Tidbits of History

July 31 is:

National Raspberry Cake Day
Cotton Candy Day
Mutt’s Day

Pilgrim Fathers departed Leiden, Holland for England before heading to America on July 31, 1620.

Birthday of John Ericcson (July 31, 1803), American inventor of the screw propeller, pioneer in modern naval construction, builder of the famous “Monitor“.

Death in 1875 of Andrew Johnson , seventeenth President of the United States, who became president when Abraham Lincoln was assassinated. Johnson died in Elizabethton, Tennessee at age 66 after suffering a stroke. Following the presidency, Johnson had been elected to the U.S. Senate from the state of Tennessee.

The Impeachment of Andrew Johnson was one of the most dramatic events in the political life of the United States during Reconstruction. The first impeachment of a sitting United States president, it was the consummation of a lengthy political battle between the moderate Johnson and the “Radical Republican” movement that dominated Congress and sought control of Reconstruction policies. The trial concluded with Johnson’s acquittal.

There are only four kinds of office that may be attained by a citizen under the Constitution – legislative, judicial, military, and executive. Andrew Johnson is the only man to attain all these and to be both Vice-President and President.

In 2006, Fidel Castro handed over power temporarily to brother Raúl Castro. This leads to a celebration in Little Havana (La Pequeña Habana in Spanish), Miami, Florida, where many Cuban Americans participated.

July 30 is:

National Cheesecake Day
Father-in-Law Day

In Jamestown, Virginia, the first representative assembly in the Americas, the House of Burgesses, convened for the first time on July 30, 1619.

City of Baltimore was founded in 1729.

Marseillais Day. The Marseillaise, the national anthem of France composed by Rouget de Lisle, was sung in Paris for the first time in 1792.

Birthday of Emily Jane Brontë (July 30, 1818), in Thornton England; novelist of (Wuthering Heights), younger sister of Charlotte Brontë (Jane Eyre) and older sister of Anne.

Slave rebels, took over slave ship, La Amistad in 1839.

Birthday of Henry Ford (July 30, 1863), American inventor, automobile manufacturer, and philanthropist

From Today in Science:
In 1898, Corn Flakes were invented by William Kellogg at Battle Creek ( Michigan) Sanitarium. Sanitarium superintendent, Dr. John Harvey Kellogg and Will Keith Kellogg, his younger brother and business manager, invented many grain-based foods, including a coffee substitute, a type of granola, and peanut butter to provide patients a strict nutritious diet. In 1894 they unintentionally invented a flaked cereal process based on wheat. By 1898, W.K. Kellogg had developed the first flaked corn cereal. Patients enjoyed the cereals and wanted more to take home. In 1906, the Battle Creek Toaster Corn Flake Company was founded by W.K. Kellogg.

1942 – FDR signed bill creating women’s Navy auxiliary agency (WAVES). The name was the acronym for “Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service”

A joint resolution of the U.S. Congress in 1956 was signed by President Dwight D. Eisenhower, authorizing “In God we trust” as the U.S. national motto.

July 29 is:

National Lasagna Day

Cheese Sacrifice Purchase Day – Apparently the holiday came about from the tradition of filling mouse traps with cheese: you’d sacrifice your purchase in the name of eradicating vermin.

National Chicken Wing Day; aka National Buffalo Wing Day

Birthday of Alexis de Tocqueville (July 29, 1805), French statesman and author of “Democracy in America”

Inauguration of the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, France in 1836.

1864-07-29 – American Civil War: Confederate spy Belle Boyd was arrested by Union troops and detained at the Old Capitol Prison in Washington, DC. Boyd was held for a month before being released on August 29, 1862, when she was exchanged at Fort Monroe, Virginia.

From Today in Science:
Birthday of French inventor, Marcel Bich , (July 29, 1914), who built his business empire by creating throwaway Bic pens, razors and lighters. In 1945, Marcel Bich and his friend, Edouard Buffard, acquired an empty factory shell near Paris, France, and soon developed a thriving business, producing parts for fountain pens and mechanical lead pencils. Later, Bich spent two years developing his ballpoint pen design, and in 1949, he was able to produce a reliable, low cost ballpoint pen. In 1973 the Bic Lighter was introduced in the U.S., followed by Bic Shavers, first introduced in 1976.

U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed into law the National Aeronautics and Space Act, which creates the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) in 1958.

A worldwide television audience of over 700 million people watch the wedding of Charles, Prince of Wales, and Lady Diana Spencer at St Paul’s Cathedral in London on July 29, 1981.

July 28 is:

National Milk Chocolate Day
National Hamburger Day

Maximilien Robespierre and Louis Antoine de Saint-Just were executed by guillotine in Paris, France in 1794 during the French Revolution.

Birthday of Beatrix Potter (July 28, 1866), English author and illustrator of “The Tale of Peter Rabbit”

In 1868, the 14th Amendment to the United States Constitution is certified, establishing African American citizenship and guaranteeing due process of law.

From Today in Science
Earl Silas Tupper (born July 28, 1907 at Berlin, New Hampshire) was an American inventor and manufacturer who introduced Tupperware. In the 1930’s, Tupper invented a flexible, lightweight material that was used to make plastic gas masks during World War II. From working at DuPont (1937-38), he gained experience in plastics design and struck out on his own. In the ’40s, plastic products had a reputation for being brittle, greasy, smelly and generally unreliable. Tupper’s contributions were twofold. First, he developed a method for purifying black polyethylene slag, a waste product produced in oil refinement, into a substance that was flexible, tough, non-porous, non-greasy and translucent. Second, he developed the Tupper seal, an airtight, watertight lid modeled on the lid for paint containers. Together, these innovations laid the foundations for the future success of Tupperware as a consumer product. His company had great success by marketing through Brownie Wise’s idea of Tupperware parties. Earl Tupper died 5 Oct 1983 at age 76.

Birthday of Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis (July 28, 1929), wife of John F Kennedy; first lady 1961-1963.

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All or Nothing Day -From Examiner.com: “July 26 is the perfect day to either “go for it” or “forget it.” It is the day to quit making excuses and silence the beliefs that prevent you from moving forward. Go on and fully own your choices. Either forget them or embrace what you want and just do it.”

National Talk in an Elevator Day
Aunt and Uncle Day
National Coffee Milkshake Day
National Bagelfest

Feast day of Saint Anne, patron saint of Canada, patroness of housewives and of miners, mother of the Virgin Mary, wife of Joachim.

July 26, 1775, United States Post Office (U.S.P.O.) was created in Philadelphia under Benjamin Franklin.

New York Ratification Day in 1788 New York became the eleventh state

• Capital: Albany
• Nickname: Empire State/Excelsior State
• Bird: Bluebird
• Flower: Rose
• Tree: Sugar maple
• Motto: Ever Upward

See our page for more interesting facts and trivia about New York.

Birthday of Louisa Johnson Adams (1797), wife of John Quincy Adams, first lady 1825-1829. Born in England, she was the only First Lady born outside the U.S. until Melania Trump, wife of President Donald Trump.

In 1847, the legislature of Liberia declared the nation an independent state. The American Colonization Society (ACS; in full, “The Society for the Colonization of Free People of Color of America”), established in 1817 by Robert Finley of New Jersey, was the primary vehicle to support the return of free African Americans to what was considered greater freedom in Africa. It helped to found the colony of Liberia in 1821–22 as a place for freedmen. From 1821, thousands of free black Americans moved to Liberia from the United States. Over twenty years, the colony continued to grow and establish economic stability.

Birthday of George Bernard Shaw (July 26, 1856), Irish-English dramatist, critic, novelist. Author of “Candida”, “Pygmalion” and many more.

July 26, 1878, in California, the poet and American West outlaw calling himself “Black Bart” makes his last clean getaway when he steals a safe box from a Wells Fargo stagecoach. The empty box will be found later with a taunting poem inside. He was later identified as British-born Charles Earl Bowles. (Read an interesting article about Black Bart at BenneyDavis.com.)

July 26, 1908, United States Attorney General Charles Joseph Bonaparte issued an order to immediately staff the Office of the Chief Examiner (later renamed the Federal Bureau of Investigation).

July 25 is:

Culinarians Day is a special day for anyone who cooks. That means just about everyone of us get to celebrate this day. You don’t have to be a chef, or a graduate of a culinary institute to celebrate this delicious day. You simply have to cook, and to enjoy the results.
Threading the Needle Day
National Hot Fudge Sundae Day
National Merry-Go-Round Day

Saint Christopher’s day, honoring the patron of motorists, bus drivers, and travelers.

The Arch of Constantine was completed (315 A.D.) near the Colosseum in Rome to commemorate Constantine I’s victory over Maxentius at the Milvian Bridge.

Don Diego de Losada founded the city of Santiago de Leon de Caracas in 1567, modern-day Caracas, the capital city of Venezuela.

Birthday of Anna Symmes Harrison (July 25, 1775), wife of William Henry Harrison, First Lady in 1841. As William Henry and his wife, Anna, prepared to leave Ohio to head to Virginia to visit a daughter and then to Washington for the inauguration, Anna Harrison became ill and too weak for the journey. She was still mourning the August 12, 1839 death of her son Carter, and the June 9, 1840 death of her son Benjamin. President Harrison was inaugurated on March 4 and died on April 4th. Anna Harison never entered the White House.

Horatio Nelson lost more than 300 men and his right arm during the failed conquest attempt of Tenerife (Spain) on this date in 1797.

July 25, 1814, Battle of Niagara Falls (Lundy’s Lane); Americans defeated British.

The Congress created the Territory of Wyoming in 1868. Brigadier General John A. Campbell was appointed by President Ulyses S. Grant as the first territorial governor and Cheyenne became Wyoming Territory’s temporary capital. The territorial legislature granted women the right to vote, serve on juries and hold office, beginning in 1869 — the new law was the first of its kind in the country. It was hoped that such laws would attract more women immigrants.

On July 25, 1956 – 45 miles south of Nantucket Island, the Italian ocean liner SS Andrea Doria collided with the MS Stockholm in heavy fog and sank the next day, killing 51. Artifact recovery on Andrea Doria has resulted in additional loss of life. Sixteen scuba divers have lost their lives diving to the wreck, and diving conditions at the wreck site are considered very treacherous.

July 24 is:

Amelia Earhart Day
Cousins Day
National Tequila Day
National Jellybeans Day

Pioneer Day, celebrated in Utah. A legal holiday celebrating the entry of Brigham Young and the Mormon pioneers into the valley of the Salt Lake in 1847. After 17 months of travel, Brigham Young led 148 Mormon pioneers into Salt Lake Valley, resulting in the establishment of Salt Lake City.

July 24, 1534 – French explorer Jacques Cartier planted a cross on the Gaspé Peninsula and took possession of the territory in the name of Francis I of France.

Death of Martin Van Buren, eighth President of the United States, on July 24, 1862. He was 79 and died at Kinderhook, New York. He died of bronchial asthma and heart failure following a case of pneumonia. Van Buren was the first president who was born an American (rather than a British) citizen. The term “O.K.” was popularized because of Van Buren. He was from Kinderhook, New York, sometimes referred to as “Old Kinderhook” in speeches and print. O.K. Clubs soon formed to support Van Buren’s campaign. “O.K.” later came to mean all right.

Birthday of Amelia Earhart (Putnam) (July 24, 1898), American aviatrix, the first woman to fly across the Atlantic.

Explorer Hiram Bingham re-discovered the remains of Machu Picchu in Peru on July 24, 1911.

1967 – During an official state visit to Canada, French President Charles de Gaulle declared to a crowd of over 100,000 in Montreal: “Vive le Québec libre!” (“Long live free Quebec!”). The statement, interpreted as support for Quebec independence, delighted many Québécois but angered the Canadian government and many English Canadians.

July 24, 1998, Russell Eugene Weston Jr. burst into the United States Capitol and opened fire killing two police officers. He was later ruled to be incompetent to stand trial.

Added courtesy of Christy Stone: “On July 24, 1901, William Sydney Porter, better known to literature fans as O. Henry, was released from prison after serving a three-year jail term for embezzling from an Austin Texas bank. He had previously hidden from authorities in Honduras but returned to America when his wife was diagnosed with a terminal illness, and supported his young daughter from prison by writing stories.”
That, in itself, is quite a story on its own.

July 24, 2002, James Traficant was expelled from the United States House of Representatives on a vote of 420 to 1 after being convicted of 10 felony counts including taking bribes, filing false tax returns, racketeering, and forcing his Congressional staff to perform chores at his farm in Ohio and houseboat in Washington, D.C

July 23 is:
National Hot Dog Day
Vanilla Ice Cream Day

1829 – William Austin Burt patented the typographer, a precursor to the typewriter.

The Province of Canada was created by the Act of Union of 1840. It abolished the legislatures of Lower Canada and Upper Canada and established a new political entity, the Province of Canada, to replace them.

1866 Cincinnati Baseball club (Red Stockings) forms.

Death of Ulysses S. Grant, eighteenth President of the United States. He was born Hiram Ulysses Grant. Grant was president from 1869 to 1877. He had invested all his savings in a banking firm in which one of his sons was a partner. The firm went bankrupt in 1884 and the Grants lost all their money. Broke and sick with throat cancer, Grant undertook to write his memoirs for magazine serialization. At times he would fall unconscious from coughing fits and hemorrhages. He managed to complete the series just weeks before he died at his home in Mount McGregor, New York, on July 23, 1885. Mark Twain had the memoirs published in book form and turned over a half million dollars’ profit to the Grant family.

1904 Ice cream cone created during St Louis World Fair:
Per Wikipedia:

At the St. Louis World’s Fair in 1904, a Syrian/Lebanese concessionaire named Arnold Fornachou was running an ice cream booth. When he ran short on paper cups, he noticed he was next to a waffle vendor by the name of Ernest Hamwi, who sold Fornachou some of his waffles. Fornachou rolled the waffles into cones to hold the ice cream – and this is believed by some (although there is much dispute) to be the moment where ice-cream cones became mainstream.

Abe Doumar and the Doumar family can also claim credit for the ice cream cone. At the age of 16, Doumar began to sell paperweights and other items. One night, he bought a waffle from another vendor transplanted to Norfolk, Virginia from Ghent in Belgium, Leonidas Kestekidès. Doumar proceeded to roll up the waffle and place a scoop of ice cream on top. He then began selling the cones at the St. Louis Exposition. His “cones” were such a success that he designed a four-iron baking machine and had a foundry make it for him. At the Jamestown Exposition in 1907, he and his brothers sold nearly twenty-three thousand cones. After that, Abe bought a semiautomatic 36-iron machine, which produced 20 cones per minute and opened Doumar’s Cone’s and BBQ In in Norfolk, Virginia, which still operates at the same location over 100 years later.

Per Trivia-library.com

Charles E. Menches was an ice cream salesman at the Louisiana Purchase Exposition, the great fair in St. Louis, Mo. Whenever Menches visited a certain lady friend, he brought a bouquet of flowers. On one occasion, for a super date, he brought flowers and an ice cream sandwich. Because his lady friend lacked a vase for the flowers, she took one of the sandwich layers and curled it into the form of a vase. Then she rolled the other layer to contain the ice cream itself–and the ice cream cone was born.

In 2008, the ice cream cone became the official state food of Missouri

1929 – The Fascist government in Italy banned the use of foreign words.

July 23, 1989, FOX-TV tops ABC, NBC and CBS for 1st time (America’s Most Wanted)