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MOMENTS IN TIME

MOMENTS IN TIME

The History Channel

• On July 11, 1656, Ann Austin and Mary Fisher, two Englishwomen, become the first Quakers to immigrate to Boston. Austin and Fisher, whose liberal teachings enraged the Puritan colonial government, were arrested and jailed. After five years in prison, they were deported.

• On July 8, 1776, in Philadelphia, the Liberty Bell rings out from the tower of the Pennsylvania State House (now known as Independence Hall), summoning citizens to the first public reading of the Declaration of Independence. Though the document was adopted by delegates on July 4, the Liberty Bell was not rung until the Declaration of Independence returned from the printer on July 8.

• On July 9, 1877, the All England Croquet and Lawn Tennis Club begins its first lawn tennis tournament at Wimbledon. The Wimbledon Championship is the only major tennis event still played on grass.

• On July 7, 1928, the Chrysler Corporation introduces the Plymouth as its newest car. With a delivery price of $670, the Plymouth was an attractive buy, selling more than 80,000 units in its first year.

• On July 6, 1942, in Nazi-occupied Holland, 13-year-old Jewish diarist Anne Frank and her family are forced to take refuge in a secret sealed-off area of an Amsterdam warehouse, where they hide for two years. “The Diary of Anne Frank” has served as a literary testament to the 6 million Jews, including Anne herself, who were silenced in the Holocaust.

• On July 12, 1962, at the Marquee Club in London, the Rolling Stones give their first public performance. The rock band’s name came from a Muddy Waters song. Although now in their 60s, the Rolling Stones continue to tour, playing sold-out shows around the world.

• On July 10, 1992, the Alaska court of appeals overturns the conviction of Joseph Hazelwood, the former captain of the oil tanker Exxon Valdez. Hazelwood had been found guilty of negligence for his role in the massive oil spill in Prince William Sound in 1989. The Exxon Valdez, renamed Sea River Mediterranean, still transports oil, but is legally prohibited from entering Prince William Sound.