On July 31, 1777, a 19-year-old French aristocrat, Marie-Joseph Paul Roch Yves Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette, received a commission, without pay, from the Continental Congress making him a major-general in the Continental Army. Lafayette had developed a great interest in the colonial…
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In the summer of 1676, Virginia’s tidewater region simmered with discontent. Economic hardship, political grievances, and ongoing frontier conflicts converged to ignite one of the most significant uprisings in colonial American history: Bacon’s Rebellion. The colony of Virginia in the 17th century was a…
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Only July 30, 1975, the famous, or infamous, leader of the Teamsters Union went to the Machus Red Fox Restaurant in suburban Detroit for dinner and was never seen again. “James Riddle Hoffa was one of America’s foremost labor organizers, known for his leadership…
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On July 29, 1958, President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed the National Aeronautics and Space Act, establishing the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). This pivotal moment in history marked the beginning of a new era in space exploration and science, laying the groundwork for…
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On July 28, 1868, the United States certified the 14th Amendment to the Constitution, a transformative moment in American history that fundamentally redefined the nation’s approach to civil rights and equality. This amendment, which arose during the Reconstruction era following the Civil War, sought…
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On July 28, 1935, a four-engine plane took a test flight from Boeing Field in south Seattle. When it rolled out of Boeing’s hangar, the company labeled it Model 299, but a newspaperman named Richard Smith dubbed the new bomber due to its many…
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On July 27, 1921, Dr. Frederick Banting, a Canadian surgeon and Charles Best, a medical student, isolated the hormone insulin for the first time, helping millions across the world fight diabetes. The two men made their breakthrough while performing research at the University of…
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President Harry S. Truman’s Executive Order 9981, issued on July 26, 1948, was a landmark decision in American history, mandating the desegregation of the armed forces. This order marked a significant step towards civil rights and set the stage for future legislation aimed at…
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On July 26, 1953, Fidel Castro launched the attack that marked the start of the Cuban revolution and reshaped the power structure of the Western Hemisphere. The July 26 Movement was named after the attack on the Moncada Barracks on that date in Santiago…
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The world of music witnessed a seismic shift on July 25, 1965, when Bob Dylan “went electric” at the Newport Folk Festival. This momentous event not only marked a turning point in Dylan’s career but also had profound implications for the music industry as…
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