July 1909
Encyclopedia
January
– February
– March
– April
– May
– June
– July – August
– September
– October
– November
– December
The following events occurred in July 1909.
January 1909
January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August - September - October - November - DecemberThe following events occurred in January 1909.-January 1, 1909 :...
– February
February 1909
January – February – March – April – May – June – July – August – September – October – November – DecemberThe following events occurred in February 1909.-February 1, 1909 :...
– March
March 1909
January – February – March – April – May – June – July – August – September – October – November – DecemberThe following events occurred in March, 1909.-March 1, 1909 :...
– April
April 1909
January – February – March – April – May – June – July – August – September – October – November – DecemberThe following events occurred in April 1909.-April 1, 1909 :...
– May
May 1909
January – February – March – April – May – June – July – August – September – October – November – DecemberThe following events occurred in May, 1909.-May 1, 1909 :...
– June
June 1909
January – February – March – April – May – June – July – August – September – October – November – DecemberThe following events occurred in June 1909.-June 1, 1909 :...
– July – August
August 1909
January – February – March – April – May – June – July – August – September – October – November – DecemberThe following events occurred in August 1909.-August 1, 1909 :...
– September
September 1909
January – February – March – April – May – June – July – August – September – October – November – DecemberThe following events occurred in September 1909.-September 1, 1909 :...
– October
October 1909
January – February – March – April – May – June – July – August – September – October – November – DecemberThe following events occurred in October 1909:-October 1, 1909 :...
– November
November 1909
January – February – March – April – May – June – July – August – September – October – November – DecemberThe following events occurred in November 1909:-November 1, 1909 :...
– December
December 1909
January – February – March – April – May – June – July – August – September – October – November – DecemberThe following events occurred in December 1909:-December 1, 1909 :...
July 1, 1909 (Thursday)
- In the first political assassination in Britain since 1882, Sir William Curzon-WyllieWilliam Hutt Curzon WyllieSir William Hutt Curzon Wyllie KCIE was an Indian army officer, and later an official of the British Indian Government. Over a career spanning three decades, Curzon Wyllie rose to be Lieutant Colonel in the British Indian Army and occupied a number of administrative and diplomatic posts...
, chief aide to British India's Secretary of State, was shot and killed in London by Madan Lal DhingraMadan Lal DhingraMadan Lal Dhingra was an Indian revolutionary freedom fighter. While studying in England, he assassinated Sir William Hutt Curzon Wyllie, a British official, hailed as one of the first acts of revolution in the Indian independence movement in the 20th century.-Early life:Madan Lal Dhingra was born...
. Another bystander, Dr. Cawas Lalcaca, was fatally wounded by Dhingra's shots. - Clark County, NevadaClark County, Nevada-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 1,375,765 people, 512,253 households, and 339,693 families residing within the MSA. The racial makeup of the MSA was 71.6% White , 9.1% Black, 5.7% Asian, 0.8% American Indian and 12.8% of other or mixed race. 22.0% were Hispanic of any race...
, Palm Beach County, FloridaPalm Beach County, FloridaPalm Beach County is the largest county in the state of Florida in total area, and third in population. As of 2010, the county's estimated population was 1,320,134, making it the twenty-eighth most populous in the United States...
, and Lincoln County, MontanaLincoln County, Montana-National protected areas:* Pacific Northwest National Scenic Trail *Flathead National Forest *Kaniksu National Forest *Kootenai National Forest -Demographics:...
, all came into existence on the same day. - Alice Blériot, wife of Louis BlériotLouis BlériotLouis Charles Joseph Blériot was a French aviator, inventor and engineer. In 1909 he completed the first flight across a large body of water in a heavier-than-air craft, when he crossed the English Channel. For this achievement, he received a prize of £1,000...
, saved a child from death, and the grateful family loaned the almost bankrupt aviator 25,000 francs, enough to help him perfect his Blériot XIBlériot XIThe Blériot XI is the aircraft in which, on 25 July 1909, Louis Blériot made the first flight across the English Channel made in a heavier-than-air aircraft . This achievement is one of the most famous accomplishments of the early years of aviation, and not only won Blériot a lasting place in...
airplane in an attempt to be the first person to fly across the English Channel. - Arctic explorer Joseph-Elzéar BernierJoseph-Elzéar BernierJoseph-Elzéar Bernier was a Quebec mariner who led expeditions into the Canadian Arctic in the early 20th century....
placed a plaque at Winter Harbour on Melville Island that proclaimed "The Memorial is erected today to commemorate the taking possession for the Dominion of Canada of the whole Arctic Archipelago lying to the north of America from long. 60 W to 141 W up to the latitude of 90 N."
July 2, 1909 (Friday)
- At the BASFBASFBASF SE is the largest chemical company in the world and is headquartered in Germany. BASF originally stood for Badische Anilin- und Soda-Fabrik . Today, the four letters are a registered trademark and the company is listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange, London Stock Exchange, and Zurich Stock...
laboratories, chemists Fritz HaberFritz HaberFritz Haber was a German chemist, who received the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1918 for his development for synthesizing ammonia, important for fertilizers and explosives. Haber, along with Max Born, proposed the Born–Haber cycle as a method for evaluating the lattice energy of an ionic solid...
and his assistant, Robert Le Rossignol, first demonstrated a nitrogen fixation process for synthesizing ammoniaAmmoniaAmmonia is a compound of nitrogen and hydrogen with the formula . It is a colourless gas with a characteristic pungent odour. Ammonia contributes significantly to the nutritional needs of terrestrial organisms by serving as a precursor to food and fertilizers. Ammonia, either directly or...
from hydrogenHydrogenHydrogen is the chemical element with atomic number 1. It is represented by the symbol H. With an average atomic weight of , hydrogen is the lightest and most abundant chemical element, constituting roughly 75% of the Universe's chemical elemental mass. Stars in the main sequence are mainly...
and nitrogenNitrogenNitrogen is a chemical element that has the symbol N, atomic number of 7 and atomic mass 14.00674 u. Elemental nitrogen is a colorless, odorless, tasteless, and mostly inert diatomic gas at standard conditions, constituting 78.08% by volume of Earth's atmosphere...
, using osmiumOsmiumOsmium is a chemical element with the symbol Os and atomic number 76. Osmium is a hard, brittle, blue-gray or blue-blacktransition metal in the platinum family, and is the densest natural element. Osmium is twice as dense as lead. The density of osmium is , slightly greater than that of iridium,...
as the catalyst. Carl BoschCarl BoschCarl Bosch was a German chemist and engineer and Nobel laureate in chemistry. He was a pioneer in the field of high-pressure industrial chemistry and founder of IG Farben, at one point the world's largest chemical company....
and Alwin MittaschAlwin MittaschAlwin Mittasch was a German chemist. He received his PhD at the University of Leipzig for work with Wilhelm Ostwald in 1901. He started working for BASF Ludwigshafen in 1904 as assistant of Carl Bosch. Mittasch discovered the efficient and cheap iron based catalyst for the ammonia synthesis in the...
adapted the Haber ProcessHaber processThe Haber process, also called the Haber–Bosch process, is the nitrogen fixation reaction of nitrogen gas and hydrogen gas, over an enriched iron or ruthenium catalyst, which is used to industrially produce ammonia....
to large scale production, making it possible to artificially produce nitrates for fertilizer.
July 3, 1909 (Saturday)
- The first Hudson automobile, the "Model 20", came off the assembly line in Detroit. The last Hudson was manufactured in 1957, after the company merged into AMCAmerican MotorsAmerican Motors Corporation was an American automobile company formed by the 1954 merger of Nash-Kelvinator Corporation and Hudson Motor Car Company. At the time, it was the largest corporate merger in U.S. history.George W...
. - Federal charges were filed against the manufacturers of Koca Nola, the third most popular colaColaCola is a carbonated beverage that was typically flavored by the kola nut as well as vanilla and other flavorings, however, some colas are now flavored artificially. It became popular worldwide after druggist John Pemberton invented Coca-Cola in 1886...
after Coke and Pepsi, after a one gallon jug of the syrup was found to include cocaineCocaineCocaine is a crystalline tropane alkaloid that is obtained from the leaves of the coca plant. The name comes from "coca" in addition to the alkaloid suffix -ine, forming cocaine. It is a stimulant of the central nervous system, an appetite suppressant, and a topical anesthetic...
. Ironically, the company's slogan was "Delicious and Dopeless". The company was fined $100 for "adulteration" and failure to disclose ingredients; bottling of Koca Nola ceased after the company went bankrupt in 1910.
July 4, 1909 (Sunday)
- Architect Daniel BurnhamDaniel BurnhamDaniel Hudson Burnham, FAIA was an American architect and urban planner. He was the Director of Works for the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago. He took a leading role in the creation of master plans for the development of a number of cities, including Chicago and downtown Washington DC...
and a team of planners unveiled the Plan of Chicago, also known as the Burnham PlanBurnham PlanThe Burnham Plan is a popular name for the 1909 Plan of Chicago, co-authored by Daniel Burnham and Edward H. Bennett. It recommended an integrated series of projects including new and widened streets, parks, new railroad and harbor facilities, and civic buildings...
, a long range vision for the Windy City. - A 16 feet (4.9 m) pedestal and bust of Abraham LincolnAbraham LincolnAbraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States, serving from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. He successfully led his country through a great constitutional, military and moral crisis – the American Civil War – preserving the Union, while ending slavery, and...
was dedicated in Scranton, PennsylvaniaScranton, PennsylvaniaScranton is a city in the northeastern part of Pennsylvania, United States. It is the county seat of Lackawanna County and the largest principal city in the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre metropolitan area. Scranton had a population of 76,089 in 2010, according to the U.S...
, at Nay Aug ParkNay Aug ParkNay Aug Park is the largest park in Scranton, Pennsylvania, United States. An amusement park on the site closed in the 1990s, but a small amusement area still operates near the swimming pool complex...
. The statue disappeared at some point in the next few decades, and clues to its whereabouts were still being sought a century later. - France's battleship DantonFrench battleship Danton (1909)Danton was a pre-dreadnought battleship of the French Navy and the lead ship of her class. She was a technological leap in battleship development for the French Navy, as she was the first ship in the fleet with turbine engines...
, the first to have turbine engines, was launched from the shipyard at BrestBrest, FranceBrest is a city in the Finistère department in Brittany in northwestern France. Located in a sheltered position not far from the western tip of the Breton peninsula, and the western extremity of metropolitan France, Brest is an important harbour and the second French military port after Toulon...
. The Danton was torpedoed and sunk on March 19, 1917.
July 5, 1909 (Monday)
- Suffragette Marion Wallace DunlopMarion Wallace DunlopMarion Wallace Dunlop was the first British suffragette to go on hunger strike, on 5 July 1909, after being arrested in July 1909 for militancy....
introduced the "hunger strikeHunger strikeA hunger strike is a method of non-violent resistance or pressure in which participants fast as an act of political protest, or to provoke feelings of guilt in others, usually with the objective to achieve a specific goal, such as a policy change. Most hunger strikers will take liquids but not...
" to Britain, after being jailed for disturbing Parliament. Dunlop's fast lasted 91 hours, attracting enough publicity that the government agreed to meet with the suffrage movement leaders. She was released on July 8, becoming a heroine for women's suffrage and an example for protestors ever since. - The proposed Sixteenth Amendment (income tax)Sixteenth Amendment to the United States ConstitutionThe Sixteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution allows the Congress to levy an income tax without apportioning it among the states or basing it on Census results...
passed the U.S. SenateUnited States SenateThe United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
unanimously, 77–0, and moved on to the House.
July 6, 1909 (Tuesday)
- Albert EinsteinAlbert EinsteinAlbert Einstein was a German-born theoretical physicist who developed the theory of general relativity, effecting a revolution in physics. For this achievement, Einstein is often regarded as the father of modern physics and one of the most prolific intellects in human history...
resigned from his job at the Patent Office in ZürichZürichZurich is the largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. It is located in central Switzerland at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich...
in order to pursue the full-time study of physics.
July 7, 1909 (Wednesday)
- Physicist Walther Ritz, who had formulated the Ritz methodRitz methodThe Ritz method is a direct method to find an approximate solution for boundary value problems. The method is named after Walter Ritz.In quantum mechanics, a system of particles can be described in terms of an "energy functional" or Hamiltonian, which will measure the energy of any proposed...
for analyzing combinations of particles, and who had contributed to the Rydberg formulaRydberg formulaThe Rydberg formula is used in atomic physics to describe the wavelengths of spectral lines of many chemical elements. It was formulated by the Swedish physicist Johannes Rydberg, and presented on November 5, 1888.-History:...
, died of pleurisyPleurisyPleurisy is an inflammation of the pleura, the lining of the pleural cavity surrounding the lungs. Among other things, infections are the most common cause of pleurisy....
in GöttingenGöttingenGöttingen is a university town in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is the capital of the district of Göttingen. The Leine river runs through the town. In 2006 the population was 129,686.-General information:...
at the age of 31. - T.E. Lawrence, immortalized as "Lawrence of Arabia", departed Britain for his first trip to the Arab world. Lawrence, a second-year undergraduate at Oxford UniversityJesus College, OxfordJesus College is one of the colleges of the University of Oxford in England. It is in the centre of the city, on a site between Turl Street, Ship Street, Cornmarket Street and Market Street...
, traveled to Syria and Palestine for his thesis on the influence of the Crusades on European military architecture.
July 8, 1909 (Thursday)
- In a reversal of policy, the British government met with women seeking the right to vote. Home SecretaryHome SecretaryThe Secretary of State for the Home Department, commonly known as the Home Secretary, is the minister in charge of the Home Office of the United Kingdom, and one of the country's four Great Offices of State...
Herbert GladstoneHerbert Gladstone, 1st Viscount GladstoneHerbert John Gladstone, 1st Viscount Gladstone GCB, GCMG, GBE, PC, JP was a British Liberal statesman. The youngest son of William Ewart Gladstone, he was Home Secretary from 1905 to 1910 and Governor-General of the Union of South Africa from 1910 to 1914.-Background and education:Gladstone was...
met with eight representatives, led by Charlotte DespardCharlotte DespardCharlotte Despard was a British-born, later Irish-based suffragist, novelist and Sinn Féin activist....
, after being requested to do so by King Edward VIIEdward VII of the United KingdomEdward VII was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions and Emperor of India from 22 January 1901 until his death in 1910...
. - The first professional baseballBaseballBaseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
game played at night under lights was a Central LeagueCentral League (baseball)The Central League was a minor league baseball league that operated sporadically from 1903-1917, 1920-1922, 1926, 1928-1930, 1934, and 1948-1951. In 1926, the league merged mid-season with the Michigan State League and played under that name for the remainder of the season...
game at Grand Rapids, MichiganGrand Rapids, MichiganGrand Rapids is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. The city is located on the Grand River about 40 miles east of Lake Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 188,040. In 2010, the Grand Rapids metropolitan area had a population of 774,160 and a combined statistical area, Grand...
. The Grand Rapids team beat Zanesville, 11–10.
July 9, 1909 (Friday)
- A boundary dispute between BoliviaBoliviaBolivia officially known as Plurinational State of Bolivia , is a landlocked country in central South America. It is the poorest country in South America...
and PeruPeruPeru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
was settled by President José Figueroa AlcortaJosé Figueroa AlcortaJosé Figueroa Alcorta was President of Argentina from 12 March 1906 to 12 October 1910.Figueroa Alcorta was born in Córdoba as the son of José Figueroa and Teodosia Alcorta. He was elected a National Representative for Córdoba before becoming Provincial Governor in 1895. In 1898 he returned to the...
of ArgentinaArgentinaArgentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
, whom the two nations selected as arbitrator. - Miss Anita Stewart of New York announced her engagement to Prince Miguel, Duke of Viseu, eldest son of Miguel, Duke of Braganza, the Miguelist pretender to the throne of PortugalPortugalPortugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
. The younger Dom Miguel was the grandson of King Miguel IMiguel of PortugalDom Miguel I, sometimes Michael , was the King of Portugal between 1828 and 1834, the seventh child and second son of King John VI and his queen, Charlotte of Spain....
, who had ruled Portugal from 1828 to 1834.
July 10, 1909 (Saturday)
- China and the United States reached the first agreement providing for Chinese students to enroll at American universities. The Imperial CourtForbidden CityThe Forbidden City was the Chinese imperial palace from the Ming Dynasty to the end of the Qing Dynasty. It is located in the middle of Beijing, China, and now houses the Palace Museum...
approved Qianpai YouMei Xuesheng Banfa Dagang, an outline of regulations for selecting suitable candidates for study in the U.S., after its delivery by the Ministry of Education.
July 11, 1909 (Sunday)
- At 3:00 in the morning, a heat burstHeat burstIn meteorology, a heat burst is a rare atmospheric phenomenon characterised by gusty winds and a rapid increase in temperature and decrease in dew point...
south of Cherokee, OklahomaCherokee, OklahomaCherokee is a city in Alfalfa County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 1,630 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Alfalfa County.-History:Cherokee is the location of the Cherokee IOOF Lodge No...
, reportedly caused the temperature to rise briefly to 136 °F (57.8 °C), desiccating crops in the area.
July 12, 1909 (Monday)
- By a margin of 317–14, the U.S. House of RepresentativesUnited States House of RepresentativesThe United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
passed a resolution sending the proposed Sixteenth Amendment to the United States ConstitutionSixteenth Amendment to the United States ConstitutionThe Sixteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution allows the Congress to levy an income tax without apportioning it among the states or basing it on Census results...
to the states for ratification. Alabama was first (on August 10) to ratify the income tax amendment, which was, on February 3, 1913, ratified by the required 36 states. - KoreaKoreaKorea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...
agreed to turn over the functions of prison administration and the court system to Japan. Annexation would follow on August 22, 1910. - President TaftWilliam Howard TaftWilliam Howard Taft was the 27th President of the United States and later the tenth Chief Justice of the United States...
set aside 480 acres (1.9 km²) as the Oregon Caves National MonumentOregon Caves National MonumentOregon Caves National Monument is a national monument in the northern Siskiyou Mountains of southwestern Oregon in the United States. The main part of the park, including the marble cave and a visitor center, is located east of Cave Junction, on Oregon Route 46. A separate visitor center in Cave...
.
July 13, 1909 (Tuesday)
- Mohammad Ali Shah QajarMohammad Ali Shah QajarMohammad Ali Shah Qajar was the Shah of Persia from 8 January 1907 to 16 July 1909.-Biography:He was against the constitution that was ratified during the reign of his father, Mozzafar-al-Din Shah...
, the Shah of PersiaQajar dynastyThe Qajar dynasty was an Iranian royal family of Turkic descent who ruled Persia from 1785 to 1925....
, was forced to flee to the Russian embassy after rebel armies poured into the PersianIranIran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
capital of TehranTehranTehran , sometimes spelled Teheran, is the capital of Iran and Tehran Province. With an estimated population of 8,429,807; it is also Iran's largest urban area and city, one of the largest cities in Western Asia, and is the world's 19th largest city.In the 20th century, Tehran was subject to...
. MujahidinMujahideenMujahideen are Muslims who struggle in the path of God. The word is from the same Arabic triliteral as jihad .Mujahideen is also transliterated from Arabic as mujahedin, mujahedeen, mudžahedin, mudžahidin, mujahidīn, mujaheddīn and more.-Origin of the concept:The beginnings of Jihad are traced...
forces from the north, and Bakhtiari tribesmen from the south, were joined by local supporters of the revolution. By week's end, constitutional government had been restored.
July 14, 1909 (Wednesday)
- Theobald von Bethmann-HollwegTheobald von Bethmann-HollwegTheobald von Bethmann Hollweg was a German politician and statesman who served as Chancellor of the German Empire from 1909 to 1917.-Origins:...
became Chancellor of GermanyChancellor of GermanyThe Chancellor of Germany is, under the German 1949 constitution, the head of government of Germany...
upon the resignation of Chancellor von BülowBernhard von BülowBernhard Heinrich Karl Martin von Bülow , named in 1905 Prince von Bülow, was a German statesman who served as Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs for three years and then as Chancellor of the German Empire from 1900 to 1909.Bülow was described as possessing every quality except greatness...
. Bethmann-Hollweg served until 1917. - As the Anglo-Siamese Treaty of 1909Anglo-Siamese Treaty of 1909The Anglo-Siamese Treaty of 1909 or Bangkok Treaty of 1909 was a treaty between the United Kingdom and the Kingdom of Siam signed on March 10, 1909, in Bangkok. Ratifications were exchanged in London on July 9, 1909....
took effect, the Malayan peninsula states of KedahKedahKedah is a state of Malaysia, located in the northwestern part of Peninsular Malaysia. The state covers a total area of over 9,000 km², and it consists of the mainland and Langkawi. The mainland has a relatively flat terrain, which is used to grow rice...
, KelantanKelantanKelantan is a state of Malaysia. The capital and royal seat is Kota Bharu. The Arabic honorific of the state is Darul Naim, ....
, PerlisPerlisPerlis is the smallest state in Malaysia. It lies at the northern part of the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia and has Satun and Songkhla Provinces of Thailand on its northern border. It is bordered by the state of Kedah to the south...
and TerengganuTerengganuTerengganu is a sultanate and constitutive state of federal Malaysia. The state is also known by its Arabic honorific, Darul Iman...
became British protectorates. More than 175000 square miles (453,247.9 km²), or half of ThailandThailandThailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
's territory, were forfeited. - The British submarineSubmarineA submarine is a watercraft capable of independent operation below the surface of the water. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability...
HMS C11HMS C11HMS C11 was a British C class submarine built by Vickers, Barrow. She was laid down on 6 April 1906 and was commissioned on 3 September 1907....
sank in the English ChannelEnglish ChannelThe English Channel , often referred to simply as the Channel, is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates southern England from northern France, and joins the North Sea to the Atlantic. It is about long and varies in width from at its widest to in the Strait of Dover...
, off CromerCromerCromer is a coastal town and civil parish in north Norfolk, England. The local government authority is North Norfolk District Council, whose headquarters is in Holt Road in the town. The town is situated 23 miles north of the county town, Norwich, and is 4 miles east of Sheringham...
, after the steamer Eddystone sheared off the submarine's stern, killing 13 of the 16 men aboard. - Edward Payson WestonEdward Payson WestonEdward Payson Weston was a notable pedestrian, who was largely responsible for the rise in popularity of the sport in the 1860s and 1870s.-Biography:...
arrived in San Francisco on the 105th day of his transcontinental walk. He had set off from New YorkNew York CityNew York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
on his 75th birthday on March 15 on a goal of reaching the West Coast in 100 days—not including Sundays—and reached the St. Francis Hotel at
July 15, 1909 (Thursday)
- After China refused to let American banks participate with Germany, Britain and France in financing of a railway building project, U.S. President William Howard TaftWilliam Howard TaftWilliam Howard Taft was the 27th President of the United States and later the tenth Chief Justice of the United States...
personally cabled a request to Prince ChunZaifeng, 2nd Prince ChunThe 2nd Prince Chun was born Zaifeng , of the Manchu Aisin-Gioro clan . He was the leader of China between 1908 and 1911, serving as regent for his son Puyi, the Xuantong Emperor.His courtesy name was Yiyun...
, the regent for the Chinese EmperorPuyiPuyi , of the Manchu Aisin Gioro clan, was the last Emperor of China, and the twelfth and final ruler of the Qing Dynasty. He ruled as the Xuantong Emperor from 1908 until his abdication on 12 February 1912. From 1 to 12 July 1917 he was briefly restored to the throne as a nominal emperor by the...
, to be allowed in. China renegotiated the agreement to include American banks, and problems with the project later contributed to the downfall of the Empire in 1911.
July 16, 1909 (Friday)
- The Persian Constitutional Revolution succeeded in forcing Mohammad Ali Shah QajarMohammad Ali Shah QajarMohammad Ali Shah Qajar was the Shah of Persia from 8 January 1907 to 16 July 1909.-Biography:He was against the constitution that was ratified during the reign of his father, Mozzafar-al-Din Shah...
from the throne of Iran. The National Assembly proclaimed the 12-year old Crown Prince, Ahmed MirzaAhmad Shah QajarAhmad Shah Qajar was Shah of Iran from July 16, 1909, to October 31, 1925 and the last of the Qajar dynasty.- Reign :...
, as Shah, and Azud ul Mulk as regent. - August HorchAugust HorchAugust Horch was a German engineer and automobile pioneer, the founder of the manufacturing giant which would eventually become Audi.-Beginnings:...
founded the Horch Automobile WorksHorchHorch was a car brand manufactured in Germany by August Horch & Cie, at the beginning of the 20th century.-History at a Glance:The company was established first by August Horch and his first business partner Salli Herz on November 14, 1899 at Ehrenfeld, Cologne. August Horch was a former production...
in ZwickauZwickauZwickau in Germany, former seat of the government of the south-western region of the Free State of Saxony, belongs to an industrial and economical core region. Nowadays it is the capital city of the district of Zwickau...
, beginning a century of manufacture of luxury autos. Because a company he had founded in 1899 already made Horch automobiles, Horch—whose surname meant "Hark!" in German—chose the Latin equivalent, AudiAudiAudi AG is a German automobile manufacturer, from supermini to crossover SUVs in various body styles and price ranges that are marketed under the Audi brand , positioned as the premium brand within the Volkswagen Group....
. - The Detroit TigersDetroit TigersThe Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team located in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in as part of the Western League. The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant...
and the visiting Washington SenatorsMinnesota TwinsThe Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The team is named after the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis and St. Paul. They played in Metropolitan Stadium from 1961 to 1981 and the...
played 18 scoreless innings of baseball before darkness ended the game. The 0–0 tie was bettered on September 11, 1945, by a 19 inning scoreless game between the RedsCincinnati RedsThe Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the National League Central Division. The club was established in 1882 as a charter member of the American Association and joined the National League in 1890....
and DodgersLos Angeles DodgersThe Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
.
July 17, 1909 (Saturday)
- Huntington Beach, CaliforniaHuntington Beach, CaliforniaHuntington Beach is a seaside city in Orange County in Southern California. According to the 2010 census, the city population was 189,992; making it the largest beach city in Orange County in terms of population...
, was incorporated, with 915 residents within its 3.57 square miles (9.2 km²). From 1960 to 1970, with the annexation of adjoining farmland, the city's population grew tenfold, from 11,492 to 115,960, and now has nearly 200,000 inhabitants. - Glenn CurtissGlenn CurtissGlenn Hammond Curtiss was an American aviation pioneer and a founder of the U.S. aircraft industry. He began his career as a bicycle then motorcycle builder and racer, later also manufacturing engines for airships as early as 1906...
piloted the airplane Gold Bug for 15½ miles at Mineola, New YorkMineola, New YorkMineola is a village in Nassau County, New York, USA. The population was 18,799 at the 2010 census. The name is derived from a Native American word meaning a "pleasant place"....
, earning a $10,000 prize from Scientific American magazine. - After 45 consecutive at-bats without a hit, Brooklyn DodgersLos Angeles DodgersThe Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
' catcher Bill BergenBill BergenWilliam Aloysius "Bill" Bergen was a Major League Baseball catcher in the early 20th century. Bergen was born in North Brookfield, Massachusetts on June 13, 1878...
got a single. The record still stands a century later.
July 18, 1909 (Sunday)
- Film actor Larry SemonLarry SemonLawrence "Larry" Semon was an American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter during the silent film era. In his day, Semon was considered a major movie comedian, but he is now remembered mainly for working with both Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy before they started working together.He is also...
violated the magician's code by starting a weekly newspaper series, "Mysteries of Magic, Past and Present, Exposed" in the newspaper The North American. Semon revealed secrets of various tricks over 35 columns, stopping in March 1910. - An earthquakeEarthquakeAn earthquake is the result of a sudden release of energy in the Earth's crust that creates seismic waves. The seismicity, seismism or seismic activity of an area refers to the frequency, type and size of earthquakes experienced over a period of time...
at the New Madrid FaultNew Madrid Seismic ZoneThe New Madrid Seismic Zone , sometimes called the New Madrid Fault Line, is a major seismic zone and a prolific source of intraplate earthquakes in the southern and midwestern United States, stretching to the southwest from New Madrid, Missouri.The New Madrid fault system was responsible for the...
damaged the town of Petersburg, IllinoisPetersburg, IllinoisPetersburg is a city in Menard County, Illinois, on the bluffs and part of the floodplain overlooking the Sangamon River. It is part of the Springfield, Illinois Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 2,299 at the 2000 census, and 2,185 at a 2009 estimate. It is the county seat of Menard...
.
July 19, 1909 (Monday)
- The Hudson TerminalHudson TerminalHudson Terminal was an urban railway station on the Hudson and Manhattan Railroad in Lower Manhattan, New York City, and the office skyscraper built to serve the terminal.- Station :...
, the largest underground station in the New York subway system was opened at , connecting ManhattanManhattanManhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
to Jersey City. The terminal, located at Cortlandt and Church Streets, was operated by the Hudson and Manhattan Railroad, and would later become the World Trade Center (PATH station)World Trade Center (PATH station)The World Trade Center PATH station originally opened on July 19, 1909 as the Hudson Terminal. When the Hudson Terminal was torn down to make way for the World Trade Center, a new station was built, which opened in 1971...
. Two 22-story office buildings for the H & M Railroad would later be replaced by the twin 110-story WTC office buildings, which would be destroyed on September 11, 2001. - In Cleveland, Neal BallNeal BallCornelius "Neal" Ball , the American baseball player, achieved fame on July 19, when he pulled off the first unassisted triple play in Major League baseball history in a game against the Boston Red Sox. "During the same game, he set another major league record for shortstops...
of the Cleveland IndiansCleveland IndiansThe Cleveland Indians are a professional baseball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Since , they have played in Progressive Field. The team's spring training facility is in Goodyear, Arizona...
made the first unassisted triple playUnassisted triple playIn baseball, an unassisted triple play occurs when a defensive player makes all three putouts by himself in one continuous play, without any teammates touching the ball . In Major League Baseball , it is one of the rarest of individual feats, along with hitting four home runs in one game and the...
in major league history, in the second inning of a 6–1 win over the Boston Red SoxBoston Red SoxThe Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
. Ball caught a hit by Amby McConnellAmby McConnellAmbrose Moses McConnell , born in North Powell, Vermont, was a professional baseball player for Boston Red Sox and the Chicago White Sox...
, stepped on second base before Heinie WagnerHeinie WagnerCharles Francis "Heinie" Wagner was an American baseball player and manager. He played shortstop for the New York Giants and the Boston Red Sox . He was also the manager of the Red Sox during the 1930 baseball season.Wagner was born in Harlem, New York, in September 1880...
could return, and tagged Jake StahlJake StahlJacob Garland "Jake" Stahl was an American first baseman and manager in Major League Baseball with the Boston Red Sox, Washington Senators, and New York Highlanders. A graduate of the University of Illinois, he was a member of the Kappa Kappa chapter of Sigma Chi...
, who was trying to back to first base. The 14th and most recent such play was also in Cleveland, by Asdrubal CabreraAsdrúbal CabreraAsdrúbal José Cabrera is a switch-hitting infielder for the Cleveland Indians of Major League Baseball.After coming up through the Seattle Mariners organization, he was acquired by the Indians on June 30, 2006, in exchange for Eduardo Perez...
on May 11, 2008. - Hubert LathamHubert LathamArthur Charles Hubert Latham was a French aviation pioneer. He was the first person to attempt to cross the English Channel in an aeroplane...
's attempt to be the first to fly an airplane across the English ChannelEnglish ChannelThe English Channel , often referred to simply as the Channel, is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates southern England from northern France, and joins the North Sea to the Atlantic. It is about long and varies in width from at its widest to in the Strait of Dover...
failed, when the engine on the Antoinette IV failed seven miles (11 km) into the trip. The French destroyer Harpon rescued both pilot and airplane. Six days later, Louis BlériotLouis BlériotLouis Charles Joseph Blériot was a French aviator, inventor and engineer. In 1909 he completed the first flight across a large body of water in a heavier-than-air craft, when he crossed the English Channel. For this achievement, he received a prize of £1,000...
would cross the Channel.
July 20, 1909 (Tuesday)
- Georges ClemenceauGeorges ClemenceauGeorges Benjamin Clemenceau was a French statesman, physician and journalist. He served as the Prime Minister of France from 1906 to 1909, and again from 1917 to 1920. For nearly the final year of World War I he led France, and was one of the major voices behind the Treaty of Versailles at the...
resigned as Prime Minister of FrancePrime Minister of FranceThe Prime Minister of France in the Fifth Republic is the head of government and of the Council of Ministers of France. The head of state is the President of the French Republic...
after a violent argument in the Chamber of DeputiesChamber of Deputies of FranceChamber of Deputies was the name given to several parliamentary bodies in France in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries:* 1814–1848 during the Bourbon Restoration and the July Monarchy, the Chamber of Deputies was the Lower chamber of the French Parliament, elected by census suffrage.*...
with former Foreign Minister Theophile DelcasseThéophile DelcasséThéophile Delcassé was a French statesman.-Biography:He was born at Pamiers, in the Ariège département...
. A vote of no confidence followed, with the Clemenceau government losing 212–176, and the premier quitting after nearly three years. Clemenceau, who was succeeded by Aristide BriandAristide BriandAristide Briand was a French statesman who served eleven terms as Prime Minister of France during the French Third Republic and received the 1926 Nobel Peace Prize.- Early life :...
, would become Premier again in 1917.
July 21, 1909 (Wednesday)
- The first baseballBaseballBaseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
game in KoreaKoreaKorea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...
took place in SeoulSeoulSeoul , officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea. A megacity with a population of over 10 million, it is the largest city proper in the OECD developed world...
. Yun Ik-hyon and 24 other Korean university students had learned the game while studying in TokyoTokyo, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
, and organized a match against American foreign missionaries. The Korea Baseball OrganizationKorea Baseball OrganizationThe Korea Baseball Organization is the governing body for the professional leagues of baseball in South Korea. KBO should not be confused with the Korea Professional Baseball League. KBO was founded in 1981 and has been governing two leagues, Korea Professional Baseball and Futures League since...
would later refer to it as "the turning point for Korean baseball".
July 22, 1909 (Thursday)
- The Republic of Paraguay enacted its first compulsory education law, requiring all children, 5 to 14, to attend school. On September 6, the "Law for the Conversion of the Indian Tribes" was enacted, providing for public land grants of 7,500 hectares (roughly 29 square miles) to establish schools, churches and housing for Indians converted to Christianity.
July 23, 1909 (Friday)
- Alliott Verdon "A.V." RoeA.V. RoeA.V. Roe may refer to:*Alliott Verdon Roe, British aircraft pioneer and manufacturer*A.V. Roe and Company - generally known as Avro - British aircraft manufacturer founded by Alliott Verdon Roe...
piloted the first British-manufactured aeroplane, the Roe I Triplane, flying 850 feet (259.1 m) at the Walthamstow MarshesWalthamstow MarshesWalthamstow Marshes, located in the London Borough of Waltham Forest, is a designated Site of Special Scientific Interest SSSI. It was once an area of lammas land — strips of meadow used for growing crops and grazing cattle....
in East London, at an altitude of 10 feet (3 m) and an average speed of 25 mi/h. Roe went on to found the airplane manufacturer AvroAvroAvro was a British aircraft manufacturer, with numerous landmark designs such as the Avro 504 trainer in the First World War, the Avro Lancaster, one of the pre-eminent bombers of the Second World War, and the delta wing Avro Vulcan, a stalwart of the Cold War.-Early history:One of the world's...
. - Sir Frederick HolderFrederick HolderSir Frederick William Holder KCMG was the 19th Premier of South Australia and a prominent member of the inaugural Australian Commonwealth Parliament, including the first Speaker of the House of Representatives.-Life:...
, Speaker of the Australian House of RepresentativesSpeaker of the Australian House of RepresentativesThe Speaker of the House of Representatives is the presiding officer of the House of Representatives, the lower house of the Parliament of Australia. The presiding officer in the upper house is the President of the Senate....
, collapsed at while presiding over an all-night session, and died a few hours later without regaining consciousness. Reportedly, his last words during the tumultuous session were "Dreadful! Dreadful!"
July 24, 1909 (Saturday)
- John Flanagan became the oldest person to break a sports record when he had a distance of 56.18 meters in the hammer throw. The Irish-born, NYPDNew York City Police DepartmentThe New York City Police Department , established in 1845, is currently the largest municipal police force in the United States, with primary responsibilities in law enforcement and investigation within the five boroughs of New York City...
cop was 41 years old. - At D'Urville IslandD'Urville Island, New ZealandD'Urville Island is an island in the Marlborough Sounds along the northern coast of the South Island of New Zealand. It was named after the French explorer Jules Dumont d'Urville. With an area of approximately , it is the eighth-largest island of New Zealand, and has around 52 permanent...
in New ZealandNew ZealandNew Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, the first sighting was made of an "Aerialite", a brightly lit object flying over the bay. For the next six weeks, the unidentified flying object was observed across New Zealand from OtagoOtagoOtago is a region of New Zealand in the south of the South Island. The region covers an area of approximately making it the country's second largest region. The population of Otago is...
to AucklandAucklandThe Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world...
.
July 25, 1909 (Sunday)
- Louis BlériotLouis BlériotLouis Charles Joseph Blériot was a French aviator, inventor and engineer. In 1909 he completed the first flight across a large body of water in a heavier-than-air craft, when he crossed the English Channel. For this achievement, he received a prize of £1,000...
landed the Blériot XIBlériot XIThe Blériot XI is the aircraft in which, on 25 July 1909, Louis Blériot made the first flight across the English Channel made in a heavier-than-air aircraft . This achievement is one of the most famous accomplishments of the early years of aviation, and not only won Blériot a lasting place in...
at in England, at Northfall Meadow near DoverDoverDover is a town and major ferry port in the home county of Kent, in South East England. It faces France across the narrowest part of the English Channel, and lies south-east of Canterbury; east of Kent's administrative capital Maidstone; and north-east along the coastline from Dungeness and Hastings...
. Having taken off from the French village of Les Baraques, near CalaisCalaisCalais is a town in Northern France in the department of Pas-de-Calais, of which it is a sub-prefecture. Although Calais is by far the largest city in Pas-de-Calais, the department's capital is its third-largest city of Arras....
, 36 minutes earlier, Blériot became the first person to fly an airplane across the English ChannelEnglish ChannelThe English Channel , often referred to simply as the Channel, is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates southern England from northern France, and joins the North Sea to the Atlantic. It is about long and varies in width from at its widest to in the Strait of Dover...
, and made the first international flight as well. A British newspaper noted the next day, "England's isolation has ended once and for all." Blériot, who was recovering from surgery and had no compass, crash-landed. Legend has it that the 25 hp airplane engine was saved from overheating by a slight drizzle as he neared the English coast. Blériot won a ₤1,000 prize from the London Daily MailDaily MailThe Daily Mail is a British daily middle-market tabloid newspaper owned by the Daily Mail and General Trust. First published in 1896 by Lord Northcliffe, it is the United Kingdom's second biggest-selling daily newspaper after The Sun. Its sister paper The Mail on Sunday was launched in 1982...
and received hundreds of orders for his airplane.
July 26, 1909 (Monday)
- The SS Waratah departed DurbanDurbanDurban is the largest city in the South African province of KwaZulu-Natal and the third largest city in South Africa. It forms part of the eThekwini metropolitan municipality. Durban is famous for being the busiest port in South Africa. It is also seen as one of the major centres of tourism...
, South AfricaSouth AfricaThe Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
, with 211 passengers and crew on board, bound for a 3 day journey to Cape TownCape TownCape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...
, its next stop on a voyage from Australia to Britain. The Waratah was spotted on the 27th by the Clan MacIntyre, and never seen again. No trace of the ship has ever been found. Explorer Emlyn Brown thought he had located the wreckage in 1999, but had found, instead, a freighter sunk during World War II. As of 2009, no trace of the Waratah has been found.
July 27, 1909 (Tuesday)
- At Fort Myer, Virginia, Orville Wright and his passenger, Lt. Frank P. Lahm, went aloft in the Wright Military FlyerWright Military Flyer-See also:-References:* * United States Air Force Museum - External links :* , NASA Collections Database* * Smithsonian online version of magazine November 1, 2006* reproduction 1908 Wright Model A Military Flyer.-See also:...
. Staying aloft for more than one hour (1:12:37.8), Wright met the first requirement of the U.S. Army Signal Corps' Specification No. 486.
July 28, 1909 (Wednesday)
- National LeagueNational LeagueThe National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
President Harry PulliamHarry PulliamHarry Clay Pulliam was an American baseball executive who served as the sixth President of the National League, from 1903 until his death , in the period in which the NL and the fledgling American League settled their hostilities and formed a National Agreement which led to the creation of the...
shot himself in the head and died the following day. - The Board of the Ford Motor CompanyFord Motor CompanyFord Motor Company is an American multinational automaker based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford and Lincoln brands, Ford also owns a small stake in Mazda in Japan and Aston Martin in the UK...
voted to build its first assembly plant outside of MichiganMichiganMichigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
, settling on 1025 Winchester Avenue in Kansas City, MissouriKansas City, MissouriKansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...
.
July 29, 1909 (Thursday)
- General MotorsGeneral MotorsGeneral Motors Company , commonly known as GM, formerly incorporated as General Motors Corporation, is an American multinational automotive corporation headquartered in Detroit, Michigan and the world's second-largest automaker in 2010...
acquired the Cadillac Motor Company from Henry M. LelandHenry M. LelandHenry Martyn Leland was a machinist, inventor, engineer and automotive entrepreneur who founded the two premier American luxury marques, Cadillac and Lincoln. Retrieved December 30, 2008....
for . - Amid concerns that African workers recruited from AngolaAngolaAngola, officially the Republic of Angola , is a country in south-central Africa bordered by Namibia on the south, the Democratic Republic of the Congo on the north, and Zambia on the east; its west coast is on the Atlantic Ocean with Luanda as its capital city...
were being exploited as slave labor by the chocolate maker Cadbury Brothers Ltd, Portugal's Colonial Minister, Manuel da Terra Vianna, barred further recruitment until an investigation could be made.
July 30, 1909 (Friday)
- With Benjamin FouloisBenjamin FouloisBenjamin Delahauf Foulois , was a United States Army general who learned to fly the first military planes purchased from the Wright Brothers. He became the first military aviator as an airship pilot, and achieved numerous other military aviation "firsts"...
as navigator and observer, Orville Wright passed the final requirement of the U.S. Army Signal Corps for a military airplane. A crowd of 7,000 turned out at Fort Myer, Virginia, to see if the Wright Military Flyer could average 40 miles (64.4 km) per hour over ten miles (16 km). Wright and Foulois flew five miles (8 km) to Alexandria, rounded Shooter's Hill, and returned in less than 15 minutes. For reaching 42.5 mi/h., the Wilbur and Orville Wright earned an additional $5,000 along with the $25,000 award. - When the House of LordsHouse of LordsThe House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster....
blocked his proposed budget, David Lloyd GeorgeDavid Lloyd GeorgeDavid Lloyd George, 1st Earl Lloyd-George of Dwyfor OM, PC was a British Liberal politician and statesman...
, Britain's Chancellor of the ExchequerChancellor of the ExchequerThe Chancellor of the Exchequer is the title held by the British Cabinet minister who is responsible for all economic and financial matters. Often simply called the Chancellor, the office-holder controls HM Treasury and plays a role akin to the posts of Minister of Finance or Secretary of the...
, made the "Limehouse Speech" in the East London neighborhood of the same name. Referring to the House of Lords, Lloyd George said, "The question will be asked whether 500 men, ordinary men chosen accidentally from the unemployed, should override ... the deliberate judgment of millions of people who are engaged in the industry which makes the wealth of this country." The power of the House of Lords was reduced two years later by the Parliament Act of 1911. - An earthquake in Mexico heavily damaged the towns of AcapulcoAcapulcoAcapulco is a city, municipality and major sea port in the state of Guerrero on the Pacific coast of Mexico, southwest from Mexico City. Acapulco is located on a deep, semi-circular bay and has been a port since the early colonial period of Mexico’s history...
and ChilpancingoChilpancingoChilpancingo de los Bravo is the capital and second-largest city of the state of Guerrero, Mexico. It is located at . In the 2005 census the population of the city was 166,796. Its surrounding municipality, of which it is municipal seat, had a population of 214,219 persons...
, and an aftershock the following day destroyed water mains in Mexico CityMexico CityMexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...
.
July 31, 1909 (Saturday)
- Sheikh Fazlollah NooriSheikh Fazlollah NooriSheikh Fazlollah Noori was a prominent Shiite Muslim cleric in Iran during the late 19th and early 20th century who fought against the Iranian Constitutional Revolution and was executed for treason as a result...
, a Shi'ite Muslim leader in Iran, was hanged for treason after resisting the Iranian Constitutional RevolutionIranian Constitutional RevolutionThe Persian Constitutional Revolution or Iranian Constitutional Revolution took place between 1905 and 1907...
. Seventy years later, after the Iranian RevolutionIranian RevolutionThe Iranian Revolution refers to events involving the overthrow of Iran's monarchy under Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi and its replacement with an Islamic republic under Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the leader of the...
of 1979, the Sheikh was proclaimed a national hero by the Ayatollah Khomeini. - The Zion National ParkZion National ParkZion National Park is located in the Southwestern United States, near Springdale, Utah. A prominent feature of the park is Zion Canyon, which is 15 miles long and up to half a mile deep, cut through the reddish and tan-colored Navajo Sandstone by the North Fork of the Virgin River...
was established by order of U.S. President William Howard TaftWilliam Howard TaftWilliam Howard Taft was the 27th President of the United States and later the tenth Chief Justice of the United States...
, who set aside 15,840 acres (24.75 square miles) as the Mukuntuweap National Monument. - A time capsuleTime capsuleA time capsule is an historic cache of goods or information, usually intended as a method of communication with future people and to help future archaeologists, anthropologists, or historians...
was placed in the cornerstone of the Summit CountySummit County, ColoradoSummit County is the 19th most populous of the 64 counties of the state of Colorado of the United States. The county population was 23,538 at U.S. Census 2000. The county seat is Breckenridge...
Courthouse in Breckenridge, ColoradoBreckenridge, ColoradoEstablished in 1859, the historic town of Breckenridge is a home rule municipality that is the county seat of Summit County, Colorado, United States. As of the 2010 Census, the town had a population of 4,540. The town also has many part-time residents, as many people have vacation homes in the area...
. The capsule will be opened on August 8, 2009.
Births
- July 2 –
- Stavros NiarchosStavros NiarchosStavros Spyros Niarchos was a Greek shipping tycoon, sometimes known as "The Golden Greek." In 1952, Stavros Niarchos built the first supertankers capable of transporting large quantities of oil, and subsequently earned millions of dollars as global demand for his ships increased.- Early life :He...
, Greek shipping magnate, in PiraeusPiraeusPiraeus is a city in the region of Attica, Greece. Piraeus is located within the Athens Urban Area, 12 km southwest from its city center , and lies along the east coast of the Saronic Gulf....
(died 1996) - Earl ButzEarl ButzEarl Lauer "Rusty" Butz was a United States government official who served as Secretary of Agriculture under Presidents Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford.- Background :...
, controversial U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, 1971–76; in Albion, IndianaAlbion, IndianaAlbion is a town in Albion and Jefferson townships, Noble County, Indiana, United States. The population was 2,349 at the 2010 census. The city is the county seat of Noble County.-School:...
(died 2008)- July 5 – Mohammed Gharib, known as the "Father of Pediatrics in Iran" after authoring a 1941 Persian languagePersian languagePersian is an Iranian language within the Indo-Iranian branch of the Indo-European languages. It is primarily spoken in Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and countries which historically came under Persian influence...
textbook on childhood disease (died 1975) - July 7 – Gottfried von CrammGottfried von CrammGottfried Alexander Maximilian Walter Kurt Freiherr von Cramm was a German amateur tennis champion and twice French Open champion.-Birth:...
, German tennis player, French Open winner 1934, 1936, in Nettlingen (killed in auto accident, 1976) - July 8 – G.V. Desani, author, in NairobiNairobiNairobi is the capital and largest city of Kenya. The city and its surrounding area also forms the Nairobi County. The name "Nairobi" comes from the Maasai phrase Enkare Nyirobi, which translates to "the place of cool waters". However, it is popularly known as the "Green City in the Sun" and is...
(died 2000) - July 11 – Fritz LeonhardtFritz LeonhardtFritz Leonhardt was a German structural engineer who made major contributions to 20th century bridge engineering, especially in the development of cable-stayed bridges...
, German structural engineer, in StuttgartStuttgartStuttgart is the capital of the state of Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany. The sixth-largest city in Germany, Stuttgart has a population of 600,038 while the metropolitan area has a population of 5.3 million ....
(died 1999) - July 12 –
- July 5 – Mohammed Gharib, known as the "Father of Pediatrics in Iran" after authoring a 1941 Persian language
- Bimal RoyBimal RoyBimal Roy was one of the most acclaimed Indian film directors of all time. He is particularly noted for his realistic and socialistic films like Do Bigha Zamin, Parineeta, Biraj Bahu, Madhumati, Sujata, and Bandini, making him an important director of Hindi cinema...
, Hindi film director, in DhakaDhakaDhaka is the capital of Bangladesh and the principal city of Dhaka Division. Dhaka is a megacity and one of the major cities of South Asia. Located on the banks of the Buriganga River, Dhaka, along with its metropolitan area, had a population of over 15 million in 2010, making it the largest city...
(died 1966) - Joe DeRita, "the last of the Three Stooges" after replacing Curly Howard; as Joseph Wardell, in Philadelphia (died 1993)
- Herbert S. Zim, author of science books for children, in New York (died 1994)
- July 13 – Prince Souphanouvong, first President of LaosPresident of LaosThe President of Laos is the head of state of the People's Democratic Republic of Laos.The office of the President was created in 1975, after the takeover of the country by the Pathet Lao, which abolished the monarchy. A member of the deposed royal family, Prince Souphanouvong, was the first...
(1975–1991), in Luang Phrabang, five days before Savang VatthanaSavang VatthanaSavang or Sisavang Vatthana was the last king of the Kingdom of Laos. He ruled from 1959 after his father's death, until his forced abdication in 1975...
, last King of Laos (died 1995) - July 14 – Frank Tinker, American flying ace and mercenary, in De Witt, ArkansasDe Witt, ArkansasDe Witt is a city in Arkansas County, Arkansas, United States, which also serves as the county seat of the county's southern district. The population was 3,239 at the 2010 census.- History :...
(died 1939) - July 15 – Hendrik B. G. Casimir, Dutch theoretical physicist and discoverer of the Casimir effectCasimir effectIn quantum field theory, the Casimir effect and the Casimir–Polder force are physical forces arising from a quantized field. The typical example is of two uncharged metallic plates in a vacuum, like capacitors placed a few micrometers apart, without any external electromagnetic field...
, at The HagueThe HagueThe Hague is the capital city of the province of South Holland in the Netherlands. With a population of 500,000 inhabitants , it is the third largest city of the Netherlands, after Amsterdam and Rotterdam...
(died 2000) - July 18 –
- July 13 – Prince Souphanouvong, first President of Laos
- Andrei GromykoAndrei GromykoAndrei Andreyevich Gromyko was a Soviet statesman during the Cold War. He served as Minister of Foreign Affairs and as Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet . Gromyko was responsible for many top decisions on Soviet foreign policy until he retired in 1987. In the West he was given the...
, Soviet Foreign Minister (died 1989) - Sri Savang Vatthana, the last King of Laos (1959–1975), in Luang Phrabang (died 1978)
- Mohammed Daoud KhanMohammed Daoud KhanSardar Mohammed Daoud Khan or Daud Khan was Prime Minister of Afghanistan from 1953 to 1963 and later becoming the President of Afghanistan...
, first President of AfghanistanPresident of AfghanistanAfghanistan has only been a republic between 1973 and 1992 and from 2001 onwards. Before 1973, it was a monarchy that was governed by a variety of kings, emirs or shahs...
(1973–1978), Prime Minister (1953–1963, assassinated 1978) - Harriet NelsonHarriet NelsonHarriet Nelson was an American singer and actress. Nelson is best known for her role on the long-running sitcom The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet.-Early life and career:...
, American actress (The Adventures of Ozzie and HarrietThe Adventures of Ozzie and HarrietThe Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet is an American sitcom, airing on ABC from October 3, 1952 to September 3, 1966, starring the real life Nelson family. After a long run on radio, the show was brought to television where it continued its success, running on both radio and TV for a couple of years...
) as Peggy Lou Snyder, in Des Moines (died 1994)- July 24 – John George HaighJohn George HaighJohn George Haigh , commonly known as the "Acid Bath Murderer" , was an English serial killer during the 1940s. He was convicted of the murders of six people, although he claimed to have killed nine...
, British serial killer, in StamfordStamford, LincolnshireStamford is a town and civil parish within the South Kesteven district of the county of Lincolnshire, England. It is approximately to the north of London, on the east side of the A1 road to York and Edinburgh and on the River Welland...
(hanged 1949) - July 26 – Vivian VanceVivian VanceVivian Roberta Jones was an American television and theater actress and singer. Often referred to as “TV’s most beloved second banana,” she is best known for her role as Ethel Mertz, sidekick to Lucille Ball on the American television sitcom I Love Lucy, and as Vivian Bagley on The Lucy...
, actress (Ethel Mertz on I Love LucyI Love LucyI Love Lucy is an American television sitcom starring Lucille Ball, Desi Arnaz, Vivian Vance, and William Frawley. The black-and-white series originally ran from October 15, 1951, to May 6, 1957, on the Columbia Broadcasting System...
), in Cherryvale, KansasCherryvale, KansasCherryvale is a city in Montgomery County, Kansas, United States. The population was 2,386 at the 2000 census.-History:Cherryvale was founded on the land of the Osage Indians who were pushed out by veterans of the American Civil War looking for land. The first white man to purchase property and...
, as Vivian Roberta Jones (died 1979) - July 28 – (Clarence) Malcolm LowryMalcolm LowryClarence Malcolm Lowry was an English poet and novelist who was best known for his novel Under the Volcano, which was voted No. 11 in the Modern Library 100 Best Novels list.-Biography:...
, Canadian novelist, in WallaseyWallaseyWallasey is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral, in Merseyside, England, on the mouth of the River Mersey, at the northeastern corner of the Wirral Peninsula...
, U.K. (died 1957) - July 29 – Chester HimesChester HimesChester Bomar Himes was an American writer. His works include If He Hollers Let Him Go and a series of Harlem Detective novels...
, African-American author, in Jefferson City, MissouriJefferson City, MissouriJefferson City is the capital of the U.S. state of Missouri and the county seat of Cole County. Located in Callaway and Cole counties, it is the principal city of the Jefferson City metropolitan area, which encompasses the entirety of both counties. As of the 2010 census, the population was 43,079...
(died 1984) - July 30
- July 24 – John George Haigh
- C. Northcote ParkinsonC. Northcote ParkinsonCyril Northcote Parkinson was a British naval historian and author of some sixty books, the most famous of which was his bestseller Parkinson's Law, which led him to be also considered as an important scholar within the field of public administration.-Early life and education:The youngest son of...
, British historian and author of Parkinson's Law, in Barnard CastleBarnard CastleBarnard Castle is an historical town in Teesdale, County Durham, England. It is named after the castle around which it grew up. It sits on the north side of the River Tees, opposite Startforth, south southwest of Newcastle upon Tyne, south southwest of Sunderland, west of Middlesbrough and ...
(died 1993) - Juan BoschJuan BoschJuan Emilio Bosch Gaviño was a politician, historian, short story writer, essayist, educator, and the first cleanly elected president of the Dominican Republic for a brief time in 1963. Previously, he had been the leader of the Dominican opposition in exile to the dictatorial regime of Rafael...
, Dominican author and politician (President Feb-Sep 1963); in La VegaLa VegaLa Vega is a province of the Dominican Republic. Until 1992 it included what is now Monseñor Nouel province.-Municipalities and municipal districts:...
(died 2001) - Paul "Mousie" GarnerPaul GarnerPaul "Mousie" Garner earned his nickname by assuming the role of a shy, simpering jokester. Garner was one of the last actors still doing schtick from vaudeville, and has been referred to as "The Grand Old Man Of Vaudeville."-Career:Garner was one of over 20 comedians who worked as part of Ted...
, American comedian, in Washington, D.C.Washington, D.C.Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
(died 2004)
Deaths
- July 9 – Lord RiponGeorge Robinson, 1st Marquess of RiponGeorge Frederick Samuel Robinson, 1st Marquess of Ripon KG, GCSI, CIE, PC , known as Viscount Goderich from 1833 to 1859 and as the Earl de Grey and Ripon from 1859 to 1871, was a British politician who served in every Liberal cabinet from 1861 until his death forty-eight years later.-Background...
, 82, former Viceroy of India (1880–84) and Leader of the House of LordsLeader of the House of LordsThe Leader of the House of Lords is a member of the Cabinet of the United Kingdom who is responsible for arranging government business in the House of Lords. The role is always held in combination with a formal Cabinet position, usually one of the sinecure offices of Lord President of the Council,...
(1904–08) - July 11 – Simon NewcombSimon NewcombSimon Newcomb was a Canadian-American astronomer and mathematician. Though he had little conventional schooling, he made important contributions to timekeeping as well as writing on economics and statistics and authoring a science fiction novel.-Early life:Simon Newcomb was born in the town of...
, 74, American astronomer - July 15 – George TyrrellGeorge TyrrellGeorge Tyrrell was a Jesuit priest and a Modernist theologian and scholar. His attempts to evolve and adapt Catholic teaching in the context of modern ideas made him a key figure in the Modernist controversy within the Roman Catholic Church in the late 19th century.Tyrrell was born in Dublin,...
, 48, ModernistModernism (Roman Catholicism)Modernism refers to theological opinions expressed during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, but with influence reaching into the 21st century, which are characterized by a break with the past. Catholic modernists form an amorphous group. The term "modernist" appears in Pope Pius X's 1907...
theologian within the Catholic Church - July 18 – Carlos, Duke of MadridCarlos, Duke of MadridInfante Carlos María de los Dolores Juan Isidro José Francisco Quirin Antonio Miguel Gabriel Rafael de Borbón y Austria-Este, Duke of Madrid was the senior member of the House of Bourbon from 1887 until his death...
, 61, pretenderPretenderA pretender is one who claims entitlement to an unavailable position of honour or rank. Most often it refers to a former monarch, or descendant thereof, whose throne is occupied or claimed by a rival, or has been abolished....
to throne of SpainCarlismCarlism is a traditionalist and legitimist political movement in Spain seeking the establishment of a separate line of the Bourbon family on the Spanish throne. This line descended from Infante Carlos, Count of Molina , and was founded due to dispute over the succession laws and widespread...
(as Carlos VII) and FranceLegitimistsLegitimists are royalists in France who adhere to the rights of dynastic succession of the descendants of the elder branch of the Bourbon dynasty, which was overthrown in the 1830 July Revolution. They reject the claim of the July Monarchy of 1830–1848, whose kings were members of the junior...
(as Charles XI) - July 19 – Arai IkunosukeArai Ikunosukewas a Japanese samurai of the late Edo period. Prominent as Navy Minister of the Republic of Ezo, he later became famous as the first head of the Japan Meteorological Agency. Also known as or .-Early life:...
, 73, Japanese samurai