Flashback
Today is Saturday, July 9, the 190th day of 2005. There are 175 days left in the year.
Today’s highlight in history: On July 9, 1776, the Declaration of Independence was read aloud to Gen. George Washington’s troops in New York.
Ten years ago: French commandos boarded the Greenpeace ship Rainbow Warrior II in the South Pacific. Pete Sampras won the men’s singles title at Wimbledon by defeating Boris Becker, 6-7 (7-5), 6-2, 6-4, 6-2.
Five years ago: The 13th International AIDS Conference opened in Durban, South Africa. Twelve people died in a soccer stampede set off when police fired tear gas at bottle-throwing fans during a World Cup qualifier between Zimbabwe and South Africa in Harare, Zimbabwe. (South Africa’s 2-0 victory over Zimbabwe was ruled official.) Top-seeded Pete Sampras won his seventh Wimbledon title as he defeated Patrick Rafter, 6-7 (10), 7-6 (5), 6-4, 6-2.
One year ago: A Senate Intelligence Committee report concluded the CIA had provided unfounded assessments of the threat posed by Iraq that the Bush administration relied on to justify going to war. The International Court of Justice ruled that Israel’s planned barrier in the West Bank barrier violated international law. Paul Klebnikov, the American editor of Forbes magazine’s Russian edition, was gunned down near his Moscow office. Actress Isabel Sanford died in Los Angeles at age 86.
On this date:
In 1540, England’s King Henry VIII had his six-month-old marriage to his fourth wife, Anne of Cleves, annulled.
In 1755, British Gen. Edward Braddock was mortally wounded as his troops suffered a massive defeat during the French and Indian War (he died four days later).
In 1816, Argentina declared independence from Spain.
In 1850, the 12th president of the United States, Zachary Taylor, died after serving only 16 months of his term.
In 1896, William Jennings Bryan delivered his famous “cross of gold” speech at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago.
In 1918, 101 people were killed in a train collision in Nashville, Tenn.
In 1944, during World War II, American forces secured Saipan as the last Japanese defenses fell.
In 1947, the engagement of Britain’s Princess Elizabeth to Lt. Philip Mountbatten was announced.
In 1951, President Truman asked Congress to formally end the state of war between the United States and Germany.
In 1982, a Pan Am Boeing 727 crashed in Kenner, La., killing all 146 people aboard and eight people on the ground.