A California man legally changed his name to 'Captain Awesome'
Douglas Allen Smith Jr. successfully petitioned to change his name to Captain Awesome in a Californian court. When asked why, he explained he wanted a...
July 5 in History
Significant events that happened on this day.
Historical Events
2009
1996
Dolly the sheep became the first mammal cloned from an adult cell
MajorScientists at the Roslin Institute in Scotland successfully cloned a sheep using a cell from an adult ewe. Though Dolly wasn't revealed to the public...
1994
Jeff Bezos founded Amazon.com in his garage
Originally called Cadabra, the online bookstore started in Bezos's Seattle garage after he quit his Wall Street job. He chose the name Amazon because...
1980
Björn Borg won his fifth consecutive Wimbledon men's singles title
The Swedish tennis legend defeated John McEnroe in an epic five-set final featuring a legendary fourth-set tiebreaker. Borg's five straight Wimbledon...
1975
Arthur Ashe became the first Black man to win Wimbledon
MajorAshe defeated heavily favored Jimmy Connors in four sets to claim the men's singles title. At 31, he became the first African American male to win Wim...
1969
The Rolling Stones performed a free concert in Hyde Park just two days after Brian Jones drowned
An estimated 250,000-500,000 fans attended what became a memorial for founding member Brian Jones. Mick Jagger read poetry by Shelley and released tho...
1954
Elvis Presley recorded 'That's All Right' at Sun Studio, his first commercial recording
The 19-year-old Elvis was fooling around during a break when he started singing the blues song. Producer Sam Phillips was so excited by what he heard...
1948
The National Health Service was established in the United Kingdom
MajorBritain launched the world's first universal healthcare system free at the point of use, funded by taxation. Health Minister Aneurin Bevan famously sa...
1946
The bikini was introduced to the world at a Paris fashion show
French designer Louis Réard unveiled the modern bikini, named after Bikini Atoll where nuclear tests had just occurred. No runway model would wear it,...
1937
Spam, the canned meat product, was introduced by Hormel Foods
The name 'Spam' was chosen in a naming contest, combining 'spiced' and 'ham.' It became a crucial protein source during World War II, with over 150 mi...
1935
The United States National Labor Relations Act was signed into law
Also known as the Wagner Act, this legislation guaranteed workers the right to form unions and bargain collectively. It fundamentally reshaped America...
1865
The Salvation Army was founded in London by William Booth
Originally called the East London Christian Mission, it started as a small evangelical movement in London's impoverished East End. The organization wo...
1811
Venezuela became the first South American country to declare independence from Spain
MajorLed by revolutionaries including Simón Bolívar, Venezuela declared independence, sparking a wave of independence movements across the continent. The s...
1687
Isaac Newton published the Principia Mathematica, laying the foundation for classical mechanics
MajorNewton's groundbreaking work introduced his laws of motion and universal gravitation, revolutionizing physics and mathematics. The book was written in...