275 years ago, on July 29, 1729, the city of Baltimore was founded as a ship-building center.
250 years ago, on July 3, 1754, young George Washington, 22, surrendered to the French, at Fort Necessity (in the French & Indian War, when he represented the colony of Virginia). That same week, on July 7, Kings College opened in New York City. In the fall term, Kings welcomed eight students and one faculty member??¢â???¬ ¦quot;Dr. Samuel Johnson??¢â???¬ ¦quot;who also served as the school president. In 1784, Kings was renamed Columbia College, and then Columbia University.
225 years ago, July 15, 1779, 1300 Americans under Gen. Anthony Wayne overran the fort at Stony Point, N.Y., in a daring bayonet attack. Over 700 British forces were killed or taken prisoner.
200 years ago, July 11, 1804, while Lewis & Clark were working their way up the Missouri River, a New York political rivalry turned deadly. Vice President Aaron Burr killed former Secretary of the Treasury, Alexander Hamilton, 49, in a pistol duel at Weehawken, New Jersey. Hamilton, whose son had been killed in a duel, deliberately fired a shot into the air in a peace offering, but Burr took deadly aim. Hamilton died the next day, in great pain.
175 years ago, July 4, 1829, the cornerstone was laid for the new U.S. mint (on Chestnut & Juniper streets, Philadelphia). And on July 23, 1829, William A. Burt of Mount Vernon, Va., received a patent for a crude form of typewriter, called the ??¢â???¬?????typographer.??¢â???¬
150 years ago, July 6, 1854, the Republican Party held its first convention, in Jackson, Mich. A preliminary meeting had been held early in the year (February 28) in Ripon, Wis.
100 years ago, July 6-9, 1904, the Democrats nominated, as President and Vice President, Alton B. Parker (N.Y.) and Henry G. Davis (W.V.) to challenge incumbent Republican Theodore Roosevelt. They lost. And on July 28, 1904, David Buick sold his first ??¢â???¬?????Buick,??¢â???¬ to Dr. Herbert Hills of Flint, Mich.
75 years ago, July 10, 1929, the U.S. Treasury introduced smaller paper currency.
50 years ago, Elvis Presley cut his first record on July 5, 1954: ??¢â???¬?????That??¢â???¬â???¢s All Right Mama??¢â???¬ and ??¢â???¬?????Blue Moon of Kentucky,??¢â???¬ for Sam Phillips at Sun Records in Memphis. July 15, the first commercial transport jet was built in the U.S., the Boeing 707.
25 years ago, July 1, 1979, the Susan B. Anthony debuted, another in a long string of Carter??¢â???¬â???¢s economic blunders. From July 7-14, 1979, President Carter withdrew to Camp David for eight days of secret meetings, where he told a series of 134 advisors that America was declining.
