Events, Births and Deaths Happening on this Date

1776

The United States of America was born as the 13 American colonies proclaimed their independence from Great Britain in the Declaration of Independence.

1802

The U.S. Military Academy officially opened at West Point, N.Y.

1845

American writer Henry David Thoreau began his two-year experiment in simple living at Walden Pond, near Concord, Mass.

1939

Baseball's ''Iron Horse,'' Lou Gehrig, said farewell to his fans at Yankee Stadium in New York.

1946

The Philippines became independent

1959

America's 49-star flag, honoring Alaskan statehood, was officially unfurled.

1960

America's 50-star flag, honoring Hawaiian statehood, was officially unfurled.

1976

Israeli commandos raided Entebbe airport in Uganda, rescuing almost all of the passengers and crew of an Air France jetliner seized by pro-Palestinian hijackers.

1976

The United States celebrated its Bicentential. In 1776, the Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence.

1987

Klaus Barbie, the former Gestapo chief known as the ''Butcher of Lyon,'' was convicted by a French court of crimes against humanity and sentenced to life in prison; he died in September 1991.

1997

The Mars Pathfinder landed on Mars, marking the first landing on Mars in over 20 years and the first-ever wheeled space rover to explore the planet.

2009

The Statue of Liberty's crown reopened to the public after 8 years of heightened security restrictions, following the World Trade Center Attacks.

1872

Calvin Coolidge, the 30th president of the United States, was born in Plymouth, Vt.

1826

Former presidents John Adams and Thomas Jefferson died.

1831

James Monroe, the fifth president of the United States, died in New York City.