This Day In History, July 28th.
Five Historical Events That Happened on July 28th
Leader of the French Revolution Jean-Paul Marat was murdered in his bathtub in Paris in 1793 by Charlotte Corday.
More than 100 persons lost their lives in rioting over the Civil War military draft that broke out in New York City in 1863.
In the hills above Hollywood in Los Angeles, California, the Hollywood Sign was formally dedicated in 1923.
1985 saw the simultaneous performance of Live Aid, a charity event put on by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure to raise money for famine relief in Africa.
In 2013, George Zimmerman was cleared of all charges related to the shooting death of black youngster Trayvon Martin in Sanford, Florida. Zimmerman had been charged with second-degree murder and manslaughter.
1540: Thomas Cromwell, chief minister to King Henry VIII of England, is executed on charges of treason and heresy.
Thomas Cromwell was a key participant in the English Reformation, serving as King Henry VIII's prime minister from 1532 until 1540. He fell out of favor with the king, however, after arranging his marriage to Anne of Cleves, which proved to be an unpleasant match. Cromwell was later charged with treason and heresy and killed on July 28, 1540.
1794: Maximilien Robespierre, a key figure of the French Revolution, is guillotined in Paris
Maximilien Robespierre was a French lawyer and politician who played an important role in the French Revolution. He was a key member of the Committee of Public Safety, which was formed in 1793 to protect the revolution against its foes. However, Robespierre's increasingly extremist ideas and tactics, like as the Reign of Terror, earned him many opponents, including erstwhile supporters. The National Convention captured him on July 27, 1794, and the next day he and some of his supporters were guillotined in Paris, bringing the Reign of Terror to an end.
1868: The Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution is ratified, granting citizenship and equal protection under the law to all persons born or naturalized in the U.S.
The Hollywood Sign, which was formerly known as the "Hollywoodland" sign, had its formal dedication. The sign was initially put up as a real estate development billboard, but it swiftly became into a recognizable representation of the movie business and the glitz of Hollywood. The sign has undergone several modifications and restorations over the years, yet it continues to be a well-liked tourist destination and a representation of American popular culture.
1914: World War I begins with the Austro-Hungarian Empire declaring war on Serbia.
The Austro-Hungarian Empire declared war on Serbia on July 28, 1914, kicking off World War I. The proclamation was issued in reaction to the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria-Hungary on June 28, 1914, by a Serbian nationalist. As more countries joined the battle, Germany, Austria-Hungary, and the Ottoman Empire became the Central Powers, while France, Russia, and the United Kingdom formed the Allied Powers. The war ended on November 11, 1918, with the signing of an armistice. The war had a huge influence on Europe and the rest of the globe, resulting in enormous political, social, and economic changes.
1945: A U.S. Army B-25 bomber crashes into the Empire State Building in New York City, killing 14 people and injuring dozens more.
On July 28, 1945, a US Army B-25 bomber flying in dense fog slammed into the north side of New York City's Empire State Building. The collision triggered a large explosion and fire, killing 14 people, including three airline crew members, and wounding many more. The collision caused severe damage to the building, tearing a hole in the structure and inflicting serious damage to offices on the 78th and 79th floors. However, the steel structure of the building held up exceptionally well, keeping the building from collapsing. The crash was a catastrophic tragedy that brought to attention the perils of flying in bad weather, and it resulted in substantial improvements in air traffic control laws and building safety standards.