July 2 in Pop Culture History

1698 – Thomas Savery patented the first steam engine.

1776 – The Continental Congress declared its freedom from Great Britain on July 2, 1776, when it voted to approve a resolution submitted by delegate Richard Henry Lee of Virginia, declaring “That these United Colonies are, and of right ought to be, free and independent States, that they are absolved from all allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain is, and ought to be, totally dissolved.” However, the final wording of the formal Declaration of Independence was not approved until July 4.

1839 – 53 African slaves took over the slave ship Amistad.

1890 – The US Congress passes the Sherman Anti-Trust Act.

1897 – Guglielmo Marconi obtained his patent for radio in London.

1900 – The first Zeppelin flight took place on Lake Constance near Friedrichshafen, Germany.

1937 – Amelia Earhart and navigator Fred Noonan were last heard from over the Pacific Ocean while attempting to make the first equatorial round-the-world flight.

1937 – The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier has been guarded every minute since midnight July 2, 1937.

1939 – The First World Science Fiction Convention (Worldcon) was held in the Caravan Hall in New York from July 2 to July 4, 1939.

1962 – The first Wal-Mart store opened in Rogers, Arkansas.

1964 – US President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the (Republican written) Civil Rights Act of 1964 meant to prohibit segregation in public places.

#1 Hit July 2, 1977 – July 8, 1977: Bill Conti – Gonna Fly Now (Theme From Rocky)

1982 – *Greatest Week in Movie History* – The week of July 2nd, 1982!
E.T. – The Extra Terrestrial, Rocky 3, Blade Runner, Poltergeist, John Carpenter’s The Thing, Star Trek 2 and Conan The Barbarian were playing simultaneously at the cinema.

1982 – The Secret of NIMH was released in theaters.

#1 Hit July 2, 1988 – July 8, 1988: Michael Jackson – Dirty Diana

1993 – The Firm, Son-in-Law and Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (re-issue) debuted in theaters.

1997 – Men in Black was released in theaters.

1999 – Summer of Sam was released in theaters.

2002 – Steve Fossett became the first person to fly solo around the world (Australia to Australia ) nonstop in a balloon in just under two weeks.

2003 – Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines, Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas and Legally Blonde 2: Red, White and Blonde were released in theaters.

#1 Hit July 2, 2005 – September 16, 2005: Carrie Underwood – Inside Your Heaven

2005 – The Live 8 benefit concerts – more than 1,000 musicians performed and were broadcast on 182 television networks and 2,000 radio networks.

2008 – Hancock was released in theaters.

2014 – Tammy, Deliver Us From Evil and Earth to Echo debuted in theaters.

#1 Hit July 2, 2022 – July 8, 2022: Jimmy Cooks – Drake featuring 21 Savage