Thursday 13 #915

What happened on July 10 throughout the ages? Here are just a few interesting items.

1. 1553 – Lady Jane Grey is proclaimed Queen of England. At just 15, she was thrust into power by political schemers. Her reign lasted only nine days before Mary Tudor claimed the throne.

2. 1850 – Millard Fillmore becomes the 13th U.S. President. He took office after President Zachary Taylor died suddenly on July 9, likely from acute gastroenteritis after consuming cherries and iced milk during a sweltering Fourth of July celebration. Though conspiracy theories later swirled, modern tests ruled out poisoning.

3. 1832 – Andrew Jackson vetoes the re-charter of the Second Bank of the U.S. His fiery veto message accused the bank of favoring elites and foreign investors, igniting the populist “Bank War.”

4. 1962 – Telstar 1 is launched into orbit. This AT&T satellite enabled the first live transatlantic television broadcast, ushering in the era of global communications.

5. 1962 – Nils Bohlin receives a U.S. patent for the three-point seatbelt. Volvo’s safety engineer revolutionized car safety, and the company made the design freely available to save lives worldwide.

6. 1040 – Lady Godiva’s legendary ride through Coventry. According to lore, she rode naked to protest her husband’s harsh taxes. The tale inspired centuries of art, activism, and even chocolate branding.

7. 1965 – The Rolling Stones hit No. 1 in the U.S. with “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction.” The song’s fuzzed-out riff and rebellious lyrics became an anthem of the 1960s counterculture.

8. 1889 – “Buckskin” Frank Leslie murders his lover in Tombstone, Arizona. A notorious gunslinger with a flair for drama, Leslie shot Mollie Edwards in a jealous rage and was later pardoned after serving just six years.

9. 1893 – Dr. Daniel Hale Williams performs one of the first successful open-heart surgeries. At Chicago’s Provident Hospital, he sutured the pericardium of a stabbing victim—an extraordinary feat by one of the few Black surgeons of the era.

10. 1875 – Mary McLeod Bethune is born. The daughter of former slaves, she became a pioneering educator, civil rights leader, and advisor to U.S. presidents.

11. 1871 – Marcel Proust is born. The French novelist’s In Search of Lost Time is a towering work of introspection, memory, and madeleines.

12. 1509 – John Calvin is born. A central figure in the Protestant Reformation, Calvin’s theology shaped generations of religious thought and governance.

13. 2019 – Volkswagen ends production of the Beetle. After more than 80 years and over 23 million cars, the last Beetle rolled off the line in Mexico, serenaded by a mariachi band.

Sources:
National Archives, Smithsonian Magazine, Britannica, NASA, and other reliable sources.

*An AI tool helped me research this list. *

_________________

Thursday Thirteen is played by lots of people; there is a list here if you want to read other Thursday Thirteens and/or play along. I've been playing for a while, and this is my 915th time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday. Or so sayth the Blogger counter, anyway.