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Today in Labor History July 23, 2026

 

Unrest in Detroit

Northern Michigan copper miners struck for the 8 hour day, higher wages and union recognition. The strike continued until April 12, 1914. During the strike, 600 were arrested for inciting a riot, 500 for violating an injunction against picketing, and the Western Federation of Miners ( WFM) president, Charles Moyer, was shot, beaten and forced out of town. Also, on Christmas Eve, 1913, the women’s auxiliary of the WFM organized a party for miners and their families during which someone shouted “fire” causing a stampede that killed 73, mostly children. The identity of the crier was never determined, but many believe it was a member of the Citizen’s Alliance, a group used by the mine owners to attack strikers and crush their movement. The strike ended with the union being effectively driven out of the Keweenaw Peninsula. – 1913

Seven days of social unrest, including fighting with cops, anti-business and anti-government actions began in Detroit. By the end of the riots, 43 were dead, 2,000 wounded and 5,000 made homeless. It was the largest riot of the century, sparking additional riots throughout U.S. – 1967

Aluminum Workers International Union merged with The United Brick & Clay Workers of America to form Aluminum, Brick & Clay Workers. – 1981

Important Events From This day in History July 23

 

  

1976 First Cases Legionnaires Disease

1976 : 4,000 delegates from the Pennsylvania chapter of the American Legion met at the Bellevue-Stratford Hotel in Philadelphia for a four-day gathering. Several days after the event ended, many attendees became sick. By August 2, 22 people were dead and hundreds connected to the gathering were experiencing pneumonia-like symptoms. The cause was traced back to an aquatic microorganism bacteria at the hotel and the disease was later called Legionnaires disease.

1931 US Communist Crack Down

1931 : With the growing public discontent at high unemployment and the Government's failure to do anything a growing movement led by communist infiltrators to the US has meant the government is cracking down on communist activities including propaganda that is distributed to Negroes telling them to take control of the government and companies , Federal Agents have seized a large am mount of literature and is deporting the infiltrators back to Havana where most have come from.

1941 France Douglas Bader

1941 : Douglas Bader the British RAF fighter pilot who had lost his legs in a flying accident, was shot down over France and captured by the Germans. During his time as a POW, Douglas Bader made as much trouble as possible and escaped in August 1942, on his recapture by the Germans he was sent to Colditz Castle which provided a more secure prison. Before he was shot down he had claimed 22 German aircraft shot down which was the fifth highest total in the RAF. In 1956 the movie “Reach for the Sky” was based on The Story of Douglas Bader, Hero of the Battle of Britain.”

1945 Vichy Leader Treason Trial

1945 : Marshal Henri Petain, who had headed the Vichy government during World War II and had signed as head of state an armistice with Germany that gave Nazi Germany control over the north and west of the country, this left part of the country not under Nazi control including the resort town of Vichy which is where the administrative center was (hence the name Vichy Government). Marshal Henri Petain is put on trial for treason.

1952 Egypt Military Coup d'etat

1952 : A military coup d'etat in Egypt headed by Colonel Gamal Abdal Nasser's Society of Free Officers seizes control of the government. Following the revolution King Farouk I of Egypt abdicates. The revolutionaries redistributed land, tried politicians for corruption, and in 1953 abolished the monarchy. In 1954, Nasser emerged from behind the scenes, removed Naguib from power, and proclaimed himself prime minister of Egypt.

1957 Great Britain Bus Workers Strike

1957 : Bus drivers throughout Britain have now been on strike for the 5th day causing major disruption to commuters around the country and in some area's due to the frustration of the travelling public leading to violence.

1964 U.S.A. War On Poverty

1964 : President Lyndon B. Johnson began pushing for a War on Poverty requesting $962,000 from Congress for improving literacy, drug rehabilitation and employment programs.

1967 U.S.A. Detroit Riots

1967 : One of the worst riots in U.S. history breaks out in the heart of Detroit's predominantly African American inner city. By the time it was ended four days later on July 27th by 7,000 National Guard and U.S. Army troops, 43 people were dead, 342 injured, and nearly 1,400 buildings had been burned.

1974 Greece Constantine Karamanlis

1974 : Following a military coup seizing power in Greece in April 1967 Constantine Karamanlis had been in self imposed exile in France . On this day the military leadership has invited him back to form a new government hoping his popularity with both the Greek people and Turkish leadership will avert an all out war over Cyprus. Turkish forces invaded Cyprus 2 days earlier.

1975 U.S.A. Inflation at 9%

1975 : The Nations Consumer Price Index has been published today which shows that the yearly inflation is currently running at 9% , but in some areas such as the cost of food running at close to 1.5% per month and gas at whopping 3% with premium Gas prices reaching 60 cents per gallon.

1984 U.S.A. Vanessa Williams

1984 : Vanessa Williams, the first black Miss America, gave up her crown after sexually explicit photos of her appeared in the September issue of Penthouse magazine.

1984 Sellafield Nuclear Power Plant

1984 : A new government report confirms an increased incidence of Leukemia clusters in and around the Sellafield Nuclear Power Plant in Cumbria. The report led by Sir Douglas Black has confirmed the clusters but says to little research has been done to confirm they are related to the Nuclear Power Plant. A number of reports in later years did link the increase of Leukemia in the area to Sellafield but BNFL (British Nuclear Fuels) and the government continue to say that there is no evidence to support a link between Leukemia and nuclear power plants.

1986 UK Prince Andrew Marries

1986 : Prince Andrew married English commoner Sarah Ferguson at Westminster Abbey which has recently celebrated it's 900 year old birthday in London.

1995 BP Agrees To Pay Back Taxes

1995 : In Alaska BP America has agreed to pay an additional $20 million in Back taxes to the state of Alaska , this is on top of an earlier settlement to the state in 1993 of $650 million.

2000 U.S.A. Tiger Woods

2000 : Tiger Woods today became the youngest player to win a career Grand Slam after winning the British Open at St. Andrews.

2003 Claims of Abuse By Clergy in Mass

2003 : The Massachusetts attorney general report claims clergy members and others in the Boston Archdiocese possibly sexually abused more than 1,000 children over sixty years.

2005 Egypt Terrorist Attack Sharm al-Sheikh

2005 : A number of bombs have been exploded in the Egyptian resort of Sharm al-Sheikh by Terrorist attacks. The latest figures indicate nearly 100 are dead including tourists staying at a Hotel that was targeted, and many more injured.

2006 Germany Doctors Strike

2006 : Doctors in Germany continued rolling strikes with demands for better working conditions and higher wages. This strike affected up to 700 hospitals in Germany for over a month. Nearly 70,000 doctors alternated protests while still providing basic emergency care for patients in the country.

2007 Spain Bank Robber Caught

2007 : The most wanted criminal in Spain was caught on this day. The man was accused of armed robbery of more than thirty banks in Spain and killing at least three police officers. He was arrested in Figueira da Foz, Portugal while planning another bank robbery.

2007 U.S.A. United States Veterans

2007 : A coalition of Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans sues the United States government on claims that they have been denied mental health care and disability payments. The group claimed that the Department of Veteran Affairs would purposely mislabel soldiers experiencing post-traumatic stress disorder so the government would not have to pay for treatment.

2008 Japan Earthquake

2008 : An earthquake with a magnitude of 6.8 hit Japan on this day. The earthquake hit the main island of Honshu and caused landslides, power outages, fires, and injuries.

2009 Iceland Applies For EU Membership

2009 : The country of Iceland submitted its formal bid to join the European Union on this day. Iceland’s economic collapse in 2008 spurred Iceland’s leaders to finally move forward on joining the European Union, hoping that the organization would provide more economic security.

2011 Singer Amy Winehouse Found Dead

2011 : Eclectic singer Amy Winehouse was found dead in her London apartment. The cause of death was unknown but Winehouse had suffered from alcohol and drug addiction for years prior to her death. Fans paid tribute to her and gathered around her home, while friends and family grieved the loss of a talented singer with a unique voice.

2012 First US Woman in Space Dies

2012 : Sally Ride, the first woman from the United States who went into space, died at the age of sixty-one after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Ride made her first flight into space in 1983 in the Space Shuttle Challenger.

2013 Burma Political Prisoners Released

2013 : Seventy-three political prisoners were freed by the Burmese government in an attempt by President Thein Sein to release all political dissidents by the end of the year. Burma has been working towards democracy since 2010 and began releasing prisoners three years ago.

Today in Labor History July 22, 2026

 Preparedness Day bombing

A General Strike occurred in St. Louis, as part of the national Great Strike. The St. Louis strike is generally considered the first General Strike in U.S. history. It was organized by the radical Knights of Labor and the Workingman’s Party. In addition to joining in solidarity with striking rail workers, thousands in other trades came out to fight for the 8-hour day and an end to child labor. 3,000 federal troops and 5,000 deputized police (vigilantes?) ended the strike by killing at least 18 people and arresting at least 70. – 1877

Newly unionized brewery workers in San Francisco, mostly German socialists, declare victory after the city’s breweries give in to their demands for free beer, the closed shop, freedom to live anywhere (they had typically been required to live in the breweries), a 10-hour day, a six-day workweek, and a board of arbitration. – 1886

Alexander Berkman tried to assassinate Henry Clay Frick who was responsible for the deaths of nine miners killed by Pinkerton thugs on July 6, during the Homestead Strike. – 1892

A bomb was set off during a pro-war “Preparedness Day” parade in San Francisco. The city was holding a parade in honor of Preparedness day, in anticipation of the United States’ imminent entry into World War 1. During the parade, a suitcase bomb was detonated, killing ten and wounding 40 in the worst such attack in San Francisco’s history. Two labor leaders, Thomas Mooney and Warren K. Billing, were convicted in separate trials and sentenced to death, later commuted to life in prison. Further investigations found the trials to have been marred by false testimony, and the men were released in 1939 and eventually pardoned. The identity of the bombers has never been determined. – 1916

Important Events From This day in History July 22

 

  

1991 U.S.A. Jeffrey Dahmer

1991 : Jeffrey Dahmer is caught and is considered one of the most sadistic serial killers in our time when Dahmer's apartment was searched, the extent of his horrors was revealed, it contained pictures of body parts and the apartment was littered with human remains including human heads in the refrigerator and freezer, there was also evidence to suggest that he had been practicing cannibalism with his victims bodies, he later confessed to 17 murders in all.

1933 U.S.A. Wiley Post

1933 : Wiley Hardeman Post (Wiley Post) becomes the first man to fly solo around the world in his plywood monocoque aircraft, the Winnie Mae. He took 7 days, 19 hours -- 21 hours less than his previous record which he had set in 1931 with a navigator, Harold Gatty. Instead of a navigator he had installed an auto pilot device and a radio compass which were still in development, but which allowed him to make his solo journey.

1934 U.S.A. John Dillinger Shot

1934 : John Dillinger Public Enemy number ONE career was finally ended during a shoot out with FBI agents who had been waiting outside a local Cinema following a tip off.

More about John Dillinger

1937 U.S.A. Supreme Court

1937 : President Franklin D. Roosevelt proposed to add five new justices to the Supreme Court, this was because the Supreme Court were overturning many of his programs and he believed if he placed an additional 5 new justices chosen by him he would get his legislation through. Much to his dismay the Senate turned down his proposal.

1942 Poland Warsaw Ghetto

1942 : Himmler ordered Rudolph Hoess an SS major to clean up the Warsaw ghetto, the Jewish quarter enclosed by barbed wire and brick walls which was to be depopulated and the inhabitants transported to Treblinka. Rudolph Hoess started the systematic deportation of Jews from the Warsaw ghetto on July 22nd with thousands rounded up daily and transported to the newly constructed concentration camp at Treblinka, in Poland. In just seven weeks of Himmler's order, more than 250,000 Jews were taken to Treblinka by rail and gassed to death.

1950 Save The Buffalo Bison Campaign

1950 : The American Buffalo / Bison which roamed the plains and numbered over 50 million are now down to a mere 4000 animals and concerns over extinction means more work and money is to be spent to save this important part of the American Heritage. It is estimated that there are now only four free roaming and genetically pure herds of American Bison / Buffalo on public lands in North America: Yellowstone National Park (4,000 Bison), Henry Mountains in Utah (500 Bison), Wind Cave National Park in South Dakota (1,500 Bison), Elk Island in Alberta, Canada (500 Bison).

1964 Japan Tokyo Olympics

1964 : Plans are being put in place to show live feed from the Tokyo Olympic games to Television viewers in Canada and the United States using a new Comstat Satellite Syncom III which will be launched in August and hold a stationary or hovering orbit position above the Pacific Ocean. The Olympic Games will be shown to television viewers in October.

1975 U.S.A. Personal Bankruptcy On The Increase

1975 : A growing number of people are filing for personal bankruptcy which is more than ever before, the reasons can be traced through to any number including: Inflation, Pay rises not matching expectations, Increased use of Credit Cards, Shop-A-Holics, Gas Price Increases.

1987 Soviet Union Nuclear Missile Ban

1987 : Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev indicates that he is willing to negotiate a ban on intermediate-range nuclear missiles without conditions paving the way for the groundbreaking Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty with the United States.

1992 Colombia Pablo Escobar

1992 : Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar escaped from his own luxurious private prison, La Catedral. near Medellin. At one time Escabar had been listed as the seventh-richest man in the world on Forbes Magazine. The United States Delta Force joined Colombian Police and a self proclaimed vigilante group in the all-out manhunt for Escobar and in December 1993 he was found and died in a shoot out.

2002 Israeli Bomb Kills 15 People

2002 : An Israeli F-16 has dropped a one-tonne guided bomb on an apartment block in Gaza City killing 15 including innocent children in an attack designed to kill Sheikh Salah Shahada a leading member of the militant group Hamas.

2003 Iraq Saddam Hussein’s Sons Killed

2003 : Former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein’s sons, Qusay and Uday Hussein, are killed after a three-hour firefight with U.S. forces in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul.

2003 Memphis Summer Storm

2003 : A summer storm, dubbed the Memphis Summer Storm of 2003, strikes the region with 100 mph winds and rains. When it was over, four people were dead with several more dead and injured as a result of fires and other accidents that the storm caused. More than 300,000 area residents were also left without power.

2005 England Suspected Terrorist Shot 7 times

2005 : A suspected terrorist is shot dead by police at Stockwell underground station in south London. A few days later the man who police had killed was Jean Charles de Menezes a Brazillian Electrician who had nothing to do with terrorist activities. An apology was made by the British Prime Minister (Not Accepted by the family) and questions have been asked about the police's shoot-to-kill policy.

2008 U.S.A. Estelle Getty Dies

2008 : Estelle Getty, the comedian who played the popular role of Sophia Petrillo on the 1990s sitcom, Golden Girls, died on this day.

2009 Space Solar Eclipse

2009 : The longest total solar eclipse of the 21st century, (when the Moon passes between Earth and the Sun, thereby totally or partially obscuring Earth's view of the Sun) lasting up to 6 minutes and 38.8 seconds, occurs off the coast of Southeast Asia. The total eclipse was seen for shorter time-spans in the Maldives, northern Pakistan, northern India, northern Bangladesh, Bhutan, northern Philippines, central China and the Pacific Ocean.

2011 Norway Hit By Bombing and Shooting Attacks

2011 : A large bomb blast hit Norway's capital Oslo killing at least eight people. Soon after the bombing, a gunman attacked an island youth camp run by the country's Labor Party and killed at least sixty-eight people. A thirty-two year old suspect was detained, Anders Behring Breivik, and admitted to committing both attacks.

2012 Bradley Wiggins Wins Tour de France

2012 : Thirty-two year old Bradley Wiggins won the Tour de France, making the first British man to win the famous bicycle race. He won by a margin of three minutes and twenty-one seconds and second place went to fellow Brit, Chris Froome.

2013 Duchess of Cambridge Gives Birth

2013 : The Duchess of Cambridge gave birth to a healthy baby boy, named Prince George of Cambridge. The baby is Prince William's son and will likely become the King of England one day in the future. The news was met with celebrations across England and the world as royal baby fans camped out waiting for news of the birth.

Today in Labor History July 21, 2026

 The Great Upheaval

30,000 Chicago workers rallied on Market Street during the Great Upheaval, a wave of strikes occurring throughout the country. Future anarchist and Haymarket martyr Albert Parsons spoke to the crowd, advocating the use of the ballot to obtain “state control of the means of production,” and urged workers to join the Workingmen’s Party. Parsons was later abducted by armed men who took him to the police where he was interrogated and informed that he had caused the city great trouble. Local militiamen were called out against striking railroad workers in Pittsburgh. The head of the Pennsylvania Railroad advised giving the strikers “a rifle diet for a few days and see how they like that kind of bread.” Instead, the militiamen joined the workers. Meanwhile, federal troops were sent to Baltimore, where they killed 10 strikers and wounded 25.  – 1877

A compressed air explosion killed 20 workers constructing a railroad tunnel under the Hudson River. – 1880

IWW led a strike at Hodgeman’s Blueberry Farm in Grand Junction, Mich. – 1964

Radio station WCFL, owned and operated by the Chicago Federation of Labor (hence the call sign),  took to the airwaves with two hours of music. The first and only labor-owned radio station in the country, WCFL was sold in 1979. – 1926

A die-cast operator in Jackson, Mich. was pinned by a hydraulic Unimate robot and died five days later. The incident is the first documented case in the U.S. of a robot killing a human. – 1984

Important Events From This day in History July 21

 

 

1925 U.S.A. The Monkey Trial

1925 : John T. Scopes convicted of violating Tennessee state law for teaching Darwin's theory of evolution in the "Monkey Trial." The conviction was later overturned.

1911 England Lloyd George

1911 : Lloyd George the chancellor of the exchequer and future prime minister recognized war might be the price of continued threats to the security of the country and its allies. His rousing speech included the words that peace made by backing down to German demands for Algeria and Tunisia would be a humiliation intolerable for a great country to endure.

1931 No Money For Teachers Pay

1931 : In the city of Chicago which has one of the most modern Opera Houses in the US, can not pay it's 14,000 teachers their salaries due to running out of money , School payrolls have now not been paid for 2 months and many of the teachers are facing severe hardship including losing their homes. School boards have no money because property owners are behind with their payments due to large numbers being unemployed.

1944 Guam US Forces Land World War II

1944 : American marines land on Guam in the Mariana Islands, Pacific Ocean to gain back control of the island which had been taken by the Japanese shortly after the attacks on Pearl Harbor.

1950 U.S.A. Increasing Prices

1950 : Food prices and prices for other commodities have been increasing at alarming rate and a government investigation has blamed a number of factors causing the increases - Hoarding due to concerns over the Korean War, Profiteering by companies, and Increased costs of raw materials.

1954 France Surrenders North Vietnam in Indo-China War

1954 : The Indo-China war ends when France surrenders North Vietnam to the Communists, a peace accord signed in Geneva, Switzerland between communist North Vietnam Forces and France agrees Vietnam will be divided between north and south Vietnam along the 17th parallel. In the 60's as North Vietnam begins it's attacks on South Vietnam The United States intervenes to defend the 17th Parallel resulting in the long and bloody Vietnam War which finally ended in 1975 with North Vietnam conquering the South.

1969 Space Apollo 11

1969 : Apollo 11 astronauts departed from the moon today after making history with man's first visit including walking on the moons surface and planting the American flag . It is estimated over 500 million people around the world watched history unfold.

1970 Egypt Aswan High Dam

1970 : The Aswan High Dam across the Nile River in Egypt is completed creating renewable energy and helping to stop the cycle of flooding and drought in the area.

1975 U.S.A. Postal Service Price Increases

1975 : An agreement has been reached by the Postal Service and the Postal Workers Union averting a strike threatened by 600,000 postal workers. The Postal Service has stated that as labor costs are 85% of the cost of the Postal Services an increase in charges will need to happen.

1980 U.S.A. Draft Registration

1980 : All 19 and 20 year old men are required to register for the Draft, this followed Proclamation 4771, Registration Under the Military Selective Service Act signed by President Jimmy Carter re-establishing the Selective Service registration requirement for all 18-26 year old male citizens born on or after January 1st, 1960.

1987 Italy Ferrari F 40 Unveiled

1987 : To celebrate the 40 yrs of Ferrari production Enzo Ferrari unveiled the Ferrari F40 at the factory in Maranello, Italy. The F40 was the fastest road vehicle ever built at that time.

1997 USS Constitution

1997 : Thousands watched as the USS Constitution, known as Old Ironsides, celebrated 200 years by sailing from Marblehead, Massachusetts, under its own power for the first time in 116 years.

2002 U.S.A. Oregon Biscuit Fire

2002 : The Biscuit Fire was a wildfire that scorched and burned almost a half million acres in Oregon’s beautiful Siskiyou National Forest started by lightning and was not completely contained until December 31 later that same year.

2002 Worldcom Files Bankruptcy Protection

2002 : WorldCom Inc. files for bankruptcy protection after disclosing it had inflated profits by nearly $4 billion through deceptive accounting practices from 1999 - 2002 to mask its poor earnings and presenting a false picture of financial growth and profitability of the company.

2005 Terrorist Attack London Underground

2005 : Terrorists attack the London underground system and London Busses by planting bombs on three subways and on one bus but unlike an earlier attack the bombs create only miner blasts as only the detonators explode and not the main bombs.

2006 Cambodia Ta Mok “The Butcher” Dies

2006 : Ta Mok, a key leader of the Khmer Rouge regime in Cambodia died of natural causes while awaiting trial for committing genocide and crimes against humanity. Ta Mok had been nicknamed “The Butcher” and was an important leader in the brutal Khmer Rouge regime under which an estimated 1.7 million people died.

2007 India Pratibha Patil Elected

2007 : The seventy-two year old Pratibha Patil is elected to the presidency in India, and becomes the first woman president of the country. Although the presidency in India is largely ceremonial, she will have some responsibilities concerning the government and coalitions.

2007 England Final Harry Potter Book Published

2007 : The last and final Harry Potter book goes on sale "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" written by J. K. Rowling. 10 years after the first Harry Potter Book was published.

2008 Yemen Exposed Dinosaur Tracks

2008 : Exposed dinosaur tracks are discovered by scientists in Yemen. In the village of Madar, the tracks were once believed to belong to giant camels, but after scientists examined the tracks, they determined that they had belonged to a herd of eleven dinosaurs from 150 million years ago. This was the first discovery of this kind on the Arabian Peninsula.

2008 Serbia Radovan Karadzic Captured

2008 : A former political leader during the Bosnian War in the 1990's, Radovan Karadzic was finally captured in Serbia on this day. He had been on the run for over ten years after being indicted for war crimes and genocide. The capture was seen as a triumph for the new government in Serbia, as it looked to join the European Union.

2011 Texas Executes Hate Killer

2011 : The US state of Texas executed Mark Stroman, who was convicted of killing two people he thought were Arab after going on a rampage after the 9/11 attacks. Stroman shot another man, Rais Bhuiyan, who survived. Bhuiyan supported Stroman's plea for clemency on the death sentence stating that killing him was "not the solution."

2012 Helicopter Crash in Brunei Kills Twelve

2012 : A helicopter carrying fourteen people crashed in Brunei, killing twelve and injuring two. The helicopter was carrying three crew and eleven military cadets home after they had been training in the jungle. The monarch of the country Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah visited the two survivors in the hospital who were said to be in stable condition.

2013 New Belgian King

2013 : Crown Prince Philippe becomes the King of Belgium after his father King Albert II abdicated after almost twenty years as king. The role of royals in Belgium is largely ceremonial.

Friday Morning in the Blogosphere

 

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Today in Labor History July 17, 2026

 Seattle Potlatch Riots

Today marked the beginning of Seattle’s Potlatch Riots in which soldiers and sailors brawled with members of the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) during Seattle’s Potlatch Festival. Alden Blethen, publisher of the “Seattle Times,” who hated free speech and feared “radical elements,” had been fanning the flames of reaction against the IWW and local activists. He was highly critical of liberal Mayor Cotterill for allowing IWW organizers and anarchists to speak publicly in downtown Seattle. His red-baiting led to violence, as soldiers and sailors ransacked IWW and Socialist headquarters. The riots that followed were essentially an attempt to suppress free speech and labor organizing and were a harbinger of the nationwide red scare leading up to and following World War I. In response to the riots, Mayor Cotterill declared an emergency, took control of the police, shut down saloons, banned street speaking and attempted to temporarily shut down the Times. – 1913

The Justice Department instructed its attorneys and special agents to keep tabs on local Wobblies (Industrial Workers of the World) to determine their plans, sources of income, and any evidence that might link them to anti-war or pro-German activity. No incriminating evidence ever surfaced. – 1917

Two ammunition ships exploded at Port Chicago (now known as the Concord Naval Weapons Center), California, killing 322 — including 202 African-Americans assigned by the Navy to handle explosives. The explosion was so large that it could be seen 35 miles away in San Francisco, across the Bay. In response, 258 African-Americans refused to return to the dangerous work, initiating what would be known as the Port Chicago Mutiny. 50 of the men were convicted. – 1944

The death of a missile mechanic at Cape Canaveral sparked a successful 4-day walkout that won improved local health and safety programs. – 1958

Important Events From This day in History July 17

 1917 Royal Family Name Changed

1917 : The King of England King George announced the new name of the royal house and family is to be the House of Windsor after he decided to drop his German family name "Saxe-Coburg and Gotha."

1928 Bootlegger Outsmarts Agents

1928 : Prohibition agents still cannot catch the well known bootlegger who plies his trade on the Ohio River and is well known and protected by locals who warn of agents in the area. He makes his moonshine up in the mountains and travels slowly down the river quenching the thirst of locals along the way. When he runs out he goes back to the mountains to start the process again.

1941 Joe DiMaggio Hitting Streak Ends

1941 : Joe DiMaggio hitting streak of 56 consecutive games ended as 67,468 people watched DiMaggio at bat in the Cleveland stadium.

1944 US Ammunition Ships Explode

1944 : 300 people were killed when two ammunition ships were destroyed with massive explosions that almost flattened the town of Port Chicago, the cause was thought to be accidental.

1945 Germany Potsdam Conference

1945 : Following the defeat of Nazi Germany U.S. President Harry S. Truman, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, and Soviet Premier Joseph Stalin attend the Potsdam conference which will decide many of the major issues that need to be decided after the war including: Administration of a defeated Germany, Polish Borders, Occupation of Austria, Soviet Union's role in Eastern Europe, War reparations, and the continuing war in the Pacific. Unlike earlier meetings where trust was limited but they worked together at this conference each country was more concerned with its own long-term interests than that of its partners and the Soviet Union achieved it's main objective that each country currently occupied by soviet forces would stay under soviet control, effectively splitting Europe into east and west.

1954 U.S.A. "Operation Wetback"

1954 : Operation Wetback" is launched by the United States Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) to remove about four million illegal immigrants from the southwestern United States, with a focus on Mexican nationals. The operation began in California and Arizona sweeping northward through agricultural areas with a goal of 1,000 apprehensions a day.

1955 U.S.A. Disneyland

1955 : Disneyland in Anaheim, California opens to invited guests only. More than 30,000 guests showed up to participate in one of the largest theme parks in the world at the time.

1974 Bomb Exploded In The Tower Of London

1974 : A terrorist bomb planted in the Tower of London has left one person dead and 41 injured. No organization has claimed responsibility but the IRA is suspected.

1975 Space Cold War Co-operation

1975 : Even in a time of cold war hostilities the United States and the Soviet Union realized that if ether had a problem in space the only help would come from the other side and both decided to work together on a mission aimed at developing space rescue capability, the U.S. spacecraft Apollo 18 and the Soviet spacecraft Soyuz 19 rendezvous and dock in space successfully.

1976 Olympics African countries Withdrawal

1976 : The 21st Olympic Games in Montreal opening ceremony is marred by the withdrawal of 25 African countries over New Zealand's All Black Rugby Union team touring South Africa who were banned from Olympic Competition. Other countries joined the boycott over the next few days including Egypt and eventually 33 countries did not compete.

1979 Sandinista National Liberation Front Overthrow Government

1979 : The Sandinista National Liberation Front Led by Daniel and Humberto Ortega have overthrown the regime in the central American republic of Nicaragua and taken the capital, Managua. The earlier right wing regime led by President Anastasio Somoza Debayle whose family has been in control for over 40 years has fled to the United States (The US has been providing support and training for the regime and Army). Following the change The United States through Covert Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) operations supported the rebel Contras over the next 10 years in an attempt to destabilize the left wing government and in 1990 the center-right National Opposition Union defeated the Sandinistas, ending their decade-long spell in power.

1981 Hyatt Regency Hotel Bridge Collapse Kansas City

1981 : Two sky bridges collapsed onto the lobby floor at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Kansas City, Missouri killing at least 111 and injuring more than 140.

1996 TWA Boeing 747 Plane Crash

1996 : Shortly after takeoff from New York's Kennedy International Airport, a TWA Boeing 747 jetliner (Flight 800) bound for Paris explodes over the Atlantic, killing all 230 people aboard.

1997 U.S.A. Woolworth's

1997 : F.W. Woolworth's, the original five-and-dime store that started in 1879, announced today that its last 400 stores would close.

2000 UK Tesco's Bows To Public Pressure

2000 : Tesco the largest supermarket chain in the UK has bowed to public pressure and will now return to scales with pounds and ounces and metric weights. In 2009 retailers will no longer be allowed to use dual prices and scales for loose goods and will only be able to weigh in Metric.

2003 Venice Threatened By Global Warming

2003 : As Cities and countries around the world face up to increasing water levels. The city most at risk has been battling the rising sea for over 1,000 years and many believe will be the first city to succumb to global warming. Parts of Venice that only flooded on exceptional tides 7 times per year 100 years ago now flood 200 times per year.

2006 Indonesia Earthquake and Tsunami

2006 : A tsunami caused by an earthquake with a magnitude of 7.7 killed over 100 people on this day at West Java seaside resort of Pangandaran. Over 2,000 people were forced to evacuate the area that was hit by the tsunami.

2007 Brazil Plane Crash

2007 : A TAM Airlines Airbus 320 Flight 3054 has overshot the runway at Congonhas-São Paulo International Airport, São Paulo, Brazil as it landed in wet weather and burst into flames killing all 187 people on board and twelve people on the ground. This is the worst air disaster in Brazilian history.

2008 Rwanda Immunity to Former Presidents

2008 : The Rwandan parliament voted to give immunity from prosecution to former presidents of the country. The change to the country’s constitution is mainly thought to be a protection for the former President Kagame, who presided over the country during the genocide that killed over 800,000 people.

2009 United States Walter Cronkite

2009 : Walter Cronkite, a former news anchor in the United States passed away at the age of 92 on this day. Cronkite anchored the nightly news on CBS for nineteen years and was a well-respected journalist and was considered to be “the most trusted man in America” according to polls.

2011 Venezuelan President Chavez Returns to Cuba

2011 : The president of Venezuela, Hugo Chavez, returned to Cuba to face further cancer treatment. Fifty-six year old Chavez had undergone surgery to remove a tumor previously and would now be starting chemotherapy. Chavez delegated few powers to his cabinet in his absence despite calls from the opposition for him to let his vice president run the country while he was going through treatment.

2012 Boy Scouts of America to Keep Gay Ban

2012 : After a secretive two year review on the subject the Boys Scouts of America have decided that they would not change their policy on excluding gay scouts and scout leaders. A panel of eleven people chosen for their diverse views voted unanimously to keep the policy unchanged and a spokesperson for the organization stated that it was the best policy for the group. Many critics of the decision, including board members of the organization, say that they would support a change and that gay members should be allowed to join.

2013 Same-Sex Marriage Legal in England and Wales

2013 : A bill that would legalize same-sex marriage in England and Wales received official Royal assent and it would become law. The law allowed religious organizations to opt-in to performing same-sex marriages with the exception of the Church of England and Church in Wales being banned from performing ceremonies.

Thursday Morning in the Blogosphere

 Venice Beach, California

How to turn FOIA requests into investigative scoops - E&P Magazine

US copyright law has been weaponised to silence reporting around the world - PG

Those Subpoenas to Reporters May Not Be Quite What You Think - Second Rough Draft

AJC’s director of social media speaks to developing an engaged audience - E&P Magazine

Andrews McMeel Syndication continues Dear Abby column as creator Jeanne Phillips retires - PR

Today in Labor History July 16, 2026

 San Francisco General Strike

Carlo Tresca and other Industrial Workers of the World ( IWW) strike leaders were arrested on charges of inciting the murder of a deputy. This was during a strike of 30,000 iron-ore mine workers of the Mesabi range in northern Minnesota. – 1916

Ten thousand workers went on strike at Chicago’s International Harvester operations. – 1919

Martial law was declared in a strike by longshoremen in Galveston, Texas. – 1920

The San Francisco General Strike began. The longshoremen’s strike actually started on May 9 and lasted 83 days, leading ultimately to the unionization of all West Coast ports. The strike grew violent quickly, with company goons and police brutalizing longshoremen and sailors. They hired private security to protect the scabs they brought in to load and unload ships, housing them in moored ships and wall compounds that the strikers attacked. In San Pedro, two workers were killed by private security on May 15. Battles also broke out in Oakland, San Francisco, Portland and Seattle. On July 5, police attacked strikers with tear gas and with clubs in San Francisco while on horseback and later fired into the crowd, killing two and injuring others. A General Strike was called on July 14 and began on July 16, lasting 4 days. – 1934

Important Events From This day in History July 16

 

 

1969 U.S.A. Apollo 11

1969 : Apollo 11 astronauts were launched into space on a Saturn 5 rocket launched from Cape Kennedy at 9:32 a.m. hoping to be the first men to land on the moon. The crew consisted of Neil Armstrong (Commander), Edwin 'Buzz' Aldrin (Lunar Module Pilot), and Michael Collins (Command Module Pilot). It's estimated more than a million people watched the launch at Cape Kennedy in Florida. Apollo 11 is scheduled to make it's moon landing in four days time on Sunday July 20th if all goes well.

1918 Russia Czar Nicholas II

1918 : Czar Nicholas II and his family are executed by the Bolsheviks, bringing an end to the three-century-old Romanov dynasty.

1928 U.S.A. Farm Wages

1928 : The Bureau of Agricultural Economics part of the Department of Agriculture has reported that the wages for farm industry are lower than last years levels as the supply of farm workers is more plentiful.

1945 U.S.A. Atomic Bomb

1945 : The world's first atomic bomb was detonated near Alamogordo, New Mexico.

1955 UK Sterling Moss

1955 : Sterling Moss won his first Formula One Grand Prix race, the British Grand Prix in Aintree, Sterling Moss never won a World Championship, having finished second to Juan Manuel Fangio for four consecutive years.

1957 U.S.A. Record Flight

1957 : A new transcontinental record was set travelling across the United States in 3 hours, 23 minutes in a Navy jet plane by Major John Glenn Jr.

1970 UK State Of Emergency

1970 : The British Home Secretary Reginald Maudling declares a state of emergency to deal with dock strikes, this will allow the use of The Army, Navy and Airforce to be on standby to handle cargo from ships affected.

1973 U.S.A. White House Tapes Revealed

1973 : During a senate investigation into the Watergate Affair a former White House aide reveals the existence of a secret taping system which would contain tapes possibly incriminating President Nixon.

1979 Iraq Saddam Hussein

1979 : Following a period of building his power base in Iraq Saddam Hussein forces the ailing president of Iraq (al-Bakr) to resign and takes over as the president of Iraq. On his first assembly of Ba'ath party leaders following gaining control he lists 68 "disloyal" members of the party to be removed (Later tried and Many sentenced to death) to ensure his rule would be safe from dissenters.

1984 Philippines President Marcos

1984 : President Ferdinand E Marcos wearing full battle fatigues led his troops to battle communist rebels in forested mountains.

1987 UK British Airways

1987 : British Caledonian and British Airways have agreed to a merger which will help them compete on the world stage with the large US Airlines . The merger was investigated by the Monopolies and Mergers Commission and after a number of guaranteed for staff from British Caledonian the merger was finally given the go ahead in December 1987.

1990 Philippines Earthquake

1990 : A 7.7-magnitude earthquake strikes Luzon Island in the Philippines with Baguio City suffering the worst effects with more than 1,000 people killed.

1999 U.S.A. John F. Kennedy, Jr.

1999 : John F. Kennedy, Jr. his wife, Carolyn Bessette Kennedy; and her sister, Lauren Bessette, die when the single-engine plane that Kennedy was piloting crashes into the Atlantic Ocean near Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts.

2002 U.S.A. Department of Homeland Security

2002 : President George W. Bush announces his plan for strengthening homeland security in the wake of the September 11th, 2001, (911) terrorist attacks on New York and Washington, D.C., in which nearly 3,000 people had been killed. He created the Department of Homeland Security and the color-coded warning system that identified different levels of threat.

2004 U.S.A. Martha Stewart

2004 : Martha Stewart is sentenced to five months in prison and a two year period of supervised release (to include five months of home confinement) by a federal judge in New York for conspiracy, obstruction of an agency proceeding, and making false statements to federal investigators.

2006 South Korea Severe Flooding

2006 : Over 2,000 people were forced to evacuate their homes as monsoon rains produced flash floods and landslides in the Gangwon province of South Korea. Mudslides killed least ten people, while many others were reported missing.

2006 David Carruthers CEO BETonSPORTS plc. Arrested

2006 : Mr Carruthers travelling to Costa Rica changes planes at Dallas Airport where federal authorities arrest him. His arrest is part of a crackdown by US authorities designed to "punish and seize the profits" of those illegally running commercial gambling across state and international borders which is a crime in the US. Following his arrest many of the companies who target US gamblers online are being hit hard.

2007 Japan Central Japan Earthquake

2007 : An earthquake with a magnitude of 6.8 hit central Japan. As a result of the earthquake nine people were killed, hundreds of homes were damaged, and one of the worlds largest nuclear power plants was damaged. The Kashiwazaki-Kariwa power plant had a small electrical fire after the quake, as well as leaks of radioactive air and water into the environment. Nearly 100 barrels of nuclear waste also fell over because of the earthquake. The incident prompted increased safety in power plants over concern of a repeated scare.

2008 Egypt Train Crash

2008 : Over thirty people are killed after a train crash takes place near Marsa Matruh, Egypt. Over forty people were also injured because of the crash. The crash was reportedly caused by the train colliding with vehicles at a crossing.

2009 U.S.A. Industrial Espionage By Chinese

2009 : Dongfan Chung, a former engineer employed by Boeing and Rockwell International, was found guilty of economic espionage on this day. Chung, a Chinese born naturalized United States citizen was accused of giving secretive information about space shuttle technology to China. This is part of a major concern in the West over China's increased attempts at obtaining military and industrial secrets through whatever means they can. Back in the times of the Cold War between the West and the Soviet Union very similar circumstances were common practice.

2011 North Korean Athletes Fail Doping Tests

2011 : Five players from North Korea tested positive for a banned steroid at the women's World Cup in Germany. Two players had tested positive before their game against Colombia earlier in the month which triggered testing for the whole squad. The last doping case at the World Cup occurred in 1994 after Diego Maradona was banned from the men's tournament.

2012 North Korea Reshuffles Military Leaders

2012 : North Korea's vice-chairman of the Central Military Commission Ri Yong-ho was removed from all positions and replaced by Hyon Yong-chol according to North Korean media. The official reasoning behind Ri Yong-ho's removal was illness, although many are skeptical that was the true reason for his removal as the new leader of the country Kim Jong-un tries to promote new leadership within the military.

2013 Russia Putin Inspects War Games

2013 : Russia held its largest war games since Soviet times, and President Vladimir Putin was there to inspect it The drills involved around 160,000 people. The exercises were held in the east of the country and were meant to increase preparedness in the Russian military.

Tuesday Morning in the Blogosphere

 Las Vegas, Nevada

 

A man became Tarboro's watchdog after it lost its newspaper- WRAL

Will AI really consume more electricity than the US produces? - Poynter

In Ethiopia, fact-checking can be a matter of life and death - Nieman Lab

Redundancy resilience: How to bounce back from losing your job - Journalism UK

When newspapers go, partisanship grows and lies are believed - Seattle Times Free Press