SATURDAY, JULY 4, 2015

Today is Saturday, July 4, the 185th day of 2015. There are 180 days left in the year.

1054 ― Brightest known super-nova (Crab Nebula) starts shining (23 days)

1776 ― Declaration of Independence; U.S. gains independence from Britain

1819 ― William Herschel makes last telescopic observation of 1819 comet

1827 ― Slavery abolished in N.Y.

1845 ― Thoreau moves into his shack on Walden Pond

1865 ― First edition of "Alice in Wonderland" is published

1884 ― Statue of Liberty presented to U.S. in Paris

1946 ― Philippines gains independence from U.S.

1960 ― America's new 50-star flag honoring Hawaiian statehood unfurled

1967 ― Freedom of Information Act goes into effect

1982 ― Jimmy Connors beats John McEnroe for his last Wimbledon championship

1987 ― Nazi Klaus Barbie, "Butcher of Lyon," convicted by a French court