This Day In History, July 19th.

Five Historical Events That Happened on July 19th.

• The Seneca Falls Convention, the first women's rights conference in American history, took place at Seneca Falls, New York, in 1848. Over 300 individuals attended the conference, which was organized by women's rights campaigners Lucretia Mott and Elizabeth Cady Stanton.

• The Treaty of Frankfurt, which put an end to hostilities between France and Prussia and led to Germany's annexation of Alsace-Lorraine, was signed in 1870, ending the Franco-Prussian War.

• 1940: During World War II, Adolf Hitler issued "Directive No. 16" directing preparations for Operation Sea Lion, his planned invasion of Britain. However, the German Luftwaffe's inability to gain air control over the English Channel led to the operation's eventual cancellation.

• Habib Bourguiba, the first president of Tunisia, proclaimed the nation a republic in 1961, dissolving the monarchy.

• 1980 saw a ceremony at the Lenin Central Stadium to inaugurate the Summer Olympics in Moscow, Soviet Union. Many Western nations boycotted the games in opposition to the Soviet Union's invasion of Afghanistan.

1848: The first women's rights convention in US history, the Seneca Falls Convention, was held in Seneca Falls, New York. The convention was organized by women's rights activists Lucretia Mott and Elizabeth Cady Stanton and was attended by over 300 people.

The Seneca Falls Convention, which took place on July 19–20, 1848, was a crucial occasion in the early American struggle for women's rights. Over 300 individuals, including several well-known women's rights campaigners of the day including Lucretia Mott, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, and Susan B. Anthony, attended the conference. Participants at the conference discussed and argued about a range of concerns pertaining to women's rights, including the ability to vote. The convention's final product, a Declaration of Sentiments based after the Declaration of Independence, advocated for greater equality between men and women. The Seneca Falls Convention is frequently seen as the catalyst for the American women's suffrage movement.

1870: The Franco-Prussian War ended with the signing of the Treaty of Frankfurt, which ended the hostilities between France and Prussia and resulted in the annexation of Alsace-Lorraine by Germany.

The Franco-Prussian War, supported by other German nations, was fought between France and Prussia from 1870 to 1871. Fears of a Prussian-dominated Europe led to King Wilhelm I of Prussia's acceptance of the Spanish succession issue, which ignited the war. France declared war on Prussia, but the situation swiftly turned against it. At the Battle of Sedan in September 1870, Prussian soldiers ultimately overcame the French. A new French administration was established in January 1871, and peace talks got under way. The conflict came to a conclusion with the signing of the Treaty of Frankfurt on May 10, 1871, which saw France cede Alsace-Lorraine to Germany. In the years leading up to World War I, the annexation of Alsace-Lorraine had a significant role in the deterioration of France and Germany's ties.

1940: World War II: Adolf Hitler issued the "Directive No. 16" ordering preparations for a planned invasion of Britain, codenamed Operation Sea Lion. However, the operation was ultimately canceled due to the failure of the German Luftwaffe to achieve air superiority over the English Channel.

With much of Western Europe under its control during World War II in the summer of 1940, Nazi Germany shifted its focus to Britain, the only superpower preventing Germany's hegemony over Europe. On July 16, 1940, Adolf Hitler issued Directive No. 16, which described the preparations for the Operation Sea Lion invasion of Britain. The German Luftwaffe's inability to gain air control over the English Channel led to the cancellation of the invasion, which was initially planned to happen in September 1940. An important turning point in the war and the impending invasion of Britain was the Battle of Britain, which was fought mostly in the air between the Royal Air Force (RAF) and the Luftwaffe. The Battle of Britain was also the first significant military operation in which only air forces were used.

1961: Tunisia's President Habib Bourguiba declared the country a republic, abolishing the monarchy and becoming the first president of Tunisia.

On March 20, 1956, Tunisia declared its independence from France and established a constitutional monarchy with Habib Bourguiba as its prime minister. When Bourguiba took office as Tunisia's president in 1957, he started to promote a republican system of governance. A new constitution that made Tunisia a presidential republic was enacted on July 25, 1957. The king was, however, only a symbolic figurehead until July 25, 1959, when Bourguiba was legally installed as ruler. Bourguiba declared Tunisia a republic on July 25, 1961, overthrew the monarchy, and was elected as the country's first leader. Significant changes were made during Bourguiba's administration, including as the enactment of a progressive Personal Status Code that increased the rights of women and outlawed polygamy. Bourguiba's administration lasted until 1987, when Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, his prime minister, overthrew him in a non-violent coup.

1980: The Summer Olympics opened in Moscow, Soviet Union, with a ceremony at the Lenin Central Stadium. The games were boycotted by many Western countries in protest of the Soviet Union's invasion of Afghanistan.

The Games of the XXII Olympiad, also known as the 1980 Summer Olympics, took place in Moscow, Soviet Union, from July 19 to August 3, 1980. Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev was present at the opening ceremony on July 19 at the Lenin Central Stadium. However, several Western nations, notably the United States, Canada, and a number of European countries, boycotted the games in opposition to the Soviet Union's invasion of Afghanistan in 1979. Due to the boycott, many of the best athletes from the participating nations were absent, and Soviet-bloc nations dominated the medal tables. Political unrest and security worries marred the 1980 Olympics as well, and the Soviet Union spent a record sum on security for the games.