July 6: Independence Day in Malawi and in Comoros

July 6 is the 187th day of the year (188th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. There are 178 days remaining until the end of the year.



Events

1044 - Battle of Ménfő.
1189 - Richard the Lionheart is crowned King of England.
1253 - Mindaugas is crowned king of Lithuania.
1348 - Papal bull of Pope Clement VI protecting Jews during the Black Death.
1415 - Jan Hus is burned at the stake.
1483 - Richard III is crowned king of England.
1484 - Portuguese sea captain Diogo Cão finds the mouth of Congo River.
1495 - First Italian War: Battle of Fornovo Charles VIII defeats the Holy League, but ultimately ends his attempted conquest of Italy.
1535 - Sir Thomas More is executed for treason against King Henry VIII.
1560 - The Treaty of Edinburgh is signed by Scotland and England.
1573 - Córdoba, Argentina is founded by Jerónimo Luis de Cabrera.
1609 - Bohemia is granted freedom of religion.
1630 - Thirty-Years War: 4,000 Swedish troops under Gustavus Adolphus land in Pomerania, Germany.
1777 - American Revolutionary War: Battle of Ticonderoga: Due to a bombardment by British artillery under General John Burgoyne, American forces retreat from Fort Ticonderoga, New York.
1785 - The dollar is unanimously chosen as the monetary unit for the United States.
1801 - Battle of Algeciras: The French navy are defeated by the British Royal Navy.
1854 - In Jackson, Michigan, the first convention of the U.S. Republican Party is held.
1885 - Louis Pasteur successfully tests his vaccine against rabies. The patient is Joseph Meister, a boy who was bitten by a rabid dog.
1887 - David Kalakaua, monarch of the Kingdom of Hawaii, is forced at gunpoint, at the hands of Americans, to sign the Bayonet Constitution giving Americans more power in Hawaii while stripping Hawaiian citizens of their rights.
1892 - Dadabhai Naoroji elected as first Indian Member of Parliament in Britain.
1892 - 3,800 striking steelworkers engage in a day-long battle with Pinkerton agents during the Homestead Strike, leaving 10 dead and dozens wounded.
1893 - The small town of Pomeroy, Iowa is nearly destroyed by a tornado that kills 71 people and injures 200.
1905 - Alfred Deakin becomes Prime Minister of Australia for the second time.
1908 - Robert Peary sets sail for the Arctic on the expedition on which he later reaches the North Pole.
1917 - World War I: Arabian troops led by Lawrence of Arabia and Auda ibu Tayi capture Aqaba from the Turks during the Arab Revolt.
1919 - The British dirigible R34 lands in New York, completing the first crossing of the Atlantic by an airship.
1933 - The first Major League Baseball All-Star Game is played in Chicago's Comiskey Park. The American League defeats the National League, 4 to 2.
1936 - A major breach of the Manchester, Bolton and Bury Canal in England sends millions of gallons of water cascading 200 feet into the River Irwell.
1939 - Holocaust: The last remaining Jewish enterprises in Germany are closed.
1942 - Anne Frank and her family went into hiding in the "Secret Annexe" above her father's office in an Amsterdam warehouse.
1944 - The Hartford Circus Fire, one of America's worst fire disasters, kills approximately 168 people and injures over 700 in Hartford, Connecticut.
1947 - The AK-47 goes into production in the Soviet Union.
1957 - Althea Gibson wins the Wimbledon championships, becoming the first black athlete to do so.
1962 - Nuclear test shot Sedan; part of Operation Plowshare.
1964 - Malawi declares its independence from the United Kingdom.
1966 - Malawi becomes a republic, with Hastings Banda as the first President.
1967 - Biafran War: Nigerian forces invade Biafra, beginning the war.
1970 - Air Canada Flight 621 caught fire after landing at Pearson International Airport, Toronto, Ontario, all 108 passengers and crew are killed.
1975 - The Comoros declare independence from France.
1978 - The Taunton sleeping car fire occurred in Taunton, Somerset killing twelve people.
1986 - Davis Phinney became the first American cyclist to win a road stage of the Tour de France.
1988 - The Piper Alpha drilling platform in the North Sea is destroyed by explosions and fires. 167 oil workers are killed, making it the world's worst offshore oil disaster.
1989 - The Israeli 405 Bus slaughter in which 14 bus passengers were killed when an Arab assaulted the bus driver as the bus was driving by the edge of a cliff.
1998 - Hong Kong's Kai Tak Airport is closed and the new Hong Kong International Airport at Chek Lap Kok becomes operational.
1999 - US Army private Barry Winchell dies from baseball-bat injuries inflicted in his sleep the previous day by fellow soldiers for his relationship with transgendered showgirl and former Navy combat medic, Calpernia Addams.
2003 - The 70-meter Eupatoria Planetary Radar sends a METI message Cosmic Call 2 to 5 stars: Hip 4872, HD 245409, 55 Cancri, HD 10307 and 47 Ursae Majoris that will arrive to these stars in 2036, 2040, 2044, 2044 and 2049 respectively
2006 - The Nathula Pass between India and China, sealed during the Sino-Indian War, re-opens for trade after 44 years.





Births

1686 - Antoine de Jussieu, French naturalist (d. 1758)
1747 - John Paul Jones, American naval commander (d. 1792)
1766 - Alexander Wilson, Scottish-born naturalist (d. 1813)
1782 - Maria Louisa of Spain, queen of Etruria (d. 1824)
1785 - William Jackson Hooker, English botanist (d. 1865)
1789 - Maria Isabella of Spain, queen of the Two Sicilies (d. 1846)
1796 - Tsar Nicholas I of Russia (d. 1855)
1817 - Albert von Kölliker, Swiss anatomist (d. 1905)
1818 - Adolf Anderssen, German chess player (d. 1879)
1837 - Ramakrishna Gopal Bhandarkar, Indian scholar (d. 1925)
1838 - Vatroslav Jagic, Croatian scholar (d. 1923)
1859 - Verner von Heidenstam, Nobel laureate (d. 1940)
1865 - Emile Jaques-Dalcroze, Swiss musician (d. 1950)
1868 - Princess Victoria of the United Kingdom (d. 1935)
1878 - Eino Leino, Finnish poet (d. 1926)
1884 - Harold Stirling Vanderbilt, member of the Vanderbilt family (d. 1970)
1885 - Ernst Busch, German field marshal (d. 1945)
1887 - Annette Kellerman, Australian swimmer (d. 1975)
1898 - Hanns Eisler, German composer (d. 1962)
1903 - Hugo Theorell, Nobel laureate (d. 1982)
1900 - Frederica Sagor Maas, American playwright
1904 - Erik Wickberg, Salvation Army general (d. 1996)
1907 - Frida Kahlo, Mexican painter (d. 1954)
1907 - George Stanley, Canadian politician and designer of Canada's Flag (d. 2002)
1912 - Heinrich Harrer, Austrian mountaineer (d. 2006)
1917 - Arthur Lydiard, New Zealand running coach (d. 2004)
1918 - Sebastian Cabot, English actor (d. 1977)
1919 - Ernst Haefliger, Swiss singer (d. 2007)
1921 - Nancy Reagan, First Lady of the United States
1923 - Wojciech Jaruzelski, President of Poland
1925 - Merv Griffin, American television show host (d. 2007)
1925 - Bill Haley, American singer (d. 1981)
1927 - Jan Hein Donner, Dutch chess player
1927 - Alan Freeman, British DJ known by his nickname 'Fluff' (d. 2006)
1927 - Janet Leigh, American actress (d. 2004)
1927 - Pat Paulsen, American comedian (d. 1997)
1927 - Nilo Soruco, Bolivian songwriter (d. 2004)
1931 - Jean Campeau, French Canadian businessman and politician
1931 - Della Reese, American singer
1933 - Frank Austin, English footballer
1935 - Tenzin Gyatso, 14th Dalai Lama
1936 - Dave Allen, Irish comedian (d. 2005)
1937 - Vladimir Ashkenazy, Russian-born pianist and conductor
1937 - Ned Beatty, American actor
1937 - Gene Chandler, American singer
1939 - Jet Harris, English bass guitarist
1940 - Nursultan Nazarbayev, President of Kazakhstan
1940 - Jeannie Seely, American singer
1945 - Burt Ward, American actor
1946 - George W. Bush, 43rd President of the United States
1946 - Peter Singer, Australian philosopher
1946 - Fred Dryer, American football player and actor
1946 - Sylvester Stallone, American Movie actor
1947 - Richard Beckinsale, English actor (d. 1979)
1947 - Lance Clemons, baseball player
1948 - Nathalie Baye, French actress
1948 - Jean-Pierre Blackburn, French Canadian politician
1948 - Brad Park, Canadian hockey player
1948 - Tom Curley, American media executive
1949 - Phyllis Hyman, American singer (d. 1995)
1950 - John Byrne, American comic book author & artist
1950 - Hélène Scherrer, Canadian politician
1951 - Geoffrey Rush, Australian actor
1953 - Nanci Griffith, American singer
1954 - Allyce Beasley, American actress
1954 - Willie Randolph, former New York Mets manager
1955 - Frank Sontag, American radio personality
1955 - William Wall, Irish writer
1956 - Casey Sander, American actor
1957 - Ron Duguay, Canadian ice hockey player
1958 - Jennifer Saunders, English actress
1959 - Richard Dacoury, French basketball player
1961 - Rick Price, singer/songwriter
1963 - Todd Burns, baseball player
1963 - Lance Johnson, American baseball player
1966 - Brian Posehn, American actor
1967 - James Hannon, Bronx filmmaker
1967 - Heather Nova, Bermudian singer
1967 - Omar Olivares, Puerto Rican baseball player
1969 - Fernando Redondo, Argentine footballer
1970 - Inspectah Deck, American rapper
1970 - Frank Salvato II, Italian-American Sound Engineer and Composer
1970 - Martin Smith, English singer (Delirious?)
1971 - Kenya D. Williamson, American actress
1972 - Isabelle Boulay, French-Canadian singer
1972 - D-Styles, American scratch DJ
1972 - Greg Norton, American baseball player
1972 - Mark Gasser, British pianist
1974 - Zé Roberto, Brazilian footballer
1975 - Amir-Abbas Fakhravar, Iranian journalist and activist
1975 - Sebastián Rulli, Argentine actor
1975 - 50 Cent, American rapper
1977 - Con Blatsis, Australian footballer
1977 - Makhaya Ntini, South African cricketer
1977 - Craig Handley, British film director
1978 - Tia Mowry and Tamera Mowry, American actresses
1978 - Kevin Senio, New Zealand rugby player
1979 - Nic Cester, Australian musician (Jet)
1980 - Pau Gasol, Spanish basketball player
1981 - Nnamdi Asomugha, American football player
1982 - Tay Zonday, American singer and keyboardist
1983 - Gregory Smith, Canadian actor
1984 - Lauren Harris, British rock singer
1984 - James Henderson, American model
1986 - Derrick Williams, American football player
1987 - Kate Nash, English singer/songwriter
1987 - Matt O'Leary, American actor
1987 - Caroline Trentini, Brazilian model
1994 - Rebecca Rosso and Camilla Rosso, British actresses





Deaths

1189 - King Henry II of England (b. 1133)
1218 - Eudes III, Duke of Burgundy (b. 1166)
1249 - King Alexander II of Scotland (b. 1198)
1415 - Jan Hus, Bohemian reformer (b. 1369)
1476 - Regiomantus, German astronomer (b. 1436)
1480 - Antonio Squarcialupi, Italian composer (b. 1416)
1533 - Ludovico Ariosto, Italian poet (b. 1474)
1535 - Sir Thomas More, English philosopher (b. 1478)
1553 - King Edward VI of England (b. 1537)
1583 - Edmund Grindal, Archbishop of Canterbury
1585 - Thomas Aufield, English Catholic martyr (b. 1552)
1684 - Peter Gunning, English royalist churchman (b. 1614)
1758 - George Howe, 3rd Viscount Howe, British general
1762 - Tsar Peter III of Russia (b. 1728)
1768 - Conrad Beissel, German-born religious leader (b. 1690)
1802 - Daniel Morgan, American Revolutionary general and politician (b. ~1735)
1809 - Antoine Charles Louis Lasalle, French cavalry general (b. 1775)
1813 - Granville Sharp, British abolitionist (b. 1735)
1835 - John Marshall, Chief Justice of the United States (b. 1755)
1854 - Georg Ohm, German physicist (b. 1789)
1868 - Sanosuke Harada, Shinsengumi Captain (b. 1840)
1893 - Guy de Maupassant, French author (b. 1850)
1901 - Prince Chlodwig zu Hohenlohe-Schillingsfürst, Chancellor of Germany (b. 1819)
1902 - St. Maria Goretti, Italian saint (b. 1890)
1907 - August Johann Gottfried Bielenstein, German Linguist, Theologian (b. 1826)
1916 - Odilon Redon, French painter (b. 1840)
1922 - Maria Theresa Ledochowska, Polish-Austrian Catholic nun (b. 1863)
1932 - Kenneth Grahame, English author (b. 1859)
1950 - Fats Navarro, American jazz trumpet player (b. 1923)
1952 - Louis-Alexandre Taschereau, French Canadian politician (b. 1867)
1960 - Aneurin Bevan, British politician (b. 1897)
1961 - Scott LaFaro, American musician (b. 1936)
1961 - Woodall Rodgers, American politician (b. 1890)
1962 - William Faulkner, American writer, Nobel laureate (b. 1897)
1962 - Archduke Joseph August of Austria, Austrian field marshal (b. 1872)
1962 - Georg, Duke of Mecklenburg, head of the House of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (b. 1899)
1966 - Sad Sam Jones, American baseball player (b. 1892)
1971 - Louis Armstrong, American musician (b. 1901)
1972 - Brandon De Wilde, American actor (b. 1942)
1973 - Otto Klemperer, German conductor (b. 1885)
1975 - Otto Skorzeny, WWII German SS commando (b. 1908)
1975 - Ruffian, American racehorse (b. 1972)
1976 - Zhu De, Chinese Communist military leader and statesman (b. 1886)
1976 - Fritz Lenz, German geneticist (b. 1887)
1979 - Van McCoy, American music producer, musician, songwriter and orchestra leader (b. 1940)
1982 - Bob Johnson, American baseball player (b. 1905)
1986 - Jagjivan Ram, Indian politician (b. 1908)
1989 - János Kádár, Hungarian politician (b. 1912)
1991 - Muda Lawal, Nigerian footballer (b. 1954)
1992 - Buddy Rogers, professional wrestler (b. 1921)
1994 - Cameron Mitchell, American actor (b. 1918)
1995 - Aziz Nesin, Turkish humorist and author (b. 1915)
1996 - Kathy Ahern, American golfer (b. 1949)
1998 - Roy Rogers, American actor (b. 1911)
1999 - Carl Gunter Jr, American politician (b. 1938)
1999 - Joaquin Rodrigo, Spanish composer (b. 1901)
1999 - Barry Winchell, American soldier (b. 1977)
2002 - Dhirubhai Ambani, Indian businessman (b. 1932)
2002 - John Frankenheimer, American film director (b. 1930)
2003 - Buddy Ebsen, American actor (b. 1908)
2004 - Thomas Klestil, President of Austria (b. 1932)
2004 - Syreeta Wright, American singer (b. 1946)
2005 - Bruno Augenstein, German-born mathematician (b. 1923)
2005 - L. Patrick Gray III, American FBI director (b. 1916)
2005 - Evan Hunter, American novelist (b. 1926)
2005 - Claude Simon, French writer, Nobel laureate (b. 1913)
2005 - Richard Verreau, Canadian tenor (b. 1926)
2006 - Kasey Rogers, American actress (b. 1926)
2006 - Tom Weir, Scottish climber, author and broadcaster (b. 1914)



Holidays and observances

Comoros - Independence Day (1975).
Czech Republic - Jan Hus Day (1415).
Feast day of St Maria Goretti.
Lithuania - Statehood Day.
Malawi - Independence Day (1964).
Malawi - Republic Day (1966).
Roman festivals: Ludi Apollinares, games in honour of Apollo (since 208 BC) began today.
San Fermín, a Spanish Roman Catholic festival centered in Pamplona, begins today.
Feast day of Romulus of Fiesole