July 6 has witnessed everything from papal elections to cinematic milestones and military campaigns.
Louis Pasteur administered his experimental rabies vaccine to Joseph Meister, a boy bitten by a rabid dog. The treatment succeeded, proving the effectiveness of vaccination and saving the boy's life.
The Frank family entered their secret annex in Amsterdam to escape Nazi persecution. Anne's diary, written during two years of hiding, became one of the most widely read accounts of the Holocaust.
At a church fete in Liverpool, 16-year-old John Lennon met 15-year-old Paul McCartney, who impressed him with his guitar skills. This meeting led to the formation of the Beatles, the most influential band in pop music history.
King Henry II died at Chinon Castle in France after learning his sons had joined a rebellion against him. His Plantagenet dynasty would rule England for centuries, and his reign established key legal precedents.
A fire at the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus in Hartford, Connecticut killed 167 people and injured over 700. It remains one of the worst fire disasters in American history.
The Republican Party held its first state convention in Jackson, Michigan, formally organizing as a political party. Founded primarily to oppose the expansion of slavery, it would elect Abraham Lincoln six years later.
An Asiana Airlines Boeing 777 crashed while landing at San Francisco International Airport, killing three passengers and injuring 187. The crash was attributed to pilot error during a visual approach.