What Happened Today in History on July 10

The Council of Ten is established in Venice with temporary emergency powers to suppress the rebellion led by Bajamonte Tiepolo and restore order. After the revolt was crushed, the council's authority was continuously renewed, and in 1335 it was made a permanent body. The council remained a powerful, secretive and influential governing body until the fall of the Republic of Venice in 1797. More

The Greenwich Observatory is completed by Sir Christopher Wren. The observatory, now named after the first Astronomer Royal, John Flamsteed, was completed and established on the site of a former castle on July  10, 1676

Wyoming is admitted into the Union becoming the 44th State. More

The "Scopes Monkey trial", formally The State of Tennessee v. John Thomas Scopes, starts. The trial publicized the Fundamentalist–Modernist controversy, which set Modernists, who said evolution was not inconsistent with religion, against Fundamentalists. The trial was deliberately staged in order to attract publicity to the small town of Dayton, Tennessee, where it was held. On July 21 Scopes was found guilty and was fined $100 (equivalent to $1,700 in 2023), but the verdict was overturned on a technicality. More

The Battle of Britain begins as Nazi Germany launches air attacks on southern England. More

American and British forces invade Sicily by air and sea.

Telstar 1, a 171 pounds (78 kg) communications satellite is launched. One of the earliest communications satellites, it was the first to achieve live transmission of broadcast television images and telephone conversations  between the United States and Europe.  Telstar 1 remained active for only 7 months before it prematurely failed due to Starfish Prime, a high-altitude nuclear test conducted by the United States. The satellite remains in Earth orbit but is no longer operational. More 

The U.S. Patent Office issued Patent No. 3,043,625 to “Nils Ivar Bohlin, Goteborg, (Volvo) for the three-point seatbelt. Volvo was so convinced of its safety potential safety that it made the patent available for other manufacturers, and motorists, to benefit from.

The Bahamas, officially the Commonwealth of the Bahamas gains its independence by the United Kingdom Government, Order in Council. This date is now celebrated as the country's Independence Day.  Expand +

French secret service agents planted two bombs and sank the Greenpeace Flagship The Rainbow Warrior. One crew member was killed. More