July 1st in History

Michael Dobson | July 1

The Battle of Gettysburg, by Currier & Ives

Today in History

  • Lexell’s Comet comes closer to the Earth than any other comet in recorded history, a distance of only 0.0146 astronomical units, or less than 1.36 million miles (1770)
  • The Netherlands abolishes slavery (1863)
  • American Civil War: The Battle of Gettysburg begins (1863)
  • The first commercially successful typewriter goes on sale (1874)
  • The Watchtower begins publication (1879)
  • Spanish-American War: The Battle of San Juan Hill takes place (1898)
  • The first Tour de France bicycle race begins (1903)
  • SOS is adopted as the international distress signal (1908)
  • World War I: First known aerial victory using a synchronized machine gun (1915)
  • World War I: The Battle of the Somme begins (1916)
  • The Communist Party of China is formed (1921)
  • World War II: The First Battle of El Alamein takes place (1942)
  • The International Geophysical Year (IGY) begins (1957)
  • Somalia and Ghana become independent (1960)
  • Rwanda and Burundi become independent (1962)
  • ZIP Codes are introduced for US mail (1963)
  • The UK government admits Kim Philby was a Soviet agent (1963)
  • The European Community comes into existence (1967)
  • Sony introduces the Walkman (1979)
  • The PG-13 rating is introduced (1984)
  • China takes control of Hong Kong (1997)

Birthdays

  • Johann Heidegger, theologian (1633)
  • Gottfried Leibniz, mathematician (1646)
  • Georg Christoph Lichtenberg, physicist and academic (1742)
  • George Sand, author (1804)
  • Ignaz Semmelweis, physician (1818)
  • William Strunk, Jr., educator, co-author of The Elements of Style (1869)
  • Louis Blériot, aviation pioneer (1872)
  • James M. Cain, author (1892)
  • Thomas A. Dorsey, composer (1899)
  • Charles Laughton, actor and director (1899)
  • Estée Lauder, cosmetics tycoon (1908)
  • Willie Dixon, blues musician (1915)
  • Olivia de Havilland, actress (1916)
  • Farley Granger, actor (1925)
  • Leslie Caron, actress and dancer (1931)
  • Jamie Farr, actor (1934)
  • Sydney Pollack, filmmaker (1934)
  • Karen Black, actress (1939)
  • Delaney Bramlett, singer-songwriter, member of Delaney & Bonnie (1939)
  • Twyla Tharp, choreographer (1941)
  • Geneviève Bujold, actress (1942)
  • Debbie Harry, lead singer of Blondie (1945)
  • David Duke, politician (1950)
  • Dan Aykroyd, comedian and actor (1952)
  • Carl Lewis, Olympic athlete (1961)
  • Diana, Princess of Wales (1961)
  • Andre Braugher, actor (1962)
  • Pamela Anderson, model and actress (1967)
  • Missy Elliott, rapper (1971)
  • Liv Tyler, actress and model (1977)

Deaths

  • Charles Goodyear, inventor of vulcanized rubber (1860)
  • Allan Pinkerton, detective and spy (1884)
  • Harriet Beecher Stowe, author (1896)
  • Harriet Quimby, aviatrix (1912)
  • Erik Satie, composer (1925)
  • Juan Perón, president of Argentina (1974)
  • Kurt Student, general and pilot (1978)
  • Buckminster Fuller, architect (1983)
  • Michael Landon, actor (1991)
  • Wolfman Jack, radio host (1995)
  • Margaux Hemingway, actress and model (1996)
  • Robert Mitchum, actor (1997)
  • Forrest Mars Sr., candy magnate (1999)
  • Walter Matthau, actor (2000)
  • Herbie Mann, jazz musician (2003)
  • Marlon Brando, actor (2004)
  • Luther Vandross, singer-songwriter (2005)
  • Karl Malden, actor (2009)

Holidays and Celebrations

  • Armed Forces Day (Singapore)
  • Canada Day/Dominion Day (Canada)
  • Children’s Day (Pakistan)
  • Doctor’s Day (India)
  • Emancipation Day (Netherlands Antilles)
  • Keti Koti (Suriname)
  • Independence Day (Burundi)
  • Independence Day (Rwanda)
  • Independence Day (Somalia)
  • International Tartan Day (Australia and New Zealand)
  • July Morning (Bulgaria)
  • Madeira Day (Madeira)
  • Memorial Day (Newfoundland and Labrador)
  • Moving Day (Quebec)
  • Republic Day (Ghana)
  • Sir Seretse Khama Day (Botswana)
  • Territory Day (British Virgin Islands)
Informal and made-up holidays include Creative Ice Cream Flavors Day, International Joke Day, National Gingersnap Day, National Postal Workers Day, and Second Half of the Year Day.
• • •
July 1 is the 182nd day of the year (183rd in leap years). There are 183 days remaining until the end of the year. The end of this day marks the halfway point of a leap year, and in leap years, July 1 always falls on the same day of the week as New Year’s Day.