Tuesday, July 5

This Day In History

• 1811   Venezuela became the first South American country to declare independence from Spain.
• 1830   The French occupied the North African city of Algiers.
• 1865   William Booth founded the Salvation Army in London.
• 1865   Tthe United States Secret Service was created. At first, the agency was only responsible for protecting against the counterfeiting of U.S. currency. In 1901, following the assassination of President William McKinley, the Secret Service began protecting the President of the U.S. The scope of responsibility for the Secret Service has grown enormously over the years. This arm of the U.S. Treasury is now also responsible for guarding the White House, the Executive Office Building, the Treasury building and annex along with all the billions of $$$ stored in its vaults.
• 1935   President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the National Labor Relations Act, which authorized labor to organize for the purpose of collective bargaining.
• 1940   Britain and the Vichy government in France broke diplomatic relations.
• 1946   The bikini made its debut during an outdoor fashion show at the Molitor Pool in Paris.
• 1948   Britain's National Health Service Act went into effect, providing government-financed medical and dental care.
• 1956   Elvis Presley's first commercial recording session took place, at Sun Records in Memphis, Tenn.
• 1989   Former National Security Council aide Oliver North received a $150,000 fine and a suspended prison term for his part in Iran-Contra. The convictions were later overturned.
• 1991   Regulators in eight countries shut down the Bank of Credit and Commerce International, charging it with fraud, drug money laundering and illegal infiltration into the U.S. banking system.
• 1997   Martina Hingis, 16, became the youngest Wimbledom singles champion in 110 years as she beat Jana Novotna in the women's final.
• 2001   President George W. Bush named veteran prosecutor Robert Mueller to head the FBI.
• 2002   Baseball hall-of-famer Ted Williams died at age 83.

Happy Birthday To

• 1801   David Farragut (Civil War Union Navy Admiral: “Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead.”; died Aug 14, 1870)
• 1810   P. T. (Phineus Taylor) Barnum (circus showman; passed away Apr 7, 1891)
• 1853   Cecil John Rhodes (diamond tycoon; founded Rhodes Scholarships at Oxford University; the African country of Rhodesia [now Zimbabwe] was named after him; died Mar 26, 1902)
• 1902   Henry Cabot Lodge Jr. (American diplomat: U.S. Ambassador: U.N., Viet Nam; died in 1985)
• 1904   Milburn Stone (actor: Gunsmoke)