Today in History
Historical Events
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
1980
Indian cricketer

Julian Assange
1971
Australian journalist, publisher, activist, founder of WikiLeaks

Tom Cruise
1962
American actor, writer, director, producer

Bo Xilai
1949
Chinese politician

Franz Kafka
1883
Czech/German writer
Famous Deaths
Died on this day

Andy Griffith
2012
American actor, singer, producer, screenwriter

Pancho Gonzales
1995
American tennis player

Jim Morrison
1971
American singer-songwriter, poet

André Citroën
1935
French engineer, businessman, founded Citroën

Theodor Herzl
1904
Austrian journalist, author