Moments in Time: World's First Automobile Race
The History Channel
On July 20, 1963, Jan and Dean's song "Surf City" made it to the coveted top of the American pop charts. While its memorable opening line "Two girls for every boy!" was more wishful thinking than fact, it helped create an image of California as a paradise that featured plenty of sun, sand, endless waves and equally endless summers.
On July 21, 365, an earthquake off the coast of Greece, estimated by modern scientists to actually have been two tremors in succession, caused a tsunami that devastated the city of Alexandria, Egypt. Approximately 5,000 people were killed and 50,000 homes destroyed.
On July 22, 1894, the world's first automobile race took place, with 17 of 21 entrants completing the route from Paris to Rouen, France, covering a distance of 78.3 miles. The Paris-Rouen Trial paved the way for future such races and signaled the dawn of the motor age by showcasing the reliability of the automobile.
On July 23, 1923, John Dillinger signed on with the Navy in an attempt to avoid auto theft charges. His military career was short-lived, however, as within months he had gone AWOL several times.
On July 24, 1998, Steven Spielberg's World War II epic "Saving Private Ryan" was released in theaters. Starring Tom Hanks and Matt Damon, the film was lauded for its realism and nominated for 11 Academy Awards, earning five.
On July 25, 1941, automaker Henry Ford penned a letter from his desk in Dearborn, Michigan, to Indian nationalist leader Mahatma Gandhi, praising him and his civil disobedience campaign that aimed to force the British colonial government out of India.
On July 26, 1797, future American president John Quincy Adams, the son of second president John Adams, married Louisa Johnson in London, England. For more than two centuries, Louisa would be the only foreign-born first lady of the United States. In 1828, their son John would wed Louisa's niece, Mary Catherine, in the first White House wedding for a president's child.
(c) 2026 King Features Synd., Inc.