Today in History, 7/3

987: Hugh Capet is crowned king of France. He is the first of the Capetian dynasty that ruled France until the Revolution in 1792.1250: Louis IX of France is captured while in Egypt conducting the Seventh Crusade and has to ransom himself. How embarrassing!
1608: Quebec City is founded by Samuel de Champlain.
1754: During the French and Indian War, George Washington surrenders Fort Necessity to the French. This picture is of a modern reproduction of the fort. Frankly, I think the appellation "fort" is a little optimistic. It looks like a group of determined Cub Scouts could take it. I wouldn't use it to enclose a flock of baby ducks. 1775: George Washington takes command of the Continental Army at Cambridge, MA.
1844: The last pair of Great Auks is killed.1852: Congress establishes the United States' second mint in San Francisco, CA.
1863: The final day of the Battle of Gettysburg culminates with Pickett's Charge.1883: Franz Kafka is born.1884: Dow Jones publishes its first stock average.
1890: Idaho is admitted as the 43rd US state.
1898: The Spanish fleet is destroyed by the US at Santiago, Cuba during the Spanish-American War.
1906: George Sanders is born. He provided the voice of Shere Khan in Disney's version of The Jungle Book.

1927: Ken Russell is born. He directed Tommy, Altered States and Lair of the White Worm among others.

1930: The US Congress creates the Veteran Administration.
1935: Harrison Schmitt, astronaut, is born.1937: Tom Stoppard is born. He wrote Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead.
1940: Fontella Bass is born. She sang the 1960's hit Rescue Me.

1943: Kurtwood Smith, classic screen bad guy, is born. He played the crime boss Clarence Boddicker in Robocop - one of my all-time favorite baddies. Clip is NSFW because it's from Robocop.

1949: Jan Smithers is born. She was just lovely as the bookish Bailey Quarters on WKRP in Cincinatti.1957: Laura Branigan, singer of Gloria, is born.

1959: Stephen Pearcy, lead singer for Ratt is born.1962: Tom Cruise is born.
1962: Algeria becomes independent after 132 years of French rule.
1962: Thomas Gibson is born. He played the surf guru Kanaka in the underrated Psycho Beach Party, but most of his work has been in soaps.

1964: Yeardley Smith is born. She is best known for providing the voice of Lisa Simpson.1969: The biggest explosion in the history of rocketry takes place when a Soviet N1 rocket malfunctions and explodes on the launchpad.
1971: Jim Morrison dies in Paris at age 27.

1976: Israeli commandos rescue 105 hostages at Entebbe Airport, Uganda during Operation Yonatan

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1979: President Jimmy Carter signs the first directive to provide secret aid to the opponents of the pro-Soviet regime in Kabul, Afghanistan.
1986: President Reagan presides over the relighting of the Statue of Liberty's torch after extensive renovations.
1988: The USS Vincennes shoots down Iran Air Flight 655 over the Persian Gulf, killing all 290 people aboard.
1996: The Stone of Destiny (aka The Stone of Scone) is returned to Scotland, 700 years after King Edward I absconded with it.
Today in History elements mostly cribbed from The History Channel, Wikipedia, The New York Times, The Jewish World Review, The Writer's Almanac and anything else I can dig up.