Birth of Stephen Vincent Benét
Stephen Vincent Benét was born on July 22, 1898, in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. A two-time Pulitzer Prize winner, he’s best known for his historically inspired poems, short stories, and novels.
American History
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Disneyland Opens to Massive Crowd
On July 17, 1955, Walt Disney realized one of his long-time dreams when he opened his Disneyland amusement park in Anaheim, California. For decades, it was the most-visited park in the world.
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Spanish Found First Mission in California
On July 16, 1769, Franciscan friar Junipero Serra founded California’s first Catholic mission. This marked the beginning of the Spanish mission system in California, which would go on to shape the culture, history, and landscape of the region for centuries.
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First of the Roanoke Voyages
On July 13, 1584, the first of three Roanoke voyages arrived in present-day North Carolina. These were attempts to establish the first permanent English settlement in North America. While the settlement saw the first English child born in America, all of the settlers disappeared and their fate is still unknown today.
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William Howard Taft – Only Man to Serve as President and Chief Justice
William Howard Taft always dreamed of being a Supreme Court justice. After a term as president, the time was finally right for Taft to take his dream job – on July 11, 1921.
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Birth of Nikola Tesla
Nikola Tesla was born on July 10, 1856, in Smiljan, Austrian Empire (present-day Croatia). A brilliant inventor, engineer, and physicist, his experiments and research changed the world.
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Siege of Port Hudson Ends
On July 9, 1863, Confederate forces surrendered Port Hudson, Louisiana, ending a 48-day siege. The longest siege in American history, the victory returned control of the Mississippi River to the Union.
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The US Annexes Hawaii
On July 7, 1898, President William McKinley signed legislation annexing Hawaii, paving the way for it to become a US state.
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Bicycle Mail
On July 6, 1894, a San Francisco businessman operated a short-lived bicycle mail route in San Francisco, complete with his own stamps.
