Happy 79th Birthday to artist Chuck Close!
Today is Friday, July 5, 2019, the 186th day of the year, with 179 days remaining.
- Sunrise: 5:54am
- Sunset: 8:35pm ...giving us 14 hours and 42 minutes of daylight. 5% of the now waxing moon visible, rising at 9:06am.
Tides at the Golden Gate
- High: 1:24am/3:34pm
- Low: 8:13am/8:19pm
Special celebrations & commemorations today…
- Independence Day - Venezuela, Algeria, Cape Verde Islands
- Peace & Unity Day - Rwanda
- St. Cyril & Methodius Day - Slovakia , Czech Republic
- Tynwald Day - Isle of Man
- Bikini Day
- Work Without Your Hands Day
- Workaholics Day
- National Apple Turnover Day
- National Graham Cracker Day
On this day in…
1806 - A Spanish army repelled the British during their attempt to retake Buenos Aires, Argentina.
1811 - Venezuela became the first South American country to declare independence from Spain.
1814 - U.S. troops under Jacob Brown defeated a superior British force at Chippewa, Canada.
1863 - U.S. Federal troops occupied Vicksburg, MS, and distributed supplies to the citizens.
1865 - William Booth founded the Salvation Army in London.
1892 - Andrew Beard was issued a patent for the rotary engine.
1916 - Adelina and August Van Buren started on the first successful transcontinental motorcycle tour to be attempted by two women. They started in New York City and arrived in San Diego, CA, on September 12, 1916.
1935 -U.S. President Roosevelt signed the National Labor Relations Act into law. The act authorized labor to organize for the purpose of collective bargaining.
1940 - During World War II, Britain and the Vichy government in France broke diplomatic relations.
1946 - The bikini bathing suit, created by Louis Reard, made its debut during a fashion show at the Molitor Pool in Paris. Micheline Bernardini wore the two-piece outfit.
1947 - Larry Doby signed a contract with the Cleveland Indians, becoming the first black player in the American League.
1948 - Britain's National Health Service Act went into effect, providing government-financed medical and dental care.
1950 - U.S. forces engaged the North Koreans for the first time at Osan, South Korea.
1951 - Dr. William Shockley announced that he had invented the junction transistor.
1962 - Algeria became independent after 132 years of French rule.
1975 - Arthur Ashe became the first black man to win a Wimbledon singles title when he defeated Jimmy Connors.
1984 - The U.S. Supreme Court weakened the 70-year-old "exclusionary rule," deciding that evidence seized with defective court warrants could be used against defendants in criminal trials.
1989 - Former U.S. National Security Council aide Oliver North received a $150,000 fine and a suspended prison term for his part in the Iran-Contra affair. The convictions were later overturned.
1998 - Japan joined U.S. and Russia in space exploration with the launching of the Planet-B probe to Mars.
Today’s birthday celebrants include (or included)...
- Étienne de Silhouette 1709 - French Controller-General of Finances under Louis XV
- Sarah Siddons 1755 - Actress
- Sir Stamford Raffles 1781 - British statesman, known for founding of the city of Singapore
- David G. Farragut 1801
- P.T. Barnum (Phineas Taylor Barnum) 1810 - American showman, businessman, entertainer
- Cecil John Rhodes 1853 - British businessman, politician in South Africa
- Jean Cocteau (Jean Maurice Eugène Clément Cocteau) 1889 - Poet, novelist, dramatist, boxing manager, playwright
- Gordon Jacob 1895 - Composer
- Henry Cabot Lodge 1902 - American statesman, historian
- Milburn Stone 1904 - Actor
- Georges Pompidou 1911 - French politician
- Janos Starker 1924 - Musician (cellist)
- Warren Oates 1928 - Actor
- Katherine Helmond 1934 - Actress ("Soap," "Who's the Boss")
- Shirley Knight 1936 - Actress
- Chuck Close 1940 - Artist
- Robbie Robertston 1943 - Musician (The Band)
- Michael Monarch 1950 - Musician (Steppenwolf)
- Huey Lewis 1951 - Musician (Huey Lewis and the News)
- Richard "The Goose" Gossage 1951 - Baseball player
- Charles Ventre 1952 - Musician (River Road)
- James Lofton 1956 - Football player
- Marc Cohn 1959 - Singer, songwriter
- Edie Falco 1963 - Actress ("The Sopranos")
- Kathryn Erbe 1965 - Actress ("Law & Order: Criminal Intent")
- Michael Stuhlbarg 1968 - Actor ("A Serious Man")
- Amelie Mauresmo 1979 - Tennis player
