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Major Events
- 365 – A powerful earthquake and tsunami destroyed Alexandria and large parts of the eastern Mediterranean.
- 1545 – The French fleet attacked the Isle of Wight; England’s flagship, the Mary Rose, sank in the Solent.
- 1861 – The First Battle of Bull Run, the first major battle of the American Civil War, took place in Virginia.
- 1925 – John T. Scopes was found guilty of teaching evolution in the Scopes Monkey Trial.
- 1969 – Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin finished their historic Moonwalk and reentered the lunar module.
- 2011 – NASA’s space shuttle program came to a close with the landing of Atlantis after mission STS-135.
Famous Birthdays
- Ernest Hemingway (1899–1961), American novelist and Nobel Prize winner
- Marshall McLuhan (1911–1980), Canadian philosopher and media theorist
- Cat Stevens (born 1948), British singer-songwriter, also known as Yusuf Islam
- Robin Williams (1951–2014), American actor and comedian
- Josh Hartnett (born 1978), American actor known for Pearl Harbor and Black Hawk Down
Notable Deaths
- Robert Young (d. 1998), American actor known for Father Knows Best (b. 1907)
- Edward Heath (d. 2005), British Prime Minister from 1970 to 1974 (b. 1916)
- Mollie Sugden (d. 2009), British comedy actress known for Are You Being Served? (b. 1922)
Holidays
- Belgian National Day (Belgium) – Marks the inauguration of Leopold I as the first king in 1831.
- Legal Drinking Age Day (USA, unofficial) – Often observed in recognition of age-related laws passed on this date in U.S. history.
Fun Facts
- Ernest Hemingway survived two plane crashes in two days while on safari in Africa.
- Robin Williams was classmates with Christopher Reeve at Juilliard School.
- The Mary Rose, Henry VIII’s warship, was raised from the sea in 1982 and is now on display.
- Belgium gained independence in 1830 but celebrates its national holiday based on the monarchy’s formal establishment a year later.
- Cat Stevens converted to Islam in 1977 and changed his name to Yusuf Islam.