ON THIS DAY, JULY 14

1789 Bastille Day – the French Revolution begins with the storming of the much-hated Bastille Prison in Paris (now celebrated as France’s national day).

1798 US Sedition Act prohibits “false, scandalous & malicious” writing against government.

1865 English mountaineer Edward Whymper leads first expedition to climb the Matterhorn (four die on the descent). 1914 American engineer Robert Goddard, the founding father of modern rocketry, is granted the first patent for liquid-fueled rocket design.

1933 Germany begins mandatory sterilization of people with hereditary illnesses.

1957 The Soviet steamer “Eshghbad” sinks in Caspian Sea, drowning 270 people.

1969 The US $500, $1 000, $5 000 and $10 000 currency notes are withdrawn from circulation. 1983 Mario Bros. is first released by

Nintendo in Japan as an arcade game about an Italian-American plumber.

1986 US Open Women’s Golf, NCR CC: Jane Geddes wins by 2 strokes in an 18-hole Monday playoff with South African Sally Little.

1987 Taiwan ends 37 years of martial law.

1992 386BSD is released by Lynne Jolitz and William Jolitz, starting the open source computer operating system revolution. Linus Torvalds release “Linux” soon afterwards.

1998 Violence erupts in Richmond, reflecting political tensions between the ANC and the IFP.

2002 French President Jacques Chirac escapes an assassination attempt unscathed during Bastille Day celebrations.

2012 A suicide bomber attacks a wedding reception and kills 22 people and injures 22 in northern Afghanistan.

2019 Novak Đoković wins the longest ever Wimbledon final, beating Roger Federer 7-6, 1-6, 7-6, 4-6, 13-12 in 4 hours, 57 minutes. 2019 Senior Players Championship Men’s Golf: Retief Goosen of South Africa birdies the final 2 holes to secure his first Champions Tour win by 2 strokes from Jay Haas and Tim Petrovic. 2020 A new study shows the Andean condor, the world’s heaviest flighted bird, can fly for 5 hours without flapping its wings. | THE HISTORIAN