This Day In History, July 2nd.

Five Historical Events That Happened on July 2nd.

• 1776: American Continental Congress approved the Declaration of Independence, although the document was not actually signed until August 2nd.

• 1881: President James Garfield was shot by Charles J. Guiteau, a disappointed office seeker. Garfield died of his wounds 11 weeks later.

• 1937: Amelia Earhart and her navigator Fred Noonan disappeared over the Pacific Ocean while attempting to fly around the world.

• 1964: President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act into law, which outlawed discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin.

• 2002: Steve Fossett became the first person to complete a solo round-the-world balloon flight, landing in Queensland, Australia, after traveling over 19,000 miles in 13 days.

1776: American Continental Congress approved the Declaration of Independence, although the document was not actually signed until August 2nd.

The Continental Congress in Philadelphia voted in support of Richard Henry Lee's resolution proclaiming the United States independent of Great Britain on July 2, 1776. The real Declaration of Independence text was then prepared and authorized on July 4th, although most of the delegates did not sign it until August 2nd. In the United States, July 4th is celebrated as Independence Day since it marks the day the Declaration of Independence was officially declared and became recognized.

1881: President James Garfield was shot by Charles J. Guiteau, a disappointed office seeker. Garfield died of his wounds 11 weeks later.

President James Garfield was shot twice by Charles J. Guiteau on July 2, 1881, at the Baltimore and Potomac Railroad Station in Washington, D.C. Garfield was waiting for a train to take him to Williams College in Massachusetts for his 25th college reunion. The first bullet grazed his arm, while the second round became trapped in his back and was not found by the physicians. Garfield died 11 weeks later, on September 19th, 1881, from his wounds.

1937: Amelia Earhart and her navigator Fred Noonan disappeared over the Pacific Ocean while attempting to fly around the world.

Amelia Earhart and her navigator Fred Noonan vanished over the Pacific Ocean on July 2, 1937, while attempting to fly around the world. Earhart and Noonan attempted to fly from Lae, New Guinea to Howland Island, a small Pacific island, but never arrived. The cause of their disappearance is still unknown, and various possibilities have been presented, including running out of fuel and falling into the water, being captured by the Japanese, or living as castaways on a barren island. However, none of these hypotheses have been verified conclusively.

1964: President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act into law, which outlawed discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin.

On July 2, 1964, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act into law. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 was a significant piece of legislation that prohibited discrimination based on race, color, religion, gender, or national origin. It was a significant win for the civil rights movement, which had been battling for equal rights and the abolition of racial segregation for many years. The Act also established the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) to examine workplace discrimination allegations and granted the federal government greater authority to enforce civil rights laws. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 was an important step forward in the movement for civil rights in the United States.

2002: Steve Fossett became the first person to complete a solo round-the-world balloon flight, landing in Queensland, Australia, after traveling over 19,000 miles in 13 days.

Steve Fossett made the first solo round-the-world balloon journey on July 2, 2002, landing in Queensland, Australia after flying over 19,000 miles in 13 days. Fossett had tried the task previously, but it wasn't until 2002 that he became the first person to fly alone continuously around the world in a balloon. The expedition was a spectacular accomplishment that displayed Fossett's great talent and dedication as a seasoned explorer and record-breaker.