History for July 21

History for July 21 - On-This-Day.com
Ernest Hemingway 1899 - Author, journalist, Marshall McLuhan 1911 - Educator, philosopher, scholar, Janet Reno 1938 - Attorney General of the U.S. (1993-2001)


Yusuf Islam 1948 - Musician (Cat Stevens), Robin Williams 1951 - Actor, comedian, Jon Lovitz 1957 - Actor ("Saturday Night Live") comedian, singer



1861 - The first major battle of the U.S. Civil War began. It was the Battle of Bull Run at Manassas Junction, VA. The Confederates won the battle.


1925 - The "Monkey Trial" ended in Dayton, TN. John T. Scopes was convicted and fined $100 for violating the state prohibition on teaching Darwin's theory of evolution. The conviction was later overturned on a legal technicality because the judge had set the fine instead of the jury.


1930 - The Veterans Administration of the United States was established.

1940 - Lithuania, Estonia, and Latvia were annexed by the Soviet Union.


1944 - American forces landed on Guam during World War II.


1949 - The U.S. Senate ratified the North Atlantic Treaty.


1957 - Althea Gibson became the first black woman to win a major U.S. tennis title when she won the Women’s National clay-court singles competition.


1961 - Captain Virgil "Gus" Grissom became the second American to rocket into a sub-orbital pattern around the Earth. He was flying on the Liberty Bell 7.