1789: The French revolution begins with the storming of the Bastille prison
1798: In the US, the Sedition Act becomes law making it a federal crime to criticize the US government. Although never tested in court, it is assumed to be unconstitutional.
1867: Alfred Nobel demonstrates his new invention, dynamite, for the first time
1958: Iraq becomes a republic after the assassination of King Faisal
1958: Iraqi monarchy overthrown by Arab nationalists
July 14th birthdays
1602: Jules Mazarin, French statesman
1796: Thomas Bulfinch, American mythologist
1862: Gustav Klimt, Austrian painter
1904: Isaac Bashevis Singer, Polish Yiddish author
1910: William Hanna, American cartoonist
1912: Woody Guthrie, American folk musician
1913: Gerald Ford, Former (38th) American President
