Discover what happened on July 24 in history as remarkable achievements, historic milestones, technological advances, and unforgettable moments helped shape the world we know today.
What Happened on July 24 in History?
Important events on this day include the founding of Detroit, the safe return of the Apollo 11 astronauts, the Supreme Court ordering President Richard Nixon to surrender the Watergate tapes, the SS Eastland disaster, and Grand Rapids illuminating its first electric lights.
JULY 24 – TODAY IN HISTORY:
1701 – Detroit, MI was founded by Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac.
1847 – Richard M. Hoe patented the rotary-type printing press.
1866 – Tennessee became the first state to be readmitted to the Union after the Civil War.
1880 – The first electric light was used in Grand Rapids, MI. The power was generated by water at the Grand Rapids Electric Light and Power Company. The light fixtures were leased on an annual basis for a cost of $120 per year.
1915 – The passenger ship the S.S. Eastland capsized while it was tied to a dock in the Chicago River. A total of 844 passengers and crew were killed. It was the largest loss of life disaster from a single shipwreck on the Great Lakes.
1935 – The Dust Bowl heat waves reached their peak, sending temperatures to 109 degrees in Chicago, IL and 104 degrees in Milwaukee, WI.
1938 – Nestlé introduced Nescafé, helping popularize instant coffee around the world.
1950 – Cape Canaveral Air Force Station began operations with the launch of a Bumper rocket.
1956 – Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis called it quits as a comedy team. Their partnership began on July 25, 1946.
1969 – Apollo 11 astronauts Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, and Michael Collins safely splashed down in the Pacific Ocean, completing humanity’s first successful mission to land on the Moon.
1971 – WUHQ TV-41 in Battle Creek, MI signed on for the first time.
1974 – The Supreme Court unanimously ruled that President Richard Nixon did not have the authority to withhold subpoenaed White House tapes, and they ordered him to surrender the tapes to the Watergate special prosecutor.
1978 – Escaped 16 ft. python “Big Sid” was captured in Standale, MI. He had escaped his plywood and rope cage on June23rd. Read more about “Big Sid” here.
1983 – George Brett, in a game with the Kansas City Royals against the New York Yankees, had a game winning home run nullified because of pine tar.
1985 – Walt Disney released their 25th full-length cartoon called “The Black Cauldron.”
1987 – At the age of 91 years old, American climber Hulda Crooks reached the peak of Mt. Fuji to become the oldest woman to climb Japan’s highest peak. (She passed away in 1997 at the age of 101.)
1988 – The first West Michigan Grand Prix took place on the streets of downtown Grand Rapids, MI. The event was approved for three years, but only lasted two because of difficulties finding a main sponsor for the third year.
1998 – Russell Eugene Weston, Jr., burst into the U.S. Capitol and opened fire killing two police officers. He was later ruled to be incompetent to stand trial.
1998 – The movie “Saving Private Ryan”, starring Tom Hanks, debuted in theaters.
2014 – Air Algérie Flight 5017 lost contact with air traffic controllers 50 minutes after takeoff. It was travelling between Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso and Algiers. The wreckage was later found in Mali. All 116 people onboard were killed.
CELEBRITY BIRTHDAYS ON JULY 24:
Alex Katz – 99 years old (1927) – Painter and sculptor
Aaron Elkins – 91 years old (1935) – Author and academic
Dan Hedaya – 86 years old (1940) – Actor
David Miner – 84 years old (1942) – Singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer
Chris Sarandon – 84 years old (1942) – Actor
Hugh Ross – 81 years old (1945) – Canadian-American astrophysicist and astronomer
Marc Racicot – 78 years old (1948) – Politician, 21st Governor of Montana
Michael Richards – 77 years old (1949) – Actor and comedian
Lynda Carter – 75 years old (1951) – Actress
Gus Van Sant – 74 years old (1952) – Director, producer, and screenwriter
Jon Faddis – 73 years old (1953) – Trumpet player, composer, and conductor
Claire McCaskill – 73 years old (1953) – Lawyer and politician
Charlie Crist – 70 years old (1956) – Lawyer and politician, 44th Governor of Florida
Pam Tillis – 69 years old (1957) – Singer-songwriter, guitarist, and actress
Joe Barry Carroll – 68 years old (1958) – Basketball player
Karl Malone – 63 years old (1963) – Basketball player and coach
Barry Bonds – 62 years old (1964) – Baseball player
Kadeem Hardison – 61 years old (1965) – Actor, director, and screenwriter
Kristin Chenoweth – 58 years old (1968) – Actress and singer
Troy Kotsur – 58 years old (1968) – Actor
Laura Leighton – 58 years old (1968) – Actress
Jennifer Lopez – 57 years old (1969) – Actress, singer, and dancer
Patty Jenkins – 55 years old (1971) – Film director and screenwriter
Jamie Langenbrunner – 51 years old (1975) – Ice hockey player
Torrie Wilson – 51 years old (1975) – Model, fitness competitor, actress and professional wrestler
Rafer Alston – 50 years old (1976) – Basketball player
Rashida Tlaib – 50 years old (1976) – Politician
Jerrod Niemann – 47 years old (1979) – Singer-songwriter and guitarist
Joel Stroetzel – 46 years old (1980) – Guitarist
Summer Glau – 45 years old (1981) – Actress
Mewelde Moore – 44 years old (1982) – Football player
Elisabeth Moss – 44 years old (1982) – Actress
Aries Merritt – 41 years old (1985) – Hurdler
Nathan Gerbe – 39 years old (1987) – Ice hockey player
Mara Wilson – 39 years old (1987) – Actress
Nichkhun – 38 years old (1988) – Thai-American singer-songwriter and actor
Maurkice Pouncey – 37 years old (1989) – Football player
Trevor van Riemsdyk – 35 years old (1991) – Ice hockey player
Phillip Lindsay – 32 years old (1994) – Football player
Kyle Kuzma – 31 years old (1995) – Basketball player
Joe Mixon – 30 years old (1996) – Football player
Cailee Spaeny – 28 years old (1998) – Actress
Ryan Johnson – 25 years old (2001) – Ice hockey player
Drake London – 25 years old (2001) – Football player
DAYS OF THE YEAR FOR JULY 24:
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For additional information check out websites like: www.on-this-day.com, www.born-today.com, www.famousbirthdays.com, www.daysoftheyear.com, and www.nationaldaycalendar.com.
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