Today in History: July 10, the Battle of Britain begins in World War II

Today in History

Today is Wednesday, July 10, the 192nd day of 2024. There are 174 days left in the year.

Today’s Highlight in History:

On July 10, 1940, during World War II, the Battle of Britain began as the German Luftwaffe launched attacks on southern England. (The Royal Air Force was ultimately victorious.)

Also on this date:

In 1509, theologian John Calvin, a key figure of the Protestant Reformation, was born in Noyon, Picardy, France.

In 1890, Wyoming was admitted as the 44th US state.

In 1925, jury selection took place in Dayton, Tennessee, in the trial of John T. Scopes, charged with violating the law by teaching Darwin’s Theory of Evolution. (Scopes was convicted and fined, but the verdict was overturned on a technicality.)

In 1929, American paper currency was reduced in size as the government began issuing bills that were approximately 25 percent smaller.

In 1951, armistice talks aimed at ending the Korean War began at Kaesong.

In 1962, the first active communications satellite, Telstar 1, was launched by NASA.

In 1985, the Greenpeace protest ship Rainbow Warrior was sunk with explosives in Auckland, New Zealand, by French intelligence agents; one activist was killed.

In 1991, Boris N. Yeltsin took the oath of office as the first elected president of the Russian republic.

In 1991, President George H.W. Bush lifted economic sanctions against South Africa.

In 2002, the House approved, 310-113, a measure to allow airline pilots to carry guns in the cockpit to defend their planes against terrorists (President George W. Bush later signed the measure into law).

In 2015, South Carolina pulled the Confederate flag from its place of honor at the Statehouse after more than 50 years.

Today’s Birthdays: Singer Mavis Staples is 85. Actor Robert Pine is 83. International Tennis Hall of Famer Virginia Wade is 79. Folk singer Arlo Guthrie is 77. Baseball Hall of Famer Andre Dawson is 70. Rock singer Neil Tennant (Pet Shop Boys) is 70. Banjo player Bela Fleck is 66. Actor Fiona Shaw is 66. Singer/actor Jacky Cheung is 63. Actor Alec Mapa is 59. Country singer Gary LeVox (leh-VOH’) (Rascal Flatts) is 54. Actor Sofia Vergara is 52. Actor Adrian Grenier (grehn-YAY’) is 48. Actor Chiwetel Ejiofor (CHOO’-ih-tehl EHJ’-ee-oh-for) is 47. Actor Thomas Ian Nicholas is 44. Singer/actor Jessica Simpson is 44. Actor Emily Skeggs is 34. Pop singer Perrie Edwards (Little Mix) is 31. Actor Isabela Merced is 23.