On This Day - What happened 4 July

The full Virginia Regiment joined Washington at Fort Necessity the following month with news that he had been promoted to command of the regiment and to colonel upon the death of the regimental commander. The regiment was reinforced by an independent company of 100 South Carolinians led by Captain James Mackay, whose royal commission outranked that of Washington, and a conflict of command ensued. On July 3, a French force attacked with 900 men, and the ensuing battle (Battle of Fort Necessity) ended in Washington's surrender. In the aftermath, Colonel James Innes took command of intercolonial forces, the Virginia Regiment was divided, and Washington was offered a captaincy which he refused, with resignation of his commission.

At the time of the Declaration of Independence in July 1776, the Continental Congress would not legally adopt flags with "stars, white in a blue field" for another year. The flag contemporaneously known as "the Continental Colors" has historically been referred to as the first national flag.

The French then focused on the Austrians for the remainder of the war, the highlight of which became the protracted struggle for Mantua. The Austrians launched a series of offensives against the French to break the siege, but Napoleon defeated every relief effort, scoring victories at the battles of Castiglione, Bassano, Arcole, and Rivoli.

Washington grew restless in retirement, prompted by tensions with France, and he wrote to Secretary of War James McHenry offering to organize President Adams' army. In a continuation of the French Revolutionary Wars, French privateers began seizing American ships in 1798, and relations deteriorated with France and led to the "Quasi-War". Without consulting Washington, Adams nominated him for a lieutenant general commission on July 4, 1798 and the position of commander-in-chief of the armies.

The flag was changed to have 21 stars, with a new star to be added for Illinois.

The flag was changed to have 23 stars. (for Alabama and Maine)

The flag was changed to have 24 stars. (for Missouri)

In 1799, the State of New York began to legislate the abolition of slavery, although the process of emancipating those people enslaved in New York was not complete until July 4, 1827. Dumont had promised to grant Truth her freedom a year before the state emancipation, "if she would do well and be faithful." However, he changed his mind, claiming a hand injury had made her less productive. She was infuriated but continued working, spinning 100 pounds of wool, to satisfy her sense of obligation to him.

The flag was changed to have 27 stars. (for Florida)

The flag was changed to have 28 stars. (for Texas)

The flag was changed to have 29 stars. (for Iowa)

The flag was changed to have 30 stars. (for Wisconsin)

The flag was changed to have 31 stars. (for California)

The flag was changed to have 32 stars. (for Minnesota)

The flag was changed to have 33 stars. (for Oregon)

The flag was changed to have 34 stars. (for Kansas)

The flag was changed to have 35 stars. (for West Virginia)

On July 4, 1864, ladies decorated soldiers' graves according to local historians in Boalsburg, Pennsylvania. Boalsburg promotes itself as the birthplace of Memorial Day. However, no reference to this event existed until the printing of the History of the 148th Pennsylvania Volunteers in 1904.

The flag was changed to have 36 stars. (for Nevada)

The flag was changed to have 37 stars. (for Nebraska)

The flag was changed to have 38 stars. (for Colorado)

Laboulaye died in 1883. He was succeeded as chairman of the French committee by Ferdinand de Lesseps, builder of the Suez Canal. The completed statue was formally presented to Ambassador Morton at a ceremony in Paris on July 4, 1884, and de Lesseps announced that the French government had agreed to pay for its transport to New York.

The flag was changed to have 43 stars. (for North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana, Washington, Idaho)

The flag was changed to have 44 stars. (for Wyoming)

The flag was changed to have 45 stars. (for Utah)

The flag was changed to have 46 stars. (for Oklahoma)

The flag was changed to have 48 stars. (for New Mexico, Arizona)

By 4 July, the Hungarian Army had retreated 15 km south of the Hungarian–Czechoslovak demarcation line.

Bormann served as personal secretary to Hess from 4 July 1933 until May 1941.

on 4 July 1934, she died at the Sancellemoz sanatorium in Passy, Haute-Savoie, from aplastic anemia believed to have been contracted from her long-term exposure to radiation.

The flag was changed to have 25 stars. (for Arkansas)

The flag was changed to have 26 stars. (for Michigan)

Upon his arrival at RAF Northolt on 4 June 1944 he received an official welcome, and a letter reading "My dear general! Welcome to these shores, very great military events are about to take place!.

On 4 July the Soviet Deputy Foreign Minister accused the US of starting armed intervention on behalf of South Korea.

The first U.S. postage stamp to feature the flag as the sole subject was issued July 4, 1957, Scott catalog number 1094.

On 4 July 1958, while Wojtyła was on a kayaking holiday in the lakes region of northern Poland, Pope Pius XII appointed him as the Auxiliary Bishop of Kraków. He was then summoned to Warsaw to meet the Primate of Poland, Bishop of Sophene and Vågå. At the age of 38, Wojtyła became the youngest bishop in Poland.

The flag was changed to have 49 stars. (for Alaska)

The flag was changed to have 50 stars. (for Hawaii)

Peres and Rabin were responsible for approving what became known as the Entebbe rescue operation, which took place on 4 July 1976.

A powerful new lighting system was installed in advance of the American Bicentennial in 1976. The statue was the focal point for Operation Sail, a regatta of tall ships from all over the world that entered New York Harbor on July 4, 1976, and sailed around Liberty Island. The day concluded with a spectacular display of fireworks near the statue.

Erdoğan married Emine Gülbaran (born 1955, Siirt) on 4 July 1978.

After the 1982 World Cup, in June, Maradona was transferred to Barcelona in Spain for a then world record fee of £5 million ($7.6 million).

With a ceasefire now in force, the two sides disengaged. Slovenian forces took control of all of the country's border crossings, and YPA units were allowed to withdraw peacefully to barracks and to cross the border to Croatia.

The Liberation Day for Rwanda would come to be marked as 4 July and is commemorated as a public holiday.

On 4 July 2006, Branson sold his Virgin Mobile company to UK cable TV, broadband, and telephone company NTL:Telewest for £900million.

On July 4, 2007, the 50-star flag became the version of the flag in longest use, surpassing the 48-star flag that was used from 1912 to 1959.

After extra time, Chile won 4–1 on penalties

When the King and Queen turned 80 years in 2017, the King decided to open the former royal stables to the public as a gift to his wife, the Queen. The new venue was named The Queen Sonja Art Stable and is the first institution owned by the royal family which is permanently open to the public.

On 6 July, the oxygen level in the cave was detected to have dropped, raising fears that the boys might develop hypoxia if they remained for a prolonged time.

The Elder, Dutch-Swiss vice-admiral was born in the Netherlands.

French writer Paul Scarron was born in Paris.

The Sultan of Turkey, Murad III, was born in Manisa, the Ottoman Empire.