4 July in history
7 events that happened on 4 July, from 1776 to 1997.
1776 CE 250 years ago
Continental Congress adopts the Declaration of Independence
Congress approved the final text of the Declaration, drafted chiefly by Thomas Jefferson. Its assertion that all men are created equal, with unalienable rights, became the founding statement of the United States.
1802 CE 224 years ago
US Military Academy opens at West Point
The United States Military Academy formally opened at West Point, New York. It went on to train generations of officers, among them Grant, Lee, Eisenhower and MacArthur.
✦ Anniversary of the day
1826 CE 200 years ago
John Adams and Thomas Jefferson die on the same day
Former presidents John Adams and Thomas Jefferson died within hours of each other on the 50th anniversary of the Declaration. Adams's reported last words were 'Thomas Jefferson survives', unaware his rival had died first.
1863 CE 163 years ago
Vicksburg surrenders to Ulysses S. Grant
After a 47-day siege, John Pemberton surrendered Vicksburg and nearly 30,000 men. With Port Hudson falling days later, the Union controlled the Mississippi and split the Confederacy in two.
1943 CE 83 years ago
Polish leader Władysław Sikorski dies in a crash at Gibraltar
General Sikorski, prime minister of the Polish government-in-exile, was killed when his aircraft crashed seconds after take-off from Gibraltar. His death removed the Allies' most respected Polish voice at a critical moment.
1946 CE 80 years ago
The Philippines gains independence from the United States
The Philippines became a sovereign republic after nearly half a century of American rule, as promised by the 1934 Tydings-McDuffie Act. For decades 4 July was celebrated as its Independence Day.
1997 CE 29 years ago
Mars Pathfinder lands on Mars
NASA's Pathfinder bounced to a landing on airbags in Ares Vallis and soon deployed Sojourner, the first rover on another planet. The mission returned thousands of images and revived public interest in Mars.