On This Day: July 4

18 verified moments happened on July 4. Here they are in the order they actually happened — the same kind of puzzle you solve in Whensly every day.

1. 1776🗽 The Second Continental Congress in Philadelphia adopts the Declaration of Independence, breaking from British rule.History · Source: National Archives, 'Declaration of Independence (1776)' (Jul 4 1776)
2. 1776🔔 The Continental Congress formally adopts the Declaration of Independence, announcing the thirteen colonies' break from Great Britain.USA 250 · Source: National Archives, adoption of the Declaration of Independence (Jul 4 1776)
3. 1826🕯️ Former presidents John Adams and Thomas Jefferson, once rivals and later reconciled friends, both die hours apart on the fiftieth anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.USA 250 · Source: HISTORY.com / Library of Congress, Jefferson and Adams die (Jul 4 1826)
4. 1863🏳️ A besieged Confederate army surrenders the vital Mississippi River stronghold of Vicksburg to Ulysses S. Grant.USA 250 · Source: National Park Service, Vicksburg surrender (Jul 4 1863)
5. 1881🎓 Booker T. Washington opens a school for Black students in a one-room church in Alabama that becomes Tuskegee Institute.USA 250 · Source: Library of Congress, Tuskegee Institute founded (Jul 4 1881)
6. 1910Jack Johnson stops Jim Jeffries in Reno, defending his world heavyweight crown in the Fight of the Century.Sports · Source: Wikipedia, 'Jack Johnson vs. James J. Jeffries' (Jul 4 1910)
7. 1939Lou Gehrig delivers his "Luckiest Man" farewell speech at Yankee Stadium, retiring after being diagnosed with ALSSports · Source: Wikipedia, "Lou Gehrig's farewell speech"; Baseball Hall of Fame (Jul 4, 1939)
8. 1939Lou Gehrig delivers his 'luckiest man on the face of the earth' farewell speech at Yankee StadiumSports · Source: SABR, 'July 4, 1939: Lou Gehrig says farewell'; Baseball Hall of Fame 'Luckiest Man'
9. 1954🏆 West Germany rallies from two goals down to shock mighty Hungary 3-2 in the Miracle of Bern final.Soccer · Source: Wikipedia, '1954 FIFA World Cup final' (Jul 4 1954)
10. 1984Richard Petty wins his 200th career race at Daytona with President Reagan watchingStock Car Racing · Source: Wikipedia, “1984 Firecracker 400”; FOX Sports
11. 1985Unheralded Greg Sacks holds off Bill Elliott to win Daytona's summer Firecracker 400 in an unsponsored research-and-development Chevrolet — his only career Cup victory.Stock Car Racing · Source: The Washington Post race report + Jayski 'Scene Vault' retrospective
12. 1990😢 Paul Gascoigne weeps in Turin as England falls to West Germany on penalties in an agonizing World Cup semifinal.Soccer · Source: Sky Sports, 'Italia 90: Gascoigne's tears in Turin' (Jul 4 1990)
13. 1997🔴 Mars Pathfinder bounces to a landing on Mars inside airbags and deploys the Sojourner rover — the first operational Mars rover.History · Source: NASA, 'Mars Pathfinder' (Jul 4 1997)
14. 1997🤖 NASA's Mars Pathfinder lands and deploys Sojourner, the first wheeled rover to roam another planet.Technology · Source: NASA; Wikipedia, 'Mars Pathfinder' (Jul 4 1997)
15. 1998🎯 Dennis Bergkamp tames Frank de Boer's long pass with one touch and beats Argentina in the dying minutes for the Netherlands.Soccer · Source: FIFA, 'Wonder goals: Bergkamp v Argentina' (Jul 4 1998)
16. 2004🇬🇷 Angelos Charisteas heads 150-1 outsiders Greece past host Portugal to a stunning European Championship title in Lisbon.Soccer · Source: Wikipedia, 'UEFA Euro 2004 final' (Jul 4 2004)
17. 2012⚛️ Physicists at CERN announce the discovery of the Higgs boson, the particle that gives mass to matter.History · Source: CERN, 'Announcing the Higgs boson discovery' (Jul 4 2012)
18. 2015🇨🇱 Alexis Sanchez chips a Panenka penalty past Argentina as host Chile wins its first Copa America in Santiago.Soccer · Source: CONMEBOL; ESPN (Jul 4 2015)