Vintage News · Odd history for July 4

What Happened On July 4

Q: What happened on July 4?

1863: American Civil War: Confederate forces failed in an attempt to recapture the Union-occupied Helena, Arkansas. 1837: The Grand Junction Railway, the world's first long-distance railway with steam traction, opened between Birmingham and Newton Junction. 1643: First English Civil War: Royalist forces defeated the Parliamentarians at the Battle of Burton Bridge, securing a crossing of the River Trent for a convoy of supplies travelling with Queen Henrietta Maria. 1054: Chinese astronomers recorded the sudden appearance of a "guest star", later identified as the supernova that created the Crab Nebula (pictured). 1998: The monster movie Pulgasari, the most-widely-seen North Korean film ever made, premiered in Tokyo, Japan. 1886: The Canadian Pacific Railway's first scheduled train from Montreal arrives in Port Moody on the Pacific coast, after six days of travel. 1863: American Civil War: Retreat from Gettysburg: The Confederate Army of Northern Virginia under Robert E. Lee withdraws from the battlefield after losing the Battle of Gettysburg, signaling an end to his last invasion of the North. 1855: The first edition of Walt Whitman's book of poems, Leaves of Grass, is published in Brooklyn. 1837: Grand Junction Railway, the world's first long-distance railway, opens between Birmingham and Liverpool. 1832: John Neal delivers the first public lecture in the U.S. to advocate the rights of women.

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10 odd things that happened on July 4

1863 Oddly true
American Civil War: Confederate forces failed in an attempt to recapture the Union-occupied Helena, Arkansas.
Read more →
Source: Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0
1837 First ever
The Grand Junction Railway, the world's first long-distance railway with steam traction, opened between Birmingham and Newton Junction.
Read more →
Source: Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0
1643 First ever
First English Civil War: Royalist forces defeated the Parliamentarians at the Battle of Burton Bridge, securing a crossing of the River Trent for a convoy of supplies travelling with Queen Henrietta Maria.
Read more →
Source: Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0
1054 Oddly true
Chinese astronomers recorded the sudden appearance of a "guest star", later identified as the supernova that created the Crab Nebula (pictured).
Read more →
Source: Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0
1998 Weird
The monster movie Pulgasari, the most-widely-seen North Korean film ever made, premiered in Tokyo, Japan.
Read more →
Source: Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0
1886 First ever
The Canadian Pacific Railway's first scheduled train from Montreal arrives in Port Moody on the Pacific coast, after six days of travel.
Read more →
Source: Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0
1863 Oddly true
American Civil War: Retreat from Gettysburg: The Confederate Army of Northern Virginia under Robert E. Lee withdraws from the battlefield after losing the Battle of Gettysburg, signaling an end to his last invasion of the North.
Read more →
Source: Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0
1855 First ever
The first edition of Walt Whitman's book of poems, Leaves of Grass, is published in Brooklyn.
Read more →
Source: Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0
1837 First ever
Grand Junction Railway, the world's first long-distance railway, opens between Birmingham and Liverpool.
Read more →
Source: Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0
1832 First ever
John Neal delivers the first public lecture in the U.S. to advocate the rights of women.
Read more →
Source: Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0

Observed today

2025A devastating flood strikes the Texas Hill Country, killing at least 108 people. Wikipedia →
2025The Oasis Live '25 tour begins in Principality Stadium, Cardiff, ending a 16-year hiatus. Wikipedia →
2024The Labour Party, led by Keir Starmer, wins a landslide majority in the 2024 United Kingdom general election, ending 14 years of Conservative government. Wikipedia →
2015Chile claims its first title in international football by defeating Argentina in the 2015 Copa América final. Wikipedia →
2012The discovery of particles consistent with the Higgs boson at the Large Hadron Collider is announced at CERN. Wikipedia →
2009The Statue of Liberty's crown reopens to the public after eight years of closure due to security concerns following the September 11 attacks. Wikipedia →
2009The first of four days of bombings begins on the southern Philippine island group of Mindanao. Wikipedia →
2008A bomb explodes at a concert in Minsk's Independence Square, injuring 50 people. Wikipedia →
2006Space Shuttle program: Discovery launches STS-121 to the International Space Station. The event gained wide media attention as it was the only shuttle launch in the program's history to occur on the United States' Independence Day. Wikipedia →
2005The Deep Impact collider hits the comet Tempel 1. Wikipedia →
2004The cornerstone of the Freedom Tower is laid on the World Trade Center site in New York City. Wikipedia →
2004Greece beats Portugal in the UEFA Euro 2004 Final and becomes European Champion for first time in its history. Wikipedia →
2002A Boeing 707 crashes near Bangui M'Poko International Airport in Bangui, Central African Republic, killing 28. Wikipedia →
2001Vladivostok Air Flight 352 crashes on approach to Irkutsk Airport killing all 145 people on board. Wikipedia →
1998Japan launches the Nozomi probe to Mars, joining the United States and Russia as a space exploring nation. Wikipedia →
1997NASA's Pathfinder space probe lands on the surface of Mars. Wikipedia →
1994Rwandan genocide: Kigali, the Rwandan capital, is captured by the Rwandan Patriotic Front, ending the genocide in the city. Wikipedia →
1982Three Iranian diplomats and a journalist are kidnapped in Lebanon by Phalange forces, and their fate remains unknown. Wikipedia →
1982Space Shuttle program: Columbia lands at Edwards Air Force Base at the end of the program's final test flight, STS-4. President Ronald Reagan declares the Space Shuttle to be operational. Wikipedia →
1977The George Jackson Brigade plants a bomb at the main power substation for the Washington state capitol in Olympia, in solidarity with a prison strike at the Walla Walla State Penitentiary Intensive Security Unit. Wikipedia →
1976Israeli commandos raid Entebbe airport in Uganda, rescuing all but four of the passengers and crew of an Air France jetliner seized by Palestinian terrorists. Wikipedia →
1973Barbados, Guyana, Jamaica, and Trinidad and Tobago sign the Treaty of Chaguaramas in Chaguaramas, Trinidad and Tobago establishing the Caribbean Community (CARICOM). It replaces the Caribbean Free Trade Association as another step towards Caribbean regional integration. Wikipedia →
1966U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson signs the Freedom of Information Act into United States law. The act went into effect the next year. Wikipedia →
1961On its maiden voyage, the Soviet nuclear-powered submarine K-19 suffers a complete loss of coolant to its reactor. The crew are able to effect repairs, but 22 of them die of radiation poisoning over the following two years. Wikipedia →
1960The 50-star flag of the United States debuts in Philadelphia following the admission of Hawaii as the 50th U.S. state over ten months prior (August 21, 1959), in accordance with the Flag Acts. Wikipedia →
1954Food rationing in Great Britain ends, with the lifting of restrictions on sale and purchase of meat, 14 years after it began early in World War II, and nearly a decade after the war's end. Wikipedia →
1951Cold War: A court in Czechoslovakia sentences American journalist William N. Oatis to ten years in prison on charges of espionage. Wikipedia →
1951William Shockley announces the invention of the junction transistor. Wikipedia →
1950Cold War: Radio Free Europe first broadcasts. Wikipedia →
1947The "Indian Independence Bill" is presented before the British House of Commons, proposing the independence of the Provinces of British India into two sovereign countries: India and Pakistan. Wikipedia →
1946The Kielce pogrom against Jewish Holocaust survivors in Poland. Wikipedia →
1946After 381 years of near-continuous colonial rule by various powers, the Philippines attains full independence from the United States. Wikipedia →
1943World War II: The Battle of Kursk, the largest full-scale battle in history and the world's largest tank battle, begins in the village of Prokhorovka. Wikipedia →
1943World War II: In Gibraltar, a Royal Air Force B-24 Liberator bomber crashes into the sea in an apparent accident moments after takeoff, killing sixteen passengers on board, including general Władysław Sikorski, the commander-in-chief of the Polish Army and the Prime Minister of the Polish government-in-exile; only the pilot survives. Wikipedia →
1942World War II: The 250-day Siege of Sevastopol in the Crimea ends when the city falls to Axis forces. Wikipedia →
1941Nazi crimes against the Polish nation: Nazi troops massacre Polish scientists and writers in the captured Ukrainian city of Lviv. Wikipedia →
1941World War II: The Burning of the Riga synagogues: The Great Choral Synagogue in German-occupied Riga is burnt with 300 Jews locked in the basement. Wikipedia →
1939Lou Gehrig, recently diagnosed with Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, informs a crowd at Yankee Stadium that he considers himself "The luckiest man on the face of the earth", then announces his retirement from major league baseball. Wikipedia →
1927First flight of the Lockheed Vega. Wikipedia →
1918Mehmed V died at the age of 73 and Ottoman sultan Mehmed VI ascends to the throne. Wikipedia →
1918World War I: The Battle of Hamel, a successful attack by the Australian Corps against German positions near the town of Le Hamel on the Western Front. Wikipedia →
1914The funeral of Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife Sophie takes place in Vienna, six days after their assassinations in Sarajevo. Wikipedia →
1913President Woodrow Wilson addresses American Civil War veterans at the Great Reunion of 1913. Wikipedia →
1911A massive heat wave strikes the northeastern United States, killing 380 people in eleven days and breaking temperature records in several cities. Wikipedia →
1910The Johnson–Jeffries riots occur after African-American boxer Jack Johnson knocks out white boxer Jim Jeffries in the 15th round. Between 11 and 26 people are killed and hundreds more injured. Wikipedia →
1903The Philippine–American War is officially concluded. Wikipedia →
1901William Howard Taft becomes American governor of the Philippines. Wikipedia →
1898En route from New York to Le Havre, the SS La Bourgogne collides with another ship and sinks with the loss of 549 lives, one of the worst maritime disasters in history. Wikipedia →
1894The short-lived Republic of Hawaii is proclaimed by Sanford B. Dole. Wikipedia →
1892Western Samoa changes the International Date Line, causing Monday (July 4) to occur twice, resulting in a leap year with 367 days. Wikipedia →
1887The founder of Pakistan, Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, joins Sindh-Madrasa-tul-Islam, Karachi. Wikipedia →
1886The Canadian Pacific Railway's first scheduled train from Montreal arrives in Port Moody on the Pacific coast, after six days of travel. Wikipedia →
1881In Alabama, the Tuskegee Institute opens. Wikipedia →
1879Anglo-Zulu War: The Zululand capital of Ulundi is captured by British troops and burned to the ground, ending the war and forcing King Cetshwayo to flee. Wikipedia →
1863American Civil War: Siege of Vicksburg: The Confederate army in Vicksburg, Mississippi surrenders to Union forces under Ulysses S. Grant after 47 days of siege, contributing to the Union capture of the Mississippi River. Wikipedia →
1863American Civil War: Union forces repulse a Confederate army at the Battle of Helena in Arkansas. The battle thwarts a Rebel attempt to relieve pressure on the besieged city of Vicksburg, and paves the way for the Union capture of Little Rock. Wikipedia →
1863American Civil War: Retreat from Gettysburg: The Confederate Army of Northern Virginia under Robert E. Lee withdraws from the battlefield after losing the Battle of Gettysburg, signaling an end to his last invasion of the North. Wikipedia →
1862Lewis Carroll tells Alice Liddell a story that would grow into Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and its sequels. Wikipedia →
1855The first edition of Walt Whitman's book of poems, Leaves of Grass, is published in Brooklyn. Wikipedia →
1845Henry David Thoreau moves into a small cabin on Walden Pond in Concord, Massachusetts. Thoreau's account of his two years there, Walden, will become a touchstone of the environmental movement. Wikipedia →
1838The Iowa Territory is organized. Wikipedia →
1837Grand Junction Railway, the world's first long-distance railway, opens between Birmingham and Liverpool. Wikipedia →
1832John Neal delivers the first public lecture in the U.S. to advocate the rights of women. Wikipedia →
1832Durham University established by Act of Parliament; the first recognized university to be founded in England since Cambridge over 600 years earlier. Wikipedia →
1831Samuel Francis Smith writes "My Country, 'Tis of Thee" for the Boston, Massachusetts July 4 festivities. Wikipedia →
1827Slavery is abolished in the State of New York. Wikipedia →
1818U.S. Flag Act of 1818 goes into effect creating a 13-stripe flag with a star for each state. New stars are to be added on the July 4 following the admission of each new state to the Union. Wikipedia →
1817In Rome, New York, construction on the Erie Canal begins. Wikipedia →
1803The Louisiana Purchase is announced to the public. Wikipedia →
1802The United States Military Academy opens at West Point, New York. Wikipedia →
1778American Revolutionary War: U.S. forces under George Clark capture Kaskaskia during the Illinois campaign. Wikipedia →
1776American Revolution: The United States Declaration of Independence is adopted by the Second Continental Congress, formally announcing and explaining separation from the Kingdom of Great Britain and the creation of the United States. Wikipedia →
1774Orangetown Resolutions are adopted in the Province of New York, one of many protests against the British Parliament's Coercive Acts. Wikipedia →
1744The Treaty of Lancaster, in which the Iroquois cede lands between the Allegheny Mountains and the Ohio River to the British colonies, is signed in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Wikipedia →
1634The city of Trois-Rivières is founded in New France (now Quebec, Canada). Wikipedia →
1610The Battle of Klushino is fought between forces of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth and Russia during the Polish–Russian War, after which Polish troops entered Moscow. Wikipedia →
1584Philip Amadas and Arthur Barlowe arrive at Roanoke Island. Wikipedia →
1534Christian III is elected King of Denmark and Norway in the town of Rye. Wikipedia →
1456Ottoman–Hungarian wars: The Siege of Nándorfehérvár (Belgrade) begins. Wikipedia →
1359Francesco II Ordelaffi of Forlì surrenders to the Papal commander Gil de Albornoz. Wikipedia →
1333Genkō War: Forces loyal to Emperor Go-Daigo seize Tōshō-ji during the Siege of Kamakura. Hōjō Takatoki and other members of the Hōjō clan commit suicide, ending the rule of the Kamakura shogunate. Wikipedia →
1253Battle of West-Capelle: John I of Avesnes defeats Guy of Dampierre. Wikipedia →
1187The Crusades: Battle of Hattin: Saladin defeats Guy of Lusignan, King of Jerusalem. Wikipedia →
1120Jordan II of Capua is anointed as prince after his infant nephew's death. Wikipedia →
1054A supernova, called SN 1054, is seen by Chinese Song dynasty, Arab, and possibly indigenous American observers near the star Zeta Tauri. For several months it remains bright enough to be seen during the day. Its remnants form the Crab Nebula. Wikipedia →
993Ulrich of Augsburg is canonized as a saint. Wikipedia →
836Pactum Sicardi, a peace treaty between the Principality of Benevento and the Duchy of Naples, is signed. Wikipedia →
638Heraclonas and David, sons of Byzantine Emperor Heraclius, are proclaimed augustus and caesar respectively, possibly due to the bad health of their elder brother Heraclius Constantine. Wikipedia →
414Aelia Pulcheria takes a vow of chastity and is proclaimed Augusta, thus becoming the regent of the Byzantine Empire for her 13-year-old brother Theodosius II after the death of the previous regent, praefect Anthemius. Wikipedia →
26 BCMarcus Licinius Crassus is granted a triumph for his victory in Thrace. Wikipedia →
362 BCBattle of Mantinea: The Thebans, led by Epaminondas, defeat the Spartans. Wikipedia →

From The Guardian Archives — On This Day

2018The Guardian
Privacy policies of tech giants 'still not GDPR-compliant'
Consumer group says policies of Facebook, Amazon and Google are vague and unclear
Read on The Guardian →
2012The Guardian
How to cook the perfect croque monsieur
Is the croque monsieur the world's finest sandwich, or an overrated Parisian cafe cliche?
Read on The Guardian →
1887The New York Times
A NEW CATHOLIC CATHEDRAL.
PROVIDENCE, R.I., July 3.--The Roman Catholic Cathedral was formally opened this morning. The Right Rev. Bishop Harki…
Read on NYTimes.com →

Headlines via The Guardian Open Platform · Historic front pages via the NYT Archive API

Facts from Wikipedia On This Day API (CC BY-SA 4.0) via Wikimedia. Thumbnails CC BY-SA. Headlines via The Guardian Open Platform and the NYT Archive API. Historic pages via Library of Congress Chronicling America. Curated by OddlyTrue.