On This Day — 22 July

2019

Chandrayaan-2, the second lunar exploration mission developed by Indian Space Research Organisation after Chandrayaan-1 is launched from Satish Dhawan Space Centre in a GSLV Mark III M1. It consists of a lunar orbiter, and also included the Vikram lander, and the Pragyan lunar rover.

Chandrayaan-2

2013

Dingxi earthquakes: A series of earthquakes in Dingxi, China, kills at least 89 people and injures more than 500 others.

2013 Dingxi earthquakes

2012

Syrian civil war: The People's Protection Units (YPG) captured the cities of Serê Kaniyê and Dirbêsiyê, during clashes with pro-government forces in Al-Hasakah.

Syrian civil war

2011

Norway attacks: A bomb explodes, targeted at government buildings in central Oslo, followed by a massacre at a youth camp on the island of Utøya.

2011 Norway attacks

2005

Jean Charles de Menezes is killed by police as the hunt begins for the London Bombers responsible for the 7 July 2005 London bombings and the 21 July 2005 London bombings.

Killing of Jean Charles de Menezes

2003

Iraq War: Members of 101st Airborne of the United States, aided by Special Forces, attack a compound in Iraq, killing Saddam Hussein's sons Uday and Qusay, along with Mustapha Hussein, Qusay's 14-year-old son, and a bodyguard.

Iraq War

1997

The second Blue Water Bridge opens between Port Huron, Michigan and Sarnia, Ontario.

Blue Water Bridge

1993

Great Flood of 1993: Levees near Kaskaskia, Illinois rupture, forcing the entire town to evacuate by barges operated by the Army Corps of Engineers.

Great Flood of 1993

1992

Near Medellín, Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar escapes from his luxury prison fearing extradition to the United States.

Medellín

1990

Greg LeMond, an American road racing cyclist, wins his third Tour de France after leading the majority of the race. It was LeMond's second consecutive Tour de France victory.

Greg LeMond

1983

Martial law in Poland is officially revoked.

Martial law in Poland

1981

The first game of the 1981 South Africa rugby union tour of New Zealand and the United States is held in Gisborne, New Zealand.

1981 South Africa rugby union tour of New Zealand and the United States

1977

Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping is restored to power.

Deng Xiaoping

1976

Japan completes its last reparation to the Philippines for war crimes committed during imperial Japan's conquest of the country in the Second World War.

Philippines

1973

Pan Am Flight 816 crashes after takeoff from Faa'a International Airport in Papeete, French Polynesia, killing 78.

Pan Am Flight 816

1963

Crown Colony of Sarawak gains self-governance.

Crown Colony of Sarawak

1962

Mariner program: Mariner 1 spacecraft flies erratically several minutes after launch and has to be destroyed.

Mariner program

1951

Soviet space dogs: Dezik and Tsygan were launched into a sub-orbital spaceflight from Kapustin Yar and became the first dogs to fly in space and the first to safely return.

Soviet space dogs

1946

King David Hotel bombing: A Zionist underground organisation, the Irgun, bombs the King David Hotel in Jerusalem, site of the civil administration and military headquarters for Mandatory Palestine, resulting in 91 deaths.

King David Hotel bombing

1944

The Polish Committee of National Liberation publishes its manifesto, starting the period of Communist rule in Poland.

Polish Committee of National Liberation

1943

World War II: Allied forces capture Palermo during the Allied invasion of Sicily.

World War II

1943

World War II: Axis occupation forces violently disperse a massive protest in Athens, killing 22.

Axis powers

1942

The United States government begins compulsory civilian gasoline rationing due to the wartime demands.

Gasoline

1942

Grossaktion Warsaw: The systematic deportation of Jews from the Warsaw ghetto begins.

Grossaktion Warsaw

1937

New Deal: The United States Senate votes down President Franklin D. Roosevelt's proposal to add more justices to the Supreme Court of the United States.

New Deal

1936

Spanish Civil War: The Popular Executive Committee of Valencia takes power in the Valencian Community.

Spanish Civil War

1933

Aviator Wiley Post returns to Floyd Bennett Field in New York City, completing the first solo flight around the world in seven days, 18 hours and 49 minutes.

Wiley Post

1921

Rif War: The Spanish Army suffers its worst military defeat in modern times to the Berbers of the Rif region of Spanish Morocco.

Rif War

1916

Preparedness Day Bombing: In San Francisco, a bomb explodes on Market Street during a parade, killing ten and injuring 40.

Preparedness Day bombing

1894

The first ever motor race is held in France between the cities of Paris and Rouen. The fastest finisher was the Comte Jules-Albert de Dion, but the "official" victory was awarded to Albert Lemaître driving his three-horsepower petrol engined Peugeot.

Paris–Rouen (motor race)

1893

Katharine Lee Bates writes "America the Beautiful" after admiring the view from the top of Pikes Peak near Colorado Springs, Colorado.

Katharine Lee Bates

1864

American Civil War: In the Battle of Atlanta, Confederate General John Bell Hood leads an unsuccessful attack on Union troops under General William T. Sherman on Bald Hill outside Atlanta.

American Civil War

1833

The Slavery Abolition Act passes in the British House of Commons, initiating the gradual abolition of slavery in most parts of the British Empire.

Slavery Abolition Act 1833

1812

Napoleonic Wars: Peninsular War: Battle of Salamanca: British forces led by Arthur Wellesley (later the Duke of Wellington) defeat French troops near Salamanca, Spain.

Peninsular War

1805

Napoleonic Wars: War of the Third Coalition: Battle of Cape Finisterre: An inconclusive naval action is fought between a combined French and Spanish fleet under Admiral Pierre-Charles Villeneuve of France and a British fleet under Admiral Robert Calder.

Napoleonic Wars

1802

Emperor Gia Long conquers Hanoi and unified Viet Nam, which had experienced centuries of feudal warfare.

Gia Long

1797

Battle of Santa Cruz de Tenerife: Battle between Spanish and British naval forces during the French Revolutionary Wars. During the Battle, Rear-Admiral Nelson is wounded in the arm and the arm had to be partially amputated.

Battle of Santa Cruz de Tenerife (1797)

1796

Surveyors of the Connecticut Land Company name an area in Ohio "Cleveland" after Gen. Moses Cleaveland, the superintendent of the surveying party.

Connecticut Land Company

1793

Alexander Mackenzie reaches the Pacific Ocean becoming the first recorded human to complete a transcontinental crossing of North America.

Alexander Mackenzie (explorer)

1706

The Acts of Union 1707 are agreed upon by commissioners from the Kingdom of England and the Kingdom of Scotland, which, when passed by each country's Parliament, leads to the creation of the Kingdom of Great Britain.

Acts of Union 1707

1686

Albany, New York is formally chartered as a municipality by Governor Thomas Dongan.

Albany, New York

1598

William Shakespeare's play, The Merchant of Venice, is entered on the Stationers' Register. By decree of Queen Elizabeth, the Stationers' Register licensed printed works, giving the Crown tight control over all published material.

William Shakespeare

1594

The Dutch city of Groningen defended by the Spanish and besieged by a Dutch and English army under Maurice of Orange, capitulates.

Groningen

1587

Roanoke Colony: A second group of English settlers arrives on Roanoke Island off North Carolina to re-establish the deserted colony.

Roanoke Colony

1499

Battle of Dornach: The Swiss decisively defeat the army of Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor.

Battle of Dornach

1484

Battle of Lochmaben Fair: A 500-man raiding party led by Alexander Stewart, Duke of Albany and James Douglas, 9th Earl of Douglas are defeated by Scots forces loyal to Albany's brother James III of Scotland; Douglas is captured.

Battle of Lochmaben Fair

1456

Ottoman wars in Europe: Siege of Belgrade: John Hunyadi, Regent of the Kingdom of Hungary, defeats Mehmet II of the Ottoman Empire.

Ottoman wars in Europe

1443

Battle of St. Jakob an der Sihl in the Old Zürich War.

Battle of St. Jakob an der Sihl

1342

St. Mary Magdalene's flood is the worst such event on record for central Europe.

St. Mary Magdalene's flood

1298

Wars of Scottish Independence: Battle of Falkirk: King Edward I of England and his longbowmen defeat William Wallace and his Scottish schiltrons outside the town of Falkirk.

Wars of Scottish Independence

1227

A coalition of north-east German towns, counts and princes defeats king Valdemar II of Denmark in the battle of Bornhöved.

Valdemar II of Denmark

1209

Massacre at Béziers: The first major military action of the Albigensian Crusade.

Massacre at Béziers

1099

First Crusade: Godfrey of Bouillon is elected the first Defender of the Holy Sepulchre of The Kingdom of Jerusalem.

First Crusade

838

Battle of Anzen: The Byzantine emperor Theophilos suffers a heavy defeat by the Abbasids.

Battle of Anzen