What Happened On July 23rd?

Historical Discoveries

1904: The first ice cream cone was invented by Charles E. Menches during the Louisiana Purchase Exposition in St. Louis, Missouri. Legend has it that Menches ran out of cups to serve his ice cream at the fair and saw a nearby waffle vendor. He quickly rolled up some of the waffles into cones and started serving his ice cream in them. The idea caught on, and soon other vendors began to imitate Menches’ invention.

Scientific Breakthroughs

1829: American inventor William Burt was granted a patent for his invention of a “typographer” machine, which was a forerunner of the typewriter. Burt’s machine was the first to have a full keyboard with separate keys for letters and symbols that would later go on to help generate typed transcripts.

1903: The Ford Motor Company its very first car, a Model A, to a Chicago-based physician named Ernst Pfenning. The car was a simple two-seater with a tonneau (rear passenger compartment) that was open to the air. Though a far cry from the high-performance vehicles we see today, it was a revolutionary product at the time.

1956: USAF test pilot Pete Everest set a new world speed record, becoming the fastest man in the world. He achieved a top speed of 1,957.3 miles per hour in the Bell X-2 rocket plane, breaking the previous record set by USAF pilot Col. Horace A. Hanes.

Political Milestones

1914: Austria-Hungary issued an ultimatum to Serbia in the wake of the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria by a Serbian nationalist. The ultimatum was designed to be unacceptable to Serbia and was widely seen as a pretext for war.

1945: Marshal Henri Philippe Pétain, the former leader of the Vichy government in France, went on trial for treason. Pétain had collaborated with Nazi Germany during World War II. He was charged with a number of crimes, including treason, intelligence with the enemy, and war crimes.

Cultural Milestones

2000: Lance Armstrong lost his title in the 87th Tour de France by a mere margin of 1 minute and 1 second. Toward the final moments, his main rival, Jan Ullrich put up a strong fight and took the lead in the race till the end.

Notable Birthdays

1. Woody Harrelson (1961) – An American actor and environmental activist, is best known for his roles in popular movies such as “Natural Born Killers“, “White Men Can’t Jump”, and “The Hunger Games” series.
2. Alison Krauss (1971) – An American bluegrass-country singer and musician, Krauss is known for her angelic voice and has won multiple Grammy Awards throughout her career. Some of her most popular songs include “When You Say Nothing at All”, “Whiskey Lullaby,” and “Down to the River to Pray.
3. Marlon Wayans (1972) – An American actor, comedian, writer, and producer, Wayan is best known for his comedic roles in films such as “Scary Movie”, “White Chicks”, and “Little Man.
4. Nomar Garciaparra (1973) – A former professional baseball player, Garciaparra played as a shortstop for various teams during his career, including the Boston Red Sox, Chicago Cubs, and Los Angeles Dodgers. He was also known for his excellent fielding abilities, having won two Gold Glove awards.
5. Michelle Williams (1980) – An American actress and singer. Williams started her career as a child actress, appearing in television shows such as “Baywatch” and “Dawson’s Creek”.
6. Paul Wesley (1982) – An American actor, director, and producer. Wesley is best known for his role as Stefan Salvatore in the popular television series “The Vampire Diaries. He continues to work in the entertainment industry and is regarded as one of the most talented actors of his generation.
7. Daniel Radcliffe (1989) – A British actor known for playing Harry Potter in the film series. Due to global success, Radcliffe is now a household name to many. He has also appeared in other works such as “Catch Me If You Can 2. He has also been involved in various charitable causes, including the Trevor Project, which provides crisis intervention and suicide prevention services to LGBTQ+ youth.

Final Word

Now that we know where our ice cream cones and the typewriter come from, it is safe to say that July 23rd is an intriguing one. Although we may better know it as the 204th day of the year, or Yada, Yada, Yada Day, July 23rd is truly a remarkable day to look back and be in awe of how far we have come.