On this day: July 4

July 4: Independence Day in the United States (1776); Republic Day in the Philippines (1946); Liberation Day in Rwanda (1994)

Declaration of Independence by John Trumbull • 414 – Byzantine emperor Theodosius II proclaimed his elder sister Aelia Pulcheria as Augusta.

• 1776 – In Philadelphia, the Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence (signing pictured), announcing that the thirteen American colonies were no longer a part of the British Empire.

• 1954 – In what is known as "The Miracle of Bern", West Germany defeated Hungary 3–2 to win the FIFA World Cup.

• 1988 – Kylie Minogue's first album, Kylie, was released, and went on to top the charts in the UK and New Zealand.

• 2024 – Keir Starmer led the Labour Party to a landslide victory in the United Kingdom general election, ending fourteen years of Conservative rule.

• Thomas Jefferson (d. 1826) • Roland Ratzenberger (b. 1960) • Yvette Amice (d. 1993) • Rikako Ikee (b. 2000)

More anniversaries: • July 3

• July 4

• July 5

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