Today in History

Historical Events

2013

Coup in Egypt. Egyptian defense minister Abdul Fatah al-Sisi staged a coup and forced out President Mohamed Morsi, just over a year after he was elected.

1988

Iran Air flight 655 is shot down by a US Navy ship. The USS Vincennes mistakenly shot down the airplane en route to Dubai, killing all 290 people aboard. The Vincennes, a guided missile cruiser, incorrectly identified the plane as a military aircraft. In 1996, the United States government made a cash settlement with Iran in order to close the case Iran had brought against the US in the International Court of Justice.

1962

Algeria gains its independence from France. Algeria's independence from France, after 132 years of French rule, was finalized after the signing of the Évian Accords in the spa town of Évian-les-Bains. The accords ended a 7-year long voilent war of independence. Independence was finally achieved after the July 1, 1962, referendum favored complete Algerian independence. Ahmed Ben Bella became the first President of the country.

1863

Battle of Gettysburg ends. The 3-day long battle during the American Civil War was fought between the Union and Confederacy in-and-around the town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. Thought to be one of the bloodiest battles of the war – around 50,000 soldiers were lost on both sides – the Battle of Gettysburg marked a key turning point in the conflict. The decisive Union victory led to the retreat of Confederate soldiers from the north.

1844

The Great Auks go extinct. The last known pair of Great Auks, members of a species of flightless birds, were killed off the coast of Iceland at the request of a collector. It is believed that the extinction of these birds was caused by human activities and hunting due to the high demand for their feathers.

Famous Births

Born on this day

Harbhajan Singh

Harbhajan Singh

1980

Indian cricketer

Julian Assange

Julian Assange

1971

Australian journalist, publisher, activist, founder of WikiLeaks

Tom Cruise

Tom Cruise

1962

American actor, writer, director, producer

Bo Xilai

Bo Xilai

1949

Chinese politician

Franz Kafka

Franz Kafka

1883

Czech/German writer

Famous Deaths

Died on this day

Andy Griffith

Andy Griffith

2012

American actor, singer, producer, screenwriter

Pancho Gonzales

Pancho Gonzales

1995

American tennis player

Jim Morrison

Jim Morrison

1971

American singer-songwriter, poet

André Citroën

André Citroën

1935

French engineer, businessman, founded Citroën

Theodor Herzl

Theodor Herzl

1904

Austrian journalist, author