On This Day:

1054, China: Astronomers observed the supernova that created the Crab Nebula, visible even in daylight and recorded by various cultures.

1776, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: The United States declared independence from Great Britain with the adoption of the Declaration of Independence, primarily authored by Thomas Jefferson.

1862, Washington, D.C.: The U.S. Congress passed the Pacific Railway Act, signed by President Abraham Lincoln, supporting the construction of the First Transcontinental Railroad.

1863, Vicksburg, Mississippi: The Siege of Vicksburg ended with a Union victory during the Civil War.

1865, United Kingdom: "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" by Lewis Carroll was published, becoming an instant success.

1903, Kitty Hawk, North Carolina: The Wright brothers conducted successful test flights of the Wright Flyer, marking the beginning of controlled, sustained flight.

1939, New York City, New York: Lou Gehrig delivered his famous farewell speech at Yankee Stadium after being diagnosed with ALS.

1954, Venice, Italy: Severe flooding caused extensive damage to historic buildings and infrastructure.

2010, Global: Bitcoin reached parity with the US dollar, marking a significant moment in cryptocurrency history.

2023, London, England: Researchers developed a new AI system capable of diagnosing diseases with unprecedented accuracy using deep learning algorithms.