4th July - On This Day In History

On This Day In History - 4th July

 

4th July 414, Theodosius II, who was 13 at the time, had to yield power to his older sister, Aelia Pulcheria, who kept bullying and teasing poor Theodosius until he gave in.

 

She proclaimed herself as Empress and reined as regent for a couple of years until Theodosius stopped crying, grew a pair, and kicked her out.

 

4th July 993, Ulrich of Ausburg, the Bishop of Augsburg, and leader of the Roman Catholic Church in Germany, is shot out of a canon.

 

That's pretty much how they canonized people back then.

 

Ulrich of Ausburg was the first saint to be canonized.

 

 

4th July 1534, Christian III is elected King of Denmark and Norway.

 

It was a really big deal at the time. Christian was the son of King Frederick I and Duke of Slesvig, a town best pronounced whilst drunk.

 

His election as king led to the protestant reformation in Denmark and Norway.

 

 

 

4th July 1776, the treasonous and ungrateful colonists adopted the United States Declaration of Independence.

 

Yep, after a year of fighting during the American Revolutionary Wars, the thirteen colonies of these here them there over yonder States of the America, and the Second Continental Congress, declared and signed and stamped the Declaration of Independence on ... wait, not today.

 

Nope, it was voted for on the 2nd of July, and various signatures were scribbled on that date, maybe one on the 4th of July, and then through July and August, with one guy signing in November.

 

The Declaration of Independence was merely ratified on the 4th of July.

 

Happy Treason Day.

 

4th July 1826, President Thomas Jefferson, and President John Adams, both Presidents of these here them there over yonder States of America, they were the 2nd and 3rd Presidents, both died.

 

On the same day.

 

Exactly, to the day, some years, run out of fingers to count after the adoption of The US Declaration of Independence.

 

 

4th July 1827, Slavery is abolished in New York State.

 

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.

 

Yes, that's all men.

 

Oh, and women.

 

Not dogs, though. Some are better than others.

 

 

4th July 1886, one hundred years after the United States went fourth and Declared Independence, France offers the Statue of Liberty to the people of the United States of America.

 

It was basically a way for France to stick two fingers up at Britain, as they couldn't beat Britain at war, so had to build a statue for the guys who did.

 

 

4th July 1997, NASA's Pathfinder space probe lands on the surface of Mars and starts probing.

 

Much to the dismay of the aliens who were lying on their fronts sunbathing at the time.