Today:
64 – The Great Fire of Rome continued to spread through Rome, destroying large sections of the city during the reign of Nero.
711 – Muslim forces under Tariq ibn Ziyad defeated the Visigothic army led by Roderic at the Battle of Guadalete, paving the way for the Islamic conquest of the Iberian Peninsula.
1553 – Lady Jane Grey was deposed as Queen of England after just nine days on the throne, and Mary I of England was proclaimed queen.
1848 – The Seneca Falls Convention, the first women’s rights convention in the United States, opened in Seneca Falls, New York.
1870 – Franco-Prussian War began when France declared war on Prussia.
1903 – The first Tour de France concluded, with Maurice Garin winning the inaugural race.
1943 – Allied forces completed the capture of Rome? (Correction: Better-known July 19 event.) 1943 – Allied aircraft launched the first major bombing raid on Rome during World War II.
1969 – Apollo 11 entered lunar orbit, preparing for the first crewed Moon landing the following day.
1980 – The opening ceremony of the 1980 Summer Olympics was held in Moscow despite a major international boycott.
1989 – United Airlines Flight 232 Crash crash-landed in Sioux City, Iowa. Despite catastrophic damage, 184 of the 296 people on board survived due to the extraordinary efforts of the flight crew and emergency responders.