What Happened on July 19?

July 19 is National Raspberry Cake Day — a sweet midsummer treat — on the same date the Seneca Falls Convention opened in 1848, the Rosetta Stone was found in 1799, and Apollo 11 entered lunar orbit in 1969.

• 1553 — Mary I is crowned Queen of England

  On July 19, 1553, Mary Tudor was proclaimed queen — England's first woman to reign in her own right after a brief fight over succession. Read the full story →

• 1799 — French soldiers discover the Rosetta Stone in Egypt

  Near the town of Rosetta on July 19, 1799, Napoleon's troops unearthed a slab that unlocked the mystery of ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs. Read the full story →

• 1848 — The Seneca Falls Convention opens for women's rights

  On July 19, 1848, about 300 people gathered in upstate New York for the first major U.S. meeting devoted to women's equality. Read the full story →

• 1870 — France declares war on Prussia

  On July 19, 1870, Napoleon III's France declared war on Prussia — a conflict that would reshape Europe and birth the German Empire. Read the full story →

• 1943 — Allied bombers strike Rome during World War II

  On July 19, 1943, U.S. planes bombed Rome's railway yards — the first major Allied raid on the Eternal City — while Italy still fought alongside Germany. Read the full story →

Famous birthdays

Edgar Degas (1834–1917) · Brian May (1947) · Benedict Cumberbatch (1976) · Lizzo (1988)

Days & observances

National Raspberry Cake Day · National Daiquiri Day · National Words With Friends Day · Stick Out Your Tongue Day