5 July 1862

A Saturday in history

Weekday

Saturday

Season

Summer (N. Hemisphere)

Century

19th century

Records

392

  1. 2012

    The Shard (pictured) in London was inaugurated as the tallest building in Europe, with a height of 310 m (1,020 ft), but was surpassed by Moscow's Mercury City Tower four months later.

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  2. 2009

    A series of violent riots broke out in Ürümqi, the capital city of Xinjiang in China.

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  3. 2009

    The Staffordshire Hoard, the largest collection of Anglo-Saxon gold ever discovered, consisting of more than 1,500 items (examples pictured), was found near Hammerwich in Staffordshire.

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  4. 2006

    The United Nations Security Council held an emergency meeting hours after North Korea reportedly tested at least seven ballistic missiles.

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  5. 2004

    Indonesia held its first direct presidential elections, which resulted in the election of Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono as President of Indonesia after the second round on September 20.

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  6. 1990

    An explosion at a petrochemical plant in Channelview, Texas, United States, killed 17 people and injured 5 others.

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  7. 1989

    United States National Security Council member Oliver North was given a suspended sentence, probation, and community service for his part in the Iran–Contra affair.

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  8. 1973

    Juvénal Habyarimana (pictured) orchestrated a bloodless coup d'état of the Rwandan government and began a totalitarian dictatorship.

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  9. 1969

    Two days after the death of their founder Brian Jones, the Rolling Stones performed at a free festival in Hyde Park, London, in front of more than a quarter of a million fans.

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  10. 1954

    Elvis Presley recorded his first single, "That's All Right", at Sun Records in Memphis, Tennessee.

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  11. 1950

    Korean War: In the first encounter between North Korean and American forces, an unprepared and undisciplined U.S. Army task force was routed at the Battle of Osan.

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  12. 1946

    Named after Bikini Atoll, the site of the nuclear-weapons test Operation Crossroads in the Marshall Islands, the modern bikini was introduced at a fashion show in Paris.

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  13. 1944

    Second World War: Canadian troops defeated the last German counterattacks against Carpiquet, Normandy, France.

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  14. 1937

    The Hormel Foods Corporation introduced Spam, the canned precooked meat product that would eventually enter into pop culture, folklore, and urban legend.

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  15. 1922

    Brazilian Army rebels took over Fort Copacabana and launched a rebellion in Rio de Janeiro against President Epitácio Pessoa and President-elect Artur Bernardes.

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  16. 1841

    Thomas Cook, the founder of the British travel company Thomas Cook & Son, organised his first excursion, escorting about 500 people from Leicester to Loughborough.

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  17. 1830

    Algiers surrendered to French invaders, ending the Regency of Algiers (coat of arms pictured).

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Photo archive

24 historic images from this day — tap to open the gallery.

What was life like?

Prices, jobs, food, music and everyday routine — the world as it felt to live in.

Sources & fact check

Every claim is traced to primary sources, archives, universities and the press — with an explicit confidence rating. Dossiers are generated once and cached permanently.