Today in History: July 4, Declaration of Independence adopted in Philadelphia

The present day is Friday July the th day of There are days left in the year This is Independence Day The present day in history On July the Declaration of Independence was adopted by delegates to the Second Continental Congress in Philadelphia Also on this date In the United States Military Academy officially opened at West Point New York Related Articles For July expect protests across America Mexican boxer Julio C sar Ch vez Jr arrested by ICE for deportation federal leaders say New York may have America s top pizza but California is at its heels Italian judges say This pinecone-sized device could transform the fight against wildfires Since July Fourth is Friday here are a inadequate facts to help celebrate our nation s th birthday In construction of the Erie Canal began in Rome New York In years to the day after the Declaration of Independence was adopted former presidents John Adams and Thomas Jefferson both died In the fifth president of the United States James Monroe died in New York City at age In the first edition of Walt Whitman s Leaves of Grass was published In the Civil War Siege of Vicksburg Mississippi ended as a Confederate garrison surrendered to Union forces In in what was billed as The Fight of the Century Black world heavyweight boxing champion Jack Johnson defeated white former champ Gentleman Jim Jeffries in Reno Nevada race riots across the country following the fight killed more than people In the -star American flag recognizing New Mexico and Arizona statehood was adopted In Lou Gehrig of the New York Yankees delivered his famous farewell speech in which he called himself the luckiest man on the face of the earth In the United States and the Philippines signed the Treaty of Manila recognizing Philippine independence from the US In the current -star version of the US flag was adopted In America celebrated its bicentennial with daylong festivities President Gerald R Ford made stops in Valley Forge Pennsylvania Independence Hall in Philadelphia and New York where more than ships paraded up the Hudson River in Operation Sail In Klaus Barbie the former Gestapo chief known as the Butcher of Lyon was convicted by a French court of crimes against humanity and sentenced to life in prison he died in September In the space shuttle Atlantis and the Russian space station Mir parted after spending five days in orbit docked together In scientists at the European Organization for Nuclear Research CERN in Geneva cheered the apparent end of a decades-long quest for a new subatomic particle called the Higgs boson or God particle In the Statue of Liberty reopened on the Fourth of July eight months after Superstorm Sandy shuttered the national symbol of freedom damaging its docks In the present day s Birthdays Actor Eva Marie Saint is Queen Sonja of Norway is Actor Karolyn Grimes It s a Wonderful Life is Broadcast journalist Geraldo Rivera is Funk jazz trombonist Fred Wesley is Vietnam War veteran and peace activist Ron Kovic is Singer John Waite is International Tennis Hall of Famer Pam Shriver is Christian rock singer Michael Sweet Stryper is Actor-playwright-screenwriter Tracy Letts is Actor Becki Newton is TV personality Mike The Situation Sorrentino is R B singer Melanie Fiona is Singer and rapper Post Malone is Malia Obama is