On This Day, July 14: NASA's New Horizons gets closest look yet at Pluto
July 14 (UPI) -- On this date in history:
In 1789, French peasants stormed the Bastille prison in Paris, beginning the French Revolution. The event is commemorated as "Bastille Day," a national holiday in France.
In 1793, Jean Paul Marat, one of the most outspoken leaders of the French Revolution, was stabbed to death in his bath by Charlotte Corday, a Royalist sympathizer. The murder was immortalized in a painting by Jacques-Louis David.
In 1881, outlaw Billy the Kid was shot to death at a ranch in New Mexico.
In 1914, Robert Goddard, father of the space age, was granted the first patent for a liquid-fueled rocket design. His first rocket soared for about 2 seconds, flew as fast as 60 mph and landed 174 feet from the lift-off pad.
File Photo courtesy of NASA
In 1933, all political parties except the Nazis were officially suppressed in Germany.
In 1966, eight student nurses were found killed in Chicago. Drifter Richard Speck, later convicted of the slayings, died in prison in 1991.
In 1968, future Baseball Hall of Fame slugger Hank Aaron became the eighth person to hit 500 home runs for the Atlanta Braves in a win over the San Francisco Giants.
In 2007, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced that his country would suspend its participation in the Conventional Forces in Europe treaty, a Cold War agreement that limited deployment of heavy weaponry.
File Photo by Anatoli Zhdanov/UPI
In 2009, within months after repaying bailout money supplied by the U.S. government, New York banking giant Goldman Sachs reported a profit of $3.44 billion for the first quarter of the year. JP Morgan Chase, Bank of America and Citigroup also reported big profits.
In 2014, the Church of England's governing body voted to allow women to become bishops for first time in the church's history.
In 2015, the New Horizons space probe came within 7,800 miles of Pluto, providing NASA scientists with the clearest photographs and most detailed measurements they've ever seen of the dwarf planet.
In 2016, 86 people celebrating Bastille Day in Nice, France, were killed when a truck drove into a crowd. The Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack.
In 2019, Novak Djokovic defeated Roger Federer to win his fifth Wimbledon title in a marathon five-set match that lasted nearly 5 hours.
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UPI
9 minutes ago
- UPI
L.A.'s Union Station hosting 2-day train trip through time
The Union Pacific 4014 Big Boy Steam Locomotive pulls into Kirkwood, Mo., on August 2021. It is similar to the Santa Fe 3751 steam locomotive that will be on display at this year's train festival in Los Angeles. File Photo by Bill Greenblatt/UPI | License Photo July 23 (UPI) -- Los Angeles' Union Station will give visitors a closer look at Southern California's railroad history during Train Festival 2025: LA's Spirit in Motion in September. The free two-day event is scheduled Sept. 20 and 21 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. PDT and will feature railroad equipment tours, displays, model train exhibits and interactive information booths. Visitors also can enjoy live entertainment and giveaways during the family-friendly event that is sponsored by Metro, Amtrak and Metrolink and celebrates Los Angeles' "vibrant rail history and its revolving role in the city's future." "Transportation is ... about the people, places and stories that compel us to move," Metro Chief Executive Officer Stephanie Wiggins said. "We're proud to make those connections possible," Wiggins added, "and there's no better place to see that in action than Los Angeles Union Station." She called the event a "celebration of the journeys we embark on, the history that grounds us and the communities we build through shared travel." Visitors can learn about nearly a century of rail history and tour and view displays of railroad equipment dating from 1927 to now. Among featured exhibits will be the San Bernardino Railroad Historical Society's Santa Fe 3751 steam locomotive, which pulled the rail station's first named passenger train more than 85 years ago. "Many kids grow up reading about steam trains in their history books but will never actually see one in person," SBRHS President Alex Gillman said. "Santa Fe 3751 offers families ... the chance to experience what a working, 874,000-pound steam locomotive looks like as they climb into the cab, meet the engineer and learn what it takes to keep this rare icon of American history operating today," Gillman added. Amtrak, Metrolink, and the Pacific Railroad Society also are scheduled to display their respective train equipment during the event. So will several of Southern California's model train clubs. Young attendees can visit the kids' zone and receive a train conductor hat that they can keep and wear while taking selfies next to Travel Town Museum's restored Railway Express Agency delivery truck. More event information is available at Union Station's Train Festival 2025 webpage.
Hamilton Spectator
9 hours ago
- Hamilton Spectator
Four generations, one legacy: McKims recognized as BMO Farm Family
The McKim family of DU Ranch have been named the 2025 BMO Farm Family for their multigenerational dedication to sustainable ranching and land stewardship in southern Alberta. With a heritage of raising Hereford cattle along the Livingstone Range since 1953, the McKims were nominated by the Municipal District of Pincher Creek for the annual award — an honour given to families in the districts south of Red Deer. The program is a partnership between the Calgary Stampede and the Bank of Montreal, recognizing southern Alberta farm families who exemplify the value of family-operated agriculture and contribute to rural life. This year, 19 families were honoured during a Stampede reception, with the McKims proudly representing the Pincher Creek area. Each winning family is featured in a commemorative booklet, and a copy will be on display at the MD administration office through the year. For the McKims, the award is more than just a plaque — it's a celebration of legacy, resilience and a shared commitment to the land across generations. 'We were very surprised. It was an extraordinary experience,' Puff McKim told Shootin' the Breeze. 'I do believe that every family deserves recognition. We've been living here since 1953. People recognized us as being worthy of being promoted. We appreciate that very much from the MD of Pincher Creek.' DU Ranch is now operated by Puff, husband Dan and daughter Kate McKim. Kate's sons, 13-year-old Liam Keil and eight-year-old Jase Keil, represent the fourth generation growing up on the ranch, continuing the family's deep-rooted connection to the land. The story begins with Puff's parents, Louis and Carey Dupret, who purchased the 2,500-acre mountain property in 1953 after moving from New Jersey to Blairmore. Louis, a French-born mining engineer, often travelled for work so Carey gradually took over the ranch operations, eventually building a reputable purebred Hereford herd. 'My mother was truly a pioneer,' said Puff. 'She worked hard at building a terrific cow herd in a business that was run mainly by men. I think my journey was easier because she'd already paved the way.' She also credited her father and husband for making the ranch the way it is now. 'The men in our lives are very important,' she said. 'My father designed all the buildings, and he helped my mother create this amazing herd of cattle. My husband, Dan, also works hand-and-foot with the rest of us.' Puff, who always had a fondness for cattle and horses, joined her mother back on the ranch in 1978 with Dan. For the last 47 years, they've raised sustainable and mountain-grown cattle. At one point in the 1980s, the McKims ran up to 200 pairs of purebred Herefords, but the herd was scaled back in the early 2000s following the BSE crisis. Today, the ranch supports 50 cow-calf pairs. But cows aren't the only thing you can find at DU. Puff and Dan's daughter, Kate, started her own business on the land in 2011. Centre Peak High Country Adventures offers riding lessons, trail rides and immersive ranch getaways. 'I was looking for ways to diversify the ranch, but at the same time being able to share with people what we do,' Kate said. 'I wanted to show the world that we are stewards of the land, and to allow people to kind of get back to their roots. I really wanted to set myself apart from other operators by offering that one-on-one experience. So I don't put different groups together.' On top of horseback riding, the ranch also offers getaways to guests. People can book stays at the Ranch Hand, a DU ranch stucco house, or Pioneer, a circa-1900 log cabin designated a municipal historic site in 2007. Kate feels deeply connected to the legacy of her grandparents, who started DU Ranch more than seven decades ago. 'My grandmother didn't know anything about cattle, and neither did my grandfather,' she said. 'But she was a tough lady, living in a man's world and trying to run a ranch. And she did quite well with it.' Kate said her mother, Puff, followed in those same footsteps alongside her father, and now she's proud to be carving her own path while remaining part of the family's ranching tradition. 'To me, it's inspiring,' she said. 'I'm forever grateful to my grandparents for starting what they started, because if it hadn't been for them, it wouldn't be possible for me to do what I'm doing.' Beyond welcoming visitors, the McKims have also worked with conservation programs like MultiSAR to protect wildlife habitat on their land. Fifteen species at risk have been identified on the ranch, and the family is committed to sustainable grazing and water stewardship. 'We maintain and take care of all the land under our stewardship. We're lucky that the valley remains fairly undisturbed,' Puff said. 'The wildlife lives without interference from people, and these critters have always been on the landscape — all these species that are supposedly at risk today. They've always thrived here, up and down the valley.' 'That's why it's so important to hang on to,' she continued, 'to maintain and keep safe everything we're fortunate enough to live next to.' Despite the changes that have come over seven decades, the family's focus on sustainability and co-operation hasn't wavered. 'We've always worked as a family unit,' Puff said. 'We all have the same idea in mind, which is to keep the ranch going and keep everything as healthy and as beautiful as it is in the valley.' Kate agrees with her mother. 'Working with family can be challenging, so having that open communication is very important,' she said. 'But being able to come together at the end of the day and be humble about who we are as humans is pretty important.' That groundedness is perhaps the ranch's greatest asset. From Louis's early vision to Carey's strength, from Puff and Dan's decades of dedication to Kate's passion for sharing ranch life — the DU Ranch remains a living story, still unfolding. 'My grandparents' story is quite inspiring, and to be able to live that legacy is pretty incredible,' Kate said. 'I'm just grateful for the opportunity to be doing what I'm doing.' Looking forward, the McKims hope their ranch 'can survive and stay in the family,' said Puff. Kate echoed that sentiment. 'I want to carry on with the cow herd we currently have, perhaps build it up to be a little bit bigger, if we can sustain it,' she said. 'Hopefully the boys [her sons] will one day want to be here and take it over.' Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
Hamilton Spectator
a day ago
- Hamilton Spectator
Last Second World War veteran from Hamilton's Rileys dies at 100
The last soldier known to have served in the Second World War fighting for the Royal Hamilton Light Infantry regiment has died. Gerald (Gerry) Wagner, who turned 100 in the spring, died July 19. He had been living in a retirement home in Lively, a small town near Sudbury. Wagner, who grew up in the Ottawa Valley and Sudbury, enlisted in 1944 at 18 to serve in the war against Hitler's Nazi Germany. At 19, overseas, Private Wagner joined the RHLI — known as the 'Rileys' — as the regiment engaged in heavy fighting to liberate the Netherlands in the final months of the war. In a 2021 article in The Sudbury Star, Wagner recalled his unit coming under fire at nighttime, hearing the 'whistling' of enemy shells overhead, waiting for the silence that preceded an explosion. Gerald Wagner enlisted to serve in the Second World War at 18. Believed to be the last surviving veteran from the Royal Hamilton Light Infantry to serve in the war, he died July 19 at 100. 'All of a sudden you'd hear that stop. Well, as soon as it stopped, you hit the ground and put your hands over your head … We had our days.' Among the medals he received was the King Charles III Coronation Medal, presented to him by a Sudbury-area MPP in April, shortly after his 100th birthday. As was the case with many Second World War veterans, Wagner rarely spoke of his combat experiences. His daughter, Kathy O'Neill, told The Spectator that only recently, while listening to him give an interview, did she learn of an incident that long haunted him. Her father was recalling the time his unit came under fire in a village from a German sniper positioned high in a bell tower. Wagner's commanding officer called for a marksman. 'And my dad said, 'so I stepped up.' He said he had to eliminate the sniper. I looked at my father — I was in shock. I had never heard that he was a marksman, or I guess people would call him a sniper. But he was trained for it.' O'Neill learned her father, a man of faith, had feared he would not make it to heaven for having killed, and that a few years ago, he met with his church minister to share his feelings. Gerald Wagner on his wedding day in June 1944, having married Ivy Hodgins. They were together 65 years, before she died in 2009. Wagner rarely talked about his wartime experiences. Wagner's obituary notes that he had long been active, volunteering at Trinity United Church in Lively. The RHLI has a long and storied history dating back 163 years, but is perhaps most known for bravery and sacrifice in the ill-fated raid on the French coastal town of Dieppe in August 1942. The raid was a precursor to the successful D-Day landings two years later. Nearly 200 Rileys were killed in the Dieppe operation. A striking memorial to their sacrifice stands in Hamilton's Beach Strip community . RHLI Honorary Colonel Glenna Swing offered a comment about Wagner's passing, saying that 'when a veteran dies, grief can be felt by an entire country. Private Wagner's service made a difference to his unit and Canada and for that he will always be remembered.' She concluded her statement with ' Semper Paratus,' the RHLI motto that means 'Always Ready.' Wagner's daughter said her father had hoped to continue living until at least August, so he could meet his soon-to-be-born fifth great-grandchild, expected by her son, Ryan, who lives in Waterdown. Wagner had been close to all of his great-grandchildren, she noted, among them Ryan's seven-year-old, Kadence. During his final days in hospital up north, Kadence asked her dad to give Wagner one of her stuffed toys, an elf, to keep him company. 'Kadence hugged it really tight, and said 'give this to great grandpa and tell him I put all my love into it.' When we walked into his hospital room, there he was, snuggling with that elf.' Jon Wells is a reporter at The Hamilton Spectator. jwells@ A letter home from Private Gerald (Gerry) Wagner to his brother, Douglas, dated April 27, 1945, just over a week before Nazi Germany surrendered in the Second World War. He writes that he is typing the letter on a 'jerry machine' that he found in a German house. 'Jerry' was a nickname given to German soldiers by the Allies. Page two of Private Gerry Wagner's letter home. Wagner references his wife, Ivy, and adds that he hopes to be home soon and that his unit is about to launch perhaps their 'last attack' of the war. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
