Today in History

Historical Events

2016

Terrorist Attack in Nice, France Kills 85 and Injures More than 300 People. The attack took place during Bastille Day Celebrations, when a 19-tonne truck was driven into the crowd. The attacker was eventually shot by the police.

1965

Mars flyby of Mariner 4. The American spacecraft became the first to take pictures of another planet and send them back to Earth.

1958

Coup in Iraq. Abd al-Karim Qasim, a brigadier in the Iraqi Army staged a military coup in Iraq, overthrowing the Hashemite monarchy. The Iraqi King Faisal II, the Crown Prince Abd al-Ilah, and Prime Minister Nuri al-Said were assassinated during the coup. Qasim took over the position of Prime Minister, which he held until 1963. The coup also led to the dissolution of the Arab Federation of Jordan and Iraq.

1957

First female parliamentarian in the Arab world is elected to office. Egyptian Rawya Ateya became the first woman to be elected to the National Assembly.

1789

Storming of the Bastille. Bastille, a prison housing only 7 prisoners at the time, was stormed by a crowd calling for the closure of the prison. The storming became the central event of the French Revolution.

Famous Births

Born on this day

Ingmar Bergman

Ingmar Bergman

1918

Swedish director

Gerald Ford

Gerald Ford

1913

American politician, 38th President of the United States

Woody Guthrie

Woody Guthrie

1912

American singer-songwriter, musician

Terry-Thomas

Terry-Thomas

1911

British actor

Gustav Klimt

Gustav Klimt

1862

Austrian painter, graphic artist

Famous Deaths

Died on this day

Guy de Lussigny

Guy de Lussigny

2001

French painter

Adlai Stevenson

Adlai Stevenson

1965

American politician, 31st Governor of Illinois

Marius Petipa

Marius Petipa

1910

French/Russian dancer, choreographer

Billy the Kid

Billy the Kid

1881

American criminal

Philip II of France

Philip II of France

1223