July 2nd, 2009

July 2nd in History

2000:
Vicente Fox Quesada is elected the first President of México from an opposition party, the Partido Acción Nacional (PAN) after more than 70 years of continuous rule from the Partido Revolucionario Institucional (PRI).

1982:
Larry Walters uses 45 helium balloons and a lawnchair to propel himself to 16,000 feet.

1976:
North and South Vietnam, divided since 1954, reunite to form the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.

1878:
What will becomes the BMT Brighton Line opens in the City of Brooklyn (which merged with Manhattan and other counties to become the City of of Greater New York in 1898)

1839:
Twenty miles off the coast of Cuba, 53 rebelling African slaves led by Joseph Cinque take over the slave ship Amistad.