History Today
In 1861, during the American Civil War, the First Battle of Bull Run took place in Manassas, Virginia, and was won by the Confederates.
In 1925, the so-called “Monkey Trial” was held in Dayton, Tennessee, where John T. Scopes was convicted of violating state law by teaching Darwin’s theory of evolution (the conviction was later overturned).
In 1944, during World War II, American troops landed on Guam and captured it from the Japanese forces about three weeks later.
In 1954, the Geneva Conference ended with an agreement to divide Vietnam into North and South.
In 1969, Apollo 11 astronauts Neil Armstrong and Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin launched from the Moon aboard the Lunar Module’s ascent stage to dock with the Command Module.
In 1970, construction of the Aswan High Dam in Egypt was completed.
In 1972, the Irish Republican Army carried out 22 bombings in Belfast, Northern Ireland, killing nine people and injuring 130 in an incident known as “Bloody Friday.”
In 2002, Ernie Els became the first player in the 142-year history of the British Open to win in sudden death format.
In 2008, former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic, one of the world’s biggest war crimes fugitives, was arrested by Serbian security forces outside Belgrade. (Karadzic was convicted of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes by a UN tribunal in 2019 and sentenced to life in prison.)
In 2011, Atlantis landed at Cape Canaveral, Florida, after its 135th flight, ending the 30-year Space Shuttle program.
In 2012, Elden Elk became the first person to complete a solo human-powered circumnavigation of the globe.
In 2021, public health officials announced that U.S. life expectancy fell by a year and a half in 2020, the largest annual decline since World War II, and the decline was due in large part to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The buzz around Babenheimer reached a fever pitch when the films Barbie and Oppenheimer hit theaters in 2023. Both films received critical and public acclaim and were the fourth-highest grossing weekends of all time.
birthday
Singer Yusuf Islam (aka Cat Stevens) is 76 years old.
Cartoonist Garry Trudeau is 76 years old.
Author Michael Connelly is 68 years old.
Comedian Jon Lovitz is 67 years old.
Retired soccer player Brandi Chastain is 56 years old.
Rock and soul singer Michael Fitzpatrick (Fitz and the Tantrums) is 54 years old.
Actress and singer Charlotte Gainsbourg is 53 years old.
Actor Justin Bartha is 46 years old.
Actor Josh Hartnett is 46 years old.
Reggae singer Damian Marley is 46 years old.
Basketball Hall of Famer Tamika Catchings is 45 years old.
Former MLB All-Star pitcher CC Sabathia is 44 years old.
Singer Blake Lewis (“American Idol”) is 43 years old.
Latin singer Romeo Santos is 43 years old.
Actress Betty Gilpin is 38 years old.
Actor Juno Temple is 35 years old.
Actor Rory Culkin is 35 years old.
Manchester City soccer star Erling Haaland is 24 years old.
