On this day in history.

[giradman]

July 4, 1826:
John Adams, 2nd President of the United States, and Thomas Jefferson, 3rd President of the United States, die at the same day.
Adams died in Quincy, Massachusetts, aged 90.

Jefferson died in Charlottesville, Virginia, at the age of 83, just a few hours before Adams.

July 4, 1826, is also the 50th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.

The Adams houses (all three are now part of the National Park Service and a senior pass allows free admission - we did the tour w/ friends on our last visit to Boston - the pass got all four of us into the park); the house below is the last and the largest.

Thomas Jefferson's home, Monticello, can also be visited - I've probably been there a half dozen times over the decades; his bedroom can be toured. Dave
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[J. A.]

July 5, 1687:
Isaac Newton publishes his Philosophiæ Naturalis Principia Mathematica, one of the most important works in the history of science.

Philosophiæ Naturalis Principia Mathematica - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[J. A.]

July 6, 1887:
Moishe Shagal was born in Liozna, near Vitebsk, which now belongs to Belarus. He was the eldest of 9 children.
We know him better as Marc Chagall.

Marc Chagall - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[scifan57]

July 6, 1862;
Samuel Clemens first writes under the name Mark Twain.

On this day Samuel Clemens began reporting for the Territorial Enterprise in Virginia City, Nevada. Territorial Enterprise - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Like many newspaper reporters of his time he adopted a pen name, signing his articles with the name Mark Twain, a term from his days as a river pilot on the Mississippi.
Mark Twain - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[giradman]

July 6, 1887:
Moishe Shagal was born in Liozna, near Vitebsk, which now belongs to Belarus. He was the eldest of 9 children.
We know him better as Marc Chagall.
View attachment 72818
Marc Chagall - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Susan & I love Chagall's imagery - we have a couple of prints, one a small B&W lithograph which is numbered and pencil signed (from her parents); also the one below which is matted & framed in blue enameled wood - the print measures about 22" x 28" - bought in 1988 - a color lithograph which is 'stone signed' and numbered - there are ones on the web which are relatively inexpensive, so not sure if those are original lithographs or simply prints? But regardless, we've enjoyed it for nearly three decades. Dave
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[giradman]

Althea Gibson is First African American to Win at Wimbledon this day in 1957!

Apropos to the ongoing Wimbledon tennis tournament now in progress - the Williams sisters are both winning their matches and the final could be a sister match? Dave

On this day in 1957, Althea Gibson claims the women’s singles tennis title at Wimbledon and becomes the first African American to win a championship at London’s All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club (Source).

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[giradman]

Louis Armstrong Died Today in 1971

I'm a big jazz fan, especially from the pre-1960s, and own nearly two dozen CDs of Armstrong's music from the 1920s into the 1960s - two of my favorite recordings are shown below from the mid-1950s; and one of my favorite films from 1956 is High Society - his performance w/ Bing Crosby in the movie is linked below. Dave

Louis “Satchmo” Armstrong, one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century, dies in New York City at the age of 69. A world-renowned jazz trumpeter and vocalist, he pioneered jazz improvisation and the style known as swing (Source).

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[J. A.]

On July 8, 1867, German artist Käthe Kollwitz was born in Königsberg, Prussia, which is now Russia.

Käthe Kollwitz - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[giradman]

Liberty Bell Tolls Today in 1776 to Announce Declaration of Independence!

Quoted below some paragraphs of the story of the Liberty Bell (Source) which rang today in Philadelphia in 1776 to announce the Declaration of Independence. In 1976, the 'cracked' bell was moved across the street to its pavilion - I've seen the bell in the pavilion at least three times over the decades - that whole area in historic downtown Philly is highly recommended, just SO much to see. Dave

On this day in 1776, a 2,000-pound copper-and-tin bell now known as the “Liberty Bell” rings out from the tower of the Pennsylvania State House (now Independence Hall) in Philadelphia, summoning citizens to the first public reading of the Declaration of Independence. Four days earlier, the historic document had been adopted by delegates to the Continental Congress, but the bell did not ring to announce the issuing of the document until the Declaration of Independence returned from the printer on July 8.

As the British advanced toward Philadelphia in the fall of 1777, the bell was removed from the city and hidden in Allentown to save it from being melted down by the British and used to make cannons. After the British defeat in 1781, the bell was returned to Philadelphia, which served as the nation’s capital from 1790 to 1800. In addition to marking important events, the bell tolled annually to celebrate George Washington’s birthday on February 22 and Independence Day on July 4. The name “Liberty Bell” was first coined in an 1839 poem in an abolitionist pamphlet.

As the British advanced toward Philadelphia in the fall of 1777, the bell was removed from the city and hidden in Allentown to save it from being melted down by the British and used to make cannons. After the British defeat in 1781, the bell was returned to Philadelphia, which served as the nation’s capital from 1790 to 1800. The bell tolled annually to celebrate George Washington’s birthday on February 22 and Independence Day on July 4. In 1976, the Liberty Bell was moved to a new pavilion about 100 yards from Independence Hall in preparation for America’s bicentennial celebrations. It remains there today and is visited by more than 1 million people each year.

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[scifan57]

Liberty Bell Tolls Today in 1776 to Announce Declaration of Independence!

Quoted below some paragraphs of the story of the Liberty Bell (Source) which rang today in Philadelphia in 1776 to announce the Declaration of Independence. In 1976, the 'cracked' bell was moved across the street to its pavilion - I've seen the bell in the pavilion at least three times over the decades - that whole area in historic downtown Philly is highly recommended, just SO much to see. Dave






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View attachment 72846

When I visited Philadelphia and saw the Liberty bell, we were allowed to touch the bell very gently with one finger. This was 2 weeks before September 11th and things may be different now.

 

[giradman]

When I visited Philadelphia and saw the Liberty bell, we were allowed to touch the bell very gently with one finger. This was 2 weeks before September 11th and things may be different now.

Well, I've seen the bell before and after 9/11 and likely would have touched it if allowed - cannot remember. Quote below are several paragraphs from a USA Today Travel Article - suggesting that one might be allowed to touch the bell, but there is no date on that link (or one that I could find)? Dave

In the late 19th century, the Liberty Bell went on a tour of the nation, at which time it was touched by millions of people. From 1893 to 1898 it was protected by a glass case, but open access was reestablished and members of the public were again allowed to touch it up through the 1990s, at which time the area around the bell was roped off. A man struck the bell with a hammer in 2001, inflicting several dents, at which point he was imprisoned. While there is no penalty for touching it with your finger, the National Park Service strongly recommends that you not attempt to do so.

While it is not absolutely forbidden to touch the Liberty Bell, it is certainly discouraged. Park service members charged with protecting it sometimes allow children, blind visitors and visiting dignitaries to touch it, but the ropes now surrounding the bell prohibit easy access by the public and guards can refuse the request of anyone who asks to touch it.

 

[J. A.]

July 9, 1441:

Netherlandish painter Jan van Eyck died. He used to sign his paintings with ALS IK KAN (As I Can = As Eyck Can) in Greece letters, as a pun on his name.

Jan van Eyck - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[scifan57]

July 9, 1877;

The All England Croquet and Lawn Tennis Club begins its first lawn tennis tournament at Wimbledon. 1877 Wimbledon Championship - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[giradman]

July 9, 1877;

The All England Croquet and Lawn Tennis Club begins its first lawn tennis tournament at Wimbledon. 1877 Wimbledon Championship - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
View attachment 72856

Serena Williams just won her 7th singles title at Wimbledon, and w/ that victory claimed her 22nd Grand Slam singles title, equaling the Open Era record held by Steffi Graf. Dave
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[giradman]

Scopes Monkey Trial Began Today in Dayton, Tennessee in 1925!

Dayton, Tennessee is just north of Chattanooga (we made a trip to the area a while back and returned via I-75 to Knoxville - should have visited the town - see map) and was the site of the famous 1925 Scopes Monkey Trial (opening quote below - check link for much more, if interested). Clarence Darrow defended John Scopes while William Jennings Bryan (the three time Democratic Presidential Candidate) assisted the prosecution.

One of my favorite movies is Inherit the Wind (1960) w/ Spencer Tracy as Darrow and Fredric March as Bryan; Gene Kelly played H.L. Mencken (of course all names fictionalized for the film) - earlier this year, I replaced my DVD of the movie w/ the BD version shown below which is a wonderful restoration. Dave

The Scopes Trial, formally known as The State of Tennessee v. John Thomas Scopes and commonly referred to as the Scopes Monkey Trial, was an American legal case in 1925 in which a substitute high school teacher, John Scopes, was accused of violating Tennessee's Butler Act, which had made it unlawful to teach human evolution in any state-funded school.[1] The trial was deliberately staged to attract publicity to the small town of Dayton, Tennessee, where it was held. Scopes was unsure whether he had ever actually taught evolution, but he purposely incriminated himself so that the case could have a defendant (Source).

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