1944⚡ Event
20 July plot to assassinate Hitler
A group of German officers attempt to assassinate Adolf Hitler with a bomb at the Wolf's Lair. Hitler survives.
warpoliticsmilitary
July 15 – July 21 in History
DayFacts Week 29 · 7 days
This recurring calendar span contains 110 historical entries in the DayFacts collection. The sections below preview entries from these 7 days; use the date links to open each date collection.
Selected Anniversaries
Explore the Date Pages
Historical Events (July 15 – July 21)(20)
1969⚡ Event
Apollo 11 Moon landing
NASA astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin become the first humans to walk on the Moon, fulfilling President Kennedy's vision.
spacesciencetechnology
1976⚡ Event
Viking 1 lands on Mars
NASA's Viking 1 spacecraft becomes the first successful mission to land on Mars and operate on its surface, returning images and scientific data.
spacesciencetechnology
1977⚡ Event
Libyan raid on Sallum
Libyan forces carried out a raid at Sallum, sparking a four-day war with Egypt.
war
1989⚡ Event
Murder of Rebecca Schaeffer
American actress Rebecca Schaeffer was shot and killed by Robert John Bardo. This event prompted the passage of anti-stalking laws in California.
lawentertainment
1990⚡ Event
Taiwanese Deportation Incident
The Taiwanese military ordered the deportation of dozens of illegal immigrants from mainland China in sealed boat holds, causing 25 deaths due to suffocation.
politicslawdisaster
1992⚡ Event
Manchester Metrolink Opens
The Manchester Metrolink, the first modern street-running light-rail system in the United Kingdom, was officially opened.
technology
1992⚡ Event
Via D'Amelio bombing
A car bomb killed the anti-Mafia judge Paolo Borsellino and five policemen in Palermo, Italy. This occurred less than two months after the murder of Borsellino's friend and colleague Giovanni Falcone.
politicslaw
1994⚡ Event
Comet Shoemaker–Levy 9 Impacts Jupiter
Fragments of Comet Shoemaker–Levy 9 began colliding with the planet Jupiter. The first impact caused a fireball reaching a peak temperature of 24,000 kelvin.
sciencespace
1994⚡ Event
Brazil wins FIFA World Cup
Brazil won the FIFA World Cup final against Italy 3–2 on penalties following a 0–0 draw after extra time.
sportsentertainment
1995⚡ Event
Selena's album Dreaming of You released
Selena's album Dreaming of You, instrumental in popularizing Tejano music, was released posthumously.
musicentertainment
1996⚡ Event
TWA Flight 800 explodes
TWA Flight 800 exploded in mid-air and crashed into the Atlantic Ocean near East Moriches, New York.
disaster
1997⚡ Event
IRA Resumes Ceasefire
The Provisional Irish Republican Army announced it would resume its ceasefire, ending its 28-year campaign against British rule in Northern Ireland.
politicswar
2004⚡ Event
Millennium Park Opens
Millennium Park, a public park in Chicago, Illinois, and one of the world's largest rooftop gardens, opened to the public.
arts
2007⚡ Event
Niigata Earthquake and Nuclear Leak
An earthquake of magnitude Mw6.6 struck Niigata Prefecture, Japan. It caused a leak of radioactive gases from the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa Nuclear Power Plant.
disasterscience
2009⚡ Event
Caspian Airlines Flight 7908 Crash
Caspian Airlines Flight 7908 crashed in northwestern Iran, resulting in the deaths of all 168 people on board.
disastertechnology
2009⚡ Event
Fiordland earthquake
A magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck Fiordland, New Zealand. This was the country's largest earthquake since 1931.
disaster
2012⚡ Event
Gangnam Style Release
South Korean rapper Psy released his hit single "Gangnam Style".
musicentertainment
2012⚡ Event
Burgas Airport bus bombing
A suicide bomber attacked an Israeli tour bus at Burgas Airport, Bulgaria. This led to Hezbollah's military branch being designated a terrorist organization by the EU.
warpoliticslaw
2013⚡ Event
Cassini's "Wave at Saturn"
The NASA spacecraft Cassini took a photograph of Saturn with Earth in the distance, inviting people to "wave at Saturn".
spacescience
Births (July 15 – July 21)(15)
1938🎂 Birth
Diana Rigg born
English actress Dame Diana Rigg is born. She is known for her roles in The Avengers and Game of Thrones.
entertainment
1993🎂 Birth
Steven Adams
Steven Adams is a New Zealand professional basketball player.
sports
1996🎂 Birth
Kevin Abstract
Kevin Abstract, American rapper and singer-songwriter, was born.
musicentertainment
1998🎂 Birth
Karl Jacobs
Karl Jacobs, American YouTuber and streamer, was born.
entertainment
Deaths (July 15 – July 21)(15)
1937🕊️ Death
Guglielmo Marconi dies
Italian inventor Guglielmo Marconi, pioneer of long-distance radio transmission, dies in Rome at age 63.
sciencetechnology
2001🕊️ Death
Death of Carlo Giuliani
Carlo Giuliani, a 23-year-old Italian anti-globalist, was shot dead by a police officer during protests at the G8 summit in Genoa, Italy.
politics
2015🕊️ Death
Wan Li
Chinese politician and former Vice Premier of the People's Republic of China.
politics
2015🕊️ Death
Aubrey Morris
British actor Aubrey Morris died. He was born in 1926.
entertainment
2018🕊️ Death
Alene Duerk
Alene Duerk, the U.S. Navy's first female admiral, died. She was born in 1920.
politicslaw
2020🕊️ Death
Annie Ross
Scottish-American singer and actress (born 1930).
musicentertainmentarts
2023🕊️ Death
Oommen Chandy
Oommen Chandy was an Indian politician and former Chief Minister of Kerala.
politics
2024🕊️ Death
Toumani Diabaté
Toumani Diabaté, Malian musician, died.
musicentertainment
2024🕊️ Death
Mary Gibby
Mary Gibby, a British botanist and professor, has died. She was born in 1949.
science
2024🕊️ Death
Lou Dobbs
Lou Dobbs was an American political commentator and television host.
politicsentertainment
2024🕊️ Death
Iryna Farion
Iryna Farion, Ukrainian linguist and politician, died.
politicslaw