History Today

Today in History — July 9

1868

09 July 1868: Fourteenth Amendment Ratified

On July 9, 1868, the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution was officially ratified, fundamentally transforming American law and citizenship. This amendment, one of the three Reconstruction Amendments passed after the Civil War, granted…

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1497

08 July 1497: Vasco da Gama Sets Sail for India

On July 8, 1497, Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama set sail from Lisbon with a fleet of four ships, embarking on a voyage that would fundamentally reshape world history by establishing the first direct sea…

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2005

07 July 2005: London Bombings Strike the City

On July 7, 2005, London was struck by a series of coordinated terrorist attacks that targeted the citys public transportation system during the morning rush hour. Four suicide bombers detonated explosives on three Underground trains…

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