July 1916

[July 1], 1916 (Saturday)

• Battle of the Somme - The biggest battle of World War I opened with the Battle of Albert, with British forces capturing the French communes of Gommecourt, Mountauban and Mametz on the same day. The opening offense was the British Army's bloodiest day, with 57,470 British casualties including 19,240 killed. German casualties for that day were significantly lower at. Some of the noted casualties included:
• * The 36th Ulster Division, which contained many Ulster Volunteers, lost 5,500 men during the first two days of fighting.
• * The Royal Newfoundland Regiment with the Dominion of Newfoundland sustained a 90 percent casualty rate while attacking Hawthorn Ridge, with 68 men out of 801 reporting for roll call the day after and 26% of all the Dominion's troops killed in the entire war falling on this day.
• * Nine Victoria Crosses were awarded, two-thirds posthumously, for brave action during the first date of the battle, which included Eric Bell, Geoffrey Cather, John Leslie Green, Stewart Loudoun-Shand, William McFadzean, Robert Quigg, Walter Potter Ritchie, George Sanders, and James Youll Turnbull.
• * A high number of noted British poets were among the casualties during the first day of fighting, including W. N. Hodgson, Will Streets, Gilbert Waterhouse, Henry Field, Alfred Ratcliffe, Alexander Robertson and Bernard White. Some other noted casualties included cricketer Major Booth and association football player Evelyn Lintott.
• * A total 19 mines dug and filled with explosives were ignited underneath German front lines at the start of the Battle of the Somme, resulting in one of the largest man-made explosions at the time that was rumored to be heard as far as London.
• The Social Democratic Party of Finland won a majority in the parliament of the Russian-ruled Grand Duchy of Finland.
• At least one shark attacked five swimmers over the course of two weeks along of New Jersey coastline, resulting in four deaths and the survival of one youth who required limb amputation. The event inspired author Peter Benchley, over half a century later, to write the thriller novel Jaws.
• Prohibition of alcohol was introduced in Alberta under the binding results of a liquor plebiscite in 1915.
• The United States Army activated the 17th Cavalry Regiment in Fort Bliss, Texas to protect the United States-Mexico border.
• The Zoological Survey of India was established to survey, explore and research the fauna in the Indian region.
• W. B. Yeats made his fifth and final proposal of marriage to the newly widowed Maud Gonne in France. Gonne had been married to Irish Republican leader John MacBride, who was executed in May by British forces for his role in the Easter Rising.
• Finnaas Municipality in Norway was dissolved and divided into three new municipalities that were established on this date: Bremnes Municipality, Bømmel Municipality, and Moster Municipality. These three would exist until 1963, when they were merged into Bømlo Municipality.
• Auto-Owners Insurance was established in Mount Pleasant, Michigan but moved to Lansing, Michigan a year later.
• Born:
• * Olivia de Havilland, British-American actress, best known for her leading roles in The Adventures of Robin Hood and Gone with the Wind, winner of the Academy Award for Best Actress for To Each His Own and The Heiress; in Tokyo, Empire of Japan
• * Lawrence Halprin, American architect, best known for his design work for the grounds at Ghirardelli Square in San Francisco and the Century 21 Exposition in Seattle; in New York City, United States
• * Bob Prince, American sportscaster, best known for sports commentary for the Pittsburgh Pirates; as Robert Ferris Prince, in Los Angeles, United States
• * Iosif Shklovsky, Ukrainian astrophysicist, best known for his theory and search for extraterrestrial life, co-author of Intelligent Life in the Universe with Carl Sagan; in Hlukhiv, Russian Empire
• * Robert Stanford Tuck, British air force officer, commander of the 257 Squadron during World War II, recipient of the Distinguished Service Order and Distinguished Flying Cross; in Catford, London, England

  [July 2], 1916 (Sunday)

• Battle of Albert - British forces captured the village of Fricourt along with 1,625 German prisoners, but at a cost of 8,791 casualties over 48 hours.
• Battle of Erzincan - Russian forces under command of Nikolai Yudenich launched counterattacks against the Ottoman Third Army at Erzincan in what is now Turkey.
• Baranovichi Offensive - Three corps with the Russian 4th Army attempted the first of four attacks against Central Powers around Baranovichi in what is now Belarus, but saw the offense stall by the second day.
• Born:
• * Ken Curtis, American actor, best known for the role of Festus Haggen in the long-running TV Western Gunsmoke; as Curtis Wain Gates, in Lamar, Colorado, United States
• * Barry Gray, American radio broadcaster, considered the "Father of Talk Radio"; as Bernard Yaroslaw, in Red Lion, New Jersey, United States
• * Hans-Ulrich Rudel, German fighter pilot, member of the Luftwaffe during World War II with over 800 confirmed destroyed enemy vehicles and weapons, recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross; in Konradswaldau, German Empire

  [July 3], 1916 (Monday)

• Battle of Albert - British forces captured parts of La Boisselle and Ovillers from the Germans.
• At the Battle of Guayacanas in the Dominican Republic, the United States Marine Corps ultimately defeated Dominican troops and captured Santiago de los Caballeros after their 800 men were held back by 80 Dominican men, for a considerable time given the disparity. The Dominican side lost 27 men.
• Born: John Kundla, American basketball coach, coached for Minneapolis Lakers from 1947 to 1960 before the team moved and became the Los Angeles Lakers, and Minnesota Golden Gophers men's basketball team from 1959 to 1968; in Star Junction, Pennsylvania, United States
• Died:
• * Hetty Green, 81, American financier, nicknamed "Witch of Wall Street" for both her financial successes in real estate, railroad investments and loans, as well as her legendary miserliness that earned her an entry in the Guinness Book of World Records
• * Alfred Kleiner, 67, Swiss physicist, doctoral adviser of Albert Einstein

  [July 4], 1916 (Tuesday)

• Battle of Mecca - The last resisting Ottoman garrison in Mecca surrendered to Arab forces after three weeks of fighting.
• Battle of Kostiuchnówka - The Imperial Russian Army and Polish Legions allied with the Austria-Hungary clashed at the village of Kostiuchnówka in Galicia.
• McCormick's Creek State Park was established in Owen County, Indiana.
• According to legend, the first Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest was held at Nathan's Famous original location on Coney Island with four competitors.
• Born:
• * Daniel Webster Cluff, American naval officer, best known for leading the daring SS Pendleton and SS Fort Mercer rescues in the 1950s; in Chincoteague, Virginia, United States
• * George Hunt, British naval officer, commander of the British submarine HMS Ultor which sank the most enemy vessels during World War II, recipient of the Distinguished Service Order; in Milton of Campsie, Scotland
• * Iva Toguri D'Aquino, American radio broadcaster, known as Japanese propaganda broadcaster "Tokyo Rose" during World War II; as Iva Ikuko Toguri, in Los Angeles, United States
• * Naseem Banu, Indian film actress, best known for lead roles in Khoon Ka Khoon and Pukar; as Roshan Ara Begum, in Delhi, British India
• Died: Alan Seeger, 28, American poet and soldier, uncle to folk singer Pete Seeger; killed in action at the Battle of the Somme

  [July 5], 1916 (Wednesday)

• A hurricane in the Gulf of Mexico killed 34 people and caused $3 million in crop and property damage for Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, and Tennessee.
• Shinano Railway extended the Ōito Line in the Nagano Prefecture, Japan, with station Shinano-Ōmachi serving the line.
• Born: Ivor Powell, Welsh association football player and manager, played for the Queens Park Rangers from 1937 to 1948 and the Wales national football team from 1946 to 1950, manager for various clubs including Carlisle United; in Bargoed, Wales

  [July 6], 1916 (Thursday)

• At the Battle of Albert, the British had complete control over La Boisselle, but at a loss of 9,850 casualties.
• At the Battle of Kostiuchnówka, Russia broke through the line, forcing the Polish Legions and supporting Hungarian troops to retreat, with the Poles enduring 2,000 casualties.
• British submarine was lost in the North Sea with all 30 crew.
• The United States Army activated the 33rd Infantry Regiment to protect the Panama Canal.
• Died:
• * Odilon Redon, 76, French painter, member of the Symbolism movement, recipient of the Legion of Honour
• * Béla Békessy, 40, Hungarian fencer, silver medalist at the 1912 Olympic Games; killed in action in Ukraine

  [July 7], 1916 (Friday)

• German submarine SM U-77 disappeared while on a mining mission in the North Sea. It was likely she sank after an accident with all 33 crew lost.
• The New Zealand Labour Party was founded in Wellington.
• The World Socialist Party of the United States was established by defecting members of the Detroit chapter of the Socialist Party of America.
• Born:
• * Steve "Pablo" Davis, American artist, member of the Diego Rivera team that produce the Detroit Industry mural; as Paul Meier Klienbordt, in Philadelphia, United States
• * Herbert Täschner, German politician, general secretary of the Liberal Democratic Party of Germany in East Germany from 1950 to 1954; in Dresden, German Empire
• * Joe Robbie, American sports executive, first owner of the Miami Dolphins; as Joseph Robbie, in Sisseton, South Dakota, United States
• Died: Dick Thomas, 35, Welsh rugby player, played back for Glamorgan from 1904 to 1914 and the Wales national rugby union team from 1906 to 1909; killed in action at the Battle of the Somme)