Happy Independence Day, July 4th

1636 - City of Providence, Rhode Island forms.

1776 - American Independence Day: The US Declaration of Independence by the 2nd Continental Congress is signed in Philadelphia, declaring the US free from British rule.

1802 - United States Military Academy opens in West Point, NY.

1826 - Former US Presidents John Adams and Thomas Jefferson die, fifty years to the day after the adoption of the US Declaration of Independence.

1845 - Near Concord, Massachusetts, Henry David Thoreau embarks on a 2 year experiment in simple living at Walden Pond.

1855 - First Edition of Walt Whitman's book of poems, Leaves of Grass is published in Brooklyn, NY.

1863 - War of Northern Aggression: Confederate forces in Vicksburg, MS surrender to Gen. Grant after 47 day seige. On the day in Helena, Arkansas, a Confederate force is repulsed at the Battle of Helena and Gen. Robert E. Lee leads his beaten Army of Northern Virginia out of Gettysburg after suffering defeat to Gen. Meade. The War of Northern Aggression was over that day, the 4th of July.

1865 - Alice's Adventures in Wonderland is published.

1934 - Joe Louis wins his first professional boxing match.

1939 - Lou Gehrig, recently diagnosed with Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, tells a crowd at Yankee Stadium that the considered himself "The luckiest man on the face of the earth" as he announces his retirement from major league baseball.

1966- President Lyndon B. Johnson signs the Freedom of Information Act into law. The Act goes into effect the next year.

1970 - Popular syndicated radio show, "American Top 40" debuts with host, Casey Kasem.

1976 - The United States celebrates its bicentennial.

1987 - In France, former Gestapo chief Klaus Barbie (aka "the Butcher of Lyon") is convicted of crimes against humanity and is sentenced to life imprisonment.

1997 - NASA's Pathfinder space probe lands on the surface of Mars.