Associated Press
Today in History: Tuesday, July 21, 2015
On July 21, 1925, the Scopes “monkey trial” ended in Dayton, Tenn., with John T. Scopes convicted of violating state law for teaching Darwin’s theory of evolution. (The conviction was later overturned.)
1831- Belgium became independent as Leopold I was proclaimed King of the Belgians.
1861- The first Battle of Bull Run was fought at Manassas, Va., during the Civil War, resulting in a Confederate victory.
1899- Author Ernest Hemingway was born in Oak Park, Ill.
1944- The Democratic National Convention in Chicago nominated Sen. Harry S. Truman to be vice president.
1949- The U.S. Senate ratified the North Atlantic Treaty.
1954- France surrendered North Vietnam to the Communists.
1961- Capt. Virgil “Gus” Grissom became the second American to rocket into a sub-orbital pattern around the Earth, flying on the Liberty Bell 7.
1969- Apollo 11 astronauts Neil Armstrong and Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin blasted off from the moon aboard the lunar module.
1988- Massachusetts Gov. Michael Dukakis accepted the Democratic presidential nomination at the party’s convention in Atlanta.
1998- Astronaut Alan Shepard died at age 74.
2002- Telecommunications giant WorldCom Inc. filed for bankruptcy protection after disclosing it had inflated profits by nearly $4 billion through deceptive accounting.
2007 -“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows,” the final volume in the book series by J.K. Rowling, went on sale.
2008- Former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic, one of the world’s top war crimes fugitives, was arrested in a Belgrade suburb by Serbian security forces.
2010- President Barack Obama signed into law the most sweeping overhaul of U.S. lending and high finance rules since the 1930s.
2011- The space shuttle program came to an end after 30 years as Atlantis landed at Cape Canaveral, Fla..
Today’s Birthdays:
U.S. Rep. James Clyburn, D-S.C., turns 74 years old today.
Kay Starr Singer 93
Norman Jewison Director (“Moonstruck”) 89
Janet Reno Former attorney general 77
John Negroponte Former national intelligence director 76
Yusuf Islam (formerly Cat Stevens) Singer, songwriter 67
Garry Trudeau Cartoonist (“Doonesbury”) 67
Eric Bazilian Rock musician (The Hooters) 62
Jon Lovitz Actor, comedian (“Saturday Night Live”) 58
Brandi Chastain Soccer player 47
Sprague Grayden Actress 37
Josh Hartnett Actor 37
Blake Lewis Singer (“American Idol”) 34
Kellen Winslow Football player 32
Vanessa Lengies Actress (“American Dreams”) 30
New York Yankees pitcher C.C. Sabathia turns 35 years old today.