WHAT ELSE HAPPENED TO THE USA ON JULY 4?: You’ve probably heard that both John Adams and Thomas Jefferson died on July 4, 1826—the 50th anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration of Independence. But here are a few more American events that happened that day:
1827: Slavery officially ended in New York.
1831: “My Country, ‘Tis of Thee” was first performed at a children’s Independence Day celebration in Boston.
1831: President James Monroe died.
1863: The Siege of Vicksburg ended with a Confederate surrender.
1997: NASA’s Pathfinder landed and began its exploration of Mars.
2004: The cornerstone to the Freedom Tower was laid on the site of the previous World Trade Tower.
Of these, I have a recollection only of the 1997 Pathfinder exploration. It was very cool.