This day in history

[July 14, 2010]  (AP)  Today is Wednesday, July 14, the 195th day of 2010. There are 170 days left in the year.

Today's highlight in history:

On July 14, 1960, British researcher Jane Goodall arrived at the Gombe Stream Reserve in the Tanganyika Territory (in present-day Tanzania) to begin her famous study of chimpanzees in the wild.

On this date:

In 1789, during the French Revolution, citizens of Paris stormed the Bastille prison and released the seven prisoners inside.

In 1798, Congress passed the Sedition Act, making it a federal crime to publish false, scandalous or malicious writing about the United States government.

In 1853, Commodore Matthew Perry relayed to Japanese officials a letter from President Millard Fillmore, requesting trade relations. (Fillmore's term of office had already expired by the time the letter was delivered.)

In 1881, outlaw William H. Bonney Jr., alias "Billy the Kid," was shot and killed by Sheriff Pat Garrett in Fort Sumner, N.M.

In 1913, Gerald Rudolph Ford Jr., the 38th president of the United States, was born Leslie Lynch King Jr. in Omaha, Neb.

In 1921, Italian-born anarchists Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti were convicted in Dedham, Mass., of murdering a shoe company paymaster and his guard. (Sacco and Vanzetti were executed six years later.)

In 1933, all German political parties, except the Nazi Party, were outlawed.

In 1958, the army of Iraq overthrew the monarchy.

In 1960, Sen. Lyndon B. Johnson of Texas was nominated for vice president at the Democratic national convention in Los Angeles.

In 1966, eight student nurses were murdered by Richard Speck in a Chicago dormitory.

Ten years ago: A powerful solar flare disrupted some satellite and shortwave radio communications. The 13th International AIDS Conference came to a close in Durban, South Africa. Actress Meredith MacRae of TV's "Petticoat Junction" died in Manhattan Beach, Calif. at 56.

Five years ago: Chief U.S. Justice William H. Rehnquist, ending a two-day stay in the hospital, pledged to continue working as long as his health permitted. (Rehnquist died in Sept. 2005.)

One year ago: At her Senate confirmation hearing, Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor pushed back vigorously against Republican charges that she would bring bias and a liberal agenda to the nation's highest bench. Disgraced financier Bernard Madoff arrived at the Butner Federal Correctional Complex in North Carolina to begin serving a 150-year sentence. The American League continued its dominance over the National League with a 4-3 win in the All-Star game at new Busch Stadium in St. Louis.

Today's birthdays: Playwright Arthur Laurents is 93. Actor Dale Robertson is 87. Actor Harry Dean Stanton is 84. Actress Nancy Olson is 82. Actress Polly Bergen is 80. Former football player Rosey Grier is 78. Actor Vincent Pastore is 64. Former music company executive Tommy Mottola (muh-TOH'-luh) is 61. Rock musician Chris Cross (Ultravox) is 58. Actor Jerry Houser is 58. Actor-director Eric Laneuville is 58. Actor Stan Shaw is 58. Movie producer Scott Rudin is 52. Singer-guitarist Kyle Gass is 50. Country musician Ray Herndon (McBride and the Ride) is 50. Actress Jane Lynch is 50. Actor Jackie Earle Haley is 49. Actor Matthew Fox is 44. Rock musician Ellen Reid (Crash Test Dummies) is 44. Rock singer-musician Tanya Donelly is 44. Actress Missy Gold is 40. Olympic gold medal snowboarder Ross Rebagliati is 39. Rhythm-and-blues singer Tameka Cottle (Xscape) is 35. Country singer Jamey Johnson is 35. Hip-hop musician taboo (Black Eyed Peas) is 35. Actor Scott Porter is 31.

Thought for today: "A man must be both stupid and uncharitable who believes there is no virtue or truth but on his own side." -- Joseph Addison, English essayist and poet (1672-1719)

[Associated Press]

Copyright 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.