What Happened on July 2?

July 2 is World UFO Day — a sky-watching celebration — on the same date Congress voted for independence in 1776, Amelia Earhart vanished in 1937, the Civil Rights Act became law in 1964, and the first Walmart opened in 1962.

• 1776 — Continental Congress votes that the colonies are independent

  On July 2, 1776, delegates in Philadelphia approved Richard Henry Lee's resolution declaring the thirteen colonies free from Britain. Read the full story →

• 1881 — President James Garfield is shot at a Washington train station

  On July 2, 1881, Charles Guiteau shot President James A. Garfield in Washington's Baltimore and Potomac Railroad Station. Read the full story →

• 1937 — Amelia Earhart vanishes over the Pacific Ocean

  On July 2, 1937, aviator Amelia Earhart and navigator Fred Noonan lost radio contact near Howland Island during a round-the-world flight. Read the full story →

• 1943 — Howard Hughes sets a cross-country flight record in the Lockheed Constellation

  On July 2, 1943, Howard Hughes flew a Lockheed Constellation from Burbank to Washington in under seven hours — proving long-range airliners could cross America fast. Read the full story →

• 1962 — Sam Walton opens the first Walmart store in Rogers, Arkansas

  On July 2, 1962, retailer Sam Walton opened Walton's Discount City in Rogers — the store that grew into the Walmart chain. Read the full story →

Famous birthdays

Thurgood Marshall (1908–1993) · Hermann Hesse (1877–1962) · Larry David (1947) · Margot Robbie (1990)

Days & observances

World UFO Day · National Anisette Day · World Sports Journalists Day · Made in the USA Day