July 7
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1928: The commercial introduction of sliced bread
On this day in 1928, bread loaves that had been presliced—with the first commercial bread slicer—were sold for the very first time. Advertised as “The Greatest Forward Step in the Baking Industry Since Bread Was Wrapped” and “a fine loaf sold a better way,” the loaves were produced by Chillicothe Baking Company in Chillicothe, Missouri and cut using a slicing machine designed by jeweler Otto Rohwedder.
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Prints and Photographs Division/Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. (LC-USF34-034954-D); Photo Illustration Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
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Hawaiian Islands annexed by the United States
The U.S. Congress annexed Hawaii through a joint resolution signed by President William McKinley on this day in 1898, paving the way for the islands to become a territory (1900) and later a U.S. state (1959). [Sort fact from fiction in our quiz about Hawaii.]
Featured Biography
Featured Biography
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Born this day in 1887, French artist Marc Chagall created images based on emotional and poetic associations, and his early works, which predated Surrealism, were among the first expressions of psychic reality in modern art.
Famous Birthdays
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2019
Led by Megan Rapinoe, the U.S. women’s football (soccer) team defeated the Netherlands to win its fourth World Cup. [What’s the history behind the World Cup?]
Warner Brothers
2011
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2, the final film adaptation of J.K. Rowling’s popular children’s book series, had its world premiere in London. [Test your knowledge of classic children’s books.]
Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
2005
The London transit system was struck by coordinated suicide bomb attacks that killed 39 people and injured more than 700.
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1978
Czech-born tennis player Martina Navratilova defeated Chris Evert to win her first of nine Wimbledon singles titles. [Take our Wimbledon quiz.]
Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
1978
The Solomon Islands became an independent nation.
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1946
Mother Frances Xavier Cabrini became the first U.S. citizen to be canonized by the Roman Catholic Church. [Find out how a person becomes a saint.]
Image: Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
1937
Chinese and Japanese troops clashed near the Marco Polo Bridge outside Beijing, launching the Second Sino-Japanese War. [Take our quiz about the history of war.]
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1906
Satchel Paige, a professional baseball pitcher who earned legendary fame during his many years in the Negro leagues, is believed to have been born this day in Mobile, Alabama. [Take our baseball quiz.]
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1770
A Russian fleet destroyed an Ottoman fleet in the Battle of Çeşme on the Aegean Sea. [Take our military history buff quiz.]
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1438
King Charles VII of France issued the Pragmatic Sanction of Bourges, restricting the rights of the pope and in many cases making the pope’s jurisdiction subject to the will of the king.
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1307
King Edward I of England died on his way to subdue the new Scottish king, Robert the Bruce. [Sort fact from fiction in our quiz about English royalty.]