July 19 in History

Significant events that happened on this day.

Historical Events

2013

Detroit became the largest U.S. city ever to file for bankruptcy

Once America's fourth-largest city and the heart of the auto industry, Detroit filed for Chapter 9 bankruptcy with debts exceeding $18 billion. The Mo...

1993

President Bill Clinton announced the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy for gays in the military

This controversial compromise allowed gay and lesbian Americans to serve in the military as long as they didn't disclose their sexual orientation. The...

1985

Christa McAuliffe was chosen as the first teacher to fly in space

The New Hampshire social studies teacher was selected from over 11,000 applicants to be the first private citizen in space as part of NASA's Teacher i...

1982

A mentally disturbed man scaled Buckingham Palace and spent 10 minutes talking to Queen Elizabeth II in her bedroom

Michael Fagan, an unemployed decorator, climbed over the palace walls, shimmied up a drainpipe, and found his way to the Queen's bedroom. The Queen re...

1973

Frank Sinatra testified before Congress about Mafia connections in the entertainment industry

Ol' Blue Eyes appeared before a House committee investigating organized crime, denying any mob associations despite decades of rumors. The televised h...

1969

Apollo 11 entered lunar orbit, preparing for humanity's first moon landing

Major

The spacecraft carrying Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, and Michael Collins successfully entered orbit around the Moon on July 19, one day before the his...

1949

Boxer Jake LaMotta defeated Marcel Cerdan to win the world middleweight championship

LaMotta won when Cerdan couldn't continue after the ninth round due to a shoulder injury. Their rivalry was later immortalized in the film "Raging Bul...

1903

Maurice Garin won the first Tour de France bicycle race

The inaugural Tour de France covered 2,428 kilometers over six stages and took 19 days to complete. Garin, a French cyclist, won with a margin of near...

1870

France declared war on Prussia, triggering the Franco-Prussian War

Major

This conflict arose from tensions over a Spanish succession crisis and Chancellor Bismarck's calculated provocations. France's devastating defeat led...

1848

The first women's rights convention in U.S. history began in Seneca Falls, New York

Major

Around 300 people attended this groundbreaking two-day convention, where the Declaration of Sentiments was presented, modeled after the Declaration of...

1799

The Rosetta Stone was discovered in Egypt by French soldiers

Major

Napoleon's troops found this ancient Egyptian artifact near the town of Rosetta (modern-day Rashid). The stone's inscription in three scripts—hierogly...

1692

Five women were hanged for witchcraft in Salem, Massachusetts

Sarah Good, Rebecca Nurse, Susannah Martin, Elizabeth Howe, and Sarah Wildes were executed during the infamous Salem Witch Trials. Rebecca Nurse was 7...

1553

Lady Jane Grey was deposed as Queen of England after just nine days on the throne

The 16-year-old Jane, known as the "Nine Days' Queen," was England's first crowned queen regnant but held power for the shortest reign in English hist...

1545

The Mary Rose, King Henry VIII's flagship, sank in the Solent while he watched from shore

The warship capsized and sank in minutes during a battle with the French fleet, killing around 500 men. Henry VIII allegedly witnessed the disaster fr...

1195

The first known mention of a fire-breathing mechanical dragon appeared in Reims, France

During festivities, a mechanical dragon called "La Grand'Goule" was paraded through the streets, amazing crowds with its ability to appear to breathe...