July 22 facts for kids

July 22 is the 203rd day of the year (204th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar; 162 days remain until the end of the year.

July 22nd is a day filled with many important events throughout history, from ancient battles to modern space missions. It's a day when explorers made incredible journeys, new countries were formed, and famous people were born or passed away. Let's explore some of the most interesting things that happened on this date!

Historic Events

Early History (Before 1600)

• 838 – The Byzantine Empire faced a big defeat by the Abbasid Caliphate in the Battle of Anzen.
• 1099 – During the Crusades, Godfrey of Bouillon was chosen as the first Defender of the Holy Sepulchre for the Kingdom of Jerusalem.
• 1209 – A major military action, known as the Massacre at Béziers, took place during the Albigensian Crusade.
• 1298 – In the Wars of Scottish Independence, King Edward I of England and his skilled longbowmen defeated William Wallace and his Scottish forces at the Battle of Falkirk.
• 1342 – The St. Mary Magdalene's flood caused one of the worst floods ever recorded in central Europe.
• 1456 – In the Ottoman wars in Europe, John Hunyadi of Hungary defeated Mehmed II of the Ottoman Empire during the Siege of Belgrade.
• 1499 – The Swiss army strongly defeated the army of Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor at the Battle of Dornach.
• 1587 – A second group of English settlers arrived on Roanoke Island in North Carolina to try and restart the Roanoke Colony, which had been left empty.
• 1598 – William Shakespeare's famous play, The Merchant of Venice, was officially registered. This allowed it to be printed and published.

Later History (1601–1900)

• 1686 – Albany, New York officially became a city.
• 1706 – The Acts of Union 1707 were agreed upon. These acts would later join the Kingdom of England and the Kingdom of Scotland to create the Kingdom of Great Britain.
• 1793 – Explorer Alexander Mackenzie reached the Pacific Ocean. He was the first person known to have traveled all the way across North America.
• 1796 – Surveyors named an area in Ohio "Cleveland" after Gen. Moses Cleaveland.
• 1797 – During the French Revolutionary Wars, a naval battle took place between Spanish and British forces near Santa Cruz de Tenerife. The famous British Admiral Nelson was injured and lost part of his arm.
• 1802 – Emperor Gia Long took control of Hanoi and united Vietnam, bringing an end to many years of fighting.
• 1812 – In the Napoleonic Wars, British forces led by Arthur Wellesley (who later became the Duke of Wellington) defeated French troops near Salamanca, Spain, in the Battle of Salamanca.
• 1833 – The Slavery Abolition Act was passed in the British House of Commons. This law started the process of ending slavery in most parts of the British Empire.
• 1864 – During the American Civil War, the Battle of Atlanta happened. Confederate General John Bell Hood attacked Union troops but was unsuccessful.
• 1893 – Katharine Lee Bates wrote the words to the famous song "America the Beautiful" after seeing the amazing view from Pikes Peak in Colorado.
• 1894 – The first ever motor race was held in France, going from Paris to Rouen.

Modern History (1901–Present)

• 1921 – The Spanish Army suffered a major defeat against the Berbers in the Rif War in Spanish Morocco.
• 1933 – Aviator Wiley Post finished the first solo flight around the world. He completed it in just over seven days!
• 1937 – The United States Senate voted against President Franklin D. Roosevelt's plan to add more justices to the Supreme Court of the United States.
• 1942 – The United States government started making people limit their gasoline use because of the needs of World War II.
• 1942 – A terrible event known as Grossaktion Warsaw began, which involved the forced movement of Jewish people from the Warsaw ghetto.
• 1943 – During World War II, Allied forces captured Palermo as part of the Allied invasion of Sicily.
• 1946 – The King David Hotel bombing occurred in Jerusalem. It was a tragic event that resulted in many deaths.
• 1963 – The Crown Colony of Sarawak gained the right to govern itself.
• 1977 – Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping was brought back into power.
• 1983 – Martial law in Poland, a period of military rule, was officially ended.
• 1990 – American cyclist Greg LeMond won his third Tour de France, a huge achievement in cycling.
• 1993 – During the Great Flood of 1993, levees near Kaskaskia, Illinois broke, forcing the entire town to leave by boat.
• 1997 – The second Blue Water Bridge opened, connecting Port Huron, Michigan in the US with Sarnia, Ontario in Canada.
• 2013 – A series of earthquakes in Dingxi, China, caused many deaths and injuries.
• 2019 – Chandrayaan-2, India's second mission to explore the Moon, was launched. It included an orbiter, a lander named Vikram, and a rover named Pragyan.

Famous Births

Born Before 1900

• 1478 – Philip I of Castile, a king.
• 1559 – Lawrence of Brindisi, an Italian priest and saint.
• 1621 – Anthony Ashley Cooper, 1st Earl of Shaftesbury, an important English politician.
• 1784 – Friedrich Bessel, a German mathematician and astronomer.
• 1820 – Oliver Mowat, a Canadian politician who was the 3rd Premier of Ontario.
• 1849 – Emma Lazarus, an American poet who wrote the poem on the Statue of Liberty.
• 1878 – Janusz Korczak, a Polish pediatrician and author who cared deeply for children.
• 1882 – Edward Hopper, a famous American painter.
• 1887 – Gustav Ludwig Hertz, a German physicist who won a Nobel Prize.
• 1888 – Selman Waksman, an American biochemist and microbiologist who won a Nobel Prize.
• 1890 – Rose Kennedy, an American philanthropist and mother of President John F. Kennedy.
• 1898 &Stephen Vincent Benét, an American poet and novelist.

Born After 1900

• 1908 – Amy Vanderbilt, an American author known for her etiquette books.
• 1910 – Ruthie Tompson, an American animator and artist who worked on many classic Disney films.
• 1923 – Bob Dole, an American soldier and politician.
• 1928 – Orson Bean, an American actor.
• 1928 – Jimmy Hill, a well-known English footballer and manager.
• 1932 – Oscar de la Renta, a famous Dominican-American fashion designer.
• 1932 – Tom Robbins, an American novelist.
• 1934 – Louise Fletcher, an American actress.
• 1938 – Terence Stamp, an English actor.
• 1940 – Alex Trebek, a beloved Canadian-American game show host.
• 1941 – George Clinton, an American singer-songwriter and producer.
• 1946 – Danny Glover, an American actor and director.
• 1947 – Don Henley, an American singer-songwriter and drummer, famous for being in the Eagles.
• 1948 – S. E. Hinton, an American author known for her young adult novels like The Outsiders.
• 1949 – Alan Menken, an American composer who wrote music for many Disney movies.
• 1949 – Lasse Virén, a Finnish runner and Olympic gold medalist.
• 1955 – Willem Dafoe, an American actor.
• 1960 – John Leguizamo, a Colombian-American actor and producer.
• 1962 – Selena Gomez, an American singer and actress.
• 1964 – David Spade, an American actor and comedian.
• 1965 – Shawn Michaels, a famous American wrestler.
• 1967 – Rhys Ifans, a Welsh actor.
• 1973 – Rufus Wainwright, an American-Canadian singer-songwriter.
• 1974 – Franka Potente, a German actress.
• 1980 – Dirk Kuyt, a Dutch footballer.
• 1980 – Scott Dixon, a New Zealand racing driver.
• 1992 – Selena Gomez, an American singer and actress.
• 2013 – Prince George of Wales, a member of the British Royal Family.

Notable Deaths

Passed Away Before 1900

• 1298 – Sir John de Graham, a Scottish soldier.
• 1461 – Charles VII of France, a French king.
• 1676 – Pope Clement X.
• 1832 – Napoleon II, the son of Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte.
• 1869 – John A. Roebling, a German-American engineer who designed the famous Brooklyn Bridge.

Passed Away After 1900

• 1915 – Sandford Fleming, a Scottish-Canadian engineer who helped develop Standard time.
• 1916 – James Whitcomb Riley, an American poet.
• 1934 – John Dillinger, a well-known American gangster.
• 1950 – William Lyon Mackenzie King, the 10th Prime Minister of Canada.
• 1967 – Carl Sandburg, an American poet and historian.
• 1979 – Sándor Kocsis, a Hungarian footballer.
• 2008 – Estelle Getty, an American actress.
• 2010 – Kenny Guinn, a former Governor of Nevada.
• 2013 – Dennis Farina, an American actor.

Holidays and Observances

• Birthday of the Late King Sobhuza (Eswatini)
• Christian feast day:
  • Mary Magdalene
• Earliest day for Parents' Day in the United States (celebrated on the fourth Sunday in July).
• National Press Day (Azerbaijan)
• Pi Approximation Day (also celebrated on March 14)
• Ratcatcher's Day
• Revolution Day (The Gambia)
• Sarawak Independence Day (Sarawak, Malaysia)

See also

In Spanish: 22 de julio para niños