American adventurer Steve Fossett became the first person to fly solo nonstop around the world in a balloon, completing the feat in 13 days aboard the Spirit of Freedom.
📍 Global (Landing in Australia)
World UFO Day was launched to encourage governments to disclose their knowledge of UFOs and to raise awareness of unidentified aerial phenomena. It commemorates the 1947 Roswell incident.
📍 Global
Presidents Boris Yeltsin and George H. W. Bush signed the START II agreement, aiming to significantly reduce each country’s strategic nuclear arsenal and marking progress in post-Cold War disarmament.
📍 Moscow, Russia
President Lyndon B. Johnson nominated Thurgood Marshall as the first African-American justice of the U.S. Supreme Court, a pivotal moment in the history of civil rights and American law.
📍 Washington, D.C., United States
France conducted its first nuclear test at Mururoa Atoll in French Polynesia, drawing international condemnation and sparking environmental and political concerns across the Pacific region.
📍 Mururoa Atoll, French Polynesia
President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act of 1964 into law, banning discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. It was a landmark achievement of the American civil rights movement.
📍 Washington, D.C., United States
The United States conducted its first airstrike on North Vietnamese targets, escalating its military involvement in the Vietnam War and setting the stage for deeper conflict.
📍 North Vietnam
The Soviet-led Cominform expelled Yugoslavia for resisting Moscow’s control under Tito, marking the first major split in the communist bloc and the beginning of Yugoslavia’s non-aligned stance.
📍 Bucharest, Romania
R. K. Shanmukham Chetty presented the first budget of independent India, marking a major milestone in the country's economic planning and post-colonial governance.
📍 New Delhi, India
Following the armistice with Nazi Germany, the Vichy regime officially took control of France, collaborating with German forces and marking a turning point in World War II.
📍 Vichy, France
Famed aviator Amelia Earhart and navigator Fred Noonan disappeared during an attempt to circumnavigate the globe. Their fate remains one of the greatest mysteries in aviation history.
📍 Pacific Ocean
Germany announced plans for the Graf Zeppelin to complete a historic round-the-world flight, which it accomplished the following year, showcasing the potential of lighter-than-air travel.
📍 Friedrichshafen, Germany
Medgar Evers, a prominent civil rights activist who worked to end segregation and fought for voting rights in the American South, was born. His 1963 assassination galvanized the civil rights movement.
📍 Decatur, Mississippi, United States
Patrice Lumumba, a key figure in the Congo’s fight for independence and its first Prime Minister, was born. He became a symbol of African nationalism and anti-colonial struggle.
📍 Onalua, Belgian Congo (now DRC)
The U.S. Army Air Service completed the first successful aerial refueling between two De Haviland DH-4B aircraft over San Diego, revolutionizing long-range aviation operations.
📍 San Diego, California, United States
Germany conducted its first successful Zeppelin air raid over London during World War I, signaling a new era of aerial warfare and home-front vulnerability.
📍 London, United Kingdom
President James A. Garfield was shot by Charles J. Guiteau at a Washington, D.C. train station. Garfield survived the initial shooting but died from infections weeks later, prompting reforms to civil service.
📍 Washington, D.C., United States
Hermann Hesse, the German-Swiss author of acclaimed novels such as *Siddhartha* and *Steppenwolf*, was born. His work explored themes of self-discovery, spirituality, and existentialism.
📍 Calw, German Empire
The United States conducted its first official census, mandated by the Constitution. It counted 3.9 million people and laid the foundation for federal representation and planning.
📍 United States
The Continental Congress voted to approve a resolution declaring the American colonies independent from Britain. Although the Declaration was adopted on July 4, the vote occurred on July 2, which John Adams believed would be celebrated as Independence Day.
📍 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States