What Happened in July?

Iran Air Flight 655, a regularly scheduled international passenger flight from Tehran to Dubai via Bandar Abbas was shot down on July 3, 1988 by two surface-to-air missiles fired by USS Vincennes, a United States Navy warship, shortly after the flight departed its stopover location. All 290 people on board, including 66 children, were killed. Expand +

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is signed into law by President George H.W. Bush. A landmark civil rights legislation which prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities in various areas, including employment, public accommodations, transportation, and telecommunications. The ADA ensures that people with disabilities have the same rights and opportunities as everyone else. it covers five main areas: employment, state and local government services, public accommodations (like restaurants and stores), telecommunications, and transportation. More

Trinidad coup attempt - More than 100 members of the Islamist radical group, Jamaat-al-Muslimeen, stormed Trinidad and Tobago parliament and a TV station holding all inside hostage, including the prime minister ANR Robinson for several days as violence and looting erupted in the capital. A state of emergency was imposed but when the rebellion was over much of Port of Spain had been burned and destroyed. Twenty-four people died, including an MP, Leo Des Vignes - and many more were injured. More

Rwandan Patriotic Front troops capture the Rwandan capital of Kigali on July 4, 1994, ending the Rwandan Genocide against the Tutsi. July 4 is now Kwibohora, also known as Rwanda Liberation Day.

Germany's Constitutional Court ends the ban on sending German troops outside the country on July 12, 1994, which had been in effect since the end of World War II. Two days later, on July 14, German Eurocorps military units marched in Paris Bastille Day celebrations, marking 50 years of reconciliation. The ruling also allowed German troops to join in United Nations and NATO peace-keeping missions.

Alan Hale and Thomas Bopp separately discover the Comet Hale–Bopp. The comet becomes visible to the naked eye a year later and stays visible for a record 18 months, due to its massive nucleus size. This is twice as long as the Great Comet of 1811, the previous record holder. Accordingly, Hale–Bopp was dubbed the great comet of 1997. Sadly, 39 people who were part of the "Heaven's Gate" cult in San Diego committed mass suicide as the comet came close to Earth. More

Dolly, the most famous sheep of all time is born at the Roslin Institute in Scotland, from DNA taken from an adult sheep’s mammary gland. She was the first mammal to be cloned from an adult cell, rather than an embryo. Expand +

TWA Flight 800 departed Kennedy International Airport in New York bound for Paris but exploded in mid-air 12 minutes after takeoff. All 212 passengers and 17 crew members on board were killed. Although it could not be determined with certainty, the likely ignition source was a short circuit. Problems with the aircraft's wiring were found, including evidence of arcing in the fuel quantity indication system (FQIS) wiring that enters the tank. More

Terrorist attack at the Atlanta Olympics - A pipe bomb explodes in the Olympic Centennial Park in Atlanta, Georgia. One person was killed and 111 injured. The attack was the first of four bombings committed by Eric Rudolph during his domestic terrorist campaign against the U.S. government which he accused of championing "the ideals of global socialism" and "abortion on demand". Rudolf went on to commit three more bombings in 1997 and 1998. For five years. He was listed as one of the FBI Ten Most Wanted Fugitives for five years until he was caught in 2003. In 2005 he agreed to plead guilty to avoid a potential death sentence. Rudolph was sentenced to life imprisonment without parole for his crimes. More 

In Hong Kong, the flag of the British Crown Colony was officially lowered at midnight June 30 and the People's Republic of China and the Hong Kong SAR Flag are raised representing China's sovereignty and the official transfer of power after 156 years of British colonial rule. More

Amazon.com is founded by Jeff Bezos,  operating from his garage in Bellevue, Washington. Initially an online marketplace for books it has expanded into a multitude of product categories, leading to being referred to as "the everything Store". Amazon is now one of the world's most valuable brands with several subsidiaries including Amazon Web Services (AWS),  Kuiper Systems (satellite Internet), Ring, MGM Holdings and Whole Foods Markets. 

The International Criminal Court (ICC) is established by the Rome Statute Treaty to prosecute individuals for genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, and crimes of aggression. It entered into force on July 1, 2002, after 60 countries ratified the treaty, officially establishing the Court as a functional body headquartered in The Hague, Netherlands. Expand +

John F. Kennedy Jr. dies in a plane crash. He was piloting a Piper Saratoga when it crashed into the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Martha's Vineyard. His wife, Carolyn Bessette Kennedy, and her sister, Lauren Bessette, were also on board and perished in the accident. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) determined the probable cause was the pilot's failure to maintain control of the aircraft during a descent over water, citing spatial disorientation, as a contributing factor during haze and dark conditions. JFK Jr. was certified to fly under visual flight rules (VFR) and was not instrument rated.

Air France Flight 4590, a Concorde passenger jet on an international charter flight from Paris to New York, crashes shortly after takeoff,. All 109 people on board and four on the ground were killed. It was the only fatal Concorde accident during its 27-year operational history. More

The International Criminal Court (ICC), the first permanent international court enters into force on July 1, 2002 to prosecute individuals for genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, and aggression. It was created by the Rome Statute, adopted on July 17, 1998.

The International Criminal Court (ICC) enters into force after 60 countries ratified the treaty, officially establishing the Court as a functional body headquartered in The Hague, Netherlands. It empowered to prosecute individuals for genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, and crimes of aggression. Expand +

Terrorist suicide attacks take place in London as three bombs detonate close to underground stations and one bomb goes off on a bus, resulting in the death of 52 people and more than 700 injured. More

The seventh and final book by by J.K. Rowling in the Harry Potter series, "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows," is officially released on July 21, 2007.

The United Nations declares a famine in parts of southern Somalia, the first time the term had been used in almost 20 years.

NASA's orbiter Atlantis is launched on its 33rd and final mission, also the last space shuttle mission. Atlantis maiden flight was made from October 3 to 7, 1985. Atlantis landed for the final time at the Kennedy Space Center on July 21, 2011. By the end of its final mission, Atlantis had orbited the Earth a total of 4,848 times, traveling nearly 126,000,000 mi (203,000,000 km), which is more than 525 times the distance from the Earth to the Moon. More