July 2nd in History

This day is the midpoint of a common year because there are 182 days before and 182 days after it in common years.  The exact time of the middle of the year is at noon. In countries that use summer time the actual exact time of the midpoint in a common year is at 1:00 p.m.

862 - St. Swithun dies

1494 - The Treaty of Tordesillas is ratified by Spain.

1644 - English Civil War: Battle of Marston Moor.

1776 - The Continental Congress adopts a resolution severing ties with the Kingdom of Great Britain although the wording of the formal Declaration of Independence is not approved until July 4th.

1777 - Vermont becomes the first American territory to abolish slavery.

1823 - Bahia Independence Day: the end of Portuguese rule in Brazil, with the final defeat of the Portuguese crown loyalists in the province of Bahia.

1881 - Charles J. Guiteau shoots and fatally wounds US President James Garfield, who eventually dies from an infection on September 19th.

1934 - The Night of the Long Knives ends with the death of Ernst Röhm.

1937 - Amelia Earhart and navigator Fred Noonan are last heard from over the Pacific Ocean while attempting to make the first equatorial round-the-world flight.

1962 - The first Wal-Mart store opens for business in Rogers, Arkansas.

1964 - US President Lyndon B. Johnson signs the Civil Rights Act of 1964 meant to prohibit segregation in public places.

1976 - Fall of the Republic of Vietnam; Communist North Vietnam declares their union to form the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.

2002 - Steve Fossett becomes the first person to fly solo around the world non-stop in a balloon.

Famous Birthdays

419 - Valentinian III, Roman Emperor

1489 - Thomas Cranmer, Archbishop of Canterbury

1492 - Princess Elizabeth Tudor, daughter of Henry VII of England

1849 - Maria Theresa of Austria-Este, the last Queen consort of Bavaria

1903 - Alec Douglas-Home, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom

1915 - His Grace Brigadier Arthur Valerian Wellesley, Duke of Wellington

1925 - Medgar Evers, civil rights activist

1925 - Patrice Lumumba, 1st Prime Minister of the Democratic Republic of the Congo

1930 - Carlos Menem, 50th President of Argentina

1932 - Dave Thomas, businessman, founded Wendy's

1942 - Vicente Fox, 35th President of Mexico

1954 - Pete Briquette, bassist, songwriter, and producer

1983 - Sammy J, comedian and writer

1990 - Margot Robbie, actress