Today In History

Today is Tuesday, July 14, the 196th day of 2020. There are 170 days left in the year.

TODAY’S HIGHLIGHT

› 1798: Congress passed the Sedition Act, making it a federal crime to publish false, scandalous or malicious writing about the United States government.

ON THIS DATE

› 1789: In an event symbolizing the start of the French Revolution, citizens of Paris stormed the Bastille prison and released the seven prisoners inside.

› 1865: The Matterhorn, straddling Italy and Switzerland, was summited as a seven-member rope party led by British climber Edward Whymper reached the peak. (Four members of the party fell to their deaths during their descent; Whymper and two guides survived.)

› 1914: Scientist Robert H. Goddard received a U.S. patent for a liquid-fueled rocket apparatus.

› 1960: British researcher Jane Goodall arrived at the Gombe Stream Reserve in the Tanganyika Territory (in present-day Tanzania) to begin her famous study of chimpanzees in the wild.

› 2004: The Senate scuttled a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage. (Forty-eight senators voted to advance the measure — 12 short of the 60 needed — and 50 voted to block it).

› 2014: The Church of England voted overwhelmingly in favor of allowing women to become bishops.

TODAY’S BIRTHDAYS

Actress Nancy Olson is 92. Former football player and actor Rosey Grier is 87. Actor Vincent Pastore is 74. Music company executive Tommy Mottola is 72. Actor-director Eric Laneuville is

68. Actor Stan Shaw is

68. Movie producer Scott Rudin is 62. Singer-guitarist Kyle Gass is 60. Country musician Ray Herndon (McBride and the Ride) is 60. Actress Jane Lynch is 60. Actor Jackie Earle Haley is 59. Actor Matthew Fox is 54. Rock musician Ellen Reid (Crash Test Dummies) is

54. Rock singer-musician Tanya Donelly is 54. Former child actress Missy Gold is 50. Country singer Jamey Johnson is 45. Hip-hop musician Taboo (Black Eyed Peas) is 45. Actor Scott Porter is 41. Actress Phoebe WallerBridge is 35. Rock singer Dan Smith (Bastille) is

34. Actress Sara Canning (TV: “The Vampire Diaries”) is 33. Rock singer Dan Reynolds (Imagine Dragons) is 33.