Today is Tuesday, July 15, the 196th day of 2024. There are 169 days left in the year.
Today in history:
On July 15, 1799, the Rosetta Stone, a crucial discovery for deciphering ancient Egyptian scripts, was unearthed at Fort Julien in the Nile Delta during the Napoleonic campaign in Egypt.
Also on this date:
In 1834, the Spanish Inquisition was officially abolished after more than 350 years of existence.
In 1870, Georgia became the final Confederate state to be readmitted to the Union.
In 1913, Augustus Bacon of Georgia became the first person elected to the U.S. Senate under the terms of the newly ratified 17th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which allowed for the popular election of senators.
In 1916, The Boeing Company, originally known as Pacific Aero Products Co., was established in Seattle.
In 1975, three American astronauts were launched aboard an Apollo spaceship shortly after two Soviet cosmonauts were sent into orbit aboard a Soyuz spacecraft. This mission included a historic linkup of the two ships in space.
In 1976, a 36-hour kidnapping ordeal began for 26 schoolchildren and their bus driver as they were abducted near Chowchilla, California, by three gunmen and confined in an underground cell. Fortunately, the captives managed to escape unharmed, and the kidnappers were apprehended.
In 1996, MSNBC, a 24-hour all-news network, made its debut on cable and the internet.
In 1997, renowned fashion designer Gianni Versace was tragically shot dead outside his Miami Beach residence; the suspected gunman, Andrew Phillip Cunanan, was found dead eight days later, having taken his own life. It was believed that Cunanan had committed four other murders before targeting Versace.
In 2002, John Walker Lindh, an American who had fought alongside the Taliban in Afghanistan, pleaded guilty in federal court in Alexandria, Virginia, to two felonies as part of a deal that spared him a life sentence.
In 2006, Twitter, now known as X, was officially launched to the public.
In 2019, avowed white supremacist James Alex Fields Jr. was sentenced by a state court to life in prison plus 419 years for killing one person and injuring several others when he deliberately drove his car into a crowd of anti-racism protesters during a rally in Charlottesville, Virginia. Fields had previously received a life sentence on 29 federal hate crime charges.
In 2020, George Floyd’s family filed a lawsuit against the city of Minneapolis and the four police officers charged in his death, alleging violations of Floyd’s rights during the incident. The city later agreed to pay $27 million to settle the lawsuit in March 2021.
Today’s Birthdays:
- Actor Patrick Wayne turns 86 today.
- R&B singer Millie Jackson celebrates her 81st birthday.
- Singer Linda Ronstadt is 79 years old today.
- Author Richard Russo is marking his 76th birthday.
- Musician Trevon Horn is also 76.
- Arianna Huffington, co-founder of The Huffington Post, is 75 years old today.
- Former professional wrestler and Minnesota governor Jesse Ventura turns 74 today.
- Actor Terry O’Quinn, known for his role in “Lost,” celebrates his 73rd birthday.
- Rock drummer Marky Ramone is also 73.
- Rock musician Joe Satriani turns 69 today.
- Model Kim Alexis is celebrating her 65th birthday.
- Actor Willie Aames is 65 years old today.
- Actor-director Forest Whitaker is 64 years old today.
- Actor Brigitte Nielsen turns 62 today.
- Rock drummer Jason Bonham is 59 years old today.
- TV personality Adam Savage, known for “MythBusters,” is celebrating his 58th birthday.
- Actor-comedian Eddie Griffin turns 57 today.
- Actor-screenwriter Jim Rash, known for his role in “Community,” is 53 today.
- Actor Scott Foley is also 53.
- Actor Brian Austin Green celebrates his 52nd birthday today.
- Singer Buju Banton turns 52 today.
- Actor Diane Kruger is 49 years old today.
- Actor Lana Parrilla is celebrating her 48th birthday.
- Actor Travis Fimmel turns 46 today.
- Actor-singer Tristan “Mack” Wilds is 36 years old today.
- Actor Iain Armitage, known for “Young Sheldon,” is celebrating his 17th birthday.
