Moments in Time

Jul 12, 20120

The History Channel

• On July 28, 1868, following its ratification by the necessary three-quarters of U.S. states, the 14th Amendment, guaranteeing black Americans citizenship and all its privileges, is officially adopted into the U.S. Constitution.

• On July 24, 1911, American archeologist Hiram Bingham gets his first look at Machu Picchu, an ancient Inca settlement in Peru. Machu Picchu is believed to have been a summer retreat for Inca leaders, whose civilization was wiped out by Spanish invaders in the 16th century. The site itself stretches an impressive 5 miles.

• On July 26, 1931, a swarm of grasshoppers descends on crops throughout Iowa, Nebraska and South Dakota, devastating millions of acres. The swarm was said to be so thick that it blocked out the sun and that grasshoppers could be shoveled with a scoop. Cornstalks were eaten to the ground and fields left completely denuded.

• On July 27, 1943, Joseph Stalin, premier and dictator of the Soviet Union, issues Order No. 227, which came to be known as the “Not one step backward” order, in light of German advances into Russian territory. The order declared, “Panic makers and cowards must be liquidated on the spot. Not one step backward without orders from higher headquarters!”

• On July 29, 1967, a fire on the USS Forrestal stationed off the coast of Vietnam kills 134 service members, injures hundreds and destroys 20 planes. The deadly fire on the U.S. Navy carrier began with the accidental launch of a F-4 Phantom jet rocket, which hit a parked A-4 Skyhawk jet.

• On July 23, 1976, members of the American Legion arrive in Philadelphia to celebrate the bicentennial of U.S. independence. Soon after returning home, many began suffering from a mysterious form of pneumonia, which would become known as Legionnaires’ disease. The final tally was 221 cases, including 34 deaths.

• On July 25, 1985, Rock Hudson, Hollywood leading man, announces through a press release that he is suffering from acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS). Hudson was the first major celebrity to go public with such a diagnosis.