* On July 22, 1893, Katharine Lee Bates wrote the lyrics to “America the Beautiful” after admiring the view from the top of Pikes Peak in Colorado. The song’s music was composed by Samuel A. Ward, a church organist and choirmaster in Newark, N.J. The two never met in person.
* On July 23, 1980, Pham Tuan became the first Vietnamese citizen as well as the first Asian in space when he flew on board the Soyuz 37 mission as an Intercosmos Research Cosmonaut. His career awards included the rare distinction of being one of the few foreigners to receive the title Hero of the Soviet Union.
* On July 24, 1915, the passenger ship SS Eastland capsized while tied to a dock in the Chicago River, killing a total of 844 passengers and crew in the largest loss of life disaster from a single shipwreck on the Great Lakes.
* On July 25, 2000, George Bush announced his selection of former Secretary of Defense Dick Cheney to be his running mate on the Republican presidential ticket. Cheney had worked under all five presidential administrations between 1969 and 1993, and Bush described him as qualified, respected and someone who shared his vision for America.
* On July 26, 1952, Argentina’s first lady, Eva Peron, died of cancer at the age of 33. Shortly before her passing, she had been given the title of “Spiritual Leader of the Nation of Argentina” by the Argentine Congress, and she was also accorded a state funeral, which was generally reserved for heads of state.
* On July 27, 1866, the first permanent transatlantic telegraph cable was successfully completed, reaching from Valentia Island, Ireland, to Heart’s Content, Newfoundland.
* On July 28, 2018, Wendy Tuck of Australia became the first female captain to win the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race. Afterward, in an interview with the Daily Telegraph, she said, “If one little girl sees this, sees it can be done and has a go, that will be what matters to me.”
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