Today in History
Today is Wednesday, July 5, the 186th day of 2023. There are 179 days left in the year.
Today’s Highlight in History:
On July 5, 1947, Larry Doby made his debut with the Cleveland Indians, becoming the first Black player in the American League three months after Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier in the National League.
On this date:
In 1687, Isaac Newton first published his Principia Mathematica, a three-volume work setting out his mathematical principles of natural philosophy.
In 1811, Venezuela became the first South American country to declare independence from Spain.
In 1865, the Secret Service Division of the U.S. Treasury Department was founded in Washington, D.C., with the mission of suppressing counterfeit currency.
In 1935, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the National Labor Relations Act.
In 1940, during World War II, Britain and the Vichy government in France broke off diplomatic relations.
In 1943, the Battle of Kursk began during World War II; in the weeks that followed, the Soviets were able to repeatedly repel the Germans, who eventually withdrew in defeat.
In 1954, Elvis Presley’s first commercial recording session took place at Sun Records in Memphis, Tennessee; the song he recorded was “That’s All Right.”
In 1971, President Richard Nixon certified the 26th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which lowered the minimum voting age from 21 to 18.
In 1975, Arthur Ashe became the first Black man to win a Wimbledon singles title when he defeated Jimmy Connors.
In 1977, Pakistan’s army, led by General Mohammad Zia ul-Haq, seized power from President Zulfikar Ali Bhutto (ZUL’-fih-kahr ah-LEE’ BOO’-toh).
In 2008, Venus Williams won her fifth Wimbledon singles title, beating younger sister Serena in the final.
In 2011, a jury in Orlando, Florida, found Casey Anthony, 25, not guilty of murder, manslaughter and child abuse in the 2008 disappearance and death of her 2-year-old daughter, Caylee.
Ten years ago: Pope Francis cleared two of the 20th Century’s most influential popes to become saints in the Roman Catholic church, approving a miracle needed to canonize Pope John Paul II and waiving Vatican rules to honor Pope John XXIII. Enraged Islamists pushed back against the toppling of President Mohammed Morsi, as tens of thousands of his supporters took to the streets vowing to win his reinstatement and clashed with their opponents in violence that killed some three dozen people.
Five years ago: Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt resigned amid ethics scandals that prompted more than a dozen federal and congressional investigations; deputy administrator Andrew Wheeler, a former coal industry lobbyist, was named to take over as acting administrator. James Alex Fields Jr. pleaded not guilty to federal hate crime charges in a car attack on a crowd of protesters opposing a white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, on Aug. 12, 2017; a 32-year-old woman died and dozens were injured. (Fields later pleaded guilty to 29 federal hate crime charges under a plea deal in which prosecutors agreed not to seek the death penalty.)
One year ago: Police said a gunman who attacked an Independence Day parade in suburban Chicago, killing at least seven people, legally bought two high-powered rifles and three other weapons despite authorities being called to his home twice since 2019 after he threatened suicide and violence. A Georgia prosecutor investigating the conduct of former President Donald Trump and his allies after the 2020 election subpoenaed Lindsey Graham, Rudy Giuliani, and other members of Trump’s campaign legal team to testify before a grand jury, marking a major escalation in the case.
Today’s Birthdays: Singer-musician Robbie Robertson is 80. Julie Nixon Eisenhower is 75. Rock star Huey Lewis is 73. Baseball Hall of Fame pitcher Rich “Goose” Gossage is 72. Singer-songwriter Marc Cohn is 64. Actor John Marshall Jones is 61. Actor Dorien Wilson is 61. Actor Edie Falco is 60. Actor Jillian Armenante is 59. Actor Kathryn Erbe (er-BEE’) is 58. Actor Michael Stuhlbarg (STOOL’-bahrg) is 55. Rapper RZA (RIH’-zuh) is 54. R&B singer Joe is 50. Rock musician Bengt Lagerberg (The Cardigans) is 50. Actor Dale Godboldo is 48. Rapper Bizarre is 47. Rapper Royce da 5’9” is 46. Rock singer Jason Wade (Lifehouse) is 43. Actor Ryan Hansen is 42. Country musician Dave Haywood (Lady A) is 41. Soccer player Megan Rapinoe is 38. Rock musician Nick O’Malley (Arctic Monkeys) is 38. Actor Jason Dolley is 32. California Angels pitcher and designated hitter Shohei Ohtani is 29.
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