History Today

Hello and welcome to This Day in History. Here’s what happened on July 8th. “Let freedom ring”--on this day in 1776, those words were more than just a song lyric. That’s when the Liberty Bell famously tolled to summon Philadelphia citizens for the first reading of the Declaration of Independence.

Hello and welcome to This Day in History. Here’s what happened on July 7th. White, whole wheat, sourdough or rye: whether you eat it or avoid it, bread has been around since ancient times. But loaves were only available to buy in whole form until this day in 1928, when a Missouri bakery became the very first to sell factory-sliced bread.

Hello and welcome to This Day in History. Here’s what happened on July 6th. Recent studies show that American women still make only about 80 cents for every dollar earned by their male counterparts. But the fight for equality took a step forward on this day in 1976, when women were admitted into the U.S. Naval Academy for the first time in history. The U.S.

On this day in history: the bikini.

Hello, and welcome to This Day in History. Here’s what happened on July 4th. It’s the fourth of July, and that means Americans across the country will be celebrating with barbecues, fireworks and a day off--all in the name of independence. It was 243 years ago today that the Continental Congress approved the Declaration of Independence. Surprising fact? In 1781, Massachusetts became the first state to make July 4th a holiday. It didn't become a national holiday until 1941.

On this day in history: Back to the Future.

Hello and welcome to This Day in History. Here’s what happened on July 2nd. She remains one of the most admired women in American history, and we’ve never stopped wondering what happened to her--on this day in 1937, the plane carrying aviator Amelia Earhart and her co-pilot disappeared near Howland Island in the Pacific Ocean. Earhart had been attempting to become the first woman to fly around the world. No trace of Earhart or her plane has ever been found. Surprising fact? The U.S.

Hello and welcome to This Day in History. Here’s what happened on July 1st. It’s time to wish a happy independence day to our neighbors to the north--today is Canada Day, which marks the day in 1867 when Great Britain recognized its former colony as an autonomous nation. The move came some 85 years after the United States won its independence from the British.

Hello and welcome to This Day in History. Here’s what happened on June 30th. As students across the country started procrastinating on their summer reading lists, we look back to this day in 1936, when Margaret Mitchell’s Gone with the Wind hit bookstores. The beloved novel went on to sell millions of copies as well as take home both a Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award, before becoming an Academy Award-winning film.

"Hello and welcome to This Day in History brought to you by AARP. Take on today and every day with AARP. Here’s what happened on June 29th. Say happy birthday to the most popular phone in America: The iPhone was born on this day in 2007. The first-generation iPhone debuted the now-ubiquitous touchscreen at a time when other smartphones were still relying on tiny keyboards. At less than 5 inches by 3 inches, the phone was tiny by today’s standards and could run only native Apple apps.