July 3rd, 2009

July 3rd in History

1988:
United States Navy warship USS Vincennes shoots down Iran Air Flight 655 over the Persian Gulf, killing all 290 people aboard.

1952:
Puerto Rico's Constitution is approved by the Congress of the United States.

1863:
U.S. Civil War: The final and bloodiest day of the Battle of Gettysburg.

1844:
The last pair of Great Auks is killed.

1250:
Louis IX of France is captured by Baibars' Mamluk army at the Battle of Fariskur while he is in Egypt conducting the Seventh Crusade; he later has to ransom himself.