July 14th
Today in America's Present Past
1771 | Mission San Antonio de Padua was founded in California.
1798 | POTUS: Federalist President Adams signs the Alien and Sedition Acts.
1853 | POTUS: President Pierce opens the "Exhibition of the Industry of All Nations" (a World's Fair) in New York City, New York.
1857 | Entrepreneur Frederick Louis Maytag was born.
1863 | Civil War: Battle of Falling Waters, Maryland.
1865 | Indian Wars: The Chickasaw Nation is the last of the Five Tribes to surrender to the Union following the Confederate defeat.
1868 | Alvin J. Fellows patents the tape measure.
1870 | Congress: Authorizes Mary Todd Lincoln a $3,000 life pension a year.
1877 | Civil Rights: The national “Great Railroad Strike” starts with ensuring union-led violence nationwide.
1881 | Outlaw William H. Bonny (Billy the Kid) died.
1902 | Admiral Truman J. Hedding was born.
1906 | Entrepreneur Tom Carvel was born.
1910 | Animator William Hana was born.
1912 | Entertainer Woody Guthrie was born.
1913 | POTUS: President Gerald Ford was born.
1914 | Robert Goddard patents a liquid-fueled rocket design.
1919 | Civil Rights: “Red Summer race riots” in Indianapolis, Indiana.
1921 | Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti were convicted of killing their shoe company’s paymaster and sentenced to death in Dedham, Massachusetts.
1952 | Cleric Franklin Graham was born.
1952 | Director Joel Silver was born.
1955 | Author and activist L. Brent Bozell was born.
1960 | Actress Jane Lynch was born.
1965 | Politician Adlai Stevenson died.
1966 | Civil Rights: New York City race riots start.
1967 | Civil Rights: A Long, hot summer of riots continues in Hartford, Connecticut, and Plainfield, New Jersey.
1969 | Film: “Easy Rider” debuted.
1974 | General Carl Spaatz died.
1977 | North Korea shoots down a U.S. helicopter, killing 3.
1989 | Film: “When Harry Met Sally” debuted.
1998 | Entrepreneur Richard "Dick" McDonald died.
2015 | Harper Lee publishes “Go Set a Watchman.”