On 4^th July 1776,

The Declaration of Independence was adopted by the Second Continental Congress and it called for the American colonies to secede from Great Britain, a proclamation now commemorated by a U.S. national holiday

On 4^th July 1855,

American author Walt Whitman first published Leaves of Grass, a landmark in the history of American literature

On 4^th July 1865,

Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland was published, though the first print run was soon recalled because of quality issues; a new first edition was released in November.

On 4^th July 1902,

Vivekananda, Hindu leader died at Kolkata, India

On 4^th July 1924,  

Eva Marie Saint, American actress was born

On 4^th July 1939,

On an appreciation day in his honour, American baseball player Lou Gehrig, who had been forced to retire months earlier due to ALS, gave a memorable speech in which he claimed to be “the luckiest man on the face of the earth.”

On 4^th July 1946,

The Republic of the Philippines was proclaimed an independent country, with Manuel Roxas as its first president.