July 28
Following its ratification by the necessary three-quarters of U.S. states, the 14th Amendment, guaranteeing to African Americans citizenship and all its privileges, is officially adopted into the U.S. Constitution. – 1868.
A United States military plane crashes into the Empire State Building and kills 14. The freak accident was caused by heavy fog. – 1945.
At 3:42 a.m., an earthquake measuring between 7.8 and 8.2 magnitude on the Richter scale flattens Tangshan, a Chinese industrial city with a population of about one million residents. An estimated 242,000 in Tangshan and surrounding areas were killed to make the earthquake one of the deadliest in recorded history. – 1976.
July 29
The U.S. Congress passes legislation to establish the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), a civilian agency responsible for coordinating America’s activities in space. – 1958.
Nearly one billion television viewers in 74 countries watch the marriage of Prince Charles, heir to the British throne, to Lady Diana Spencer, an English schoolteacher. – 1981.
July 30
Two years after inserting “under God” into the pledge of allegiance, president Dwight D. Eisenhower signs a law officially declaring “In God We Trust” to be the Nation’s official motto, to replace E pluribus unum “Out of many, one,” used by the founding fathers – 1956.
President Lyndon Johnson signs the Medicare Act, to provide federally-funded health insurance for senior citizens. – 1964.
July 31
Former Teamsters president Jimmy Hoffa disappears. Presumed to be dead, his body never has been found. – 1975.
A hurricane strikes the East Coast of Florida and sinks 10 Spanish treasure ships and kills almost 1,000 persons. The ships left Havana, Cuba, on their way to Europe and carried 120 tons of gold and silver coins, about 14 million pesos worth. – 1715.
August 1
Four days after Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia, two more great European powers, Russia and Germany, declare war on each other; the same day, France orders a general mobilization. The so-called Great War that ensued would be one of unprecedented destruction and loss of life, resulting in the deaths of some 20 million soldiers and civilians and the physical devastation of much of the European continent. – 1914.
A gunman at an observatory platform on top of a 300-foot tower at the University of Texas proceeds to shoot 46 individuals with 14 dead and 31 wounded. A 15th died in 2001 because of his injuries. The shooter eventually was shot to death after courageous Austin police officers charged up the stairs of the tower to subdue the attacker. – 1966.
A severe flood of the Red River in North Vietnam kills an estimated 100,000 persons. This remarkable flood was one of the 20th Century’s most serious weather events, but because the Vietnam War was going on at the time, relatively few details about the disaster are available. – 1971.
August 2
“Wild Bill” Hickok, one of the greatest gunfighters of the American West, is murdered in Deadwood, S.D.. – 1876.
Adolf Hitler becomes absolute dictator of Germany under the title of Fuhrer, or “Leader.” The German army took an oath of allegiance to its new commander-in-chief, and the last remnants of Germany’s democratic government were dismantled to make way for Hitler’s Third Reich. – 1934.
At about 2 a.m. local time, Iraqi forces invade Kuwait, Iraq’s tiny, oil-rich neighbor. Kuwait’s defense forces were rapidly overwhelmed. – 1990.
August 3
From the Spanish port of Palos, Italian explorer Christopher Columbus sets sail in command of three ships, the Nina, the Pinta, and the Santa Maria, on a journey to find a western sea route to China, India, and the fabled gold and spice islands of Asia. – 1492.
The Basketball Association of America (BAA) and National Basketball League (NBL) merge to form the National Basketball Association (NBA). – 1949.
The U.S. nuclear submarine Nautilus accomplishes the first undersea voyage to the geographic North Pole. – 1958.
CBS-TV news shows pictures of men from the First Battalion, Ninth Marines setting fire to huts in the village of Cam Na, six miles west of Da Nang, despite reports that the Viet Cong already had fled the area. The film report sparked indignation and condemnation of the U.S. policy in Vietnam both at home and overseas. – 1965.