Today in History

1776 – American Declaration of Independence is approved by the Continental Congress in Philadelphia. The day is now Independence Day.

1826 – Deaths of John Adams, second US president (1797-1801), and Thomas Jefferson, the third (1801-09).

1829 – The first regular scheduled bus service is introduced in London.

1862 – English clergyman Charles L Dodgson (Lewis Carroll), left, begins inventing the story of Alice in Wonderland.

1868 – Te Kooti Arikirangi Te

Tu¯ ruki of Rongowhakaata, exiled to the Chatham Islands after his arrest in 1865, escapes.

1884 – The Statue of Liberty is presented to the US by the people of France.

1894 – Republic of Hawaii is proclaimed.

1913 – New Zealand tennis player Anthony Wilding wins his fourth straight Wimbledon singles title.

1934 – Death of Marie Curie, PolishFrench physicist and Nobel prize winner.

1946 – Republic of the Philippines is founded after 47 years of US rule.

1976 – About 20 Ugandan soldiers, four Israelis and seven hijackers are killed when Israeli commandos raid a hijacked airliner in Uganda, to rescue 103 hostages.

1981 – John McEnroe ends Bjorn Borg’s streak of five straight Wimbledon tennis titles.

2008 – Italy grants Pompeii emergency status, allowing authorities to appoint a special commissioner to oversee the site’s preservation and management.

Birthdays

John Pierre Blanchard, French balloonist (1753-1809); Gloria Stuart, US actress (1910-2010); Eva Marie Saint, US actress (1924-); Neil Simon, US playwright (1927-); Anne Kirkpatrick, Australian country singer (1952-); Pam Shriver, US tennis player (1962-); Jeff Lima, NZ rugby league player (1982-).