2003 – The 70-metre Yevpatoria Planetary Radar sends a METI message (Cosmic Call 2) to five stars: Hip 4872, HD 245409, 55 Cancri (HD 75732), HD 10307 and 47 Ursae Majoris (HD 95128). The messages will arrive to these stars in 2036, 2040, 2044, and 2049, respectively.

1957 – John Lennon and Paul McCartney meet for the first time, as teenagers at Woolton Fete, three years before forming the Beatles.

1947 – The AK-47 goes into production in the Soviet Union.

1944 – Jackie Robinson refuses to move to the back of a bus, leading to a court-martial.

1942 – Anne Frank and her family go into hiding in the "Secret Annexe" above her father's office in an Amsterdam warehouse.

1939 – Anti-Jewish legislation in prewar Nazi Germany closes the last remaining Jewish enterprises.

On this day in history, July 6, 1994, 'Forrest Gump' is released in theaters: 'One-of-a-kind treat'

1996 – Dolly the sheep becomes the first mammal cloned from an adult cell.

1994 – Jeff Bezos founds Amazon.

1954 – Elvis Presley records his first single, "That's All Right", at Sun Records in Memphis, Tennessee.

On this day in history, July 5, 1937, SPAM is introduced by Horny Mel Foods

2012 – The discovery of particles consistent with the Higgs boson at the Large Hadron Collider is announced at CERN.

1855 – The first edition of Walt Whitman's book of poems, Leaves of Grass, is published in Brooklyn.

1054 – A supernova, called SN 1054, is seen by Chinese Song dynasty, Arab, and possibly Amerindian observers near the star Zeta Tauri. For several months it remains bright enough to be seen during the day. Its remnants form the Crab Nebula.

On this day in history, July 4, 1802, the U.S. Military Academy opens at West Point

1973 – David Bowie retires his stage persona Ziggy Stardust with the surprise announcement that it is "the last show that we'll ever do" on the last day of the Ziggy Stardust Tour.

On this day in history, July 3, 1962, Tom Cruise is born, goes on to star in 'Born on the Fourth of July'

1966 – France conducts its first nuclear weapon test in the Pacific, on Moruroa Atoll.

1962 – The first Walmart store, then known as Wal-Mart, opens for business in Rogers, Arkansas.

On this day in history, July 2, 1964, President Johnson signs 'sweeping' Civil Rights Act