July 7, 2024 Today in History

Source: www.onthisday.com

Events in History

1520 Hernán Cortés and the Tlaxcalans defeat a numerically superior Aztec force in the Battle of Otumba in Mexico

1807 French Emperor Napoléon Bonaparte and Russian Tsar Alexander I meet on a raft in the middle of the Neman River and sign the first Treaty of Tilsit

1937 Japanese and Chinese troops clash at the Marco Polo Bridge, beginning the Second Sino-Japanese War

1947 Alleged and disputed Roswell UFO incident

2005 Coordinated terrorist bomb blasts strike London’s public transport system during the morning rush hour, killing 52 and injuring 700

2005 Influenced by global Live 8 concerts, G8 leaders pledge to double 2004 levels of aid to Africa from US$25 to US$50 billion by the year 2010 and to drop the debt owed by 18 of the most heavily indebted poor countries. Results are mixed. [1]

Events in Flim and TV

1936 RCA shows 1st real TV program (dancing, film on locomotives, Bonwit Teller fashion show and monologue from Tobacco Road & comedy)

1939 “The Rules of the Game”, French film directed by Jean Renoir, starring Nora Gregor and Paulette Dubost, premieres in Paris

1949 “Dragnet” premieres on NBC radio; also a TV series in 1951 & 1967

1956 “Hancock’s Half Hour” premieres as a TV show starring Tony Hancock and Sid James, written by Ray Galton and Alan Simpson

1975 TV soap opera “Ryan’s Hope” premieres

1977 “The Spy Who Loved Me”, 10th James Bond film starring Roger Moore and Barbara Bach, premieres in London

1980 Jineane Ford of Arizona replaces Shawn Weatherly (Miss Universe) as the 29th Miss USA

1980 Shawn Weatherly, of USA, crowned 29th Miss Universe

Events in Music

1498 Emperor Maximilian I orders appointment of a conductor, two bass singers and six choir boys, establishing the Vienna Court Music Ensemble; later includes Vienna Boys Choir

1949 Musical revue “Cabatgata (A Night in Spain)” opens at the Broadway Theatre, NYC; runs for 76 performances

1956 Douglas Moore and John Latouche’s opera “Ballad of Baby Doe,” premieres at the Central City Opera, in Central City, Colorado

1962 “The Stripper”, an instrumental single by trombonist David Rose and his Orchestra goes to No. 1 in the US

1965 Otis Redding records the song “Respect” at Stax Studios in Memphis, Tennessee; it later becomes a signature piece for Aretha Franklin

1967 EMI/Parlophone releases The Beatles single “All You Need Is Love” in the UK; it had been introduced to a global audience as part of the BBC’s “Our World” television broadcast 12 days earlier

1968 British rock group “Yardbirds” disbands; guitarist Jimmy Page recruits new members to fill concert commitments – the new group evolves into Led Zeppelin

1969 The Beatles begin recording George Harrison‘s song “Here Comes the Sun” at EMI Studios in London; John Lennon was absent and did not contribute to the track

Events in Sports

1868 Surrey wicket-keeper Ted Pooley completes a then-1st class cricket record 12 dismissals (8 caught, 4 stumped) in a County match against Sussex at The Oval

1887 Wimbledon Men’s Tennis: 3-time runner-up Herbert Lawford wins his only Wimbledon title beating Ernest Renshaw 1-6, 6-3, 3-6, 6-4, 6-4

1890 Wimbledon Men’s Tennis: Irishman Willoughby Hamilton wins his only Wimbledon title beating 7-time champion William Renshaw 6-8, 6-2, 3-6, 6-1, 6-1

1892 Wimbledon Women’s Tennis: Lottie Dod beats Blanche Bingley-Hillyard for a 4th time in a Wimbledon final 6-1, 6-1

1900 Boston Beaneaters pitcher Kid Nichols notches his 300th career MLB victory with an 11-4 win over Chicago Orphans

1911 Wimbledon Women’s Tennis: Dorothea Chambers becomes first player not to concede a game in a final beating Dora Boothby 6-0, 6-0

1912 American athlete Jim Thorpe wins 4 of 5 events to win the Pentathlon gold medal at the Stockholm Olympics, medal stripped 1913 (played pro baseball), reinstated 1982

1914 Baltimore Orioles owner Jack Dunn offers future baseball legend Babe Ruth, Ernie Shore & Ben Egan for $10k to Connie Mack (Philadelphia A’s); refuses pleading lack of finance