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Old clock in sand with the words: It Happend in July

View Historical Events by Day: What Happened on July 19 in History?

Explore the historical events that shaped our world on July 19th. From major milestones to cultural achievements, see what happened on this day in history. Dates for earlier events may be approximate.

711 CE, July 19

The Umayyad conquest of Hispania begins as Muslim forces under Tariq ibn Ziyad land at Gibraltar. the Islamic Arabs and Moors of Berber descent in northern Africa crossed the Strait of Gibraltar onto the Iberian Peninsula, and in a series of raids they conquered Visigothic Christian Hispania.

939 CE, July 19

The Battle of Simancas, (also called Alhandega or al-Khandaq) begins between the Kingdom of León and the Caliphate of Córdoba. The battle lasted some days, with the allied Christian troops emerging victorious and routing the Cordovan forces; resulting in a victory for León and the decline of the Caliphate's power in the region. ibn Muhammad al-Tawil, wali of Huesca, withheld his troops from the battle. He was hunted down near Calatayud by Salama ibn Ahmad ibn Salama, taken to Córdoba, and crucified in front of its Al-Qasr.

1881 CE, July 19

Sitting Bull and his people return to the United States from Canada to surrender after facing difficult conditions in Canada, Sitting Bull, along with his remaining followers, surrendered to U.S. Army officials at Fort Buford, North Dakota. This marked the end of their exile following the Great Sioux War of 1876-1877.  After surrendering, Sitting Bull and his people were relocated to the Standing Rock Agency in the Dakota Territory where he initially resisted adapting to reservation life, but eventually, he joined Buffalo Bill's Wild West show for a time. More

1900 CE, July 19

Italian King Umberto I, is assassinated in Monza by Italian-American anarchist Gaetano Bresci. He was succeeded by his son, Victor Emmanuel III. During his time as king since 1878 Italy expanded his control o Eritrea and Somalia. However, he was unable to defeat the Abyssinians. In 1882, King Umberto I approved the Triple Alliance, which formed a military pact between Italy, Germany, and Austria-Hungary. He faced opposition from anarchists and other groups due to his conservative policies and his support for the military's actions including the Bava Beccaris massacre in Milan. More

1943 CE, July 19

Approximately 700 United States planes of the USAAF flew over Rome and dropped 9,000 bombs on the city. This raid was intended to only damage the freight yard and the steel factory in the San Lorenzo district of Rome, but it also struck apartments and the Papal Basilica, killing 1500 people. More