Important Events From This day in History July 9

 

1984 Wing of York Minster Gutted By Fire

1984 : A 760-year-old wing of York Minster, the largest medieval cathedral in Britain, was gutted by a fierce fire started by lightning. A rescue party save most of the historic and valuable artifacts from the burning cathedral including tapestries and silver candlesticks. These Bells are still rung by hand and the sound is stunning [ the heaviest bell (Great Peter) weighs 10.8 tons ].

1941 UK Enigma Code Broken

1941 : British cryptologists break the secret code (Enigma) used by the German army to direct ground-to-air operations on the Eastern front.

1932 U.S.A. Beer Bill Rejected Again

1932 : A bill to legalize beer containing 3.2 percent alcohol was presented to the senate but was again rejected keeping the country dry for a further period.

1947 UK Princess Elizabeth

1947 : Princess Elizabeth the future Queen of England announces her engagement to Lt. Philip Mountbatten.

1982 Michael Fagan Breaks Into Queen's Bedroom

1982 : 30-year-old Michael Fagan broke into Buckingham Palace morning and spent 10 minutes talking with Queen Elizabeth II in her bedroom before being arrested inside the palace at 3 a.m. Major questions were asked on how he evaded 43 soldiers, 24 police, 350 palace staff members, dog patrols, surveillance cameras, electronic listening devices and other equipment.

1991 South Africa Admitted To Olympics

1991 : South Africa is readmitted into the Olympics after 20 years, they were expelled from the IOC in 1970 because of apartheid policies of racial segregation.

1995 U.S.A. Grateful Dead

1995 : The Grateful Dead played their last concert including the lead guitarist Jerry Garcia, at Soldier Field in Chicago.

1960 U.S.A. Cuba Concerns Castro

1960 : With the continuing cold war and the new communist revolutionary Fidel Castro taking control of Cuba which then became the focus of arguments between President Dwight D. Eisenhower and Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev due to Americas concern over having a communist controlled country within striking distance of the United States.

1966 U.S.A. Prison Riot

1966 : Prisoners at Maryland Penitentiary rioted setting fire to a number of buildings, the riot was stopped in the end by authorities using tear gas on the 1200 inmates.

1975 U.S.A. Earthquake Minnesota

1975 : In Morris, Minnesota, an earthquake of with a magnitude of almost five strikes the area.

1996 UK Michael Stone

1996 : A family is attacked in the small English village of Nonington by a man wielding a hammer on their way home, he then bludgeoned them one by one. One daughter Josie 9 years old was the sole survivor of the vicious assault. Michael Stone was arrested 12 months later and charged with the murder of Dr. Lin Russell and her daughter Megan.

1998 Azores Earthquake

1998 : A magnitude 5.9 Earthquake strikes the Portuguese Azores killing at least 10 with many more still missing in the rubble. The Portuguese government has reacted quickly sending medical supplies, portable generators, rescue workers with sniffer dogs, and 100's of tents for temporary sleeping accommodation.

2000 UK Pete Sampras Wimbledon

2000 : Pete Sampras wins his seventh and final Wimbledon singles title, tying the record with William Renshaw for men at the All England Club. He had won on 1993, 1994, 1995, 1997, 1998, 1999 and 2000.

2003 Bangladesh Ferry Disaster

2003 : The ferry "MV Nasrin-1" travelling from Dhaka, to Lalmohan hits strong winds and high seas causing the ferry to overturn (it is also believed the ferry was overloaded with passengers and cargo) making it more unstable. At least 500 are believed to have drowned in the strong currents and 200 are rescued.

2004 Iraq War Justification Believed False

2004 : A Senate Intelligence Committee report concluded the CIA had provided unfounded assessments of the threat posed by Iraq which the Bush administration used to justify for invasion of Iraq.

2006 Venezuela New Oil and Gas Pipeline

2006 : Construction on a gas and oil pipeline began in Venezuela. The project, with a cost of $200 Million is supposed to extend Venezuelan gas and oil to parts of Central America, including Colombia and Panama. The pipeline would not only provide gas and oil to Central America, but would speed up exportation of the products to East Asia by extending this pipeline to the Pacific Ocean.

2007 U.S.A. Boeing 787 Dreamliner

2007 : The plane manufacturer Boeing showed its plans for its new environmentally friendly airplane the 787 Dreamliner, on this day. This marks the first newly designed jet from the company for twelve years. The plane was said to be composed of more carbon fiber than aluminum and would produce twenty percent less carbon dioxide than other planes.

2008 Turkey Terrorist Attack US Consulate

2008 : In an attack on the United States consulate in Istanbul, Turkey, a total of six people were killed on this day. The attacks were linked to an Islamic fundamentalist group by the name of the Great Eastern Islamic Raiders.

2011 South Sudan Holds Independence Ceremony

2011 : Tens of thousands of people gathered in Juba to witness the raising of the flag of the newly formed South Sudan at an independence ceremony. The new president of the new nation, Salva Kiir, signed the constitution and took his oath of office at the ceremony. South Sudan's formation follows decades of conflict with its Northern neighbor Sudan, which became the first country to recognize its independence in an official manner. Sudan's president and the UN chief were among onlookers at the ceremony.

Today in Labor History July 9, 2025

 

The Charleston Five

Federal troops raided the IWW hall in Yakima, Washington. – 1917

The worst rail accident in U.S history occurred when two passenger trains operated by the Nashville, Chattanooga and St. Louis Railway (“NC&StL”) collided head-on at Dutchman’s curve in west Nashville, Tennessee. 101 people died, and another 171 were injured. – 1918

New England Telephone “girls” went on strike for a seven-hour workday, $27 weekly pay after four years’ service. – 1923

New York City subway system managers in the Bronx attempted to make cleaning crews on the IRT line work faster by forcing the use of a 14-inch squeegee instead of the customary 10-inch tool. Six workers were fired for insubordination; a two-day walkout by the Transport Workers Union won a reversal of the directive and the workers’ reinstatement. – 1935

The first U.S. mine safety law was enacted to prevent mine disasters. – 1952

United Packinghouse, Food & Allied Workers merged with Amalgamated Meat Cutters & Butcher Workmen. – 1968

Five thousand demonstrators rallied at the state capitol in Columbia, South Carolina in support of the “Charleston Five,” labor activists. The Five were longshoremen and union members of Local 1422 of the International Longshoremen’s Association. The were peacefully protesting a Danish freight company’s use of non-union workers on the Charleston docks when a fight broke out between picketing workers and the police force. The Charleston Five were arrested along with four others and were held on felony charges which could have carried a prison sentence of up to 10 years. They were finally freed of all charges in November 2001 after a one-year trial, throughout which they were kept under house arrest. – 2001

Tuesday Morning in the Blogosphere

 

Social media can support or undermine democracy - Nieman Lab

Experts warn press safety is disappearing across the US - Poynter

Adams Publishing Group is now Adams MultiMedia - Editor & Publisher

When tragedy hits home, local newspapers step up - The Kerrville Daily Times

ICE defies court, says journalist Mario Guevara ‘not releasable’ - Committee to Protect Journalists

Important Events From This day in History July 8

  

2000 Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

2000 : The latest Harry Potter book has been released and for the first time a Harry Potter book is released simultaneously on both sides of the Atlantic. This is the forth book in the Harry Potter series and the initial run is over 5 million books with many book sellers opened at midnight for devoted followers to get their copy.

1889 U.S.A. Wall Street Journal

1889 : The Wall Street Journal is first published by Dow Jones & Company created by Charles Dow, Edward Jones, and Charles Bergstresser. The original Journal featured stock and bond prices on the New York Stock Exchange but now covers U.S. and international business and financial news and issues with a worldwide daily circulation of more than 2 million.

1932 French Submarine Prominthee

1932 : The French Submarine Prominthee sank while doing testing maneuvers in Cherbourg Harbor taking 66 crew members to a depth of 130 ft, poor conditions due to tide and strong winds are hampering attempts to locate the Submarine and it is thought unlikely any survivors will be found.

1947 U.S.A. Mysterious Flying Disc

1947 : There were a number of reports of a mysterious flying disc (spaceship) landing in Roswell, New Mexico. At first reports were denied by the U.S. military, then a report appeared which stated they had been lucky enough to obtain one of the DISCS which was later denied. The debate whether an alien spacecraft actually landed in Roswell, New Mexico, still continues today with many believing it was a government cover up.

1954 Guatemala US Backed Operation

1954 : The US backed Castillo Armas takes over as leader of Guatemala from the communist leader President Jacobo Arbenz Guzman , and was considered a successful covert operation against international communism by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).

1960 Soviet Union Francis Gary Powers Charged

1960 : The US Pilot of a U-2 Spy Plane Francis Gary Powers is charged with espionage in a Soviet Union court. In August he was found guilty and sentenced to 10 years in prison but two years later he was exchanged for Soviet spy Rudolf Abel.

1965 England Ronald Biggs Escapes

1965 : Ronald Biggs one of the Great Train Robbers serving a 30 year jail sentence for the the robbery in 1963 escapes from Wandsworth prison. Ronnie Biggs went to Brazil where authorities could not extradite him, but came back to Britain in 2001 and was immediately taken to a top-security prison to serve the remaining 28 years of his sentence.

1966 Teamsters Union James R Hoffa

1966 : The Teamsters Union elects James R Hoffa for a further 5 years as president of the union despite the possibility that he will be in jail before the end of his term of office.

1971 Northern Ireland Rioting

1971 : The rioting is continuing in Londonderry with the latest rioting increasing following the use of nail bombs by rioters causing the British army to use live ammunition and firing on rioters and killing two.

1987 U.S.A. Oliver North

1987 : Oliver North has broken 10 months of silence concerning the Iran-Contra affair when he testified before the house senate committee investigating the Iran Arms Sale, that all his orders came from senior members of the white house staff including orders to shred documents and to prepare false statements.

1987 Sikh terrorist attacks

1987 : Following Sikh terrorist attacks on Hindu bus passengers which left 72 dead, the Indian army has banned public meetings hoping to stop the backlash by Hindu's on Sikh's in the city of Chandigarh.

1996 England School Machete Attack

1996 : A man wielding a machete attacks 3 very young children (3 and 4 yrs old) and 4 parents and staff at a kindergarten in Wolverhampton.

Today in Labor History July 8, 2025

 

Ella Reeve “Mother” Bloor

First anthracite coal strike in U.S. – 1842

Labor organizer Ella Reeve “Mother” Bloor born on Staten Island, NY. Among her activities: investigating child labor in glass factories and mines, and working undercover in meat packing plants to verify for federal investigators the nightmarish working conditions that author Upton Sinclair had revealed in The Jungle. – 1862

The Pacific Mail Steamship Company fired all employees who had been working an eight hour day, then joined with other owners to form the “Ten-Hour League Society” for the purpose of uniting all mechanics “willing to work at the old rates, neither unjust to the laborers nor ruinous to the capital and enterprise of the city and state.” The effort failed. – 1867

The founding convention of the Industrial Workers of the World (I.W.W., or Wobblies) concluded in Chicago. Charles O. Sherman, a former American Federation of Labor organizer, was elected president. – 1905

Preamble of the Industrial Workers of the World

The working class and the employing class have nothing in common. There can be no peace so long as hunger and want are found among millions of the working people and the few, who make up the employing class, have all the good things of life.

Between these two classes a struggle must go on until the workers of the world organize as a class, take possession of the means of production, abolish the wage system, and live in harmony with the Earth.

We find that the centering of the management of industries into fewer and fewer hands makes the trade unions unable to cope with the ever growing power of the employing class. The trade unions foster a state of affairs which allows one set of workers to be pitted against another set of workers in the same industry, thereby helping defeat one another in wage wars. Moreover, the trade unions aid the employing class to mislead the workers into the belief that the working class have interests in common with their employers.

These conditions can be changed and the interest of the working class upheld only by an organization formed in such a way that all its members in any one industry, or in all industries if necessary, cease work whenever a strike or lockout is on in any department thereof, thus making an injury to one an injury to all.

Instead of the conservative motto, “A fair day’s wage for a fair day’s work,” we must inscribe on our banner the revolutionary watchword, “Abolition of the wage system.”

It is the historic mission of the working class to do away with capitalism. The army of production must be organized, not only for everyday struggle with capitalists, but also to carry on production when capitalism shall have been overthrown. By organizing industrially we are forming the structure of the new society within the shell of the old.

From July 8 to August 19, 1966, over 35,000 airline workers across the nation employed by five airlines went on strike. After several years of stilted wage gains as the airline industry invested heavily in jet technology, aircraft mechanics and other ground service workers represented by the International Association of Machinists (IAM) were anxious to share in the substantial profits of 1965. Facing a bargaining impasse between the IAM and the five carriers (United, Northwest, National, Trans World and Eastern) covered in the industry’s first multi-carrier labor contract, a Presidential Emergency Board presented a “compromise” package. In the summer of 1966, IAM members rejected this compromise and walked off the job in the largest strike in airline history. For 43 days during the peak summer travel season, 60 percent of the U.S. commercial airline industry was literally inoperative as 35,000 workers stayed out on strike. – 1966

Pulitzer vs Hearst: When Two Newspaper Moguls Went To War

 

Two media titans, Joseph Pulitzer and William Randolph Hearst, go head-to-head in a battle that would shape the future of American journalism. One is a Hungarian immigrant fighting for the people; the other, a wealthy tycoon’s son hungry for power. Their fierce rivalry revolutionizes storytelling, headlines, and the very idea of what a newspaper can be. Lies, ambition, and bold innovation fuel the rise of sensationalism and forever change how news is made.

Monday Morning in the Blogosphere

 

Where to Aim When You Can't Spend a Dime - Printing Impressions

Law360 mandates  reporters use AI “bias” detection on all stories - Nieman Lab

Print roots. Multimedia future. Adams evolves into “Adams MultiMedia” - Editor & Publisher

"Not being transparent about what we do and why we do it is no longer an option" - Journalism

Supreme Court denies review of case by group founded by RFK Jr. against Poynter, Meta - Poynter

Important Events From This day in History July 7

  

2007 Seven Wonders of the Modern World

2007 : An official declaration of the new Seven Wonders of the Modern World was made determined from a worldwide poll organized by the New7Wonders Foundation. The New Wonders of the World are:

1. The Great Wall of China (It is the largest man made monument ever to have been built and is visible from space.)

2. Petra, Jordan (Petra On the edge of the Desert, was the glittering capital of the Nabataean empire of King Aretas IV)

3. Christ Redeemer Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (Statue of Jesus stands some 38 meters tall, atop the Corcovado mountain overlooking Rio de Janeiro)

4. Machu Picchu, Peru (Ancient Inca City built by the Incan Emperor Pachacútec halfway up the Andes Plateau, and deep in the Amazon jungle)

5. Pyramid at Chichén Itzá, Mexico (the most famous Mayan temple city, served as the political and economic center of the Mayan civilization)

6. The Roman Colosseum, Italy (This great amphitheater in the center of Rome to celebrate the glory of the Roman Empire)

7. The Taj Mahal, India (This immense mausoleum by the fifth Muslim Mogul emperor, to honor the memory of his beloved late wife)

The original 7 wonders of the world were:

1. Great Pyramid of Giza Egypt (Built as the tomb of Fourth dynasty Egyptian pharaoh Khufu) still standing

2. Hanging Gardens of Babylon (Multi-leveled gardens reaching 22 meters (75 feet) high) destroyed by earthquake

3. Temple of Artemis at Ephesus (took 120 years to build Dedicated to the Greek goddess Artemis) destroyed by Arson

4. Statue of Zeus at Olympia Greece (40 feet tall) destroyed by fire or earthquake.

5. Mausoleum of Maussollos at Halicarnassus (Stood approximately 45 meters (135 feet) tall with each of the four sides adorned with sculptural reliefs) disassembled by European Crusaders

6. Colossus of Rhodes (giant statue of the Greek god Helios roughly) Destroyed by Earthquake

7. Lighthouse of Alexandria (between 383 - 440 ft tall it was among the tallest man-made structures on Earth for many centuries) Destroyed By Earthquake

1924 U.S.A. President Coolidge

1924 : President Coolidge's 16 year old son Calvin has died due to blood poisoning caused by a blister on his foot becoming infected.

1930 U.S.A. Hoover Dam

1930 : Construction begins on the Hoover Dam in the Black Canyon of the Colorado River, on the border between the U.S. states of Arizona and Nevada. As there was no town near the dam construction site workers and their families were housed in temporary camps. The original project was called the Boulder Dam but was dedicated later as the Hoover Dam in honor of President Hoover.

1942 Poland Auschwitz Concentration Camp

1942 : Heinrich Himmler, together with a physician, begins experimenting on women in the Auschwitz concentration camps.

1947 U.S.A. Roswell Timeline

1947 : William Brazel notices strange debris while working on the Foster ranch, where he was foreman, some 70 miles (110 km) north of Roswell.

Jul. 7th: Roswell Army Air Field. Major Jesse Marcel collects debris 75 miles northwest of Roswell, New Mexico, scattered over an area 300 years wide and ¾ of a mile long. This led to rumors of an alien crash.

July 8th: The Roswell Army Air Field (RAAF) issue a press release stating that personnel had recovered a crashed "flying disc" from a ranch near Roswell, sparking intense media interest, later that day the press release is amended to say a "weather balloon" had been recovered.

1978: All goes quiet for 30 years until 1978 when Stanton T. Friedman interviews Major Jesse Marcel, who was involved with the original recovery of the debris in 1947 who expressed his belief that the military had covered up the recovery of an alien spacecraft.

February 1980: The National Enquirer interviews with Major Jesse Marcel bringing national and worldwide attention for the Roswell incident.

1989: Former mortician Glenn Dennis gives a detailed personal account claiming that alien autopsies were carried out at the Roswell base.

Since then Government reports have been released explaining the incident as likely debris from a secret government program called Project Mogul. Was Roswell a cover up or just a series of unexplained events with rational explanations will depend on who you believe and the number of "eye witness accounts" that were given for publicity or the governments explanation of a secret project. In differing books on the subject timelines appear to have changed.

1958 U.S.A. Alaska Statehood Act

1958 : The Alaska Statehood Act is signed by President Dwight Eisenhower. This will make Alaska the 49th State in January of the following year.

1969 Vietnam U.S. Troop Withdrawal

1969 : The initial withdrawal of U.S. troops from South Vietnam begins with the withdrawal of the U.S. 9th Infantry Division, the first of 25,000 troops that were withdrawn in the first stage of the U.S. disengagement from the Vietnam war.

1969 Brian Jones Former Rolling Stones Guitarist

1969 : The inquest into the death of rock and roll star Brian Jones the former Rolling Stones Guitarist has recorded a verdict of death by misadventure, when he had drowned after taking a cocktail of drink and drugs.

1976 U.S.A. West Point

1976 : Women are enrolled into the United States Military Academy at West Point for the first time in history.

1981 U.S.A. Sandra Day O'Connor

1981 : Arizona Judge Sandra Day O'Connor is nominated by President Ronald Reagan to become the first female justice on the U.S. Supreme Court.

1983 U.S.A. Samantha Smith

1983 : Samantha Smith, an 11 year old after Earlier in the year sending a letter to Soviet President Yuri V. Andropov asking why the Soviet Union wants to conquer the world. She was invited to Russia to meet the Soviet President and set off on her visit as the youngest Ambassador in US History on a two week trip to the Soviet Union.

1985 England Boris Becker Wins Wimbledon

1985 : Boris Becker wins the men's Wimbledon championships breaking multiple records in the process.

1. The youngest ever player to win the men's title at the Wimbledon tennis tournament.

2. The first German ever to win the men's title.

3. The first unseeded player to ever win the championship.

1987 Germany Petrol Tanker Accident

1987 : A petrol tanker truck crashes into an ice cream parlor in Herborn, Germany causing a massive explosion and fire which caused the death of 50 people who were trapped in the ice cream parlor.

1998 Nigeria Riots Lagos

1998 : Riots have broken out in Lagos, Nigeria following the death of the opposition leader "Chief Moshood Abiola". The riots continued for 4 days leaving over 50 dead.

Today in Labor History – July 7, 2025

 

Mother Jones

Striking New York longshoremen met to discuss ways to keep new immigrants from scabbing. They were successful, at least for a time. On July 14, 500 newly arrived Jews marched straight from their ship to the union hall. On July 15, 250 Italian immigrants stopped scabbing on the railroad and joined the union. – 1882

The March of the Mill Children, the three-week trek from Philadelphia to President Roosevelt’s home on Long Island by striking child and adult textile workers, was launched by Mary Harris “Mother” Jones. The march turned public attention on the scourge of child labor and energized efforts to end it by law. – 1903

Cloakmakers began what was to be a two-month strike against New York City sweatshops. – 1910

Workers began construction on the Boulder Dam (now known as Hoover Dam) on the Colorado River, during the Great Depression. Wages and conditions were horrible—16 workers and work camp residents died of the heat over just a single 30-day period—and two strikes over the four years of construction led to only nominal improvements in pay and conditions. – 1931

The Puerto Rican general strike of 1998 began as a strike of the Puerto Rico Telephone Company (PRTC) workers protested a government privatization plan. Three weeks later, 500,000 people joined a two-day general strike, bringing commerce and travel to a standstill. The strike failed to stop the privatization plan, and in July a consortium led by GTE bought the PRTC for $1.9 billion. – 1998

Important Events From This day in History July 5

 

1996 Scotland Dolly the Sheep

1996 : The first cloning of an animal by scientists was revealed by the Roslin Institute in Scotland when Dolly the Sheep was cloned from tissue taken from a 6 year old ewe's udder.

1981 UK Toxteth Riots

1981 : Riots have broken out in Toxteth, Liverpool with between 200 and 300 youths involved in looting, attacking police, cars and shops with petrol bombs and bricks. The rioters have been turning over cars and turning them into barricades, most of the youths are wearing balaclava's to evade detection and this seems to be an orchestrated attack on the police with leaders handing out petrol bombs and orders on where they are to be used.

1921 U.S.A. Chicago White Sox

1921 : Players from The Chicago White Sox Baseball team are accused of throwing the World Series.

1924 Three Rivers Paddle Steamer

1924 : The sidewheel paddle steamer (Three Rivers) burned to the waters edge with 350 passengers on board causing the loss of 8 and many more injured near cove point while bound for Baltimore.

1934 Dock Workers Strikes San Francisco

1934 : Fights broke out between the city's police force and dock worker strikers in San Francisco after rioting started in the waterfront and the warehouse area of the city. At the end of the bloody fighting two were killed and hundreds injured.

1946 France Bikini Swimsuit Introduced

1946 : The Bikini swimsuit (a daring 2 piece swimming costume for ladies) was introduced by French designer Louis Reard at a popular swimming pool in Paris.

1948 UK NHS Begins

1948 : Britain's National Health Service Act (NHS) takes effect, providing government funded medical and dental care and headed by the Health Minister Aneurin Bevan. The National Health Service was part of the "cradle to grave" welfare-state reforms. The NHS is funded from taxes including a proportion from National Insurance payments. The National Health Service is the world's largest health service and the world's fourth-largest employer.

1950 Korea First American Killed

1950 : The first American reported killed in the Korean War (Private Kenneth Shadrick) a member of a bazooka squad, was cut down by enemy machine-gun fire.

1954 BBC Launches Up To Date Daily TV News

1954 : The BBC launches a new news program based on more up to date news not news from the day before (Current Television Newsreel Program is prepared hours in advance and often carries news items that are 1 - 3 days old). The service was difficult because the communications technology in 1954 were still in infancy.

1955 U.S.A. "Rock Around the Clock"

1955 : Following "Rock Around the Clock" being featured on the opening credits of the film Blackboard Jungle, the record becomes Number 1 on the American Billboard music charts becoming the first rock and roll record to hit the top of the American record charts where it stayed for eight weeks. It quickly then became a number One on many other music charts around the world. It's success provided the springboard for the growth in rock n roll music over the next 10 years.

1970 Canada Plane Crash

1970 : An Air Canada DC-8 crashes while landing in Toronto killing 108 people. The investigation identified Pilot error as the cause of the crash.

1971 U.S.A. 26th Amendment

1971 : The Voting Age in the United States is lowered to 18 yrs old when the 26th Amendment to the US constitution is ratified.

1975 UK Arthur Ashe

1975 : Arthur Ashe becomes the first black man to win the Wimbledon men's singles championship beating the legendary Jimmy Connors.

1982 Argentina Deep Recession

1982 : The new economy minister has announced a number of measures to combat the current deep recession the country is experiencing including: devaluation of the Peso, lowering of interest rates, and new stricter limitations of foreign imports. This is in response to growing unemployment and unrest in the country combined with the 35 billion dollar national debt.

1989 U.S.A. Oliver North

1989 : Former White House aide Oliver North has been found guilty received a three-year suspended prison sentence and a $150,000 fine for three charges relating to illegal United States' support for the Contra rebels in Nicaragua in the mid-1980s.

1991 Bank of Credit and Commerce International

1991 : The Bank of Credit and Commerce International (BCCI) which at one stage was one of the worlds ten largest banks by assets is closed in the United States, The United Kingdom and other countries around the world after regulators found the bank was involved in money laundering, bribery, arms trafficking, the sale of nuclear technologies support of terrorism.

1998 England Party In The Park

1998 : The Prince of Wales Prince's Trust "Party in the park" (Hyde Park) charity event attracts 100,000 hoping to raise as much as £500,000 for the Prince's Trust charity. Some of the best known stars of screen and popular music give their performances for free including All Saints, Des'ree, Louise, Natalie Imbruglia, Tom Jones, Lionel Richie, Boyzone and Gary Barlow from the music world.

2000 England 50% now have Mobile Phones

2000 : In the last 2 years the growth of mobile phone use in the UK has exceeded all expectations as the change in perception of the mobile phone as a "yuppy status gadget" has changed to daily essential for everyone, the change has partly been through the introduction of Pay As You Go and the continuing reduction of prices together with additional functionality including internet access from the latest WAP phones.

2003 WHO SARS Outbreak Contained

2003 : Following an outbreak of the deadly SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) which had killed about 775 people in 29 countries the World Health Organization (WHO) announces that SARS is now contained.

2006 North Korea Missile Testing

2006 : North Korea tested six missiles, one long-range called the Taepodong-2, and five shorter ranged missiles. The Taepodong-2 reportedly crashed only 42 seconds after its launch, while the other five missiles fell into the Sea of Japan. Concern arose over North Korea’s increased nuclear aggressiveness because the Taepodong-2 has the possibility of reaching parts of the Western United States if launched successfully. The shorter range missiles are capable of hitting Japanese Mainland.

Today in Labor History July 5

 Firefight in Homestead

A strike against the Baltimore & Ohio railroad led to a series of strikes across the northeast, known as the Great Railway Strike of 1877. This was the country’s first major rail strike and was the first general strike in the nation’s history. The strike’s violence led governors in ten states to mobilize 60,000 militia members to reopen rail traffic. The strike would be broken within a few weeks, but it helped to set the stage for later strikes in the 1880s and 1890s. Federal troops were called out for the first time in a labor dispute, helping to crush the strike. – 1877

Striking construction workers in Duluth, Minnesota were shot down by the police. The workers, mostly immigrants, went on strike when contractors reneged on an agreement to pay them $1.75 a day. Mayor John Sutphin ordered police to keep strikers away from scabs, leading to fighting between strikers and police. There was an hour-long gunfight on the corner of 20th Avenue West and Michigan Street that killed two strikers and one bystander and wounded an estimated 30 strikers. The police eventually suppressed the strike through violence. – 1889

An all-day battle between locked out Homestead Steel Works workers and 300 Pinkerton detectives hired by Andrew Carnegie stated at 4am. The Pinkertons were trying to import and protect scabs brought in to replace the striking workers. No one knows who fired first, but the violence escalated when striking steelworks, armed with guns and a homemade cannon attacked the barges that brought in the Pinkerton detectives. Seven Pinkertons and 11 union members died in the battle. The strike lasted for months. Court injunctions eventually helped to crush the union, protecting the steel industry for decades from organized labor. Alexander Berkman and Emma Goldman plotted to assassinate Homestead Boss Henry Clay Frick for his role in killing the workers. Berkman later carried out the assassination attempt, failed, and spent years in prison. – 1892

Rail union leader Eugene V. Debs is arrested during the Pullman strike, described by the New York Times as “a struggle between the greatest and most important labor organization and the entire railroad capital” that involved some 250,000 workers in 27 states at its peak. – 1894

Wobbly and anarchist labor organizer Joe Hill’s song “The Preacher and the Slave” first appeared in the Industrial Workers of the World’s (IWW’s) Little Red Songbook. – 1911

Long-haired preachers come out every night,Try to tell you what’s wrong and what’s right;But when asked how ’bout something to eatThey will answer in voices so sweetChorusYou will eat, bye and bye,in that glorious land above the sky;Work and pray, live on hay,You’ll get pie in the sky when you dieAnd the Starvation Army, they play,And they sing and they clap and they pray,Till they get all your coin on the drum,Then they tell you when you’re on the bumChorus
Workingmen of all countries, uniteSide by side we for freedom will fightWhen the world and its wealth we have gainedTo the grafters we’ll sing this refrainChorus

Transit workers in New York began what is to be an unsuccessful 3-week strike against the then-privately owned Interborough Rapid Transit (IRT) subway. Workers were forced to sign yellow-dog contracts which mandated they join a company union. Most transit workers labored seven days a week, up to 11.5 hours a day. – 1926

Explosions and fires destroyed the Piper Alpha drilling platform in the North Sea, killing 167 oil workers—the worst loss of life ever in an offshore oil disaster. The operator, Occidental, was found guilty of having inadequate maintenance and safety procedures, but no criminal charges were ever brought. – 1988

Fourteen firefighters were killed battling the South Canyon Fire on Storm King Mountain in Glenwood Springs, Colorado. – 1994

Happy Independence Day

 

Thursday Morning in the Blogosphere

 God Bless America

ReporterGov. DeSantis cuts recurring state funding for Florida public media - WGCU

Why we must build direct ties with our audiences—before it’s too late  - E&P Magazine

The Daily Athenaeum to be distributed with Charleston Gazette-Mail - The Daily Athenaeum

Phil McGraw’s Merit Street Media files for bankruptcy, sues distribution partner - Hollywood R

The Associated Press at 179: Innovation, resilience and the fight for press freedom - E&P Magazine

Important Events From This day in History July 3

 

1998 UK Rolls Royce Sold To Volkswagen

1998 : After many months of negotiations, together with a bidding war with BMW and high court battles Rolls Royce is sold to Volkswagen for £479m. Volkswagen has stated that the manufacture of Rolls Royce cars will continue at Rolls-Royce's Crewe headquarters in England. The Saga of who owned the rights to produce cars with the famous Rolls Royce emblem continued for the next few years as unknown to Volkswagen they had not bought the rights to use the RR Logo. Over the next few years BMW and Volkswagen did come to an arrangement where Volkswagen own and build Bentleys with Volkswagen Engines at the old Rolls Royce factory in Crewe in England and BMW own and produce Rolls Royce Cars with BMW engines at Goodwood in England.

1968 Vietnam Heavy U.S. Casualties

1968 : Figures released show that more Americans were killed during the first six months of 1968 than in all of 1967 and were a direct result of the communist Tet Offensive. Combined with heavy U.S. casualties and disillusionment with President Johnson's conduct of the Vietnam war his popularity with the people continued to decrease causing him to decide he would neither seek nor accept the nomination of his party for re-election.

1922 U.S.A. Forest Fires Olympia and Seattle

1922 : Forest fires in the state of Washington blaze through cities like Olympia and Seattle. The lumber companies throughout the state were in danger of significant losses to their industry unless heavy rains became a part of the forecast.

1939 Japan China Conflict

1939 : Dispatches report that Japanese and Soviet sponsored Outer Mongolian troops clash in the Manchoukuoan territory. Reports also disclosed that the Japanese offensive was in an effort to drive out Outer Mongolian troops back past the Khalka River.

1940 British Destroy French Fleet

1940 : Following the German invasion and occupation of France, French warships fled to the port of Mers-el-Kebir in Algeria. Britain gave the french Vichy government the options of the following for it's French Navy.

1. Join British naval forces in the fight against Germany

2. Hand the ships over to British crews

3. Disarm the French Navy Ships

4. Scuttle the ships

The French refused, so Britain fearing the French Ships would be used by the Germans to help with an invasion of England circled the port with British Warships and opened fire on the French fleet, killing 1,250 French sailors, damaging the battleship Dunkerque and destroying the Bretagne and the Provence.

1957 Nikita Khrushchev Purges Opposition

1957 : Nikita Khrushchev takes control in the Soviet Union by purging his most serious opponents from positions of authority in government.

1958 U.S.A. Hurricanes Connie and Diane

1958 : Following deadly floods caused by Hurricanes Connie and Diane in August 1955 President Eisenhower signs the Rivers and Harbors Flood Control Bill, allocating funds for improvement of flood-control and water-storage systems including specific provisions for hurricane flood protection.

1962 Algeria Independence

1962 : Following a referendum for independence on July 1st with a nearly unanimous decision. President De Gaulle of France pronounced Algeria an independent country on 3rd July (but the official date for celebration of independence is 5th July).

1966 England Vietnam Anti War Protests

1966 : The Vietnam Anti-War Protesters demonstration outside the US Embassy turns violent and 30 protesters are arrested.

1970 Spain Plane Crash

1970 : A British Dan Air charter flight heading for Spain's Costa Brava resort crashed into a mountain near Barcelona, Spain, killing 112 people.

1971 France Jim Morrison

1971 : The lead singer of "The Doors" Jim Morrison is found dead in a bathtub in his apartment in Paris with heart failure aggravated by excessive drinking.

1986 U.S.A. Statue of Liberty

1986 : After appointing a commission to save, restore and preserve the 150 feet tall Statue of Liberty in 1984, President Ronald Reagan led ceremonies to unveil the newly restored Statue of Liberty.

1987 France Butcher of Lyon

1987 : The Nazi war criminal Klaus Barbie / Butcher of Lyon and the former head of Gestapo who was extradited from Bolivia to face charges is found guilty of crimes against humanity and sentenced to life imprisonment.

1988 US Shoots Down Iranian Passenger Jet

1988 : The U.S. Navy cruiser Vincennes shoots down an Iranian passenger jet that it mistakes for a hostile Iranian fighter aircraft in the Persian Gulf.

2000 UK Ken Livingstone

2000 : Ken Livingstone has taken up full powers as London's first directly elected mayor and told his supporters "The first duty of the mayor is to London."

2006 Mexico Elections

2006 : As results came in from Mexico’s federal elections conducted on July 2nd, the winner was unclear, with both the National Action Party and the Democratic Revolution Party claiming a win in the presidency. By September of 2006 the election results were confirmed with Felipe Calderon, the National Action Party’s candidate, as the new president of Mexico. This election also marked the first time the Institutional Revolutionary Party was third place in Congressional elections, the party was the ruling party for 71 years.

2006 Spain Valencia Train Crash

2006 : An underground train in Valencia, Spain crashed killing 41 people. The train derailed just as it approached Jesus Station. The crash is believed to have been caused by a broken wheel and excess speeds.

2008 U.S.A. Latest Jobless Figures

2008 : The latest US employment figures show US companies have cut workers for the sixth month in a row (June 62,000 jobs cut) fueling fears that the world's largest economy is heading towards a recession.

2008 U.S.A. Man Gives Birth

2008 : Thomas Beatie has given birth to a baby girl on this day. Beatie, born a female, was legally a male when he became pregnant. Despite going through the gender reassignment process, Beatie chose to keep his female reproductive organs in order to still be able to give birth to children.

2009 Sarah Palin Resigns as Governor of Alaska

2009 : Sarah Palin, former running-mate for John McCain, announced that she will resign from her office of governor of Alaska. The announcement was unexpected and it was suspected that the announcement came in time for Palin to prepare herself to run in the 2012 presidential election.

Today in Labor History July 3, 2025

 

Hard rock miner in Telluride, Colorado

2000 workers, many of whom are children, from 20 textile mills in Paterson, NJ, went on strike. They demanded 11 hour days (down from 13.5 hours). Employers refused to negotiate and broke the strike by declaring a reduction in work hours to twelve hours daily during the week and nine hours on Saturdays. – 1835

Feminist Charlotte Perkins Gilman was born in Hartford, Connecticut. She was a prominent feminist, sociologist, novelist, writer of short stories, poetry and nonfiction, and a lecturer for social reform. Her best-remembered work today is her semi-autobiographical short story “The Yellow Wallpaper” which she wrote after a severe bout of postpartum psychosis. – 1860

A gun battle ensued when striking hard rock miners in Telluride, Colorado confronted scabs at the mine. Three died and six were injured. Later that day, the striking miners rounded up the scabs and ordered them to leave the country. The strike was settled three days later when owners agreed to the miners’ demands for $3/day and an either -hour day. – 1901

Important Events From This day in History July 2

 

2005 World Wide Live 8 Concerts

2005 : Live 8 concerts happen in members of the G8 cities around the world and South Africa to highlight the aims of the UK's Make Poverty History campaign and the Global Call for Action Against Poverty, hoping to put pressure on the meeting of political leaders of the G8 countries. The Live 8 concerts are organised by Bob Geldof and a number of other well known pop icons. Unlike other earlier concerts to raise money for those starving these concerts were designed to highlight, educate and put pressure on the Leaders of the G8 countries to do more for the world's poor. Even before the concerts some measure of success is gained when the G8 finance ministers agree to cancel the debt owed by 18 of the world's poorest countries.

The concerts occur in the following cities:

London - Hyde Park : Paul McCartney, U2, George Michael, Pete Doherty, Elton John, Bob Geldof, Madonna, Coldplay, Robbie Williams, The Who, Sting, REM, Mariah Carey, Annie Lennox

There were 150,000 people in the main arena and another 50,000 watching on large screens in other parts of Hyde Park.

Philadelphia - Philadelphia Museum of Art : Will Smith, Destiny's Child, Jay Z, Bon Jovi, Kaiser Chiefs, Black Eyed Peas, Jimmy Smits, Toby Keith, Dave Matthews Band, Alicia Keys, Linkin Park, Def Leppard, Sarah McLachlan, Slipknot, Keith Urban, Stevie Wonder

It is estimated 1 million people were at the concert as it was a no ticket concert.

Paris - Palais de Versailles : Passi, Faudel, Alpha Blondy, Craig David, Andrea Bocelli, Shakira, Zucchero, The Cure, Youssou N'Dour1, Dido

Berlin - the Siegessäule : A-Ha, Die Toten Hosen, Wir sind Helden, Katherine Jenkins, Audioslave, Green Day, Claudia Schiffer, Chris de Burgh, Brian Wilson, Renee Olstead, Sasha, Daniel Powter, Joana Zimmer, Roxy Music, Faithless, Otto

Rome - at the Circus Maximus : Zucchero, Duran Duran, Elisa, Tim McGraw, Faith Hill, Planet Funk, Le Vibrazioni, Cesare Cremonini, Nek, Piero Pelù, Jane Alexander (Interstitial), Biagio Antonacci, Fiorella Mannoia

Barrie - at Park Place : Dan Aykroyd and Tom Green, Tom Cochrane, Sam Roberts, Bryan Adams, Simple Plan, Bruce Cockburn, Les Trois Accords, Randy Bachman, Deep Purple, Great Big Sea, Celine Dion,- Blue Rodeo, Gordon Lightfoot, Our Lady Peace, Jet, Jann Arden, Mötley Crüe, The Tragically Hip, Neil Young

Chiba - Makuhari Messe : Rize, McFly, Good Charlotte, Dreams Come True, Do As Infinity, Björk

Johannesburg - Mary Fitzgerald Square : Lucky Dube, Vusi Mahlasela, Malaika, Nelson Mandela, Oumou Sangare, Orchestra Baobab, Mahotella Queens, Zola

Moscow - Red Square : Agata Kristi, Fairy Taiga, Bi-2, Linda, Moral Code X, Pet Shop Boys

1934 Germany Hitler Purges Traitors

1934 : Adolf Hitler conducts a purge of traitors in the Nazi party . Hundreds of people were executed after undergoing a 3 minute trial to face the charges of being traitors. Hitler seemingly secured his power in the nation by forcing the power from the conservatives. Vice Chancellor von Papen, a conservative and critic of Nazi policies, was set to resign the next day.

1937 Amelia Earhart Goes Missing

1937 : Amelia Earhart and her navigator Frederick Noonan go missing during their attempt to fly around the world between New Guinea, and Howland Island, an island in the center of the Pacific Ocean. No trace of the aircraft including Earhart or Noonan was ever found.

1945 US Bombs Japanese Cities

1945 : The American Air Force drops over 1000 tons of explosives on each of four Japanese cities . The attack was carried out by nearly 600 B-29 Super fortresses at 3 am. The places that were hit were the Kure Naval Base, Shimonoseki port, Ube, and Kumamato.

1958 Cuba Americans In Danger

1958 : Americans staying in Cuba become more fearful as Cuban rebels, headed by Fidel Castro, continued to kidnap people. Rebels were unaffected by the presence of United States Marines sent to rescue kidnapped Americans, but they did indicate that they may release 3 Canadian citizens. Cuban rebels showed no indication of releasing Americans or stopping the kidnappings which had grown to a rate of 10 American kidnappings per day over a period of five days.

1964 U.S.A. Civil Rights Act of 1964

1964 : The Civil Rights Act of 1964 is signed into law by President Johnson. The bill had a rough time going through the Senate when the "Southern Bloc" of southern Senators led by Richard Russell launched a filibuster lasting 54 days to prevent its passage. Said Russell "We will resist to the bitter end any measure or any movement which would have a tendency to bring about social equality and intermingling and amalgamation of the races in our (Southern) states." The Civil Rights Act of 1964 was a landmark piece of legislation that outlawed segregation in schools, public places, and employment. The bill also created the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission covering both race and gender for the first time in history.

1966 US Sinks North Vietnamese Torpedo Boats

1966 : United States navy planes sink 3 North Vietnamese torpedo boats. The Vietnamese boats were set to attack an American destroyer, but the navy planes were able to repel the attack while only suffering some damage to one plane whose pilot made it back safely.

1975 India Crackdown On Criminals

1975 : The Indian government promised to crack down on smugglers, land speculators, and tax evaders in the country. The prime minister, Indira Gandhi , promised severe punishment for the criminals. Also, the president, Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed, declared that the government would have much power over the arrests and punishments that violators of the law would receive. The prime minister also promised help to millions of landless peasants.

1979 U.S.A. Susan B. Anthony Dollar

1979 : The Susan B. Anthony dollar became available at banks and is the Dollar of the Future.

1982 U.S.A. Larry Walters

1982 : Larry Walters using 45 helium filled weather balloons to lift him and his lawn chair three miles high , he controlled his descent using a BB gun shooting holes in balloons to control his height.