This Day In History : July 28

1851 Russian Federation

A total solar eclipse was first captured on a daguerreotype photograph by Busch and Berkowski

On July 28, 1851, a total solar eclipse was first captured on a daguerreotype photograph. This groundbreaking event took place in Königsberg, Prussia (now Kaliningrad, Russia) and was photographed by Johann Julius Friedrich Berkowski, marking a significant achievement in both photography and astronomy.

Also on This Day in History July 28

Discover what happened on July 28 with HISTORY's summaries of major events, anniversaries,
famous births and notable deaths.

Births on This Day, July 28
  • 1840 Edward Drinker Cope

    American paleontologist and prolific taxonomist of vertebrate paleontology. He was also active in ichthyology and herpetology.

  • 1907 Earl S. Tupper

    Earl Silas Tupper was an American inventor and manufacturer who introduced Tupperware.

  • 1915 Charles Townes

    Charles Hard Townes was an American physicist. Townes worked on the theory and application of the maser, for which he obtained the fundamental patent, and other work in quantum electronics associated with both maser and laser devices.

  • 1925 Baruch S. Blumberg

    He was an American physician, geneticist, and co-recipient of the 1976 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, for his work on the hepatitis B virus while an investigator at the NIH and at the Fox Chase Cancer Center.

  • 1954 Gerd Faltings

    Gerd Faltings is a German mathematician known for his work in arithmetic geometry.

Deaths on This Day, July 28
  • 1940 David Watson Taylor

    American marine engineer who used the first ship-model testing facility in the U.S. to evaluate basic principles in the design of ships.

  • 1818 Gaspard Monge

    French mathematician who is known for his elaboration of descriptive geometry.

  • 1968 Otto Hahn

    German physical chemist who, with the radiochemist Fritz Strassmann, is credited with the discovery of nuclear fission.

  • 1996 Roger Tory Peterson

    American ornithologist, author and conservationist who wrote wildlife field books on birds, which as a artist, he illustrated with great skill.

  • 2000 Abraham Pais

    Dutch-American physicist and science historian whose research became the building blocks of the theory of elemental particles.

1896

The City of Miami, Florida is incorporated

The City of Miami, Florida was officially incorporated on July 28, 1896. This marked a significant milestone in the city's history, establishing it as a formal municipality within the state of Florida.
1821

Peru declares independence from Spain

Peru declared its independence from Spain on July 28, 1821. This day is celebrated as Peru's National Day, commemorating the moment when General José de San Martín proclaimed the country's freedom in the Plaza Mayor of Lima. This event marked the beginning of the end of Spanish colonial rule in Peru.
1866

Metric system becomes a legal measurement system in US

In 1866, the United States Congress passed an act that authorized the use of the metric system throughout the country. This legislation, known as the Metric Act of 1866, was significant because it allowed Americans to use metric units for commerce and legal purposes.
1996

Kennewick Man skull discovery

The Kennewick Man skull discovery occurred on July 28, 1996, in Kennewick, Washington. Two college students, Will Thomas and David Deacy, found the skull along the banks of the Columbia River. This led to the excavation of a nearly complete ancient skeleton, estimated to be around 8,500 to 9,000 years old. The Kennewick Man, as he came to be known, sparked significant scientific and legal debates regarding the study of ancient human remains and their repatriation to Native American tribes.
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