July 1 facts for kids

July 1st is a special day filled with many important events throughout history! From ancient battles to modern inventions, this date has seen a lot of changes and new beginnings around the world. It's also a day when many countries celebrate their independence or other important traditions.

Important Events in History

Early History (Before 1600)

• 69 AD – A Roman general named Tiberius Julius Alexander made his soldiers in Alexandria promise loyalty to Vespasian, who was becoming the new Roman Emperor.
• 552 – In the Battle of Taginae, the Byzantine Empire's army, led by Narses, defeated the Ostrogoths in Italy. Their king, Totila, was badly hurt.
• 1097 – During the Crusades, Christian soldiers led by Bohemond I of Antioch won a big battle against the Seljuk dynasty army at Dorylaeum.
• 1520 – Spanish explorers led by Hernán Cortés had to fight their way out of the city of Tenochtitlan (now Mexico City) at night. This event is known as "La Noche Triste," or "The Sad Night."
• 1569 – The Union of Lublin officially joined the Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. This created a large country called the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth.

From 1600 to 1900

• 1690 – Two important battles happened:

* The Battle of Fleurus where French forces won against an Anglo-Dutch army. * The Battle of the Boyne in Ireland, a key moment in the Glorious Revolution.

• 1770 – Lexell's Comet was seen closer to Earth than any other comet ever recorded!
• 1823 – The five countries of Central America – Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica – declared their independence from the First Mexican Empire.
• 1837 – A new system was started in England and Wales to officially record all births, marriages, and deaths.
• 1858 – Two famous scientists, Charles Darwin and Alfred Russel Wallace, shared their ideas about evolution with the Linnean Society of London.
• 1863 – Keti Koti (Emancipation Day) was celebrated in Suriname, marking the end of slavery there.
• 1863 – The famous Battle of Gettysburg began during the American Civil War.
• 1867 – The British North America Act came into effect, creating the modern country of Canada. John A. Macdonald became the first Prime Minister of Canada. This day is now celebrated as Canada Day.
• 1870 – The United States Department of Justice, which handles legal matters for the government, was officially created.
• 1874 – The first successful typewriter, called the Sholes and Glidden typewriter, went on sale.
• 1881 – The world's first international telephone call was made between Canada and the United States.
• 1898 – During the Spanish–American War, the Battle of San Juan Hill was fought in Cuba.

Modern Times (1901–Present)

• 1903 – The very first Tour de France bicycle race began!
• 1908 – The international distress signal SOS was officially adopted.
• 1916 – On the first day of the Battle of the Somme in World War I, many British soldiers were killed or wounded. It was one of the bloodiest days in British military history.
• 1921 – The Communist Party of China was founded.
• 1923 – The Parliament of Canada stopped almost all Chinese immigration to the country.
• 1931 – United Airlines started its service.
• 1931 – Wiley Post and Harold Gatty became the first people to fly around the world in a single-engine airplane.
• 1932 – The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), Australia's national broadcaster, was formed.
• 1942 – The First Battle of El Alamein took place during World War II.
• 1946 – The first nuclear weapon test after World War II, called Crossroads Able, was conducted.
• 1948 – Muhammad Ali Jinnah opened Pakistan's central bank, the State Bank of Pakistan.
• 1957 – The International Geophysical Year, a worldwide scientific project to study Earth, began.
• 1959 – Countries around the world agreed on exact measurements for the international yard and pound.
• 1960 – Somalia gained its independence from Italy and united with former British Somaliland to form the Somali Republic.
• 1960 – Ghana became a republic, and Kwame Nkrumah became its first President.
• 1962 – Rwanda and Burundi both gained their independence.
• 1963 – ZIP codes were introduced for mail in the United States.
• 1967 – The European Community was officially created by merging several European organizations.
• 1968 – The Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons was signed by many countries to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons.
• 1979 – Sony introduced the Walkman, a portable cassette player.
• 1980 – "O Canada" officially became the national anthem of Canada.
• 1984 – The PG-13 movie rating was introduced in the United States.
• 1990 – As part of German reunification, East Germany started using the Deutsche Mark currency, joining its economy with West Germany.
• 1991 – The Warsaw Pact, a military alliance of communist countries during the Cold War, was officially dissolved.
• 1997 – China took back control of Hong Kong from British rule after 156 years.
• 2002 – The International Criminal Court was established to try people for serious international crimes like genocide and war crimes.
• 2002 – Two planes, Bashkirian Airlines Flight 2937 and DHL Flight 611, collided in mid-air over Germany, sadly killing everyone on board.
• 2006 – The Qinghai–Tibet railway, a high-altitude railway in China, began its first operations.
• 2007 – Smoking was banned in all public indoor places in England.
• 2013 – Croatia became the 28th member of the European Union.
• 2020 – The United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement (USMCA) replaced NAFTA, changing trade rules between these countries.

Famous People Born on This Day

• 1646 – Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz, a brilliant German mathematician and philosopher.
• 1804 – George Sand, a famous French author.
• 1818 – Ignaz Semmelweis, a Hungarian-Austrian doctor who discovered how important handwashing is to prevent infections.
• 1872 – Louis Blériot, a French pilot and engineer who was the first to fly across the English Channel.
• 1899 – Charles Laughton, a well-known English-American actor and director.
• 1903 – Amy Johnson, an English pilot who was the first woman to fly solo from London to Australia.
• 1906 – Estée Lauder, an American businesswoman who co-founded a famous cosmetics company.
• 1915 – Willie Dixon, an American blues singer, songwriter, and musician.
• 1916 – Olivia de Havilland, a British-American actress who starred in many classic films.
• 1921 – Seretse Khama, the first President of Botswana.
• 1925 – Farley Granger, an American actor.
• 1931 – Leslie Caron, a French actress and dancer.
• 1934 – Jamie Farr, an American actor, and Sydney Pollack, an American actor, director, and producer.
• 1935 – David Prowse, the English actor who played Darth Vader in the original Star Wars films.
• 1945 – Debbie Harry, the lead singer of the band Blondie.
• 1949 – John Farnham, a popular English-Australian singer.
• 1952 – Dan Aykroyd, a Canadian actor, comedian, and screenwriter, famous for Ghostbusters.
• 1961 – Carl Lewis, an American Olympic champion in long jump and running, and Diana, Princess of Wales, a beloved member of the British Royal Family.
• 1967 – Pamela Anderson, a Canadian-American model and actress.
• 1971 – Missy Elliott, an American rapper, producer, and dancer.
• 1977 – Liv Tyler, an American actress.
• 1989 – Daniel Ricciardo, an Australian Formula 1 race car driver.
• 1998 – Chloe Bailey, an American singer-songwriter and actress.
• 2003 – Tate McRae, a Canadian singer-songwriter and dancer.

Notable People Who Passed Away on This Day

• 552 – Totila, the king of the Ostrogoths.
• 1860 – Charles Goodyear, an American chemist who invented vulcanized rubber.
• 1896 – Harriet Beecher Stowe, an American author known for her anti-slavery novel Uncle Tom's Cabin.
• 1925 – Erik Satie, a French pianist and composer.
• 1974 – Juan Perón, a general and former President of Argentina.
• 1983 – Buckminster Fuller, an American architect and inventor.
• 1991 – Michael Landon, an American actor, director, and producer.
• 1995 – Wolfman Jack, a famous American radio host.
• 1996 – Margaux Hemingway, an American model and actress.
• 1997 – Robert Mitchum, a well-known American actor.
• 2000 – Walter Matthau, a popular American actor.
• 2004 – Marlon Brando, a legendary American actor.
• 2005 – Luther Vandross, an American singer-songwriter.
• 2015 – Nicholas Winton, an English humanitarian who saved hundreds of children from the Holocaust.

Holidays and Celebrations

• Canada Day (Canada): A national holiday celebrating the creation of Canada in 1867.
• Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Establishment Day (Hong Kong, China): Marks when Hong Kong returned to Chinese rule in 1997.
• Independence Day (Burundi) and Independence Day (Rwanda): Both countries celebrate their independence from Belgium in 1962.
• Independence Day (Somalia): Celebrates Somalia's independence from Italy in 1960.
• Keti Koti (Emancipation Day) (Suriname): Marks the abolition of slavery in Suriname.
• Madeira Day (Madeira, Portugal): A holiday celebrating the autonomy of the Madeira Islands.
• Republic Day (Ghana): Celebrates Ghana becoming a republic in 1960.
• Sir Seretse Khama Day (Botswana): Honors the first president of Botswana, who was born on this day.
• Doctors' Day (India): A day to recognize the contributions of doctors.
• Armed Forces Day (Singapore): A day to honor the military forces of Singapore.
• International Tartan Day: A day to celebrate Scottish heritage and culture, especially tartan.
• July Morning (Bulgaria): A unique tradition where people gather to watch the sunrise by the Black Sea.

See also

In Spanish: 1 de julio para niños