Scott Allsop's Blog, page 34

13th July 1863: New York City draft riots mark the largest civil urban disturbance in American history

Over 100 people were killed in the riots and thousands more were injured. In addition, millions of dollars of damage was caused to buildings and ...

12th July 1862: Creation of the Congressional Medal of Honor

A resolution to create the U.S. Army Medal of Honor was authorised by Congress and signed into law by President Abraham ...

11th July 1804: Vice President Aaron Burr fatally wounds Alexander Hamilton, former Secretary of the Treasury, in a duel

Hamilton’s death shocked the nation, as he was a leading figure in American politics and instrumental in the country’s ...

10th July 1913: Highest recorded temperature on Earth

The highest temperature ever recorded on Earth was measured at Furnace Creek in Death Valley, ...

9th July 1762: Catherine the Great becomes Empress of Russia following a coup against her husband, Peter III

Peter III ascended the throne in January 1762 and within just six months had alienated key segments of Russian society. Meanwhile Catherine had garnered support from a number of key individuals due to her alignment with Russian ...

7th July 1952: SS United States establishes the record for the fastest transatlantic crossing by an ocean liner

SS United States secured the Blue Riband, an accolade awarded to the passenger liner crossing the Atlantic with the highest average speed, and continues to hold the record to this ...

6th July 1892: The Homestead Strike sees Pinkerton agents fight striking steelworkers

Dozens were killed or injured when Pinkerton agents working on behalf of the Carnegie Steel Company fought striking steelworkers in Homestead, ...

5th July 1937: SPAM, the canned cooked pork, first introduced by Hormel Foods Corporation @SPAMbrand

The United States continues to be the world’s largest consumer of Spam, with the luncheon meat being a particularly big seller in ...

4th July 1918: Mehmed VI ascends to the throne as the last sultan of the Ottoman Empire

By the time Mehmed VI became sultan following the death of his half-brother, the empire was on the brink of collapse due to a combination of military losses, economic hardship, and nationalist movements at ...

3rd July 1979: President Jimmy Carter authorises $500,000 to aid the mujahideen in Afghanistan

By the time Soviet troops were withdrawn from Afghanistan in 1989, it had become one of the CIA’s longest and most expensive covert ...