This Week in History: Week 30

July 22 – July 28

Over 104 historical moments took place during these 7 days of the calendar year. Explore our curated digest of the most world-changing events, iconic births, and notable deaths.

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Major Events (July 22 – July 28)(20)

1968 – 2019

1968⚡ Event

Trương Đình Dzu jailed

Trương Đình Dzu was jailed by a South Vietnamese military court for illicit currency transactions. This followed his second-place finish in a rigged presidential election to Nguyễn Văn Thiệu.

politics

1975⚡ Event

Pulitzer Prize-winning photo 'Fire Escape Collapse' taken

Stanley Forman took the Pulitzer Prize–winning photo 'Fire Escape Collapse'. The image spurred action to improve the safety of fire escapes across the United States.

artslaw

1976⚡ Event

Japan completes war reparations to Philippines

Japan completed its last reparation to the Philippines for war crimes committed during imperial Japan's conquest of the country in the Second World War.

warpolitics

1980⚡ Event

Australian swimming team wins relay at Moscow Olympics

The Australian swimming team won the men's 4 × 100 metre medley relay at the Moscow Olympics. This was the only time the United States, which boycotted the games, did not win the event.

sportspolitics

1984⚡ Event

Vanessa Williams Resigns as Miss America

Vanessa Williams, the first African-American Miss America, was forced to resign after nude photos were published. This event marked a significant moment in the pageant's history.

entertainmentlaw

1987⚡ Event

Iran-Iraq War: SS Bridgeton damaged

In opposition to the American plan to protect Kuwaiti tankers, Iran laid mines and damaged the SS Bridgeton, resulting in a propaganda victory for Iran.

warpoliticseconomics

1991⚡ Event

Jeffrey Dahmer arrested

American serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer was arrested in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Police discovered human remains in his apartment.

law

1995⚡ Event

Comet Hale–Bopp discovered

Comet Hale–Bopp, one of the most widely observed comets of the 20th century, was independently discovered by astronomers Alan Hale and Thomas Bopp.

scienceexploration

1997⚡ Event

One Piece manga debuts

Written and illustrated by Eiichiro Oda, One Piece, the best-selling manga series in history, debuted in Weekly Shōnen Jump.

artsliterature

1998⚡ Event

Gunman opens fire at US Capitol

A gunman entered the United States Capitol and opened fire, killing two police officers.

lawpolitics

1999⚡ Event

Tulia drug arrests

In Tulia, Texas, 47 people were arrested for dealing cocaine. Years later, 35 of the 47 were pardoned by the Governor of Texas.

law

2000⚡ Event

Air France Flight 4590 crashes

Air France Flight 4590, a Concorde en route from Paris to New York, crashed in Gonesse, France. All 109 passengers and four people on the ground were killed.

disastertechnology

2001⚡ Event

Megawati Sukarnoputri becomes President of Indonesia

Megawati Sukarnoputri was sworn in as the first female president of Indonesia following her predecessor's impeachment.

politics

2001⚡ Event

Phoolan Devi assassinated

Phoolan Devi, a serving Member of Parliament, was assassinated by shooting in New Delhi, India.

politicslaw

2002⚡ Event

Israel bombs Hamas leader's home

The Israel Defense Forces bombed the home of Salah Shehade, the leader of the military arm of Hamas. He, his family, and neighboring civilians were killed.

warpolitics

2007⚡ Event

Pratibha Patil becomes President of India

Pratibha Patil was sworn in as the first female president of India.

politics

2010⚡ Event

One Direction formed

The English-Irish boy band One Direction were formed while auditioning for the 2010 series of the British singing competition The X Factor.

musicentertainment

2010⚡ Event

WikiLeaks publishes Afghanistan War documents

WikiLeaks published 75,000 classified documents about the War in Afghanistan. This was one of the largest leaks in U.S. military history.

warpoliticstechnology

2014⚡ Event

Air Algérie Flight 5017 Disappears

Air Algérie Flight 5017 disappeared from radar shortly after take-off from Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. Its wreckage was found the following day in Mali with no survivors.

disaster

2019⚡ Event