July 16 - Merry

Merry

This Day In History

1769

Father Junípero Serra founds California's first mission, Mission San Diego de Alcalá. Over the following decades, it evolves into the city of San Diego.

1782

First performance of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's opera Die Entführung aus dem Serail.

1880

Emily Stowe becomes the first female physician licensed to practice medicine in Canada.

1941

Joe DiMaggio hits safely for the 56th consecutive game, a streak that still stands as a MLB record.

1956

Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus closes its very last "Big Tent" show in Pittsburgh, due to changing economics all subsequent circus shows will be held in arenas.

1969

Apollo 11, the first manned space mission to land on the Moon, is launched from the Kennedy Space Center at Cape Canaveral, Florida.

1993

The Slackware operating system is first released.

1994

Comet Shoemaker–Levy 9 collides with Jupiter. Impacts continue until July 22.

Famous Birthdays

1194

Saint Clare of Assisi, Italian follower of Francis of Assisi (d. 1253)

1486

Andrea del Sarto, Italian painter (d. 1530)

1723

Joshua Reynolds, English painter (d. 1792)

1749

Cyrus Griffin, American statesman, 16th and last president of the Continental Congress (d. 1810)

1796

Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot, French painter (d. 1875)

1870

Lambert McKenna, Irish Jesuit priest and scholar of the Irish language (d. 1956)

1872

Roald Amundsen, Norwegian polar explorer (d. 1928)

1907

Orville Redenbacher, American farmer and businessman (d. 1995)

1911

Ginger Rogers, American actress and dancer (d. 1995)

1929

Sheri Tepper, American author

1942

Margaret Court, Australian tennis player

1956

Jerry Doyle, American actor
1958
Michael Flatley, American dancer