THURSDAY, JULY 23, 2009

Today is Thursday, July 23, the 204th day of 2009. There are 161 days left in the year.

636 ― Arabs gain control of most of Palestine from the Byzantine Empire

1798 ― Napoleon captures Alexandria, Egypt

1829 ― William Austin Burt patents ``typographer" (typewriter)

1880 ― First commercial hydroelectric power planet begins, Grand Rapids, Mich.

1904 ― Ice cream cone created by Charles E. Menches during La Purchase Expo

1965 ― Beatles ``Help" is released in the U.K.

1967 ― 43 killed in racial rebellion in Detroit (2,000 injured, 442 fires)

1968 ― PLO's first hijacking of an El Al plane

1974 ― Greek military dictatorship collapses

1984 ― Vanessa Williams, first black Miss America, resigns due to posing nude