Birth of David Farragut
David Glasgow Farragut was born in Campbell’s Station (now Farragut), Tennessee, on July 5, 1801. A Civil War naval commander, the rank of admiral was created specifically for him.
American History
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America’s Declaration of Independence
On July 4, 1776, the Second Continental Congress ratified the Declaration of Independence. One of America’s founding documents, it explained why the 13 colonies were at war with Great Britain and that they declared themselves to be independent sovereign states no longer under British rule.
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Birth of George M. Cohan
The father of American musical comedy, George Michael Cohan was born on July 3, 1878, in Providence, Rhode Island. He later became so closely associated with patriotic music that many Americans believed he had been born on the Fourth of July, a story Cohan himself enjoyed encouraging.
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Civil Rights Act of 1964
On July 2, 1964, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act into law, fulfilling a goal set by his predecessor, John F. Kennedy. The law did not end discrimination by itself, but it gave the federal government stronger tools to challenge segregation and unequal treatment.
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Pure Food and Drug and Meat Inspection Acts
On June 30, 1906, President Theodore Roosevelt signed the Pure Food and Drug Act and the Meat Inspection Act into law, to help improve the quality and labeling of America’s food and medicines.
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Olympic National Park
The Olympic Mountains are not especially tall. Mount Olympus, the park’s highest peak, rises 7,980 feet. But the range stands close to the Pacific Ocean, and that location shapes nearly everything in the park. Moist air from the ocean moves inland and is pushed upward by the mountains. As the air cools, it drops rain in the valleys and snow on the peaks.
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The Battle of Little Bighorn
On June 25, 1876, Civil War veteran George A. Custer died at the Battle of the Little Bighorn. The battle became one of the most famous defeats in US Army history, but its deeper story was about land, broken promises, and Native nations fighting to protect their way of life.
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Death of Stuart Davis
One of America’s first modern artists, Stuart Davis died on June 24, 1964. Davis earned national acclaim for his proto-pop paintings that were inspired by jazz and his strong political beliefs.
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Pledge of Allegiance
On June 22, 1942, Congress formally adopted the Pledge of Allegiance. However, the familiar words recited today would not take their final form until more than a decade later.
