Today in History

Today is Tuesday, July 9, the 191st day of 2024. There are 175 days left in the year.

Today’s Highlight in History:

On July 9, 1868, the 14th Amendment to the US Constitution was ratified, granting citizenship and “equal protection under the laws” to anyone “born or naturalized in the United States,” including formerly enslaved people.

Also on this date:

In 1850, President Zachary Taylor died of gastrointestinal illness after consuming a large amount of cherries and iced milk on a hot day five days earlier; Vice President Millard Fillmore was sworn in as president the following day.

In 1896, William Jennings Bryant delivered his famous “Cross of Gold” speech at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago.

In 1918, 101 people were killed in a train collision in Nashville, Tennessee in the deadliest US rail disaster in history.

In 1937, a fire at 20th Century Fox’s storage facility in Little Ferry, New Jersey, destroyed most of the studio’s silent films.

In 1943, during World War II, the Allies launched Operation Husky, the invasion of Sicily.

In 1944, during World War II, American forces secured Saipan as the last Japanese defenses fell.

In 1947, the engagement of Britain’s Princess Elizabeth to Lt. Philip Mountbatten was announced.

In 1965, the Sonny & Cher single “I Got You Babe” was released by ATCO Records.

In 1982, Pan Am Flight 759, a Boeing 727, crashed in Kenner, Louisiana, shortly after takeoff from New Orleans International Airport, killing all 145 people aboard and eight people on the ground.

In 2004, a Senate Intelligence Committee report concluded the CIA had provided unfounded assessments of the threat posed by Iraq that the Bush administration had relied on to justify going to war.

In 2010, the largest U.S.-Russia spy swap since the Cold War was completed on a remote stretch of Vienna airport tarmac as planes from New York and Moscow arrived within minutes of each other with 10 Russian sleeper agents and four prisoners accused by Russia of spying for the West.

In 2011, South Sudan officially became an independent nation.

In 2018, President Donald Trump nominated Brett Kavanaugh to fill the seat left vacant by the retirement of Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy.

Today’s Birthdays: Artist David Hockney is 87. Author Dean Koontz is 79. Actor Chris Cooper is 73. Musician and TV personality John Tesh is 72. Country singer David Ball is 71. Business executive/TV personality Kevin O’Leary (TV: “Shark Tank”) is 70. Singer Debbie Sledge (Sister Sledge) is 70. Actor Jimmy Smits is 69. US Senator Lindsey Graham is 69. Actor Tom Hanks is 68. Singer Marc Almond is 67. Actor Kelly McGillis is 67. Rock singer Jim Kerr (Simple Minds) is 65. Actor-rock singer Courtney Love is 60. Actor Pamela Adlon is 58. Actor Scott Grimes is 53. Actor Enrique Murciano (TV: “Without a Trace”) is 51. Musician/producer Jack White is 49. Rock singer-musician Isaac Brock (Modest Mouse) is 49. Actor-director Fred Savage is 48. Actor Linda Park (TV: “Star Trek: Enterprise”) is 46. Actor Megan Parlen is 44. Animator/writer/producer Rebecca Sugar is 37. Actor Mitchel Musso is 33. Actor Georgie Henley (Film: “The Chronicles of Narnia”) is 29.