Interesting Facts

20th July 1712 – The Riot Act took effect in Great Britain. 1859 - American baseball fans were charged an admission fee for the first time. 1,500 spectators paid 50 cents each to see Brooklyn play New York. 1881 – Sioux Chief Sitting Bull led the last of his fugitive people in surrender to United States troops at Fort Buford, North Dakota. 1885 – The Football Association legalised professional football under pressure from the British Football Association. 1903 – Ford Motor Company shipped its first car. 1924 – Tehran fell under martial law after the American vice consul, Robert Imbrie, was killed by a mob enraged by rumours he had poisoned a fountain and killed several people. 1926 – A convention of the Methodist Church voted to allow women to become priests. 1928 – The Hungarian government issued a decree ordering Gypsies to end their nomadic ways, settle permanently in one place, and subject themselves to the same laws and taxes as other Hungarians. 1933 - Two-hun...

2nd July 862 – St. Swithun, Bishop of Winchester died. 1698 – Thomas Savery patented the first steam engine. 1776 – The Continental Congress adopted a resolution severing ties with Great Britain although the wording of the formal Declaration of Independence was not approved until July 4. 1777 – Vermont became the first American territory to abolish slavery. 1839 - 53 African slaves being transported to Cuba on the Spanish merchant ship La Amistad revolted against their captors led by Joseph Cinque. 1850 – The self-contained gas mask was patented by Benjamin J. Lane. 1853 – The Russian Army invaded Turkey, beginning the Crimean War. 1881 – Charles J. Guiteau shot and fatally wounded U.S. President James Garfield, who eventually died on September 19. 1897 – Italian scientist Guglielmo Marconi obtained a patent for radio in London. 1900 - The world's first rigid airship was demonstrated by Ferdinand Graf von Zeppelin on Lake Constance near Friedrichshafen, Germany...