July 5 ...

In 1810 P.T. Barnum was born in Bethel, CT. In 1811 Venezuela became the first South American country to declare independence from Spain. In 1830 the French occupied the North African city of Algiers. In 1865 William Booth founded the Salvation Army in London. In 1902 American statesman Henry Cabot Lodge, Jr. was born in Nahant, MA. In 1935 President Roosevelt signed the National Labor Relations Act, which provided for a National Labor Relations Board, and authorized labor to organize for the purpose of collective bargaining. In 1940 Britain and the Vichy government in France broke diplomatic relations. In 1941 German troops reached the Dnieper River in the Soviet Union. In 1943 the battle of Kursk began as German tanks attack the Soviet salient, beginning what was the largest tank battle in history. In 1946 the bikini made its debut during an outdoor fashion show at the Molitor Pool in Paris. In 1947 Larry Doby signed a contract with the Cleveland Indians, becoming the first black player in the American League. In 1954 Elvis Presley's first commercial recording session took place at Sun Records in Memphis, TN; the song he recorded was That's All Right (Mama). In 1991 a worldwide financial scandal erupted as regulators in eight countries shut down the Bank of Credit and Commerce International (BCCI).