TODAY IN HISTORY - JULY 2ND

1698 – Thomas Savery patents the first steam engine.

1776 – The Continental Congress adopts a resolution severing ties with the Kingdom of Great Britain although the wording of the formal Declaration of Independence is not approved until July 4.

1822 – Thirty-five slaves are hanged in South Carolina, including Denmark Vesey, after being accused of organizing a slave rebellion.

1881 – Charles J. Guiteau shoots and fatally wounds U.S. President James Garfield, who eventually dies from an infection on September 19.

1890 – The U.S. Congress passes the Sherman Antitrust Act.

1900 – The first Zeppelin flight takes place on Lake Constance near Friedrichshafen, Germany.

1904 – René Lacoste, French tennis player and businessman, created the polo shirt (d. 1996) is born.

1908 – Thurgood Marshall, American lawyer and jurist, 32nd Solicitor General of the United States (d. 1993) is born.

1929 – Imelda Marcos, Filipino politician, 10th First Lady of the Philippines is born.

1937 – Richard Petty, American race car driver and sportscaster is born.

1937 – Amelia Earhart and navigator Fred Noonan are last heard from over the Pacific Ocean while attempting to make the first equatorial round-the-world flight.

1961 – Ernest Hemingway, American novelist, short story writer, and journalist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1899) dies.

1962 – The first Wal-Mart store opens for business in Rogers, Arkansas.

1964 – Jose Canseco, Cuban-American baseball player and mixed martial artist is born.

1964 – U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson signs the Civil Rights Act of 1964 meant to prohibit segregation in public places.

1973 – Betty Grable, American actress, singer, and dancer (b. 1916) dies.

1985 – Ashley Tisdale, American actress and singer is born.

1986 – Lindsay Lohan, American actress and singer is born.

1990 – Margot Robbie, Australian actress is born.

2001 – The AbioCor self-contained artificial heart is first implanted.

2002 – Steve Fossett becomes the first person to fly solo around the world nonstop in a balloon.

2013 – Douglas Engelbart, American computer scientist, invented the computer mouse (b. 1925) dies.