History for July 4

History for July 4 - On-This-Day.com

Calvin Coolidge (U.S.) 1872 - 30th President of the United States

• 1776 - The amended Declaration of Independence, prepared by Thomas Jefferson, was approved and signed by John Hancock, the President of the Continental Congress in America.
• 1802 - The U.S. Military Academy officially opened at West Point, NY.
• 1803 - The Louisiana Purchase was announced in newspapers. The property was purchased, by the U.S. from France, was for $15 million (or 3 cents an acre). The "Corps of Discovery," led by Meriwether Lewis and William Clark, began the exploration of the territory on May 14, 1804.
• 1817 - Construction began on the Erie Canal, to connect Lake Erie and the Hudson River.
• 1886 - The first rodeo in America was held at Prescott, AZ.
• 1960 - The 50-star U.S. flag made its debut in Philadelphia, PA.
• 1966 - U.S. President Johnson signed the Freedom of Information Act, which went into effect the following year.
• 1976 - The U.S. celebrated its Bicentennial.