Jul 2

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July 2, 1644 — The Battle of Marston Moor

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The Battle of Marston Moor, which is located near York in northern England, was a decisive engagement in the English Civil War. The Royalist side was soundly defeated by a combined force of Scots Covenanters and Parliamentarians. It was a serious blow to the Royalist side, which more or less abandoned the northern part of the country thereafter.

Oliver Cromwell, at the time little-known, distinguished himself in this battle. He commanded the Ironsides Cavalry, and his leadership and the discipline of his troops were both acknowledged as key factors in the victory. From here, Cromwell’s star would only rise.

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July 2, 1925 — Patrice Lumumba born

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A Congolese freedom fighter, Patrice Lumumba was one of the leaders of the independence movement that overthrew Belgian colonial rule in 1960, a struggle in which he faced physical and legal dangers constantly, and was arrested repeatedly by colonial authorities. The struggle was eventually successful, however, and shortly after victory was achieved, Lumumba became the first legally elected leader of a free and independent Congo republic.

His time as head of state was cut short by a Belgian-sponsored counter-coup, which saw Lumumba and other members of his government imprisoned and later executed a mere twelve weeks into their rule.

Patrice Lumumba, 1960.jpg
By unknown photographer / Anefo – <a rel=”nofollow” class=”external free” href=”http://proxy.handle.net/10648/a9c3a120-d0b4-102d-bcf8-003048976d84″>http://proxy.handle.net/10648/a9c3a120-d0b4-102d-bcf8-003048976d84</a> Nationaal Archief, CC0, Link

As mentioned in:

Born fe Rebel — Steel Pulse

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July 2, 1937 — Amelia Earhart makes her last radio transmission

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At 8:43am local time, the last radio transmission definitely from Amelia Earhart and Fred Noonan was received at Howland Island, Earhart’s intended destination that day.

Problematic conditions had led to the pair relying on radio navigation, but their radio contacts were sporadic and patchy. Although later transmissions were received, they were too weak to get a fix on or properly interpret. The two were never heard from again, and their plane’s wreckage has never been located. There are a number of theories regarding their disappearance, but the lack of crash evidence tends to support the idea that they crashed at sea and sank.