July 3 Milestones
July 3 in History: Union Victory at Gettysburg, Jim Morrison's Death, and Other Milestones
July 3 marks the anniversary of one of the most decisive moments in American history. On this day in 1863, the three-day Civil War Battle of Gettysburg ended in a Union victory after Confederate troops failed to break through Northern lines in Pennsylvania, according to Journal-News.
The date also carries memories of Jim Morrison's death in 1971, a landmark solar flight in 2015, and the relighting of the Statue of Liberty in 1986. July 3 has been a turning point again and again across 160 years of history.
Pickett's Charge Seals Union Victory at Gettysburg
The Battle of Gettysburg ran from July 1 to July 3, 1863. On the final day, Confederate General Robert E. Lee ordered a massive assault on the Union center. The charge, led by General George Pickett, failed with staggering losses. Confederate forces retreated, ending the South's last major invasion of the North, according to WDRB.
The battle is widely seen as the turning point of the Civil War. Union forces held their ground at Cemetery Ridge, beating back roughly 12,500 Confederate troops. The defeat weakened the Confederate Army in ways it never fully recovered from, according to WFMZ.
Jim Morrison Dies at 27 in Paris Bathtub
On July 3, 1971, Jim Morrison — lead singer of The Doors — was found dead in a bathtub in Paris. He was 27 years old. No autopsy was performed, and his death was ruled heart failure. Morrison joined a grim list of rock icons who died at 27, including Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin, according to News-Gazette.
The Doors had risen to fame in the late 1960s with hits like "Light My Fire." Morrison had moved to Paris months before his death, stepping back from music. His grave at Père Lachaise Cemetery became one of the most visited in the world, according to Union-Bulletin.
Reagan Relights Lady Liberty, Dan White Convicted
On July 3, 1986, President Ronald Reagan presided over a gala ceremony to mark the reopening of the Statue of Liberty. The landmark had been closed for two years for repairs. Reagan lit the torch in a celebration that drew massive crowds to New York Harbor, according to Erie News Now.
Seven years earlier, on July 3, 1979, former San Francisco city official Dan White was convicted of voluntary manslaughter. He had fatally shot Mayor George Moscone and Supervisor Harvey Milk. The verdict — not murder — sparked the so-called White Night Riots across San Francisco, according to WANDTV.
Solar Plane Lands in Hawaii After Record 118-Hour Flight
On July 3, 2015, pilot Andre Borschberg touched down in Hawaii aboard Solar Impulse 2. He had flown roughly 4,000 miles from Japan on solar power alone. The trip took nearly 118 hours — just under five days — in the air without stopping, according to Journal-News.
The flight set a record for the longest nonstop solo flight ever made. It also set the record for the longest flight powered entirely by the sun. Solar Impulse 2 carried no fuel. It ran entirely on energy collected by solar panels on its wings, according to CT Post.
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