July 9 marked the birthday of Elias Howe, the inventor the sewing machine. Born in Spencer, Massachusetts in 1819, Howe lost a factory job in the Panic of 1837 and moved Boston, where he worked in a machinist's shop where he started with the idea of inventing a mechanical sewing machine. You can also read an overview of the Industrial Revolution here.

Mount Rushmore, the President's Mountain, is located in the Black Hills of South Dakota. This monument was the brainchild of Doane Robinson who wanted to draw visitors to South Dakota. It took fourteen years to complete and was created by Gutzon Borglum, the same artist who created Stone Mountain, GA. Amazingly, no one died while the monument was being created. Learn more facts about Mount Rushmore.

On July 4, 1776, the Continental Congress accepted the Declaration of Independence written by Thomas Jefferson. The declaration was a result of the War of Independence which had started over a year before it was written. Later, the document was sent to King George III to show the formal severing of colonial links with Britain. Happy Independence Day!

On July 2, 1881, President James Garfield was shot two times while waiting for a train at a train station. His assassin, Charles Guiteau, a lawyer whose application to be the U. S. ambassador to France was denied, was captured immediately after the shooting.