Nawaz Sharif resign

1993 - Graeme Obree bicycles world record time (51,596 K)

1993 - Liberal-Democratic Party loses Japan's parliamentary election

1994 - Bomb attack on Jewish center AMIA in Buenos Aires, 86 killed

1994 - Comet Shoemaker-Levy collides with Jupiter

1994 - Court upholds NBA salary cap and draft rights

1994 - Crayola announces introduction of scented crayons

1995 - DC3 crashes at Antananarivo Madagaskar, 34 die

 

1996 - Storms provoke severe flooding on the Saguenay River, beginning one of Québec's costliest natural disasters ever.

1999 - New York Yankee David Cone pitched the 16th perfect game in baseball history.

2000 - It was announced that Christopher Reeve would direct and serve as executive producer on the TV movie "Rescuing Jeffrey."

2001 - A train derailed, involving 60 cars, in a Baltimore train tunnel. The fire that resulted lasted for six days and virtually closed down downtown Baltimore for several days. (Maryland)

2009 - Five members of one family are found murdered at Epping, New South Wales.

2012 - 6 Israeli tourists are killed and 30 injured after a bomb explodes on a tourist bus at Burgas Airport, Bulgaria

2012 - 14 people are killed after a bomb explosion at Pakistan's Orakzai Agency

2012 - Violence across Syria results in 97 deaths

2012 - Syrian suicide bombing kills three high profile government officials, including Syria's Minister of Defence

2012 - 24 people are killed after a ferry sinks off the coast of Zanzibar 2012 - Kim Jong-un is officially appointed Supreme Leader of North Korea and given the rank of Marshal in the Korean People's Army

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/jul18.htm

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

http://www.infoplease.com/dayinhistory

A Guide For a Taste of France in Philadelphia Tailored For the FIFA World Cup

While I originally intended to try to see France during this World Cup, ticket prices for any of the high profile teams like France were simply prohibitively expensive. 

So France was out. Hell, they even closed their training camp so that they could focus better, so even that was not an option.

Nonetheless, I did attend one World Cup game in Philadelphia. It was between Curaçao and Côte d'Ivoire. Côte d'Ivoire is a French-speaking nation, it was not quite the same. Still, it was a fun game which I felt very happy to have attended.

Still, I did do some research on possibly grabbing a French meal or something while in Philadelphia. And while researching that, I found that Philly's World Cup website actually had some tips for fans of each of the countries which would play a game in Philadelphia, which of course included France.

Here is a snippet from that website:

Philadelphia boasts some of the finest authentic French cuisine in America. Parc (227 S 18th St.), My Loup (2005 Walnut St.), Le Caveau and The Good King Tavern (614 S 7th St.), Forsythia (233 Chestnut St.), and Café Lutécia (2301 Lombard St.) are just a handful of the premier options available.

For those with a sweet tooth, visit J’aime’s two locations—French Bakery (212 S 12th St.) or French Cafe (401 S. 17th St.) — to enjoy a pastry handcrafted with traditional French techniques and local love.

Well, I did not end up going to any of those places. Running a bit later than intended that morning, going before seemed unlikely. And the wait to get access to public transportation (the subway) was longer than expected after the game. Plus, the entire day (which was very hot) was exhausting, and that hardly makes anyone enthusiastic about going around an unfamiliar city looking for some out of the way place.

However, it seemed like a good idea to try and remember this list. Maybe try to take advantage of it in the hopefully not so distant future.

Also, it seemed like a good idea to post this link for anyone else who wants a "taste of France" in Philadelphia, perhaps literally.

Enjoy.

Lincoln Financial Field—temporarily renamed Philadelphia Stadium for the duration of the tournament — will be the epicenter of the action with these highly anticipated matches:

France fans' guide to FIFA World Cup in Philadelphia:

Philadelphie Guide pour les touristes internationaux

https://www.discoverphl.com/discover/fifa-world-cup/france-guide/?_gl=1*1oxgph2*_up*MQ..*_ga*NzA0MTUwMjYuMTc4MjM1OTY4OA..*_ga_YG74SVF2M6*czE3ODIzNTk2ODckbzEkZzEkdDE3ODIzNTk3MjYkajIxJGwwJGgw

France fans' guide to FIFA World Cup in Philadelphia - DiscoverPHL

Communauté francophone de Philadelphie    

https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=1YXCFw9HpGxtvJzZm_8qhfKpYev-j9kU&ll=40.03186119491646%2C-75.21989832207029&z=12

Communauté francophone de Philadelphie - Google My Maps

Climate Update for Friday, July 17, 2026

  

Okay, so it felt like a climate update was overdue, given the reality.

Right now, the air is smoky here in New Jersey. You can actually smell the smoke, as well as see it. Some people are complaining about how it is making their eyes watery, and there are health advisories for poor air quality throughout this region again today. The daylight looked a bit more yellowish than normal. Not as intensely orange as it looked a year or two ago, the last time that we had something similar due to Canadian wildfires. This has lasted a few days now.  

Here's the thing: these kinds of poor air quality days due to Canadian wildfires in the eastern half of this continent is something new. The fires are massive, and so the smoke has been spreading out all across the middle and east of the continent. Detroit was far and away the most polluted city in the world yesterday as a result of the poor air quality. Some other cities that had poor air quality as a result of the wildfires: Toronto, New York, Milwaukee and Minneapolis. Milwaukee reported the worst air quality on record yesterday.

Remember when we thought of massive wildfires as mostly a thing you saw out west? 

Yeah, this appears like it might be the new reality.

Otherwise, the heat has been oppressive in many areas. Throughout much of North America, record heat temperatures have been set from heat waves just in this month of July. That's true from the West Coast to the East Coast. Oh, and Europe just had it's third heat wave since May, which also established new heat records there. 

Traditionally, western Europe was known for having mild summers, which never got too hot. With three intense heat waves already dating back to mid-May, and with such heat waves now seeming to be the new normal in recent years for Europe, this appears to be the new normal. It was so hot that there were also wildfires in regions in western Europe which do not traditionally have problems with wildfires, much like in eastern North America currently. Also, it was so hot that roadways and highways were buckling in places like Germany and Austria which, again, were not traditionally known as places with intense heat. These heat waves have been so intense that they are responsible for thousands of deaths, power disruptions, and again, wildfires. Numerous countries saw the highest temperatures ever recorded, including France, Germany, and Denmark. 

Not that it has been much more comfortable in North America. Heat records were set in Montana, Wyoming, and Utah. The new record of 111°F is four degrees higher than the previous record for Salt Lake City These stats were taken from the Science NASA article (see link below).

Also, last month was the second hottest month of June on record going back to 1850. And it seems like 2026 will predictably be one of the hottest years on record. Here is a snippet from an article by Jeff Masters for the Yale Climate Connection (see link below):

According to NCEI’s statistical analysis, there is about a 95% chance that 2026 will rank among the four warmest years on record. This statistics-based product is not designed to explicitly take El Niño or La Niña events into account, so with a global-atmosphere-warming El Niño event about to unfold, the odds are likely considerably higher.

Not surprisingly, ice levels in the Arctic are lower than they have been, and obviously lower than they should be. None of this should really come as a shock to people anymore, should it?

The recent intense heat waves across continents has even somehow gotten the attention of FO News, who traditionally are not exactly leaders in reporting on climate science. Yet in a recent article published on July 7th, FOX News asked whether 2026 would be the hottest year on record while reporting on record-breaking temperatures across the United States. 

When even FOX News appears to be concerned about the intense heatwaves and wondering whether or not this will be the hottest year on record, maybe it's time to pay attention.

Ironically, the smoke is keeping the temperatures here in New Jersey a little cooler. Yet somehow, this is not a comforting thought, all things considered, when you really think about it. 

Do you think that it's time we stop hugging our security blankets and sucking our thumbs, and wake up to take this threat seriously? I know it's scary and uncomfortable to think about. And I know that there will always be jeering idiots mocking any discussion on climate change, or high-ranking officials  - especially here in the United States - actively trying to shut down debates and silence those who are trying to bring these facts to the public. But is it not getting harder and harder to believe that climate change is merely a hoax? 

US Climate Records Toppled Again; Extreme Heat Spike Intensifies in Several States | Climate Tracker by WION:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qIHU-Cw5tNo

US Climate Records Toppled Again; Extreme Heat Spike Intensifies in Several States | Climate Tracker

'Trees vanished in seconds': Canadian wildfires spread as smoke prompts air quality alerts in 18 states Parts of New York City experienced very unhealthy air quality levels Thursday  ByKenton Gewecke, Bill Hutchinson, and Ivan Pereira July 16, 2026, 9:

https://abcnews.com/US/dangerous-wildfire-smoke-continues-air-quality-alerts-17/story?id=134809268

'Trees vanished in seconds': Canadian wildfires spread as smoke prompts air quality alerts in 18 states - ABC News

The mid-July heat wave, in five maps and diagrams by Joelle Gross July 15, 2026:

The second heat wave of the month has brought all-time record temperatures to cities across the country.

https://www.nbcnews.com/data-graphics/second-july-2026-heat-wave-maps-data-rcna587517

The mid-July 2026 heat wave, in maps, charts and diagrams

No relief from the heat as many US cities will see record overnight temperatures by John Seewer, July 13, 2026:

https://apnews.com/article/heat-dome-record-temperatures-fb7664f71743f71beca4ce7447562ca2

Heat dome expected to bring record temperatures across the US | AP News

Heat Dome Broils the Western U.S. by NASA Earth Observatory  Jul 15, 2026:

https://science.nasa.gov/earth/earth-observatory/heat-dome-broils-the-western-u-s/

Heat Dome Broils the Western U.S. - NASA Science

Europe’s heat wave set records for all-time highs By Tik Root | Analysis | July 14, 2026:

https://thebulletin.org/2026/07/europes-heat-wave-set-records-for-all-time-highs/

Europe’s heat wave set records for all-time highs - Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists

June 2026: Earth’s 2nd-hottest June on record by Jeff Masters July 9, 2026:

An astonishing heat wave in Europe June 22-30 broke 10 all-time national heat records and set 394 all-time heat records at stations with a long-term period of record of at least 40 years. 

https://yaleclimateconnections.org/2026/07/june-2026-earths-2nd-hottest-june-on-record/

June 2026: Earth’s 2nd-hottest June on record » Yale Climate Connections

Will 2026 be the hottest year ever amid record-breaking temperatures across the US? Let's see what the prediction markets, sponsored by Kalshi, are saying about whether or not 2026 will be the hottest year ever. By Raymond Sanchez  Source FOX Weather

foxweather.com/weather-news/2026-hottest-year-ever-amid-record-breaking-temperatures-across-us-kalshi

Could 2026 be the hottest year ever? | Fox Weather

July 17th: 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!

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

On this day in 180, six inhabitants of Scillium in Northern Africa were executed for being Christians. This is the earliest record of Christianity in that part of the world. In 1203 on this day, Venetians conquered (and inevitably plundered the wealth of) Constantinople, the capital of the Byzantine Empire, as Emperor Alexius III fled. The Dauphin was crowned King of France on this day in 1429. 

The Champ de Mars massacre took place on this day in 1791 during the French Revolution, as members of the French National Guard, under the command of General Lafayette, opened fire on a crowd of republican protesters at the Champ de Mars in Paris. The estimates of those killed range from 12 to up to 50. The Marquis de Lafayette had previously been a revered and respected figure in France during the Revolution, but his reputation never truly recovered after this event.

Napoleon surrendered to the British at Rochefort. Cecil Rhodes became the premiere of the Cape Colony. The Spaniards surrendered to the United States at Santiago, Cuba. Today marked the first meeting of the Potsdam Conference between Churchill, Stalin and Truman, to discuss post-war plans. Israel got Nazareth. South Korea proclaimed it's new constitution.  Disneyland opened on this date. The Monkeys had a concert in New York, with Jimi Hendrix as their opening act. "Yellow Submarine" premiered in London. There was a military coup in Bolivia. Ronald Reagan formerly accepted the Republican nomination for President in 1980. Foreshadowing Iraq's invasion of Kuwait, Saddam Hussein claimed that Kuwait had stolen oil from his country.

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

• On this day in 180, six inhabitants of Scillium in Northern Africa were executed for being Christians. This is the earliest record of Christianity in that part of the world.

• 561 - John III begins his reign as Catholic Pope succeeding Pelagius I

855 - St Leo IV ends his reign as Catholic Pope

• 1054 - Emperor Henry III crowns his son Henry IV king 

1070 - Arnulf III the Hapless becomes earl of Flanders

• In 1203 on this day, Venetians conquered (and inevitably plundered the wealth of) Constantinople, the capital of the Byzantine Empire, as Emperor Alexius III fled.

1245 - Pope bans emperor Frederik II Hohenstaufen for 3rd time

1393 - Osmanen occupy Turnovo, Bulgaria

Royal France

• The Dauphin was crowned King of France on this day in 1429. 

• 1453 - First battle at Castillon: French beat English troops

1473 - Charles the Stout conquerors Nijmegen

1509 - Venice recaptures Padua

• 1549 - Jews are expelled from Ghent Belgium

1552 - Siena drives Spanish troops out of Verdun

1583 - Spanish and Walloon troops conquer Dunkerk

• 1585 - English secret service discovers Anthony Babingtons murder plot against queen Elizabeth I

1596 - At 10:30AM Dutch explorer Willem Barents arrives at Novaya Zemlya

1603 - Sir Walter Ralegh arrested

1686 - A meeting takes place at Lüneburg between several Protestant powers in order to discuss the formation of an 'evangelical' league of defence, called the 'Confederatio Militiae Evangelicae', against the Catholic League. English Monarch Queen Elizabeth IEnglish Monarch Queen Elizabeth I

1712 - England, Portugal and France sign ceasefire [or 19th]

1727 - Simon van Slingelandt appointed Dutch pension advisor

1740 - Prospero Lambertini chosen Pope Benedictus XIV

1762 - Catherine II becomes tsar of Russia upon the murder of Peter III

• 1774 - Capt Cook arrives at New Hebrides (Vanuata)

1775 - First military hospital approved




Jul 17, 1776: Congress learns of war of words

On this day in 1776, the Continental Congress learns of General George Washington's refusal to accept a dispatch from British General William Howe and his brother, Admiral Richard Viscount Howe, opening peace negotiations, because it failed to use the title "general." In response, Congress proclaimed that the commander in chief acted "with a dignity becoming his station," and directed all American commanders to receive only letters addressed to them "in the characters they respectively sustain."  

The Howe brothers had assembled the largest European force ever to land in the Americas on Staten Island, New York, while Congress was voting their approval of the Declaration of Independence in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in early July 1776. The commander in chief of the Continental Army, General George Washington, had spent the spring of 1776 moving his 19,000 men from Boston to New York, where they would confront 30,000 under the charge of the Howe brothers.  

The Howes had the authority to use their overwhelming force to put down the colonial rebellion, but they also had permission to readmit the former colonies to the British empire and pardon those who had led the revolt. Of their two options, the Howes preferred the latter. Thus, the brothers wrote to Washington, inviting him to enter into negotiations with them as representatives of the crown. However, they could not use Washington's title, "general," as to do so would have given legitimacy to the rebel army the British denied had the right to exist. Washington would neither excuse the affront nor open the letter.  

Washington's decision forced the Howes to fight. The British took Long Island, but allowed the Continentals to evacuate to Manhattan following the Battle of Brooklyn Heights on August 27, 1776. Hoping that the Patriots now appreciated their overwhelming strength and charity, the British began informal negotiations with members of Congress on Staten Island. The Patriots, however, withdrew from the talks when the British refused to recognize their independence.

1788 - Russian fleet destroys Swedish

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

• The Champ de Mars massacre took place on this day in 1791 during the French Revolution, as members of the French National Guard, under the command of General Lafayette, opened fire on a crowd of republican protesters at the Champ de Mars in Paris. The estimates of those killed range from 12 to up to 50. The Marquis de Lafayette had previously been a revered and respected figure in France during the Revolution, but his reputation never truly recovered after this event.

1794 - The African Episcopal Church of St. Thomas in Philadelphia, dedicated

1794 - Richard Allen organizes Philadelphia's Bethel African Meth Episcopal Church

1815 - Napoleon Bonaparte surrendered to the British at Rochefort, France. 

1821 - Spain cedes Florida to US

1841 - British humor magazine "Punch" 1st published

1850 - Harvard Observatory takes 1st photograph of a star (Vega)

1856 - The Great Train Wreck of 1856 between Camp Hill and Fort Washington, Pennsylvania kills over 60 people. 

• 1861 - Congress authorizes paper money

1861 - Manassas, VA Gen Beauregard requests reinforcements for his 22,000 men, Gen Johnston is ordered to Manassas

1862 - Naval Engagement at Pascagoula River MS: USS Potomac Expedition

1862 - US army authorized to accept blacks as laborers

1862 - United army officially divides corps

1862 - R John Hunt Morgan:Cynthiana, KY CS24 US17 Skirmish at Columbia, TN

• 1863 - Battle of Honey Springs - largest battle in Indian Territory

1864 - CSA President Davis replaces Gen Joe Johnston with John Bell Hood

1866 - Italian fleet under adm Persano capture Austrian Fort Lissa

1867 - 1st US dental school, Harvard School of Dental Medicine, established

1879 - 1st railroad opens in Hawaii

• 1890 - Cecil Rhodes becomes premier of Cape colony



• 1897 - 1st ship arrives in Seattle carrying gold from Yukon

• 1898 - Spanish American War - Spaniards surrender to US at Santiago Cuba

1911 - Overthrown shah of Persia Mohammed Ali lands on Astrabad with army

1912 - IAF (Intl Amateur Athletic Federation) forms in Sweden

1914 - Giants outfielder Red Murray is knocked unconscious by lightning after catching a flyball, ending 21 inning game, Giants win 3-1

1915 - Italian offensive at Isonzo

1917 - British Royal family changes its name from Hanover to Windsor

July 17, 1917: Fighting in the streets of Petrograd, Russia

On this day in 1917, a three-day stretch of fighting in the streets peaks in Petrograd after the provisional government falls temporarily amid anger and frustration within and outside the army due to the continuing hardships caused by Russia's participation in World War I.

Despite devastating losses on the Eastern Front in 1916, the provisional Russian government–which succeeded to power after the abdication of Czar Nicholas II in March–had rejected all calls for peace. Alexander Kerensky, appointed minister of war in the spring of 1917, was determined to reinvigorate the Russian war effort, installing the victorious General Alexei Brusilov as commander in chief of the Russian forces and making plans to go back on the offensive within months. The disintegration and despair within the army continued, however, as some 30,000 deserters were reported from the front every day. At Kerensky's command, Brusilov launched another major offensive on July 1, the same day a massive peace demonstration was held in Petrograd.

Though the new offensive resulted in heavy losses for the Russians, it was at home where the provisional government received its greatest threat. On July 15, 1917, an uprising in Petrograd encouraged by Leon Trotsky, an official of the Bolshevik Party–the radical socialist movement led by Vladimir Lenin, recently returned from exile due to German help–succeeded in briefly toppling the provisional government. The Bolsheviks saw their opportunity and attempted to seize power in Petrograd, as fighting broke out in the streets. The violence peaked on July 17. The following day, officers loyal to the provisional government destroyed the offices of the Bolshevik newspaper, Pravda. Lenin, sensing the time was not yet ripe for revolution, went into hiding–albeit temporarily–and Kerensky took charge, restoring order and continuing his efforts to salvage the Russian war effort.

Months later, however, Lenin emerged again, as the Bolsheviks succeeded in wresting power in Russia from the army in November amid massive strikes and rebellions in the streets; almost immediately after taking power, the Bolsheviks moved towards an armistice with the Central Powers, ending Russia's involvement in World War I.

1919 - Finland adopts constitution


1922 - Curacao harbor workers begin strike under Felix Chacuto



1925 - Tris Speaker, is 5th to get 3,000 hits

1926 - Paavo Nurmi walks world record 4x1500m (16:11.4)

• 1929 - USSR drops diplomatic relations with China

1933 - After successfully crossing the Atlantic Ocean, the Lithuanian research aircraft Lituanica crashes in Europe under mysterious circumstances.


1935 - Variety's famous headline "Sticks Nix Hick Pix"

1936 - Carl Hubbell begins winning streak, beating Pittsburgh 6-0

1936 - Military uprising under Gen Franco/begins Spanish civil war

1938 - Douglas (Wrong Way) Corrigan leaves NY for LA, wound up in Ireland


1942 - 3' of rain falls on Pennsylvania, flooding kills 15

1942 - Estimated 34.5" (87.5 cm) of rainfall, Smethport, Pa (state record)

1942 - Transport nr 6 departs with French Jews to nazi-Germany

1943 - RAF bombs Germany rocket base Peenemunde

1944 - 2 ammunition ships explodes at Port Chicago, California kills 322

1944 - Russian troops cross river Bug/march into Poland

Franklin D. Roosevelt Memorial in Washington, D.C.

Statue of soldier, author and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill in Parliament Square, London

1945 - Potsdam Conference (FDR, Stalin, Churchill) holds 1st meeting

• 1945 - U.S. President Truman, Soviet leader Josef Stalin and British Prime Minister Winston S. Churchill began meeting at Potsdam in the final Allied summit of World War II. During the meeting Stalin made the comment that "Hitler had escaped."   

July 17, 1945: Potsdam Conference convenes

On this day in 1945, the conference of Allied victors at Potsdam, outside of Berlin, begins, with U.S. President Harry S. Truman, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, and Soviet Premier Joseph Stalin in attendance.

The issues at hand for the Big Three and their staffs were the administration of a defeated Germany; the postwar borders of Poland; the occupation of Austria; the Soviet Union's "place" in Eastern Europe; war reparations; and the continuing war in the Pacific. Various disputes broke out almost immediately, especially over the Soviet Union's demand that the western border of Poland extend into German territory, granting Poland a zone of occupation. But the four zones of occupation that had been worked out at the Yalta Conference in February were finally agreed upon, to be created in both Germany and Austria and to be controlled by the United States, Great Britain, France, and the Soviet Union. A council composed of representatives of the four great powers was also established to determine the fate of Germany and Austria as nations. The council was to pursue the Five D's: demilitarization, denazification, decentralization, deindustrialization, and democratization. It was also agreed that unconditional surrender would be demanded of Japan, despite a warning by the Japanese emperor that such a demand would be resisted.

Unlike previous Allied conferences, Potsdam was marked by suspicion and defensiveness on the part of the participants. Now that the war was over in the West, each nation was more concerned with its own long-term interests than that of its partners. Winston Churchill in particular was greatly suspicious of Joseph Stalin's agenda for the Soviet Union's role in Eastern Europe. Stalin refused to negotiate the future of those Eastern European nations now occupied by Soviet forces. When Churchill was informed that an election had ousted his Conservative Party from power, and that Labor's Clement Attlee was now prime minister, he returned to London. With Churchill gone from the final negotiations of the conference, the Iron Curtain could be heard descending across Eastern Europe.

• 1948 - Israeli army captures Nazareth

• 1948 - Proclamation of constitution of Republic of (South) Korea

• 1950 - Indonesian troops land on Buru, South-Molukka

• 1951 - King Leopold III of Belgium gives up throne to son Boudouin I

1951 - Western New England College in Springfield, Massachusetts is chartered.

• 1952 - Shah of Persia named Ghavam Sultaneh premier

1954 - First major league game where majority of team is black (Dodgers)

1954 - Construction begins on Disneyland. . .

1954 - Theodor Heuss re-elected president of West Germany

1955 - Disneyland opens its doors in rural Orange County

1955 - Arco Idaho becomes 1st US city lit by nuclear power

1955 - Disneyland televises its grand opening in Anaheim, California.

• 1958 - King Hussein declares himself head of Jordan/Iraqi federation



1958 - US performs atmospheric nuclear Test at Enwetak

1959 - 2,000 ft long by 1,300 foot wide section of ridge falls into Madis

1959 - Dr Leakey discovers oldest human skull (600,000 years old)

• 1959 - Tibet abolishes serfdom

1959 - River Canyon extending man-made Lake Hebgen by 5 miles. (Montana)



• 1962 - East Berliner Peter Fechter flees over Berlin Wall

1962 - Robert White in X-15 sets altitude record of 108 km (354,300 ft)

1962 - Senate rejects medicare for aged

1962 - US performs nuclear Test at Nevada Test Site

1963 - Telstar soccer team forms in Ijmuiden

1964 - Don Campbell sets record for turbine vehicle, 690.91 kph (429.31 mph)

1964 - Great Britain performs nuclear Test at Nevada Test Site



1966 - Pioneer 7 launched

1967 - Monkees perform at Forest Hills NY, Jimi Hendrix is opening act

1967 - Race riots in Cairo Illinois

      

    

• 1968 - Beatle's animated film "Yellow Submarine" premieres in London

1968 - Revolt in Iraq 

1970 - 30,000 attend Randall's Island Rock Festival, NYC

1971 - Kathy Whitworth/Judy Kimball wins LPGA Four-Ball Golf Championship

1972 - 1st 2 women begin training as FBI agents at Quantico

• 1973 - Military coup in Afghanistan; King Mohammad Zahir Shah flees

1974 - 1st quadrophonic studio in UK is open by Moody Blues

1974 - Bob Gibson becomes 2nd pitcher to strike-out 3,000 (Cesar Geronimo)

1974 - France performs nuclear Test at Muruora Island


• 1974 - John Lennon is ordered to leave US in 60 days

1975 - Apollo 18 and Soyuz 19 make 1st US/USSR linkup in space

1975 - Ringo Starr and Maureen Cox divorce

• 1976 - 21st modern Olympic games opens in Montreal

1976 - Indonesian president Suharto annexes East Timor

1976 - The opening of the Summer Olympics is marred by 25 African teams boycotting the New Zealand team.

1978 - NY Yank manager Billy Martin & Reggie Jackson fight in dug out

1978 - Reggie Jackson refusal to bunt causes mgr Billy Martin to suspend him

1979 - 50th All Star Baseball Game: NL wins 7-6 at Kingdome, Seattle

1979 - All star MVP: Dave Parker (Pittsburgh Pirates)

1979 - David Gower 200* in England score of 5-633 v India at Edgbaston

• 1979 - Nicaraguan dictator Anastasio Somoza flees to Miami



1979 - Simone Veil becomes chairman of European Parliament

• 1980 - Bolivian military coup; general Garcia Meza becomes president

1980 - Ronald Reagan formally accepts Republican nomination for president

1980 - Zenko Suzuki becomes premier of Japan

1981 - "This is Burlesque" closes at Princess Theater NYC after 28 perfs

1981 - Humbar Estuary Bridge, UK, world's longest span (1.4 km), opens

1981 - Israeli bombers destroy PLO/al-Fatah headquarters in Beirut

1981 - Lobby Walkways at KC's Hyatt Regency collapse 114 die, 200 injured

1981 - USSR performs nuclear Test at Eastern Kazakh/Semipalitinsk USSR

1981 - Fulton County (Atlanta) grand jury indicts Wayne B William 23 year old photographers, for murder of 2 of 28 blacks killed in Atlanta


1983 - Beth Daniel wins LPGA McDonald's Kids Golf Classic

1984 - Pierre Mauroy resigns as premier of France

1984 - Soyuz T-12 carries 3 cosmonauts to space station Salyut 7

1986 - Emmy 13th Daytime Award presentation - Susan Lucci loses for 7th time

1987 - "Les Miserables," opens at Imperial Theatre, Tokyo

1987 - 10 teens die in Guadalupe River flood (Comfort, Tx)

1987 - Don Mattingly is 2nd to hit HRs in 7 straight AL games (en route to 8)

1987 - Dow Jones closes above 2,500 (2,510.04) for 1st time

• 1987 - Iran & France breaks diplomatic relations


1988 - 117th British Golf Open: Seve Ballesteros shoots 273 at Royal Lytham

1988 - 4 Billion tv-viewers watch Mandela's 70th Birthday Tribute

1988 - Colleen Walker wins LPGA Boston Five Golf Classic

1988 - Florence Griffith Joyner of USA sets 100m woman's record (10.49)

1988 - Highest temperature ever recorded in San Francisco, 103°F (39°C)

1989 - 1st Test flight of US stealth-bomber

1989 - Paul McCartney releases "This One"

1989 - Reds reliever Kent Tekulve retires after 1,070 appearances

• 1990 - Hussein's Revolutionary Day speech claims Kuwait stole oil from Iraq

1990 - NY Yankee Deion Sanders hits an inside park homer

1990 - Minnesota Twins become 1st team to turn 2 triple plays in a game but lose to Boston Red Sox 1-0

1992 - Slovak parliament asks for self rule

1993 - Graeme Obree bicycles world record time, 51,596 km

Picture of the FIFA World Cup Trophy, which presented to the champions of the World Cup tournament.

On this day in 1994 in the World Cup Final at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, Brazil defeated Italy in the penalty shootout following a scoreless game to that point. With the victory, Brazil won their fourth ever World Cup title. 

1994 - French youngster (4) becomes Buddhist Lama Tulkou Kalou Rinpoche

1995 - Forbes Mag announces Bill Gates is the richest man in world ($12.9B) 1996 - 230 people die when TWA 800 crashes outside of NYC

1996 - TWA Flight 800: Off the coast of Long Island, New York, a Paris-bound TWA Boeing 747 explodes, killing all 230 on board.

1997 - STS 94 (Columbia 23), lands

1998 - Russia buries Tsar Nicholas II & family, 80 years after they died

2005 - Tiger Woods wins his 10th major winning The British Open Championship by 5 strokes. Woods becomes only the second golfer, after Jack Nicklaus, to win each major more than once

2007 - TAM Airlines (TAM Linhas Aéreas) Flight 3054 crashes upon landing during rain in São Paulo. This is Brazil's deadliest aviation accident to date with an estimated 199 deaths.

2009 - Jakarta double bombings at the JW Marriott and Ritz-Carlton Hotels killed 9 people including 4 foreigners.

2012 - 17 people are wounded in a bar shooting in Tuscaloosa, Alabama

1212 - The Moslems were crushed in the Spanish crusade.   1453 - France defeated England at Castillon, France, which ended the 100 Years' War.   1785 - France limited the importation of goods from Britain.   1815 - Napoleon Bonaparte surrendered to the British at Rochefort, France.   1821 - Spain ceded Florida to the U.S.   1862 - National cemeteries were authorized by the U.S. government.   1866 - Authorization was given to build a tunnel beneath the Chicago River. The three-year project cost $512,709.   1867 - Harvard School of Dental Medicine was established in Boston, MA. It was the first dental school in the U.S.   1898 - U.S. troops under General William R. Shafter took Santiago de Cuba during the Spanish-American War.   1917 - The British royal family adopted the Windsor name.   1920 - Sinclair Lewis finished his novel "Main Street."   1941 - The longest hitting streak in baseball history ended when the Cleveland Indians pitchers held New York Yankee Joe DiMaggio hitless for the first time in 57 games.   1941 - Brigadier General Soervell directed Architect G. Edwin Bergstrom to have basic plans and architectural perspectives for an office building that could house 40,000 War Department employees on his desk by the following Monday morning. The building became known as the Pentagon.   

1945 - U.S. President Truman, Soviet leader Josef Stalin and British Prime Minister Winston S. Churchill began meeting at Potsdam in the final Allied summit of World War II. During the meeting Stalin made the comment that "Hitler had escaped."   

1946 - Chinese communists opened a drive against the Nationalist army on the Yangtze River.   1950 - The television show "The Colgate Comedy Hour" debuted featuring Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis.   1954 - The Brooklyn Dodgers made history as the first team with a majority of black players.   1955 - Disneyland opened in Anaheim, CA.   1960 - Francis Gary Powers pled guilty to spying charges in a Moscow court after his U-2 spy plane was shot down over the Soviet Union.   1966 - Ho Chi Minh ordered a partial mobilization of North Vietnam forces to defend against American air strikes.   1975 - An Apollo spaceship docked with a Soyuz spacecraft in orbit. It was the first link up between the U.S. and Soviet Union.   1979 - Nicaraguan President Anastasio Somoza resigned and fled to Miami in exile. (Florida)   1986 - The largest bankruptcy filing in U.S. history took place when LTV Corporation asked for court protection from more than 20,000 creditors. LTV Corp. had debts in excess of $4 billion.   1987 - Lieutenant Colonel Oliver North and rear Admiral John Poindexter begin testifying to Congress at the "Iran-Contra" hearings.   1995 - The Nasdaq composite stock index rose above 1,000 for the first time.   1997 - After 117 years, the Woolworth Corp. closed its last 400 stores.   1998 - Biologists reported that they had deciphered the genome (genetic map) of the syphilis bacterium.

1821 Spain ceded Florida to the United States. 1898 Spain surrendered to the United States at Santiago, Cuba, ending the Spanish-American War. 1917 The British royal family changed its name from the House of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha to Windsor amid anti-German senitment during World War I. 1938 "Wrong Way Corrigan" took off from New York, purportedly aiming for California and landing in Ireland. 1945 President Harry Truman, Soviet leader Joseph Stalin and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill meet at the opening of the Potsdam Conference. 1955 Disneyland opened in Anaheim, Calif. 1975 The American Apollo and Soviet Soyuz spacecraft linked up for the first time. 1998 The last Russian Czar Nicholas II was buried 80 years after he and his family were executed by the Bolsheviks.

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/jul17.htm

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

http://www.infoplease.com/dayinhistory