On July 21, 1865, the dusty market square of Springfield, Missouri, became the unlikely stage for a deadly and historic confrontation. In a moment that would echo across dime novels, silent films, and American folklore, James Butler “Wild Bill” Hickok faced off against Davis…
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Hopes for peace were dashed on July 21, 1861. The First Battle of Bull Run shattered the naive expectations of a quick and bloodless Civil War. The battle underscored the harsh reality that the war would be neither swift nor easy, setting the stage…
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On July 21, 356 BC, a madman set one of the ancient Wonders of the World ablaze. The Burning of the Temple of Artemis was a devastating event in Greece that has been lamented by historians over the millennia. This magnificent temple, dedicated to…
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By the summer of 70 AD, the city of Jerusalem—once the spiritual and political heart of the Jewish people—was under siege by the legions of Rome. Titus, the ambitious son of Emperor Vespasian, commanded the assault. After months of grueling encirclement, starvation, and attrition,…
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The world was watching their television sets all at the same time on July 20, 1960. A man was standing on the Moon. The Apollo 11 mission was the culmination of a decade-long space race between the United States and the Soviet Union. After…
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On July 20, 1903, automotive history was made when Chicago dentist Ernst Pfenning received a new car. For $850, he purchased a two-cylinder Model A automobile from a newly-formed Ford Motor Company. Produced at Ford’s plant on Mack Street in Detroit, the vehicle had…
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On July 19, 1848, a modest Wesleyan chapel in Seneca Falls, New York, became the unlikely cradle of a social revolution. Over two humid summer days, nearly 300 women and men gathered to launch what would become the organized women’s rights movement in the…
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The Chappaquiddick incident, a tragic and controversial event in American political history, occurred on the night of July 18, 1969, on Chappaquiddick Island, Massachusetts. This incident involved Senator Edward “Ted” Kennedy, the youngest brother of President John F. Kennedy and Senator Robert F. Kennedy,…
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On July 19, 64, the inhabitants of the Eternal City found themselves caught in an inferno. The fire allegedly started sometime in the middle of the previous night in the bustling commercial district near the Circus Maximus and quickly spread due to strong winds…
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On July 18, 2013, the city of Detroit filed for Chapter 9 bankruptcy protection, marking the largest municipal bankruptcy in U.S. history. The filing was submitted by Kevyn Orr, the city’s state-appointed emergency manager, to the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in the Eastern District of…
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