Today is Wednesday, July 3, the 184th day of 2019. There are 181 days left in the year.
Today’s highlight: On July 3, 1976, Israel launched its daring mission to rescue 106 passengers and Air France crew members being held at Entebbe Airport in Uganda by pro-Palestinian hijackers; the commandos succeeded in rescuing all but four of the hostages.
On this date:
In 1775, Gen. George Washington took command of the Continental Army at Cambridge, Massachusetts.
In 1890, Idaho became the 43rd state of the Union.
In 1944, during World War II, Soviet forces recaptured Minsk from the Germans.
In 1950, the first carrier strikes of the Korean War took place as the USS Valley Forge and the HMS Triumph sent fighter planes against North Korean targets.
In 1988, the USS Vincennes shot down an Iran Air jetliner over the Persian Gulf, killing all 290 people aboard.
In 1996, Russians went to the polls to re-elect Boris Yeltsin president over his Communist challenger, Gennady Zyuganov in a runoff.
Today’s birthdays: Playwright Tom Stoppard is 82. Writer-producer Jay Tarses is 80. Actor Kurtwood Smith is 76. Country singer Johnny Lee is 73. Humorist Dave Barry is 72. Actress Betty Buckley is 72. Actress Jan Smithers is 70. Actor Bruce Altman is 64. Talk show host Montel Williams is 63. Country singer Aaron Tippin is 61. Actor Tom Cruise is 57. Actor Thomas Gibson is 57. Actress Hunter Tylo is 57. Actress Connie Nielsen is 55.
Thought for today: “I suppose it can be truthfully said that Hope is the only universal liar who never loses his reputation for veracity.” — Robert G. Ingersoll, American lawyer, politician (1833-1899).
— Associated Press
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