The Story of America: This Day in History

On July 30, 1619, The Virginia House of Burgesses, the first elected legislative assembly in the American colonies, convened for the first time. This marked the beginning of representative government in what would become the United States. | In 1788, the first justice of the Supreme Court of Ohio, Return Jonathan Meigs Jr., is appointed to serve as first chief clerk of the county court of common pleas.| In 1935, the first Penguin paperbacks were published, leading to the paperback revolution.

On July 29, 1958, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) was established by the U.S. Congress. | In 1981, Millions of Americans watched Princess Diana marry Prince Charles. | In 1927, the first iron lung was installed at Bellevue Hospital in New York City.

On July 28, 1858, fingerprinting was first used for identification. | In 2000, Kathie Lee Gifford exits the U.S. daytime talk show "Live with Regis and Kathie Lee." | In 1933, the first singing telegram was sent to vocalist Rudy Vallee for his birthday.

On July 27, 1789, the U.S. Congress established the Department of State, the first executive department of the U.S. government. | In 1953, the Korean War ends. More than 36,000 Americans lost their lives in action. | In 1940, Bugs Bunny Debuts.

On July 26, 1775, the Second Continental Congress established the United States Post Office, appointing Benjamin Franklin as the first Postmaster General. This laid the foundation for the modern U.S. Postal Service. | In 1908, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) was established. It was originally called the Bureau of Investigation. | In 2000, the Sixth Circuit upheld Van Wert high school's decision in Ohio to ban a student's Marilyn Manson t-shirts, ruling that the school's decision did not violate constitutional rights.

On July 25, 1992, the Summer Olympics opened in Barcelona, Spain. The games were the debut of the USA "Dream Team" in basketball — featuring legends like Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, and Larry Bird. | In 1871, Wilhelm Schneider of Iowa receives the first U.S. patent for the modern carousel. Ohio has its own rich carousel history, including the Merry-Go-Round Museum in Sandusky. | In 1868, the Geauga County courthouse in Chardon burns.

On July 24, 1866, Tennessee becomes the first Confederate state to rejoin the Union. | In 1969, NASA's Apollo 11 safely returned to earth after being the first manned mission to the moon.

On July 23, 1999, Eileen Collins became the first woman to command a U.S. space shuttle mission, leading the crew of STS-93 aboard the Columbia shuttle. | In 1885, Ohio-born President Ulysses S. Grant dies. | In 1904, Charles E. Menches is credited with inventing the ice cream cone at the Louisiana Purchase Exposition in St. Louis, revolutionizing how ice cream was served.

On July 22, 1933, American aviator Wiley Post completed the first solo flight around the world, returning to New York after 7 days, 18 hours, and 49 minutes in the air. | In 1796, the city of Cleveland was founded, originally named Cleaveland. | In 1923, presidential candidate Bob Dole was born.

On July 21, 1861, the first Battle of Bull Run was fought in Virginia, marking the first major land battle of the American Civil War. | In 1899, Nobel Prize winning author Ernest Hemingway was born in Illinois.

On July 20, 1969, American astronauts Neil Armstrong and Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin became the first humans ever to land on the moon. Armstrong, of Ohio, became the first person to walk on the moon, famously stating "That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind." | In 1968, the first Special Olympics Games are held in Chicago. | In 1988, American action film "Die Hard" starring Bruce Willis debuts.

On July 19, 1848, the women's suffrage movement begins in Seneca Falls, New York. Organized by Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucretia Mott, it marked the formal start of the suffrage movement in America. | In 1941, Tom and Jerry made their first named appearance in the cartoon The Midnight Snack. Before this, they were known as Jasper and Jinx. | In 1903, Kingsley Taft was born in Cleveland. He would become the 110th justice of the Supreme Court of Ohio.

On July 18, 1921, U.S. Senator and first astronaut to orbit the earth, John Glenn, is born in Cambridge, Ohio. | In 1947, Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower commissions Florence Blanchfield as first woman to hold permanent military rank. | In 1968, Intel is founded in Mountain View, California.

On July 17, 1955, Disneyland opens in Anaheim, California. | In 1821, Spain officially transfers Florida to the United States. | In 1941, Joe DiMaggio’s hitting streak of 56 consecutive games came to an end in the Yankees vs. Indians game at Cleveland Stadium. This post is for educational purposes only. No endorsement by or affiliation is implied.

On July 16, 1790, the Residence Act was signed into law, establishing a new national capital along the Potomac River. This area would become Washington, D.C., the permanent seat of the U.S. government. | In 1935, the world’s first parking meter was installed in Oklahoma City. | In 1951, J.D. Salinger’s novel, "The Catcher in the Rye" is published.

On July 15, 1903, The Ford Motor Company received its first order for a car: a Model A priced at $850, ordered by a dentist in Chicago. This marked the beginning of Ford’s transformation of the automobile industry. | In 2006, Twitter is released to the public. | In 1787, Gustave Swan is born. He would become the 20th justice of the Supreme Court of Ohio.

On July 14, 1881, Outlaw Billy the Kid (Henry McCarty) was shot and killed by Sheriff Pat Garrett at Fort Sumner, New Mexico. This marked the end of one of the most legendary figures of the American Wild West. | In 1798, the Sedition Act was passed by the U.S. Congress, criminalizing “false, scandalous, and malicious writing” against the government. It was part of the Alien and Sedition Acts and was widely criticized for violating the First Amendment. | In 1822, George McIlvane is born. He would become the 49th justice of the Supreme Court of Ohio.

On July 13, 1787, the Northwest Ordinance was enacted: The U.S. Congress passed the Northwest Ordinance, establishing governance for the Northwest Territory and setting a precedent for the creation of new states. It also banned slavery in the territory and guaranteed civil liberties. | In 1960, John F. Kennedy is nominated for President of the United States.

On July 12, 1862, the Medal of Honor was created by the U.S. Congress, becoming the highest military decoration in the United States. | In 1979, the death of disco reached its peak during the "disco demolition" night at Chicago's Comiskey Park. | In 1901, Cy Young of the Boston Red Sox won his 300th game with a 5-3 victory over the Philadelphia A's. | In 1960, The Ohio Art Company launched the Etch A Sketch, which has sold more than 100 million units since its debut.

On July 11, 1804, Vice President Aaron Burr fatally shot Alexander Hamilton in a duel in Weehawken, New Jersey. Hamilton died the next day. | In 1914, Babe Ruth made his Major League Baseball debut with the Boston Red Sox, pitching seven innings for a win over the Cleveland Indians.

On July 10, 1925, the Scopes "Monkey" Trial began in Tennessee, challenging the legality of teaching evolution in public schools. | In 1850, Millard Fillmore became the 13th U.S. President after the death of President Zachary Taylor.

On July 9, 1850, U.S. President Zachary Taylor died unexpectedly after only 16 months in office | The Fourteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was ratified. This amendment granted citizenship to all persons born or naturalized in the United States, including formerly enslaved people, and guaranteed them "equal protection under the laws."

On July 8, 1776, the first public reading of the Declaration of Independence was given by Colonel John Nixon in Philadelphia.

On July 7, 1981, President Ronald Reagan announced the nomination of Sandra Day O'Connor to the Supreme Court. This nomination was historic, as she became the first woman to be appointed to the position of Associate Justice.

On July 6, 1785, the Continental Congress of the United States authorized the issuance of a new currency, the U.S. dollar.

On July 5, 1852, Frederick Douglass delivered what would become his most celebrated speech, "What to the slave is the Fourth of July?"