Today in History — July 16
1945
16 July 1945: The Trinity Test Ushers in the Atomic Age
On July 16, 1945, the world entered a new and terrifying era when the United States successfully detonated the first atomic bomb in the remote desert of New Mexico. Code-named Trinity, this test represented the…
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1799
15 July 1799: Rosetta Stone Discovered
On July 15, 1799, during Napoleons Egyptian campaign, a French soldier named Pierre-Francois Bouchard made one of the most important archaeological discoveries in history. While digging the foundations for an extension to Fort Julien near…
Read more →1789
14 July 1789: Storming of the Bastille
On July 14, 1789, an armed mob of Parisian citizens stormed the Bastille, a medieval fortress and prison that had come to symbolize the absolute power and tyranny of the French monarchy. This dramatic act…
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- 15 July 1799: Rosetta Stone DiscoveredJul 15
- 14 July 1789: Storming of the BastilleJul 14
- 13 July 1985: Live Aid Concerts Unite the WorldJul 13
- 12 July 1862: Medal of Honor CreatedJul 12
- 11 July 1804: Hamilton-Burr Duel at WeehawkenJul 11
- 10 July 1962: Telstar Satellite LaunchedJul 10
- 09 July 1868: Fourteenth Amendment RatifiedJul 9
- 08 July 1497: Vasco da Gama Sets Sail for IndiaJul 8
- 07 July 2005: London Bombings Strike the CityJul 7
- 06 July 1942: Anne Frank and Family Go Into HidingJul 6
- 05 July 1687: Newton Publishes the Principia MathematicaJul 5
- 04 July 1776: Declaration of Independence AdoptedJul 4
- 03 July 1863: Picketts Charge at GettysburgJul 3
- 02 July 1964: President Johnson Signs the Civil Rights ActJul 2
- 01 July 1916: The Battle of the Somme BeginsJul 1